Fostering Invitation Culture At Your Church
This past spring we stepped up our invitation culture at my church. Because of that focused effort we saw a lot of fruit with a 30% increase on Easter Sunday in contrast to the previous years. Fostering a spirit of evangelism didn’t take a big effort but it had a big impact. I want to share some of the tactics we used in case you are looking to grow your church during the holiday seasons and throughout the year. These tactics will be broken up into three categories with before, during and after the holiday service.
One disclaimer before we start. If you aren’t a welcoming church then don’t welcome people. What I mean is, if your church currently struggles being a holy huddle, address that first and then look to foster invitation. You don’t want to invite people to an alienating experience. Also, if you’re looking for coaching on this topic beyond this article then visit benstapley.com/coach to schedule a free consultation. I would love to help you determine the obstacles you're facing and if I’m the best person to help you overcome them.
How To Foster An Invitation Culture At Your Church BEFORE A Holiday Service
Leaders Lead - Before we challenged our congregation to invite someone to Easter we challenged ourselves as a staff. We all wrote down who we were gonna invite. After Easter we followed up as a staff to see how it went for each of us. The bar for success wasn’t whether or not the person invited showed up. That was the cherry on top. The bar for success was whether or not the staff member made the ask. It is vital to set this culture first with staff, then with volunteers and then with the congregation.
Assume Attendance Ask For Invitation - People have limited mental calories. Don’t use up your congregation's focus by asking them to attend your holiday service. If they are already coming to a regular service assume attendance on your big days. Instead focus all your communication efforts by calling them to invite.
Normalize It - As you communicate from the stage during the weeks leading into your holiday service, have each host share who they are gonna invite. This is a helpful practice if this is new to your culture because it normalizes it. It lets the congregation know others are doing it, and it is safe for them to do it as well. One additional piece of coaching…keep it specific enough to make it tangible but general enough that you aren’t putting anyone on blast. So instead of saying “I’m inviting my mother-in-law cause she really needs Jesus” say “I’m inviting a member of my extended family to experience God’s goodness”.
Showcase Stories - If there is only one video you have the bandwidth to produce this year it should be a testimonial video which showcases someone who has found new life in Christ because they were invited to church. Here is an example. This powerful example reinforces the transforming effect of an invite. Even if you can’t produce a video you can still share this type of story live during your hosting. The video or live story should end with something like “My life was transformed because someone invited me. Who’s life is God calling you to help transform?”
Provide Resources - Provide physical and digital invites to the congregation. These resources make it easier to invite a friend or family member to join. I like to hand out a bundle of three physical invites to everyone entering our auditorium and ask them what three people God is calling them to invite to join them.
How To Foster An Invitation Culture At Your Church DURING A Holiday Service
Settle The Guests - During the holiday service you are gonna have an influx of first time guests. Make sure to acknowledge them in a way that makes them feel comfortable. One way NOT TO DO this is by asking them to stand. One way TO DO this is during the offering let them know their gift this morning is their presence and they are under no obligation to give. Settling guests benefits them and it benefits those who invite them. Those folks are wondering if they made the right decision by asking someone to join them. Answer that question.
Thank The Congregation - After you settle the guests, thank the congregation for inviting them. This quickly lets both parties know that saying yes to the invite and making the invite was a good idea. It also acknowledges the main source (outside the working of the Spirit) of church growth, the congregation's involvement.
Make The Ask - The message should apply to the sheep and the goats. Even if it isn’t salvation centric it should include an explanation of salvation and invitation to accept it. If your congregation has gone through the effort to bring someone with them far from Christ, help them move closer to Him. If not, a major opportunity will be missed. And your congregation will be hezeten to extend themselves during the next holiday season.
Provide A Call Back - Spiritual development is similar to physical development. Going to a gym to sign up for a membership is easy. Going back is hard. That is why gyms offer incentives like reward programs, referral bonuses and merch for hitting milestones. Getting a new guest to attend a holiday service is easy. Getting them to come back is hard. So provide them with a call back through a series that hits a felt need.
How To Foster An Invitation Culture At Your Church AFTER A Holiday Service
Connection Follow Up - A lot of churches do a great job at gathering contact info on a Sunday morning with physical and digital connection cards. But sometimes we drop the ball when it comes to follow up. Make sure to schedule the needed volunteers to do the rewarding work of follow up after a big day. This will help turn first time guests into returning guests.
Share The Success - People want to know they won and they’re on a winning team. So share that success by letting the congregation know how many people attended your holiday services. If you broke records include that. If you have salvation numbers include that. Share on social media during the week and in service the following Sunday. Let people know what God did. If you don’t you not only miss an opportunity to generate excitement but more importantly you rob God of His glory.
LifeWay Research found that 82% of people would visit church if a trusted friend invited them. I hope the steps above before, during and and after holiday services helps you foster an invitation culture at your church. Let me know what steps I missed. I would love to hear from you and learn from you. And if you want additional help in this area then visit benstapley.com/coach to schedule a free consultation. I would love to help you win. Have an awesome day.