Reclaiming the Great Commission

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Reclaiming the Great Commission
Training for Pastors and Laity
Hamilton Beazley, Ph.D.
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• The Vision of the Christian Church in Florida
  (Disciples of Christ)
• To be God's faithful people, empowered by the
  Holy Spirit, evangelizing and proclaiming the
  gospel of Jesus Christ, respecting diversity and
  working in community with other faiths.

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Our Work Four Questions

• What does the Great Commission, the Great
  Commandment, the mission of evangelism, and the
  call to discipleship ask us to do?
• Why are we asked to do it?
• How can we do it?
• Will we do it?

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Challenges Opportunities
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Challenges

• Post-Christian Era.
• Fading Denominational Loyalty.
• Graying of the Church.
• Membership Decline.
• Denominational Extinction.

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Challenges

• Declining Moral Influence of the Church.
• Ignorance/Distortion of Christianity.
• Unchurched America.
• Unmet Spiritual Hunger.
• Deep Divisions in the Mainline.
• Destructive Polarization Over Issues.

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Opportunities

• Re-define Christianity for the Unchurched.
• Make Christianity Meaningful to the Unchurched.
• Feed the Spiritually Hungry.
• Bring Hope Healing to the Unchurched (and to
  the Churched).

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Opportunities

• Revitalize the Denomination and its Existing
  Congregations.
• Found New Congregations.
• Grow in Membership.
• Fulfill our Denominational Potential.
• Reclaim the Great Commission.
• Create a New Apostolic Age.

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2020

• 1,000 new congregations.
• 1,000 transformed congregations.
• Leadership development necessary to realize these
  new and renewed congregations.
• Within a context of being an anti-racist/pro-recon
  ciling church.

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Reclaiming the Great CommissionKey to
Transforming the Church
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The Great Commission

• Go therefore 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.
• --- Matthew 2819-20

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The Great Commission Evangelism

• Process As Disciples Making Disciples, We
  Witness by Word and Deed.
• Focus All Who Are Spiritually Hungry.
• Reason Because of Our Experience of the Risen
  Christ.
• Obedience to the Great Commandment To Love God,
  Neighbor, and Self.
• Responsibility Clergy Laity, Especially
  Laity.

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Evangelism

• Evangelism, therefore, is not a program of the
  Church, but the essential work of the Church. It
  is not an option for Christians, but an
  obligation.

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Evangelism

• Evangelism is not a child of the Church.
• The Church is the child of evangelism.

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Episcopal Model of Evangelism

• If the Other Person Has No Church or Does Not
  Attend Church Regularly, an Invitation Is Issued
  to Attend a Church Activity or Worship Service.

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Hourglass Model of Evangelism

• Attraction
• Worship
• Discovery
• Initiation
• Assimilation
• Discipleship

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Social Networks

• The Key to Disciple Making and Church Growth
  is in the Social Networks of Church Members.

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Missionary Church The Early Church
Two Polarities

• Internal Building Community (St. Peter).
• External Making Disciples (St. Paul).
• A Synergy of Meaning and Action.
• Until the Age of Christendom.

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Maintenance Church

• Community Without Mission Maintenance of the
  Status Quo.
• Making Disciples Not a Priority.
• Focus is on the Membership.
• The Mainline has Lost its Common Vision of an
  Apostolic Church.

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Missionary Church

• Recapturing the Transformative Power of First
  Century Christianity.
• As an Apostolic Church in a Largely Un-churched
  World.

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Caveats Assurances

• A Model, Not a Prescription.
• Each Diocese and Congregation Adapts It.
• The Diocese of Texas is Still Living into its
  Vision.
• Not About Numbers, But About Disciples and Souls.
• Not about Money.

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A Vision of the Missionary Church

• The Diocese as One Church.
• Composed of 160 Missionary Outposts.
• Of Disciples Making Disciples.
• Living as a Community.
• In Miraculous Expectation.
• Anticipating Glorious Transformation.

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Lessons of the Vision

• People Understand It.
• People Are Called to It.
• People Respond to It.
• People Are Transformed by It.

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The Promises of the Vision are Gods Promises.
The Call of the Vision is Our Call.
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The Missionary Church

• The Vision Infuses the Region.
• Everything aligns to the Vision.
• The Congregations and People Live the Vision.

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What Doesnt Change

• God The Trinity
• Holy Scripture
• The Sacraments
• Orders of Ministry

• The Liturgy
• Church Tradition
• Christian Year

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What Does Result

• Transformation.
• A Healing of Divisiveness.
• Spiritual Growth and a Deepening of Faith.
• A Sense of Living in Community.
• Disciples Making Disciples.

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What Does Result

• Expectation of the Miraculous.
• Personal Transformation.
• A New Sense of Wonder at the Power and Presence
  of the Living God in Our Church and Our Lives.

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General Assembly, 2007
In joyful, faithful response to such a gracious
gift,we too "Share the Feast" with the world
around us.
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The Missionary Church

• Missionary Congregations.
• Apostolate of the Laity.
• Apostolate of the Clergy.

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Missionary Congregations

• Embrace Evangelism as Fundamental to Ministry and
  Church Growth as One Desired Result.
• Convey the Good News in Clear Language.
• Make Christianity Relevant to Daily Life.
• Emphasize the Power of Prayer.
• Create Many Small Groups.

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Missionary Congregations

• Provide Many Educational Opportunities.
• Offer Multiple Lay Ministries.
• Accept Doubt Disbelief as Part of Faith.
• Provide a Meaningful Worship Experience.
• Encourage Honest Sharing.
• Enthusiastically Welcome Visitors.

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Warm Friendly Congregation?

• The Visitors Challenge Send Someone To
  Your Congregation to Shop It
• How Many Welcomes?
• Signage Parking?
• Quality of Telephone Recording.
• Ease of Following the Worship Service.
• Meaningful Gifts?
• The List Is Long

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The Apostolate of the Laity

• Accepts Responsibility for Evangelism.
• Supports the Missionary Vision.
• Sees America as a Mission Field.
• Welcomes Seekers Newcomers.
• Participates in Lay Ministries.

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The Apostolate of the Laity

• Makes Extensive Use of Small Groups.
• Studies and Trains.
• Works to Understand the Unchurched.
• Acknowledges the Time Required.
• Accepts Responsibility for Creating the
  Lay Apostolate.

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The Apostolate of the Clergy

• Embrace the Missionary Model Vision.
• Examine Beliefs Goals Regarding Laity.
• Encourage Lay Ministries Small Groups.
• Help Laity Discover Gifts Ministries.
• Encourage Support Lay Apostolate.
• Encourage Program for Recruiting, Training
  Managing Volunteers.

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Apostolate of the Clergy

• Understand that the Missionary Church is
  Primarily Relational.
• Design Effective Worship Services for Churched
  and Unchurched.
• Open to New Forms and Language in Communicating
  the Christian Message.
• Comprehensive Teaching of the Faith.

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Questions to Consider

• What would it mean to live the vision in your
  congregation?
• What would you do differently?
• What commitments will you make in this regard?

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Reclaiming the Great Commission
Training for Pastors and Laity
Hamilton Beazley, Ph.D.