I think one of the main reasons that people stop attending church is that they don't feel included. We searched for a church for quite a while when we moved to the area that we are in now. My husband wasn't saved and I knew it was so important to find a gospel preaching church and fast. We went from church to church and a lot were dead or made us feel unwelcome. I had even joined prayer groups and felt so alone because a newcomer was not welcomed. People were already set in their little cliques and they didn't even acknowledge that I was there. That hurts and can turn people off to church in general.
At Fox River (our present church) everyone is so friendly and welcoming. People greeted us and let us know we are welcome. A lot of outreach is done. A few days after our first visit someone left a dozen cookies on our doorstep with a tract and called to let us know they dropped it off and to see if we had any questions about Jesus, the gospel etc...... They also included us even though we werenot members....just regular attenders. For instance, a letter in the mail about a luncheon to welcome a new associate pastor. It encouraged our attendance and also asked us to bring a main dish, side dish AND dessert. We were kind of floored by this at first but it made us feel sooooo good to be included. I am not a really outgoing get involved person. If I am asked, I will be more that happy to help. Through this church I am definately coming out of my shell and going into areas I never thought I would go.
We do a lot of outreach. We just did a ladies craft night, this weekend a kids fall fest (halloween alternative). All are free to those who attend and the gospel is presented. If you want more info on our outreach things let me know.
I think the main thing is including people into the church. I think I told you our motto is "You Matter to God". That is something a lot of people never seemed to know.
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