3. Invite them to something.
We know that it takes a few weeks to build a new habit. So we schedule some events for the weeks following Easter that might appeal to non-church-goers. We schedule a newcomers lunch the week after Easter. We’re hosting a special guest (Bethany Hamilton) two weeks after Easter. And we’re holding our quarterly “Family Experience” (a kid-centered Friday night program) three weeks after Easter. Our guests will get invited to all of them.
4. Pray.
Pray for your guests by name. Pray for your city with passion. Refuse to surrender to discouragement or the patterns of this world. As you’re praying, listen to God’s Spirit. He wants to direct you. He wants to show you the next steps for your church.
John Knox prayed, “Lord, give me Scotland or I die!” I pray, “Lord, give me Oceanside!” with similar fervor. My job is to cooperate with God’s Spirit as authentically and strategically as I can. I can’t personally change a single human heart, but God can use all the good of Easter for lasting good in your life and in your church!
