INTRODUCTION

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  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; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:18-20)

This Scripture has been called “the Magna Carta of the church,” “the marching orders of the church” and “the last great mandate.”  It has formed the basis of slogans such as “The last command of Christ is the first priority of the church;” and “If the commission of an earthly king can be considered an honor, how can a commission from a heavenly king be considered a sacrifice;” and “Any church that is not seriously involved helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.”

The members of the International Executive Committee are convinced that God is calling His people to be a missionary people and His church a missionary church.  The church will fulfill its purpose by a great commitment to the Great Commission.

Before the foundation of the world, God decided the death of His only Son would not be in vain.  More people are alive on Planet Earth than have ever lived in history, nearly seven billion.  The greatest harvest of souls ever is going on.  Around the world 3,000 souls are saved every 25 minutes.

In keeping with our Biblical mandate, the Church of God General Assembly has committed to “communicate the full gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19, 20) in the Spirit and power of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, 6, 13-18).”  (Minutes, page 37.)  In addition to our mission statement, the 70th International General Assembly in 2004 adopted the following commitments to our mission and vision as core values:

1.         PRAYER
2.         PENTECOSTAL WORSHIP
3.         WORLD EVANGELIZATION
4.         CHURCH PLANTING
5.         LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
6.         CARE
7.         INTERDEPENDENCE

(Minutes, Commitments to Mission and Vision, pages 37-40)

At various times in the history of the Church of God innovative changes have been made in order to enhance missional effectiveness.  Change is always challenging because people, programs, and procedures are involved.

However, as a church, change must be approached from a spiritual perspective.  Pertinent questions include:

1. What is the mission of the church?
2. Why did Jesus die on a cross?
3. What is God saying to the church at this time in history?
4. How does He want us to join Him in what He wants to do?
5. What changes in policies, positions, and procedures are necessary to fulfill His plans?