One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. John 1:40-42a

The Church of England, like many churches, has lost a lot of people.

Recent scandals, past problems, controversial social positions, and an assault upon the truths of Scripture have all taken their toll. But the Church of England is not content to sit back and watch everybody drift away. That's why they're going to invite people back.

· They're going to use radio to bombard listeners with an encouragement to come to worship.
· They're going to encourage their members to send personal invitations to friends.

Sound silly, maybe too simplistic?

Possibly, but statistics say that most non-church goers -- if they had a personal invitation from someone they knew -- would actually go back to church. With that in mind, last year the Church of England invited people back. An estimated 82,000 came back.

And in America, those congregations who tried "Back To Church Sunday" saw a 19 percent increase in church attendance.

Pretty spectacular! But does it work? Does it really work?

Why not give it a try? Do you know somebody you've always wanted to see in church? Most of us do. Well, why not invite that person to go to worship with you? It's an intimidating experience for many, so offer to pick them up, sit with them, and introduce them to one or two other people.

Remember, we're not asking you to go door to door. We're not asking you to undergo some painful experience. We're simply saying, "The Lord has probably designated you as the best person to reach this individual. So, why not give it a try?

Let's practice, shall we? Repeat after me: "Hello (name of the person you're inviting). I'm going to church this Sunday, would you like to come with me? If you can, I'll give you a ride, sit with you, and make sure nothing terrible happens to you. I'm leaving for church at (time you normally leave to go to church)."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I know church is frightening to some folks. I know others have had bad experiences. Well, I give thanks for the Savior and what He has done for me. Now, if it's possible, use me to reverse the fear in the life of this person I'm going to invite. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 59-61    Romans 11:19-36

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"