In my discussion there was an assumption that I didn’t make clear and that assumption was that the folks who are doing the inviting have experienced a similar joy in fellowship and benefit from worship. Even so, we are often reticent to invite anyone to the party, especially unbelievers. Thus, I feel I/we need to be reminded not to hold on to the joy we find because of some (perceived or real) risk to us. It was clear in our discussion that day that the folks in the room had experienced a good thing by being in the church family and at worship, yet were reticent to invite others for some reason.

It’s like a party. Is it programmatic and inauthentic to invite anyone and everyone to the party even though you set about on purpose to make invitations and follow-up to folks of differing relational distance from oneself? No way, if your intent is to share something wonderful. In like manner, we should invite everyone every chance we get, and do it well, but we/I don’t. Because we/I don’t I think we’re missing the boat and need to think about it more intentionally. We can’t keep this great gift of our fellowship and what our Lord does in our midst, to ourselves.

My response: If the attitude of some of our leaders is that we should avoid or discourage each other inviting our unchurched friends and neighbors to our gatherings because they are unchurhced, well I find it not only abhorrent but pretty much out of line with the gospel.

If I read that wrong, and the actual context is: we should make a special effort — a program if you will — aimed SPECIFICALLY at inviting the unchurhced… well, I don’t find that abhorrent. I just find it inauthentic. Which is almost as bad.

I wold say this: let us be genuine. If we get value from our worship and our fellowship, and if we have other friends (churched or unchurched, doesn’t matter) let’s invite them toi share what we experience.

Let’s NOT develop and champion programs that encourage invitation of one type of friend — churched over unchurched and vice-versa) — for the simple reason that it would be inauthentic of us to do so.

@Michael – Let me know what in my thoughts was abhorrent (I think that’s what you meant, perhaps not). Maybe my language was unclear but I hope you know my intent. Being a worshipping and inviting church is a bridge of grace we can build for those who are without the knowledge of the hope we have in Christ, and a unique bridge at that. My hope was to help us realize what a gift we have been given in the grace we receive in a special way each weekend and how witholding that gift from others is misguided (because nobody at CR would intentionally withold such a gift from another). I can’t imagine my life apart from you an yours and the whole of CR. This fact grounds my heart for others and (I believe) is grounded in Paul’s application of the gospel in the Corinthian churh for the benefit of those without hope in Christ. I am so glad that once upon a time someone invited me, my life was changed because they did; I saw others receive God’s word, and then I did myself as well. I believe Paul’s intent was to rebuke the Corinthian church because they forgot to make the worship accessible to unbelievers and therefore were acting unkind by putting up (unbeknownst to them) barriers to faith.

I was not a “believer” the first time I attended worship at CRCC. I was not even a seeker or what Paul would call a “God-fearer.” I was just lost. If the attitude you sketch existed then, I’m sure I wouldn’t be writing this to you now.

Not only is “exclusive” POV you’ve outlined abhorrent to me personally, but it’s in violent opposition to Jesus’ own words in Matthew 9:13.

If I was inclined to invite my non-believing friends to worship before (even if I didn’t do it much) I’m less so now.

I’m asahamed that a “leader” at CRCC would take that stance, and it saddens me.