Fall Festival THIS Sunday

First Family,

This Sunday, from 4-6 p.m., we will be hosting our annual Fall Festival. This is a fun opportunity for our church family to come together. But more importantly, this is a real opportunity for us to invite someone to experience FBCA.

 I often refer to these opportunities as “bridging” or “on-ramp” events. They are a way to bridge people to the church and ultimately to a relationship with God. As a church, we cannot expect people to simply show up because of a banner on the street front or a social media post. The most effective way to reach someone in our community is through a personal invitation from you.

People are much more likely to attend a church when they’ve received a personal invitation from someone they trust. It can alleviate the anxiety that comes with navigating a new place and the apprehensions many have regarding the church. But inviting people to church can feel scary and even awkward sometimes.

Here are three simple ways to engage others and invite someone to the Fall Festival:

• Send an Invite Text

A text is a quick and easy way to reach out to someone you know and extend an invitation. You could say something like this:

“Hey, my church is hosting a Fall Festival on Sunday; I thought you and your family would like to join us. It starts at 4 pm, would you like to come?

• Start a Conversation

We are constantly talking with people as we go throughout our day. We talk with people while we stand in line, we talk with people while we wait for an appointment, and we talk with people as we work. Consider leading the conversation towards an invitation. It might go something like this:

“Hey, what are you and your family doing this weekend? My family is attending our church's Fall Festival; you should join us!”

• Engage Your Community

When we start a conversation, care for, embrace, and reach out to our neighbors, the barista, the check-out clerk, our kids’ teachers, and our coworkers, we open the door for friendship and opportunities to spread the Gospel. One of the ways we have begun is by praying for our neighbors every day as we pass their homes on the way to and from work. Have you downloaded the Bless Every Home app. yet? It will give you a list of the names of all your neighbors, and you can begin praying for them by name. Here is a link to the app:

https://app.blesseveryhome.com/

God wants to use you. And often, it’s through a simple invite.

If we do our part, God will do His part. We just have to plant the seed.

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV

Who will you invite this week?

Servant for HIS Glory,
Pastor Robert