Chris Gore’s editorial is a helpful reminder that the scope of the Great Commission is greater than we often assume. Too often we focus on the “going” and “baptizing,” which are only aspects of the more fundamental command to “make disciples.”
One commenter of Gore’s piece, Andrew, wonders what is the best way to step forward in accomplishing this Great Commission. Here is one place to start: Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way (forthcoming). The authors J. I. Packer (of Regent College) and Gary Parrett (of Gordon-Conwell) argue that the church is in desperate need for solid discipleship and seek to revive catechetical instruction. The White Horse Inn has an interview with both Packer and Parrett (click here). The interview is a good introduction to catechesis, especially for those that might be uneasy with the idea.
One thing that I suspect this book will be advocating (I have sat under several classes with Parrett) is the role of the family in discipling, and the church’s need to assist families in the disciple-making task. Instead of dropping the kids off at church in hopes that their Sunday school class will take care of that “church stuff,” the church is there to assist in a process that should be ongoing on a daily (even hourly) basis.
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