Invitation

Every December, churches across the United States prepare for an influx of visitors, but fewer Americans than ever are including church in this year’s Christmas plans. According to a Lifeway Research study, only 47% of U.S. adults say they typically attend church during the holiday season, while 48% admit it’s not on their agenda, and 5% remain undecided. While 9 in 10 Americans do something to celebrate Christmas, less than half typically attend church at Christmastime today.

The study reveals a sharp divide in Christmas church attendance, particularly among the religiously unaffiliated—a group growing fastest among younger demographics. While 71% of this group say they’re unlikely to attend church at Christmas, 40% admit they might consider it if personally invited by someone they trust.

Among those who do attend, the motivations are surprisingly diverse. Sixty percent of Christmas churchgoers say their attendance stems from faith, but others are only doing it to keep up with tradition (16%), appease family and friends (15%), or simply embrace the festive ambiance (8%).

As churches prepare for Christmas Eve services — often the highest-attended service of the year — the message is clear: intentional outreach matters.

The hottest travel amenity is getting your time back—because we all hate to wait!

In November 2024, Walt Disney World began piloting a new paid service that allows visitors to the Florida resort’s four theme parks to bypass regular lines for popular attractions. Vail Resorts introduced a gear membership program meant to let skiers skip rental lines. More hotels are charging for perks like early check-in.

About half of the more than 650 theme parks, zoos, aquariums, monuments and observation decks surveyed by the travel-research firm Arival offered skip-the-line or VIP access tickets in 2024. Of those not offering these options, 18% said they would introduce similar access in 2025.

The trend highlights how cost and comfort are becoming more intermingled for travelers, especially those hitting crowded destinations. And how those with tighter budgets risk ending up worse off.

These offers are often aimed at families. Rochelle Marcus, a stay-at-home mom in Oxford, N.C., says parents have extra incentive to pay up for a pass during school breaks, when crowds are larger. “That way everyone’s not tired, cranky, and grumpy at the end of the day,” she says. And as someone else in the article concluded: “Life is too short to be spent waiting in line all the time.”

Possible Preaching Angles:

You can approach this illustration from two angles: 1) Impatience; Waiting – This shows the negative side of human nature that is impatient and wants favorable status. This status is gained by payment. 2) Advocate; Invitation; Rights - The positive side is that we have an advocate who gifted us with priority access to the Father (Eph. 3:12; Heb. 4:14-16). This status is all due to God’s grace. You cannot buy your way into access with God.

In February 2020, BBC journalist Vicky Baker jumped on the Eurostar to Paris, motivated by a sudden urge to have dinner with a friend. American Jim Haynes had entered his late 80s and his health was declining, yet she knew he would welcome a visit. Jim always welcomed visitors to his home in Paris.

She was far from the only guest wandering into the warm glow of his artist's workroom on a wet winter's night. Inside, people were squeezing, shoulder to shoulder, through the narrow kitchen. Strangers struck up conversations, bunched together in groups, and balancing their dinners on paper plates.

Jim had operated open-house policy at his home every Sunday evening for more than 40 years. Absolutely anyone was welcome to come for an informal dinner, all you had to do was phone or email and he would add your name to the list. No questions asked. Just put a donation in an envelope when you arrive.

There would be a buzz in the air, as people of various nationalities - locals, immigrants, travelers - milled around the small, open-plan space. A pot of hearty food bubbled on the stove and servings would be dished out onto a trestle table, so you could help yourself and continue to mingle. It was for good reason that Jim was nicknamed the "godfather of social networking." He led the way in connecting strangers, long before we outsourced it all to Silicon Valley.

At the dinners' peak, Jim would welcome up to 120 guests, filling his home, and spilling out into the cobbled back garden. An estimated 150,000 people have come over the years.

"The door was always open," says Amanda Morrow, an Australian journalist. "It was a revolving door of guests - some who wanted to stay over, and others who just wanted to say hello. Jim never said no to anyone."

