I am studying for this weekend's talk at the gathering and I am going over some research that discusses how many active church goers actually invite their friends and co-workers to church.
"Only 21 percent of active churchgoers invite anyone to church in the course of a year. But only 2 percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church." (The Unchurched Next Door, p.25)
This is a staggering statistic that needs to be reversed. Any thoughts on how we can do this?
3 comments:
I hate to say that I've gotten really bad at this. I used to do it all the time, but I've trailed off. I get into such a hurry about getting where I am going that I never stop to talk and invite. It's a matter of me understanding that where I'm going is not as important as lost people.
I think that having special events makes it easier to invite people. Hopefully church is exciting enough that you want to invite people.
You talk about what you love, and what you are excited about. Hopefully church is that kind of priority and has that kind of influence in your life that it will naturally come out in conversation.
Yeah...I agree with both of you! I think that it is sad that people will complain and talk bad about the church to other church members than spend the energy and creativity to invite unchurched people to the church.
Then I hear the excuse that they don't feel comfortable to invite anyone to church because it is not what they like. That is the dumbest argument I have ever heard. 84% of people are "somewhat likely" to attend if you invite and bring them. A unchurched/uncommitted person does not care what style of worship it is, all they desire is to be cared for and feel loved. It is the already churched people that are standing in the way of people hearing the gospel, not the church.
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