Alright, I’ll admit it—this is a biased blog. Not written by me, but by our Development Director at TIME Missions. And honestly? She nailed it.
We work together at TIME, a short-term missions platform that’s been shaking things up since 1968. We’ve been innovating in sports ministry, women’s ministry, and church planting across Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Haiti. We partner with churches, schools, and organizations from the U.S. and Canada to do one thing—tell people about Jesus. And we do it by equipping the body of Christ to use their God-given gifts to make an impact.
Thinking about missions? We’re a great place to start. We make missions simple, efficient, and—dare we say—actually doable. So come join us. You bring your willingness, and we’ll handle the logistics.
It’s what we do. And we do it well.
The Great Commandment and the Great Commission: Our Divine Assignment
Jesus Christ left His followers with two foundational instructions that define the Christian life: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The Great Commandment, found in Matthew 22:37-39, states: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” The Great Commission, in Matthew 28:19-20, calls believers to action: “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Together, these commands define what it means to be a follower of Christ: love God, love others, and spread the gospel. However, the current state of global evangelism reveals a crisis, billions have yet to hear the gospel, and many Christians are unaware of their responsibility to share it.
Today, the world’s population exceeds 8.1 billion people, yet an estimated 42% of humanity, 3 to 4 billion people, have never heard the gospel. According to Pew Research, Christians make up 31% of the world’s population, which includes 2.17 billion people across Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and other Christian traditions. However, within this number, only 285 million identify as evangelical Christians, and 584 million are Pentecostal or Charismatic believers, groups generally more engaged in mission work.
The need for evangelism is clear when looking at global religious demographics: one in five people worldwide do not have access to the Bible in their language. While Bible translation efforts continue, 759 full Bible translations and 1,726 partial translations completed, 985 languages still need translation work to begin. Without access to the Word of God, many remain spiritually lost.
Despite Christianity’s large global presence, the number of full-time missionaries is alarmingly low. In 2021, there were only 430,000 full-time missionaries, representing just 0.005% of the world’s population. Compare this to 2001, when there were 1.1 million missionaries. Even more concerning, 12,000 missionaries leave the field each year, and nearly half of them quit within the first five years, often due to a lack of support from their home churches. Given that 31% of the world claims Christianity, the number of missionaries should be much higher. If every Christian truly embraced the Great Commission, millions, not just thousands, would be actively reaching the lost. Instead, many churches fail to emphasize missions, while 50-65% of American churches proclaim to teach about missions, only 29% of Christians report hearing about missions regularly. A church without a mission focus is a mission field itself. If we fail to teach about missions, we fail in our calling. Jesus didn’t say, “Stay and wait”, He said, “Go!”
Many Christians believe that missions is reserved for a select few who travel to distant countries. However, missions is not just about geography, it’s about obedience. Every believer has been assigned a mission by God. Ephesians 4:1 reminds us: “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” The Greek word axios (worthy) means “having worth that matches actual value”. This challenges us to examine our lives: Does the weight of how I’m living match the value of Christ’s sacrifice? And Am I truly fulfilling my divine assignment?
The Bottom Line: You Are on Assignment; the Great Commandment and the Great Commission are not optional for believers. If we love God, we will love others—and that love compels us to share the gospel. If we do not take up our mission, we are neglecting the very purpose of the church.
If you are a believer in Jesus, if you have surrendered your heart to Him—you are on assignment. The question is: What is your mission, and are you living it out?
