Additional Scriptures 

Genesis 1:1—2:4a, Psalm 8, 2 Corinthians 13:11–13 

Preparation 

Before the service, prepare enough “invitations to Christ” for each person attending worship to be used in the Focus Moment. These can be as simple as a note card with the words “You Are Invited to Christ” on it or purchased invitations. Another choice would be to have children make the invitations during class time a week or two before this service. 

Prelude 

Welcome 

Call to Worship 

Have four readers scattered around the room, prepared to read the call to worship in a lively, flowing tempo. 

Reader 1: Friends, brothers and sisters, Listen! 

Reader 2: Be cheerful! 

Reader 3: Be uplifting! 

Reader 4: Be unified in peace! 

Reader 1: And the God of love and peace will dwell here. 

Reader 2: Greet one another with God’s holiness. 

Reader 3: Greet one another with God’s love. 

Reader 4: Greet one another with God’s peace. 

Reader 1: The amazing grace of Christ, 

Reader 2: the extravagant love of God, 

Reader 3: and the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit is with us! 

Reader 4: We are all invited! 

All Readers: Hallelujah! Amen! 

—2 Corinthians 13:11–13, adapted 

 Hymn of Invitation 

“God of Dawn, Each Day’s Renewal” CCS 51 

OR “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord, God Almighty!” CCS 52 

Prayer of Invitation 

Sung Prayer Response 

“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” CCS 53 or 54  

OR  instrumental response 

Scripture Reading

Matthew 28:16–20 

Focus Moment: Stop and Go Invitation 

Show participants the stack of invitations and ask, “Why do we give people invitations?” Accept all answers. Invitations are usually sent asking people to attend something special. What are some words we use when we invite people? 

 Reflect on the Matthew 28:16–20 passage. Jesus told his disciples to go and invite everyone to become a disciple of Christ, to be baptized, and to follow him. Jesus promised they would always have his Spirit to be with them. We are going to practice Jesus’s commandment to invite people. Let’s have a few volunteers come to the front and face the group.  

Give out the invitations to the volunteers. 

 When I say “Go,” move to someone in our group and give them one of our special invitations. But when I say “Stop,” freeze right where you are until I say “Go” again. See if you can pass out all our invitations to Christ. Ready? 

Continue the game of “Stop and Go” until everyone has received an invitation, including each child. Ask participants to think about whom they will share their invitation with this week. 

Hymn of Invitation 

“Called by Christ to Love Each Other” CCS 577 

OR “O God of Vision” stanzas 1, 2, and 5   CCS 78 

Prayer for Peace 

Light the peace candle 

Prayer 

O Prince of Peace, 

You have called us to pursue peace and establish the cause of Zion. We understand this as the call to share your peace in all of its personal, interpersonal, community and worldwide dimensions. Help us invite others into our quest for justice and equality. Hear our prayer, O Lord. Amen. 

—Anthony J. Chvala-Smith in Understanding the Way, 
Herald Publishing House, 2011, p. 67, adapted. 

Response 

“Hear Our Prayer, O Lord” CCS 196 

OR “Soften My Heart” CCS 187 

Message 

Based on Matthew 28:16–20 

Prayer of Confession and Commitment 

Print or project these words. Allow time for participants to reflect individually on this prayer and question. 

We confess, Lord, that too often we hesitate to go into the world and share the invitation to your grace. Our fears and distractions keep us from moving forward in your name. Today we want to respond and generously invite people to Christ. Give us courage and boldness to meet this commitment. Amen. 

Who will you invite to Christ? 

Hymn of Commitment 

“Go, Make of All Disciples” CCS 363 

OR “Church of Christ Now Poised Anew” CCS 373 

Disciples’ Generous Response 

Scripture Reading 

I would exhort you…that you remember that every good gift comes of Christ. 

—Moroni 10:13, adapted 

Statement 

Just as each person’s invitation to Christ is important, every gift is important to God and the ministry of the church. We can celebrate with joy by offering our responses to God’s invitation and grace. 

