I know of a Church in Alaska that has a simple marketing campaign. They sent out cards to the community and then gave the people in their Church business card size notes with one thing written on the cover of both. They stated, “You’re Invited.” That’s it. “You’re Invited.”

That Church knows about the same statistic I know. That over and over again surveys have shown that around 50% of people would go to Church if they were invited by someone they knew. Simply stated – if you are interested in reaching people for Jesus then the easiest thing you can do is to invite people to a Church program. It is simple and very effective.

Let me give you several ideas to help you when you invite people to Church.

1. Use the Church’s natural seams and seasons – I preach in 3-6 week sermon series so that people can invite their friends to each new sermon series. One of them might catch the interested of a friend. Christmas and Easter are also great times to invite people. Use these special holidays or Church movements to invite people to Church.

2. Offer to pick someone up for Church or at least to follow you – It is easier to be a no-show when you are meeting at the Church building. It is much more difficult when you are setting in their drive. This also helps people to know where to park and what to do as they enter the building.

3. Introduce your guest to other people – Share their name with people without giving details. Oh, and do not say, “This is their first time in Church.”

4. Sit with your guests – Make your guest is as comfortable as you are able. Tell them what to expect. Tell them where the bathrooms are located. Be close if they have any questions.

5. Offer to take your guest to lunch – If you have not talked about plans after Church then be sure and offer an added bonus. Then let them pick the location.

6. Do not be disappointed if they do not return the next week – Most Church guests do not plan on coming back every week. Many of them have the next several Sunday mornings already booked. Simply ask them if they enjoyed the visit and if they would like to come with you again.

7. If they are not interested in returning, find out what why (if possible) – Learn from every experience. Let it help your future invitations. Share information with your leaders.

BONUS –

* If your friend does not come to Church with you. Then every other guest the way you would want your guest to be treated.

For many people the journey of faith began with an invitation from someone to a Church event. You never know who will respond to a simple invitation.

This week I am going to write some about sharing our faith and inviting people to Church worship programs. Some aspects of this topic fall under the heading of “Church growth,” some are labeled “Personal Evangelism,” some as “Inviting” and others are a combination of multiple topics.

Before we can begin to talk about the when and how of sharing our faith I have to stop and acknowledge one huge obstacle. That issue is that all of us view life through our own unique experiences. I know that sounds like a “Duh?” statement, but it is worth exploring. Each one of us comes to matters of faith and Church with our own unique background. Some people were raised in a Christian home and some were never taken to Church. Some people have been in Church frequently and others very, very infrequently for a wedding or funeral. Some people come from a background where faith was discussed regularly and others were told it was a personal matter. The list could go on and on. We are all different people with different backgrounds.

I see this difference played out dramatically when people come to Church for the first time. When people without any Church background come to Church they look sacred or angry or both. They don’t know where to sit or when they should sit. They don’t know people. They have never been asked to sing as a group, especially songs about loving some god or a guy named Jesus. Everything is weird and unique if those people have never been to Church. Now contrast that to the last time you visited a Church. You were happy and shaking hands. You took the program and any literature they offered (after all, we might be able to use it at our Church). You sang happily and felt right at home. What was the difference? You have been to Church before.

I firmly believe that the biggest obstacle most Churches have in reaching lost people is the fact that Christians put everything together based on their own background. When I talk to people about making changes to reach more people I am usually met with “I think a non-Christian would like this experience.” Why? Because I like it.

So let me give you a challenge this week or month – attend a group or a function that you know nothing about. Attend a school board meeting, go to a civic group meeting, walk into an open AA meeting, or go to any meeting that is available. If you are a hunter, go to a PETA meeting. If you are a gun collector, go to an anti-gun rally. If you are opposed to anything, go and attend a meeting of the opposite side of the debate. (Isn’t that what we are trying to accomplish with non-Christians or even atheists?)

After you go to one of these meetings take the time to write your thoughts. Did you feel out-of-place? What would have made you more comfortable? What do you wish they had done? What do you hate that they did? How would you change things? Finally, take that thinking to Church.

My fear is that one of the reasons many non-Christians never come to faith is because Church people have only tried to see the world their own eyes.