The Great Commission Resurgence

A collection of essays by Southern Baptist leaders on the biblical, theological, and practical matters relating to their convention's Great Commission Resurgence initiative.

Editors Nathan Finn and Keith Whitfield have collected over a dozen of essays written in honor of the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Daniel Akin. These essays highlight various biblical themes in connection to Akin’s missional emphasis in his theology and personal life.

Mobilizing a Great Commission Church for Harvest addresses practical aspects of evangelism in the local church, with the voices and views of nineteen current Southern Baptist professors of evangelism. They address important topics to local church evangelism, such as "Invitations with integrity" and "Preparing for Spiritual Warfare." Key leaders and professors write in their areas of expertise. For examples, Alvin Reid writes on "Mobilizing Students," David Wheeler on "Servant Evangelism," Josef Solc on "Sports Evangelism," and Darrell Robinson on "The Evangelist." In addition, the book begins and ends with two different applications of Matthew's Great Commission.Mobilizing a Great Commission Church for Harvest is a gold mine of information for both pastor and deacon, as it is for students considering the importance of evangelism to local church ministry. It is fresh, new, and true--as all of its authors teach at SBC-affiliated schools and are grounded in the Bible as the inerrant Word of God!

Jesus' Great Commission is one of the key pillars of the church's evangelistic work and has been the guiding principle for missionaries throughout church history. In 40 Questions about the Great Commission, scholars Daniel Akin, Benjamin Merkle, and George Robinson unpack the meaning, history, theology, and practical applications of Jesus' command to go and make disciples. Ideal for personal or group study, this volume will reignite your passion for evangelism while answering key questions like:

• Where do we stand in relation to fulfilling the Great Commission?
• How do baptism and teaching relate to the Great Commission?
• What is the meaning of "I am with you always, to the end of the age"?
• How does the Old Testament relate to the Great Commission?
• What is the special contribution of each Gospel's version of the Great Commission?
• What is the responsibility of the local church to the Great Commission?
• What are some mobilization resources that can help churches and individuals to become Great Commission focused?

Other highlights include an overview of some of the great evangelists and missionaries in church history, and a collection of notable quotations on the Great Commission, ideal for teaching and preaching.

"40 Questions About the Great Commission is an indispensable text for any pastor, professor, or student who cares about the Christian mission. In it, a biblical scholar, missiologist, and seminary president join forces to answer every question you've ever asked—or never asked—about our Lord’s parting commission to his disciples. Substantive, lucid, and compelling." --Bruce Ashford, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

"The church has one job. It is called the Great Commission. Every Christian soldier should know the who, the what, the why, and the where of the marching orders left by our Lord and Commander-in-Chief, and this book does just that in an engaging and encouraging way. Read it and then get on with it!" --James Merritt, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"This book is a succinct and at the same time wide-ranging exposition of the commission of Jesus given to the disciples and thus to the church to proclaim the gospel far and wide. The authors elucidate the meaning of key passages in Scripture and thus present the geographical scope, the theological content, and important historical parameters of the mission of the church. This book deserves to be read by every Christian believer committed to the glory of God in all the world and to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ." --Eckhard J. Schnabel, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Ron and June Travis have been working in the trenches of Baptist life for the past forty-five years: With their own family. Team teaching and conducting seminars for adolescents, newlyweds, budgeting, and finance. Serving as a Deacon. Working on committees for Personnel, Finance, or Long-Range Planning. Serving as a leader and then Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 266 in Gardendale, Alabama. Ron is now writing about their experiences, and his career, which have been based on honor, honesty, and integrity in following the constitution, bylaws, rules, and stated intentions of each organization they have been a part of. This Book is written to share Ron's beliefs about the Cooperative Program and each individual's responsibilities as we come together to rule autonomous local Baptist churches and cooperate with other like-minded congregations to accomplish the Great Commission and the mandate found in Acts 1.

SBC FAQs provides a general overview of the Southern Baptist Convention in the format of frequently asked questions. Covering details of basic history, polity structure, entity functions and more, this ready reference seeks to answer the most common inquiries about how America’s largest Protestant denomination functions. The topics range from the founding of the SBC to how officers and committees work, what individual entities do, movements in modern denominational history, common terminology, and more. It is designed for first-time messengers and longtime messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting, as well as students, church members, and those in full-time ministry. Whether one is new to the denominational family and wants to learn the big picture or a lifelong Southern Baptist who wants to refresh his or her knowledge about a specific detail, SBC FAQs offers clear and concise explanations. Cooperation begins with an informed commitment to participation. This resource will not only help readers find information, but also inspire them to find their place in the process.

When former United States presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton announced the establishment of a broadly inclusive "New Baptist Covenant" that will be launched in early 2008, excluded from the proceedings were leaders from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Recognizing the need for both conviction and cooperation, for confessional commitments and biblical unity, Union University president David Dockery rallies Southern Baptists anew "for such a time as this" in Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal, a prophetic, clarion call to cooperation, unity, and renewal throughout the SBC. Many issues today threaten to sidetrack Southern Baptists from advancing the gospel, missions, and theological education together. Dockery urges them to focus on their confessional heritage and renew their commitment to truth, to doctrinal fidelity, and to the Christ-centered message of the gospel. - Publisher.