---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's just stunning to watch churches…"
description: "\"It's just stunning to watch churches struggle to get mission statements when there it is, the Great Commission, and they should simply do what it says...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/dallas-willard-819_church_it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-str_2355150.png"
---

#  It's just stunning to watch churches struggle to get…

![“It's just stunning to watch churches struggle to get mission statements when there it is, the Great Commission, and they should simply do what it says.” quote by Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/dallas-willard-819_church_it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-str_2355150.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/dallas-willard-819_church_it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-str_2355150.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/dallas-willard-819_church_it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-str_2355150.png)

> “It's just stunning to watch churches struggle to get mission statements when there it is, the Great Commission, and they should simply do what it says.”

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Churches often overlook the clear biblical mandate to spread the gospel, complicating their mission statements.

**In simple terms:** Churches ignore the simple biblical call to evangelize.

Key Takeaway

Align mission statements directly with the Great Commission.

Themes

faith mission church evangelism

Mood

serious hopeful

Type

theological practical

When to use this quote

- Church board meetings
- strategic planning sessions
- community outreach programs
- faith education curricula

Key Concepts

Biblical mandate mission clarity organizational focus

Questions to Reflect On

- What practical steps can a church take to embody the Great Commission?
- How can churches balance tradition with biblical mandates?

A Different Perspective

Complex cultural contexts can make direct application challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Churches Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/churches-struggle-5747530/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Great commission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-commission/) [Mission statement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mission-statement/) [Mission Statements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mission-statements/) [Missions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missions/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Statements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statements/) [Statements Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statements-great-3277398/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Struggle Mission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle-mission-5747532/) [Stunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stunning/) [Watch Churches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watch-churches-5747531/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/)

## Related quotes

> [The key in mastering any kind of sales is switching statements about you and how great you are and what you do, to statements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/the-key-in-mastering-any-kind-of-sales-is-switching-statements-about/)

[Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/)

> [“Statements of ordinary people are ignored like poor freebies, statements of great people are accepted like profound philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/statements-of-ordinary-people-are-ignored-like-poor-freebies/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [The Great Commission is still the mission statement of the Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-great-commission-is-still-the-mission-statement-of-the-church/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [“Culture, of course, is an extremely vague word, covering everything from the shaping of hand-axes to corporate mission statements, as well as the finer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-ostler/culture-of-course-is-an-extremely-vague-word-covering-everything-from/)

[Nicholas Ostler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-ostler/)

> [“And make sure you share this mission statement with your husband or partner, and that you create a joint mission statement based on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-lu/and-make-sure-you-share-this-mission-statement-with-your-husband-or/)

[Michael C. Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-lu/)

> [If we took the mission statements of 100 large industrial companies, mixed them up while everyone was asleep, and reassigned them at random, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-k-prahalad/if-we-took-the-mission-statements-of-100-large-industrial-companies/)

[C. K. Prahalad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-k-prahalad/)

> [Good technology isn't just a matter of mission statements; it can also come from a tinkerer with no specific overriding purpose other than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-johnson/good-technology-isn-t-just-a-matter-of-mission-statements-it-can-also/)

[Bryan Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-johnson/)

> [To be sure, American higher education is a diverse ecosystem, comprising institutions of all sizes, price tags, and mission statements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-gee/to-be-sure-american-higher-education-is-a-diverse-ecosystem/)

[Gordon Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-gee/)

> [During my eight years at Deutsche Bank, the bank ticked every box with the elite development programs, coaching, mission statements for the advancement of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-ruhle/during-my-eight-years-at-deutsche-bank-the-bank-ticked-every-box-with/)

[Stephanie Ruhle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-ruhle/)

> [Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-livingston/human-beings-were-not-meant-to-sit-in-little-cubicles-staring-at/)

[Ron Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-livingston/)

> [“Old school mission statements defined what an organization did. Contemporary mission statements define why an organization does what it does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/del-suggs/old-school-mission-statements-defined-what-an-organization-did/)

[Del Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/del-suggs/)

> [“Don't promote yourself as a country of constitutionality and compassion if you honestly believe that putting people in prison and treating them like animals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-b-kerik/don-t-promote-yourself-as-a-country-of-constitutionality-and/)

