I have said before that we do not have to be THE best. We just have to be OUR best. That is excellence.
A church plant with 15 people can still be excellent. I was a witness to that just last week when we were in Los Angeles. A church planter that we have supported since his beginning (Bro. AJ Harold–Solid Rock Baptist Tabernacle) is working to train his people to be excellent with what they have. They can’t have the BEST and BIGGEST building in Los Angeles, but they can (and do) make the best of what they have–an old storefront on 54th Street. When they first signed the lease, the grime on the walls was so thick you could scrape it with your fingernail. The walls were only partially drywalled, and the bathroom was completely condemned.
They got right to work—cleaning, painting, cleaning, building, cleaning…you get the idea. The building is beautiful, now. It is excellent. The bathroom has new fixtures, granite counters and bright lights. The sanctuary is a pleasing milk chocolate color. The walls are finished, and a new little nursery is clean with new carpet. Everything is a work in progress, but his people are starting to get it. At first, they’d ask, “Pastor, you know we don’t own this building, right? Why are we doing all this work to it?” Little by little, though, they’re understanding the reasoning. God’s house is important. Pastor AJ is teaching them about excellence—doing the best they can with what they have.
Our choir is not THE best in America, but at this phase in our ministry, I think it is the best it can be right now, don’t you? Your faithful practice and year-by-year consistency has created a testimony of excellence in our music ministry. I’ll take that over a professional choir any day.
– Bro. Ryan