Why Don't More People Attend Church?

I can’t verify the statistic, but when I was prayerfully considering moving from Pennsylvania to northern Michigan to become the Lead Pastor here at the Gaylord E-Free Church, someone told me that there were over 19,000 people in Otsego County that did not attend any church.  That is quite a large number when you consider that the U.S. Census has the 2011 population for Otsego county at just over 24,000 people.  

The big question is, “Why?”  Why don’t more people attend church?  Maybe it is because they think that church is boring!  Maybe it is because they think that all the church wants is their money!  Maybe it is because they think that there are too many hypocrites in the church!  Maybe they just don’t think the church and the Bible applies to their life today.

But if you turn the question around you find an interesting fact.  Do you know the #1 reason why people who decide to give church a try, do so?  The answer is that most people who visit a church do so because someone personally invited them.  If the flip-side of this is true then this means that quite possibly the main reason that people don’t go to church is simple – it’s because they have never been personally invited.

Never underestimate the power of an invitation.  In John 4, after the Samaritan woman at the well had an encounter with Jesus, she ran back to her village with two powerful words, “Come see,” which resulted in many from her village coming to meet Jesus (John 4:29-30).

Next to Easter, this coming Sunday, July 15, is the best Sunday you will have all year to invite people you know to come to church.  We will be having our service down at the Fairgrounds beginning at 10am as we take time to honor all past and present military personnel, law enforcement officers, fire-fighters and other first responders.  There will be a great mix of patriotic and worship music and following the service there will be a cook out.  The whole morning is free.

Don't miss this opportunity.  Be sure to invite someone to attend with you this weekend.  Don’t assume that they would not be interested.  Don’t say their “no” for them.  Invite them and let them say their “yes” or “no” for themselves.

Like the Samaritan Woman at the Well, let the words "Come and See" be words you speak this week to anyone and everyone you know.