B.L.E.S.S. Sunday is April 12, 2026

Then the master told his servant, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” Luke 14:23

In the 14^th chapter of the Gospel of Luke we are reminded that it is God’s desire for every human being to have a seat at the Messianic banquet table of eternity – a visual image of being fully alive in God’s presence with people from “north, south, east and west”, and every tribe, every tongue, and every nation when the new Heaven and the new Earth are established. We are also reminded that it is God’s desire for His people – you and me – to extend invitations to that Messianic banquet table – personal invitations extended one on one, one by one, until the seats at the table are filled.

The importance of inviting a friend or a colleague to go with us to a worship service, a small group activity, or a church event (where people might encounter Jesus for the first time) cannot be overstated. It is often the most significant step in the process of a person coming to personal faith in Jesus, beginning to follow Him, and then devoting themselves to life-long discipleship and engagement in the Mission of God in the world

Cindy Kemp, a member of Bretton Woods Covenant Church in Lansing, Michigan says that it was a series of invitations to Sunday morning worship services by a colleague at work that eventually resulted in her choosing to follow Jesus. She and Jeff Nunham were co-workers and friends at UPS in Lansing for 15 years. She said that what stood out about Jeff was that he was always kind to everyone he worked with and was never judgmental.

Cindy recalls that when Jeff became the part-time pastor at Bretton Woods Church, he began inviting her to Sunday morning services. She remembers saying to Jeff several times that she would be there and then didn’t show up. “Sunday was the one day I could sleep in” she said. “And I wasn’t getting up early to go to church.” But Jeff was persistent and never gave up on her. Cindy goes on to say, “Then one Sunday in January (of 2022) I woke up out of a dead sleep and knew that I had to go to church. I went. The next Sunday my husband went with me, and we have been attending Bretton Woods for over three years. Having Christ in my life has made such a difference in me. I read out of the Bible every day and write in my journal. I was baptized. My husband was baptized. We have brought our great grandchildren to church and have recently renewed our wedding vows. I thank God that Jeff never gave up on me, and it scares me to think where I’d be without God in my life.”

Thom Rainer, a Christian sociologist who studies trends in culture, tells us that some 80% of unchurched people are open to attending a church event if they are personally invited. He emphasizes that people are most likely to say yes if the invitation is to “go together” to a specific gathering, not just a general invitation to show up sometime.

The B.L.E.S.S. Ministry of the ECC provides a simple framework for engaging in relationships with people that could lead to a life-changing invitation for someone you know: B Begin with Prayer; L Listen with Care; E Eat together; S Serve your friend; S Share your story about your life with Christ. I encourage the reader to review the many BLESS resources available to individuals and churches here.

B.L.E.S.S. Sunday across the Covenant is April 12, 2026, the week after Easter! This is an opportunity for the whole church to lift up the people for whom you are praying to come to know Jesus.

Who is the one person you will be praying for and then inviting to go with you to a worship service, a small group, or a church event in 2026 that could lead to a life-changing encounter with Jesus? Is it a colleague at work? A new neighbor? A friend at school? Remember Jesus’ words: “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.’”