Study: Christmas is a great time to invite someone to church

So if anyone reading this needs any motivation to invite others, let me issue a challenge: Do it!

I got an email yesterday from my church challenging us members to invite others to our Christmas Eve services. We’re having four Christmas Eve services scheduled at 90 minute intervals (so about 75 minutes each), with about 1,200 seats (including overflow) available for each, so we’re going to have 4,800 seats available. (Our all-time record attendance was last Easter, with about 3,500.)

I’ve already been inviting many others. My church prints up some fantastic invitations to give to people.

One of the advantages (I think) of being a large church is the anonymity that visitors can feel. In my previous church (record attendance of 70) it seemed to me very hard to get first-timers to attend (because they could feel singled-out). I remember the “deer-in-the-headlights” looks on some of those who did show up, as some others would zero-in on them.

Some of my invitees:

1. The young police officer, his wife, and their one year old daughter who have been my nearest neighbors for about a year-and-a-half. They are unchurched. I’m praying they come.

2. The couple who told me they’ve been to my church once before (for a funeral). They’re self-described agnostics. Her comment: “That’s a big church.” I’m praying that fact helps ease the way for them to come.

3. The neighbor who is a back-up & studio drummer and who has played at one time or another with several very famous bands. He already knew I am a regular church-goer–something he can’t quite figure out. I’m praying he will come on Christmas Eve.

[Larry Nelson]

I got an email yesterday from my church challenging us members to invite others to our Christmas Eve services. We’re having four Christmas Eve services scheduled at 90 minute intervals (so about 75 minutes each), with about 1,200 seats (including overflow) available for each, so we’re going to have 4,800 seats available. (Our all-time record attendance was last Easter, with about 3,500.)

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O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8 (ESV)

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What a terrific night of worship and of ministry! We had enormous crowds. At the third of the four services we went beyond out 1,200 seat capacity–we quickly set up folding chairs in the front commons, where we have three wall-mounted 55” monitors (usually used for video announcements) on which we streamed the service. (The count that service was >1,300.) I haven’t yet seen the total attendance for all four services, but it was quite possibly our all-time record.

It’s always a thrill to see people you’ve invited & for whom you have been praying actually walk in. Nobody could ever say they left one of our Christmas Eve services not knowing the true meaning of Christmas!

My point is that Christmas is indeed a great time to invite others to church!