Invite Someone to Church - It Just Might Change Their Life

By: Rev. Tom Parkinson

When I meet with new guests at Dutilh Church, one of my favorite questions is to ask why they decided to come to the church. While it’s occasionally because of something we shared on the web, or an ad we ran on Facebook, the most common answer I hear is some form of “because someone invited me.”

 When it comes to connecting new people with our church, nothing is more effective than a personal invite. According to research from Dr. Thom Rainer, 82% of unchurched people are at least somewhat likely to attend church if personally invited. The Billy Graham Association reports that 80% of the people they see come to Christ were invited to church by someone they knew.

 As our congregation prepares for Worship in the Park this Sunday and our fall ministry kick off in a couple of weeks, it’s a great time of year to invite someone to church. With new small groups and ministry programming starting up, there is no better time to invite someone to get connected to our ministry.

 Making the invitation is easier than you might think. It’s as simple as saying to a friend, “I’m going to church this Sunday. Would you like to come with me?” According to the research, if you asked 10 people that question, at least 8 of them would give serious consideration to coming to church with you. That’s way more effective than any “come to church” marketing campaign!

 In the great commission, Jesus calls every believer to help in the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:16-20). You don’t have to be a great preacher or a skilled evangelist to share your faith. A friendly invite to come to church with you could be the key moment in someone you know meeting Christ for the very first time.

 So, what are you waiting for? Start praying about who God wants you to invite to church!