Rev. Eric Roecker
Tuesday, Jan 24
3:15 – 4:30 pm
Planning Worship so Members Will Invite Guests
Why don’t more Christians invite others to church? It’s not usually fear of rejection. It’s quiet hesitation. Many believers wonder: Will my friend find it meaningful? Will they understand what’s going on? Will it feel welcoming or just . . . confusing?
When our members aren’t inviting the unchurched to worship, we are missing a tremendous opportunity. Studies show that the majority of unchurched people in the United States say they would be “likely” or “very likely” to accept an invitation from a friend or family member to attend worship. The problem isn’t their unwillingness to come. The problem is our unwillingness to invite them.
Could it be that part of this problem is the way our worship is designed? Might we make adjustments, even minor ones, that will make our members more excited to bring a guest?
In this breakout, we will take an honest look at barriers that keep members from inviting others to worship. We’ll explore how to design services that are accessible to the first-time worshiper while also being confessionally sound. You’ll leave this breakout equipped to plan worship that encourages your members to feel more confident saying, “Come and see!”
Rev. Eric Roecker is a 1998 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Resurrection in Virginia Beach, Va., where he served until 2013. While in Virginia, he served as the adult discipleship coordinator for the North Atlantic District and later as the district’s second vice president. In 2013 he moved to Menomonee Falls, Wis., to serve as pastor of Pilgrim. In August 2018 he began serving as the director of the WELS Commission on Evangelism.
Eric has been married to his wife, Mary, for 27 years. Their son, Rees, is in his first year at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Their daughter, Riley, is in her second year at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Eric enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, reading, and playing golf.
