Right before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples a crystal-clear edict. He called them to a mission in one of the most famous verses of the New Testament, Matthew 28:19-20, which says,
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.
Here at Life on Life, we believe in this mission from Christ. Because of this, we want to push discipleship groups to go further, and to more closely follow the model of discipleship that Jesus demonstrated while on earth. We use an acronym to describe the 5 key elements of a transformational discipleship, and that acronym is “T.E.A.M.S.”
The five elements that make up T.E.A.M.S. are Truth, Equipping, Accountability, Mission, and Supplication. In this article, we’re going to dive deep into the topic of Missions. We will explore why missions are so important, how you can train disciples to be missional, and different ways you and your group can live missionally.
All Scriptures in this article are from the ESV.
What is the Definition of Mission for the Christian?
We define mission as “engaging with the lost world through word and deed with the intention of imparting the gospel.”
It is important to remember the full size and scope of the gospel, and we have no better model of mission work than Jesus Himself. The mission Jesus gave His disciples was inherent in His ministry. By living His life in full view of the disciples, He readied them for the next step. During His last Passover with the Twelve, Jesus made it clear that truth isn’t the only element of discipleship:
You call me “Teacher” and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:13-15).
What did Jesus do during His ministry? He preached the good news, He shared the gospel, and He called people to repent and believe. His work went beyond this, of course, and Jesus uses the words of Isaiah in Luke 4:18-19 to describe the scope of His ministry:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
If we follow the model of Jesus, then our mission work should certainly include sharing the gospel, but becoming a Christian is not simply about punching a ticket to heaven. It is also about living life to the full (John 10:10). Like Jesus, we should work to help feed the hungry, heal the sick, teach the truth, and come alongside those who seek to know God more.
Why Mission is Important
There are several reasons that mission work is important for believers.
First, as we have already seen, Jesus has called us to make disciples and follow Him in His mission. When Jesus calls us to do something, it is always important that we do it!
Second, people need to hear the gospel. We need to think of missions as a “life or death” issue. If people who never embrace faith in Jesus will face eternal death, then we need to take sharing the gospel seriously. We must share the good news of Jesus to as many of these people as possible.
Third, mission work actually enhances the hunger to put Truth and Equipping into use. We know many Christians who focus on going to church or small groups so that they can “get fed” spiritually. This is a nice sentiment, but we often have the wrong set of priorities. What is the purpose of getting fed if we never use the truths we learn?
Imagine someone who works out frequently–their physical workouts will make them physically hunger for good, nutritious food. Their body craves it and needs it because they have been working physically.
In the same way, when we focus on missions, it will drive our hunger for God’s truth like never before. We won’t settle for junk food or things that cannot satisfy us, because we will need the value that only comes from God. In other words, mission work will drive us forward in our relationship with God because we will become more dependent on Him than ever before.
There are many other reasons to do the work of Missions, but these three are a great start. Let’s explore some of the different ways you and your discipleship group can live missionally.
Mission: Making Disciples
Perhaps the most foundational form of mission work is to make disciples (again, see Matthew 28:19-20). We tend to over-spiritualize the word disciple, but making a disciple simply means “taking a person from unbelief to spiritual maturity.”
It can be tempting to think that “making disciples” is the work of church leadership or clergy, but this calling goes out to all Jesus-followers. Every believer has the potential to be a disciple-maker, but they do need to be trained and equipped on how to be an effective disciple-maker. This is why we spend so much time emphasizing mission throughout The Journey curriculum and why it is part of T.E.A.M.S.
If you would like to grow in your ability to make disciples, here are four keys (this is not an exhaustive list):
- Change Your Mindset: The journey begins with recognizing that making disciples is not reserved for a select few. Every follower of Christ is equipped to lead others, trusting in Jesus’ promise to make us “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). This mindset shift from self-doubt to confidence in God’s promise is foundational.
- Effective Evangelism Strategy: Utilize a simple, effective strategy that can be easily taught and replicated. One simple strategy we teach is the “Greet, Befriend, Invite” approach:
- Greet: Initiate contact with warmth and openness.
- Befriend: Cultivate genuine relationships through interest and empathy.
- Invite: When the time is right, extend an invitation to explore the gospel.
- Utilize the Right Tools: Equip yourself with culturally relevant and biblically sound tools designed to facilitate meaningful conversations about faith. These tools respect the seeker’s desire for brevity and privacy, making the process approachable and engaging.
- Prayerful dependence on God: God must work in the hearts of people for them to become disciples, and we continue to need His grace as we grow in our faith and seek to help others reach maturity. If we hope to see God move, then we should live in prayerful dependence on Him.
