One of the main tenants of the way I do ministry is to understand the difference between inviting and informing. Informing is when we announce stuff be it in the newsletter, during worship, on our website or via Facebook. We’re telling people about something that is happening. It’s the basic default of most churches and sometimes it works, especially with people who have a vested interested in the thing we’re telling them about.
Inviting is the act of actually inviting a specific person to do a specific thing, often with you. For example I asked my friend if she would come help cook dinner at the local shelter and maybe we could go for a glass of wine afterwards. I knew that my friend and her family were interested in serving and they had participated in a couple of our service projects over the years. I thought she would really enjoy serving at the shelter and then we could process the experience afterwards. She said yes, and we had a great experience. The next time our faith community served at the shelter she couldn’t come, but she offered to make cupcakes ahead of time to serve at the dinner. To this day she still asks me when our next meal will be. Now I just inform her of the dates and she’s invested in the experience. And we still go for the occasional glass of wine!
Sometimes it is hard to invite people because they might say no. Or we think that informing them should be enough. I know in new start ministry that inviting has to be part of every event and ministry we do. It’s a way of communicating welcome and living out gospel hospitality. I regularly verbally invite moms to our coffee group. I regularly ask people to attend events with me. It’s a way to pave the way, to show someone they really are valued, and that they have gifts to give. The best part is that it’s catching. Once you start a culture of innovation the people you have invited start inviting others and before you know it there is a whole troop of friends of friends at coffee.
-Eilidh
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