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Church: UK

The Great Commission: A Rose By Any Other Name

Some thoughts based on the name of a great new website.

The Evangelical Alliance in the UK have just launched a new evangelism focussed website called Great Commission. It has started well and looks as if it will grow into a really useful resource for churches in this country; please go and have a look at it.

I’m sure the content will grow and develop over time and others who are better qualified than I am will highlight the best resources. For my part, I’d like to briefly comment on the website name; a name which simultaneously makes me very happy and slightly sad.

I’m happy, because it is good to see the Great Commission being reclaimed from those who only apply it to taking the Christian message to the other side of the world, to unreached people groups and others. Luke’s version of the Great Commission in Acts 1:8 makes it clear that we have to bear witness to Jesus in our own societies as well as to the ends of the earth.

However, it is the other side of the coin that makes me sad. I’ve had a good look through the website and it really is excellent, but there is no mention of international, cross-cultural mission. The Great Commission includes our own societies but it must also include an international dimension.

Please don’t misunderstand me, this is a superb site and I want to encourage as many people as possible to use it. However, I do wish that we were better at integrating all aspects of mission together.

3 replies on “The Great Commission: A Rose By Any Other Name”

@simoncozens – I think Eddie’s point is that ALL Christians should have a global perspective. Jesus refers to ‘all nations’ in the Great Commission, not just Surrey.

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