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes 

Hymn of Sending 

“Now Go in Joy” CCS 659 

OR “Send Me Forth” CCS 651 

Benediction 

Sending Forth

Doctrine and Covenants 163:2a–b 

Postlude 

Gathering

Welcome

Pentecost means 50th day. On the 50th day after Passover, Jews celebrated with a festival. For Christians, Pentecost marks the 50th and final day of the Easter season. At Pentecost the Spirit moves among the disciples and crowds of onlookers. It is on Pentecost that the disciples begin their Spirit-filled ministry. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit often is depicted as flames or a dove descending on the people.

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.

One who breathes peace, you promised us the Holy Spirit, and today we celebrate its presence among us in this very place! Thank you for this Helper, whose closeness we sometimes see, sometimes feel, but always know.

As winds signal the change of seasons,
as fire warms the cold,
as breezes carry butterflies on their migration,
as embers hold the hope of renewal,
inspire us to bring peace wherever it is needed.

As peace flows in every language, open our eyes to the small corners in need of peace. Open our arms to hold another, quiet our voices to listen in the commotion, and strengthen our shoulders for the hard work ahead.

In the gentle and just name of Jesus, Amen.

Spiritual Practice

Breath Prayer

Read the following to the group:

Our spiritual practice today is a breath prayer. During the prayer we will use a word to breathe in and a word to breathe out. As you breathe in, name something you would like to receive. As you exhale, state something you would like to release. (For example: Breathe in peace, exhale fear).

For the breath prayer, you will sit with relaxed posture and close your eyes. We will spend five minutes in this practice. Take a moment to think of the word that names something you want to receive. (Pause in silence 15 seconds.) Now think of the word that states something you want to release. (Pause in silence 15 seconds.)

Lead the practice with these instructions:

Sit in a relaxed posture. If you are comfortable, close your eyes.

Become aware of your breath. Notice its regular, natural rhythm.

As you breathe, begin to focus on what you are inhaling and what you are exhaling.

Continue with your natural rhythm. Breathe in…receive. Breathe out…release.

Monitor the time. Occasionally give instructions, “Breathe in…receive. Breathe out…release.”

After five minutes share the following instructions:

Close your breath prayer by offering a silent prayer of thanks to God. When you are ready, take a deep breath and open your eyes. 

Sharing Around the Table

Matthew 28:16–20 NRSVue

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  

On the day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2, the gift of the Spirit draws in all diversity of language, culture, peoples, places, and planet. The call issued in Matthew’s closing words answers the question, “What now? How are we to be?” This passage is often called the Great Commission. It is a fitting contrast with the other three gospel endings: Mark leaves us with fear and an empty tomb, Luke features last appearances and an ascension, and John details very personal encounters.             

According to Matthew here they are. Eleven disciples at no-name mountain, where heaven and earth meet. The scene echoes other mountaintop settings in Matthew’s Jesus story. The words “heaven and earth” connect us with the Creation account as described in Genesis which is intertwined with the ancient story tradition describing the fracture of earth from heaven and the hope filled longing for their repair.

Eleven disciples, after all they’ve been through, and still, even when they see him here—they doubt. How very human. We aren’t so different after all.

In a world divided by politics, race, wealth, religion, and hope itself, Matthew draws us in to hear the good news. By “all authority in heaven and on earth” with the promise that “I am with you always” sent to share the story of God’s love come to us through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. For any who thirst, a new hope, a new way of being, that ushers in a restorative justice. Peace. Birthed through God’s reconciling love.

The disciples’ mission starts close to home, then ripples out from there. We, too, are called from right where we are, to be living signs of new creation, bearing witness that love is stronger than death. We are part of writing the next chapters of God’s story, living at the intersection of heaven and earth, inhabiting the holy in-between of what is and what is yet to be. We are called to walk in community with Christ joined in God’s ongoing work of restoration: peace, reconciliation, and healing of the spirit.

Pentecost is the blessing that breathes the holy into every dimension of living the way of Jesus. Blessed and sent to be his presence in our world.

Questions

1. Matthew says the disciples both worshiped and doubted. How does it feel to know that faith and doubt can coexist? In what ways do you feel both worship/faith and doubt as you follow Jesus? In what ways do we, as a community, create space for questions as well as convictions?
2. Matthew places the disciples at the intersection of heaven and earth. Where do you see glimpses of God’s new creation breaking into our world today?
3. How might you bear witness, right where you are, that love is stronger than death? How can we, as a community, bear witness that love is stronger than death?

