ArticleBlog | The Great Commission: For all churches
The Great Commission: For all churches
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 13.12.24
In this article, Hilary Taylor asks ‘Why are we here?’ and ‘What is our task?’ – both as small church leaders and within the greater picture of Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 28:16-20.
‘It’s 9:50am on a Sunday morning and the faithful few have turned up despite the rain. We do battle once more with the building’s alarm system and gain entry. Within 20 minutes, the youth centre is transformed into a place to worship the Lord God Almighty himself. The church kit is kept in a cupboard for the week, everything from banners to coffee kit, Sunday school books and tech equipment.
The people begin to gather and greet each other with warmth and enthusiasm, ready for an encounter with the living God. Scripture is read, songs are sung, heartfelt prayers are shared aloud, and participation is encouraged. God’s Word is taken to heart and there is an opportunity for ministry. After the service, coffee is served, visitors are encouraged to return, and the ‘church’ is packed away until next week.
Why do we do it? Because we believe God has brought us together to be a community, who worship together, learn together, laugh together, cry together, support each other, minister to each other and go and make disciples together. All 20 of us.’
This experience above is mine, in a church where, over 40 years, the membership never went higher than 30. This was mainly due to the transient nature of the area, but we saw over 55 people come to know Christ and many were baptised. Numbers do not tell the whole story. A high percentage of Christians across the UK experience this valid expression of God’s Kingdom every Sunday in congregations with 40 people or less.
The difference
It may seem obvious, but the big difference between a small church and a large church is the number of people. Or is that really true? Maybe the real difference between a small church and a large church is our perception of the difference that numbers make. Some small churches tend to look at the numbers and say either ‘We used to…’ or ‘We can’t…’ Some are doing amazing work in their communities and seeing lives changed. Our Christian life, individually and corporately, is all about health, fruitfulness, and obeying God’s call.
The place in Scripture to look for our call and purpose is Matthew 28:16-20, This is the mandate for the church, every church and every church activity. Small church is different, with restrictions on numbers of people, money, abilities etc, so it’s just as well we know a big God with deep pockets! The way we fulfil the Great Commission varies hugely as God gives us different tasks.
From the Matthew passage above, we all need to focus on:
Jesus’ Presence To just see Jesus after his resurrection was enough for most of the disciples. They were now qualified as eye witnesses of his rising from the dead. We all have a story to tell of how we encountered Jesus and how he impacts our lives
Jesus’ Provision We have ‘All authority’ from Jesus when we speak his words to the world. His words do not return empty (Isaiah 55:11) but accomplish what he desires and achieves the purpose for which he sent them.
