G’day church,
A question for you to ponder: What do you think is the likelihood that your friend or neighbour would come to church if you invited them? Not a chance; maybe a 50/50 possibility; highly likely?? One of the most optimistic people I know answered this question with “about 30%.” What would you say?
(actually pause for a moment and pick a number before reading on…)
The reason I ask is that we’re about to invite a whole stack of people to join us for church this Christmas by putting a flyer in their letter box, which is exciting, but it’s also pretty impersonal. It’d be wonderful to offer a personal invitation to many of our friends and neighbours as well. And you might be surprised how many might say yes! Alongside the recent national census, McCrindle Research conducted an in-depth survey that indicated that despite the increasing secularisation of our society, 44% of people who identify as ‘non religious’ would be at least slightly likely to attend a church service if personally invited by a friend or family member. If you broaden that to Australians in general, a whopping 68% of people would be open to attending church if they were personally invited. What’s more, over 70% of people would be open to a spiritual conversation with someone who holds different views than their own. That’s worth a try!!
But we want people to know that we actually care for them, that they’re not just a target for a marketing campaign. Which is the beauty of the gift swap that has happened over the last 2 years at Trinity Brighton. What a wonderful, tangible way to express our genuine interest in people. So, give some thought to who you could give a gift to, and start praying for them. And if you’re not so sure about making gifts on your own, why not join in on one of the sessions coming up. They’ll be a stack of fun, but also a really productive way of helping us all share the message of hope we have in Jesus. Even if you’re just happy to gift-wrap and stick on a card, this is a great way to help. Please email me if you’d like more details.
Puzzle Making with Mike.
From 3:00-4:30pm, Sunday 4th
Body Scrub Making with Lauren.
From 10:00am to midday, Tuesday 6th
Multiple Craft Projects with Carolyn.
From 7:00-9:30pm on Wednesday 7th
and from 10:00am on December 8th
After all, the hope we have in Jesus is such a precious gift to celebrate and share!
Cheers,
Simon Marshman
Senior Pastor
Trinity Church Brighton
0401 387 908
simon.marshman@trinity.church