Amid the outpouring of online tributes since his death in his sleep on 6 January 2021, these words from his son Jesper stand out:

The only thing that really got Jim down was people leaving. He struggled with that. He didn't like being on his own... His goal from early on was to introduce the whole world to each other. He almost succeeded.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Fellowship; Home; Outreach – Imagine the results if church members would invite others to share in an informal meal at their home. Neighbors, friends, church members, visitors to church all welcomed to mingle and fellowship in the warm, cozy atmosphere of a home.

Bonnie Crawford was in danger of missing a connecting flight for a board meeting last week when a United Airlines customer-service rep saved the day. She got rebooked on a pricey nonstop flight in business class. For free.

You’re probably thinking, “No airline ever does that for me.” Crawford isn’t just any frequent flier. She has United’s invitation-only Global Services status.

It’s a semi-secret, status-on-steroids level that big spenders strive for every year. American and Delta have souped-up statuses, too, with similarly haughty names: ConciergeKey and Delta 360°. The airlines don’t like to talk about what it takes to snag an invite, how many people have such status, or even the perks. Even the high rollers themselves don’t know for sure.

Get into these exclusive clubs and you get customer service on speed dial, flight rebooking before you even know there’s trouble, lounge access, and priority for upgrades. Not to mention bragging rights and swag. People even post unboxing videos of their invites on YouTube.

Anyone with this super status needn’t fret about the value of airline loyalty or the devaluation of frequent-flier points.

Crawford was invited to Global Services for 2017 and was hooked. “It was the first taste of this magic, elusive, absolutely incredible status,’’ she says. She wasn’t invited again until this year and fears she won’t be invited back next year due to fewer costly international flights in her new job.

Possible Preaching Angles:

You can approach this illustration from two angles: 1) Boasting; Pride – This shows the negative side of human nature that loves to boast about their favored position and humble-brag about their status. This status is gained by merit. 2) Advocate; Grace; Invitation; Rights - The positive angle is that we have an Advocate who gifted us a special relationship with the Father (Eph. 3:12; Heb. 4:14-16). This status is all due to God’s grace.

Kalina and Shane Pavlovsky planned a beautiful wedding reception at the Barn at Scappoose Creek, Oregon, but were met with disappointment when, out of the 40 guests who RSVP'd, only five showed up.

Kalina told a reporter, “It was a feeling I can’t even describe, having to hold my smile and walk through … the biggest punch that I’ve ever felt.” Of the 40 guests who’d originally responded in the affirmative, Kalina said she’d made direct contact with at least 25 who promised they would come.

The couple’s disappointing reception entrance was caught on video, so she posted it onto TikTok, where it was viewed over 12 million times with more than 20,000 comments. Kalina says she posted it during a lonely moment, but she was also motivated to show off the venue itself, which was tastefully decorated with white lights and draping sheer fabric. She said, “It was just so beautiful, I thought someone has to see it.”

Pavlovsky expressed her feelings about the moment in her TikTok video post. “It just makes me think, like, why? What did we do? Am I that bad of a person? What did my husband ever do to deserve any of this? Why couldn’t we matter enough for people to show up?”

Despite the disappointment, the couple made the best of the situation, but had to cancel planned events like dances and cutting the cake. Despite the hurt caused by the no-shows, Pavlovsky said she's also been touched by the outpouring of support from strangers who saw her story and felt empathy.

“My hope is that people understand how important it is to show up,” she concluded.

Possible Preaching Angle:

1) Faithfulness of God - Unlike some of our flakier friends, God does not ghost us when we need him most. On the contrary, God shows up when we need him most. 2) Promises – When we make a commitment we should keep it. If we have no intention of keeping the commitment, we should be honest to say so.

Hosting friends and family from out of town always sounds good in theory, but it doesn’t come without its challenges. Two-thirds of Americans have told a guest to “make themselves at home” and regretted it later. That’s according to a new survey of 2,000 Americans, which found 72 percent have told a guest to make the space their own—and 91% of those have regretted it afterward.

