Great Commission Families
When I first attended a Great Commission church in 1984, I encountered a group of people like none I had ever known.It is difficult to summarize the full experience of teachings, small groups, conferences, and even conversations that made an impression on me. I wasn’t blinded to the group’s weaknesses. There were beliefs I didn’t agree with, practices I didn’t like, and personalities that rubbed me the wrong way. However, I was undeniably impacted by the collective vision of the people I met, observed, and interacted with.They were clearly living for something and Someone greater than themselves.
I fear at times that as a church we have lost that vision, or never really had that vision, and have been drawn to a more comfortable and ordinary form of Christianity (or could it even stoop tobeing churchianity at times?). While our core doctrines have not changed, I question whether a new person in our church would find the same passion and unswerving devotion to God that I discovered 22 years ago.I’m concerned for the impact this will have on our church, on our families, and in my own life, and I desperately want to recapture the spirit of Christianity that I observed.
What were the marks of the Great Commission Movement?Jesus said that the most important command was to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” No one follows this command perfectly, but this group of people loved God like few I have ever met. They enjoyed meeting together for worship, had a thirst for His Word and for prayer, and made every attempt to put into practice the Christianity they learned about.
They also had a great devotion to the second greatest commandment which is to “love your neighbor as yourself.”This played out in their devotion to their families, their love and commitment to the family of believers, and their love for the lost.Their love for the lost was primarily evident in their commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission, which is to spread the message of Christ to the world. While the “Great Commission” was the name of the church and the movement I was involved with, the “Great Commission” was not the defining attribute of the group.It was bigger than a mantra or a slogan.The “Great Commission” was a way of life.
People made daily choices to share their faith, touch a life, or meet a need. They were committed to one another, their church, and their leaders, and a spirit of unity permeated the church.They sacrificed careers, free time, and sleep to stay together and to be together. They met for study, discussion, and for hours of prayer.
Why would anyone chose to live so zealously? Because they knew it was God’s call on their lives. I wanted to be a part of this great work of God. Although my flesh wanted a more comfortable path through life, God’s Spirit in me couldn’t imagine missing out on an opportunity to serve along such heroes of the faith.
This lifestyle is what I think of as the Great Commission life. I crave that life for myself, and I would give anything to pass it on to my children.
- Steve Nelson
Great Commission Families
1. Read Steve’s “Great Commission Families” article.What do you about his experiences and observations?
2. A desire to live out the Great Commission is certainly missing in the hearts of many Christians. How is the “Great Commission” mindset that Steve mentioned different than just fulfilling the Great Commission?Would you call it something else?
3. Take a few minutes to answer the following (you will not share these with the group):
Which of the following have you done in the last 3 months:
Shared your faith with an unbeliever.
Made a conscious effort to reach out to the lost.
Prayed an opportunity to share your faith with someone.
Been involved in intentional disciple-making.
What have you specifically done as an individual, or as a family in the last 6 months to reach out to the lost?
4. Do you think a deficiency of evangelism in Christianity, our churches, and in our own lives is simply a weakness, or is it a symptom of a greater spiritual apathy?
5. Living the Great Commission life often comes at a cost. What are some sacrifices that you think parents should consider in their lives and in the lives of their kids?(Financial, time, hobbies, pastimes, image, etc…)
6. Which of the following two cases would be the hardest for you?
Child A becomes a missionary and moves to India.
Child B does not become a missionary, or have any desire to share his faith—ever.
How does your answer reflect the emphasis on the Great Commission in your family?
7. Which of the following concerns do you think about the most?
___ : Children will someday get involved in drugs
___ : Children will someday be rowdy, and disruptive at church or school
___ : Children will someday abuse alcohol
___ : Children will someday pursue a sexually deviant lifestyle
___ : Children will someday become depressed or even suicidal
___ : Children will someday get pregnant outside of marriage
___ : Children will someday marry unbelievers
___ : Children will someday abandon God.
___ : Children will someday lose the Great Commission mindset
___ : Children will someday quit having quiet times
___ : Children will someday value work over church and family
___ : Children will someday become nominal Christians.
We can be tempted to have the greatest concern for that areas which are the most evident (like getting pregnant) and that are the most embarrassing to us.We are also likely to put the greatest parenting effort toward those same things that worry us the most. As a result,it is easy for us to end up focusing on the don’ts instead of the do’s, and around our fears instead of our dreams.Do you think this has played into your parenting at all?What can you do about it?
8. Why is it important to you to pass on a Great Commission vision to your children?
Assignment:
- Finish these discussion questions as a couple.
- Read “Our Life Is Like a Coin” by Rick Whitney.Write down your favorite quote from that article and comment briefly about what impacted you from the article.
Practical ideas on how to promote a Great Commission heart in your child:
Mission trips
Outreach class
- A Great Commission Christian lives life for something greater than himself or herself.
- Loving God (Mark 12:30)
- Loving others (Matthew 7:12; Mark 12:31; James 2:8)
- Loving your family (1 Timothy 3:4,5; 5:4-8)
- Loving the family of believers (John 13:34; Galatians 6:10)
- Loving the lost (Matthew 28:19,20)
- A Great Commission family is marked by:
- Commitment and devotion to God and His Word
- Spirit of unity
- Commitment to one another
- A life lived purposefully and passionately for God
- A life of sacrifice to reach goals that cannot be met otherwise.
It is a way of life.