Dear Church,
It is easy for any congregation to become busy and yet forget why we exist. We can fill our calendars, maintain our traditions, and occupy our buildings, all while slowly drifting from the mission Christ entrusted to His church. Activity is not the same as faithfulness. Purpose must always guide our work.
Before Jesus ascended, He gave His people a clear mission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). That charge has never been revoked. The church exists to make disciples, not merely to maintain itself.
The early church understood this. They preached Christ publicly and from house to house. They taught, they baptized, they encouraged, and they multiplied. They did not view evangelism as the work of a few, but as the shared responsibility of the whole body. It was the message that shaped their lives.
Our mission is not to entertain the saved, but to reach the lost. It is not to make people comfortable in sin, but to call them out of darkness and into light. It is not to protect our traditions at all costs, but to proclaim Christ at all costs.
This does not mean we neglect the care of one another. Edification and evangelism are not competitors. They depend on each other. A church that is not built up will not reach out, and a church that does not reach out will eventually lose its spiritual vitality. Healthy congregations grow deeper and wider at the same time.
Our mission also requires clarity. We must know what we are inviting people into. We are calling them to repentance, obedience, holiness, and a life shaped by the lordship of Jesus Christ. The gospel is good news, but it is not cheap news. It offers forgiveness, but it also demands surrender.
The world does not need a church that blends in. It needs a church that stands out with humility, conviction, and love. It needs people who are willing to speak the truth, live the truth, and carry the truth into a world that is desperately searching for hope.
Let us remember our mission when things are comfortable and when they are difficult. Let us remember it when attendance is high and when it is low. Let us remember that every soul matters, that eternity is real, and that the gospel is still the power of God unto salvation.