Missions & Evangelism
Grace Bible Church takes seriously Jesus's call to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The church's mission and evangelism efforts focus on training believers to share the gospel both locally and internationally, recognizing that this Great Commission is the fundamental purpose for every Christian's life.
Understanding the Great Commission
The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 provides clear direction for every believer's purpose on earth. As Pastor Blake Jennings explains, this passage represents Jesus's "final marching order" and "job description" for Christians (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 3:03).
The command is not merely for "super spiritual people" or those called to overseas missions, but for all believers (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 0:30). Jesus calls His followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything He commanded (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 3:27).
What Is a Disciple?
A disciple in the Greek context meant complete devotion to a teacher - not just attending classes occasionally, but following that teacher 24/7 with one's whole life dedicated to learning and obeying (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 5:54). The church emphasizes that while becoming a Christian requires faith alone, growing as a disciple requires obedience and sacrificially following Jesus Christ (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 8:44).
Pastor Brian Fisher defines a disciple simply as "a person who learns to love most what matters most" (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 10:29). This involves learning to prioritize God's kingdom and people above all other pursuits (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 11:24).
The Process of Discipleship
The Great Commission outlines a clear process for making disciples through baptism and teaching. In the ancient world, baptism represented complete identification with a teacher's philosophy and way of life (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 7:12). Christians are called to help others identify with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as their transcendent identity that governs all other roles and relationships (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 8:10).
The goal is not just information transfer but transformation - teaching people to observe and obey everything Jesus commanded (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 9:14). As Paul described it, the objective is to see "Christ formed" in people (Galatians 4:19) - where the very character and priorities of Jesus are reflected through their lives (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 9:52).
The Church's Mission Statement
This biblical foundation has led Grace Bible Church to adopt the mission statement: "We help people find and follow Jesus" (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 7:03). This mission encompasses both helping people find Jesus (evangelism) and follow Jesus (discipleship), both locally and around the world.
Global Missions Focus
The Scope of the Task
God's heart has always been for all nations, as seen in His promise to Abraham that "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3) (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 11:25). The church recognizes that the ultimate goal is to see people from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before God's throne, as described in Revelation 7:9-10 (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 13:04).
The Great Commission uses the Greek word "ethne" (ethnic groups) rather than political nations, referring to the approximately 16,000 people groups worldwide identified by language, culture, and history (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 17:27). Of these, about 7,000 people groups representing over 3 billion people remain unreached, with less than 2% Christians in their populations (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 18:10).
Currently, there are approximately 7,400 unreached people groups representing about 3.2 billion people without ready access to the gospel (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 14:03). To illustrate this need, consider Tunisia with 10 million people but only 1,100 believers - equivalent to having only one church like Grace Bible Church to reach an entire metro area the size of Houston (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 14:34).
Supporting Those Who Go
The church emphasizes two primary ways to participate in global missions during times when international travel may be restricted:
Prayer and Financial Support: Those not going overseas have a responsibility to support missionaries through prayer and giving (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 17:09). Paul describes such supporters as full partners in missionary work, calling their giving "a fragrant sacrifice" and "a fragrant aroma that pleases God" (Philippians 4:18) (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 17:44).
Local Evangelism and Discipleship
Three Spheres of Ministry
The church encourages believers to make disciples in three key areas of their lives (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 19:01):
Where You Live: This includes family, neighbors, and those in your immediate living area. Believers are encouraged to know their neighbors' names, needs, and how to pray for them (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 19:07).
Where You Work or Study: Whether at Texas A&M, Blinn College, or in the workplace, these environments provide key opportunities to be a light and share Jesus through both words and deeds (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 19:49).
Where You Play: God-given hobbies and interests aren't meant to be abandoned but used as doorways to meet people who don't know Jesus. These shared interests often provide natural opportunities for deeper conversations about faith (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 21:19).
As You Are Going
The Great Commission literally reads "as you are going, make disciples" (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 5:25). This means that disciple-making should happen naturally as believers go about their normal activities - studying, working, raising families, and living life (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 5:36).
The church teaches that Christians are not primarily here just to get an education, find a career, marry, retire, and die. Rather, as they do these normal and necessary activities, their overarching purpose is to make disciples (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 5:00).
The Urgency of the Mission
Pastor Matt Morton emphasizes that while church activities like Bible study and fellowship are good, they are not the primary mission. The church exists because there are people who don't know Jesus, and when everyone knows Him, the church's earthly mission will be complete (The Mission That Matters Most // Matt Morton, 0:01).
God's Calling and Our Inadequacy
Recognizing Our Need for God's Strength
Grace Bible Church recognizes that believers often feel overwhelmed when considering God's calling on their lives. Pastor Brian Fisher addresses this reality directly, acknowledging that God calls us to things we cannot do in our own strength (Be Strong and Courageous // Brian Fisher, 3:44).
This feeling of inadequacy is normal and actually necessary. As Paul wrote, "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5) (Be Strong and Courageous // Brian Fisher, 3:18). The church teaches that God doesn't call the qualified - He qualifies the called (Be Strong and Courageous // Brian Fisher, 3:42).
Three Callings for Every Believer
Pastor Fisher outlines three fundamental callings for every Christian (Be Strong and Courageous // Brian Fisher, 15:58):
Called to Salvation: We are called into relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17) (Be Strong and Courageous // Brian Fisher, 16:05).
Called to Sanctification: We are called to become like Jesus. Peter writes that we are "called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps" (1 Peter 2:21) (Be Strong and Courageous // Brian Fisher, 19:28).
Called to Make Disciples: The Great Commission calls every believer to "make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:19) (Be Strong and Courageous // Brian Fisher, 20:19). This calling extends beyond being "nice" to people - it requires courage and boldness by the power of the Spirit to have conversations about Jesus and help others learn to follow Him (Be Strong and Courageous // Brian Fisher, 21:57).
Biblical Motivations for Missions
The church teaches several key motivations for pursuing the Great Commission (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 19:55):
Gratitude: Paul wrote that "the love of Christ controls us" because Christ died for all so that we would "no longer live for ourselves but for him who died and rose again on our behalf" (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 20:00). Our response to God's incredible gift of eternal life should naturally be grateful service.
Compassion: Like Jesus, who "felt compassion" for the multitudes because "they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36) (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 21:52). As believers grow in love for what Jesus loves, they develop hearts of compassion for the broken people around them.
Obedience: The Great Commission begins with Jesus declaring "All authority has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18) (The King's Commission by Brian Fisher at Grace Bible Church at Anderson, 22:59). This is not a suggestion but a command from the one who has ultimate authority.
Training and Encouragement
Grace Bible Church believes every Christian should experience participating in international missions at some point, whether short-term or long-term (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 16:07). The church provides training and opportunities for believers to grow in their understanding of evangelism and missions, recognizing that this calling extends to every member regardless of their other life circumstances or callings.
The church's approach to missions and evangelism reflects the understanding that God wants much more than just heaven for believers - He wants to train them to be followers of Jesus who raise up new followers, transforming the world and growing God's kingdom (GO Missions // Blake Jennings, 9:22).