Am I Actually Doing a Good Job in Ministry?

It’s a question most pastors don’t say out loud, but almost all of us ask.

Am I doing a good job?

Not just surviving.

Not just staying busy.

But actually leading well.

If a teenager, or a first-time guest, or a tired volunteer, or your board handed you a report card this Sunday, what would it measure? And would you even agree with the grading system?

When Evaluation Feels Personal

I recently spoke with an associate pastor who oversees multiple areas of ministry. After a difficult staff meeting focused on visitor retention, she walked away wondering whether she was failing.

She knew what she did every week: recruit volunteers, prepare ministry environments, engage people on Sundays. By those standards, she was thriving.

But the conversation shifted the goalposts.

Suddenly, she felt responsible for things she wasn’t resourced—or clearly empowered—to own. And the question underneath it all wasn’t strategic.

It was personal: Am I doing a good job… or not?

Most pastors have lived in that tension. One meeting can undo months of confidence. Not because we’re insecure, but because the expectations are unclear.

You Can’t Measure What You Can’t Define

When we slowed the conversation down, I asked a simple question:

What are the core values of your church?

There was a pause.

She eventually said, “We grow people.”

That sounds great, but what does it actually mean?

Numerical growth? Spiritual maturity? Volunteer development? Attendance? Retention?

Without clarity, evaluation becomes emotional. And emotional evaluation leads to either burnout or defensiveness.

Here’s the framework I come back to over and over:

Theology → Philosophy → Methodology

• Theology is what we believe.

• Philosophy is why we do what we do.

• Methodology is how we live that out.

Most ministry frustration happens when we try to evaluate methods without being aligned on philosophy.

Methods Without Philosophy Create Anxiety

I’ve watched churches adopt models from conferences, books, or successful churches and then struggle to explain why they’re doing what they’re doing.

They can name the programs.They can describe the events.But they can’t articulate the underlying values guiding those decisions.

That’s when leaders start feeling like they’re constantly missing the mark. The expectations keep shifting. The metrics change. And no one knows what “success” actually looks like.

In contrast, I once worked in a corporate environment with clear, non-negotiable core values. Hiring, evaluation, promotion, and even termination flowed from those values. You always knew what mattered.

Churches aren’t businesses, but clarity still matters.

A Visit Through Different Eyes

A while back, my family visited two large churches without letting them know we were coming. No announcements, no consulting, no advance notice, we were just observers.

Both churches were faithful. Both were sincere. Both were “doing ministry.”

But they felt very different, especially through the eyes of my teenage daughter.

One church was intentional about alignment, involvement, connection, and next steps. The values were clear, and the experience matched them.

The other church had strong teaching and production, but little visible relational connection. The values were listed, but the experience didn’t always reinforce them.

Neither church was wrong.

But both were living out what they valued, whether intentionally or not.

And that’s the key.

Confidence Comes from Alignment, Not Comparison

So how do you know if you’re doing a good job in ministry?

Not by comparing yourself to another church. Not by reacting to pressure-filled meetings. Not by chasing outcomes you were never meant to own alone.

You know you’re doing a good job when:

• You understand your church’s philosophy

• Your ministry methods align with it

• And you can evaluate your work honestly against those values

Confidence doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from clarity.

And clarity gives you something most leaders desperately need -not just direction, but peace.

So here’s the question worth sitting with:

If someone new experienced your church this week—especially someone younger—would they encounter the values you say matter most?

That answer won’t just shape your evaluation. It will shape your confidence moving forward.

And that’s a far better place to lead from.

Pastor Tony Kensinger serves churches as a pastor, coach, and discipleship strategist through Fresh Ministries. He has spent decades helping churches clarify spiritual formation, build healthy leadership cultures, and move from activity to intentional discipleship. If this stirred something in you, take a moment to pray -and if a conversation would help, that door is always open.