Party Invitations

So go into the streets and invite anyone you see; invite everyone you meet. Matthew 22:9 (Voice)

 Jesus liked parties, getting people together and celebrating something in the community. Jesus even told a story, saying the kingdom of God is like a party, a wedding party a king gave for his son. The guests were invited, but when the servants went out to get the guests, they chose not to come. So the king sent his servants out once again saying, “So go into the streets and invite anyone you see; invite everyone you meet.” Everyone gets invited to the kingdom of God party.

 We’re throwing a big kingdom of God party at Salem on Easter Sunday, April 5. We’ve built a new facility. It’s ready. But this hasn’t only been about a building. In order to live out our mission, we’ve created ministry teams to help us with prayer, discipleship, and outreach (the mission team was already in place). We have more ministry teams to implement along the way, but we’re ready to go.

 Now our Grand Opening is upon us. The timing couldn’t be better. We’re commemorating Holy Week and Easter, the climax of the Christian year, as we celebrate the Grand Opening of Salem in our new location, nearly seven years after the flood destroyed the downtown site. How fitting to celebrate Salem rising as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.

 We want to invite everyone to this kingdom of God party. We’re reaching out several ways. We’re sending a news release. We’re posting on FaceBook and inviting others on social media to share. We’re mailing postcards to nearly 5000 homes around our location, inviting them to come celebrate Easter with us. We’re inviting the community to an Easter Egg Hunt the day before. There will be more than 5000 eggs along with prizes, games, and fun activities.

 This is all good. But one more thing is necessary and it is the most important of all. We, like the servants in Jesus’ story, are sent out. “So go into the streets and invite anyone you see; invite everyone you meet.” A personal invitation is the most significant thing any of us can do. Therefore, all of us, who are a part of Salem, are called to invite and bring someone else. This is an opportunity we cannot waste. Simply ask a friend or acquaintance, “Would you go to church with me on Easter? We’re celebrating our Grand Opening.”

 You might wonder why it’s so important for us to personally invite others, especially when we’re sending thousands of postcard invitations. When a church sends a public announcement like that, the positive response is usually between .25—2%. In real numbers, the positive response from our direct mail invitations could be anywhere from 12-95 homes (singles, couples, families). That’s a big range, but the average would be about 42 homes.

 When a personal invitation is shared (face-to-face, email, phone, etc.), the positive response is music higher, usually between 10-25%. We have more than 400 postcards to be handed out personally. We could see anywhere from 10-100 with the average being 45 responses.

 The reality is, it’s much more likely persons will respond to a personal invitation than an invitation that comes in the mail. It’s also more likely those persons will stay at Salem and then invite their friends, too. Still, adding the public and personal invitations together means we could see one hundred new people at Salem, or more!

 Remember, we’re not only inviting others to a new building but to the Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection—and not only to that, but to a personal relationship with the risen Jesus. Will you take the initiative and invite someone to our Grand Opening? It’s going to be a fantastic party. Everyone is welcome.

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