District Council:
The Power of an Invitation
Intro:
I want to start by sharing a video. Bud Zoll is a member of my home ward in Draper Utah. He is one of the greatest men I have had the pleasure meeting.
Show Video #1
Bud Zoll bears his testimony often in my home ward and never ceases to say the words: “all because two missionaries INVITED me to church.”.
If you don’t think the INVITATIONS we extend to those we meet can change lives- you’re wrong.
We have all memorized our purpose as a missionary. The first word is INVITE!
The most important thing we do as missionaries is INVITE others to come into Christ.
ASK: What are some of the INVITATIONS we extend to our friends or the people we are teaching?
- read the Book of Mormon
- Come to church
- Pray
- Be baptized
- Etc
As we extend an invitation, we set expectations.
Coming into Christ requires actions on their part. We can bring the horse to the river but you can't make him drink. Just like we know that the horse going to be better off after drinking, we know that our friends live’s will change for the better if they will accept our invitations.
Each invitation we extend holds power. They aren’t just words we are saying.
Discussion:
I’ve invited each of you to share your thoughts about how we can be better at extending invitations.
- Why is it important to keep our invitations SIMPLE? How do we progress?
Make them clear and simple. After they have kept these is when we give more complex invites.
- Why is it important to BE SPECIFIC with our invitations? (Not just "will you read the book of mormon")
Mark specifically what to read, background, why it's important and how it applies to them.
- Is it important to add something PERSONAL to our invitations? How do we do this?
Incorporating personal stories can make our invitations more impactful. It makes them feel more valued and unique.
Find a personal interest of their’s to relate to the invite. Try using terms like "we have given it a lot of thought and we think you'd enjoy _____ and know it will bless YOU and your life".
- Is it important to PRAY to know what invitation to extend? How can we Recognize the role of the Holy Ghost as we extend our invitations.
Our invitations need to be timely and relevant to be effectively. Listen to the spirit.
- How can we BE BOLD and clear with our invitations?
A well-articulated and clear invitation is essential.
WILL YOU BE BAPTIZED ON JANUARY 1st?
Not: “if you’re available and have time would you try to read Moroni 10:4-5?”
- is it important to FOLLOW UP about their commitment? Do we care if they follow through?
If they feel like we don’t care then they won’t take our invitations serious and won’t keep the commitment.
Conclusion:
This week, I invite all of us to FOCUS on extending SIMPLE, SPECIFIC, PERSONAL, PRAYERFUL, and BOLD Invitations.
I know as we follow up and help our friends accept our invitations we will witness miracles.
The invitations we extended with love guided by the Holy Ghost have the power to change lives.
I want to end with the rest of Bud Zoll’s story.
