Think of those who drive by our church building each day. What do they see and how do they feel? Is the building — and those inside — inviting or intimidating? It might surprise you that, according to surveys, most non-attenders in America do not think of churches as welcoming places. They view them more like private clubs where you wouldn’t just walk into them without a prior invitation.

So, how did you get here? It could be, you were ‘born on the third pew;’ you’ve always been here. But, if you weren’t brought here as an infant, someone had a hand in you being here. They told you about something that was going on. Or, maybe you were new to town and someone invited you. Who was that person? Probably you can remember them.

Could anyone else ever name YOU as the reason they ended up here or have an increasingly vital relationship with Jesus and the church? Who would name you?

If you don’t think there has been someone like that, someone you have invited, what is our excuse? Maybe we don’t want to get involved in someone else’s religious life; it’s personal. Perhaps we’re afraid that they’ll think we’re super-religious, and we’re not like that. We certainly don’t want to come across as judging them, like they’re missing something if they don’t have our church or be like us. What other excuses do people have — good people who care about Jesus and the church? How valid are those excuses? Is there any other way of viewing invitation that doesn’t descend into something off-putting?

In 2nd Corinthians 5:17-20, Paul calls us “ambassadors who represent (re-present?) Christ.” We’re not called salespeople or hucksters or perfect or superior. Just those who represent, like an ambassador representing a country. What would that mean? Try to think about this without any negative cloud you possibly have when talking about ‘evangelism.’

In Luke 14:16-24, Jesus tells the story of those reticent to attend a feast. “Well, go round up somebody, anybody to come!” says the host. Are we reticent to reach out to ‘anybody’? Look around our worship spaces: who is NOT here? Who is not around YOUR table?

As always, I would really love to get your comments or questions — ahead of time or afterwards. Just click here.