Who's Going to Sit Next to You this Weekend?

“My co-worker has been inviting me to come for quite a while. I finally relented and wow, I’m glad I did. I’ll be back for sure next Sunday” (from a first-time guest at The Bridge last week).Inviting people in our sphere of influence to church can be a very effective way to witness. Many of the early disciples of Jesus came to know him because they had friends who invited them to to a gathering he was attending. My first exposure to the Gospel came as a result of an invitation over the phone to visit a church. Many of you reading this can identify. You eventually came to Christ after you were first invited to church.And inviting people to church works! In one recent poll, 82% of unchurched respondents said that they would attend a church if someone they trusted invited them. 82%!

82% of unchurched would visit if someone they trusted invited them.

But here’s why they don’t come. Only 2% of church-going people ever invite others in a given year. The reason most of us rarely have guests with us is because few of us are actually inviting. When we do, people often respond favorably.Here are some reasons why inviting others to church can be affective.It’s personal. People like being invited into other’s personal lives.It’s disarming. It’s easy for them to say, “No” and come up with an excuse. And many will the first time they are asked, because they need a little time to think about it. But believe it or not, most people will eventually come, if they know you and trust you.It’s refreshing. Guilt is not a good motivator for anything. But research shows that most unchurched people feel a tinge of guilt about not having any religion in their lives. They will often see an invitation to church as a way to feel better about themselves. It’s not the best reason for any of us to go to church. But hey, my reason for going to church the first time was’t the best either. I’ll take it, if it enables them to hear the Gospel.It’s intriguing. People who have never attended a contemporary evangelical church are curious about the experience. They’ve heard things (often negative) and they’ve probably seen a quack or two on TV, but most unchurched have never experienced a church like ours. If you’ve been talking about it (and I hope you are) and have been sharing church-related links on social media (and I hope you have), you’ve raised their level of curiosity. As I said earlier, I was first exposed to the Gospel after being invited to church over the phone. I went because I was curious. Many of your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors are as well.So making invitations to church really works. I think The Bridge is proof of that. We had nearly 1,000 people in attendance last weekend (966), and I would estimate that 2/3 of you came your first time because someone you trusted invited you.Let’s return the favor. Who might you have sitting next to you this weekend?