Convincing a friend to visit your church

It’s Easter season. Store aisles are stocked with all the necessities - candy, clothes in pastel, baskets and bunnies. The bunnies come in the cuddly, stuffed animal variety as well as the inflatable yard ornament version. There are a plethora of Peeps. Shelves are bulging with plastic grass for egg baskets.¹ Nestled among the chocolates and plastic eggs, you may even find an occasional “He is risen!” sign or table topper that acknowledges the religious foundation to Easter.

More people in our culture celebrate this season as just the “coming of spring” holiday than they do as the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christians, it’s tempting to “mind our own business” and not risk (so we think) offending a friend, neighbor or coworker by inviting them to church. Sadly, it may not be fear or offense that prevents our invitations as much as it is fear of personal rejection.

Back in 2008, Thom Rainer wrote The Unchurched Next Door and shared in it the results of a religious survey:

• “82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited.”

• “Only 2% of church members invite an unchurched person to church. 98% of church-goers never extend an invitation in a given year.”

While the chances of a positive response are great if Christians personally invite someone to church, the actual chances of a Christian extending the invitation are statistically dismal, according to the research.

Those numbers may not reflect your church reality at all. Your church may have cultivated an invitational and guest-expectant atmosphere that is joyfully contagious. Your church may see guests every single week, entering with shy trepidation but leaving with surprised enjoyment. But that is not the norm at many churches.

I titled this entry “Convincing a friend to visit your church.” Perhaps I should have titled it “Convincing your church to invite their friends.”

In Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested. The religious leaders were mad. The Jesus stuff had gotten out of hand. They threatened the two disciples, assuming that the weight of their religious authority would cow Peter and John. In addition to their threats, they “ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.”²

“Enough’s enough, after all,” the smug priests thought.

Yet Peter and John, with no seminary credentials, no positions on boards or high society, and no social media platform shocked the authorities with their response.

“Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”³

The authority of the religious leaders was exceeded by the disciples’ wonder and confidence in Jesus. What they had “seen and heard” must be spoken about.

The disciples weren’t afraid to offend a neighbor because they’d seen and heard Jesus. The disciples weren’t afraid to experience rejection (or even arrest) because they’d seen and heard Jesus. Peter and John would not have fit in with 98% of American church goers.

So what’s our excuse for not inviting a friend to church for Easter? What is our reason for not joyfully, humbly and regularly speaking about what we’ve seen and heard from Jesus?

At Easter, churched Christians are quick to utter a phrase in greeting one another: “He is risen!” To which, the respondent replies, “He is risen indeed!” It’s a powerful declaration. Why is it rare for us to declare to the unchurched, in hopeful promise.

You see, Easter is for everyone. God so loved the world that He sent Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus offers hope and promise for anyone who will repent and believe that Jesus is Lord.

“Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”⁴

So this Easter,⁵ with humility and joy, convince your neighbor to visit your church. The best convincing occurs from the most convinced. Have we seen and heard Jesus like Peter and John did? Then we’ll be able to plainly say, “We are unable to stop speaking” about Him.

1. As an aside, it just dawned on me why plastic grass is even a thing. Once upon a time, hidden eggs were real, dyed eggs. The grass was there to cushion them and prevent breakage. There’s no need for it any longer in this day when plastic eggs are cheaper than real eggs and more convenient.

2. Acts 4:18

3. Acts 4:19-20

4. Acts 2:38-39

5. If you live in the NRV of Southwest Virginia, and you don’t have a church to attend this Easter, I’d love to invite you to attend Northstar Church! Check out dontgo.be/easter for more information!