As Christians, we are called to disciple to others. We have the duty to bring people closer to God, which means you also have to do your best in inviting non-believers to church. If you've tried this before, then you know it's not really an easy thing to do. You don't want to sound pushy, but you don't want to let go of the opportunity as well. So, how do you invite unbelievers to church?
Skip the Marketing
Many churches create a marketing strategy to attract unbelievers to attend the service. Some churches try to hand out free stuff, while some make their praise and worship more rock or pop to attract the younger crowd.
While there's no harm in trying these strategies, at the core of it all, a church doesn't need a gimmick to attract people. People must go for the right reasons. They must be motivated to attend Sunday service not just because of the free stuff or anything like that.
To be able to invite people to church, you must always remember the cold truth that there are unbelievers out there who will not attend church whatever your marketing scheme is. For the non-believers, they need to realize something solid before they will even consider believing in God. It's the same thing as going to church. They need to see something that will make them give it a try.
Love Your Church
If you've tried inviting an unbeliever friend to church, you'll know that it will take several invitations. Most of the time, you will be rejected. You need to strike that balance between motivating and forcing, but even that is hard to do.
Another truth is, your words can only do so much. Don't you think non-believers can also read about God online? And yet, they remain unswayed. For them, your invitation will simply sound like a sales pitch, which is why you need to do something much more than that.
I'm talking about showing your love for your church and God through your actions. If they see you going to church every Sunday, if they see you always have a positive attitude, if they see you practice gentleness, kindness, and patience, then they'll realize that your spiritual beliefs are indeed helping you be a good person. Your actions will speak the words for you. So if they want to become better people too, they'll know that going to church is a good thing.
Don't Make Promises and Apologies
Usually, when Christians invite unbelievers, they make a promise that "it will be fun" or "you'll meet cool people" or something along those lines. Promises will never work for two reasons. One, you're not supposed to feel better if your promise was fulfilled and say "I told you so, didn't I?" And second, you don't have to apologize if the promise was not met.
If you have successfully invited someone to church, take the pressure off the both of you. Let them see what your church is about, without the gimmicks, without promises. Let them hear the Gospel for what it really is. At the end of service, you can ask them what they think, but keep the conversation comfortable. For a non-believer, such conversations can feel uneasy and awkward. Don't force it. Let your friend come to God on their own terms. The important thing is you won't give up until they are saved.
Your invitation isn't random. Your unbelieving friend attending church isn't random. God has been planning this for a long time, waiting for the right moment to come. This is why non-believers must go to church for the right reasons, and not because you made them an offer or promise. Let God's promise be enough to open their hearts.
