By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. – John 13:35
When it comes to inviting people to church, one of the most powerful ways we can do this is to lead a life of love, one that makes people take notice that something seems different in your life!
I believe there are three simple, practical ways we can invite people to church. I also believe that inviting others to church is one of those things that we tend to overthink! We worry about putting ourselves out there for fear that we might be rejected or we fret that we might not say the right thing. However, as I’ve been telling you, statistics show that 96% of people who do not go to church admit that they would go if someone personally invited them! So, let’s look at three practical ways we can invite someone to church!
SOCIAL MEDIA
It’s such a big part of our daily lives, so it makes sense that social media is an effective way to invite your friends and family to church. This might mean checking in to St. Luke’s on FB or Instagram on Sunday morning, sharing one of St. Luke’s Facebook or Instagram posts with your friends or sending a personal message through FB messenger. Being able to share your own personal church experience with hundreds of people in a single post, really is one of the positive aspects of social media!
TEXT MESSAGE
I think it’s important to consider your audience when you’re trying to determine how to invite a friend or family to church. For example, introverts typically prefer written communication, so texting could be a really great, unobtrusive way to invite your introverted friends and family because they can process the information at their own pace, without feeling pressure. Introverts aren’t the only people who prefer communicating via text, though, since it’s an extremely efficient way to communicate, it could be a great way to invite several people at once. Just be sure to send individual messages to each person since group texts might feel impersonal! Texting also helps simplify communication since you can forward pertinent details like worship time, location, directions, etc. You might even text a link to FAQ on the church website (stlukesokc.org) where they can see for themselves, what to expect! Don’t rule sending a simple text out as a way to invite someone to church.
OLD FASHIONED COMMUNICATION
Believe it or not, we all still have friends and family that would prefer a personal phone call or written note in the mail over social media and text messages! For someone who likes to hold something tangible in their hands, you can plan ahead by picking up material from the welcome center to send to someone along with a personal note, inviting them to church. Finally, don’t underestimate the power of an old fashioned phone call. It can be as simple as saying, “I’d love to have you join me for church this Sunday!” Keep it simple. You don’t have to quote scripture and verse to invite someone to church! The most important thing is speaking from your heart. You can even ask God to give you the words and courage to speak up and invite someone to church!
