Why Talk About "Excellence" So Much?

There are times when I know that I drive everyone around me crazy by talking about “excellence” as often as I do. In fact, I drive myself crazy sometimes with my focus on the constant “battle” that is required to reach (and remain at) a state of excellence in all we say and do and are.

While at the annual Association of Gospel Rescue Missions convention in Phoenix last week, I found that many other leaders share the same thoughts that I do on why any organization, if it is to be the best that it can be, has to have and has to nurture a culture of excellence at all times.  While I’m not sure whether or not the other leaders we listened to and learned from are quite as picky as I am, for the most part, most of them seemed to really desire for their ministry organizations to attain a certain level of distinction for how they’ll operate their Missions on a day-to-day basis.

Now, why is this so? Why the fuss over things being nice, organized, managed properly, etc.? Why put yourself through the headache of constantly making sure the place looks good, smells good, is clutter-free, has maintenance issues cared for; that you’re offering the best programming and so on and so forth? Well, it’s simple: This place is God’s house, and this ministry is His ministry. Anything worth doing for Him, or in His name, should be done (in my humble opinion) in the very best way and in the very best manner that we can do it, and it should be done to the highest standards or levels we are capable of for His glory.  The old thought that a ministry, if it is to be real, has to just barely limp along and struggle constantly for its very existence, just doesn’t sit well with me. From the bottom of my heart, I believe that anything the world can do and can offer, the church and the ministries that support it, can do it better…and we can offer so much more of true (eternal) value in the process!

Sure, it would be much easier to just go with the flow and to not make waves by insisting that everyone in the organization adopts the same philosophy (which may, at times, be contrary to their own personal methods of management and organization) of operations and structure. But, for the little lady who is sacrificing each month by writing the $10 check (which is a lot of money to her), the expectation on her part is that we’ll be good stewards and utilize the resources she entrusts to us by making sure we take good care of the facilities we are required to manage, as well as making sure we take good care of the hearts we’re called to love and to care for.  See, we’re taking care of investments here: The investments of both ministry tools and of eternal opportunities.

So, to insist that everyone strives for excellence really is only asking people to take good care of the resources that God has loaned us to use to help reach and to teach people for Him, and it’s saying that we will not be satisfied until those resources, both human and non-human (and both tangible and non-tangible), are utilized in the most efficient, professional, and spiritually mature manner we possibly can use them. From my own personal perspective, which is hopefully the perspective of the ministry organization that I lead, to accept anything less is to, in essence, say that striving for something greater isn’t worth the time or the effort required. Again, from my perspective, to say that (either verbally or by one’s actions), would be a real shame, and it would be incredibly unfair and unfortunate because the Lord and His ministry is worth our very best efforts, and His Kingdom is worth our very best work.

I’m so thankful that, at the Evansville Rescue Mission, we have hopefully established a reputation for excellence that goes pretty far and pretty deep. Our team knows that our community, our resident clients and guests, and most certainly the Lord, is worth our very best efforts towards excellence in all that we say and all that we do every day. It’s a privilege to be a part of and to lead such a team.