Striving for excellence

I am still basking from the Shepherd’s Conference this past week.  So much can be said about the teaching in the general sessions and seminars but one area I must make note of is the reminder for excellence.  If there was one statement that can be said about how the people of Grace Community Church minister is: they strive for excellence.  The theme of excellence bleeds through all they do from teaching, serving, and in their music worship.  It was a stunning example of 1Cor 10:31:

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

and Col 3:23-24

Whatever you do, do you work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

I would say that there were three primary areas where this striving for excellence was evident.

Service
I have been privileged to attend two other Shepherd’s conferences in the past but this year the level of excellence was truly unforgettable.  In the past I’ve stayed at a local hotel, but this year I was arranged to stay with a host family from Grace Church.  Talking with them about their testimonies and life at Grace Church was very encouraging.  This wonderful family let me in on the inside-scoop of how truly the SC is a labor of love by all the planning and volunteering.  When you think volunteer you probably think — any abled body.  But at Grace Church they have certain qualifications for their volunteers!  Also the volunteers are trained to do all the varying tasks throughout the conference from serving food, parking attendants, and bookstore assistance.

Worship
We all have our favorite worship style of music: hymns, praise, choruses, and [place your favorite style here].  Many times the music can be wonderful while the content of the song lacking.  At the SC the worship music was excellent in its content and its delivery. 

It has been said that all the great theologians in the past like Martin Luther, would write hymns as part of their ministry.  Well John MacArthur is slowly getting there.  We were privileged to hear a song he wrote entitled, “I believe” sung by his son-in-law Kory Welch.  Kory is in his own right a very powerful and moving tenor.  Combine his voice with theology-filled music and you have Christ-exalting worship.  Kory also sung a duet with the world-famous Jubilant Sykes who is a member of Grace Church.  These two powerful voices was like hearing a duet in Les Miserables as their voices soared higher and higher lifting us up to God.  They sung a song that spoke from the perspective of God and in his creation of man and man’s response to God his creator.

However the music of any one man, duet or quartet was not the highlight.  Hearing 3500 hundred men who love Christ sing in one room was unforgettable!

Ministry
While it is obvious that teaching at Grace Church is excellent under the leadership of John MacArthur, their varying ministries are all also done well.  My past two attendances I was exposed to the highschool and college ministries.  This year I was exposed to the Filipino outreach ministry.  Each of these ministries are so very organized that you would think they hired a professional planner.  However their secret was not in any professional planner, organizer but in their overall perspective of ministry.  This week I learned something very important about ministry from the SC.  Ministry from its core to its application can be summarized in three levels:

• Theology
• Philosophy
• Methodology

Each ministry falls under a time-tested, bible-supported theology that all the ministry leaders are well-versed in.  Secondly that understanding of Theology is carried to a philosophy of ministry.  That philosophy is the non-negotiables of ministry that must be understood by all the leaders of a particular ministry.  The shape and form of the philosophy of ministry is supported by the Theology that upholds it.  Thirdly, the Methodology is how that ministry actually takes place.  Things that would fall in Methodology would be where do we meet?  What time do we meet?  What subjects are we going to teach? etc.  Thinking of ministry in those three categories was very helpful in evaluating my ministry at my local church.  It has become very obvious to me how much I need to learn about ministry, service, preaching, and teaching.

Pray that many of the men, myself included, would be encouraged by the example shown to all of us in regards to striving for excellence in our ministries.  More and more I’m learning to confess that when it comes to teaching and ministry, my goal is not to be original but to get it right.  We’ve been given a great privilege to be undershepherds — let’s do it excellently.