Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Michael Todd Wilson & Brad Hoffmann's new book, Preventing Ministry Failure: A ShepherdCare Guide for Pastors, Ministers and Other Caregivers, (InterVarsity Press, 2007).

You hear about falls from ministry all the time, and sometimes you wonder if burnout, ineffectiveness, or moral failure could someday cause your own ministry to fail. But the good news is, failure doesn’t just happen without warning, and you can take steps to prevent it.

Here’s how you can prevent failure in your ministry:

Approach your ministry from the right perspective. Remember that it’s ultimately God’s ministry, not yours. Instead of trying to minister in your own limited power, decide to rely on God’s unlimited power to work through you. Give yourself the freedom to be human and break free of unrealistic expectations to be perfect. Expect that you’ll make some mistakes, but when you do, embrace the grace God offers you to learn from them and move on with confidence. Rather than imposing your own agenda on your ministry, seek to discover God’s purposes for it. Then simply do your best to fulfill those purposes, trusting God for the outcome. Ask God to give you the humility you need to work to please Him alone, instead of trying to validate yourself or please other people.

Keep short accounts with God. Be aware of how much you sin on a daily basis, in both big and small ways. Realize that all sin, no matter what kind, can block your intimacy with God and drag you into bondage. Regularly thank God for the new mercy He offers you daily because of His great love for you. Don’t ignore your sins; deal with them as soon as you recognize them. Make a daily habit of seeking spiritual restoration through confession, repentance, reconciliation, restitution, accountability, and renewing your mind.

Take care of yourself. Understand that if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of the people you serve through your ministry. Don’t neglect your own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Make time every day to nurture your body (getting enough sleep, eating nutritious meals, exercising, etc.), mind (constantly learning something new, refreshing yourself through recreation, etc.), and spirit (spending prayer time in solitude and silence, reading and meditating on the Bible, etc.).

Value intimacy. Recognize that you need close relationships with God and other people just as much as any other human being. Make it a top priority to develop relationships where you can fully know others and be fully known yourself. Don’t believe lie that as a minister, you can’t safely be vulnerable with others. Realize that you can’t afford not to be open and honest with others if your ministry is to survive, much less thrive. Guard yourself against isolation that will damage your soul and ministry. Pursue God and enjoy the love you experience as you connect with Him. Pay attention to your need for support, encouragement, and accountability from other people. Invest in close friendships with a few other believers of your same gender. Nurture an intimate relationship with your spouse if you’re married, and rely on God’s strength to help you meet your needs for intimacy in pure ways if you’re single. Be willing to take the risks required to form healthy, close relationships. Learn how to identify and express your emotions and resolve conflict well. Welcome help from others when you need it, and be willing to help others when they need it. Learn how to express affection in appropriate physical ways, such as through hugs and handshakes. Don’t hesitate to laugh often. Seek out adventurous experiences with others, such as by taking a trip to a new place with them or trying out a new sport with them. Take time off work regularly to play and enjoy yourself with other people. Pray for others and allow them to pray for you.

Understand and follow your calling. Discern honestly whether you’re serving in ministry because of your own desires, or because God invited you to do so and you can’t be at peace doing anything else. Recognize the common characteristics of a divine calling: It’s not about you; it’s about God’s desire to use you in ministry to others. The calling is bigger than you are, so it requires you to depend on God to fulfill it. It represents your heart’s greatest passion. The calling will make use of the experience you’ve already gained in life to accomplish ministry that’s unique to your journey. And, once God calls you, it’s to a lifetime of ministry service in some way. Even though you may try to resign the call, the call won’t leave you. Understand that you may experience discouragement, struggling with sin, and being removed from a particular place of ministry and yet still be pursuing a true calling. But if you view ministry as simply a job, if you lack passion for it, if your ministry expresses self-centered desire, or if you find satisfaction doing something besides full-time ministry, God may not have called you to ministry, and you should seek His will in the matter. If you have been called to ministry work, ask God to give you clarity about what He’s calling you to do, and the confidence you need to follow that calling despite the challenges you encounter along the way. Pray for perseverance and the ability to stay focused on your calling, so the difficult circumstances that are bound to come your way in ministry won’t knock you off course. Live out your ministry role according to the natural talents and spiritual gifts God has given you – rather than just according to your expectations and assumptions. Invite God to show you exactly how He has designed you for ministry. Devote yourself to pursuing God with a passion, making your relationship with Him – not your work – your top priority. Trust that, in the process, God will plant the desires He has for you in your heart. Create a personal purpose statement to guide your life and ministry. Once you’ve identified your calling, avoid wasting your time and energy on activities that distract you from pursuing it well. Every day, build your decisions around your priorities, while keeping your purpose in mind. Help other people who work alongside you in ministry to find and fulfill their callings, too. Encourage them and give them opportunities to expand their ministry work. Whenever God’s calling for your own ministry work conflicts with other people’s expectations, choose to follow God, no matter what others may think. Wait until a crisis or conflict is over before deciding whether you should stay or leave a particular ministry place, so you won’t be just reacting to feeling tired, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed. Spend a significant amount of time praying about whether or not to move on before actually making the decision. If God is calling you to stay, ask Him to give you the wisdom you’ll need to solve the problems facing you and create positive change. If you think God may be calling you to pursue new ministry work, ask: “Am I spiritually discontent?”, “What has God been speaking to me about?”, “Do I possess a consuming new passion?”, and “Is there an open door?”. Make sure you won’t be moving from a bad situation to a worse one, but from a good situation to a better one.