As I was driving down Highway 72 today in Madison, Alabama, I saw a man dressed in religious garb waving at cars. As I drove closer, I realized that the man was Scott Peterson, the Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church. I was intrigued, so I parked my car and went over to talk to him. I asked him why he was standing on a busy highway waving at cars as they went by. He answered, “This is just a simple way to invite the thousands of people who drive past this Church every hour to stop in and visit. I know that many people are looking for a Church right now and I want each of them to know that they are welcome at Messiah Lutheran Church. I’ve done this in the past and I’ve had people visit the Church and become members simply because I stood on the road and waved at them.”
As I drove home, I thought about what the pastor had said. Could it be that simple? And the more I thought about it, I realized that the Pastor was on the right track. There are many people in our community who are looking for a Church. They just need an invitation. I personally am going to look for opportunities to invite the people I meet to visit Messiah Lutheran Church. I encourage you to do the same.
We are all a little nervous, or even a little “afraid” to invite people to church. We fear rejection, the loss of a friendship, or may feel that we will “mess things” up. But God wants us to grow as a Christian Community! And if Pastor Scott can stand on a busy highway and wave at thousands of cars, I guess the least we can do is to put ourselves out there by extending invitations to our friends.