Men appreciate excellence. They get impatient when church services are dull, boring or overly sentimental. But a church that delivers excellence week after week will attract more men.

Excellent doesn’t mean slick, canned or superficial. It simply means everything done well (Col. 3:23).

But it’s hard to deliver excellence every week, especially in a smaller church. Your sound system may need repair. Your lighting may be dim. You may lack talented musicians. You don’t have a drama team. Your pastor is no Billy Graham. You simply can’t compete with the megachurch down the street.

Relax. You don’t have to be the coolest church. Just focus on your strengths and do whatever you can do well. For example, if you lack a strong soloist, do more choral singing. There are simple, inexpensive steps you can take to enhance sound and lighting quality. Your pastor can purchase professionally produced video clips to illustrate his sermons.

Most of all, remember to simplify. Just do a couple of things very well, and avoid anything you can’t do well. Pray a lot, and leave room for the Spirit to work. That’s excellence.

It seems like a no-brainer. But there’s often opposition when church leaders move toward excellence. Truth is, a lot of churchgoers are suspect of excellence in church. The thinking goes this way: If things get too professional, we start glorifying human effort. Church begins to look like any other entertainment venue, and a creeping worldliness begins to squeeze out the Spirit.

Instead, these Christians prefer a more homespun, family-oriented service, warts and all. They enjoy hearing 9-year-old Allison play the offertory on her clarinet, even if she misses most of the notes. They don’t mind a lengthy testimony from Sister Marge. It doesn’t bother them when the service goes long or the pastor gets lost in his notes. These things make the service real. After all, we’re a family of God, not some Hollywood production.

I’m not speaking against this kind of church. God has many different children, and a homespun church feels "just right" to a lot of folks.

But if you want more men in church, you must err on the side of excellence. Most men will have a harder time finding God in a homespun church. Research and experience back this up. Women think kiddie clarinet solos are adorable, but men find them excruciating. The brethren become impatient when Sister Marge’s testimony drags past eight minutes, or when Sister Blanche stands up and asks for prayer for her aunt’s gall bladder. Young men in particular are fleeing homespun churches by the boatload.

If you find yourself on a worship planning team, try to do everything with excellence. Don’t attempt more than your talent pool allows. As you plan your service, ask yourself this question: If I were visiting this church for the first time, would this lead me closer to God, or would it seem corny?

I pray God’s patience as you embark on this journey. There’s constant pressure to place homespun elements in the worship service. A key member would love to hear her granddaughter perform in worship. The tone-deaf church secretary wants to sing a solo soon. "Pastor, I just got this amazing e-mail message. Can you read it from the pulpit on Sunday? Please?" We don’t put the brakes on this stuff because people’s feelings get hurt. It’s easier to say "yes" because it keeps the petitioner happy. But over time, a lack of excellence drives men away.

Be strong. Learn to give a gracious but firm "no." If you want men in your worship services, focus on excellence.

Excerpted, with permission, from David Murrow’s upcoming book, "How Women Help Men Find God" (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008). David Murrow is the director of Church for Men, an organization that helps churches reach the world’s largest unreached people group. His best-selling book, "Why Men Hate Going to Church," now has more than 100,000 copies in print. You can reach David at admin@churchformen.com.