The overwhelming witness of the New Testament and church history is that the church, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, is to be a prayer immersed, mission-minded, multiplying movement of God’s people throughout the world. Jesus spent his three year ministry investing in a few and he commissioned them saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ disciples carried out this mission going from town to town they proclaimed the gospel in word and deed, disciples were made, churches were birthed, and shepherds were sent to these towns to appoint elders to lead and teach the congregations.
The great commission has not changed in over 2000 years. We believe that every Christian is a disciple and every disciple is a disciple-maker. Disciples disciple! We are a missionary people who have been saved in order to be sent out to our families, neighborhoods, work places, town squares, and the world that we might bear witness to the gospel of the Kingdom. The natural result of Great Commission healthy churches who are continually training up and sending out gospel workers is the multiplication of local churches (church planting). This is the witness of the New Testament.