Pastor's Blog: "The Power of a Personal Invitation"
| | Dr. Wayne Splawn
In recent days, I have been thinking a good deal about the different ways people in our fellowship first connected to our church. There are some people who have been a part of Mountain Brook Baptist Church for as long as they can remember. Their parents brought them as a baby, and they have remained involved ever since. Others moved to our area from out of town and found our website through an internet search engine. Upon learning more about us, they decided to attend a worship service, a Sunday School class, or a special event and resonated with our church so deeply that they decided to become a member. Other people first darkened our doors because a member of Mountain Brook Baptist Church invited them to attend.
As I reflected on some of the people who first connected with us because someone invited them, I have been reminded of the power of a personal invitation. One young couple that is very involved in our church first heard about Mountain Brook Baptist when an older gentlemen invited him to visit. They had no personal connection with one another and from all outward appearances did not have much in common, but the young man accepted the invitation and he and his wife found in us a church home. Another young family decided to give us a try when a group of older ladies connected with them in a restaurant. The ladies struck up a conversation when one of them noticed that the couple attended the same university she did. The conversation led to an invitation to attend our church and the young family has been actively involved for many years.
These stories are powerful examples of how effective a personal invitation can be. I encourage you to be aware of the people you encounter each day. It may be the person who serves you a cup of coffee in a restaurant. It may be a co-worker. It may be a neighbor or a close friend or a person who has a child who plays on the same sports team as your child. I can’t say with certainty where you will meet someone who needs to experience the love of Christ through our church, but I know they are out there and that some of them would come if you would simply invite them. If you invite someone to attend and they accept your offer, please let one of our staff members know and we will do everything we can to help them connect with others in the life of our church. It is exciting to consider the number of lives we can touch for Jesus Christ if we will simply be faithful to extend a personal invitation.