Three ways to invite
Inviting someone who is not yet a Christian to church is really easy for some people and really hard for others. So today I thought I would share with you three ways of inviting someone to church.
But first, and most importantly and perhaps most forgotten, before you invite someone, pray. Pray for them, that they might say yes. Pray for yourself, that you would have courage. Give thanks for church and that it is a place where you can invite a friend or family member any week of the year. And pray that God would work in them by his Spirit to turn them to Jesus. So there’s lots to pray for and let me encourage you to pray continually!
Okay, then the moment comes and you are chatting to your friend and you are keen to invite them. Here are three ways of inviting someone to church.
First, the generic invite.
You might say: “Do you want to come to church with me? I've been meaning to invite you for ages.
It’s honest. It’s simple. It’s clear. It’s not the best option when there is a special event because sometimes people can feel weird if they come to church and it is a special event type moment and they did not know but you might cover that in the next part of the chat. So, the generic invite; go for it.
Second, the thematic invite.
You might say: “I know you have had some ugly experiences with religion, but have you looked much into the beautiful teachings of Jesus?”
The focus of course is the theme and you can use this approach without the back story and it is ideal for this year’s Share Life series. The language in this example includes an understanding of a person’s history, drawing on your shared conversations and your knowledge of the other person’s experiences. But it also acknowledges that past experiences are not always the end of the road. Be courageous with a thematic invite.
Thirdly, the topical invite.
You might say: “Have you considered whether Jesus' teachings on worry could help you with your worries?”
The language in this one comes out of a deep relationship with another person. It beautifully connects the topic we are looking at in church with the realities in your friend’s life. It opens up a hard heartfelt topic and helps you lead to a church invite. You may not get there and you may have a chance to share the gospel with them in a chat that starts with this question - and that would be awesome.
We have three great topics for our Share Life Sundays you can use to initiate conversation:
8 September - Turn the other Cheek - How do I react when people are unfair?
15 September - No need for Worry - Could I experience more peace?
22 September - Love your Enemies - Is there a better way than grudges?
Please pray for me as I seek to invite my friends. I am praying for you too.
