03/25/2025
john@elmwoodchurch.org
It's only weird if you make it weird.
Sometimes the biggest hurdle to inviting people to church is knowing how to do it. If you’re like me, you want to invite friends and neighbors to church, but you also can feel anxious or even paralyzed by not knowing what to say. You don’t want to sound weird. You don’t want to come off as pushy. And because you don’t know the perfect thing to say, you say nothing at all.
Speaking for myself (you may be able to identify), I tend to project my feelings of discomfort or awkwardness on others when I invite them to church. Because I feel a bit uncomfortable, I assume they also feel a bit uncomfortable. But that’s not necessarily the case! One of the things I have to remind myself of before I invite someone to Elmwood is this — It’s not weird, so don’t make it weird.
So how do I actually do it?
The big picture.
Before offering some specific examples of how to invite others, let’s start with some big picture principles.
❏ It’s not weird, so don’t make it weird.
❏ However you decide to invite someone, it needs to sound like you, not a pre-written script.
❏ End your invitation with a question. You don’t want to just lob an invitation out there; you want to begin a conversation.
❏ In your invitation, avoid saying things like “my church.” Do you want to come to my church this Easter? 🫣😳 You are not merely inviting them to accompany you; you are inviting them to go to church together.
❏ Make sure you follow up by texting the link to the Easter landing page on our website (linked below). It’s designed with guests in mind and has all the information they need to know.
❏ If they say no, follow up with something like, “OK, maybe a different time!” or something else that lets them know this is not a one-time invitation. You'll circle back and invite them another time!
❏ The examples provided below are written for text messages or email, so feel free to modify them for use in a face-to-face conversation!
Some specific examples.
The following are just examples of what it could look like for you to invite others to church. You may find these really helpful and want to copy and paste them as is. You may find these don’t sound like you (it would come across as disingenuous to the person who receives it) and you need to modify them. Or you may find these can be inspiration for you to create your own!
➡️ Hey! I’m at church today and they just talked about what we’re doing for Easter. Does your family already have Easter plans?
➡️ Hey [name]! Our church is doing an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter morning. Our kids would love to do the egg hunt with yours. What do you think about going to church together?
➡️ What is your family doing for Easter? Our church has some great stuff happening! Can we go together?
➡️ Hey, I’m realizing that Easter is only a few weeks away! What do you think about going to church together?
We pray these ideas make inviting people to Elmwood feel a bit more accessible, and we pray they stir your desire to see the people in your sphere of influence come to know and follow the Risen Savior!
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