How to Invite Someone to Church
Extend a verbal invitation., Host a community event., Use printed invitations., Work in groups., Hold a church-wide campaign.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Extend a verbal invitation.
Verbal invitations probably account for the majority of church discoveries between individuals.
Preaching the Word and speaking about your faith with a friend are two of the most common verbal invitations people use to invite others to a faith community.Speak with kindness and sincerity.
Let others know about all the fun things your faith community participates in.
There may be raffles, fundraisers, community meals, community projects (often involving charitable acts), and even musical events. -
Step 2: Host a community event.
An indirect approach, especially community events like a lawn fete or barbecue, is a great way to invite non-church members to your faith community.
These community events generate money for the church, bring the community together, and allow non-churchgoers to mingle with parishioners in a low-stakes environment.Put up flyers and advertise in your local newspaper to generate community interest in your event.
Focus on creating a fun event.
Don't worry about making it "religious"
- if non-churchgoers have a fun time with the priest/pastor and parishioners, they'll develop an organic interest in learning more about your church, and current parishioners at other area churches may decide to join your parish. , Some faith communities find that a printed invitation is highly successful for getting non-churchgoers to attend.
That's because it provides the individual with a concrete, tactile reminder of your church's events, along with any relevant information about dates/times of service.
Choose an ideal size.
Some churchgoers find that four inches by six inches is big enough to include an image while still being small enough to fit in a pocket or handbag.
Combine images and text.
Try using one large image for the invitation's background that will catch a viewer's attention.
You may want to use an image of the church, a religious icon, a nature photograph, or even some visual image from contemporary popular culture.
The text should be short and to the point, and it should pull someone in who has been drawn to the image.
Hand them out in bundles of two or three.
That way the person you give them to can help further distribute your invitations to others., A one-on-one approach is probably best for inviting your friends or family members, but what about strangers? It can be intimidating to approach people you don't know, and it may be difficult to get a stranger to trust you after one short conversation.
However, working as part of a team can make it easier to approach strangers, and will increase the chances that if you cannot answer the individual's questions, someone else will.Being in a group can give you confidence, and the person you approach will notice the sense of community and camaraderie between you and your fellow churchgoers. , If you're interested in really promoting your faith community to non-churchgoers, consider talking to your priest or pastor about encouraging others to invite outsiders.
You could suggest organizing a monthly "invite someone to church" day, and have your priest/pastor discuss different ways to invite others during church services.
If everyone in your congregation brought one non-churchgoer to mass, it would fill the church up with fresh faces and renewed interest. -
Step 3: Use printed invitations.
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Step 4: Work in groups.
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Step 5: Hold a church-wide campaign.
Detailed Guide
Verbal invitations probably account for the majority of church discoveries between individuals.
Preaching the Word and speaking about your faith with a friend are two of the most common verbal invitations people use to invite others to a faith community.Speak with kindness and sincerity.
Let others know about all the fun things your faith community participates in.
There may be raffles, fundraisers, community meals, community projects (often involving charitable acts), and even musical events.
An indirect approach, especially community events like a lawn fete or barbecue, is a great way to invite non-church members to your faith community.
These community events generate money for the church, bring the community together, and allow non-churchgoers to mingle with parishioners in a low-stakes environment.Put up flyers and advertise in your local newspaper to generate community interest in your event.
Focus on creating a fun event.
Don't worry about making it "religious"
- if non-churchgoers have a fun time with the priest/pastor and parishioners, they'll develop an organic interest in learning more about your church, and current parishioners at other area churches may decide to join your parish. , Some faith communities find that a printed invitation is highly successful for getting non-churchgoers to attend.
That's because it provides the individual with a concrete, tactile reminder of your church's events, along with any relevant information about dates/times of service.
Choose an ideal size.
Some churchgoers find that four inches by six inches is big enough to include an image while still being small enough to fit in a pocket or handbag.
Combine images and text.
Try using one large image for the invitation's background that will catch a viewer's attention.
You may want to use an image of the church, a religious icon, a nature photograph, or even some visual image from contemporary popular culture.
The text should be short and to the point, and it should pull someone in who has been drawn to the image.
Hand them out in bundles of two or three.
That way the person you give them to can help further distribute your invitations to others., A one-on-one approach is probably best for inviting your friends or family members, but what about strangers? It can be intimidating to approach people you don't know, and it may be difficult to get a stranger to trust you after one short conversation.
However, working as part of a team can make it easier to approach strangers, and will increase the chances that if you cannot answer the individual's questions, someone else will.Being in a group can give you confidence, and the person you approach will notice the sense of community and camaraderie between you and your fellow churchgoers. , If you're interested in really promoting your faith community to non-churchgoers, consider talking to your priest or pastor about encouraging others to invite outsiders.
You could suggest organizing a monthly "invite someone to church" day, and have your priest/pastor discuss different ways to invite others during church services.
If everyone in your congregation brought one non-churchgoer to mass, it would fill the church up with fresh faces and renewed interest.
About the Author
Anna Palmer
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
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