[Bernard B. Kerik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-b-kerik/)

> [Most corporate mission statements are worthless. They consist largely of pious platitudes such as: "We will hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-l-ackoff/most-corporate-mission-statements-are-worthless-they-consist-largely/)

[Russell L. Ackoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-l-ackoff/)

> [Most people believe that great leaders are distinguished by their ability to give compelling answers. This profound book shatters that assumption, showing that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/most-people-believe-that-great-leaders-are-distinguished-by-their/)

[Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/)

> [“Publishing content that is self-absorbed in substance or style alienates readers. Most successful organizations have realized this, yet many sites are still built around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/publishing-content-that-is-self-absorbed-in-substance-or-style/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Dallas Willard

> [Today it is the skeptics who are the social conformists, though because of powerful intellectual propaganda they continue to enjoy thinking of themselves as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/today-it-is-the-skeptics-who-are-the-social-conformists-though/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> ["Spirituality" wrongly understood or pursued is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/spirituality-wrongly-understood-or-pursued-is-a-major-source-of-human/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [“Sabbath is a way of life (Heb 4:3; 9-11). It is simply "casting all your anxiety on Him," to find that in actual fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/sabbath-is-a-way-of-life-heb-4-3-9-11-it-is-simply-casting-all-your/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [In many cases, our need to wonder about or be told what God wants in a certain situation is nothing short of a clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/in-many-cases-our-need-to-wonder-about-or-be-told-what-god-wants-in-a/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [Discipline, strictly speaking, is activity carried on to prepare us indirectly for some activity other than itself. We do not practice the piano to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/discipline-strictly-speaking-is-activity-carried-on-to-prepare-us/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [“The Spirit makes Christ present to us and draws us toward his likeness. It is as we thus behold the “glory of the Lord”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-spirit-makes-christ-present-to-us-and-draws-us-toward-his/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [We are unceasing spiritual beings with an eternal destiny in God's great universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/we-are-unceasing-spiritual-beings-with-an-eternal-destiny-in-god-s/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [We must understand that God does not "love" us without liking us - through gritted teeth - as "Christian" love is sometimes thought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/we-must-understand-that-god-does-not-love-us-without-liking-us/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [We know we can't be spiritually transformed by just focusing on the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/we-know-we-can-t-be-spiritually-transformed-by-just-focusing-on-the/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [To allow lust (or strong desires) to govern our life is to exalt our will over God's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/to-allow-lust-or-strong-desires-to-govern-our-life-is-to-exalt-our/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [My central claim is that we become like Christ by doing one thing-by following Him in the overall style of life He chose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/my-central-claim-is-that-we-become-like-christ-by-doing-one-thing-by/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [“The aim of God in history is the creation of an all-inclusive community of loving persons, with Himself included in that community as its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-aim-of-god-in-history-is-the-creation-of-an-all-inclusive/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-greatest-issue-facing-the-world-today-with-all-its-heartbreaking/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [What we can do with these means (our own unassisted strength) is still very small compared to what we could do in acting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/what-we-can-do-with-these-means-our-own-unassisted-strength-is-still/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

[Explore all 357 Dallas Willard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

## More Church quotes

> [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/)

[Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/)

> [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/)

[Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/)

> [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/)

[Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/)

[Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/)

> [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/)

[Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/)

> [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/)

[Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/)

> [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/)

[John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/)

> [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/)

[Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/)

> [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/)

[Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/)

> [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/)

[Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/)

[Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's just stunning to watch churches struggle to get mission statements when there it is, the Great Commission, and they should simply do what it says.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dallas Willard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-struggle-to-get-mission/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Church"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-struggle-to-get-mission/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/dallas-willard-819_church_it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-str_2355150.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/dallas-willard-819_church_it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-str_2355150.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/dallas-willard-819_church_it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-str_2355150.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's just stunning to watch churches struggle to get mission statements when there it is, the Great…” — Dallas Willard",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Dallas Willard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's just stunning to watch churches...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-struggle-to-get-mission/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/it-s-just-stunning-to-watch-churches-struggle-to-get-mission/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
