Click image to enlarge
Active Disciplemaking
We all have a well-worn path that we walk every day. That is the place where we have been commissioned to do the Great Commission, which is to disciple others! Make no mistake, the first imperative of the Great Commission is this—make disciples through evangelism! Jesus made it clear: 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19–20).
Great Commission Advance is a godly pursuit of boys and girls, young men and women, adults in every stage of life, from every tribe, language, color, and race—every follower of Christ being a disciple and discipling others!
Missions & Evangelism
A key component of Great Commission Advance is a clarion call to every Southern Baptist to share their faith and win the lost for Christ—until all have heard.
Whether at home or abroad, Christ-followers should be eager to tell the message of the Gospel, sharing how the Lord has changed their own lives: You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The intended outcome for Great Commission Advance is that the Gospel be advanced. It is a call to every Southern Baptist church and each individual Southern Baptist to respond to God’s call, developing an Acts 1:8 “missions portfolio,” seeking community, state, national, and international opportunities for missional involvement.
Biblical Stewardship
Jesus told us to collect for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20). He linked this command to the desire of our hearts: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). When we live sacrificially for Jesus’s sake or serve Him by serving the body of Christ, we store up treasure in heaven. When Jesus is our true treasure, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our talents—to His work in this world.
Great Commission Advance is about the lordship of Christ over everything in our lives. It’s about getting out of debt. It’s about reinforcing a biblical standard of stewardship and a culture of generosity. It’s about being ready to fulfill God’s call upon our lives. Imagine how the Great Commission could be advanced if church members were totally free to fulfill God’s call upon their lives!
Intercessory Prayer
Paul’s first letter to Timothy presents a “call to prayer” in order that all might be saved—First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone . . . This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1, 3–4).
A Great Commission Advance begins with a substantive Great Commission prayer network which will transcend organizational boundaries and extend to every Southern Baptist, every Southern Baptist church, and every SBC entity. Great Commission Advance will include a feature-rich prayer emphasis that allows the Southern Baptist family to facilitate prayer at a local church and interconnected community level.
