Re-branding: THE Cause

What do you think of when you hear the phrase, "Great Commission"? The answer might depend on your age and whether or not your were raised in an evangelical church. To a modern businessman a "great commission" is what you get after a great sale. So is the "Great Commission" outdated? Well, no and yes.

In Matthew 28, Jesus commands his disciples to "Go" (literally "as you go")and make disciples. Traditionally referred to as the Great Commission, those actual words are not in the Bible's text. The term was coined as a rallying cry to get Christians involved in Jesus' call to make disciples - and it worked. The phrase, "Great Commission" became synonymous with intentional evangelism.

Enter a new generation. Maybe unlike any generation before them, todays teens want to get involved in a cause. Facebook, the online social network, has even created a way to easily join various causes. In droves students join causes such as saving the environment, pro-life issues, or animal rights. Teens are looking for a way to make a difference. So why is it when you mention the "Great Commission" to a group of Christian teens they give you blank stares. Could it be because they are not familiar with the terminology? Are we using an outdated term for a cause that will never become outdated?

Enter Dare 2 Share. In an attempt to help teens catch the vision of Matthew 28:19-20, D2S is helping to re-brand the Great Commission -not change it or weaken in - but to repackage it in modern terminology. Students today are quick to join a cause, and Jesus' call is to not join just any cause but THE Cause. And students are responding. This weekend at the Blaze conference, our students pledged to join THE Cause of making disciples who make disciples. A generation of teens is responding to God's call to share the gospel with their friends, neighbors, and even strangers. THE Cause is spreading.

So let's all get on board with THE Cause. No matter what we call it, the command is the same - "Go and make disciples".