Some of the reasons respondents have regretted allowing people to make themselves at home include guests expecting more meals than planned (54%), overstaying their welcome (45%), and making a mess (39%).

Results also looked to see who makes the worst guests, with friends (42%), siblings (39%), and in-laws (37%) topping the list. For a third of respondents (35%), the situation has become unpleasant enough that they’ve told someone they’re a “bad guest.”

On the flip side, 75% of Americans surveyed believe they’re a good host—with 31% of those saying they’re a “very good” host.

The survey also looked at the lengths that hosts go to, and the steps people can take to ensure their home is inviting. In order to be a good host, over four in 10 have purchased a new bed or new mattress for people to sleep on when they stay the night (49%) or purchased new furniture to ensure guests are comfortable (45%).

LifeWay Research surveyed 2,000 Americans who do not attend church on what would draw them to one. Among the findings:

Method Of Invite

51% a personal invitation from a friend or family member

23% a TV commercial

23% a postcard

21% a church member knocking on the door

18% a Facebook ad

Just outside Carlsbad, CA, a chaotic scene unfolded as several cars stopped in the middle of the I-5 freeway to grab money that spilled out. At 9:15 a.m., the back doors of an armored truck popped open and bags of $1 and $20 notes burst open across the Interstate. One patrol officer described the scene as “free-floating bills all over the freeway."

Some motorists thought it was "Free money" and were grabbing hand fulls of cash and celebrating their good fortune. Others posted stories on social media platforms, sharing with their followers their good luck.

While some returned their bounty, others drove away from the scene. The authorities warned that they would be watching the videos posted online and all the money had to be returned within 48 hours to avoid criminal charges. Imagine the disappointment of those who thought they had easy money.

Possible Preaching Angle:

It is easy to have our hope and affections set on the wrong things. The free grace that God offers us in salvation does not disappoint us. Once we receive it, it cannot be taken from us.

The pandemic has forced some locally owned businesses to close their doors. For one North Texas restaurant owner, he’s finding ways to overcome these challenges and continues to serve free meals to those who need them. Owner Ram Mehta says, “I get to meet a lot of amazing people. It’s all like a big extended family.”

Before customers order at the counter, they’re greeted with a sign on the door:

If you are Hungry, Homeless or Can’t afford a meal.

Please honor us by stopping by during business hours

for a couple of slices of Hot Pizza & Fountain Drink at No Charge.

If any employee here doesn’t treat you with same respect as a paying customer.

Please Call Ram directly at (number given). No questions no judgement.

Thank you for giving us an opportunity to serve you. God Bless You.

Ram says, “At one point in my life I was homeless, and my mom basically told me ‘Never forget where you came from.’” These are words he took to heart. So, he posted this sign to his restaurants' front doors as a reminder. It honors his mother, Lata Mehta who passed away three years ago.

This kind gesture called “Everyone Eatz” bloomed into a movement bigger than Ram ever imagined. He started holding events throughout Texas and has provided more than a half a million free meals and more. He says, “We started giving out cars to single moms, we started paying for rent for a few people, we started giving backpacks, toys for Christmas. So, it’s just about helping your neighbor.”

He hopes this example will inspire others to pay it forward. It’s already working. He says restaurants in Wisconsin and Florida have reached out asking to adopt the movement and help people in their communities.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Believers are to show the same love and care to those in need (1 Jn. 3:17-18; Heb 13:16). This reflects our greater mission of inviting people to “’Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Rev. 22:17).

Possibly overlooked by many is the fact that on at least one occasion, Jesus cooked for his disciples. John 21:9 records that the disciples had been out fishing. When they came to shore, they found Jesus on the beach with a meal. “When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.”

Avery Gilbert, psychologist and fragrance scientist, writes that cooking is much more than just preparing a meal, it is an invitation. The savory notes of roasted meat and baked bread stimulate us enroute to a meal.

