Laying the foundation of the church

Too often we think in terms of the immediate growth of the church and overlook the long range direction in which it is going. In our concern about leading people to Christ, we neglect the discipling needed to keep them faithful unto death. We may be concerned about evangelism, but overlook the theological foundations that are needed to keep a church true to the gospel, particularly in times of persecution. We are in danger of planting large churches that go astray. Missionaries and church leaders must think of evangelism and church planting not only for a five- or ten-year span, but in the time frame of fifty and a hundred years and beyond, for they are laying the foundations of the church.

Paul Hiebert, Anthropological Insights for Missionaries