Last night at Prayer Meeting I shared how we can all get involved in preparing for "Awesome August." I thought it would be good to post some highlights today.
First, "Awesome August" is a church wide emphasis. While we are seeking to reach 600 in Sunday School for the month we are also planning for each service to be a special service. This is a GREAT time to invite folks to attend church with you. No matter what service they attend it will be a blessing and encouragement to them.
Jesus invited the burdened and weary to "Come to me," (Matt. 11:28). When Andrew heard John speak about Jesus he went and found his brother Simon Peter and told him "We have found the Messiah." (John 1:40-42). We too should invite people to "Come" to Jesus, to church, to find true relief for the burdens they carry.
"Awesome August" provides a great "special event" to invite friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors to come and visit a worship experience with you.
A survey conducted by LifeWay revealed that 50,000 people said "I began attending because someone invited me." Now the next fact is what knocks the wind out of me (and I hope it does the same to you) "7 out of 10 unchurched people HAVE NEVER BEEN INVITED to church in their whole lives."
There is something wrong about that! And there is a challenge before us to change that. Let's invite anyone and everyone we meet to come and visit with us at Church.
There are four steps I outlined on Wednesday night to help us be more effective at inviting people to be our guest at Church.
1. Intercession
We should PRAY earnestly for opportunities to invite others and the boldness to do so (Matt. 9:38)
2. Intentionality
We have to be intentional about inviting others.
Decide now that you will make a minimum of 4 contacts each week of August. A contact can be a phone call, a personal visit, a note card, a text message, an e-mail, a Facebook post, a smoke signal (OK maybe not a smoke signal). Just contact someone and say "Hey, I would love for you to join me at Church on Sunday." If you are really feeling daring and wanted to build a caring relationship you could add "And let's plan to have lunch together after Church."
3. Interest
Remember, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Please don't invite people to visit to help us reach our goal. Our goal is to motivate us to go get 'em. The real motivation should be that we want our friends to have a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus.
4. Invite
Here is where the rubber meets the road. Just INVITE someone! Invite your hairdresser, invite the checkout person at WalMart, invite the server at the restaurant, invite the receptionist at the Doctor's office, just invite someone. Ask God to give you sensitivity to see ALL the people He puts in your path that you can invite to be your special guest at Church.
"Well, what if I invite someone that some other Church member has already invited?" THAT would be awesome!! Imagine the talk in the break room if people were saying "You know I have been invited by 4 different people to visit Salem Baptist Church. Something MUST be going on up there." Wow, that would be AWESOME! Imagine church absentees saying; "I don't know what's going on at Salem but something must be happening I have heard from 6 members this week asking me to come and join them for something they are calling "Awesome August."
I hope you get as excited reading that as I do typing it.
I am PUMPED about "Awesome August" and I am praying that we would see God do only what He can do .... Awesome things in our midst!
So on August 2, we will work to see 120 (or more) in Sunday School. We will have a message on God declaring "Behold, I am doing a new thing;" (Isa. 43:18-19). At 6:00 PM we will see and hear a powerful Gospel message through an amazing Chalk Artist.
Now, who wouldn't want to be a part of all that will happen at EXCITING Salem Baptist Church on Sunday August 2?
Together, by God's Grace and for His Glory we will experience an "Awesome August!"
With Anticipation,
Pastor Mike
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