We’re excited to share some meaningful news…
Love INC of Littleton earned the Pursuit of Excellence Certification in September 2026!
This certification is a significant milestone for our organization and one we’re honored to share with our volunteers, church partners, donors, and community.
Across the Love INC Movement, affiliates are faithfully pursuing healthy ministry practices that strengthen their impact, deepen collaboration with local churches, and help neighbors experience holistic transformation. The Pursuit of Excellence Certification recognizes affiliates that have demonstrated a commitment to strong leadership, operational health, and missional effectiveness. And
Love INC of Littleton is one of just six affiliates (out of 100+ worldwide) to earn this certification.
This distinction is something we’re quite excited about. And more importantly, it reflects a deeper commitment:
- to serve our community well, and
- to continually grow in how we love, connect, and walk alongside our neighbors in the name of Christ.
Pursuing excellence means being intentional about the way we lead, steward resources, strengthen partnerships, care for people, and carry out the mission God has entrusted to us. It means continually asking, How can we do this better? How can we serve more effectively? How can we create healthier pathways toward lasting transformation?
This recognition celebrates the work of our staff and leadership team, but it also reflects the many people who make Love INC’s ministry possible.
Love INC’s church partners, volunteers, donors, business partners, and community supporters all play a part in helping this affiliate serve with excellence.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to be part of a movement committed to serving communities with excellence in the name of Christ—and we’re excited to keep pursuing what’s next.
What Does It Take to Earn a Pursuit of Excellence Certification?
Earning the Pursuit of Excellence Certification is a meaningful process. It’s not simply an award. It reflects a comprehensive look at how an affiliate operates, leads, serves, and engages with its community and the broader Love INC Movement.
To earn certification, affiliates must demonstrate strength and consistency across ten key areas of ministry and operations:
- Strong Ministry Foundations
Affiliates must meet Love INC National’s Minimum Operating Standards, providing a healthy foundation for effective ministry and responsible operations.
- Missional Integrity
Affiliates must demonstrate they are living out the Love INC philosophy of Redemptive Compassion. This includes completing a self-assessment and demonstrating strong alignment across key areas of missional health.
- Ministry Offerings
Certified affiliates have a strong Connection Center, at least two active Gap Ministries, and also offer Transformational Ministry (i.e. IMPACT program). These create opportunities to address both practical needs and deeper areas of transformation.
- Strong Church Relationships
Because local churches are at the heart of the Love INC model, affiliates must demonstrate healthy, collaborative relationships with their church partners.
- Effective Leadership
Executive Directors of these affiliates are expected to demonstrate strong leadership and complete required Love INC National leadership training.
- Healthy Board Governance
A strong board is essential to a healthy ministry. Affiliates must demonstrate effective board governance, and every board member must complete Love INC National’s Introduction to Love INC course.
- Financial & Fundraising Health
Certified affiliates demonstrate sound practices in fundraising and financial management, helping ensure that resources are stewarded responsibly and the ministry is positioned for sustainability.
8. Facilities and Marketing
Certification also looks at the practical pieces that help a ministry function such as maintaining welcoming, functional facilities and using marketing and communications to clearly share the mission and ministry with the community.
- Volunteer Mobilization
Volunteers are essential to Love INC’s ministry. Certified affiliates demonstrate effective practices for recruiting, engaging, supporting, and mobilizing volunteers, helping people use their time and gifts to serve their community.
- Engagement with the larger Love INC Movement
Being part of Love INC means being part of something bigger than one local affiliate. Certified affiliates participate in Love INC National offerings, stay current with required reporting and financial commitments, and commit to ongoing training.
Taken together, these standards provide a comprehensive picture of an affiliate’s health and effectiveness. They challenge Love INC of Littleton to keep growing not simply so we can operate well, but so we can serve our neighbors more effectively, strengthen relationships with local churches, and advance the mission of Love In the Name of Christ.