You are the Plan
By Jesse Pingenot in Student
YOU Are the Plan
In what we call the Great Commission, Jesus commanded his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations.” When He did this, He gave a new answer to the question, “What is a disciple of Jesus?”
A disciple of Jesus makes more disciples of Jesus.
How can you do that?
A former professor of mine, Dr. Doug Oss at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, outlined a very effective ministry strategy, one that I have adopted wherever I go. He uses what he calls “circles of influence”—the people around each disciple of Jesus whom that disciple can influence for the Gospel.
Effective ministries make use of this in one way or another. Each ministry is, in effect, a number of concentric circles of influence, with the lead pastor’s or missionary’s relationship with Jesus at the center. An effective lead minister uses his circle of influence to advance the Gospel. In a church, the lead pastor focuses on the most influential people in the church and makes them part of their circle of influence—any other pastors or staff, deacons, that sort of thing.
In this way, the lead pastor disciples these chief influencers in order that they might disciple those in their own circle of influence, who in turn should do the same, on down until everyone in the church and in the church’s own larger circle of influence is being discipled for Christ.
If you are a student leader in Chi Alpha, this means that you probably have a missionary on your campus who has identified you as one of those chief influencers in the group. She or he has made you a part of their circle of influence discipling you, growing you, and maturing you, but for what purpose?
Chi Alpha is a college mission. To reach the campus for Christ, we require students.
The plain truth is that no missionary from outside the campus will ever be able to effectively reach the campus. Missionaries are outsiders. We aren’t students. We don’t live with students, study with students, go to class with students, eat at the dining hall with students. We can (and should and hopefully do) some of these things, but we can’t do them all.
But other college students can. And you do.
That is you. If you are a student leader, your purpose is to reach the campus for Christ. You live with college students, go to class, study – all of the things a missionary can’t, those are things you do by your very nature as a college student.
A Chi Alpha missionary is God’s hands and eyes and heart on campus. Student leaders are the same for the missionary.
This means that you are God’s hands and eyes and heart on your campus.
What is God’s plan to reach your university? You. You are His plan.
No missionary will ever be as effective at sharing the Gospel with college students as you are right now.
Missionaries are on the campus to make disciples who will make disciples. And so are you.
The truth is that you are a missionary to your campus. Your campus missionaries are there to train you up, equip you, and help you grow as you do this because you are their plan. You are God’s plan.
Mission is not optional for any Christian. I saw church sign once that said, “Mission is not a program of the church; it is the purpose of the church. It is not the church’s mission; it is God’s mission.” I can’t think of a better way to say it.
You are the plan. Now go and make disciples!
All views expressed on this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, U.S.A., U.S. Missions, and The General Council of the Assemblies of God.