Alive Youth Church Weekly,
Inviting someone to church is difficult.
Inviting someone to church is difficult.
No doubt about it.
I’ve always felt that, especially when I was a student. I was never quiet about my faith, I mean, it’s hard to be when most people already knew my dad was the pastor. I was already labeled as “the church kid." I didn't literally get called that, but most people knew it. Being quiet wasn’t the battle. The real tension came in explaining why I went… and then taking the next step of actually inviting someone to come with me.
Even with some of my closest friends in high school, there was this unspoken agreement. They knew I was busy on Sundays, and I knew I probably wouldn’t see them that day. It worked. It was comfortable. It kept everything simple.
But comfort has a way of quietly keeping things exactly as they are.
I think one of the biggest reasons we don’t invite people to church is because we assume it will disrupt what we already have. We imagine it getting awkward. We picture our church friends and our school friends colliding in ways that feel unnatural. We think about the questions they might ask, the differences they might notice, and the pressure of being the bridge between two parts of our lives that have always stayed separate.
And if we’re honest, sometimes we’re not just protecting them from discomfort. We’re protecting ourselves.
What if it changes how they see me?
What if they say no?
What if it makes things weird?
What if it changes my experience at church?
Those fears are real. They were real for me. And maybe they’re real for you right now.
But something has been sitting at the front of my mind this week.
There are recent statistics showing that 82% of unchurched people would attend church if a friend or family member simply invited them. Eighty-two percent. That’s not a small number. That is what I would consider most people. And when you narrow the statistic down to just students being invited to youth groups by other students, the percentage gets even higher. Students are more likely to say yes to a youth group than to a normal Sunday morning service. Let's be real. It's probably the food that gets them through the door. But I don't care!
82+ percent of students would say yes if you invited them.
Think about that for a second.
The thing we’ve built up in our minds as this huge, relationship-risking moment… is actually something most people are already open to.
So the question isn’t just “Why is it so scary?”
The deeper question is: “What’s really holding us back?”
Maybe it’s fear of stepping out.
Maybe it’s fear of rejection.
Maybe it’s not wanting to be seen differently.
Maybe it’s not wanting to mess with something good we already have.
Maybe it’s the idea of friend groups mixing in ways we can’t control.
All of those are valid. But there’s another question we have to wrestle with honestly:
Do my fears outweigh the possibility of my friends meeting Jesus?
Because when you put it like that, everything shifts.
In reality, would new people at church ruin what we have… or could it actually make it better?
I look back now and realize that I have no idea how different my high school experience could have been if I had invited my closest friends. At the time, I was focused on what could go wrong. But now, I can’t help but think about what could have gone right.
What if they had experienced Jesus the way I did?
What if they had built relationships with the same people who helped shape my life?
What if they had come to camps, laughed at the same inside jokes, worshipped in the same rooms, and found the same sense of belonging?
What if it didn’t make things weird…
What if it made things better?
Here’s the truth: inviting someone to church isn’t as scary as it feels. It’s a simple step, but it carries eternal impact. You’re not responsible for their answer. You’re not responsible for their experience. You’re just responsible for the invitation.
And sometimes, that small step of courage is the very thing God uses to change someone’s life.
Don’t let the fear of change keep you from talking to your friends about something that has changed you.
If your faith matters to you… If church has impacted you… If you’ve found joy, purpose, or community here... why would you keep that from the people you care about most?
Just because you’ve thought about it and talked yourself out of it doesn’t mean God has. God sees the bigger picture. He’s already working in ways you can’t see. And what you’re afraid might fall apart… He can actually use it to build something even greater.
So maybe this week, it’s as simple as this:
Ask.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be a big speech. It doesn’t even have to be a long conversation.
“Hey, do you want to come to church with me this week?”
That one question might feel small to you.
But for someone else, it could be the beginning of everything.
I’ve always felt that, especially when I was a student. I was never quiet about my faith, I mean, it’s hard to be when most people already knew my dad was the pastor. I was already labeled as “the church kid." I didn't literally get called that, but most people knew it. Being quiet wasn’t the battle. The real tension came in explaining why I went… and then taking the next step of actually inviting someone to come with me.
