Will people really come to church if they’re invited?

A few years ago I read a shocking paragraph in Thom Rainer’s book, The Unchurched Next Door:

82 percent of the unchurched are at least ‘somewhat likely’ to attend church if they are invited. Perhaps we need to pause on this response. Perhaps we need to restate it: More than eight out of ten of the unchurched said they would come to church if they were invited.

This seemed astonishlingy high, yet also encouraging for those of us who would like to see our friends, families, and neighbors discover a relationship with God. Is it really true?

Well, a few years later, the research has shown Rainer’s estimations are slipping. Nonetheless, recent statistics are encouraging. A recent survey discovered that 63% of people are somewhat or very willing to receive information about a church from a family member and 56% are somewhat or very willing to receive information from a friend or neighbor.

Additionally, 38% (almost 4 out of 10) have said they are more open to considering matters of faith during the Easter holiday season.

None of this is really too surprising. But it does mean that if there was ever a time to invite a friend or family member to church, this would be it. Click here for information about Second Mile’s Easter Celebration, and pass it on to someone you love.

Show Up Early

For the context of our discussion, check out the recent posts, The Sermon Starts in The Parking Lot and The Sunday Mind-Shift.

Want to make a difference for those who are guests on Sunday? Here’s a very simple way: Show up early.

As a pastor, I’m at our gathering location early every week. And I’ve noticed that, at least at our church, only 3 kinds of people show up early (at least 10 minutes before):

1. Older people
2. Ex-cons
3. New people

Older people are just respectful and are basically not in a hurry, ex-cons have been subconsciously trained that if they don’t show up early they don’t eat, and new people are there because they didn’t want to show up late and get embarrassed.

When these guests arrive, wouldn’t it be great if there were a bunch of genuinely joyful people there, excited about the chance to be together and celebrate Jesus? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were loving, devoted Christ-followers ready to strike up a conversation or say hello?

If you were a guest, that’s what you’d want. And all it takes is showing up early.

I know, I know…it takes kids forever to get moving in the morning, especially when you want them to hurry. But they do it for school and you do it for work. Why? Because showing up early to those things is important to you. Shouldn’t the opportunity to love on guests to our church (people who are likely exploring the faith) be just as important?

There is low-hanging gospel fruit and ministry every week for those who will take it. So join me, your pastors and the band and come love on some new people!

The Sunday Mind-shift

For a context of this discussion, see The Sermon Starts in the Parking Lot.

Making a difference with the guests to our church is not hard. It takes surprisingly little effort. But, sadly, few Christians intentionally focus on this opportunity to love and serve our neighbors. When we invite our own friends and family, we do this naturally. But what about the other Sundays when other people have invited their friends?

Make a mind-shift.

Colin Marshall writes:

See church as a place where Christians go to work. Church is a gathering of God’s people to hear his word and respond in faith and obedience. In this gathering, we are in fellowship with each other, through the blood of Jesus, and, because of our fellowship, we seek to serve each other. We use our gifts and abilities to strengthen one another and build Christ’s Church— ‘edification’ is the word often used to describe what goes on in church. All believers are involved in building the church, not just clergy or preachers. The New Testament consistently teaches that in the growth of the body of Christ each part must do its work (see Eph 4; 1 Cor 12-14). Because of this, we aren’t to see ourselves merely as part of an organization called [Second Mile Church], but as servants of God’s people, eager to meet the needs of others even if it means sacrificing our own.

This will change your reasons for going to church. Make the shift from being the ‘helpee’ to the helper, the served to the servant. Church is where we seek spiritual food and encouragement in order to become more godly; but church is also where we go in order to feed other people and encourage them. In God’s mercy, we become more Christ-like in the process, as like him we deny ourselves for the sake of others.

Why do you think we do this naturally when we bring guests to church, but we forget it the other weeks?

The Sermon Starts in the Parking Lot (Video)

Our mission to take the gospel to people and make disciples is definitely not limited to what we do on Sunday — it happens all the time, everywhere we go. But it should also be happening at the Sunday gathering. If we can’t do it well there, we’ll have a hard time doing it elsewhere. Everything we do when we gather is a chance to communicate the beauty of Christ.

 

Living on Mission in Community – Video of Jeff Vanderstelt

One of my favorite parts of being in the Acts29 Network is the exposure and relationships that I have with some wonderful leaders. One of the VPs of Acts29 is Jeff Vanderstelt, one of the pastors at Soma Communities in Tacoma, Washington. He’s been out for a number of different training events with the Surge Network and other things, and every time he comes I’m challenged.

Here’s a brief video that summarizes one of Jeff’s core strengths — living on a gospel mission in community. Take a look and I’m sure this will challenge and stretch you.

How could you begin to live in similar ways with people in your life and/or Community Group?

Ashley & Mike – The Rest of the Story (Sometimes there IS a Bow!)

