Everyday believers often attend one of the following church communities:
[A] a church that does not center the call of God within Christ’s great commission, [B] a church that communicates Christ’s commission as so great that it is always out of reach, or [C] a church that communicates Christ’s great commission, but does not articulate the call of God at an individual level.
Within church [A] everyday believers follow Christ in order to fulfill their own mission. Within church [B] everyday believers feel stifled in their belief or pressured to please Christ by doing great things. Within church [C] everyday believers are often well-informed, yet ill-equipped.
Therefore, there is often misalignment, confusion and ambiguity as it relates to the call of Christ.
CHRIST’S
c o m m i s s i o n
F U F I L L E D
Yet, in Matthew 28, Christ expresses His commission and explains, clearly, what this means for every believer:
“Go, therefore, 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 everything
I have commanded you.”
CHRIST’S
c o m m i s s i o n
L I V E D O U T
“The harvest is great, but the workers
are few. So pray to the LORD who is
in charge of the harvest; ask Him to
send more workers into his fields.”
In Matthew 9, Christ said this to His disciples:
Everyday disciples believe the LORD is actually in charge and, therefore, everyday disciples tend to the LORD’s work—which is Christ’s commission.
The LORD, who is in charge of the harvest, sends workers into His fields—homes, workplaces, neighborhoods and nations. There, we find people whom the Father has drawn [John 6:44], the Son has died to save [John 3:16-17] and the Spirit intends to seal [Ephesians 3:20]. Everyday disciples tend to the LORD’s work as those who plant and those who water, such that the LORD would give the increase [1 Corinthians 3:6-9].
HOMES
First place: The Home
We are all sons and daughters. Therefore, at the very base level, Christ’s calling equips us to serve our household(s).
If we are single, this refers to how we are called to serve the family from which we came. If we are married, this refers, firstly to the family we are forming and then to the family from which we came.
Those who are husbands and wives, we are called and equipped to serve one another. Those who are parents are also called and equipped to serve their children.
WORKPLACES
Second place: Work
If we are employed, Christ’s calling equips us to serve those who lead our work, are led by our work and those impacted by what we do or create. Our work is a way that we signal to others that we add value to their lives, but it is also a way that we, along with others, join together to add value to the world around us.
NEIGHBORHOODS
Third places: Our Neighboring Community
We all live within a community, although our community is different depending on factors like location, needs and preferences. Our neighboring community is any non-workspace location, outside of our home, that we frequent and make connections with others. These connections are made through an exchange of ideas, goods, or experiences and the regular habit of entering these spaces signals to others that they are part of our world and that we are part of theirs.
& NATIONS
Fourth Places: The Ends of the Earth
The fourth places are the worlds beyond our world. This is for sure the people and nations to whom we must travel in order to interact. As well, this includes the people and nations that we cannot easily reach [i.e. may only learn of through online platforms or hearing from afar].
Yet, fourth places overlap first, second and third places when we understand our world according to what we believe to be real, right and true and it is juxtaposed to what another person believes to be real, right and true. Within first places, it is like the jarring experience of a parent and teenager arguing about how an outfit looks. Within second places, it is like when a coworker tells a joke and expects you to laugh, but you get angered instead. Within third places, it is like the response given by management the moment a homeless person makes a scene at the local coffee shop.
Whether we live far apart or our views are worlds apart, Christ’s calling equips us to serve in these fourth places.
consulting &
coaching
catapulting
Like scaffolding for Christ’s commission, we strategize with and support the Church to send well-equipped believers into the world. We do this by providing coaching and consulting that catapults everyday believers into everyday disciples.
Training is initiated with a Pre-Assessment Survey that jumpstarts the conversation about one’s distinct call within Christ’s commission. Following a 1-hour Coaching Session, individuals complete a Pre-Consultation Form that helps identify the specific place [home, workplace, neighborhood, nation] where the individual requires strategy and support to be better sent.
We train individuals in 6-month cycles broken into 2-month training blocks. Each phase incorporates weekly devotionals, personal reflections, and end-of-term tools that are co-created with the individual. In addition, those who chose one-on-one training experience a formal site visit where they receive in-person coaching and consultation.