The Pastor’s Pen
When I first arrived, someone told me that Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church is a very welcoming church. Leigh and I have discovered that this is absolutely true. From our very first Sunday, people greeted us with warmth and kindness. Hands were extended. Conversations began easily. We felt, in a word, received.
Over the past months, I have heard the same thing from others who are newer among us. They tell stories of the first morning they walked through the doors – perhaps a little unsure, perhaps carrying quiet hopes or private worries – and how someone noticed them, spoke with them, helped them find their way. That is no small thing. In a world where people can feel invisible even in crowded places, a church that truly welcomes is already doing holy work.
Lately I have been thinking about the difference between welcoming and inviting.
Welcoming is what we do when someone crosses the threshold. It is the smile, the handshake, the conversation after worship. It is making room at the table once someone has found their way to the door.
Inviting is something different.
Inviting happens before the door.
Inviting is when someone says to a friend, “You should come with me this Sunday.” It’s when we remember the neighbor who mentioned they were looking for a church, or the coworker who said they grew up in church but haven’t been in years, or the family member who might be quietly longing for community but doesn’t quite know how to take the first step.
Inviting is simply telling someone, “There is a place for you here.”
The interesting thing is that surveys of people who do not currently attend church regularly show something surprising: 70 to 80 percent say they would consider visiting a church if someone simply invited them. Not a marketing campaign. Not a billboard. Just an invitation.
Sometimes we imagine people are not interested in church anymore. But it may be closer to the truth that many people are simply waiting for someone to say, “Come and see.”
Over the next few months, I want to challenge us gently to grow from being a welcoming church into an inviting church.
The invitation might be extended to someone who once sat in these pews but has drifted away. It might be a neighbor you chat with across the fence. It might be a friend who has been searching for something deeper than the hurried pace of everyday life.
The invitation does not have to be complicated. It might be as simple as: “Hey, my church means a lot to me. Would you like to come with me sometime?”
I believe there is something special happening at LPC right now. I see it in the way people care for one another. I hear it in the laughter and conversation before and after worship. I sense it in the spirit of hope that seems to be quietly growing among us.
And if something good is happening, the natural thing is to share it.
After all, when we discover a good restaurant or a great book or a beautiful place, we cannot help telling others about it. How much more when we discover a community where faith is alive, where grace is spoken, and where people are learning together what it means to follow Christ.
So let us keep being the welcoming church we already are. And let us also become an inviting church – one conversation, one relationship, one simple invitation at a time.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Greg
pastorgreg@lawrencevillepresbyterian.org
Over the past months, I have heard the same thing from others who are newer among us. They tell stories of the first morning they walked through the doors – perhaps a little unsure, perhaps carrying quiet hopes or private worries – and how someone noticed them, spoke with them, helped them find their way. That is no small thing. In a world where people can feel invisible even in crowded places, a church that truly welcomes is already doing holy work.
Lately I have been thinking about the difference between welcoming and inviting.
Welcoming is what we do when someone crosses the threshold. It is the smile, the handshake, the conversation after worship. It is making room at the table once someone has found their way to the door.
Inviting is something different.
Inviting happens before the door.
Inviting is when someone says to a friend, “You should come with me this Sunday.” It’s when we remember the neighbor who mentioned they were looking for a church, or the coworker who said they grew up in church but haven’t been in years, or the family member who might be quietly longing for community but doesn’t quite know how to take the first step.
Inviting is simply telling someone, “There is a place for you here.”
The interesting thing is that surveys of people who do not currently attend church regularly show something surprising: 70 to 80 percent say they would consider visiting a church if someone simply invited them. Not a marketing campaign. Not a billboard. Just an invitation.
Sometimes we imagine people are not interested in church anymore. But it may be closer to the truth that many people are simply waiting for someone to say, “Come and see.”
Over the next few months, I want to challenge us gently to grow from being a welcoming church into an inviting church.
The invitation might be extended to someone who once sat in these pews but has drifted away. It might be a neighbor you chat with across the fence. It might be a friend who has been searching for something deeper than the hurried pace of everyday life.
The invitation does not have to be complicated. It might be as simple as: “Hey, my church means a lot to me. Would you like to come with me sometime?”
I believe there is something special happening at LPC right now. I see it in the way people care for one another. I hear it in the laughter and conversation before and after worship. I sense it in the spirit of hope that seems to be quietly growing among us.
And if something good is happening, the natural thing is to share it.
After all, when we discover a good restaurant or a great book or a beautiful place, we cannot help telling others about it. How much more when we discover a community where faith is alive, where grace is spoken, and where people are learning together what it means to follow Christ.
So let us keep being the welcoming church we already are. And let us also become an inviting church – one conversation, one relationship, one simple invitation at a time.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Greg
pastorgreg@lawrencevillepresbyterian.org
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