Food aroma is an invitation and a spur to action. Even before the first bite, it triggers an elaborate sequence of physiological events: salivation, insulin release by the pancreas, and the secretion of various digestive juices. The aroma of bacon, at a level so faint it can’t be consciously identified, has been shown to trigger the flow of saliva.

Possible Preaching Angles:

Jesus offers everyone an open invitation to eat and drink with him. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Rev. 3:20). “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Rev. 19:9).

In the classic Russian novel Eugene Onegin, a jaded aristocrat Onegin, meets an innocent young girl in the countryside. The girl, Tatyana, writes him a letter, offering him her love. Onegin does not reply. When they meet again, he turns her down: the letter was touching, he tells her, but he would soon grow bored of marriage to her. Years later, Onegin enters a St. Petersburg party and sees a stunningly beautiful woman. It is Tatyana. But she is now married. Onegin falls in love with her. He tries desperately to win her back. But Tatyana refuses him. Once, the door was open: she offered him her love. Now it is shut.

For many of us, it is easy to reject Jesus now. Like Tatyana's letter to Onegin, his offer is touching. But we believe we will be happier without such a commitment. We worry he will cramp our style, so we move on with life and leave him in the spiritual countryside. One day, the Bible warns, we will see Jesus in all his glory, our eyes painfully open to his majesty. We will know in that moment that all our greatest treasures were nothing compared with him, and we will bitterly regret that decision. But it will be no more unfair than Tatyana's rejection of Onegin. If we accept Jesus now, we will live with him forever in a fullness of life we cannot imagine. If we reject him, he will one day reject us, and we will be eternally devastated. The choice is ours.

The Billy Graham Center commissioned a survey of 2,000 Americans who don’t actively participate in religion—the “unchurched.” The survey asked these people about how they perceive Christians and Christianity. This included their view of Christianity, their willingness to talk about faith matters with Christians, how they would respond to being invited to a church event, and which types of invitations would they be most willing to accept.

The data found that many unchurched Americans think well of Christians and are open to engaging matters of faith. For example, 42 percent of the unchurched think that Christianity is good for society, 33 percent admire their Christians friends’ faith, and up to 67 percent would be willing to attend a church event (depending on the type of event). Richardson concludes that the unchurched include “a massive number of people who are open to being invited, persuaded, and connected to a local congregation.”

This analysis counters misconceptions about the unchurched. Christians commonly overestimate the hostility of the unchurched in matters of faith. We can slip into viewing them as mini-versions of Richard Dawkins—hostile to all things Christian. Not all of them will constructively engage us, of course, but many will.

An unusual visitor has been hanging out in the St. Lawrence River for the past three years: A narwhal, more than 600 miles south of its usual range. But the lone narwhal is not alone—it appears he has been adopted by a band of belugas.

The narwhal was filmed in July playing among a pod of young belugas. The video was taken by the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals. “It behaves like it was one of the boys,” said Robert Michaud, the group's president. The interactions between the narwhal and the belugas appear to be identical to those among just the belugas, suggesting the narwhal has been fully accepted as part of the group.

So how did the narwhal end up in the St. Lawrence in the first place? Michaud said it's not unusual for young whales to wander into strange habitats. Young belugas wandered as far as New Jersey. Some, unable to find their own kind, end up trying to make friends with boats and humans, and get fatally injured by propellers.

“That little narwhal that made a similar trip was very lucky,” Michaud said. “Because he found almost normal buddies.”

Belugas and narwhals tend to “stick to their own kind” when they encounter one another in the north. But Martin Nweeia, a researcher at Harvard University, said given how social both species are, he thinks they'd be similarly capable of caring and compassion.

“I don't think it should surprise people. I think it shows … the compassion and the openness of other species to welcome another member that may not look or act the same. And maybe that's a good lesson for everyone.”

