A couple of years ago, my wife invited me to go to the public library with her and our boys. I wasn’t going to go, but then I thought why not. I ended up walking around the library searching for something interesting. A small audiobook on disc with a bright yellow cover caught my eye. It was a book I hadn’t heard about. It was titled, God of the Underdogs. I picked it up believing that it was going to be just another book with little to no consequence. At the same time, our family was in the middle of a season of transition not knowing what our ‘next’ was or where our ‘next’ would be. We were in a holding pattern. Reading the contents of this particular book changed the course of our lives. The words that Matt Keller, the author, wrote in this book felt like they were written just for me in that particular season. There was a moment when I was driving to a meeting and literally had to pull the car over and “rewind” the disc so I could hear it again. After processing this book, Heather and I decided to change the course of action we were currently on. I can’t put everything into words, but I can honestly say that without the invitation to visit the library, I might not have ever come across this book. Without listening to that particular audiobook, I don’t know if I would have ever considered starting a church. These kinds of events happen all the time... blind dates, swiping right or a guy asking a girl out finally after having a major crush on her. These decisions can change the course of history. The seemingly simple act of inviting a friend to go on a run could start them down the path of becoming a marathon runner. This marathon runner could raise kids who not only watch their mom run marathons but want to be physically active as well. This could change the course of their family’s medical history of unhealthy patterns and habits and end obesity and heart attacks in their family tree. Taking the unseemingly small step and asking a co-worker to watch a big game with you in March might result in you guys becoming best friends. This could result in a lifelong family friendship that last decades and even generations. Inviting someone to something can change the course and trajectory of their life. What would happen if we lived our lives thinking this through? What could happen if we believed that we might actually improve someone’s life? What risks would we be willing to take? I believe that deep down every human being wants to do good and wants to help others improve. Inviting someone to encounter Jesus in an authentic way is the most important invitation someone can make. We may think it’s simple to invite a co-worker, friend, neighbor or family member to attend a church service, but that could change the trajectory of their life and their family for generations to come. So how should we do it? Should we just walk around and invite everyone and anyone? That’s an option, but I don’t believe it’s the best option. Here are three simple steps that we follow here at RE.THINK Church when inviting someone to attend a service here at RE.THINK. 1. Pray. We Pray that God will bring at least three people or three families to our mind that don’t have a relationship with Jesus yet. We truly believe that inviting someone to church could change their lives and the trajectory of their family. We know that God loves each person more than we do. We believe He longs to have a relationship with each person He created, therefore, we ask God to help. 2. Invest. Just like good wine, pairing matters. Invite cards pair well with gifts, notes of encouragement, kind words etc. Take some time and invest in someone’s life. 3. Invite. Take the courageous step and invite someone to join you at RE.THINK Church. Taking this courageous step literally could change their life. Let’s change the course of history by grasping one of the most powerful forces, the force of potential. The power of the invitation holds so much potential! Photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash
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WHy a blog?RE.THINK Church values being a church that is casual. Casual Church goes far beyond the way we dress, it's more about we expect people to take this journey at their own pace. We are here to journey with everyone. So we've created a blog so people can check us out before they show up for a service. Archives
March 2020
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