How many new followers of Jesus have been made through your church in the recent past?  Do you wish it was more?   

Before his Ascension Jesus left his followers with the last words that would echo throughout church history. In Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20, and Acts 1 we are given the accounts of what is now called “The Great Commission.” These words have provided the foundation for the purposes of the church throughout the ages. 

Most likely, when you sensed a call to ministry, this commission played a role in your call. When you planted a church or worked toward renewing an existing ministry, it was these words that compelled you to count the cost and say yes to the task at hand. 

Yet, in spite of all their power, over time it’s easy for the focus of the church to stray away from the basic instructions Jesus gave us.

As church leaders in North America, we are being called back to the Great Commission. We are living in a moment in history when our churches must center again on the main task that Jesus left for us to do with the power and wisdom that Jesus left for us to do it.