One of the greatest hindrances to urban church growth is the lack of proper invitations. Most urban churches do not know who to help the worshippers respond to the message of God as delivered by the “preacher.” Ministers should carefully consider five specific items related to inviting the listener to respond to the message of God. I am a firm believer that every message, if it is from God, should provide the listener the opportunity to respond. Every invitation to respond to the Gospel message should be thoughtful and executed properly. This idea is not original with me, but is something I picked up at a conference some years ago. I implemented it and saw conversions and rededications nearly double. I believe these four simple items will help urban church growth.
First, when a pastor gets up to preach God's Word, he should read the Scripture which is the basis for the message he is going to preach on, offer a pre-invitation, and then pray a pre-introductory prayer. At this point, the man of God is ready to go into the introduction and message. The message should work to a conclusion, prayer, and invitation. Why should every sermon have a pre-invitation? When the man of God shares the pre-invitation, the Holy Spirit begins immediately to work hearts in minds toward the proper decision. When I give a pre-invitation, it starts something like this, “At the close of the message this morning, you will be asked to make one of two decisions.” I then explain the decisions the listeners will be asked to make, whether it is for salvation, rededication, church membership, et cetera. The listener knows the message is going to end with a call for a specific decision. All through the message, the listener is thinking about the decision they are being asked to make, and all through the message, the Holy Spirit is at work.
Second, when the message concludes, the one who delivered the message must extend an invitation to the listeners. The one who delivers the word of God should be the extended of the invitation and the key recipient of those responding to the invitation. Other pastors or staff may assist, but the one proclaiming the Word of God should be front and center to receive those responding to the message. Urban ministries should have an array of cultural diversity visible during the invitation. These can be ministers or lay counselors of another race who also come to stand at the front, and this is very important to build cultural diversity. He should not be holding a hymnbook or singing the invitational hymn. He should be prayerfully focused on the congregation, looking for those the Holy Spirit is working with so that he will know how best to encourage obedience. I usually stand with arms outstretched, slightly lowered, with hands turned up. This position is inviting and presents fewer barriers to the timid and hesitate listener who may be under conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Third, do not rush the invitation. Most people will not respond until after the third verse of an invitation hymn. Most people respond during the fourth verse. I do not claim to know all of the reasons for this timeframe, but perhaps it is to build the courage to walk to the front to take a stand for Jesus. When ministers end the invitation at the close of a second verse, they hinder people from making life-altering decisions. Likewise, if no one comes after the fourth or fifth verse, end the invitation by letter the congregation know that you are available after the service to speak with anyone wanting to discuss a spiritual issue.
Fourth, invitations should be inviting, but integrity demands that we not use manipulation. Musicology helps the minister understand the proper use of music during an invitation. The worship leader must give careful attention to make sure the music is not too loud, distracting, or irreverent. It is also a good idea to have trained counselors ready to assist with those who come forward. When I first started really taking the invitation seriously, I found I often had more people responding that I could handle. I had to learn to hand the off to trained lay counselors to spend the amount of time they needed. You should know that if a line forms, it deters others from coming forward. You might also ask your deacons or elders to come forward during the invitation to kneel and pray at the front. Often the timid find it easier to start walking toward the front when they see other people moving. Evangelistic services held in large stadiums use this method very effectively.
Fifth, the minister must help the congregation understand that the invitation is the most important part of the whole service. The invitation is where the worshippers make life-changing decisions. It is where God does His work. Up until this point, others have been doing the work. Musicians have played the instruments. Singers have led the worshippers in song. The pastor has preached the Word of God. Now, God does His work and we behold His glory! When a person accepts Jesus as Lord, this is the work of God! When a marriage is mended, this is God working! Ministers must help the congregation understand that the invitation is a sacred moment when God is most visible in the service. This is not a time for members to start leaving. I usually ask people not to leave unless it is an emergency, and tell them that if they leave the ushers will assist them with the medical emergency they are experiencing. Thoughtless members often hinder God’s work by leaving during the invitation.
Recently I went to worship with another urban church. The pastor did not give a pre-invitation. The invitation was not well thought out nor focused; it seemed he aimed at nothing and hit it. He stood at the front holding a hymnal and singing along for the two-verse invitation. The invitation was not inviting. In spite of the diversity in the congregation, there was not diversity of leadership at the front to receive those wanting to make decisions. During the short two verses invitational hymn, I observed no fewer than twelve people exiting the worship center. I found myself wondering if they were responding to the invitation by rejecting the message. Despite the pastor’s education and training, this minister did everything wrong in extending the invitation. I was not surprised that no one responded to the message. It was a worshipful service, but a thoughtless invitation. Many urban churches flounder and decline, not because of inadequate music or inarticulate homilies, but from the inability to extend an invitation to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So what do you do if you discover that your church is not properly giving attendees the opportunity to respond to God’s message? First, commit to serious prayer about the issue. The offering of an invitation is the responsibility of the Pastor and you must be very careful not to be critical of your pastor. The fact is that many pastors did not receive proper training in seminary concerning how to extend an invitation in the most effective manner. Second, talk with your pastor about your concern in a nonthreatening manner. Assure your pastor that you that your discussions are confidential and that you are not being critical of his method, but ask him if you can explore ways to improve the effectiveness of the invitation. Third, share the items in this observation with your pastor as discussion points and ask him if he believes they are relevant for the church. It may just be the spark for prayerful thoughtfulness on the part of your pastor in focusing on making the invitation most effective. Fourth, if you receive a negative reaction from your pastor, back off and commit the issue to prayer. Ultimately, the spiritual responsibility of leading the congregation falls on the pastor and God holds him accountable for his leadership of the local church.
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