Sending

Generosity Statement

Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response. This offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:

God of passion and purpose, May your Spirit guide our decisions as we make Responsible Choices with our resources. May we be wise in spending, prudent in saving, and generous in sharing, that your purposes of healing, wholeness, and well-being might be extended to all. Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

CCS 42, “As the Wind Song through the Trees”

Closing Prayer

Optional Additions Depending on Group

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Scripture

Choose one scripture to read from this selection: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39.

Communion Statement

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

On this day of Pentecost we celebrate the Holy Spirit’s presence with us in full. As we share Communion we experience new life through blessing, healing, peace, and community.

In preparation let’s sing Community of Christ Sings 532, “We Meet as Friends at Table.”

Blessings and serving bread and wine.

Thoughts for Children

 You will need a:

• picture of a dove
• lit candle (electric can be substituted)
• blanket

God has promised that God’s Spirit always will be with us. We call this the Holy Spirit. In the Bible we learn about God’s Spirit. Lots of words have described the Holy Spirit.

Dove (show picture)—How might the Holy Spirit be like a dove? Listen to what the children share and then say: When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit flew down like a dove and landed on Jesus.

Flame (light or turn on the candle)—How might the Spirit be like a flame? Give the children time to share their ideas and then say: It flickered like a flame and touched everyone.

Comforter (let the children touch the blanket or wrap themselves in it)—How might the Spirit be like a comforter? Affirm any responses from the children and then say: We feel as if we are wrapped in God’s love when we feel the Spirit with us.

Breath/wind (breathe out)—How is the Spirit like breath or wind? Give the children time to think of their answers, and then say: Sometimes the Spirit is like a mighty wind, and sometimes it is as quiet as Jesus breathing the Spirit upon the disciples. We can hear the Spirit in our breath, too. Cup your hands over your mouth and breathe into your hands. Listen…Can you hear the Spirit?

God promises the Holy Spirit always will be with us. Listen and watch for the Spirit in your life.  

Exploring the Scripture

The primary message of the book of Matthew is to tell the story of Jesus, not just as a remarkable and gifted human being, but as the focus and instrument of God’s involvement with creation. The author’s primary goals appear to be to share the good news that in and through Jesus, God has reasserted the rule of the kingdom of heaven on earth; in and through Jesus, God’s forgiveness is offered to every person; and all are invited to life as a disciple and, indeed, to God’s kingdom.

This is seen clearly in today’s passage, commonly known as the Great Commission. Note that the author quotes Jesus at the end of the book rather than simply sharing a report of what Jesus said, perhaps thinking it would give more power to these instructions given as Jesus’ earthly ministry was drawing to an end. While this “commission” is most often considered in its entirety, it can be divided into several themes, each of which can be a sermon in itself.

First, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Go.” This suggests rather clearly that Christ’s mission is not about being stationary, but about going intentionally to witness of and live the good news of Jesus. In recent revelation, we have been reminded that we should “look also beyond your walls to the far-flung places where the church must go” (Doctrine and Covenants 162:7d).

Next, the reader is told that this going should be to all nations. The word nations means “people groups.” Jesus was not referring to political boundaries, more commonly called “countries” in today’s language. He was referring to cultural and ethnic groups, foreigners, people who aren’t like you, the “other.” So, Jesus’ directive wasn’t so much about going to geographic areas as it was about going to all people regardless of ethnicity, gender, life circumstance, or sexual orientation. Again, we have been reminded of this in recent revelation: “Reach out in understanding, clasp their hands, and invite all to share in the blessings of community created in the name of the One who suffered on behalf of all” (Doctrine and Covenants 161:3a). This theme is also lifted up in several Community of Christ Enduring Principles: Worth of All Persons, All Are Called, Unity in Diversity, and Pursuit of Peace (Shalom) (Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition)

The third theme found in today’s passage is making disciples. This includes baptism and teaching. Jesus showed the importance of baptism by seeking this sacrament from John the Baptist. Baptism is how individuals are united in community as disciples through the same baptism Jesus experienced. By definition, disciples are followers or students of a teacher, a leader, or a philosopher. To be a disciple is to be a learner. Jesus’ commission teaches his followers not only to baptize people, but also to teach them. It is a both/and proposition, each clearly being equally important. By telling his followers to teach “them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), Jesus provides the blueprint for bringing the peaceable kingdom to creation.

