. . . Enough & Generosity . . .

We've been in a sermon series the past two weeks based on Adam Hamilton's book, Enough. We have been talking about our relationship with our stuff and what God has to say about it. Our stuff by itself is not a bad thing. We need things for survival, food, clothing, a home to live - some of it is essential. However, there are times when our stuff detracts us from fully living in relationship with God. Together we are discovering the ways in which the things we have are a gift from God, first and foremost and how we use those gifts to honor God, and to do God's work in the world.

For some of you, giving to a church might be a new thing. Each year we conduct what we call a stewardship (or giving) campaign and the purpose is to help us establish stable and workable budgets for the next year. Your giving helps us connect more fully with our mission field, which is our surrounding neighborhood and community. It helps us provide for our serving projects at Laurel Hills and the Community Meal we will launch next month. Your giving allows us to be a church that makes a difference in the world. Your giving allows the church to pour out God's grace and carry out our mission: connecting people to Jesus Christ. As a church family, we should do whatever it takes to help connect those who do not know Jesus to the life-changing grace he offers.

If you are unsure of where to start, we will talk about practical tips this weekend in worship. 

Thank you for what you have given in 2019 so far. Your gifts have been felt as we build a transforming community where everyone is included, accepted, and loved... right here in Raytown, Missouri.

. . . inviting people to church pt 5 . . .

So the past few weeks have been a whirlwind in my life, but everything has been centered on helping me stay focused on reaching people for Jesus Christ. I went to St. Louis to observe a new kind of ministry and how they are engaging people who are unchurched (never been to church) or dechurched (used to go to church, but haven't in a LONG time). It's so interesting to see so many different expressions of worship as we seek to go into the world to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

One of my main roles as a pastor of any United Methodist Church is to go into the world to lead people to Jesus Christ. As followers of Jesus, that is all of our roles, and one of my responsibilities is to help you and equip you to do the same. I see it as my greatest job responsibility and it is an answer to prayers when I see you inviting people to church, or finding ways to reach those who don't know Christ yet.

The first steps toward inviting a friend or someone in our own family to church is a tough one. I'm committed to helping you make those steps as you gain confidence to do so. In the past two weeks, I talked about the importance of small groups. Small groups are intended to help you articulate how you see God moving in your life and in the world.

So now that you're in a small group and you're confident God is alive in the world, what's next?
The first step is to pray, and then casually talk about an event you just attended at church. It might even come up in casual conversation if you've posted photos on your social media sites. It could be as easy as showing a photo of your kids, grandkids, or nieces, or nephews to a co-worker on a lunch break and saying, "we had such a great time at the Great Pumpkin Paint & Take at my church on Saturday." Or, "the Family Ministries Coordinator at my church sent my kid this card for an award he recieved..." There are many ways to casually bring things up.

The next part of the conversation should be natural like, "we do great events and service activities. Do you go to church?"

This type of conversation develops out of already knowing something about the person you're talking to. You won't be blind-sighted by a negative response. You will know already if that person is receptive to it.

Next week, I'll have tips about what to say if they say yes, or if they say no.
Stay tuned friends!

. . . inviting people to church pt 4 . . .

Sometimes I have to ask, what is most important to us? Inviting someone to church, or helping someone to experience Jesus' invitation into a relationship with him?

So many churches in America are in decline and our tendency is to go into panic mode. We think, oh if only the band were better, if only the preaching was better, if we had a theme park for children's ministry... then I'd invite someone to church. Sometimes though we miss the point and we don't look at our own relationship with Jesus Christ.

Church invitation grows out of our own desire to know Jesus. When our hearts are transformed by the grace of God, our own church attendance is given priority. If we have things that take us away from church on a Sunday morning, we find different ways to worship. The internet and social media have made connecting with our church home more accessible on those Sundays when we can't be present. It doesn't replace it altogether but serves as a substitute when needed. I know many of you watch the services when you are on vacation or have some other obligation.

Did you know the majority of first-time visitors have already watched a service online? So today, the step toward church invitation is to like our social media pages, share the service video, and events on your timeline. Even better, check-in to church on Instagram & Facebook on Sunday morning. This is a first non-threatening step. If you are nervous to ask someone to church, one way is to make your church more visible. Last week Al Roker mentioned that they had cut their vacation short because his grandson was scheduled to be an acolyte (an assisting role in the church, often by children)! I thought that was pretty cool - he inserted in his banter the role of the church in his life.
Most people - even those hurt by the church, especially Americans, are respectful of our faith. So today, I encourage you - like our social media pages! You never know who might see that and get them thinking about their relationship with Jesus.

. . . inviting people to church pt. 3 . . .

So often in the church world, we focus on our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Growing closer to our Lord is the most important thing we can do, but he asks us to not stop there. Before he went to be with God in Heaven, he gave his disciples a commission, to go and make disciples of all nations. While it feeds our souls to be with others who proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, it can become entirely too comfortable and we forget to share the love of God with others outside our groups.

Small group participation is essential for inviting people to church. But not just any small group. Most of us are accustomed to gathering with other Christians for Bible studies and other topical studies. These studies are fantastic; they help us know about God. What many are light on is getting us to talk about our experience of God in our day-to-day lives.

Small groups that help us focus on our experiences of God are part of the DNA of every Wesleyan tradition. It is in small groups called Class Meetings, where people in the 1700s in the United Kingdom & United States began to see their lives as actively apart of God's great story.

So what small group are you in? Do you need to be in one? If you are in a study group, make a point to ask each other the question: "How have you experienced God this week?" If you are in a large group, break up into smaller groups of three. It does not need to take up the whole time together, but it will help you begin to think about God in your daily living.