Making the Most of Every Opportunity

Time has come once again for our Resurrection Sunday or Easter services. As a pastor, we often look at Easter Sunday as being the Super Bowl of church services. Most of us prepare all year to go over and above showcasing the very best our church has to offer. Why do we spend so much time on this Sunday? Of course, it is the most important celebration in the life of a Christian. It represents the day Jesus rose from the dead paying the full penalty for our sins. This day also represents a great opportunity for bringing people to church. More often than not, we are finding that people are not attending church regularly. One of the few Sunday’s we can count on a good amount of people attending is Easter. While only 26% of Christians attend church on a weekly basis, 41% plan on attending this Easter Sunday, which before the shutdown was closer to 62%. So this April 17th is the time when people are most likely to attend a service.

As many churches struggle to bounce back from the last couple of years, your pastor and your church need your help. Ephesians 5:16 reminds us to make use of every opportunity. This resurrection Sunday is one of those opportunities. The majority of people come to church for the first time because they were invited. But only 2% of church members actually invite unchurched people to church. In a recent survey 82% of unchurched people polled said that they were likely to attend a church if they were invited. So the big question is, who are you inviting to church? No ad campaign, no church raffle or tee shirt giveaway, no church television commercial, billboard or even skywriting will be more effective bringing people to church than a personal invite especially from someone they know. This is the task of every church member, to reach out to their social group, or “oikos”: the people we interact with regularly, our neighbors and family, friends and coworkers. We have the potential to reach the world for Christ! The good news is that God has chosen to co-labor with us in this incredible mission. We get the privilege of helping people find Jesus, find forgiveness, find restoration, in a loving and supportive church environment.

As a pastor for over 20 years I can tell you that church members who regularly invite people to church can be game changers to any ministry. Your pastor needs you, and more than that, the unchurched need you. Make the most of this opportunity. Make a habit of inviting people to church, not just Easter but every Sunday. The worst that can happen is that they say “no”, and really compared to what other Christians around the world are risking, hearing an occasional “no” isn’t so bad. We have the freedom to speak about Jesus in our country, not utilizing that freedom is taking it for granted. Make the most of every opportunity. Who will you invite to church this Sunday?

Serving Christ and His Church,
Rev. Eric Maggio M.Div.
HCS Board of Directors

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