Preaching angle:

Acceptance; Body of Christ; Community; Fellowship – Church members must also be eager to welcome newcomers and strangers into the fellowship. No visitor should ever feel as though they are unwelcome or that there is no room for them. As Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you took me in” (Matthew 25:35)

Summer: a perfect time to send postcards, right? Apparently Europol, the European law enforcement agency, thinks so. They've been publishing "postcards" addressed to some of their most-wanted criminals, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "wish you were here!"

Why postcards? According to an NPR report, Europol is hoping that "increased awareness will lead to more arrests." The cards can be found on the Europe's Most Wanted Fugitives website, decorated with colorful illustrations (often with an ominous pair of handcuffs included somewhere in them). The messages read as tongue-in-cheek pleas for criminals to return: "Dear Marko, the waters of the Adriatic are missing you. Come sail with us for a trip you will never forget! Regards, the Police."

In addition to reading the postcards, visitors to the Europe's Most Wanted Fugitives page can find a pictures of the fugitives and read more about them. Those targeted by the cards "are accused of serious crimes in 21 European Union countries and are believed to be outside of the countries where they allegedly committed the crimes," writes Merrit Kennedy for NPR. And while "it's highly implausible that the fugitives will answer the fawning messages from law enforcement," such methods have proved successful in the past: "European authorities say crowdsourcing has become increasingly important as a law-enforcement tool."

Potential Preaching Angles: Let's take a second (or many!) to be thankful that God reaches out to us not with ominous messages, threatening us to return or else—but rather with patience and love, drawing us back to himself.

In the early 80s, an image campaign began in the city of Atlanta with the hopes of encouraging Atlantans to see their city with pride and hope—despite some of its darker issues of race relations, violence, poverty, and unemployment. The jingle was endearing, if cheesy, chirping birds in the background and all: There's a feeling in the air, that you can't get anywhere … except in Georgia. I taste a thousand yesterdays and I still love the magic ways of Atlanta.

All of it was meant to inspire nostalgia, loyalty, and camaraderie—and to counter all the city's negative images. Those who remember it speak fondly of the "Hello Atlanta!" song's ability to highlight Atlanta's unique brand of urbanism and the pride.

Makes no difference where I go, you're the best hometown I know. Hello, Atlanta. Hello, Georgia. We love you on 11 Alive!

The song served as something of an anthem for the city, so much so that Ira Glass featured it on his program This American Life. He interviewed people who remembered the song. And then he completely burst their unique sense of city-pride by playing for them the exact same song and lyrics with "Milwaukee" or "Calgary" substituted out in chorus and pictures. As it turned out, this "image campaign" was a syndicated campaign that took place in 167 different cities worldwide. There's a feeling in the air, that you can't get anywhere, except … fill in the blank.

The Bible does not give us an image campaign about God's good news. It is not meant to play on a sense of nostalgia for generic people and places. The promise of the gospel is for particular people in particular places. And this good news can be for you today.

Dialing the wrong phone number can be awkward, embarrassing, and sometimes downright frustrating. When a young man forgot to notify his grandmother of a change in his cell phone number before Thanksgiving, however, the result was touching. Wanda Dench texted a number that had originally been her grandson's, inviting him over for a Thanksgiving meal. Instead of her grandson, the text went to 17 year-old Jamal Hinton. The two figured out the mistake quickly, but Hinton asked if it was possible to "still get a plate." In grandmotherly fashion, Dench responded, "Of course you can. That's what grandmas do." The story went viral online, perhaps as a hint of joy during such a bitter election season. When asked about the encounter after Thanksgiving, the young man said, "I'm thankful for all the nice people in the world. I never met her … and she welcomed me into her house, so that shows me how great of a person she is."

Potential Preaching Angles: If the church takes its mission to love its neighbors seriously, a few words in this story could be easily replaced. "Of course you can. That's what [Christians] do. … I'm thankful for all the [Christians] in the world. I've never met her … and she welcomed me into her house, so that shows me [the love of God inside of her]."

