Barna, the Christian polling organization, has just released a new factoid that I find depressing:

• The vast majority of pastors (85%) believe missions is a mandate for all Christians.
• Among practicing Christians, that number falls to 42 percent.
• And for all Christians, it drops all the way to 25 percent.

They call it the Great Disconnect, and I find it sad because Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,” and there are all those potential laborers that don’t even know they’re supposed to be laboring! On mission!

What’s the problem? It can’t be that it’s not a good message. It’s the best message ever, as I wrote a few days ago.

The problem could be that we have failed to equip people to carry out the mission in their day-to-day lives. I write about this often. Mission does NOT mean going to some foreign country although some are called to do that. Mission does NOT mean “going door to door” as some believe and have been taught. On mission could be as simple as the simple action plan about which I wrote in my first book, Join the Adventure!

• Be there
• Pay attention
• Do what you can
• Tell the truth

Debbie Friley illustrated this action plan on a bicycle ride, as I wrote on May 15.

It’s doable by ordinary people – Jesus demonstrated that in his choice of the twelve. As the woman at the well demonstrated – a very ordinary woman with a bad reputation.

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him. (John 4.28 – 30, ESV)