An Invitation for Non-Churchy People

September 3, 2009

Dear Friend:

If you don’t call yourself a “churchy” person, then I’d like to give you a special invitation to attend a new preaching series at our church beginning on September 13. If you question whether or not you fit with the church crowd, this invitation is for you.

It might help if I tell you my story and how I thought I could never really be one of the “churchy” people.

My family started regularly attending a church when I was eight years old. Where church was concerned, I can remember feeling like I was on the outside looking in.

Not that I was lay awake nights about it. I didn’t really want to be one of the churchy people. Baseball was far more important.

Nor am I am blaming the church where I grew up. We were welcomed. The churchy people were nice. The pastor was warm and dynamic. But, I didn’t think I could ever really be churchy, which again, didn’t bother me if I could avoid Hell and possibly win a prize at Vacation Bible School.

There were lots of reasons that I assumed I would never fit in. Generally, I figured the church kids didn’t get in trouble at school. Not only was I a citizen of the rebellion at school, I was one of the ringleaders.

Cussing was another part of the reason I knew we wouldn’t fit in. We took full advantage of daily opportunities to chew out equipment or express, through colorful language, our displeasure with pigs. I figured church families prayed together if they got a tractor stuck. At my house, we violently threw tools, thermoses, and words just as hard as we could throw them.

Then there was family conflict. My parents weren’t divorced until later, but they were well on their way. Things were often chaotic and unpleasant. I assumed the churchy people held hands at meal time and generally acted like the Ward Cleaver family.

But, I was missing the point. First, of all – – I didn’t realize that the news of the Gospel is the most exciting news ever: both for this life and the one to come. Even better than sports. Infinitely better. Nor, did I get that the good news is for non-churchy people. In fact, the Gospel is especially for those who don’t feel qualified to be churchy.

If you don’t have a church home, why not check out this series? The message of the book of Romans is that the Good News of Christ is the most exciting news, ever heard, and that regardless of what you have done or where you are from, you can be part of God’s people.

Not that you have to be churchy per se. Besides, we’re not as churchy as you think. Since those days when I though I could never fit in, I’ve figured out that pretty much everyone (including pastors) is messed up and our only hope is the good news of Christ.

The Romans series begins September 13. Our services are at 9 and 10:30.

Prayerfully,

Chris Brauns

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to  everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”(Romans 1:16-17).”