Americans Most Likely to Try Out Church through Family, Friends
From the article:Over half of Americans say they would visit a church if they receive a personal invitation from a family member, friend or neighbor, a new study shows.
The latest LifeWay Research survey found that people are most willing to hear about a local congregation through a family member (63 percent) and through a friend or neighbor from the church (56 percent). Less than half are open to receive information about a church any other way, such as through an advertisement.
"We want to help Christians discover what approaches work best in today’s culture," said Ken Weathersby, senior strategist for evangelization at the North American Mission Board, according to LifeWay. "It’s not about changing the Gospel, but determining how best to share it."
Some other interesting information from the article:
The survey, which LifeWay says may be the largest survey ever conducted on Americans' receptivity to different methods of church invitations, shows that conversations are the best way to invite someone to hear about Christ.
"The primary lesson North American believers should learn from this research is that many of your unchurched friends are ready for an invitation to conversation," said Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, in the report. "Unbelievers next door still need a simple, personal invitation to talk, to be in community and to church. Clearly, relationships are important and work together with marketing."
Also, Americans are most likely to be open to invitations from non-denominational churches. They are least likely to be open to invitations from Mormons.
Regarding follow-ups to those who have been introduced to a community of faith, the only time a majority of Americans would respond positively is through a postcard from a church advertising upcoming talks on topics that matter to them.
Reading this article reminded me of one of my sermon outlines: "The Power Of An Invitation".
Often, all it takes is for someone to ask another, "Come and see . . ."
