Inviting people to come to Jesus is an important part of every worship service,” said Keith Thomas, pastor of Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Mobile, in Mobile Baptist Association.
“So many pastors see so little fruit because they don’t expect anything to happen,” he said. “Our staff plans 10–12 minutes into the worship schedule for the invitation. We make sure that our people know this is an important part of the service, not an add-on at the end.”
Thomas said there is more than one way to give an invitation. “The key is that you are throwing the net and what shape the net is in.
“I give an invitation at every service,” he said. “There is power in the gospel of Jesus. Present the gospel and it will change lives.”
Ken May, director of missions for Montgomery Baptist Association, agreed. “Whenever the Word is proclaimed, people need the opportunity to respond. If nothing else, an evangelistic invitation should leave the hearer either affirming his/her commitment to Christ or questioning whether that decision to accept Christ has actually occurred in their life.”
One aspect any church can provide is “a team of people praying throughout the service,” Thomas noted.
Bill McCracken, the mission service corps prayer coordinator for Mobile Association, has been working to enlist prayer coordinators and prayer committees in each church. “We know that prayer must undergird effective evangelism,” he said. “Only prayer can soften some hard hearts and allow them to hear the Holy Spirit’s call.”
Thomas shared 10 practical steps for an evangelistic invitation:
1. Be simple. “Many people do not understand how to respond,” he said. “We have to very clearly tell people how to accept Jesus. The invitation needs to explain to people what to do and what is going to happen when they respond.”
2. Be strategic. The gospel message never changes, but methods may change at any time to build a bridge to the lost, Thomas noted. “Many pastors that have a great flight in the sermon delivery end with a sloppy landing when making the invitation.”
3. Be scriptural. “The major scriptural components of faith, trust, repentance and surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord are essential,” he said. “I always present repentance in the positive way that Scripture does. Scripture reminds us it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance.”
4. Be specific. From God’s calling out to Adam in Genesis to the call of the Spirit “to come” in Revelation, the Bible asks for a specific response, Thomas said. “Carefully tell people to listen to what the Lord wants them to do. Then tell them what you want them to do to respond, when to come, where to go and what will happen.”
5. Be surrendered. “It is the Lord’s invitation to come to Him,” he said. “We need to be a clean, usable vessel. We issue the outward appeal but the Lord speaks to the heart with an inward call.” Pastors need to be consistent with a quiet time and in their personal walk with the Lord, Thomas added.
6. Be sensitive. “Watch for God moments when people are ready to respond,” he said. “Recently the Lord moved so greatly in a choir presentation that I gave an invitation before the sermon. Twelve people came without my having preached a word.”
7. Be straightforward with passionate, unapologetic truth that is authoritative but not authoritarian.
8. Be synchronized with the Holy Spirit and the rest of the staff. The invitation begins with the first song, Thomas said, noting the expectation to respond should be woven into the entire service.
9. Be steadfast. The invitation is never over, he said. “Encourage people not to leave the church until they have settled whatever they need to settle spiritually.”
10. Be super-natural. “Study so that the Word of God saturates your life and preaching. Allow the anointing of the Holy Spirit to lead your invitation. Expect the Holy Spirit to do His work of conviction.”
Dave Edwards, pastor of Sage Avenue Baptist Church, Mobile, in Mobile Association has used these 10 tips.
The first time he used this method, Edwards said, “I explained to the congregation as simply as I could that ‘Christ died on the Cross for your sins. If you are lonely, Jesus wants to be your friend. If your life is in turmoil, He wants to give you peace.’ With everyone still seated, and heads bowed, I led in the believer’s prayer. … I said, ‘In a moment I’m going to ask those of you who are serious about this decision to come down to the front and allow me to pray with you.’ Seven people came to the front.”
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