If we intend to keep growing our church, we had better be about the business of letting folks know that they’re welcome here, no matter who they are or where they are on life’s journey.
We tend to sort ourselves by what we are. I don’t blame the Pharisees for recognizing the differences between themselves and others. But Jesus learned what they could not: proximity to people who don’t look or sound like me can enlarge my world view and my understanding of life.
You can bring someone to worship, or you can bring a word about the church to them. You can also invite them into your church home without any bigger motive than this: “Let’s EAT!”