1 September 2010

In July, I invited someone to come to the services of night prayer, or compline, sung by the amazing Exon Singers. I knew that the services were going to be wonderful, and I thought that this person might enjoy them, even find them helpful. Just as you would share with a friend a good recipe, a good book, a good TV programme, or a good walk, so it should be very natural for us to share with other people a good church.

It should be natural – a duty and a joy for every church member – not something that we treat casually, or leave to the extroverts. ‘But my faith is very private,’ you might say. ‘Yes indeed,’ could come the reply: ‘bring your friend to church, and let us (or rather, the Holy Spirit) do the rest.’ (It requires, of course, quality worship when your invitee comes to church, but that’s more the problem of us ministers than yours!)

It’s a serious matter, because you never know just how important coming back to church might be for someone. Take the case of a person who came ‘back to church’ in one of our parishes last year.

            My Christian journey is probably familiar to many: christened as a baby. Sunday School as a small child, and then a church youth club in my teens (attendance at church required at least once a month to be a member!). Then the years intervened – life was busy, and church took a ‘back seat’, only coming to the fore at Christmas, weddings, christenings and funerals.

         Then last year, a good friend invited us to ‘Back to Church Sunday’. What a novel idea! We thought about it, and realised that there would be other people coming back to church, so we wouldn’t be alone in unfamiliar surroundings! I was a bit hesitant. Would the regular churchgoers talk to us? How welcoming would the clergy be? After all, I wasn’t a ‘good Christian’ – I’d not been to church for years! But all my fears were unfounded. Everyone was so welcoming: they all seemed genuinely pleased to see us. We were immediately put at ease, and felt quite at home in this wonderful family of the church. We were truly welcomed back to church, ‘just like it said on the tin’!

       Now a year on, I still go to church regularly. I have made many new friends and been confirmed. This has not been an easy year in my personal life, but God came back into my life to help me through it all.

      I rediscovered God this year, but the funny thing is, God has always been there with me, all these years.

      If anyone asked me whether they should join in with ‘Welcome to Church’ Sunday this year, I’d have to say that you don’t know what you are missing! Do come along and give it a go!

What this person rather modestly refers to as ‘not an easy year in my personal life’ was in fact the death of their partner, and faith has proved crucial in helping this person through this terrible time. The person who invited them back to church will have had no idea, when they invited them, how important their invitation would turn out to be.

Many people are waiting for just such an invitation, or excuse, to try church out, being picked up by a good friend who sits with them in the service, and has coffee or lunch with them afterwards – as testified by the number of people who tell me that they would genuinely like to come more to church, if only they had some sort of final prompt or opportunity. We know – because people tell us – that church makes a huge difference in people’s lives – in terms of providing meaning, purpose and joy – like colour TV after black and white – and whether your friends have the opportunity for this, depends on your invitation.

So please give consideration this month to whom you can invite to come with you to church on ‘Welcome to Church’ Sunday – 26 September – and then invite them. It’s the fourth time that we’ve run this Sunday in our parishes – it was previously called ‘Back to Church’ Sunday, which rather assumes that your invitees have been to church in the past, so we’re calling it ‘Welcome to Church’ Sunday in case they haven’t!

And of course, if you think that they might be more suited to other ‘entry points’ in our church life, then there’s our non-eucharistic Teddy Bear service on 12 September (see page 8), the cricket match to mark St Eustachius’ patronal festival at the Ring on Saturday 18 September, with tea for all, a hog roast and beer (see page 16), and separate Alpha courses to discuss the faith, for youth and adults, (see page 17) starting at the end of the month.

All these activities are made for inviting people to them: so please don’t let September go by without your inviting someone! You never know how important your invitation might turn out to be.