Some Numbers Worthy of Consideration

I have noticed that when I have a physical examination that my physician does several things. He looks, he listens, he pokes and prods and I am sure all he is doing tells him quite a bit. To me, it appears that the real accounting of my health comes when the blood work is done. It is amazing how much can be learned about you by drawing out some blood and subjecting it to various test in a laboratory. In a few days, a report is prepared that has a numerical assessment that includes my actual number and the range. There are maybe 15-20 numbers on the sheet. Each tells a story about some aspect of my overall health. I do not understand most of those numbers, but I do trust my doctors’ evaluation of them. Ignoring a number that was too low or too high would not be wise from a physical health standpoint.

Conversely, I do understand the implication of numbers related to church health and I do know that ignoring them is unwise.

• “82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited” – Dr Thom Rainer

• "Only 21 percent of active church goers invite anyone to church in the course of a year" –Dr Thom Rainer

• “Four percent of formerly churched adults are actively looking for a church to attend regularly (other than their previous church). Six percent would prefer to resume attending regularly in the same church they had attended. The largest group, 62 percent, is not actively looking, but is open to the idea of attending church regularly again.”–Scott McConnell, Lifeway Research

• “71% Of Americans are absolutely certain there is a God.” –The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

• “56% of Americans believe that religion is very important in one’s life.” –The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

• “Clearly we can encourage Christians to pray that the unchurched would sense God calling them back, but God works through His people," said McConnell. "The survey showed that many would respond to an invitation from a friend or acquaintance (41 percent), their children (25 percent) or an adult family member (25 percent).” – McConnell, LifeWay Research

Let’s summarize this- The majority of people that do not attend church are somewhat likely to attend if they were to be invited but most of us in the church are not inviting them. This is strange that we are silent on this matter because most of the people we will speak to already believe in God and that “religion” is important. The people that we already have existing relationships with are very likely to visit a church if we will invite them.

Question- What are we holding back for? What would happen if we just started asking –“Are you currently actively attending a church?” If the answer is not an affirming yes- invite them to your church. If you have found a great restaurant you recommend it. Why not do the same with your church? Just something to think about; actually, let me put that another way- Just something to do something about!