There are people you've thought about inviting to church but you still haven't.
We need to ramp up our boldness in this area and I'll tell you why. It isn't so we'll get bigger; it's because you need to experience our church thru the eyes and ears of a person who's far from God or who doesn't go to church at all. Because, if once or twice a year you experience church thru the lens of someone who doesn't know God, you'll begin to let some of the things you're holding onto as traditions and liturgies fall away.
Because if all we ever get in the way of evaluation is from people who never bring anybody who doesn't know Christ, our evaluations will turn us more and more into a church that stops reaching the people who are our mission.
So let's be bold with our invitations. And ultimately there will be people you invite who will give their lives to Christ and get discipled and grow and get in a life group and keep growing who will then invite someone else who will give their life to Christ and you'll become a spiritual grandfather/grandmother and there's nothing else like being part of the amazing chain of salvation.
Boldly invite.
And be blessed.
We need to ramp up our boldness in this area and I'll tell you why. It isn't so we'll get bigger; it's because you need to experience our church thru the eyes and ears of a person who's far from God or who doesn't go to church at all. Because, if once or twice a year you experience church thru the lens of someone who doesn't know God, you'll begin to let some of the things you're holding onto as traditions and liturgies fall away.
'There are people you've thought about inviting ... but you still haven't.'
Because if all we ever get in the way of evaluation is from people who never bring anybody who doesn't know Christ, our evaluations will turn us more and more into a church that stops reaching the people who are our mission.
So let's be bold with our invitations. And ultimately there will be people you invite who will give their lives to Christ and get discipled and grow and get in a life group and keep growing who will then invite someone else who will give their life to Christ and you'll become a spiritual grandfather/grandmother and there's nothing else like being part of the amazing chain of salvation.
Boldly invite.
And be blessed.
7 comments:
PK, I appreciate your heart for people in the pews to reach out to their neighbors - but I would suggest a shift in the invitation for our local culture... and perhaps you are already doing this.
At another local church I attend, we're not inviting people/neighbors to our weekend church services as much as we are inviting people/neighbors into our homes, out to dinner or coffee, to play, to experience life and see the life of a Christ follower - authentically up close.
If we are connecting, befriending, & loving like Christ - people will often invite themselves or lead you into conversation for them to be included as a friend in the weekend service - but not an outsider awkwardly invited to it.
By doing this, we have already started pre-discipling them that reaching people for Christ is not about getting them IN a church - but befriending them to be IN Christ. They will reproduce this naturally when they come to Christ since it will be part of their spiritual DNA.
Taking people to church too early in their spiritual journey is like taking a person with a broken down, rusty junker to a Mercedes dealership and having them listen to the salesman give his best pitch... to all the other Mercedes owners.
Certainly a few sign up, but most? Awkward! No matter how great the stage, the music, and the presenter.
Passion to reach others is the heart of God. I admire your desire to send out the KFA tribe to impact the region.
I can tell you are working to equip them to live missionally amongst their neighbors.
God bless KFA as you reach & make disciples who know how to reach & make disciples.
LOVE IT! And THANK YOU!
But -- let's do BOTH. Impact them at home FIRST (totally agree) - but then BRING them in your car with you - sit with them - get them in your life group -- and then when they come to church and don't understand it and think we're weird because of what we do -- they won't get freaked out because they don't think YOU'RE weird, because they're your friend. Then you can take them out and explain it all to them. Just keep them in your car.
So i'm on your page, friend -- but let's do BOTH! :)
Anonymous...beautifully put. I do understand the importance of doing both.
I have been blessed to have my Mom join me here and there and she seems open to coming again. During worship she doesn't sing or clap her hands, but that's ok...she is there and that is the most important thing.
My Dad came once, but I am not sure he was comfortable. However, he talks about God and Christians quite a lot.
My Mom and Dad are divorced since I was a child, but they get along just fine and he has come for dinner a few times at her place. I wonder if he would ever be more inclined to come if she did. Two new people who get to have one another for support. He might very well come for Easter, which is fine, but it is so busy. Holidays are always a great time to get people to come when they are not used to it, though. I will ask and let him know Mom will be there, too. It would be wonderful to have both of my parents there. :)
PK!!!! There is a young lady that I used to work at Target with. She is just so bubbly and open-hearted! Well, I asked her and she said her and her Mom would love to come! She said in middle school she was in H2O and she loved it!
So, I was bold and I intend to follow up. I am pretty stoked right now! Plus she has had experience there, which makes it even easier! :)
Terrific!!! Awesome!! Wonderful !!! Very proud of you for taking the bold step....and it WORKED!!!
Yes, I am so glad I did! She had a good experience in H2O. Maybe it was just a matter of an invite and no one else did. I will check and see if she wants to come for Easter. A lot of people go for the holidays.
Thanks for saying you are proud of me. It means a lot.
You know, when I invited my friend and she said she was so happy that I asked. I told her she was one of the most open-hearted people I knew. She genuinely seemed excited that I invited her, not someone else.
In time, I hope to be bold again, but I am so happy that she was excited about it! She mentioned that her Mom and she have been thinking of going to church. She mentioned about once a month. I hope she loves it enough to keep coming now and then. :)
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