Invitational Culture
An invitation cross is a beautiful way of focusing our attention on who God wants us to invite to Mass, according to Back to Church Sunday developer Michael Harvey.
“At the end of a Mass, when the priest sends us into the world to serve the Lord, I can imagine the priest asking us to pray, ‘Lord, today is there someone you want me to connect with outside the Church?’” he said.
“On the way out, you take a post-it note with a name and place it on a cross as a commitment to go and connect with that person.”
The UK-based speaker, who visits dioceses around the world to restore invitation into the life of the Church, recently hosted an Invitational Culture workshop in Haydon Hall in Manuka.
“It takes a brave person to walk into a church on their own nowadays,” Michael said.
“Also, once you have left your faith, it is very difficult to come back. You almost need a sponsor from within the parish to help you make that journey.”
South Belconnen youth minister Aghil Babu, who attended the workshop, said he had been thinking about what connects parishes and communities.
“In India, every evening, there will be youth around the church working, playing, and so many things,” he said.
“Everyone joins in together, with their own role. That’s how we keep people united and connected.”
Aghil said fellowship was a crucial element in building a strong community.
“Welcoming means someone saying is welcome to attend the mass, but to invite them into the community after the Mass we need fellowship,” he explained.
“A simple thing to think about is – do parishioners stick around, have a chat and let the children play, or do we pray and leave? When we talk about faith, do we want to be closed in a church, or do we also talk in the street? That kind of joy can only spread – some things we must take outside the Church and show the world.”
Michael said it was imperative parish communities understood the difference between a welcoming parish and an invitational parish.
“Welcoming is very passive – we wait for people to get themselves across the threshold of the church building, or we wait for them to raise a conversation about God,” he explained.
“An invitational parish takes their welcome out across the threshold of the community and invites and connects with neighbours, friends and family where they are.”