Where to plant a church

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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[EverAStudent]

I would like to add that sometimes God even wants someone to "go into the desert" just to know God better and to pray... maybe even for life. It isn't ALWAYS about ministry. Ultimately we need to be pursuing God ourselves, not just to bring others to God but that we may be more like God and be united with Him.

I don't love my mom and do nice things for her so OTHERS will do the same. I love my mom and do nice things for her because she's MY MOTHER and I love her and she sacrificed a lot of things in life to parent me. It's the same with God.

If all I did was to love God and love others my whole life... and never gave out one tract or one sermon... I would have lived an amazing life.

This is certainly a perspective about which I appreciate the sentiment that drives it.  Yet, I do wonder if the one comment, "It isn't always about ministry," is entirely proper?  

Our greatest commandment is to love God, then to love others.  Romans 12 informs that all of life is the ministry of service--ministry which is expected of anyone who worships God--ministry to God, ministry to others.  Can one love God without serving (as ministry to) Him?  Can one love others without serving them?

While all of Christian life is not fulfilling the Great Commission (as GCx mistakenly taught), life is all about the ministry of love.  

No offense intended Agatha.  Blessings to you.

[Linda]

While all of Christian life is not fulfilling the Great Commission (as GCx mistakenly taught), life is all about the ministry of love.

I didn't take her comment as meaning this at all. I took it as meaning the Great Commission is what we are to be about, but the way people go about it is sometimes more of a program and we miss the relationship part with both God and others when we view them as projects.

Yet, I do wonder if the one comment, "It isn't always about ministry," is entirely proper?

Improper? Not sure what you mean. I guess you just mean you disagree with her. I thought she was saying that living a life for God is not a life of working, working, working, but a life of love. First for God and then others. And, of course, loving people involves spending time with them because they are of value. It also involves doing things for them.

What I thought she meant by ministry was organizing groups of people to pass out tracts and take surveys on beaches. The do, do, do part that sometimes leaves people not knowing God (or their families) very well, yet always busy with the "work" of the Gospel.
Jesus said,

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.

[Linda]

By the way, Agatha, this part of your post really hit home with me.

I would like to add that sometimes God even wants someone to "go into the desert" just to know God better and to pray.

Sometimes, I think God just wants us to draw near to Him.

[EverAStudent]

What I thought she meant by ministry was organizing groups of people to pass out tracts and take surveys on beaches. The do, do, do part that sometimes leaves people not knowing God (or their families) very well, yet always busy with the "work" of the Gospel.

Hi Linda.  My point was to demonstrate from Romans 12 (the whole chapter) that all of life is ministry and worship.  GCx did, as you indicated, narrow the definition of ministry to "preaching the gospel."  But ministry, all of life, includes serving God and one another.  

Ministry cannot be defined absent of evangelism.  Neither can ministry be defined only as evangelism.  To seek God does mean to serve Him, to fulfill the ministry He has given us.  Worship of God, to honor Him, to glorify Him, to exalt Him, to value Him must include ministry, or as James tells us, our faith is nothing but empty lip service.

But I suspect we are in agreement together on these things.

[Linda]

Ministry cannot be defined absent of evangelism. Neither can ministry be defined only as evangelism.

I agree and don't find anything in Agatha's comment that says otherwise. I believe Agatha is speaking of "evangelism" when she says this:

If all I did was to love God and love others my whole life... and never gave out one tract or one sermon... I would have lived an amazing life.

If you love God, you tell people about his Son.
If you love people, you tell them about his Son.
You also spend time with them and do nice things for them.