November
01
Author
David Ash
Christmas Service Invite Tips

People love an invitation, knowing someone has gone out of their way and made a point of inviting us to something makes us feel special, cared for and in community. That is often regardless of whether we can actually make it or not and just the act of asking may open up new opportunities or avenues of friendship for us.

It's certainly true that more people than ever are feeling lonely and isolated. The Christmas season seems to highlight these things and the current cost of living crisis is exacerbating the issue as many cut back on social events to save money.

This Christmas we again have the opportunity to invite those we know and may be those we simply meet in our day to day lives to an event which is high quality but is also free of charge. We're praying that this year people will go away with a fresh sense of hope and that it will once again help people get 'into the Christmas spirit'.

While posters, leaflets and social media posts are all great ways to let people know about an event, there is nothing quite like a personal invitation from a friend, neighbour or work colleague. In other words, you personally, inviting someone, can make all the difference!

So, your convinced that inviting people is a good idea but how do you go about inviting someone?

It's actually pretty simple - but it can be a bit nerve wracking to invite someone to something. So here are some tips to help you:

1. Pray
It's easy to forget this part of the invite process and think that it 'all depends on us'. In reality it is God who draws people to himself and so before you invite someone pray! Ask God to show you who to invite and also the best way to invite them. Ask Him to prepare their hearts to receive and to give you a good opportunity for the conversation.

Don't forget to pause and listen to God, when we ask him to speak, we need to give space for Him to reply.

Also don't forget to keep praying for the person that you have invited, after you have spoken to them, and trust God to be at work in their lives.

2. Prepare
Think about the person you want to invite, what sort of invite would they best respond to? Which service would they appreciate the most? You may want to invite them to the Carols event or you may decide they would appreciate the Family Christmas event more. Would they want the invite to be for their whole family or just them as an individual? Think about how you would start the conversation with them.

BUT, try not to stress about the details too much, think about how you would invite them for a cup of coffee or to come over for a chat and do something similar...

3. Ask
It may seem to simplistic but the best way to invite someone is to simply ASK them! You could simply say something like: "I'm planning to go to 'Christmas Carols' at Jubilee Church on 17th December. I went last year and it was wonderful. I wondered if you might like to come and join me this time?" If they say yes you can then make further arrangements or organise to send them the full details later.

We hope this was helpful in preparing to invite someone! Don't forget that all the details about our Christmas events this year are available at: jubilee.org.uk/christmas

Read 5 Ways to Invite Someone to Christmas Carols here.