The first thing many smartphone users do when they sit down at a restaurant is connect to the local Wi-Fi network. Ordinarily free, establishments often have a simple password for the network posted on the wall to prevent non-customers from logging in. One Thai restaurant, however, decided to break the norm and give its customers a not-so-simple password to access the internet. The sign on the wall of the Texas restaurant did not contain a standard string of digits, but an elaborate calculus equation (the kind of math that contains more letters and Greek symbols than actual numbers).

A curious and determined patron of the restaurant posted a photo of the equation on social media with the caption "Where are the math wizards at?" He eventually found some help, receiving hopeful suggestions such as "I wouldn't be surprised if the password is something like 'DependsOnN,'" and "[maybe] some variation of 'One', '1' 'One Hundred Percent' or '100%'" and several assertions that it must be a trick question. At the time the story was reported, the original user who had posted the photo had tried every single suggestion and was still coming up empty. A sympathizing social media user commented, "I am sorry that we have failed you," to which he earned the noble and inspiring response: "We haven't failed, we just haven't found the correct PW yet … we will eventually."

Potential Preaching Angles: Similar to the exclusivity of a closed Wi-Fi network, guests or visitors to a church can often be wondering what the "secret password" is to fitting in or being accepted. They can often view the church as a place for perfect people, without room for brokenness or doubt. Of course, this apparent exclusivity is actually the opposite of the Gospel, where we are assured that "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). We believers must ensure that our churches are not full of cliques and secret passwords, but honesty and warmth.

On April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg and was swallowed up in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Over 1,500 people perished as "the ship that not even God could sink" sank. Only about a third of the passengers lived to tell of the nightmare.

Although the death toll was staggering, the greater tragedy was that many more people could have been rescued. The Titanic was certified to offer lifeboat space to 1,178 people. But of the twenty lifeboats lowered overboard, only a few were filled to capacity. Several were less than half full. For instance, the first lifeboat lowered, boat seven, had room for 65 people, yet just 28 boarded. Boat five left with 24 spaces unfilled. Lifeboat nine left with 26 out of 65 paces unfilled. Lifeboat one could accommodate 40 people but left the Titanic with only 12 people on board. In all, only 711 passengers and crew were rescued, while 40 percent of the total lifeboat spaces remained unfilled. Meanwhile, hundreds of people floated in the open water wearing life jackets near the twenty unfilled lifeboats. Only one of the vessels went back in search of other survivors. The rest (with room to spare) remained at a safe distance observing the horrific scene, comforting one another, and praising God they'd been spared.

In the ensuing months, as investigators sought to determine why so many lifeboat seats remained unfilled, they uncovered some startling misperceptions. First, some of the Titanic crewman mistakenly assumed that filling the lifeboats to their "sea capacity" would cause the boats to break in two during the lowering process. As a result of their excessive caution, many passengers were forced to plummet into the icy waters. Secondly, some of the passengers were reluctant to board the lifeboats because they didn't feel that there was an urgent need. After all, the ship was supposedly "unsinkable."

Possible preaching bridges: (1) As the church of Jesus Christ, does our outreach "make room" for lost people, so we can invite them to Christ? Or does our lack of compassion or misperceptions prevent us from rescuing those around us? (2) Salvation is abundantly available, but we have to see our need and get into the lifesaving boat. (3) It's also possible that many of the men acted in valor by allowing the women and children to get on the lifeboats first. In their sacrificial heroism, they wanted to ensure that others were safe before they boarded the lifeboats.

See the following sources: Walter Lord & Nathaniel Philbrick, A Night to Remember (Holt Paperbacks, 2004), p. 177; John P. Eaton & Charles A. Haas, Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy (W.W. Norton & Company, 1995), p. 32; Life Titanic (Life, 2012), p. 102; Senan Molony, Titanic: A Primary Source History (Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2005), p. 24