Many unchurched persons are open to an invitation to attend church. In fact, some research has shown that over 80% of unchurched individuals are at least somewhat open to an invitation. Many are waiting for the church to ask.
Many churches expect and plan for additional unchurched to be in attendance in worship on Easter, a day I prefer to call Resurrection Sunday. Expectation is powerful, but actions must accompany expectation. Invitations must be extended, personalized.
What puzzles me, however, is why churches frequently cancel Sunday School on Resurrection Sunday. It may be too late to change plans for this year, but be revolutionary: invite unchurched friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors to Sunday School for Resurrection Sunday! Any Anderson of the Baptist Sunday School Board (now called LifeWay) in his Growth Spiral research (1991) over a number of years in churches across our nation discovered this:
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on average only 1 out of 342 lost people who attend worship only will accept Jesus in 12 months and
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on average 1 out of 3 lost people who attend Sunday School will accept Jesus in 12 months.
If we expect to have more lost people on Resurrection Sunday and Sunday School is more than 100 times more likely to help lost persons understand their need for a Savior, why would we cancel Sunday School on Resurrection Sunday?
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