St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

Come back to church!

“Back to Church Sunday” is very simple. There are many people who would be open to an invitation to come to church. So let’s have a special Sunday for inviting them.

What’s stopping them coming anyway? Well, three things. First, it’s not easy to go into a strange place on your own, and have everybody look at you as if they’re wondering what on earth you’re doing there. Not that our church is like that, but that’s what it can feel like if you walk into a strange building. It’s a lot easier if you with someone else who you already know.

Second, it’s not easy to go into a strange place on your own if you think you’ll be the only newcomer there. It’s a lot easier if you know that there will be other people just as new as you: it means you don’t stand out in the crowd, and you can blend in a bit and just see what it’s like. So times like Harvest and Christmas Midnight are easier for visits.

Third, we go to things when our friends invite us. We may not think of going out for a pizza or going to a film - in fact we may think we don’t like pizza and films, but if a friend invites us we are tempted to go anyway just out of the friendship. With church it’s the same: people arrive in churches for different reasons, but most of them stay for only one reason - that they make friends there.

So we invite you. If you don’t come to church, please come”. If you used to come but don’t any more, please come back”. If you never did used to come, then please come anyway”. We think you’ll appreciate it and enjoy it: we think you make good friends and find it thought-provoking and interesting, and we think you’ll find it stands you in good stead for the things that life may throw at you in the years ahead. We do not have the answers to all issues and problems and questions ourselves, but at church we meet the One who does!

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. September 2009, Page 1.
Home Page. Index of articles: by subject, by date. In this issue: (September 2009) Back to church, Song, Question, CAP Money, Lectionary. Other letters from the vicar.	Come back to church! “Back to Church Sunday” is very simple. There are many people who would be open to an invitation to come to church. So let’s have a special Sunday for inviting them. What’s stopping them coming anyway? Well, three things. First, it’s not easy to go into a strange place on your own, and have everybody look at you as if they’re wondering what on earth you’re doing there. Not that our church is like that, but that’s what it can feel like if you walk into a strange building. It’s a lot easier if you with someone else who you already know. Second, it’s not easy to go into a strange place on your own if you think you’ll be the only newcomer there. It’s a lot easier if you know that there will be other people just as new as you: it means you don’t stand out in the crowd, and you can blend in a bit and just see what it’s like. So times like Harvest and Christmas Midnight are easier for visits. Third, we go to things when our friends invite us. We may not think of going out for a pizza or going to a film - in fact we may think we don’t like pizza and films, but if a friend invites us we are tempted to go anyway just out of the friendship. With church it’s the same: people arrive in churches for different reasons, but most of them stay for only one reason - that they make friends there. So we invite you. If you don’t come to church, please come”. If you used to come but don’t any more, please come back”. If you never did used to come, then please come anyway”. We think you’ll appreciate it and enjoy it: we think you make good friends and find it thought-provoking and interesting, and we think you’ll find it stands you in good stead for the things that life may throw at you in the years ahead. We do not have the answers to all issues and problems and questions ourselves, but at church we meet the One who does! John Hartley
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