Weekend Snapshot

Hey Northgate,

I had a great time this past weekend with the 14 people who attended our Pathway to Partnership class. It’s always fun to see both familiar and new faces. I love hearing people’s stories, learning what led them to make a deeper commitment to Northgate, and discovering what brought them to our church in the first place.

And it’s that last part that I really wanted to write about today.

Every time we offer this class, I hear the same story over and over again: an invitation.

Someone came to Northgate, experienced something meaningful, and then invited a friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker to come with them…and they said yes! Maybe they didn’t say yes the first time. Maybe they said yes but didn’t actually come for a few months. But eventually, they came because someone cared enough to invite them.

What I hear in these stories lines up with what research has shown for years. According to author and researcher Thom Rainer:

82% of unchurched individuals are at least somewhat likely to attend a church service if they receive a personal invitation.
86% of people who attend church do so because they were invited by someone they know, compared to only 2% who come because of church advertising.
Seven out of ten unchurched people have never been invited to church.
Think about that for a moment. Seven out of ten people who don't attend church have simply never been asked.

So, when was the last time you invited someone to come to church with you?

I don't ask that to make you feel guilty. In fact, if guilt is your motivation, don't do it, that’s not the right reason. But if you've found something meaningful here, if you've encountered God, grown in your faith, built friendships, or discovered hope, why wouldn't you want to share that with the people you care about?

Sometimes people ask if this weekend is the right one to invite someone. They want to know what the series is, who's preaching, or whether it will be a full band. My answer is always the same: every weekend is a great weekend to invite someone to Northgate.

You never know what God might do through one simple invitation. It could be the beginning of a life-changing relationship with Jesus, and it all starts with a conversation as simple as, “Do you want to come to church with me this weekend?"

Also, one totally unrelated, but super important, side note before I go: Two weekends ago, we had children from our Connected Community in Gahanda, Rwanda, available for sponsorship. Of the 11 sponsorships, all but two were taken!

I share that, first, to applaud you for being such a generous and faithful church that always steps up. But I also want to let you know that Allison currently has two sponsorships still available and waiting.

For just $38 a month, you can truly change a child's life. As I often say, this is the single most impactful thing you can do for this village and the people who live there.

If you're interested, please email our Operations Director, Allison, at allison@northgatefmc.com.

Thank you, Northgate. You are the best of the best and I appreciate the people who make up this church so deeply. I can’t wait to continue unpacking Thessalonians with you tonight and on Sunday.

Pastor John
Lead Pastor