Too often, the ulterior motive of getting butts in the pews and bucks in the plate is evident when we invite people to worship. After all, what kind of real relationship with you can they expect in such a setting?
But if you invest in people, one at a time, face to face and story to story, a sort of social capital builds between you.
And then, once you actually know each other, you do what any real friends would do — you invite them to share in the things that are meaningful to you in your life. Suddenly, asking someone to come to church with you makes a lot more sense.
Back when institutions were inherently trustworthy, and back when churches were the social epicenters of a community, Sunday worship was more or less a given. Now, it may not enter into the discipleship equation for a long time, if ever.
But which is more important: building up our church numbers or sharing in a real, vulnerable and personal way what we believe it means to be Jesus for others?
One doesn’t necessarily exclude the other, but the latter is far more important, nourishing and life changing than the former.
Skeptical? Just compare the number of times in Scripture that Jesus broke bread and shared story in the streets and homes where people lived versus how many times he invited people to church.
Now, go and do likewise.
