But the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18–20 did not tell us to make converts—it says we are to “make disciples.” The local church was to be more than a mailing list and a place to hold choir practice. It is heaven’s consulate on foreign soil. It is an educational center, a gathering place for the most creative and caring minds in a community to meet and brainstorm solutions and celebrate successes. It is where people come to meet people representing heaven—ambassadors and aid workers—to negotiate