A challenge by their vicar to invite people to ‘come and see’ resulted in a church congregation welcoming 75 non-church members to a service.
For Christ Church, Flackwell Heath Buckinghamshire, the start of the new academic year was also a natural chance to invite family and friends to church using the simple phrase ‘come and see’. Simple invitation cards were produced that were easy to share with friends and families.
The Rev James Dwyer, vicar of Christ Church, said: “The church has been on a journey of learning how to be more courageous in extending an invitation.
“The experience has led to a growth in confidence for Church members in inviting people to join us.”
The Church saw 75 non-regular church attendees at the service. Rev James said “It was really encouraging to see the response.
“It shows how open people are to exploring faith when given an invitation.”
The service itself was structured around the theme of welcome. During the service participants were invited to write their name or someone else’s name on a heart as a symbol of God knowing us and loving us, these were then placed on a prayer board in the Church
A Baptism formed a key part of the service, providing a familiar backdrop for those less familiar with church.
The Rev James said: “It was a really joyful occasion in which we were able to offer a glimpse of what it means to be part of God’s family.”
Throughout the rest of the Autumn the church will be hosting Alpha courses and other outreach events and have already seen signups from those who attended the service in September.