For the One: A Call to Radical Alignment

By Bart Rendel

Jesus gave us wonderfully clear directives as church leaders and followers. In Luke 15 he gave us three powerful stories that emphasized the pre-eminent importance of pursuing the lost—“the One.” And in Matthew 28, he gave us the personal and corporate mission to go into the world and make more and better disciples, the Great Commission. 

The Great Commission, however, has suffered a crisis in modern times. Somewhere along the way, “go and make disciples of all nations” shifted from being a deeply personal calling for every Christ-follower to merely an organizational mission statement hanging on church walls. 

One truth has emerged with crystal clarity after working with over 1,000 churches across the country: radical alignment to the Great Commission—both corporately and personally—is the most powerful and transformative shift in front of us today. 

While some churches are experiencing growth in our post-pandemic spiritual revival, it is my belief that until this shift occurs, the wins will be short-lived. Churches will continue to struggle with inward focus, declining impact, and the spiritual consumerism that plagues so many congregations. 

A False Dichotomy That’s Killing Churches 

One of the most troubling discoveries from working with churches nationwide is how evangelism and discipleship have become disconnected, and in some cases, seen as opposing forces. I’ve witnessed leaders actually debate whether they’re going to be “a discipleship church” or an “evangelistic church,” as if these represent two different paths rather than two sides of the same calling. In one case, I know of a church that prayed about the decision for 30 days! 

This separation misses a fundamental truth: disciple-making (a.k.a., the Great Commission) begins with evangelism. You cannot make a new disciple without first reaching someone who doesn’t know Jesus. The Great Commission isn’t about choosing between evangelism and discipleship, it’s about understanding that they’re inseparable. 

God’s Unchanging Marching Orders 

The undeniable purpose of the church is to accomplish the Great Commission—to radically align mankind back to God through Christ. Early followers of Christ understood this from the beginning and took the directive seriously. 

Jesus made his purpose clear in his prayer at the Last Supper, emphasizing more than once “that the world may believe.” In his final earthly appearance, he gave this powerful prediction and directive: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, New Living Translation). 

Remember, his followers expected him to restore Israel and establish an earthly kingdom. Instead, he turned the tables and sent them out to evangelize the world. Expectations don’t matter; his purpose does. 

This calling transformed the early church. Philip found himself ministering in Samaria—not a great distance physically, but certainly socially. He would never have gone there unless he knew it was Jesus’ command. Paul, more traveled and sophisticated, raised support, hiked, and sailed to spread the gospel throughout the Mediterranean. 

Paul’s radical alignment is captured perfectly in Acts 20:24: “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” 

The Great Commission isn’t a random utterance of Jesus. It’s the marching orders for the church that still stand today, including you and your church. 

The Program Trap 

Most churches today operate under a flawed assumption that buildings, services, and programs advance the gospel. This institutional thinking has led us to believe that if we create the right systems, hire the right staff, and launch the right ministries, the Great Commission will somehow fulfill itself. 

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: people accomplish the Great Commission; not strategies, programs, or even organizations. 

This institutionalization manifests in three destructive ways: 

Transactions over transformation. Success gets measured by attendance goals rather than life change. The question “How many?” overshadows “How committed?” 

Programs over process. Ministries and events become the reason we have a church calendar and budget. Having the event becomes the win, regardless of whether anyone’s life was actually transformed or people got connected to Jesus and one another. 

Responsibilities over relationships. Staff and volunteers focus on fulfilling job descriptions and duties rather than asking, “How’s it going with your One?” Personal relationships with lost people become someone else’s responsibility. 

When we institutionalize the Great Commission, we not only convince ourselves that buildings, services, and programs accomplish the mission, we also come to believe pastors and staff fulfill the Great Commission instead of a congregation equipped to live it out personally. 

Don’t miss this: The Great Commission must first become a personal mission statement of every Christ follower—including you and your leadership team (and your elders)—before it can ever become an effective organizational mission. 

The Personal Challenge 

What surprises most church leaders is how deeply personal this alignment must be. It often begins in the transformation of their own hearts, requiring them to fundamentally alter their lifestyles, priorities, and relationships. 

This requires honest assessment using what we call the “Four Commodities of Life and Leadership”—evaluating how your time, money, energy, and attention are currently allocated toward reaching the lost. 

Consider these penetrating questions: 

• How much of your calendar and budget is One-aware and activated? When you make plans for the week or an upcoming vacation, is reaching the One top of mind? 
• When did you last have a spiritual conversation with someone who doesn’t attend church? Do you intentionally work to develop these relationships? (Studies show most Christians have little to no non-Christian friends within seven years of deciding to follow Christ). 
• What share of your mind and God-given talents are committed to reaching the One? If you’re good at golf, does your “One” influence who you include in your foursome or when you schedule your tee-time? 

I’m asking these questions to you first, leader! Then you should be asking them of your church family, and eventually of your church’s resource commitments as well. 

If there’s misalignment to the Great Commission within you—if what you desire doesn’t match what you believe and how you think, or how you think doesn’t align with how you behave and act—that internal conflict will undermine every attempt at leading and creating a church aligned to the Great Commission. 

The Transformation That Follows 

When enough individuals within a church begin living the Great Commission as their personal mission, something remarkable happens. Instead of being consumers expecting professional staff to fulfill the mission on their behalf, the congregation becomes a community of missionaries actively engaged in reaching their community. 

The ultimate goal isn’t sporadic evangelistic efforts or seasonal outreach campaigns. It’s creating a sustainable culture where reaching the lost becomes as natural as breathing for every church member. This happens when the Great Commission moves from being something the church does to being something the church is (its animating purpose). 

Churches that achieve this transformation discover that evangelism becomes less about events and programs. Their greatest evangelistic tool isn’t their Sunday service (though it remains important), but the collective witness of hundreds of believers living One-aware, activated lives throughout the community. 

When believers focus on reaching their One (a reference to the lost sheep from Luke 15), several things happen simultaneously: 

• They die to self by prioritizing someone else’s spiritual need. 
• They develop deeper dependence on prayer and Scripture. 
• They gain clarity about their own faith as they learn to articulate it. 
• They experience the joy of partnering with God in his redemptive work. 
• They develop spiritual maturity through spiritual multiplication. 

One of the fastest ways to develop spiritual maturity in your church is to get them focused on praying for and reaching their personal “One(s)” by name—that person(s) in their relational network who needs Christ. It truly is one of God’s great tools to grow your church in breadth and depth. 

The Choice Before You 

You face a fundamental choice. Will the Great Commission remain merely an organizational mission statement, or will it become the personal mission that drives everything you do, along with every decision you and your leadership team make? 

The path forward requires courage to examine your own life honestly, courage to model what it looks like to live a One-aware and activated life, and courage to lead your congregation through the sometimes-uncomfortable process of radical alignment to the Great Commission. 

Radical alignment isn’t our idea, it’s been God’s plan all along. From the beginning, Scripture calls us to align with his purposes. The question isn’t whether your church needs to be more evangelistic. The question is whether you’re ready to make the Great Commission your personal mission, and challenge everyone on your team and in your church to do the same. 

Bart Rendel is co-founder and CSO of Intentional Churches, Las Vegas, Nevada.