'Invite your neighbor to church' day

**Writer's note - I started writing this Wednesday am, got frustrated by the topic and stopped. I considered attempting it again that night, and had the same frustations. This will be my third and final attempt. I have a tough time discussing this without becoming agitated toward the earnest, but misguided folks who this is about.**

So last night (Tuesday), as I was driving to class, I was listening to K-Love. During an information update, there was a segment about a "national invite your neighbor to church day", or something of that nature. As far as that part goes, I am completely on board, though I would hope that any Sunday could offer the same opportunity. The snippet from the interviewee was all about making your church more welcoming to these 'unchurched' neighbors. They suggested hanging banners, preparing special sermons/lessons, and a variety of other tweaks to your normal routine to make the invitees feel more welcome and comfortable.


This brings to mind a few very important questions. Why do so many in the Christian community feel that it is necessary to "change" or spruce up our churches in order to lure outsiders in? Is the problem with the message, the presentation, or the deliverers? This is an area that greatly frustrates and grieves me. God's word and the Gospel of Jesus are immutable, yet we so often want to hide or "package" it to make it more palatable to those who do not believe.

This brings to mind something I occasionally encounter in culinary circles, particularly when dealing with small children. Parents will often try to mask healthy ingredients into dishes in order to get their children to eat it. They usually do this either because the children refuse to eat the good item based on poor past experiences, or out of assumption that the child will reject the item out of hand.

Not having any children myself, I find this practice amusing. The interesting thing to me is that in preparing these alternate versions, some of the nutrients that make the food healthy can sometimes be lost - either through pureeing/blending, removal or specific elements of the food, or other methods. All of this is to say that in trying to fool the child into getting their healthy needs met, they actually strip away some portion of what they are attempting to pass along.

Something to consider - by changing the normal routine and message for these visitors, you will likely accomplish one of two things. Either you will clarify your message, thereby moving closer to presenting the Gospel Truth, or you will obfuscate it in the interest of putting on a good show.

If you accomplish the former, then why is this not your norm? Figure out what was improved, and continue to pursue that. If your result is a further clouding or muddying of the message, then what is accomplished? Even if you do gain some new attendees, under what pretense are they joining? What is gained by attending your church if the Message is lost amid the programs, glitz, and glamour?

My prayer in this matter is that those who are following this dangerous path do not lose sight of the Truth in inviting their neighbors to their church. I pray that the message delivered is clear and compelling, and that all who hear it, current churchgoer or invitee, are swayed to follow Christ with great conviction and a full heart.