Young Theologians Society

I am not anti-invitations, but i'm close. no, not the kind asking you to attend a wedding -- the kind that accompanies a service in most southern churches. Here are some of the issues i find with our 'invitations'.

1. It teaches our people that there is a special time for prayer. - When we invite people to 'pray at the alter' it often gives a false assumption that prayer at 'the alter' is better than any other prayer. i'm convinced that some couples only pray together during this time, and rarely apply it and pray when they get home.

2. It often creates moments driven by emotions, not truth. - I have been in countless services when this time is over-emotional, and people are making decisions (i have had countless friends who "surrendered to missions" in the heat of a moment or camp, who are nowhere near the ministry now) based on their emotions -- not an authentic calling of the Spirit. I've also been in cross-cultural situations where someone has asked a body of people to raise their hands if they don't want to burn in hell, of course their culture doesn't understand the invitation and no one wants to burn -- so everyone raises their hand. our dis-service is to assume that their magical formulaic prayer has saved these people, though they may never again hear the name of Jesus in their life.

3. It can cause a church to think God is moving if no one goes up. - I have been in several churches where no one responds week-after-week, and it can often lead a church to believe that God is not working. If He were, people would be recommitting and surrendering, signing cards and raising hands right?

4. It moves a service from God-centric to a focus on those praying. - People can sometimes put the focus on themselves by praying up in front of everyone, instead of putting the proper focus on God. Often people think "i know why she's up there!" Ok, i can't say i know what people think, just what i do. :) I know several people who typically go up front do so, so that others make notice.

5. Hand-raising and repeat-after-me prayers are not authentic salvation experiences. - We try to over-simplify the Gospel. Jesus didn't come so we could ask everyone to simply repeat after me and then tell their friend if they meant it. There's more to the Gospel, and salvation is not from a magical prayer. It takes a real understanding of who Christ is and what He has done for us. I have been to several youth events where most kids will do whatever the guy on stage asks (especially if they think he's cool). At the last youth event i took my kids to, i had an unchurched kid raise his hand, fill out a card, and the whole shebang. on the way home i was asking him what "saved" meant, or what commitment did he make. He had no clue. and now we're backtracking to help him understand.

6. It is really something that has to be learned, it's not natural... so its not really effective in reaching the unchurched. - the 'invitation' is obviously not something that has been done for thousands of years... it's been much more popular since the Great Awakening during times when God is moving and people needed a system to handle all of the decisions. To respond to an invitiation, almost requires a culture of understanding what it is. Unchurched people don't know what this is and why we do it. or why we have to sing the same stanza of "just as i am" 8 times to get it done.

So, what are they good for? There is a good time to have an invitation. inviting others to find someone they can talk to about the Gospel or if they need counseling. Oftentimes hearing God's Word requires a response time -- not necessarily meaning to 'pray at the alter', but we need to learn to be creative in how we help others apply this truth to their lives. Giving an invitation every sermon is a lame, simple way out of proper discipleship.