I felt my call to vocational ministry back in 2005 during a revival service at Union Hill Baptist Church in Holts Summit, Mo. Shortly after that, I began looking at colleges to attend in order to begin the preparation process for this calling and I was connected to Dr. Tom Hufty who, at the time, served as Vice President at Hannibal-LaGrange College (now University).
I’ll never forget my first discussion with him as I was explaining my call to pastoral ministry and how he looked me in the eyes and invited me to a discipleship group he led at Hannibal-Lagrange College. For three years, I sat under his mentorship in this discipleship group and God used that time to shape me into the minister I am today.
As I think back to my experience in all of this, it all started with a personal invitation. Dr. Hufty saw something in me and invited me into next steps in my walk with Christ and that personal invitation literally set me on a trajectory that has directed my steps even to this day. The fact is that there are people all around us that are ready to take next steps with Christ and all it takes is someone to personally invite them to take a step. The step could be to believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, for the first time and experience personal salvation through Him. The step could be believer’s baptism and church membership. The step could even be surrendering to vocational ministry and giving one’s life to the cause of Christ. People need to be encouraged to take these steps and the joy of following Christ is that He allows us to play a part in helping others take steps forward by inviting them to do so.
At First Baptist Church of O’Fallon, Missouri, we have seen this play out in a number of ways over the course of the past few months. Our pastoral staff regularly takes time to call through our roles to pray with people and encourage them to take steps towards Christ and we recently had contact with a lady who had fallen out of church during COVID and was encouraged to rejoin fellowship with FBC O’Fallon after the pastor invited her to come back. Our weekly outreach teams have opportunities to share the Gospel through doorstep visits and writing follow-up cards and a person who had no connection to a church was invited to FBC O’Fallon through a hand-written card and she not only came but has joined the church. Also, we recently witnessed a young man give his life to Christ on a Sunday morning and found out that he had not been in church for over a decade but was personally invited by one of our members in the checkout line at a local store in O’Fallon!
Friends, there is power in a personal invitation, and I believe God brings people across our path every day that need Christ. Don’t allow the busyness of our schedules to keep us from being on mission for Him. Don’t allow the fear of the unknown to keep you from extending that personal invitation to those around you. God is ready to use you right now if you simply make yourself available and be willing to personally invite people to take steps toward Jesus! Who will you personally invite to Christ, to church, and to Christian growth in the days ahead?