Throughout Scripture we are commanded to celebrate God's presence by magnifying the Lord and exalting His name... We shouldn't worship out of duty; we should worship because we want to. We should enjoy expressing our love to God. 

The church exists to minister to people. Ministry is demonstrating God's love to others by meeting needs and healing their hurts in the name of Jesus. Each time you reach out in love to others you are ministering to them. The church is to minister to all kinds of needs: spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical... The church is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. (Ephesians 4:12 NRSV)  

Why is baptism so important to warrant inclusion in Christ's Great Commission? I believe it is because it symbolizes one of the purposes of the church: fellowship—identification with the Body of Christ. 

As Christians we're called to belong, not just believe. We are not meant to live lone-ranger lives; instead we are to belong to Christ's family and be members of His Body. Baptism is not only a symbol of salvation, it is a symbol of fellowship. It not only symbolizes our new life in Christ, it visualizes a person's incorporation into the Body of Christ. It says to the world, "This person is now one of us!" When new believers are baptized, we welcome them into the fellowship of the family of God. We are not alone. We have each other for support. I love the way Ephesians 2:19 is phrased in the Living Bible: "You are members of God's very own family... and you belong in God's household with every other Christian." The church exists to provide fellowship for believers.      

The church exists to edify, or educate, God's people. Discipleship is the process of helping people become more like Christ in their thoughts, feelings, and actions. This process begins when a person is born again and it continues throughout the rest of his/her life.  Colossians 1:28 (NCV) says, We continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature person in Christ." 

As a church we are called not only to reach people, but also to teach them. After someone has made a decision for Christ, he or she must be discipled. It is the church's responsibility to develop people to spiritual maturity.  This is God's will for every believer. 

The church exists to communicate God's Word. We are ambassadors for Christ, and our mission is to evangelize the world.... It is every Christian's responsibility to share the Good News wherever we go. We are to tell the whole world of Christ's coming, his death on the cross, his resurrection, and His promise to return. Someday each of us will give an account to God regarding how seriously we took His responsibility. 

Evangelism is more than our responsibility; it is our great privilege. We are invited to be part of bringing people into God's eternal family.