Brothers and Sisters,
As you might have noticed, we’ve been blessed to see some new faces at church over the past few weeks. As I was giving thanks and rejoicing about that this week, I was reminded of the simple power of personal invitation. Statistics suggest that personal invitation is, in fact, the top predictor of someone trying a church service. While we don’t want to neglect formal outreach opportunities, personal invitation to church remains a simple and effective means of encouraging growth in our congregation.
What that means, in effect, is quite exciting. As any church member can extend an invitation to church, every church member can be involved directly in the growth of the congregation. As we look to the future of our parish together, it’s my hope that we’ll continue to keep in mind that it’s a team effort.
It’s also my prayer that we would be motivated to work together due to a strong sense of mission. The reality is that there are many people, in any community, who don’t know Jesus. What that means is that there are people in our community who are without the hope found only in the Lord. Bearing witness to the saving truth of the Gospel, so that lives are transformed, is key to our mission as a parish.
By the grace of God, we seek, in many ways, to be faithful to the call to make disciples of all people. Again, one of the simplest ways we can do that is to invite others to come hear the proclamation of the glorious Gospel of Christ. Is there someone you might invite to church this week?
In Christ Jesus,
Fr. Caleb Evans