More  Ready  Than  You  Think!   In  the  next  few  weeks  I’m  going  to  be  asking  you  to  help  me  make  Easter    2011  an  unforgettable  day  in  the  life  of  our  church.  We  need  to  get  our  place  spruced  UP,  our  hearts  prayed  UP,  our  ministries  tuned  UP…and  then  we  need  to  spread  OUT  to  tell  people  about  this  incredible  family  of  faith  called  GracePointe  that  they  just  have  to  experience  for  themselves.   Especially  at  this  time,  I  hope  that  you  will  step  out  in  faith  like  never  before  to  invite  people  along.  You  will  discover  that  there  are  many  who  are  more  open  to  try  church  on  an  Easter  Sunday  than  at  

any  other  time  of  the  year.Of  course  we  do  not  think  that  the  goal  is  to  get  people  into  a  church  building.  We  just  

believe  if  they  come  to  a  place  where  they  are  embraced  unconditionally,  experience  a  dynamic  environment  of  personal  change,  hear  the  unchanging  truth  of  God’s  Word,  and  are  touched  by  the  living  Spirit  of  God…we  believe  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time  until  God  will  do  something  incredible  in  their  life.

Dr  Thom  Rainer  has  written  a  book  called  “The  Unchurched  Next  Door”  based  on  extensive  research,  trying  to  understand  the  160  million  Americans  who  don’t  regularly  attend  church.  The  book  was  Oilled  with  great  insights,  a  couple  of  which  I  hope  might  help  to  motivate  you  to  reach  out  this  Easter  season.

#1➔  Rainer’s  research  indicates  that  only  21%  of  active  churchgoers  invite  anyone  to  church  over  the  course  of  a  year.    But  even  worse,  only  2%  actually  invite  an  unchurched  person  to  church.    

I’d  like  to  believe  that  GracePointe  is  above  average.  I’d  like  to  believe  that  YOU  are  above  average!  But  can  I  ask  you  a  question?  When  was  the  last  time  you  straight-­‐up  invited  someone  who  does  not  regularly  attend  church  to  try  GracePointe  for  themselves?  If  it’s  been  a  little  while,  I  want  to  challenge  you  and  equip  you  to  step  out  in  faith  and  try  it  this  year.

#2➔  Rainer’s  research  indicates  that  people  are  far  more  likely  to  respond  with  a  “yes”  than  we  might  guess.  Many  of  us  have  experienced,  or  have  the  stereotype  of  unchurched  people  who  are  hostile  to  religion  or  antagonistic  toward  faith.  In  fact  those  kinds  of  people  are  a  very  small  minority.  To  the  contrary,  82%  of  unchurched  people  are  “likely”  or  “very  likely”  to  attend  church  if  someone  personally  invites  them.

How  encouraging  is  that?  People  all  around  us  are  very  open  to  try  church  for  themselves,  if  only  someone  they  knew  would  give  them  an  open  door.

I  want  to  challenge  you  this  Easter  to  step  out  and  invite  someone  along,  because…We  serve  a  big  God  who  loves  people  without  end    There  is  never  a  better  time  than  right  now  to  do  it,  and  

       People  may  be  far  more  ready  than  you  think!

2

“...research  indicates  that  82%  of  

unchurched  people  are  “likely”  or  “very  likely”  to  attend  church  if  someone  personally  

invites  them.”