GSCC Statement of Faith

Article 11: Missions & Evangelism

A Catechism on Disciple-Making

Fifteen questions and answers drawn from the Church's confession of faith

1. Why does God's Church engage in missions and evangelism?

The Church engages in missions and evangelism because God desires to draw all peoples to Himself and has commissioned His Church to proclaim the good news of salvation to every nation and people group on earth.

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Psalm 96:3

2. What is the Gospel that the Church is to proclaim?

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for sinners, was buried, and rose again on the third day, so that all who repent and believe in Him may be saved.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

3. Why is Jesus Christ the only way of salvation?

There is salvation in no one else, for God has not given any other name under heaven among men by which we must be saved. Christ alone atoned for sin and reconciled sinners to God.

Scripture: Acts 4:12; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5

4. How does God bring the message of salvation to the world?

God is pleased to use human messengers—preachers and missionaries—to proclaim the Gospel so that people may hear, believe, and call upon the name of the Lord.

Scripture: Romans 10:13-15; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16; Romans 1:14

5. What must a person do to be saved?

A person must repent of their sins, turning from idols to serve the living and true God, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in His death and resurrection for their justification.

Scripture: Acts 17:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10

6. What did God promise to Abraham that relates to world missions?

God promised Abraham that through his offspring all the families and peoples of the earth would be blessed. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who gathers worshippers from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Scripture: Genesis 12:2-3; Galatians 3:27-4:5; Psalm 67; Ephesians 3:10

7. Why do missions exist?

Missions exist because the worship of the one true God is absent among so many peoples. Missionaries go so that the name of Jesus may be exalted among all the nations.

Scripture: Psalm 96:3; Romans 15:20; Isaiah 45:22; Revelation 7:9

8. What is the role of the local church in sending missionaries?

The local church is responsible to commission, send out, financially support, and maintain an ongoing relationship of accountability and partnership with missionaries. Missionaries are sent by and accountable to the local body.

Scripture: Acts 13:1-3; Acts 14:21-28; Romans 10:15; Colossians 1:24-25

9. What does it mean to make disciples?

To make disciples means to lead people not only to saving faith in Christ but also to baptism and ongoing instruction in all that Jesus commanded, incorporating them into the fellowship and accountability of a local church.

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:16; Ephesians 4:12-16

10. What is the significance of baptism in the disciple-making process?

Baptism is the public declaration and symbol of a person's union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is the initiating ordinance by which new believers are visibly incorporated into the body of Christ.

Scripture: Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27; Acts 19:5

11. What is the ultimate goal of all missionary and evangelistic work?

The ultimate goal is the establishment of local churches among every people group—communities of disciples who worship God in spirit and truth, grow together in Christ, and continue to make disciples.

Scripture: Acts 14:21-28; Ephesians 4:12-16; Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:7-8

12. What does God's Word promise about the final outcome of world missions?

The Scriptures promise that when the Holy Spirit has called out all of God's elect through the preaching of the Gospel, Christ will return. The completion of the Great Commission is therefore connected to the return of the Lord.

Scripture: Matthew 24:14; Hebrews 9:28; 2 Peter 3:12; Romans 10:13-15

13. How should the Church's commitment to missions be characterized?

The Church's faithful proclamation must be marked by unwavering and sustained commitment—sparing no effort and using every means possible—so that Christ's name is exalted in all the earth in this generation.

Scripture: Romans 1:14-17; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Acts 1:8; Isaiah 45:22

14. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in world missions?

The Holy Spirit empowers witnesses, calls the elect through Gospel preaching, convicts the world of sin, and seals believers unto the day of redemption. No missionary goes or succeeds apart from the Spirit's work.

Scripture: Acts 1:8; John 20:21-23; Luke 24:44-49; 2 Timothy 2:10

15. What should motivate every believer to participate in the Great Commission?

Every believer should be motivated by the love of God, the lostness of mankind, the uniqueness of Christ as Savior, and the glorious hope of seeing peoples from every nation worship God—hastening the day of Christ's return.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Romans 1:14; Acts 4:12; 2 Peter 3:12; Revelation 5:9

"We preach so that we may hasten the day of our Lord's return."

— GSCC Statement of Faith, Article 11

Missions & Evangelism (Disciple-Making)

We believe that proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to all the peoples of the world is an essential ministry of the Church. Throughout the Bible God is seen as desiring to draw all ethnic groups and peoples to himself. At the proper time in God's plan Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and he commissioned his church with the task of proclaiming to everyone the good news of his salvation. It is through human messengers that God causes the message of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection to be proclaimed throughout the earth.

Missions exist because the worship of the true God among so many people does not. Since there is salvation in no one else except Jesus Christ, the church must spare no effort in declaring the gospel to all the world's people groups by every means possible. Those who repent and believe should be baptized in water and discipled in the fellowship of a local body of believers. The goal of all evangelistic efforts is to bring people not only to faith in Christ but also participation in the life of the local church, the establishment of which is the ultimate goal of all missionary work. The Scriptures promise that when the Holy Spirit has called out all God's elect people through the preaching of the Gospel, then Christ will appear a second time. Therefore, we preach so that we may hasten the day of our Lord's return.

Key Scriptures: Ephesians 3:10  ·  Isaiah 45:22  ·  Genesis 12:2–3  ·  Galatians 4:4–5  ·  Matthew 28:18–20  ·  Acts 4:12  · Ephesians 4:12–16  ·  2 Peter 3:12

Article 11: Missions and Evangelism

Q56. Why must the church proclaim the gospel to all peoples?

A. Because there is salvation in no one else except Jesus Christ. Missions exist because the worship of the true God among so many peoples does not, and God desires to draw all peoples to himself.  (Acts 4:12; Isa. 45:22; Gen. 12:2–3)

Q57. What is the content of the gospel that must be preached?

A. The gospel is the message of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection — that the Son of God took on flesh, lived perfectly, died as a substitute for sinners, and rose from the dead, offering forgiveness and new life to all who repent and believe.  (1 Cor. 15:3–4; Acts 17:30–31; 2 Cor. 5:18–20)

Q58. What is the goal of all evangelism and missions?

A. The goal is to bring people to faith in Christ and to full participation in the life of a local church — the establishment and maturing of local churches is the ultimate goal of all missionary work.  (Matt. 28:18–20; Eph. 4:12–16)

Q59. How should missionaries relate to local churches?

A. Missionaries should be commissioned, sent out, supported, held accountable, and in personal partnership with a local congregation or congregations.  (Acts 13:1–3; 14:21–28; Rom. 15:20)

Q60. What connection does world missions have to Christ's return?

A. The Scriptures promise that when the Holy Spirit has called out all God's elect people through the preaching of the gospel, Christ will appear a second time. Therefore, we preach the gospel to hasten the day of the Lord's return.  (Matt. 24:14; 2 Pet. 3:12)