I implore you: personally invite other members of the church over to your home.

My wife and I have been members of two churches since we've been married (5 years at one, 3 years at our current church). We've been actively involved in study groups, events, operations, and outreach at both churches. We have purposefully invited many individual members/families to our house for food, movie nights, etc.

I can only recall two times in those 8 years when we've been personally invited to someone's home. We've had families bring us meals which I'm very grateful for, and we've been invited over for group activities. But we haven't had a one-on-one invitation in years.

I promise, the goal of this post isn't to give y'all a sob story. It's to implore you to please make it a priority to approach different families in your church and invite them over for a meal, or a movie night, or a game night, or something. Don't assume that they're busy. Don't assume that someone else has been engaged with them. Assume that there are people in your congregation who would love to join your family over a meal.

One of the wonderful things we Christians can do together is to open our messy, busy homes to other Christians and break bread with them, pray with them, and become a part of their lives. Sadly we live in a world that is so full of chores and errands that we don't make time for this vital activity of the church. I guarantee you that someone in your church longs to be thought of and engaged with on this personal level and no one has obliged them.

My wife and I will continue to open our home to members of our church. I've had to ask for forgiveness for my bitterness towards other members for not approaching my wife and I. Instead we will continue to set an example for others in the church. I pray that others will see this post and will convict them to set aside am evening to invite someone over who you've never invited before.