When Was the Last Time You Invited Someone to Your Temecula Church?

It’s a new year, and many people are trying to “turn over a new leaf,” as they say. Maybe you’re one of them. A new year is always a good time for new beginnings. Is this the year that you read through the entire Bible from cover to cover or that you commit to serve at Sunridge for the first time or in a new area of ministry? Here’s another thing we would ask you to consider doing this new year: invite people to your Temecula church.

Be honest with yourself. When was the last time you invited someone to join you for a Sunday service at Sunridge? You might be someone who frequently invites people to church. If so, we want to encourage you to keep doing so—even if you’ve gotten a lot of “nos” from the people you’ve invited. Don’t be discouraged. Not everyone is ready to step foot in a church, but most people still appreciate being invited.

If you’ve never invited anyone to church, we’d like to encourage you to step out in faith and ask someone to join you next Sunday. Maybe it’s a neighbor, a co-worker, a classmate, a fellow parent at your kids’ school, or someone you run into at the gym regularly. You’ve likely mentioned at some point that you attend a Temecula church, but you’ve never explicitly asked them if they’d be interested in attending with you. Who knows, they might just be waiting for such an invitation!

If you’re someone who grew up in church or has attended one for a long time, you may not realize that some people don’t even know that they can visit any Temecula church at any time. They might think of church as a kind of exclusive club that requires an invitation from a member. Then, there are others who are terrified to darken the doorway of a church, or at the very least a little bit nervous about it. Most of the time it’s because they simply don’t know what to expect. Is it going to be weird or uncomfortable? Will they be called out as a visitor in a way that will embarrass them? Will they be pressured to donate money? As someone who attends Sunridge, you know none of these things happen at our Temecula church, but people with little to no familiarity with Christian churches might think those types of experiences are normal.

When someone shows interest in attending church with you, make a plan to meet up before the start of the service so they don’t have to walk in alone. If they have kids, help them get their kids checked into the nursery or the appropriate classroom. Then, sit with them in the service. After the service, introduce them to a few people you know, and if you have time, invite them to lunch. They’ll likely have questions or want to talk about what they heard and experienced during the service.

 As you read this, someone, or even a few people, probably came to mind that you could invite to Sunridge. Ask them the next time you see them! You don’t have to wait for the “perfect” time to ask. If they say no, it’s OK. Let them know that they are welcome anytime if they change their mind. If no one came to mind right away, pray about it. God will certainly put someone on your heart who needs to hear about the Good News of Jesus Christ!