This season, we all know what we’re celebrating, right? JESUS. The birth of the King. The sacrifice that our God made, by putting on flesh, coming to this insane world and enduring suffering for US. Yep, for US. You and me. I know there are people who don’t know the real meaning of Christmas out there in the world. But there are also people who KNOW the story, but haven’t bought in. And guess what? They’re people that you know. Your co-workers. Your neighbors. Heck, even your own spouse. It wasn’t too long ago that I was one of those folks. Going to church every week at that point and still, not completely bought in.
That moment that Eminem was amping you up for earlier, well, this is it. A Lifeway Research poll of 1000 Americans found that 6 out of 10 people go to church during Christmas time. And of those who don’t attend? Fifty-seven percent said they would if someone invited them! Both of these statistics are important for many reasons. Let’s take a look:
Some of these folks may have not found a church home (relocated, left another church, schedule conflicts, etc.), may be those that haven’t “bought in,” or may be non-believers. It’s our Great Commission to spread the Gospel, but even beyond that, we should be invested in helping others to experience Jesus! This is where serving becomes important. If we can make these folks feel welcomed and surrounded by people who love Jesus, they might just become regular attenders.
This next part is what really inspired this blog post. While doing dishes, I was thinking about who I could pray for in that moment. The answer? Our pastor. Think about it. There is no greater pressure on a pastor to deliver a moving, inspiring message than at Christmas time (this is solely my opinion, I didn’t ask or research it, but it makes sense). Not only do they celebrate and honor Jesus (um, this has to be the biggest birthday party they’ve ever thrown), but I’m certain the weight of knowing all of the first-time, or holiday-time attenders listening in has to add even more motivation. As a church member, PRAY FOR YOUR PASTOR. Not just at Christmas time, but all the time. But since this blog topic popped into my head, I’m going to make sure to pray extra hard for Pastor Bobby this month. While I’m at it, I’ll also say some extra prayers for the rest of our church staff and leaders. You never know when a specific piece of scripture or lyric in a song will be the catalyst to salvation.
INVITE PEOPLE TO CHURCH. If you ever feel somewhat uncomfortable or don’t want to come off as “pushy,” if there’s anything that’s ever stopped you from doing it before, now is the perfect time to invite someone to church with you. Remember, the 57% of people who didn’t attend church at Christmas would attend if they were invited? Someone is waiting for you to invite them. They may not know it yet. Take a leap, get out of your comfort zone, stop assuming that everyone you know is also on Team Jesus (would be great if they were, tbh, but everyone has to start somewhere!).
I know Eminem is likely not the best artist to use in this scenario (probably way at the bottom of the list, truthfully), but he’s right. Take your shot. Serve during the holidays to let the light of Jesus shine through you. Invite someone to church (though if you’re the nervous type, maybe pass on mom’s spaghetti the night before).
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