Did they or didn't they?  

One of my favorite things about Easter Sunday is watching as people wait expectantly for a friend, neighbor, or relative to come to church.  I also see the disappointment when they don't show.  I've felt both of those emotions.

So, did they or didn't they?  At The Journey most people invite others because we've created an environment where it's safe to do so.  But, it's hard for people to picture how different The Journey might be (no matter how many times you tell them).  Because of that, they may not come the first time you invite.  So, here's a couple helpful hints if they did or didn't come:

They Didn't Come


1.  Don't give up.  Invite them again.  One of the best tools in inviting is to ask them to come on a specific day.  "Hey, I'd love for you to join me next Sunday at The Journey.  Maybe we could grab lunch together afterwards."  This works much better than "Hey, I'd love for you to join me sometime at The Journey".  Give a specific date.

2.  Pray.  Pray because they are important to you.  Pray that they would be open to taking steps toward God.

3.  Don't give up.  Yup, I said it again.  It often takes more than one invite.

4.  Help others.  When you see others who have invited people and they HAVE come, make the effort to introduce yourself to their friend.  You know what it took for them to get there, and you'd want others to do that for your friend when they come.

They Did Come

1.  Follow up.  You can do that by asking a couple simple questions:  So, what did you like and what didn't you like?  How was that different from your other church experiences? If you can, try to grab lunch after the service, or coffee the next week and get their feedback.  

2.  Invite them to come again.  Don't make it "one and done" and just hope it will stick.  If they weren't going to church, they may have loved it, but it's not their natural rhythm.  So, ask them to come back again (and a specific date is always better than something general).  "I'd love for you to join me again for that next series - it sounds like it's gonna be good!"

3.  Pray for your friend, that they would truly experience "relationships, not religion", and God's deep love for them.

4.  Help them take appropriate Next Steps.  They might not be sure what to do next.  Network?  Volunteer?  Come to a Connection Night?  Get a Starting Line Pack?  Swing them by the Next Steps Center where some one can give them info. and help them along The Journey.

 

We invest and invite because people matter to God & we want everyone to experience their best life.  We believe that best life is found in relationship with Jesus and with others who are moving in the same direction.  

P.S. Want to invite someone to our next series:  Mess of Me (Which is a perfect series to invite someone to)?  You can do that right here!!

Paul Urban