Many of us still struggle to invite people to church in-person during a one-to-one conversation, so how can we be expected to do it on a public platform like Facebook?
There are two aspects to consider – inviting as a church, and inviting as an individual. Posting on your personal account, “Hey, everyone come to church on Sunday,” might not get the responses you want. If you only post to your friends, you’re unlikely to get trolled (although that depends on your friends!), but your friends may meet you with deathly silence.
Inviting as a church is a matter for the Facebook page admin/social media team. It’s always a good idea to post regularly to remind people when your services are (whether they are online or in a building) as it keeps it current for people who know about your church while being informative for those who have never joined a service.
It’s not a Noticeboard
That said, be wary of using your social media channels to pump out info like that – it’s a way of connecting with people, not just a noticeboard. You need to keep up with your regular posting – Bible verses, encouragements, everything else you usually do.
But here’s how to invite someone to church on Facebook: make it appealing. Look at the difference between these two sentences:
- It’s our Sunday service again this week. Starts at 10am and 6pm at the church building.
- Join us for our Sunday service at [address]. We’d love to see you there, especially if it’s your first time to be with us! Everyone is welcome!
While the first option is informative, it’s also a notification of an upcoming event – it isn’t an invite. The second option gives the details and pre-welcomes you to the building.
A more extended example would include more information about what will happen. In addition to the existing words, perhaps say, “Pastor Dave will be talking about being a good friend in difficult times, and there’s a piece of cake for everyone afterward to celebrate the birth of little Anthony.”
It’s a way of building a relationship with your reader, and you get to show that you are real people. You aren’t an algorithm that churns out time and date information; there’s some human thought put into it.
You can find out more about effective ways to use social media here.
Using Visual Media to Invite Someone to Church on Facebook
Tying it all together with an appropriate image (perhaps Pastor Dave) or video will increase visibility, encouraging more people to read and interact. Text-only posts are often skipped on Facebook and Twitter, whereas those with images have a higher reading rate.
Engagement is what it’s all about, getting people to see and act on what you are posting. A good church invite post will reap dividends.
Sharing For Individuals
If you’re not in charge of your church’s social media channels, you can still help increase awareness. Sharing, commenting, and liking all boost Facebook’s engagement score, and the more engaging a post is, the more people it will naturally see it.
Quite simply, get sharing! The easiest way to invite someone to church on Facebook is to share a church invite post and comment on it. Perhaps tag your friend in, and say, “This is the church I was telling you about.”
It’s often easier around times of celebration, such as Easter and Christmas. Whenever you invite someone, do it with confidence, and do it with a lightness in your heart. Your friend might say “no” this time, but they might say “yes” next time.
Keep on going because it’s all part of a greater plan.