Extend an Invitation“82% of people would come to church if a friend invited them.”

Extend an Invitation“82% of people would come to church if a friend invited them.”
-Results of a Lifeway Research Poll

 Does the statistic cited above shock you? It certainly shocked me the first time I read it. It means that 4 out of every 5 people you invite to church will likely say yes.

We are often scared and intimidated out of asking a friend or a neighbor to come to church with us. We feel with near certainty that they will say no – or worse, say no and be offended that we asked. But the statistics simply don’t bear that out. The statistics tell us that if we invite our friends and neighbors to church, the chances are far better than a coin toss that they will say yes. In fact, your friends and neighbors who know you go to church might even be offended that you haven’t invited them!

So, here is my challenge to you – and to myself. This Christmas Season, make it a priority to invite at least one person you know to come to church with you for any of our three Christmas services. Here are a few suggestions on how you can do that:

1) Take a gift of cookies, hot chocolate mix, or something else thoughtful over to your neighbor or coworker with a card. Inside the card, include an invitation to CPC for our Christmas services along with information about those services. We have cards with this information on them in the church office if you would like to pick some up.

2) Send a text message to your friend, coworker, or neighbor with a link to the Christmas page on the CPC website along with a personal invitation. Offer to meet them in the parking lot or to let them ride with you to church that day.

3) Bring your family who is in town and staying with you for Christmas – regardless of whether they regularly attend church or not! Let them know what to expect, how to dress, etc. and make sure they know you want them to come with you.

The Christmas Season is a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel with those who have not yet heard it. Let’s make sharing the good news a priority at CPC this Christmas.

Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster