Christ achieves his plans and purposes for the world primarily through healthy local churches. It is from the local church that we often see the Great Commission at work through the evangelism and discipleship of all people. These local churches preach the gospel, disciple believers in the faith, and display God's glory to the world.
In I Will Build My Church: The Priority of the Local Congregation in Christ's Plan for the World, Nate Akin and Alex DiPrima argue that zeal for the salvation of the lost should come through a committed devotion to the planting and building up of healthy local churches. The church is God's "plan A" for reaching the lost and promoting his glory; there is no "plan B." God is not accomplishing his plans and purposes chiefly through apostolic bands, parachurch groups, or loosely connected disciples who engage in aggressive frontier evangelism. He accomplishes his purposes through the local church, and thus, our focus in fulfilling the Great Commission should be on establishing and building up healthy local churches.
