Reviving the Altar Call

Though we're a contemporary church, we revived the practice of inviting people to the altar. Today's seekers hunger for spirituality, and witnessing people publicly humbling themselves before God can be a powerful spiritual moment. It's the kind of experience they are looking for. As long as they don't feel pressured to participate, they are often moved.

At the end of the service, we provide 10 to 15 minutes for people to come forward for prayer, commitment, or to receive communion. It's not limited to people who want to come to faith. It's an opportunity for people to experience a conscious response, to say, "While my heart is still touched, I am going to do something in this assembly."

I invite them by saying, "You may want to come forward in response to what was said today. You may want to come down to pray for someone. You may come down because you have a job interview tomorrow," and so on. Human ...