“Eighty-two percent of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attended church if invited.
Only two percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church. Ninety-eighty percent of church-goers never extend an invitation in a given year.”
Dr. Thom Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door
“A study including more than 15,000 adults revealed that about two-thirds are willing to receive information about a local church from a family member and 56 percent from a friend or neighbor. The message is clear that the unchurched are open to conversations about church.”
Phillip Nation, LifeWay Research
“Four percent of formerly churched adults are actively looking for a church to attend regularly (other than their previous church). Six percent would prefer to resume attending regularly in the same church they had attended. The largest group, 62 percent, is not actively looking but is open to the idea of attending church regularly again.
Clearly we can encourage Christians to pray that the unchurched would sense God calling them back, but God works through His people. Survey showed that many would respond to an invitation from a friend or acquaintance (41 percent), their children (25 percent) or an adult family member (25 percent).
The issue of affinity also surfaced in the responses. Thirtyfive percent indicated that they would be inspired to attend church ‘if I knew there were people like me there.’”
Scott McConnell, LifeWay Research
“Much to the surprise of the ‘Chicken Little’ crowd, people are still going to church. And more people would attend if given one simple thing – an invitation.”
Phillip Nation, LifeWay Research
1. Most people come to church because of a personal invitation.
2. 7 out of 10 unchurched people have never been invited to church in their whole lives.