October 9, 2024

Do you have big Sundays? Really big Sundays? Of course you do, Easter! Christmas! What about other big invitational Sundays you can create that help people of all ages know they belong and that your community of faith is a good fit for them? Sports enthusiasts, create a Jersey Sunday. Invite people of all ages to show their love of sports. Perhaps host a guest speaker who is a locally well known sports figure. If you are a hockey town, arrange a community skate at a local arena. How about a Super Sweet Sunday near Hallowe’en inviting people to share treats together. Perhaps host a pumpkin carving party on the Saturday before and have some friendly fun, with or without costumes and a potluck meal. Social Sundae Sunday might engage community in another form of sweet treats! Is there a popular something in your area, a business, an event, a local hero or happening that is recognized. Make it a big Sunday building on the theme. One church hosts a winter theme coinciding with the area’s polar plunge and winter carnival. Perhaps your community are big readers, make it a book lovers Big Sunday (perhaps close to January 27 family literacy day) inviting people to bring a favourite book, maybe even dress up as a character, author or in theme of the book. Movie goers might like a movie Mania. Share a favourite movie title. Perhaps movie messages, that invite a special series of movie watching and reflecting. Maybe a cultural cuisine makes sense in your context, create a food fiesta of feasting fun! A community of faith creates four big “inviteable Sundays” outside of Christmas and Easter ser ices and encourage their people to think of at least two where they commit to invite someone to church. One person commented: “If Jesus used simple elements like turning water into wine and feeding people with bread and fish to connect with them, then churches can also use creative and fun e ents to draw people in. Take a risk and do something that may make you a little uncomfortable and see what happens. You won’t see different results if you just keep repeating what you’ e always done.” Some communities of faith engage in other big, invitational events in which they gift the community with a free service and support, such as distributions of back to school items, or helping a local shelter or food bank with supplies, helping hands to ser e a public meal, giving collections such as hats, mitts, socks, winterwear, blessing bags with personal care items, helpful holidays wrapping gifts for people, or assisting with shopping. Honour all-ages and think about how you strengthen invitation, increasing welcome and belonging for all.