Invite Someone
/Grace and peace to you in the name of Christ,
One of my favorite stories is about Ruthie Taylor, a faithful Presbyterian from South Carolina. For fifty years, Ruthie invited someone to church nearly every Sunday—family, friends, neighbors, and people she met through her husband’s grocery store. Some Sundays no one came, but it was never because Ruthie had not asked. Most Sundays, someone sat beside her in her pew.
After Ruthie’s passing, her pastor asked everyone who had first come to church because of her invitation to stand. In a service of more than 120 people, all but eighteen people stood.
That is the power of one simple, heartfelt invitation: “How about going to church with me tomorrow? I’ll be happy to pick you up.”
Who might be waiting for your invitation?
This Sunday, let’s help someone feel noticed, welcomed, and at home at Stonebridge UMC. Here are a few easy ways to start:
Invite someone to worship with you.
Offer a smile, handshake, and warm hello on Sunday morning.
Introduce yourself to someone new and help them connect.
Invite someone to lunch, coffee, or a friendly conversation.
Who will be Ruthie Taylor for Stonebridge UMC? A warm welcome, a simple invitation, or a moment of kindness can help someone feel seen, valued, and loved in the family of God.
There is joy, grace, and a growing sense of family at Stonebridge UMC— God is moving among us.
Let’s celebrate it. Let’s build on it. Let’s keep inviting, welcoming, praying, worshiping, and growing closer to Christ together.
Every week, lives are being touched, needs are being met, and hope is taking root. What a gift to be part of it.
Who will be Ruthie Taylor for Stonebridge UMC this Sunday? I hope it will be you!
See you Sunday!
Pastor John Allen