Dear Members and Friends of Faith Des Peres,
In this issue of the Commonplace Blog you’ll read about our Maundy Thursday service, annual Easter egg hunt, and Easter worship. Before you know it, all three will be here!
Easter is a great opportunity to invite people to church. The music is great (we’ll have a brass quartet), the church looks beautiful, and everyone needs to hear a message about hope and new life. And, your invitation matters more than all of the sign messages and postcards we can deliver. Did you know that:
· 80% of people say they would respond to a friend’s invitation to attend church?
· 90% of people say they attended a church because a friend invited them?
· Visitors will decide in the first few minutes whether or not they will come back?
Gay and I talk regularly about how we can attract more people to worship; how can we make the music and sermon and service more appealable? But growing the church rests on more shoulders than ours; you have a part to play, too. In fact, your part may be more important in the long run than ours. Your invitation matters more than any postcard or sign message we can display, and a visitor will be most impacted by how they are greeted, which will determine how they respond to the rest of the church.
Bottom line: it rests on all of our shoulders to grow the church by intentionally welcoming people, inviting people, and making sure they have a reason to come back.
Who can you invite this week?
Blessings,
Annie