INVITE A FRIEND SUNDAY: 2 November 2008

Welcome to the Invite a Friend Sunday section of the Diocese of New Jersey website.

Invite a Friend Sunday is about inviting people to participate in a particular Christian community: yours! The Diocese of New Jersey has set aside a Sunday — 2 November 2008 — across the diocese for this endeavor. The vision of this program is to be responsive to friends and families who are not Christian or involved in a church. This is an intentional day of welcome.

On 2 November 2008, we look forward to living up to the motto of our church: “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You!”

What's here on the web We’re providing supporting resources to help you plan Invite a Friend Sunday, such as a timeline and preparation materials. We’ll also offer assistance to churches to help tailor this program to your specific community. And we've made follow-up materials available that help with the question of “What next?”, so you won’t “lose” the visitors who come to your church on November 2.

Click on the links below that interests you. We suggest starting with 'Overview' and then go to the 'Timeline'. Both these documents will  give you the idea of what Invite a Friend Sunday is and how it works.

Adjust the timeline to fit your church's needs Adjust the timeline to fit your needs and hold Invite a Friend Sunday on another date. Just remember that the Super Bowl is on February 1, 2009 and it’s unlikely that many unchurched people will come to your celebration on that date.

For more information If you have questions about the Invite a Friend program or the materials on this website — or if you'd like assistance in tailoring the program to your church — contact Debbie Crall at Diocesan House, dcrall@newjersey.anglican.org or 609 394-5281, extension 20.

Invite a Friend Sunday resources on this website:

General

• Overview of Invite a Friend Sunday
• Timeline with week-by-week steps
• Key strategy: Why this concept makes sense

Planning

• Establish a leadership team
• Plan the Invite a Friend worship service
• Consider whether to hold a reception, brunch, or lunch
• Encourage congregational participation
• Help people think about whom to invite: My Circle of Contacts explanation and chart
• Make use of engaging questions in your parish communications or during events
• Prepare invitations — and a gift: Friendship outreach

Resources you can use, download, adapt, and print

• Sample service leaflet (bulletin) inserts about Invite a Friend Sunday
• Sample letters about Invite a Friend Sunday (Letter 1, Letter 2)
• Sample announcement for a church newsletter
• Reservation card: Plan for the right number of people at your reception
• Welcome text for your Invite a Friend Sunday service leaflet (five text inserts)
• Short skits that help Episcopalians actually invite someone to church! (Skit 1, Skit 2)