A final theme is the promise Jesus makes—to be a constant presence as his disciples embark on mission: “Lo, I am with you always to the end of the age.” Here Jesus makes clear that his disciples would not simply have a fading memory of him. Instead, he promises to be ever-present, carrying with him and extending to his disciples “…all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). This is a powerful and far-reaching authority. As Jesus said multiple times, disciples should not be afraid or hesitant as they go forth to engage in his mission.

Central Ideas

1. Christ’s mission requires that followers go. The mission cannot be carried out by being stationary and taking care of oneself.
2. The intentional witness, invitation, and living out of mission must be directed to all people with no exceptions.
3. The task of the disciple is not simply to baptize people. As important and valuable as that sacrament is, it must be tied to helping people become true disciples of Jesus.
4. Disciples can go forth in mission with the confidence that Jesus, the one to whom all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given, goes with them every step of the way.

Questions for the Speaker

1. How is this congregation intentionally identifying opportunities to go into new places beyond its walls?
2. What specific methods is this congregation using to help individuals develop as disciples of Jesus? How can the congregation be challenged to look for more ways to expand such disciple-formation experiences?
3. How can you challenge people to further develop themselves as disciples?
4. How can you challenge people to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” where we have been told that opportunities abound?

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 28:16–20 

Lesson Focus

Disciples go forth in mission with the confidence that Jesus goes with them. 

Objectives 

The learners will… 

• reflect on different descriptions of the Triune God. 
• discuss themes from the Great Commission and compare with recent counsel to the church. 
• explore new opportunities for living Christ’s mission. 
• write a modern-day version of the Great Commission. 

Supplies 

• Bible  
• Doctrine and Covenants 
• Paper and pens or pencils 

Notes to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 28:16–20 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Matthew),, pp. 78–79, available through Herald House. 

Gather

Activates background knowledge, prepares, and motivates for lesson (15% of total lesson time)

In the Christian liturgical calendar, the first Sunday after Pentecost is Trinity Sunday. It invites the church to reflect on what it means to believe in the Trinity or Triune God. 

We believe in one living God who meets us in the testimony of Israel, is revealed in Jesus Christ, and moves through all creation as the Holy Spirit. We affirm the Trinity—God who is a community of three persons. All things that exist owe their being to God: mystery beyond understanding and love beyond imagination. This God alone is worthy of our worship. 

—“We Share Basic Beliefs,” Sharing in Community of Christ,
4th Edition, pp. 33–34 

Share responses to the following questions as a large group or in small groups of two or three. Note: the Trinity is a complex theological idea. Encourage all to respond however they are comfortable. Accept all responses without discussion. 

The following have been used to describe the Trinity or Triune God: 

Father, Son, Holy Spirit 
God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit 
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer 
Lover, Beloved, All Loving 
Giver, Gift, Giving 

• With which description do you most closely connect? How does it describe the nature of God? 
• How would you describe the Trinity to a new disciple? How has it been described to you? 
• In what ways are we limited by language in describing the Trinity? 

Engage

Invites exploration and interaction (35% of lesson time)

Today’s passage at the end of Matthew’s Gospel is known as the Great Commission. Although it is a brief passage, it contains important themes for all disciples. Read Matthew 28:16–20. Discuss the following themes and compare with recent counsel to Community of Christ. You may choose to form four small groups to discuss each and share with the larger group. 

Go: Being a disciple of Jesus involves active and intentional engagement in Christ’s mission of invitation. 

Read Doctrine and Covenants 162:7d. 

• What is the invitation to disciples in this theme? 
• How is this theme supported through Doctrine and Covenants 162:7d? 
• How is this theme expressed in Community of Christ Enduring Principles and Mission Initiatives? 

All nations: Rather than political boundaries or countries, all nations mean cultural and ethnic groups, strangers, or people considered as “other.” 

Read Doctrine and Covenants 161:3a. 

