The Power of the Personal Invitation

Hang with me on this one, the statistics will matter :)

Back in the late 90s statistics gathered by Rainer Research Group said that 80% of the unchurched population would come to church if someone sincerely invited them. Recently, Lifeway Research, the relativity new arm of Lifeway started by Rainer released a study entitled "Americans open to outreach from churches."1

The new data gathered states that "67% of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. A personal invitation from a friend or neighbor would effectively reach 63%."2

What do these to studies conducted a decade apart show us? There is still power in the personal invitation. Though the numbers are lower in 2009 than they were in the 90s, the fact still remains that most people would come to church if someone would sincerely invite them.

Yet, as pointed out in the training of REACH Worldwide Ministries 80% of the unchurched have said they have never been invited to church.3

Hmmmm?

This also from REACH, 86% of people attracted to church come because of personal contact with a church member.

But did you know that only 21% of active church members will invite anyone to church in a year. And even more eye opening only 2% of active church members will invite an unchurched person to church.

There are people who do not go to church, who are willing if someone they know would invite them, yet we are not inviting.

"The primary lesson North American believers should learn from this research is that many of your unchurched friends are ready for an invitation to conversation," said Ed Stetzer, director of Lifeway Research. "Unbelievers next door still need a simple, personal invitation to talk, to be in community and to church. Clearly, relationships are important and work together with marketing."4

The Power of the Personal Invitation. Our students at the Creek know the phrase but let's get to it. Who is in your circle today that you can invite on Easter Sunday at the Creek? Who can God use you to reach starting with a simple invitation to join you at the Creek?

Ask them to come. Offer to meet them at the front door. Go out of your way to make them feel welcome. It may be the beginning of a new eternity for them and a new purpose for you.




1 Lifeway Research: Statistical Data Powerpoint
2 Lifeway Research: Americans open to outreach from churches
3 REACH Worldwide Ministries
4 Lifeway Research: Americans open to outreach from churches

D Now 2009 - a servant of Christ

The Divine Egotist -- Is God Arrogant, Selfish, or Megalomaniacal?

Check out this insightful post from Al Mohler.

Is the God of the Bible the supreme egotist? That question arises when human beings contemplate the meaning of the truth that God does everything for the sake of his own glory. Is God then a megalomaniac?
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Disciple Now Weekend Comes Around again!

I am so excited about Disciple Now Weekend 2009 at the Creek. We are changing the weekend to the spring rather than the fall so we only had to wait 6 months for the next one.

March 20-22 the students of Richland Creek will gather to learn from the life and example of Jesus Christ. We will also see how service to others, or putting others first is service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:4-5 says " Let each of you not only look to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus."

It is my prayer for this weekend that the students would learn just that. We will stay in host homes for small groups and gather together corporately at the Creek with James Tealy, worship leader, and Walt Barnes, worship speaker, for a weekend that I trust we will never forget.

Join us! If you are 6th-12th grade you can sign up at www.524students.com

North Carolinians join IWC to bring hope to nations and I am privilaged to be one of them

Taken from North Carolina Convention News

By: Melissa Lilley

CARY (BSCNC Communications) - After just a few days in Dakar, Senegal, "you feel it," said Thomas Crane. "There’s a great sense of oppression, lostness, spiritual warfare and despair." Crane recently traveled to Dakar, a city where 98 percent of its 3 million population is Muslim, in preparation for a 10-day summer missions trip he will lead with International World Changers (IWC). IWC is a ministry of the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention. This year they will send hundreds of high school, college and seminary students to serve on nearly 29 summer mission projects as requested by IMB missionaries. Crane, an intern with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s Office of Public Relations and student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, will serve as a ministry coordinator alongside project coordinator Cindy Nooe. She has served as a journeyman with the IMB in Zambia and last year led the IWC trip to Barbados. READ MORE