Witness: Be the Ripple Effect in Your Sphere of InfluenceShembull

Pray, Invite, Bring

Pray, Invite, Bring -- it’s a strategy for sharing Christ. Why? Because you have friends, family, and coworkers who need Jesus just like you do. We started this plan encouraging you to commit to bringing 5 people to church over the next 12 months. In today’s reading, Jesus invited a Samaritan woman into a relationship with him that had a huge ripple effect -- she told her entire village what Jesus had done and many believed because of her testimony.

But we’re not just asking you to commit to sharing your faith. First, start in prayer. Not just a quick, one-time prayer, but continual prayer. Why? Because private prayer time produces power in public (Acts 4:31). The more time we spend in prayer, the closer we get to God, the more we listen to the Holy Spirit, the bolder we become. Prayer changes US. 

Did you know that 8 out of 10 people are just waiting for an invitation? Here are 10 practical things you can do to invite: (build a relationship!).  Through it all, OFFER TO PRAY FOR THEM!!!  

1. Take a friend to coffee.  
2. Check-in on Facebook when you get to church -- be vocal about the church!  
3. Record a 90-second video invite on your phone and post on Facebook.  
4. Send a simple text message to invite your 5 people to join you at church.  
5. Grab an invite card and drop it in their mailbox.  
6. Get to know your neighbors -- God has planted you there for a reason.  
7. Wear your CHURCH Merchandise -- great conversation starter!  
8. Invite someone to your Life Group.  
9. Add an extra line under your personal email automatic signature talking about your faith or inviting folks to your church outreach event.  
10. Personally invite a friend to an outreach event.

Most of these are invitations to something the church has going on. Is it all about the church? No -- this is because most people follow the pattern: BELONG BEFORE YOU BELIEVE. 

Remember, Jew and Samaritan were not supposed to talk to each other, yet Jesus made the Samaritan woman feel like she belonged, and then she believed! People have to feel like they belong long before they’ll take the next step of faith.

But don’t just invite them, become a bringer as well. If they need a ride, offer them a ride. If they drive themselves, wait for them in the parking lot so you can walk in together. Save them a seat and sit with them.

What are you bringing them to? A chance to hear the Gospel, to experience the living water, to never thirst again!

Ask God to give you the boldness to witness and pray to him, specifically, for the 5 people on your list, pray using their names. And watch what God will do as he changes lives.

Reflection Questions:  

1. What five people are on your list to invite to church this year?   
2. If Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray? How does that change your thoughts about prayer?  
3. What will you ask God to help you do as you take on this challenge to be a witness for him in your sphere of influence?  
4. Which of the 10 ideas for helping invite people to church will you try this week and with whom?   
5. How can you be not only an inviter but a “bringer?”