“The missional church
at the dawn of the twenty-first century
stands or falls on its capacity to make
disciples.”
Alan Hirsch
The primary business of the church
is to make disciples. Preaching, teaching and pastoral care are each important
so long as they serve the singular purpose of making disciples. Jesus
demonstrated this priority in His ministry. In the first chapter of Mark’s
Gospel, the disciples seek Jesus early one morning and find Him praying. With
considerable audacity they disrupt Jesus at prayer and tell Him of the urgency
before them that day – the pastoral care load was already mounting. Jesus
dismisses the disciple’s agenda for the day with another, going to the
neighboring towns that disciples may be made in those places. “That is what I
came out to do,” says Jesus as if He is surprised that He has to remind the
disciples,
Additionally, Jesus told the
disciples clearly and directly that the primary purpose of their ministry is to make disciples. At the close of Matthew’s
Gospel, the church locates what has come to be known as The Great Commission.
Jesus is prepared to depart from His disciples and has one final word for them.
Last words or final words are usually chosen with care. The one speaking sifts
through multiple thoughts, multiple concerns to locate the one thought, and the
one concern that trumps all others in importance. Jesus’ final thought – His
primary concern – is that the disciples understand that they have been called
together and apprenticed for three years for one thing, to make disciples,
It is curious that church boards
often spend considerable time in identifying and crafting a mission statement
for their church. One would think by all that effort that the mission is
negotiable. Jesus gave no indication that it is. The mission of the church is
to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus demonstrated this in His ministry and
told the disciples that it is to be their ministry. Making disciples is the
main thing.
Alan Hirsch is right – the
missional church stands or falls on its capacity to make disciples. Beautiful
and compelling worship, thoughtful teaching and preaching and excellent
attention to the pastoral care needs of a faith community remain important.
Yet, if year after year all of that activity is for the same people, the church
will have failed to advance the one thing Jesus said was most important.
Joy,
Doug
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