I remember wanting to invite a friend to church.Now, people do not go to church for all sorts of reasons.  The number one reason why people do not go to church is because no one has invited them.  They are not sure what the protocol is for church.  Do they get there early or late?  There are enough unknowns that they don’t feel comfortable just showing up.  So, how do you invite someone to church?

Pray.   Spend some time praying for the person you are thinking of inviting to church.  Pray for their heart and mind to be open. Pray that God would give you an opportunity. (Colossians 4:3)  When you pray that God will give you opportunities, don’t be surprised when He does!  Look for them.

Prepare.  It is important to prepare yourself to know what to say, how to say it, and to be ready to have an ongoing relationship with that person.  No one wants to be a target.  It’s a person not a project.

Consider your words carefully.  You are someone who is sharing something you have found, and you wonder whether the other person would be interested in it, too.

Invite them to something afterwards.  Don’t just invite them to church. Say, “We’re going to church and then to get brunch; would you like to join us?”  That way it’s clear that what you’re interested in is them, not just getting them to show up.

Don’t be surprised if they say no.  It happens.

Watch for God-given opportunities.

Overall, the model is: pray for opportunities, pray for the preaching of God’s Word to come with power and clarity, be wise in what you say and how you say it to those you are inviting.

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.  At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison - that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.  Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”  Colossians 4:2-6