There are many ways that we can train people to take on new tasks or fill a responsibility. We might take the approach of a parent, a classroom teacher, an online educator or a coach. The way that Jesus trained his disciples seems closest to what we might term a traditional apprenticeship model. The disciples first spent a lot of time with Jesus observing both his teaching and his actions, and then Jesus sent them out in pairs to extend his ministry in new places (Mark 6:7-13). They are tasked with proclaiming a message of repentance, healing the sick and casting out unclean spirits – the same ministries that have occupied Jesus.

The key instructions they are given are to go out together in pairs, to travel light and to rely on the hospitality of others. The team ministry approach makes sense to us as we can share the gifts we have and benefit from the encouragement and support of at least one other person. Jesus’ instruction to travel light – no money, no spare clothing, no food – sits less easily with us. Rather than being independent, it means reliance on others and also reliant on God. The third aspect is going out to people where they are and relying on them for hospitality. This is often the opposite to our approach of inviting people to share our space with our rules.

It seems that the disciples were quite successful in extending and replicating Jesus’ ministry. They had learned well from Jesus. How would we fare in following Jesus’ instructions for mission and ministry? Are we prepared to travel light, go to where the needs are and then rely on the hospitality of others? If not, what might have to change or what might we need to let go of?

Jesus was known as a teacher and healer. Surprisingly, his favourite teaching topic (based on the evidence of the Gospel accounts we have) was not love and was certainly not the value or purpose of his death. Rather Jesus’ favoured topic was the kingdom of God. This was the ‘good news’ message that Jesus both announced and demonstrated in his actions.

But what did Jesus mean by the ‘kingdom of God’ and why don’t we spend more of our time thinking about what was central for Jesus? The kingdom of God was based on the idea that God is ultimately in charge and God reigns (or carries out the role of a ruler) wherever people acknowledge God’s goodness, power, inclusiveness and love and seek to live by God’s ways. For Jesus this meant freeing people from sickness or other oppressions, restoring them to community and bringing people life in all its fullness.

In our day, as in the time of Jesus, we have a daily choice in how we will live and how we will relate to others, whether to bring life and hope and wholeness or whether to live in a way where fear or selfishness rules our lives. When we focus too narrowly on the needs and activities of our own church community, we run the risk of missing Jesus’ bigger call to build the kingdom of God.