Drake Caudill
The average church size is shrinking. Lifeway Research reported that in 2000, 45% of churches had fewer than 100 in weekly attendance but by 2021, that number had climbed to 65%. Should a shrinking church sound the alarm? Absolutely not!
Jesus masterfully proclaimed the church’s global mission to 11 disciples. He didn’t wait to relay the mission until 3,000 people were added to the church in Acts 2, because it’s not the size of the congregation that legitimizes the mission. All Christ-followers are entrusted with the mission.
In Matthew 28, we discover three practices that all churches—regardless of their numerical size—can execute to refocus their commitment to the great mission.
1. Revisit the mission
I enjoy routines. But often, I become so absorbed in my daily routine that I can mindlessly move from task to task without thought or purpose. When I do this, anything outside of routine becomes an interruption or an inconvenience to my agenda.
In the same way, churches are often tempted to allow routine to replace the mission. But a church without a mission has an unclear purpose. So, it’s helpful for churches of all sizes to pause from time to time to revisit the mission Christ gave.
As the 11 gathered around Jesus, he said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:18b-19a, CSB).
A church focused on Christ’s mission has a clear purpose. It knows why it exists, the reason for its location, the direction of its financial statements, the purpose of its Sunday School, the goal of its age-graded ministries, and the motivation for its witness in the community. The great mission of the church is to make disciples.
Revisit Christ’s great mission for your church. Examine your programs, outreach, budget, classes, and meetings with His mission in mind. However, don’t stop with the great mission. Recast the grand vision.
2. Recast the vision
A shrinking group embracing a small mission has limited vision. However, a big mission, no matter the size of the group, leads to a grand vision.
Jesus continued with his 11 disciples, telling them “to make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19, CSB).
Imagine how overwhelmed they would’ve felt hearing “all nations.” Making disciples in Jerusalem was certainly possible with 11. Expanding outward into Judea was perhaps difficult but achievable. Samaria? Attainable.
However, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, CSB). Jesus had a great mission and cast a grand vision for the 11.
So how can your church recast Christ’s vision for your church? Begin at home, but don’t take your eyes off the world. Lead your church to sacrificially give financial support to missionaries across the nation and around the world, and be encouraged that you’ve participated in making disciples of all nations.
One day, by God’s grace, all your efforts in disciple making—great or small—will come to an end. You will stand before the throne of God, but not alone. Disciples from every tribe, nation, and language will join together to praise the One who sits on the throne. So, recast the vision with the end in mind. But recognize the source of your efforts is not your might or strength but your source comes from Christ alone.
3. Recognize the source
Disciple making in the ancient world wasn’t limited to Christianity. Secular philosophers had disciples who followed them and imitated their studying, eating, and sleeping habits. Olympians had followers who imitated and followed their every move and routine. Disciples imitate the master. The church’s mission is to make disciples who imitate and follow the Master.
Jesus finished speaking to the 11 disciples, saying, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,… And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-19, CSB).
What comforting words for the disciples. With the nations around them and the great mission before them, the 11 weren’t alone in their mission. Jesus is the source of the mission. Churches, whether large or small, make a difference because Jesus makes a difference.
Drake Caudill is pastor of First Baptist Church of Carmi. This column is excerpted from Lifeway Research.