• What is the invitation to disciples in this theme? 
• How is this theme supported through Doctrine and Covenants 161:3a? 
• How is this theme expressed in Community of Christ Enduring Principles and Mission Initiatives? 

Make disciples: Making disciples includes baptism and confirmation but also includes teaching. 

Read Doctrine and Covenants 163:4c. 

• What is the invitation to disciples in this theme? 
• How is this theme supported through Doctrine and Covenants 163:4c? 
• How is this theme expressed in Community of Christ Enduring Principles and Mission Initiatives? 

I am with you always: Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to strengthen disciples in mission. 

Read Doctrine and Covenants 161:7. 

• What is the invitation to disciples in this theme? 
• How is this theme supported through Doctrine and Covenants 162:7d? 
• How is this theme expressed in Community of Christ Enduring Principles and Mission Initiatives? 

Respond

Takes the learners from hearing to doing (35% of lesson time)

Read Doctrine and Covenants 165:1a–f and discuss the following questions. 

• What connections can be made between this passage and the Great Commission? 
• How are the above themes from the Great Commission expressed in this passage? 
• What is the commission to disciples and the church today in this passage? 
• What opportunities abound in your community for disciples to respond in Christ’s mission? 

Send

Explores how the lesson might be lived (10% of lesson time)

Write a modern-day version of the Great Commission. To whom is it directed? What are disciples commissioned to do today? How would it be delivered? 

Bless

Time of prayer, praise, blessing, and hope (5% of lesson time)

Read 2 Corinthians 13:11–13, Paul’s commission to the saints in Corinth, as a closing blessing. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. 

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 28:16–20 

Lesson Focus

Jesus told his disciples to “Go!” baptize and teach people to be disciples. Jesus also tells us to “Go!” 

Objectives 

The learners will… 

• hear the scripture passage known as the Great Commission. 
• explore Mission Initiatives Invite People to Christ and Develop Disciples to Serve. 
• understand that discipleship requires action, sharing the good news with others. 

Supplies 

• Bible 
• Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, Herald House, 2018 
• World maps showing geography, population, economics, etc. 
• Street map (map of area where students live, if available) 
• Map of first-century Palestine 
• Video Invite, available on YouTube (optional) 

Note to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 28:16–20 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Matthew), pp. 78–79, available through Herald House. 

Gather

Activates background knowledge, prepares, and motivates for lesson (15% of total lesson time)

As students arrive, ask them to explore the maps you have collected. Ask them to locate where they live, places they have visited or would like to visit, where friends or family members live. 

When everyone has arrived, ask the students to find the area on the modern map where Jesus lived. Identify what countries make up the area today. On the map of first-century Palestine, note the limited region where Jesus’s ministry took place. At that time, the Roman Empire was the known world. How far from Jerusalem did the first generation of disciples share the good news? 

Engage

Invites exploration and interaction (35% of lesson time)

Today we are studying the last verses of the Gospel of Matthew. This is often referred to as the Great Commission. This appearance of Jesus combines instruction, worship, and sending or commissioning. Commission means to instruct or to charge with a task. 

Read as a class Matthew 28:16–20. 

Jesus’s commission is sending his disciples to tell all nations about him and to invite them to live as disciples. People are not called to be individual believers only; all are called to be disciples in community. Baptism marks the transition into discipleship within the Christian community. As disciples, Jesus’s commission is for us as well. 

• How would you describe discipleship to a friend or new disciple? 
• How would you describe the Great Commission to a friend or new disciple? 

Community of Christ upholds the following definition of discipleship: 

Being a Christian is more than holding a list of right ideas; it is about radical obedience to Jesus in every part of life. God’s boundless love sets us free for lives of responsible stewardship in which we generously offer our lives in service to God’s reign. Discipleship is both an inward and outward journey. Jesus calls us to follow him and to invite others to experience the transforming power of his grace. 

—Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, p. 37 

• What words or phrases fit your understanding of discipleship? Explain. 
• What challenges your understanding of discipleship? Explain. 

Respond

Takes the learners from hearing to doing (35% of lesson time)

Form two groups and assign each group one of the following Mission Initiatives. Have them read the descriptive statements and discuss the questions that follow. Share responses with the larger group. 

