Our 3rd intentional posture isn’t quite as simplistic as might seem. We are happy (hopefully) to invite people to be a part of our Sunday gatherings. We have all (surely) been inviting people to gather with us. But over the next six months, we have accepted the challenge to really invite people to worship with us on Sundays (at 10:15, by the way).
By “Gospel” inviting, the intention is not to simply hand people a postcard or leave some tract behind or to put up a big billboard. This intentional posture is about genuinely inviting someone to gather with us on Sundays. It is born out of relationship. And since it is “Gospel” inviting, it is from a posture of humility and love rather than pride and ulterior motivation.
To think about the undeserved grace given us (despite us) by faith via Christ’s vicarious death and victorious resurrection does not make us think we are “better.” The Gospel reminds us we are indeed no better and just as undeserving of mercy as everyone else…”But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…” (Ephesians 2:4-10). We invite not from a posture of pride or worldly motivation (like numerical bragging rights) but the Gospel–humility and love and gratitude and sacrifice and joy and other-directed concern.
Between September and March we are each committed to really inviting 20 people to gather with us for worship. (But feel free to go ahead and start inviting them this week!)
Church at Affton 