Responsibility for the Great Commission

Whose responsibility is Outreach and the Great Commission?

People with the spiritual gift of evangelism will undoubtedly be impassioned and gravitate more readily toward outreach and the Great Commission. However, that does not excuse those without such gifting from making Jesus' mission their mission. The Apostle Paul challenged Timothy, who probably did not have the gift of evangelism, to nonetheless "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5).
 
Leaders of outreach ministries within the church will undoubtedly spend more time focused on it. However, if the Church's purpose is to love God and love people, then part of reaching that purpose requires making disciples ... people who love God and love people. Jesus came to "seek and save what was lost" (Lk. 19:10) to bring them into a love relationship with the Father. How, then, can this ultimate objective not be brought into consideration in what leaders of any type of ministry do?
 
Church leaders without the gift of evangelism and who do not direct outreach ministries within the church are still responsible to fulfill the Great Commission. Evangelism is just one aspect of it. The commission also includes baptism and teaching which means helping people not only come into a relationship with the Lord but also to align with and obey Him ... that He is both Savior and Lord. To neglect this objective, you might as well be a leader in a secular organization.
 

You'll find these thoughts in the Steering the Church Toward Discipleship Leadership Guide along with 3 resultant responsibilities of church leaders in fulfilling the Great Commission and some questions to reflect on how you're fulfilling your responsibility.
 

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