Yes, but will it be successful?

So, just like last year, I asked everyone in church today to stand up and say those words together: "Would you like to come to church with me this Sunday?" I think everyone participated, and most people were smiling afterwards. It was at least a good practice run. And all this week, we will be asking that question. Some will say yes, and some will say no, and some will simply want to think about it for a while.

This put me in mind of a recent conversation about how we will know if this year's Back to Church Sunday is better or more successful than last year. It was an interesting discussion. Will it be better if we get a better response from people? Will it be more successful if we get more people in church next week? Will it work if more people stay this year than last year? While these are important questions, I am not sure that they are the first indicators of "success." Numbers are one thing. But as Christian communities, I hope we can see something else too. Something harder to measure, but maybe even more important.

One of the purposes of Back to Church Sunday is to provide an opportunity for us to go out into the world and ask people to church. And maybe in doing so, we will look at our friends and neighbours differently. Maybe we will look at our faith differently. Maybe we will look at our church and what we do on Sunday mornings differently. We can talk about sports, global events, and local politics with all sorts of people, but what about our spiritual life? What about the things that are life-changing at our church? When we begin to talk about that more freely, then I think Back to Church Sunday will be considered a "success."

So, will we get more people out to church this year than last year? Maybe we will and maybe we won't. Back to Church Sunday is not a membership drive. It is about connections between church and the world, it is about our faith. And I think that with all matters of faith, whenever we are called into that transformation of the heart and renewal of our minds, empirical evidence falls short. The point is to ask people the question. And then, it is about listening to their questions. It is about welcoming. It is about willingness to serve. It is about putting ourselves in a vulnerable position. It is about hospitality. And one thing I have learned about hospitality is that it changes the host as much as it changes the guest. And if it means that I need to change a little in order to see my friend come to church, that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.