Invite them and they will come!

I too will have my say; I too will tell what I know for I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me; inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wine skins ready to burst Job 32:17-19

The statistic; 80% of people that join a church were invited by a personal friend, continues to be proven factual. Polls and surveys that addresses this issue continue to find results near the number 80%. To clarify; when a church adds 10 new members 8 of them were invited by a friend. That's not to say that these are all newly saved members, but I have to believe that many of them are! As Christians, we have been given a mandate to grow the church through discipleship. Every Christian has the express responsibility to evangelize within their circle of influence as well as throughout the world. Many outreach opportunities are given to church members, but the majority of church growth occurs when members personally invite their friends and family to participate in church services and special events. Let's not forget that our friends value our advice, input, and influence. That is why they are our friends. The gift of friendship is complex and hard to maintain on a high level, but at the foundation is trust. Our friends trust us to give them insight that is valuable and relevant to their life. I can't think of anything more valuable than Christ and the Church. Is it hard to invite people to church? No, I don't think it is, but we have a preconceived notion that people don't want to come to church. The fact is that people are more open to spiritual things than ever before. Take advantage of the age of spiritual openness the Mormons, Muslims, and other false religions are! The fastest growing religion in America is Islam. That's because they are passionate about adding people to their movement. Do you see Islam speakers on TV? Do you see high profile Muslim's publishing books? Do you see conferences, summits, or highly promoted gatherings to promote the Islam religion? No, we don't see any of those things. Then why are they growing at a faster rate than Christianity? Christians will spend millions of dollars on mass marketing, but the way we truly grow the church is through personal contact!!! I encourage you to invite your friends to church this Sunday. They respect you and will listen to your testimonies.

God Bless