Every the end of every single Sunday service we ask people to do three things.
Invite. Invest. Get involved.
Some of you can recite that by heart. I am SO thankful for the increasing numbers each week who are doing just that! Here’s a bit of a warning, though. Something detrimental that IS happening and WILL happen as we continue to grow and larger and older as a church: The longer you invest your time and money into actionchurch (or any church)…the more involved you are…the more small groups and functions you participate in…the fewer people it seems that you “know” outside the church to invite.
It’s absolutely heathy and wise to form relationships and friendships within the church. Jesus said that the way you would know if we were his followers was by our love for each other! I want to see our small groups grown exponentially in the next five years. I want to see our relationships and bonds with others in our church grow stronger and deeper. I just NEVER want to see actionchurch become a “club”, or a place “for insiders only”. I never want to personally become so engrossed in actionchurch activities and functions that I no longer have any unchurched friends out side of the church…and I say that as the pastor!
So, if you’ve been attending actionchurch for a while and are developing lots of great relationships and friendships inside the church, great! Mission accomplished! (If you aren’t I would strongly encourage you to be part of one of our actiongroups that launch again in February!)
But…who do you “know” outside of actionchurch? Who do you influence? Who do you love? Who admires you? Do they know Jesus? Could it be that the very reason you have a relationship with them is so that they can see what a follower of Jesus “looks like” in America 2012? Do you pray for them? Could you invite them to actionchurch this Christmas season? Should you wait and just be their friend…care about them…no pressure-no “sales pitch”? Should you someday recommend another great church in York that might fit their needs and background even better than actionchurch?
Just some questions I’m working on personally this morning. I hope you’ll take the time to do a little personally inventory this year as well.
Who do YOU know?