Maybe we only have to ask

When many of us look around the church, more often than not, we notice the people that are missing.

We think to ourselves“what happened to Mr Brown, who always sat in the back row?”or“i haven’t seen Mrs Smith, who used to organise the flower rota, in a long time”.

How often, though, do we go to visit these folks to see how they are? Maybe a phone call or a visit will reveal that they are going through a tough time or are having doubts about faith, perhaps the same doubts we ourselves have.

What if we asked them whether they would like to come back to church, reminding them that people miss them and care for them? Maybe a gentle nudge is all they need to start thinking about church again.

Maybe next Sunday we should look around and see who is missing and then perhaps we could pick up the phone or knock on their door to show them that we care.

The personal touch, a personal invitation, can make all the difference. This also applies to all the family and friends we have who are not Christians. Maybe a personal invitation might encourage them to give church a go.

What is it that stops us? Is it embarrassment or fear of rejection? What then if we wrote them a nice card, saying:“i am going to church on Sunday. It will be good. Would you like to come with me?”

I wonder, if everyone in the church took the risk to invite someone, whether our churches would look so empty after all.

Rev Christopher Rankine, Hillhouse Parish Church