The Great Commission

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt. 28:18-20

This week finds me not in Sebewaing, but at Camp Michindoh. I am here with 11 other guys going through 10 days of disciple making training. The days have been long as we are logging between 8 and 9 hours a day in the class room. Then the conversations that are taking place around the meal tables and on walks around the grounds are all centering on a disciple making process that is meant to take discipleship out to the fourth generation.

Richard Greene, our presenter, has been very passionate about telling us that times are changing and that he believes that the church needs to change to become more effective at fulfilling the Great Commission as found in Matthew 28. As someone who has been in youth ministry for 17 years, I have been a witness to what Richard is talking about when it comes to changing times. My experience in youth ministry has shown me that things are changing rapidly and in many cases things that worked last year don't work any more.

Most of the people sitting in on our class are senior pastors, and there have been some real issues that have come up as Richard points out the things he sees as flaws in the present church system. There have even been some difficult conversations around these topics. I have listened to these conversations trying to figure out what God would have me to learn through them. Several of the guys keep asking about where is there a model of what Richard is proposing that is up and working in the U.S. (There is no question how well these Keystone/ first century principles are working in third world countries.)

At this point there seems to be no real answer for that question but for me there is one truth that keeps coming up. The Great Commission is suppose to be for all believers, yet as the church we have not been very good at carrying it out. Maybe one of the reasons we are arguing so much against these things is because even though what we have is not working we are afraid to let it go because it is all we have ever known. I am ready to look for new wine skins.

Please keep me in prayer these next days as we continue to unpack the Keystone materials.

Also pray for Richard Greene as he presents. I am afraid that the interaction today has dampened some of his passion.

I expect to be back in Sebewaing next week and should post a blog about that next Friday before I leave for Kentucky with my youth group next Saturday.

Your Servant in Christ,

Brian