You Are Cordially Invited

In my last post I talked about the opportunities presented when we organize for different types of outreach ministry. One type of outreach is what we call Event Evangelism.

North Americans are an event-oriented. Many churches have seen event evangelism as an excellent way to communicate Jesus Christ to our communities.

Our goal for event evangelism is to invite newcomers to our facility by sponsoring community or business related events that will attract first time guests. We encourage our members with ties into the business community to invite their friends, colleagues and business clients. These events include:

Winners Luncheon: Since 1996 business professionals from throughout the metro enjoy lunch and learn practical leadership principles from Mac Hammond and a variety of local and national speakers.

Maximum Impact Simulcast: In the spring LWCC will host John Maxwell’s leadership seminar. Hundreds will attend; many invited by LWCC members.

Job Fair Several hundred Twin Cities-area job seekers attend the Fall Job Fair and network with employers seeking to fill positions.

Back-to-School Rally In late summer we hosted 2500 school teachers and staff who held their Fall Back-to-School Rally in our church sanctuary.

Military Family Fair With troops deployed overseas, this pampering event invites hundreds of service families to take time out and enjoy massage or manicure.

In a pluralistic society, it is not impolite to refuse an invitation to church. But there is still something culturally compelling about an invitation to a meal.

Evangelistic sports events also can serve as a wonderful platform for the gospel. Golf tournaments can culminate in a get-together with a meal and a testimony speaker. A Christian fisherman like Al Lindner will always attract unreached people.

There is no overt evangelism during our events. The goal is to expose newcomers to an environment that emphasizes the love of God and community service. Some of these events are even self supporting through reduced ticket fees for attendance.

An important part of planning an event is prayer. If we program, we get what programming can do. If we promote, we get what promotion can do. But if we pray, we get what God can do!