The Mission Starts Here: Finding Purpose and Boldness in Our Own Backyard

A Time for Reflection and Reconnection

As we enter the month of July and gear up for our annual Vacation Bible School, I felt a strong conviction to focus our teaching this month on a theme that too often gets limited to far-off places and foreign lands: mission work. But this year, I want to challenge that mindset. What if we looked at mission work not as something that happens over there—but as something that starts right here? What if we embraced the idea that the mission starts here, right in our own building, in our own community, and within our own hearts?

A Familiar Passage with Fresh Conviction

We began this series by opening our Bibles to Matthew 28 and revisiting what many know as the Great Commission. These are the final recorded words of Jesus before His ascension. They’re not just instructions—they are a calling, a commissioning, and a challenge.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” — Matthew 28:18-19

What stood out to me this time wasn’t just the “red letters” of Jesus, though those are undeniably powerful. It was verse 17: “They worshiped Him; but some doubted.” Even as the disciples stood in the very presence of the risen Savior, they struggled with doubt.

And that hit home.

Wrestling with Doubt—and Doing It Anyway

How many times have we gathered to worship, yet left the building unsure of how to live out our faith beyond these walls? We know Jesus calls us to go and make disciples, but something holds us back. Doubt creeps in—doubt in our knowledge, doubt in our ability, and sometimes even doubt in the effectiveness of sharing our faith.

But here’s what I want you to hear clearly: You are not alone in your doubt. The disciples, who walked with Jesus for three years and saw Him alive after death, still experienced uncertainty.

Yet, despite their doubt, Jesus gave them the mission anyway. And He gave it to us, too.

It’s Not About You—It’s About Jesus

Jesus begins the Great Commission by saying that all authority has been given to Him. Why? Because He knows that we tend to make things about ourselves. We think: What if I get it wrong? What if they ask a question I can’t answer?

But Jesus says, It’s not about your authority. It’s about Mine.

We’re not sharing our own story. We’re sharing His. And when we do that—when we remove ourselves from the center of the narrative—we become free from fear and anxiety.

If someone rejects the message, they’re not rejecting you—they’re rejecting Jesus. And He can handle that. Your job is not to convert; your job is to share.

Go Means “As You Are Living”

One of the greatest misconceptions in modern Christianity is that faith is about going to church. But Jesus didn’t say, “All authority has been given to me; therefore, go to church.”

No. He said: Go and make disciples.

That little word “go” means “as you are going,” or in other words, as you are living. The mission of Jesus isn’t something we schedule into our calendar; it’s something we live out in our everyday moments—at work, in the grocery store, at school pickup, or over dinner with neighbors.

And yes, especially during Vacation Bible School.

VBS: More Than Just an Event

Vacation Bible School isn’t just a fun week for kids. It’s not just crafts, snacks, and silly songs—though those things are great. It is a mission field. It is one of the most impactful outreach moments we have all year.

But here’s the key: it only becomes a mission field when we treat it like one.

That means shifting our focus from counting heads to planting seeds. It means realizing that one single invitation to VBS might set off a chain reaction that leads an entire family to Jesus. It means choosing to see every guest not as a number, but as a soul with eternal value.

Invite Families, Not Just Children

If you’ve ever thought, Well, I know a kid I can invite, let me challenge you to go a step further: invite the whole family. Don’t just give them two hours of childcare. Invite them to sit with you. Eat with you. Talk with you. Share life—even if it’s just for one night.

The goal isn’t just attendance. The goal is transformation. And that kind of transformation begins with relationship.

You’re Not Alone

The final words Jesus speaks in this commission are perhaps the most comforting:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20

You are not doing this alone. Whether you’re making a phone call, sending a text, or walking across the street to knock on a door—Jesus is with you. In every invitation, every gospel conversation, and every awkward moment where you’re not sure what to say—He is there.

And that is enough.

This Could Be the Week That Changes Everything

So let me ask you: what if this week changes someone’s eternity? What if the Spirit uses you to invite someone into a relationship with Jesus?

Wouldn’t that be worth a moment of discomfort? A risk of rejection?

I think it would. Because that is what mission work is all about.

And it starts not somewhere far away.
Not on a mission trip.
Not overseas.

It starts here.

So pick up the phone. Send the text. Knock on the door.
The mission is waiting—and Jesus is going with you.

Let’s go.