Invite People to Christ—Christ’s mission of evangelism 

This mission to “go and make disciples” is one of our Mission Initiatives—Invite People to Christ! People are waiting to hear the good news! 

—Of Water and Spirit, p. 115 

We are poised to share the peace of Jesus Christ with those who are waiting to hear the redeeming words of the gospel. We fulfill God’s ultimate vision as we… 

• baptize and confirm many new members. 
• open new congregations. 
• launch the church in new nations. 

As disciples we are all responsible to participate in the mission of inviting people to Christ. 

Discuss:

• Describe how someone invited you to Christ. 
• What encourages you to invite others to Christ? 
• What keeps you from inviting others to Christ? Why is it difficult? 
• How does your congregation model this Mission Initiative? What could your congregation do to be more invitational? 

Develop Disciples to Serve—Equip individuals for Christ’s mission 

Being a disciple includes inviting others to be disciples and to live out their discipleship in sacred community. Such communities make positive changes in their neighborhoods, villages, towns, and cities.

—Of Water and Spirit, p. 115 

We are poised to equip women, men, and children to be true and living expressions of the life, ministry, and continuing presence of Christ in the world. We fulfill God’s ultimate vision as we… 

• help all ages deepen their discipleship. 
• empower priesthood for mission. 
• grow pastors and leaders for mission. 
• train and send ministers for mission throughout the world. 

Discuss: 

• In what ways are you developing as a disciple to serve in Christ’s mission? 
• What are the sources supporting you in being a “true and living expression of…Christ in the world”? 
• How does your congregation model this Mission Initiative? 
• How have you, or can you, help another person develop as a disciple? 

Send

Explores how the lesson might be lived (10% of lesson time)

Sometimes Inviting People to Christ can be confused with inviting people to a movie, to dinner, and even church. People certainly can experience Christ’s peace in the theater, at a restaurant, and in the church. However, this invitation is to something much deeper. Christ lives through us as we, empowered by the Holy Spirit, live the Great Commission with our hands, our feet, our words, our minds—literally our whole selves. Inviting People to Christ is not a sales pitch. Inviting People to Christ is not a scary speech to deliver on a street corner. Inviting People to Christ is sharing the transforming love of God found in the community of disciples. 

Whom will you invite? To what are you inviting them? 

Watch the video, Invite, and then discuss the following questions: 

• Can you elaborate on Jesus’s reason for invitation? 
• Why might those around you need you to invite them to Christ? 
• How might you do that? 

If watching the video is not possible, use the following activity to role play opportunities for Inviting People to Christ. 

Prepare in advance three to five different scenarios such as the following: 

• There is a new person at school who is alone at lunch. 
• Someone in your class uses hateful speech about people of different religions or ethnicities. 
• Your sister or brother struggles with low self-esteem. 

Select two people to role play a given scenario. What would they say or do in this scenario to share the peace of Christ? Talk about how sharing the peace of Christ begins with kindness but extends to deeper relationships. 

Think about a person in your family, school, or neighborhood with whom you can share the peace of Christ. Plan for how you will do this in the coming week(s). Share this with another person in the group to be your prayer partner of support as you invite others to Christ. 

Bless

Time of prayer, praise, blessing, and hope (5% of lesson time)

Close with Doctrine and Covenants 164:9f–a. (Please note we will read the verses in reverse order.)

f. The mission of Jesus Christ is what matters most for the journey ahead.

e. The challenges and opportunities are momentous. Will you remain hesitant in the shadows of your fears, insecurities, and competing loyalties? Or will you move forward in the light of your divinely instilled call and vision?

d. If you truly would be Community of Christ, then embody and live the concerns and passion of Christ.

c. This covenant entails sacramental living that respects and reveals God’s presence and reconciling activity in creation. It requires whole-life stewardship dedicated to expanding the church’s restoring ministries, especially those devoted to asserting the worth of persons, protecting the sacredness of creation, and relieving physical and spiritual suffering.

b. When your willingness to live in sacred community as Christ’s new creation exceeds your natural fear of spiritual and relational transformation, you will become who you are called to be. The rise of Zion the beautiful, the peaceful reign of Christ, awaits your whole-hearted response to the call to make and steadfastly hold to God’s covenant of peace in Jesus Christ.

a. Beloved children of the Restoration, your continuing faith adventure with God has been divinely led, eventful, challenging, and sometimes surprising to you. By the grace of God, you are poised to fulfill God’s ultimate vision for the church.

