Everyone you invite to Church for the first time has an excuse for not attending. They can give you at least one reason they do not want to go with you.

Since that is true, one of my goals as a Church leader is to try to eliminate excuses.

The place I park and where I encourage our staff and leaders to park is a way to open spaces for guests near the building.

The greeters by the door, the look of the inside of the building, and the coffee we offer are there to make people feel welcome.

The worship plan, songs picked, videos shared, and things said from the stage by the worship team will be encouraging without “insider” language.

The children’s program is fun and educational, and it helps parents relax as their children enter a secure and enjoyable environment.

The sermon I deliver will be adequately prepared, with illustrations and applications, to help people understand the Bible and what it means for their lives.

Everything our Church tries to do on Sunday morning is designed to help non-Christians eliminate excuses for not coming.

Now, does that mean they are guaranteed to return? Nope. I wish it did; I really wish it did.

All it does is open the door for them to hear the message of Jesus without any distractions. We can have great worship and an applicable sermon, and people may be turned off to Jesus by other things when they attend. I make it a goal to remove all those obstacles and excuses so that the word of God can do its work. People can accept it or reject it, but we do not do anything to stand in their way of hearing it.