Recently, Dr. Thom Rainer did a video blog called the Rainer Report on the topic of the relationship between inviting and church health. A couple of his key points are:

• Inviting unchurched friends to church takes intentionality.
• When we are energized to do positive things, we have less time and energy to do negative things.
• When church members are focused on reaching out and inviting, they’re less focused on having things their way.
• In-person invites to church are the most effective invites. (www.thomrainer.com)

The “invite” can have a powerful and life changing effect on the Sunday School class. When we are excited about our class or small group, we invite people to come and join us. When we don’t invite others, we are either focused only on ourselves or we don’t believe they would enjoy what we do. The good news is that our view of our class or group can change. The bigger question is, do you want it to change.

The reverse is also true. If we don’t invite people our class can become comfortable and stale. If you haven’t invited someone to your class or group in a while, you need to ask yourself why. What are the reasons why you aren’t inviting people to join you? Then ask yourself, can I change that? If not, maybe you need to start another group with people who are willing to invest in and engage with people who are not connected to a small group or Sunday School class.

There are people out there who would love to experience what you do every week, but no one has invited them. How will they know they are welcome to join you unless you ask them? I also know that many that you invite will not come. Try again, maybe they will. Some will not at all. Pray that God will change their heart. If they don’t connect well with your group or class, introduce them to another one.

We all want to feel wanted. We all want to connect with someone. We all want someone to care about us. Why not make your class or group focused on caring for other people, engage them around God’s Word every week and involve them in making a difference for Christ in the everyday world they live in. Everyone should want to be a part of that.

Why don’t you invite someone today!