The mission of the church is multifaceted, but its primary purpose is to glorify God and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Here is an overview of key components of the church’s mission according to the Bible:
Worship God
The church exists first and foremost to worship God. Christians are called to “glorify God and enjoy him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). Public worship is a primary means by which the church glorifies God and enjoys communion with Him (Psalm 95:1-7; Hebrews 10:24-25). Through prayer, singing, preaching, and the sacraments, the church ascribes worth to God and delights in Him.
Preach the Gospel
A core mission of the church is to proclaim the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus commissioned his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The church is called to share the gospel in its community and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Make Disciples
In addition to evangelism, Jesus calls the church to make disciples by teaching obedience to his commands. Discipleship involves equipping believers with doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The church nurtures disciples through preaching, Bible study, fellowship, and spiritual disciplines.
Equip for Ministry
God gifts every Christian with talents and abilities to build up the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10). The church is responsible to help identify spiritual gifts and equip believers for works of service (Ephesians 4:11-13). By teaching biblical principles and providing opportunities to serve, the church trains members to steward their gifts.
Administer the Sacraments
The church is called to regularly celebrate baptism and the Lord’s Supper as visible signs and seals of God’s promises. Baptism visibly marks entry into the new covenant community, while the Lord’s Supper nourishes believers’ faith and signifies spiritual communion with Christ (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Faithful administration of the sacraments is central to the church’s mission.
Model Godly Love
Within the church, believers are to “be devoted to one another in love” and ” honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). As the world sees Christians loving each other sacrificially, unity amidst diversity, forgiveness of wrongs, and care for the hurting, the mission of the church is advanced. The church is to be a display of the love between Christ and his bride (John 13:34-35).
Care for the Poor and Marginalized
From the earliest days of the church, care for the materially poor and spiritually oppressed was a priority (Galatians 2:10). The church is tasked with aiding local and global neighbors in need (James 1:27, Matthew 25:31-46). By compassionately defending and providing for the marginalized both in the church and society, the mission of embodying Christ is furthered.
Seek Justice in Society
The church is not only to do good locally, but also to seek justice and defend the oppressed in the public square. Christians are called to critique and transform cultural strongholds by standing for biblical truth (Jeremiah 22:3). Prophetic proclamation and Christlike advocacy of policies promoting righteousness advance the corporate witness of the church.
Make More Disciples
While engaged in all components of its mission, the church is to be unrelenting in making more disciples. Evangelism and conversion are not a one-time event, but a continual process. The church must persevere in calling more sinners to repentance and faith in Christ, by all available biblical means. The mission of making disciples continues until the return of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20).
In summary, the multifaceted mission of the church centers on magnifying the greatness of God in all spheres of life. As the church worships, evangelizes, makes disciples, equips the saints, models love, cares for the needy, and seeks justice, by God’s grace people will be reconciled to Christ and God will be glorified.
The mission of the church should align with Jesus’ original calling upon his followers to be witnesses of the gospel from their local community to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). All the various aspects of the church’s mission should work together to accomplish the Great Commission of making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). When the church is faithful to glorify God through all components of its mission, the kingdom of God powerfully advances.
The primary mission of the church is to bring glory to God by making disciples of Jesus Christ through gospel proclamation and obedience to all of Christ’s commands. As redeemed members of God’s covenant community, the church is called to worship, evangelize, teach sound doctrine, administer the sacraments, equip for service, model love, care for the marginalized, seek justice, and multiply more disciples. The mission of the church should shape every aspect of its preaching, community life, and public witness.
The church exists to magnify the worthiness of God to all people everywhere. This mission encompasses pursuing the hallowing of God’s name, the establishment of Christ’s kingdom, and the accomplishment of God’s will on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10). Accomplishing the mission of the church requires Spirit-empowered efforts in evangelism, discipleship, worship, service, advocacy, care for the poor, and loving communion. The mission of the church should be all-encompassing.
In Romans 11:36, Paul writes, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.” The mission of the church must align with this God-centered purpose. The ultimate goal of every activity of the church should be to glorify God. The church glorifies God by spreading a passion for His supremacy in all things, including making disciples across all nations.
Jesus declared that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39). The mission of the church should be guided by fulfilling these two commands. Loving God is expressed through worship, lordship, and total devotion. Loving people is worked out through evangelism, justice, mercy, discipleship, and unity. When the church exalts God and loves people, the mission of Christ is complete.
According to Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17, the mission of the church is to be unified together in God’s love in order to reach the world with the gospel so that God will be glorified. Unity, love, evangelism, and worship should consistently define the mission of the church. As the Father, Son, and Spirit have perfectly loved one another from eternity, the church is called to reflect that triune love in its mission.
The book of Acts provides a paradigm for the mission of the church empowered by the Holy Spirit. The early church devoted itself to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42). It lived in eager expectation of Christ’s return in power and glory to consummate his kingdom. With boldness and generosity, the church bore witness to the resurrection of Jesus. This Spirit-led mission should characterize the church today.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 that God gifted leaders such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until all reach unity in the faith and become mature in Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13). This indicates that discipling believers toward maturity in Christ is central to the mission of church leadership.
In Revelation 7:9-10, John depicts believers from every nation, tribe, people and language worshiping God together. The church’s mission should anticipate this beautiful vision, as people from all cultures and backgrounds come together in unified praise of their Redeemer. The church exists to incorporate more voices into the global, transcendent chorus glorifying Christ.
As this sampling of biblical texts indicates, the mission of the church is centered around magnifying God’s glory, proclaiming Christ’s finished work, making disciples across all peoples, expressing God’s love in Christian community, and serving a hurting world. The church is commissioned by Christ to fulfill this holistic mission until He returns to fully establish His kingdom.
In summary, the mission of the church should focus on:
- Bringing glory to God in all things
- Sharing the gospel of Christ’s redemptive work
- Making disciples of Jesus across all nations
- Teaching obedience to Christ’s commands
- Worshiping God together through prayer, preaching, and the sacraments
- Demonstrating God’s love through unity and service
- Caring for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized
- Seeking justice, critique of evil, and social transformation
- Anticipating Christ’s triumphant return and consummation of His kingdom
The church pursues this holistic mission through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit until the glorious day when people from every nation and tribe will worship Jesus forever.