Inviting your neighbor to church

Salty, it depends on a number of variables. What if you live in an area where most of the churches have serious theological deficiencies? In order to find a solid bible teaching church you have to travel 30-45-60 minutes one way. Is it worth taking your neighbor that far? I would answer in the affirmative. My conscience would not allow me to bring a neighbor or friend to a church I know does not accurately teach the Word of God. And this is not just a hypothetical situation. I know people who live in rural areas that require them to travel that far to attend a good bible teaching church. It does make the Lord's Day more of a chore. They have to get up earlier and eat breakfast on the way, but they consider it well worth the effort. If they consider it important enough for them, they should also consider it important enough for their neighbor.

 

If you haven't already shared the Gospel with him or invited him to your house, I'd say the distance from our front porch to theirs is about as far as they would need to reasonably be willing to go to start attending church.

I'm assuming we're talking about unchurched people or non-believers. And we must remember that the Church is for the Body of Believers.

Walk to their house and build a relationship and tell them how to be saved. If they express an interest in going to church, then take them no matter how far if hey want to go. Otherwise, be the church for them and point them to salvation and don't feel the need to drive them to a building.:thumbs:

 

That's part of discipleship Salty. If you can establish a relationship in which to disciple the person, you may have to explain to them that part of submitting to Christ is submitting to His commands. And though he may not be willing to drive, say an hour away every Sunday, he still needs to understand that out of obedience he needs to be assemblying with the Saints at some point.

I think small group Bible Study qualifies as a gathering of the Saints too. Maybe you and some more of the spiritually mature men in the church can start a small group and invite him to that. Or invite him to an already established Bible Study that isn't as far away as the church. It could open the door and give him a chance to see a smaller dose of what we get corporately when the Body comes together.

 

I have a friend who was a missionary in Ethiopia and he told me that people would walk for three hours, be part of a service that lasted three hours (with a sermon included that was typically 1.5 hours) and then walk home for another three hours.

People get what they are willing to work and sacrifice for.

 

Actually I believe some would and the reason is that people will join something they find valuable and challenging. Certainly there were those who followed Jesus. The problem I believe is too many churches are program focused with an attender in mind. The problem with that approach is that the person who comes say because of a youth program will no longer need a youth program when their kids leave home. People's needs are always changing but their need for Jesus and His direction never does.

When I taught high school I studied the most successful schools and adopted some of their ways. The successful schools have high expectations among their students and huge amounts of encouragement to do their best.

 

Think about this.....or they cant travel that far due to health/economic/transportation restrictions.....what then?

 

forget that....this is the USA, not Ethopia