Ever feel like no matter how hard you try, you’re just not pastoring as well as you should be?

Last Sunday, I preached at a church where I consult on preaching and content creation. Every time I step into their pulpit, I feel the weight of their eyes, and I don’t mean the attendees. Sure, those at their campus locations and the people watching online evaluate me like every church evaluates the preaching. But in this case, the church staff is watching to evaluate me and learn to improve their preaching from what they see.

It feels like a very different version of evaluation. 

I was a lead pastor with North Point Ministries for nearly 13 years. Whenever I preached at North Point Community Church or my location, Woodstock City Church, I felt something similar, knowing that our congregations were watching, but so was Andy Stanley.

Back to Sunday… The message went well overall. But as I stepped off the stage, I felt the sting of a missed opportunity. There was one moment I wanted back, one part I wished I had done better. But sermons are like toothpaste squeezed out of the tube—there’s no putting them back in.

The voice in my head whispered, “You could have done better.”

I Hate That Voice of Deficiency

It’s that nagging thought: You’re not good enough.

Many pastors and church leaders wrestle with this fear. We all want to be good, right, and perfect. After all, we have high standards for ourselves, and we perceive others—our church, our community, even God—expect the same.

Sure, we know God’s grace covers our imperfections. God specializes in using imperfect people to accomplish his perfect will. But this intellectual truth rarely silences the emotional voice whispering, “You’re not enough.”

And here’s the reality: we’re not. No single leader can meet all the expectations placed on us. This is especially true for church leadership.

Ministry Expectations Are Heavy

As church leaders, we’re held to a higher standard. Scripture even warns us of this:

“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1)

We aren’t just judged by others; we judge ourselves. We want to be good, ethical, and right. And while we might not be corrupt or “bad,” we all have gaps.

Because ministry leadership demands more than anyone individually can do well, how can we move forward in health?

3 Steps to Overcome Leadership Inadequacy

Having gaps in your leadership isn’t the problem. The real issue is what you do with those gaps.

Here are three steps to help you lead confidently despite your deficiencies:

1. Acknowledge Your Weaknesses

Admitting weaknesses takes humility but is essential for growth. Identifying where you struggle invites God’s grace and clarifies where you need support.

Consider this: have you taken time to discover, name, and own your leadership gaps?

I created a Church Leadership Assessment to help pastors like you. It’s not about feeling bad but about finding clarity to move forward.

2. Grow in Your Weaknesses

Once you’ve identified your gaps, intentionally invest in growth. Study, reflect, seek mentorship—do the work to strengthen your weak spots.

Some weaknesses can be transformed into strengths. Others may be permanent. When you encounter an area that may never become a strength, it’s time to embrace step 3.

3. Surround Yourself with Complementary People

You don’t have to be great at everything. Surround yourself with people who fill in your gaps.

This isn’t about delegating to cover your weaknesses; it’s about building a team where strengths complement each other. Collaboration fosters humility and sets an example for your team.

Use a combination of personality tests, temperament assessments, 360 reviews, and behavioral-based interviews and observations to determine the people you need to surround you.

Deficiency Doesn’t Define You

Let’s be real: wanting to improve is natural. We should all want to grow as a leader and pastor.

Letting your gaps define you is not helpful.

The good news? God doesn’t call perfect leaders. He calls faithful ones. When you embrace who God created you to be and extend yourself the grace you offer others, you lead from a place of strength, not shame.

Many church leaders and churches struggle due to the kind of leadership pride that makes them unwilling to assess their weaknesses. 

You’re not the leader who has to do it all. But you are the leader God has called for this moment. And that’s enough.

While We’re Talking…

I recently released my second book, The Ministry MBA: 10 Practical Courses To Lead A Thriving Church.

I created some highly practical Bonus Materials and a Companion Podcast. Check them out today.

And don’t forget to take the Church Leadership Assessment to discover your strengths and potential areas for growth.

You’re probably aware of our Church Accelerator Community. All our Partners have unlimited access to our resource section, full of courses, frameworks, supporting documents, and our new Custom AI tools (Sermon Outline Creator, Sermon Evaluator, Small Group Question Writer, and more).

Partnership starts at $149, which gets you about $5,000 in resources. Don’t wait. Become a partner today.

Check out the Strategic Partner and Community Partner options if you’d like personalized coaching for you, a staff member, or your church. I limit the number of these options to maximize my investment in each church and pastor. Let me know if you are interested.

Leading With You,
Dr. Gavin Adams