How often does your church 'draw the net'

[Billy Cox]

In case you're not familiar with this term, 'drawing the net' refers to giving an opportunity, usually near the end of a worship service, to 'accept Christ as one's personal Savior.'

This is an informal poll...wondering if giving opportunity to make a public decision for Christ is part of your church's liturgy.

Thanks in advance.

[Shea Zellweger]

Let's see, based on my notes... once per year.
I would give an invitation a little more frequently, but that was the only service in the past year in which an individual who did not already profess Christ was present (more than one, actually). I didn't do it as a public decision though, I left it very open ended, and encouraged anyone who would like to talk about making that decision to come talk to me. One of them did, wanted to re-commit, asked me for a Bible, and didn't come back to church. I hope that person found a church home elsewhere.

[James Johnson]

So for 51 weeks of the year you never had a person in your congregation that was not a Christian? No offense, but didn't you have an out reach program? Please don't take that wrong Shea, I mean no disrespect. That just seems almost impossible.

[Shea Zellweger]

So for 51 weeks of the year you never had a person in your congregation that was not a Christian? No offense, but didn't you have an out reach program? Please don't take that wrong Shea, I mean no disrespect. That just seems almost impossible.

No disrespect taken. There are a lot of complex issues involved here, and I'm not comfortable going in to all of them in a public forum, but here are some simple statistics that should partially explain this:
Millry has a population of just over 600.
There are 20 churches in this town (I kid you not!).
The Baptist and Assembly of God churches each report over 200 people in attendance each Sunday
That leaves 200 people to be divided among 18 other churches, or approx. 11 people per church. I've talked with members of 6 of those churches, and each claims that they have 25-30 in attendance every Sunday. I don't know how inflated these stats are, but if you add up church attendance in Millry, and population in Millry, it is just about break even. I've met a total of 5 people in one year who did not have a home church, and three of those ended up coming to our church on the Sunday in question. The other two told me quite plainly that they had no interest in going to a Nazarene church, because we apparently are viewed as a cult by many people in the area :).

[James Johnson]

I'm glad to hear you're heading to seminary, I believe it will lead to some great things and will benifit you and your family in the future. Brother, I also know God is going to bless you in your ministry.

[Bob Hunter]

The Church I am currently attend "draws the net" in almost every service. Of course it is a mega-church that has about 2500+ in weekend services. However, based on my involvement these so called, "decisions" are nothing more than people crying out for spiritual help. We see very few of these decisions materialize into Christian living. Often, the raised hand is a signal that someone is emotionally touched by the message and feels moved to respond. I wrote an article on this that appears on my blog. It basically deal with the downfall of decisional conversionism. The article features a handful of experts: Dr. Jim Dodge, Dr. Dan Brunner, Dale Ebels, and Alan Hirsch.

Here it is: http://soulhydration4emergingleaders.wordpress.com/raising-the-bar-on-discipleship-formation/

Feel free to leave a comment there or share your thoughts on this thread.

[Craig Laughlin]

A minimum of once a month when we come to the Lord's table. (It seems antithetical to me to offer the Lord's table without inviting people to join the family) More often during any give sermon series. I would guess I make a specific invitation with an explanation at least 1/3 of our Sundays probably more. It isn't a heavy handed 10 verses of Just as I am. It is very direct and non emotionally stirring. It is usually a soft sell invitation to step over the line and into faith. I work on a relational model so what happens on Sunday morning presumes a whole bunch of relationship building, seeing Christ in others lives and previous contemplation. Corporate worship is just the particular opportunity to make the leap of faith. However, I also get a lot of people that do not respond in the service but go home and later step over the line, then tell me about it. My task is to create opportunities, God's is to do the calling and convicting.

[Shea Zellweger]

I'm glad to hear you're heading to seminary, I believe it will lead to some great things and will benifit you and your family in the future. Brother, I also know God is going to bless you in your ministry.

Thank you. check your private messages.

[Mike Schutz]

One of the primary purposes of our fellowship is to make disciples - thus assuming that there is a beginning to this journey.
On most Sundays our time of corporate prayer follows the sermon, and there is a connection made between what we have been considering in the message and a response to growth in discipleship, a crisis of commitment, and/or a renewed or introductory trust in God. Inevitably I will say something like "I am sure there are a few folks here this morning who have not made that first step of faith. God has been working in your life, and this morning can be the time when you begin to realize the power of love and grace as an explicit reality in your life. So many of us have been where you are, and we would love to be your partners on this journey."

I'm sure for some these words sound very old-fashioned; for others they may seem rather wishy-washy and not nearly definitive enough. However, they fit our community and our journey together. There are people praying at our altar every Sunday, and some who point back to a moment such as what I have described above as their entry into the journey of faith.

[Susan Unger]

Hadn't thought too much about it before but I think we evangelize through our ministries & relationship and not so much through the Sunday AM services. Although, due to chronic migraines, I haven't been at all the AM services in the 4 years I have lived here. So, he might have 'drawn in the net' on a missed Sunday.

[Rich Schmidt]

In case you're not familiar with this term, 'drawing the net' refers to giving an opportunity, usually near the end of a worship service, to 'accept Christ as one's personal Savior.'

This is an informal poll...wondering if giving opportunity to make a public decision for Christ is part of your church's liturgy.

Thanks in advance.


A minimum of once a month when we come to the Lord's table. (It seems antithetical to me to offer the Lord's table without inviting people to join the family)

I quoted Craig's response because it's essentially what I was going to say -- except we come to the Lord's table every Sunday. So while we almost never have a time when the only people publicly responding are first-time believers (or re-committers), each week we have a public opportunity for people to leave their seats, come forward, and publicly acknowledge their need for God's grace given to us in Jesus Christ.

Oh, and it is "near the end of the worship service." :) In fact, it's usually the last thing we do, followed only by a brief prayer/blessing.

[Paul DeBaufer]

[QUOTE=Shea Zellweger;3441 they had no interest in going to a Nazarene church, because we apparently are viewed as a cult by many people in the area :).[/QUOTE]

What, we're not a cult???? Oh man I'm gonna have to re-think this whole thing. (lol).

My wife thought the same thing when we met. She came from a So. Baptist church and her friends told her we were salvation by works and grace wasn't involved. Well The Church of the Nazarene has certainly showed me more grace than my wife's old church (they actually had my parole violated for attending an event with her that I had actually been invited to--called my agent and said they were afraid or something, bam back to prison).

My wife is now a member of CotN

[David Parker]

During every public service. Not always near the end, but usually. We average over 100 per weekend that respond and complete the Connect Card for followup. Not as surprising as it may sound...our church attracts a great many of the unsaved. We seem to excel at chasing away the religious people and attracting everyone else. One of the primary reasons I like it.

:smilies0822:

[Susan Unger]

Well The Church of the Nazarene has certainly showed me more grace than my wife's old church (they actually had my parole violated for attending an event with her that I had actually been invited to--called my agent and said they were afraid or something, bam back to prison).That is just horrible! Glad you are out of that grace-less and unloving environment.