In Acts 4:32, we read that the believers of the early church “were of one heart and one soul.” This unity gave power to their witness, and as a result, about three thousand souls were added to the church in a single day. The church didn’t grow through isolated effort—it grew because believers worked together in unity under the Holy Spirit.
The beauty of Global Total Member Involvement is that it brings together every department, ministry, initiative, institution, and member of the church. The key is to remember that we all have the same basic mission—to make disciples and winning souls. Whether it’s preparing hearts through friendship and service, planting seeds through literature and media, cultivating interest through Bible studies, harvesting decisions through evangelistic efforts, or preserving the harvest through mentorship and training, we all play a part in the disciple-making journey.
When we labor together to win souls, God will work through us in ways that go far beyond what we can accomplish on our own.
EVANGELISM TAKES EVERYONE
Imagine your church has an active ministry that helps people improve their health while building relationships. Is this evangelism? Well, yes and no. Yes, because it plays a crucial role in evangelism—preparing the soil. But no, because it’s only one phase of the process. Likewise, your church may conduct a public prophecy series each year. Is this evangelism? Yes and no. Yes, it helps to cultivate and harvest, yet it alone is not enough.
Our church can be packed with evangelistic events and programs, but without personal ministry, vital parts of the disciple-making process will be neglected. Planting seeds of truth with literature and spiritual invitations, cultivating interests with Bible studies and personal relationships, and preserving the harvest by mentoring new members are not just additions to evangelism—they are foundational.
STRONGER TOGETHER
The point is, we will fall short of making disciples if we fail to coordinate and collaborate. Imagine a local church with five active ministries, each working independently, but all focused on friendship- > ARTICLE by Michael Eckert United in a Common Mission ELDER’S DIGEST 4/2024 31 Michael Eckert is the assistant director of Publishing Ministries at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, MD, USA. 1 Ellen G. White, Evangelism (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1946), 333. building that prepares the soil. While commendable, there will be no real growth if no one is sharing the truth.
Likewise, a church that holds regular evangelistic meetings but fails to serve the community, build friendships, or engage in personal witnessing may see occasional baptisms. But without mentorship and training, how long will those new believers remain, let alone become active soul-winners?
If we neglect to develop coordinated plans, we could be full of activity and potential, but have little to no fruit to show for it. Therefore, every church, ministry, and department should evaluate its effectiveness in each of the five phases of disciple-making. If it is lacking in a particular area, it should make plans to strengthen, add, or collaborate with ministries in that area.
THE LOCAL CHURCH AND EVERYONE ELSE
The Adventist Church operates through ministries and departments at the conference, union, division, and General Conference levels, alongside institutions, media outlets, and supporting ministries. Yet, the disciple’s home is the local church. Ultimately, every interest or newly baptized member must come under the care of a local congregation.
For this reason, every other entity exists to support the disciplemaking work of the local church. A conference Health Ministries Department can provide resources and training to help local members prepare the soil. A division Publishing Department can equip members to plant seeds of truth. General Conference resources on revival and reformation can help churches nurture spiritual habits to preserve the harvest. Media ministries can plant seeds to find and generate spiritual interests, and then connect them with local churches.
In turn, local churches can utilize the training and resources provided by departments and entities and implement the initiatives of higher levels of the organization. And they can follow up promptly with interests received from other ministries.
THE JOY OF MAKING DISCIPLES
Global Total Member Involvement reflects the church’s commitment to united labor in winning souls. As we take part in this mission, we become recipients of its blessings. Ellen G. White wrote that “there is no greater bliss on this side of heaven than in winning souls to Christ.”1 In making disciples, we are drawn closer to Jesus and share in His work of redeeming love.
1 Ellen G. White, Evangelism (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1946), 333.
Michael Eckert is the assistant director of Publishing Ministries at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
