One of the most common reasons people visit a church is invitation. Church members and others actively involved in a given community of faith are those most likely to issue such invitations.
Angela Jamene recently shared an apology to those who are on the receiving end of such invitations along with her understanding of what typically motivates the ask:
On behalf of Christians everywhere, I would like you to know that we really, just whole-heartedly, love you. And, we want to share this infinite and ultimate love and acceptance with you. Whoever you are, whoever you love, and whoever you see yourself as or becoming or voting for, we love you. We want you to know Christ loves you . . We apologize, collectively, for anyone who may have hurt you or wounded you in the name of a God they obviously needed more time getting to know, they had no right to do that, and we pray for the healing of those wounds.
So What?
Whether you regularly invite people to your church or do so only on rare occasion, it is important that you consider what message the recipient is likely hearing and how their prior life experiences serve as a filter for hearing your invitation. If your understanding and experience of Christianity varies significantly from the dominant version communicated as normative within our current culture, it is essential that you communicate such.
- When is the last time you invited someone to church? What was her/his/their response?
- How welcoming is your congregation to newcomers? Does your answer vary depending on whether or not these newcomers match the primary demographic found in your worshiping community?