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 28:16–20 

Lesson Focus

Jesus told his disciples to “Go!” baptize and teach people to be disciples. Jesus also tells us to “Go!”  

Objectives 

The learners will… 

• hear the scripture passage known as the Great Commission. 
• explore Mission Initiatives Invite People to Christ and Develop Disciples to Serve. 
• learn the Mission Prayer as a spiritual practice. 

Supplies 

• Bible  
• Globe or world map 
• Dictionary 
• Poster board (or card stock) 
• Street map (map of area where children live, if available) 
• Printed copy of Mission Prayer for each child (end of lesson) 
• Glue sticks 
• Adhesive magnet strips 
• Optional: scissors for each child 
• Community of Christ Sings (CCS) or audio recording, available from Herald House 

Notes to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 28:16–20 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament, pp. 78–79, available through Herald House. 

Gather

Activates background knowledge, prepares, and motivates for lesson (15% of total lesson time)

As children arrive, ask them to explore the globe or map. Ask them to try to find where they live, places they have visited, where friends or family members live. 

When everyone has arrived, show children on the globe or map where Jesus would have lived; then follow a path to show how far it is between where Jesus lived and where they live. Ask children what kind of geography is between the two places. Ask for ideas about how someone could get from where Jesus lived to where they live. 

Engage

Invites exploration and interaction (35% of lesson time)

Read paraphrased focus scripture passage: Matthew 28:16–20. 

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

Say: This scripture passage is known as the Great Commission. Commission means to instruct or charge with a task. Jesus’s commission is sending his disciples to tell people about him and to invite them to live as disciples. 

Refer to globe or map. 

Even though Jesus and his disciples lived far away from where we live today, we know about Jesus and his commandments to love because the disciples took Jesus seriously and told people about him. The good news about God’s love for all people has traveled all over the world! 

Look up the word disciple in the dictionary. Decide together which definition Jesus means when he asks us to go and make disciples. 

Say: “God calls us to be disciples in sacred community with other disciples. We learn and grow with others. This way, we can learn more, and do more, and enjoy our discipleship even more along the way. We can become who God calls us to be” (Of Water and Spirit, p. 90). 

Jesus wants all people to become disciples and keep his commandments. As Jesus’s disciples we are commanded to love God and love others and love ourselves. 

Respond

Takes the learners from hearing to doing (35% of lesson time)

Say: “This mission to ‘go and make disciples’ is one of our Mission Initiatives—Invite People to Christ! People are waiting to hear the good news!” (Of Water and Spirit, p. 115). 

Develop Disciples to Serve is another Mission Initiative. “Being a disciple includes inviting others to be disciples and to live out their discipleship in sacred community. Such communities make positive changes in their neighborhoods, villages, towns, and cities” (Of Water and Spirit, p. 115). 

Going Deeper 

Review the Mission Initiatives Invite People to Christ and Develop Disciples to Serve with the children. 

Invite People to Christ—Christ’s mission of evangelism 

We are poised to share the peace of Jesus Christ with those who are waiting to hear the redeeming words of the gospel. 

We fulfill God’s ultimate vision as we… 

• baptize and confirm many new members. 
• open new congregations. 
• launch the church in new nations. 

Develop Disciples to Serve—Equip individuals for Christ’s mission 

We are poised to equip men, women, and children to be true and living expressions of the life, ministry, and continuing presence of Christ in the world. 

We fulfill God’s ultimate vision as we… 

• help all ages deepen their discipleship. 
• empower priesthood for mission. 
• grow pastors and leaders for mission. 
• train and send ministers for mission throughout the world. 

Look up the word “poised” in the dictionary. Decide together which definition is being used in the Mission Initiatives. (be ready to do something) 

The word poised is also used in Doctrine and Covenants 164:9a, “By the grace of God, you are poised to fulfill God’s ultimate vision for the church.” 

