|
A radical idea: Introducing God at Christmas! |
|
|
A suggestion for how to 'scoop' Christmas guests
Right
now most of us in pastoral ministry are planning Christmas outreaches.
We have lots of guests who are along to 'kick the tyres' and 'check
things out,' but very few come back till next Christmas. A suggestion
for how to 'scoop' guests to Gingerbread nights, Carol services and
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day events into Introducing God courses.
What we've done - and it's worked - is to: (a) put an Introducing God invitation postcard in everyone's service outline, (b) show the Introducing God invitation video
early in the meeting, and then (c) in the message speak about God
coming to earth at Christmas so we could have relationship with him,
with a challenge at the end of the sermon something like this:
'Now
you might want to take things further, perhaps you would like to
explore what it would be like to have a relationship with God.
'You saw that promotional video a few minutes ago for the Introducing God course that we are starting in the third/fourth week in January - did you see the postcard invitations in your handout sheet.
'If
you would like us to invite you to that - when we are past the busyness
of Christmas - and we can think straight about imporant things, then do
fill in the visitors card - which we will collect in our next song.
'Of
course there may be some here - who you know that you want to reach out
for relationship with God now, you are thinking that that course might
be helpful, but I want to respond now.
Dear God, Thanks that you sent Jesus at Christmas, a saviour, Christ the Lord.
Help us to recognise him as our saviour, for we do need saving.
We are very sorry for the way we have treated you, ignored you, rejected you.
Thankyou that Jesus having come to earth at Christmas, he died for us at Easter, to pay for our wrong.
Lord God, help us to recognise Jesus as our Lord.
Help us to live - not with ourselves as Lord - but with Jesus as our Lord.
Amen.
Look you might have prayed that prayer - and stepped back into right
relationship with God - either way - let me encourage you to do the Introducing God course, starting the third/fourth week in January.'
 We have been surprised and delighted at how many of our guests have signed up for Introducing God ater we've done this at Christmas.
(The other thing you could do is give an Introducing God book to a friend.)
We pray that God will reach many people through your ministry this Christmas.
Dominic Steele
|
