How did you first come to ECC? Did someone invite you? Were you young, brought by your parents? Were you looking for a community where you could belong? I first came to worship at ECC because I knew families who worshipped here, and I felt like they were people who lived every day out of God’s grace, mercy, and love. If they were learning how to live that way at ECC, I wanted to be a part of it!
We hear many stories of how people first came to ECC because someone invited them. Someone in their circle of friends said, “Join me at church – I’ll look for you and save you a seat!” Personal invitation from someone who is a part of the community is meaningful and compelling.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be inviting you into Life Groups at ECC. We’ll be learning from Acts 2, as Pastor Stacey shared, and we’ll look at how intentionality, connection, and community help us become a people who display the wonder and awe of God’s presence in our midst to our neighbors.
Speaking of neighbors, we all have people in our circles who we encounter on a weekly or even daily basis. Think of the people around you in the community where you live, in your gym class, in your kids’ school, in your book club, or in your golf foursome. Where does the invitation begin with our neighbors?
We’ve got a great opportunity coming up, where you can invite neighbors, friends, and acquaintances to join you at ECC for a relaxed and fun experience. On August 28, we’ll host our Community Picnic, after worship at noon here on the campus of ECC. We’ll have a big tent set up, where you can enjoy a meal as you sit and talk with others from the ECC community. What better place to invite someone? Just let them know you’ll save them a seat under the tent!
In case you need a little bit more convincing, let me offer you my top 5 reasons to invite someone you know to our Community Picnic this year:
5. Free Food! We’ll be serving pulled pork, pulled chicken, baked beans and other sides, all provided by a local catering company. Everyone loves a hot meal that they didn’t have to cook!
4. A Corn Hole Tournament! It’s an Indiana classic! Young and old can play together. You’ll be able to sign up with a partner, or sign up solo and we’ll match you up with a teammate.
3. Fun Activities! Pony rides are returning for another year of fun, and we’ll have inflatables set up as well. Parents will be thrilled with how well their kids sleep after a day running around and burning off energy! For our older students, we’ll have a volleyball net and our very own GAGA PIT!
2. Shaved Ice! Mike Gibson will set up his shaved ice and fun flavors, so that we all can cool off in the summer heat with an icy treat.
1. When you don’t extend invitations, you’re missing out on one of life’s most incredible opportunities – being able to play a role in someone’s life transformation. The first invitation may be to the Fall Kickoff but there is no telling what God is going to do in their lives from that point forward. What a joy to be part of someone’s faith story!
Pick up an invitation at the welcome counter, and share a postcard with your friends today. Let us know that you’ll be coming by signing up here. We’ll invite you to sign up and serve as we get closer to the Picnic.
In living out our Touchstone of Welcome, we seek to be a place of hospitality, grace, and community for all people. Invite someone! Let’s be a people of Welcome this fall!