Owning Our Turf

We disciplemakers may have forgotten something...

While creating disciples is our primary responsibility, it is centered on a bigger mission than simply enlarging the church. Jesus included at least three "domains" on our turf.

In Luke 4:18, Jesus characterized his mission as bringing good news to the needy, proclaiming freedom, healing the sick, and setting people free. In the Great Commission, he called us to make disciples who would carry out that mission.

Our work is more than just producing disciples; it is about repairing lives, forming communities, and advocating for justice in a broken world. To "own our turf," churches must embrace a variety of ministry areas, allowing them to reach people more effectively. New churches can often accomplish this more efficiently than existing congregations since they are forming new habits.

No single church can achieve everything. The more churches we plant, the greater the reach. Each new congregation becomes a new manifestation of hope, allowing people to encounter God in locations where He may not have been felt before. By founding churches, we help accomplish Christ's purpose of creating disciples of all peoples and bringing them into the circle of God's love.

Kingdom Expansion

In Matthew 28, Jesus uses the Greek phrase ethne, which means "people groups." Our English bibles translate it as “nations,” but that suggests a too large category. Jesus is interested in the many nooks and crannies of our splintered nations.

Diversity is a contentious and often divisive issue in today's warlike civilization. However, in God's Kingdom, it is essential. Churches should reflect their communities' diverse character and promote welcoming environments for people of all origins. However, this is more than just opening the door to everyone; it also entails actively striving to evangelize underrepresented and previously disregarded groups.

When a church is young and small, it can strive to reach those for whom it does not yet have the resources. As the future unfolds, serious aspirations become actionable.

Churches are not intended to be confined to a particular location. Just as Paul's ministry spread far and wide (Acts 18), we are called to expand our influence locally and globally. Sending short-term missionaries is an excellent approach to fostering a missionary vision inside a local community. Also, because short-term missions can benefit the missionaries more than the field, they frequently result in a call to life as a missionary.

If we don't reach young people, we risk losing the church's future. Engaging youth and young adults is vital and requires intentionality and innovation, which are more easily accomplished in a young church than in an old wineskin.

Churches bring people together. They serve as sources of stability and support by creating community relationships and assisting families during difficult times. A young church reaching out to single adults fosters the formation of new families. When planting, I frequently told the audience, "I pray that our church is a place where people meet, fall in love, and marry." That prayer and message increased interest and attendance among our target audience.

Cultural Leadership and Morality

In times of social and political instability, the church must assume moral and cultural leadership. We maintain traditions and provide a moral compass to encourage ethical behavior and harmony. Churches have a unique chance to bridge gaps and serve as agents of peace, reconciliation, and hope for shattered communities.

Justice was not a side concern for Jesus; it was central to His mission and must remain so for us. We must campaign for social justice, support the underprivileged, and address issues such as poverty and inequality. This is not distinct from spiritual development; justice and compassion should be incorporated into the very fabric of our teaching.

Healthy congregations develop leaders. Developing new leaders and cultivating a culture of service can increase civic engagement. We equip our people with the tools to serve and lead those “sheep without shepherds.”

The Bible calls us to care for God's creation, and churches play an important role. We demonstrate how faith and planet stewardship are linked by implementing sustainable practices and teaching environmental responsibility. Environmental stewardship originates in Genesis and is accentuated in today's shifting weather and particularly in the minds of rising generations.

Community Blessing

The first church we planted became a prayer hotspot, resulting in deliverance from drug addictions. Later, it served as an election voting station and a de facto gathering place for occasional secular community meetings. The second congregation began serving by cleaning highways and collaborated with the local police and schools on drug response programs. We hosted candidate debates during elections and organized city-sponsored Christmas celebrations. We were there for our community and gained inroads into individual lives because of it.

We organized and funded a stream of light airplane flights delivering supplies to a neighbor island after a tsunami. Strangers flooded our campus after an earthquake, seeking safety. We had established ourselves as pillars in the community. Any new church can strive for this and seize possibilities that occur.

Isolation, addiction, and mental health issues are on the rise, and the church needs to respond. When churches address these needs, they show Jesus' concern for hurting people.

In Matthew 28:18-21, Jesus assigned the church a mission: to make disciples of all people and teach them to obey His instructions. This is more than just preaching; it is about engaging in all aspects of life.

The church's mission is broad and far-reaching. Our turf is broad, encompassing justice, community development, environmental care, and missionary activity. To fully own our mission, we must deliberately broaden our reach, reflecting God's love in all aspects of society.