Even with some of my closest friends in high school, there was this unspoken agreement. They knew I was busy on Sundays, and I knew I probably wouldn’t see them that day. It worked. It was comfortable. It kept everything simple.
But comfort has a way of quietly keeping things exactly as they are.
I think one of the biggest reasons we don’t invite people to church is because we assume it will disrupt what we already have. We imagine it getting awkward. We picture our church friends and our school friends colliding in ways that feel unnatural. We think about the questions they might ask, the differences they might notice, and the pressure of being the bridge between two parts of our lives that have always stayed separate.
And if we’re honest, sometimes we’re not just protecting them from discomfort. We’re protecting ourselves.
What if it changes how they see me?
What if they say no?
What if it makes things weird?
What if it changes my experience at church?
Those fears are real. They were real for me. And maybe they’re real for you right now.
But something has been sitting at the front of my mind this week.
There are recent statistics showing that 82% of unchurched people would attend church if a friend or family member simply invited them. Eighty-two percent. That’s not a small number. That is what I would consider most people. And when you narrow the statistic down to just students being invited to youth groups by other students, the percentage gets even higher. Students are more likely to say yes to a youth group than to a normal Sunday morning service. Let's be real. It's probably the food that gets them through the door. But I don't care!
82+ percent of students would say yes if you invited them.
Think about that for a second.
The thing we’ve built up in our minds as this huge, relationship-risking moment… is actually something most people are already open to.
So the question isn’t just “Why is it so scary?”
The deeper question is: “What’s really holding us back?”
Maybe it’s fear of stepping out.
Maybe it’s fear of rejection.
Maybe it’s not wanting to be seen differently.
Maybe it’s not wanting to mess with something good we already have.
Maybe it’s the idea of friend groups mixing in ways we can’t control.
All of those are valid. But there’s another question we have to wrestle with honestly:
Do my fears outweigh the possibility of my friends meeting Jesus?
Because when you put it like that, everything shifts.
In reality, would new people at church ruin what we have… or could it actually make it better?
I look back now and realize that I have no idea how different my high school experience could have been if I had invited my closest friends. At the time, I was focused on what could go wrong. But now, I can’t help but think about what could have gone right.
What if they had experienced Jesus the way I did?
What if they had built relationships with the same people who helped shape my life?
What if they had come to camps, laughed at the same inside jokes, worshipped in the same rooms, and found the same sense of belonging?
What if it didn’t make things weird…
What if it made things better?
Here’s the truth: inviting someone to church isn’t as scary as it feels. It’s a simple step, but it carries eternal impact. You’re not responsible for their answer. You’re not responsible for their experience. You’re just responsible for the invitation.
And sometimes, that small step of courage is the very thing God uses to change someone’s life.
Don’t let the fear of change keep you from talking to your friends about something that has changed you.
If your faith matters to you… If church has impacted you… If you’ve found joy, purpose, or community here... why would you keep that from the people you care about most?
Just because you’ve thought about it and talked yourself out of it doesn’t mean God has. God sees the bigger picture. He’s already working in ways you can’t see. And what you’re afraid might fall apart… He can actually use it to build something even greater.
So maybe this week, it’s as simple as this:
Ask.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be a big speech. It doesn’t even have to be a long conversation.
“Hey, do you want to come to church with me this week?”
That one question might feel small to you.
But for someone else, it could be the beginning of everything.
You know by experience that church isn't the end all be all. It isn't attending church that saves me and you. Jesus does that. But sometimes one invitation to church is how people hear about and experience Jesus for the first time. That is worth any awkwardness we may ever experience in the process of inviting.
Imagine how great Alive Youth Church would be with all our favorite people there!
Have a great week, AYC! It's going to be great to be together again on Sunday night. AYC is back this Sunday at 6:30pm. Invite a friend, and we will see you there!
-Isaac Fehlen
Youth Pastor
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