Inviting People to Church

If members walk out of your service saying, “I wish my unchurched friend had been here,” they will start to think about inviting their friend. If a member walks out of your service three weeks in a row and says every time, “I wish my unchurched friend would have heard that,” nothing will stop that member from dragging that friend through your doors. The challenging thing is that often, when members walk out of churches, the only thing they can say is, “I wish my other church friends would have heard that.”

Here I go again, sticking my neck out in sometimes hostile waters of the "church and unbelievers." However, it's something that weighs heavy on me. The above quote is from an article by Richard Reising posted at www.pastors.com.

This goes back to my concern that we have no evangelistic strategy in our church that actually get people in the church to hear the systematic exposition of the Word of God in a relevant way. We too often don't communicate that the Bible is not just a academic history book on "God and Life Back Then." It is goldmine of glory on "God and Life Now." But visitors come and walk away saying "So what? I got bills and marriage problems, the kids are sick, the economy is down. Why did I come to hear that?

I am not saying we need to preach on bills and marriage problems and sick kids, and a tough economy, though there is no doubt in my mind that the systematic exposition of the Word rightly applied to modern life will touch all of those things with far greater wealth than the unbeliever can imagine. Preaching the sovereignty and glory of the risen Christ should give answers to the "So What" question. We too often have church for the churched, where we send the message (unconsciously perhaps) that you have to be like us to be a part of us. And if you don't understand, or can't make application on your own, you are left high and dry.

People who have been in church for years have little problem listening to an exegetical lesson about what the text says. People who have been in the world for years want to know what God says about life today. Right understanding of the text is not the goal. The goal is a changed life from the inside out (1 Timothy 1:5). Right understanding of the text is only one step on the way. It is a major indispensable step, but only a step. We can never stop short of real life, up to the minute application of the word to all humanity, believers and unbelievers alike.

I can sympathize with the article's thrust that people do not invite their friends to church because they know that the service will not make sense to them. They will leave with a worse taste in their mouth for the things of God, and possibly make further contact for the gospel harder.

I have great concerns with much of the philosophy peddled at www.pastors.com (and I do not use peddled accidently). But Warren has stumbled onto some things that are worthy of serious thought and interaction if we are going to break out of the mold of tepid church life and health.

Reising offers six questions that help to frame his approach. I do not find anything in the six questions that requires letting the visitors dictate the service. In fact, these six questions are valid for even believers. So what if we started asking them? I think it would make a difference.