Extraordinary Invitations

Hello Believers Family!
            
A few weeks ago, following our Sunday morning service, we distributed invitation cards and packs of Extra gum for everyone to invite others to join us at church. My 7-year-old son, Waverly, LOVES it when we do this sort of thing. He always asks if we can take even more than the two or three our wonderful greeters hand out. I understand he does this partly to have one of the candies, gum, or whatever item it may be for himself. Still, more importantly, he genuinely finds joy in inviting others to join him at church. The following week, there was more than one occasion when Waverly asked me, "Mommy, do you have one of those invites?" My response? I blew him off for one reason or another. 
 
Later that week, I took my boys to the community pool in hopes of having some fun quality time with them. Well, it must have been a long, exhausting day for both me and Waverly because he was misbehaving, we were arguing, and he was pushing all this Momma's buttons! So, there I sat in my lounge chair, grumpy as can be. Those who know me well know that my emotions are written all over my face, so I'm sure I looked extremely unapproachable. After a long time out, Waverly returns to the pool with some friends he had made. I overheard him asking them if they go to church, and then he came and asked me, "Mommy, did you bring an invite THIS TIME?" At first, I was furious because he was trying to invite his friends to church, and I had just encountered his friend's mom a few minutes earlier. I hadn't made much effort to engage in conversation because I was upset with my kid, and now he wanted to invite them to our church!? Then, I felt embarrassed and ashamed because I realized I wasn't reflecting the love of Jesus at that moment. Once again, I didn't have any invites with me anyway.
 
The Lord nudged me to try again with an invite the next day. This time, I was a bit strategic about it. I took Waverly to a new, locally owned restaurant for lunch. On the ride, I told him we would finally use one of our invite bags to give to our waiter afterward. We had an excellent lunch at Point Break Café that day, and when she brought us the check, I made a point to leave a good tip – hint, hint! - and I asked Waverly if he wanted me to do the invite or if he wanted to do it. He gave me a big grin and said, "Me!"
 
I'm ashamed to admit that it's hard for me to invite others to church. Still, God is using my own son to help me overcome whatever fears I have around it and to push me outside my comfort zone in extending invitations! You may struggle with the inviting as well, and I hope this gives you comfort in knowing that you are not alone and pushes you to step outside of YOUR comfort zone, too. We are in the middle of our summer series, Extraordinary Nobodies. Each week is a unique, stand-alone message. This is the perfect season for extra inviting! It is part of our calling as Christians to spread the good news and we all need to have the joy AND urgency in loving others to Jesus. "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20.
 
See you Sunday!
 
Meghan Hutton
Worship Director