Welcome Letter from Dr. Ken Priddy

Developing Great Commission Skills: A Welcome Letter from Dr. Ken Priddy

Welcome in the name of the Lord. I’m Dr. Ken Priddy, and I will be serving as your professor for this course, which is titled Developing Great Commission Skills. I’ve been engaged in ministry for over 40 years, and for all of those years, my ministry has been centered on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Both came to us from the lips of Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord. They made their way into God’s written word, cited in several places but most notably in Matthew 22 and Matthew 28. Now, as Jesus said back then, they are written on our hearts and should guide both our convictions and our actions. With the Great Commandment, Jesus summarizes all of God’s commandments in two foundational commandments: 1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 2. Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:34-30; see the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Leviticus 19:18). Much more could be said, but in this welcome letter, I want to emphasize one truth, also from the lips of Jesus and from the word of God, that connects these two foundational commandments from the Great Commandment to the Great Commission. John 14:15 shares these words of Jesus, “If you love me [Great Commandment], you will keep my commandments [Great Commission].” The final commandment issued by Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, just prior to His ascension, is captured in the Great Commission, “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,” Matthew 28:19-20a). This course, Developing Great Commission Skills, stands on the strength and significance of the marriage between the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Our study will unpack relevant theology, but the ultimate objective of our study is the development of practical Great Commission skills that will equip you, and those you lead, for Great Commission effectiveness among the lost in the communities that surround our churches and our homes. Course content is largely contained in my eBook, X/52: Great Commission Skills for Pastors & Church Leaders. This book is offered to you at no charge as an online download. May God bless your efforts on His behalf.

For the Harvest,

Ken Priddy, M.Div., D.Min., Ph.D.