This past Sunday we shared Louie Giglio’s powerful message, “Anchor of Hope” from his series, “Hope When Life Hurts Most” (you can watch it here or buy the DVD here). One of the most memorable parts of the message was when Louie was sharing about Ashley, the college student who became a Christian after a friend attended the Passion 2007 conference and then died a few months later, just before her graduation (Louie’s talk, “Fruitcake and Ice Cream” tells more of Ashley’s story as well).

Louie also shared about his subsequent interactions with Ashley’s atheist dad, Mike. He said they were in dialogue about Jesus and pursuing a friendship but that there wasn’t a “bow” to wrap around the story — no obviously happy ending.

Well, I was informed yesterday that there is more to the story, which Louie shared with his church last January. In his message, “God is For Us” (about Romans 8), Louie concludes by telling what has happened with Mike in the last few years.

We’ve cut the audio down to about 18 minutes here. You don’t want to miss this!

Click here to listen.

P.S. Sometimes there IS a bow! It just takes longer than we might hope or expect.

 

What is Missional? (6 Videos in 15 Minutes)

Last week we looked at some key aspects of what it means to be a “missional” church. For our more visual learners, here are six videos that together help to paint a picture of what we’re talking about. Consider it a “crash course” in missional thinking

HT: Will Mancini

What is a Missional Church? (Part 3)

Here’s the third crucial component of being a missional church (see part 1 and part 2)

Create a counter-culture that shows the world how the gospel radically changes us in every way, especially in regards to power, money, and sex.

Up to this point, being a missional church could rightly be accused of being just another re-packaged approach to seeker-sensitive ministry. But missional churches realize that just evangelizing people isn’t enough–we have to disciple them into maturity. Not only does this honor Christ, but it also provides a key apologetic aspect to our evangelistic ministry.

Jesus called us to be distinctive. He says we’re the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” intended to shine good works so that men will glorify God (Matt 5:13-16).

In order to faithfully demonstrate that God is our supreme treasure, we must live in a way that is counter-cultural.

This means that we view power differently. Rather than a way to control and subjugate people, power becomes an opportunity to serve.

This means we view money differently. Rather than a way to achieve the comfort, approval, security, and status we lust for, money becomes a tool to further God’s kingdom. It doesn’t master us.

This means that we view sex differently. Rather than a way to selfishly pursue personal pleasure, we view sex as a good thing created by a loving God to be deeply enjoyed in the context of a fulfilling intimate marriage.

Of course, this also means we view all kinds of other things differently too–but living as a counter-culture is an essential part of living as a faithful missionary.

What is a Missional Church? (Part 2)

Here’s the second key idea related to what it means to be a “missional” church (see part 1 here)

Embrace evangelism as a community project.

In their book, Total Church, Tim Chester and Steve Timmis offer this helpful picture related to the Three Strands of Evangelism:

Chester and Timmis rightly point out that we usually only focus on evangelism as an individual project, where we only focus on the top two strands. Therefore–as not all people are strong at building relationships or sharing, illustrating, or defending the gospel–most people are left out and feel guilty about it.

But if we view evangelism as a community project, it unleashes a new kind of missionary power. Chester and Timmis write:

“Not all of us are eloquent or engaging. Not everyone can think on their feet. Some people are simply not good at speaking to strangers and forming new relationships. One of the practical benefits of the three-strand model of evangelism is that it gives a role to all of God’s people. By making evangelism a community project, it also takes seriously the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in distributing a variety of gifts among his people. Everyone has a part to play: the new Christian, the introvert, the extrovert, the eloquent, the stuttering, the intelligent, the awkward. I may be the one who has begun to build a relationship with my neighbor, but in introducing him to community, it is someone else who shares the gospel with him. That is not only legitimate; it is positively thrilling!”

What are some helpful ways you’ve found to introduce people into community?

What is a Missional Church? (Part 1)

At last week’s Acts29 Bootcamp, I taught a breakout on “Planting a Missional Church in the Suburbs.” Before I got into the specifics of suburban church planting, I highlighted some of the key basics of what it means to be a “missonal” church (which is a key value for us and distinctive for Acts29). Over the next few posts, I’ll explain those basics.

How do we live as a missional church?

First, develop the mindset of the church as a missionary force in culture.

The word “missional” is simply the adjective form of the noun “missionary.” By comparison, if somebody is being adversarial, you would know that this person is living like an adversary. If a person is being missional, they are living like a missionary.

A missionary is somebody who:

1. relationally takes the unchanging gospel into a culture for the cause of Christ,
2. understands people in that culture,
3. learns the questions of that culture,
4. understands the worldview of that culture, and
5. begins a church in that culture that proclaims the unchanging truths of Scripture in the changing cultural context.

In the same way, a church that is “missional” views itself as a missionary to its culture, filled with ambassadors for Christ who take the gospel into every sphere of society.

How does this practically look? Tim Keller gives a helpful idea:

“A missional church avoids ever talking as if non-believing people are not present. If you speak and discourse as if your whole neighborhood is present (not just scattered Christians), eventually more and more of your neighborhood will find their way in or be invited.” (Tim Keller, “Missional Church”)