By applying these strategies, believers can effectively share their faith, guiding others from unbelief to spiritual maturity. Want to dive deeper into these disciple-making strategies? Check out our complete guide to making disciples, which offers practical guidance tailored for those committed to impactful discipleship.
Mission: Training Disciples
Making disciples is the first step, but the work is not done once someone has been saved. They still need training so they can become mature and equipped followers of Christ. One of the primary goals is to train disciples in such a way that they will also be able to make and train disciples themselves.
It is important to remember that training disciples is something that anyone can do. We build our discipleship training principles and resources with this as a core foundation. You do not need to be naturally extroverted or abundantly gifted. In fact, we are often encouraged by Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:3-5,
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
We strongly believe that churches anywhere can learn to train their people to be disciple-makers. This isn’t just a belief based on optimism, but it is founded in the fact that we have coached hundreds of churches through our discipleship training process, both nationally and globally. We have worked with churches that are extremely diverse regarding size, denomination affiliation and theological backgrounds.
This article is part of a series on the T.E.A.M.S. format of discipleship, which we developed specifically to provide churches and leaders with a simple template for training disciples. Through this strategy, disciples are not only nurtured in their faith but are also prepared to disciple others, perpetuating a cycle of spiritual growth and leadership.
For a deeper understanding of these training strategies and to enrich your approach to discipleship, then read our Biblical Guide on Training Disciples.
Mission: Serving your Community
The Mission portion of The Journey curriculum goes beyond encouraging people to make and train disciples. Again, if we model ourselves after the work of Jesus then we should also be making time to serve the needy in our community.
Here are a few ways your discipleship group can seek to live with a mission mindset in your community:
- Commit to praying for the people in your community: In order for people to be saved, we need God’s Spirit to move. Prayer is an important part of the mission, so encourage your group to identify specific people to pray for, and pray for those people both as individuals and as a group.
- Encourage group members to participate in service opportunities individually: Communities need people to coach youth sports teams, greet people at your church, engage with city council, serve in schools, foster children, and so much more. All of this work can help introduce unchurched people to the love of God, so encourage your members to find opportunities to use their gifts and serve.
- Serve local charities as a group: If people are hesitant to jump at serving opportunities on their own, sometimes serving as a group can help people grow hungrier for doing mission work. Many local charities and churches need volunteers, so why not commit to serving together as a group? Not only can you share God’s love with others, but you will also grow closer together as a group. If someone in your group is already involved in local charity work, perhaps your entire group can join him or her one weekend.
- Do your work for God’s glory: Wherever you work, it is important to remember who your true boss is. Colossians 3:23 says, Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. When we do good work, we bless those who are around us. We serve and help provide for those in need, and we can demonstrate a noble character that attracts people to God.
There are countless opportunities to serve your community. In Jeremiah 29:7, the Lord calls His people to seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. No matter where you live, no matter the government or local conditions, God calls us to pray and work for the welfare of those around us.
How can you and your group serve your community well?
Mission: Your Own Family
While it is important to consider how to make and train disciples in your community, we cannot forget about the extreme importance of making and training disciples in our own homes. This command is given multiple times throughout Scripture.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is famous for containing the Greatest Commandment, but it also calls people to teach these things to your children. Here is the text:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
In these verses, we see the life-on-life nature of discipleship. We do not teach children God’s truths simply at church, but throughout every moment of the day. There is no better example of life-on-life opportunity than raising children, and we have the chance to share God’s truth when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.Another passage, Psalms 78:5-7, provides even more guidance on the importance of discipling our children.
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
This is the same pattern we see with the goal of discipleship: we are called to teach and equip people so that they can then teach and equip others. In the same way, God calls us to teach and equip our children so that they may grow up to teach and equip the next generation for ministry.
For many parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, youth group volunteers and more, discipling the next generation could be the most important mission work they do–so don’t neglect it.
Conclusion
As we conclude this exploration of Missions, it is clear that mission is foundational to discipleship. Jesus calls each of us to model His own mission by making and training disciples wherever we live, work, and play.
Mission work, whether through community service, family discipleship, or personal evangelism, is vital. It is in these acts of serving and sharing that we find our faith deepened and our dependence on God intensified. The call to be a disciple-maker is universal, transcending beyond church walls into the heart of our homes and neighborhoods.
If you would like to help equip your church to be more missional, then we strongly encourage you to make a long-term investment in life-on-life missional discipleship. We have worked with countless churches, helping launch discipleship movements that equip people for ministry all over the world. Discover more about our discipleship-training program by joining an upcoming information call.