“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20, ESV)

Ah – the Great Commission. What does this really mean to fulfill this? God really impacted me yesterday of what this means. We can read these words and lead in a way to fill pews but really have no impact in our world. Yes, the church needs to grow. Growth is a sign of health. Growth is an indicator that we are making a kingdom impact in our communities. But what if your church ceases to exist in your particular community? Will people notice? Will people really care? As followers of Jesus the community we minister in needs to care. They need to notice.

So we pray for more people to join our community of faith. We need too. We desire the growth of the bride of Jesus – the church. But not just to fill the pews, but more children of God who have gifts, abilities, and passions so serve the community and the church. More people to take this journey with us so that we can have a greater impact because there are a greater number of us.

May we be a people who is bold with the Gospel and desiring the growth of the Church so that a greater impact can be made.