Discuss: How does baptizing and teaching people to love God, others, and yourself help the church fulfill God’s ultimate vision? 

Action Game: Jesus Says Go! (Play with the same rules as Simon Says.) 

Invite children to do an action when they hear “Jesus says Go!” If they don’t hear “Jesus says Go!” they should stand still. Use actions that would invite interaction with another person for the “Jesus says” actions. Sample actions: 

Jesus says, “Go shake hands with a friend!” 
Jesus says, “Go give a high five.” 
“Go touch your toes.” (If children move, remind them, “I didn’t say, ‘Jesus says’…”) 
Jesus says, “Go wave to someone in the class.” 
“Go spin around.” 
Jesus says, “Go give a hug.” 

Spiritual Practice: Mission Prayer (adapted)

Say: When we invite people to be baptized, we are inviting them to be part of our community and family. This means we have a relationship with them, and we are inviting them to learn with us how to be a disciple. Jesus tells his disciples—and us—that all people are invited to follow him and keep his commandments to love God, themselves, and their neighbors. Sometimes it is easy to think of people we can invite: our friends, other family members, and classmates from school. But there are people we don’t even know yet that Jesus cares about and wants to include. The Mission Prayer can help us be open to new relationships and people we can invite. 

Tell children many people throughout Community of Christ are using this prayer to listen for God and make choices to help our world be a better place for all people. This prayer practice connects us as a worldwide community. Read the different statements from the Mission Prayer and discuss the questions.  

God, where will your Spirit lead today? 

The Holy Spirit helps us listen for God and make choices. 

• Do you remember some of the ways we learned what the Holy Spirit is like? 
• What does lead mean? 
• How do you think the Holy Spirit can lead us? 

Help me be fully awake and ready to respond. 

• How do you feel when you first wake up in the morning? 

Sometimes it is hard to do what you are supposed to when you first wake up. If your parent asks you to get dressed, you might lie in bed for a while because you are not quite awake yet. It is hard to listen when you are not fully awake. This part of the prayer is asking for God to help us learn how to pay attention to the things God would pay attention to. 

Grant me courage to risk something new… 

• What does courage mean? 
• When have you been afraid to try something new, like going to a new school, or swimming underwater? 

Courage is when you decide to try even when you are not sure what will happen. Courage doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid. It means you do something even when you are afraid. 

• When have you had courage to try something new? 

…and become a blessing of your love and peace. Amen. 

To bless someone means to “speak well” of them. 

• How can we bless people? 
• How can we share love? 
• How can we share peace? 

Send

Explores how the lesson might be lived (10% of lesson time)

Mission Prayer Map Magnet 

Before class, cut poster board and street map into the same size circle shape (to represent the earth) for each child. Copy Mission Prayer for each child and cut into a rectangle smaller than the poster board and map circle. Provide each child with the poster board, map section, Mission Prayer, glue stick, and adhesive magnet. Direct children to make a magnet: 

• Glue the map to the poster board. 
• Glue the Mission Prayer to the map. 
• Put the magnet on the back. 
• Write their name on the back. 

Option for older children

Provide pre-drawn circle shapes on poster board and map sections or a circle pattern. Ask children to cut the shapes to make their magnets. 

Invite children to take the magnet home and hang it somewhere, like their refrigerator or school locker, where they will see it every day. 

Explore ways children can continue the Mission Prayer as a spiritual practice: 

• Say the prayer each morning before school. 
• Say the prayer with family members each day. 
• Say the prayer together in Sunday school. 
• Offer to read the Mission Prayer during a worship service. 

Bless

Time of prayer, praise, blessing, and hope (5% of lesson time)

Read the Xhosa/Zulu text of “Thuma Mina” CCS 661. Explain that the words mean “Send me, God.” Teach children the hymn as a call and response or play audio recording and invite children to sing along. 

Ask children to read the Mission Prayer aloud together. Consider this adapted language for small children: 

God, what should I pay attention to today? 
Give me courage to care for people like you do. 
Help me to be kind and loving to others as you are to me. 
Amen 

Commission the children

Go to your families, schools and neighborhoods! Tell people that Jesus loves them. Invite people to come with you to learn to be a disciple. Go in peace.