Pastor, Please Extend an Invitation
There was a season in my ministry when I found myself stepping back from giving altar calls as often as I should have. It felt like a dry spell—few people were coming forward—and I found myself growing weary of the lack of response that followed those invitations. Over time, I began to wonder, Why keep pressing through the awkwardness, week after week, when nothing seems to be happening? So, instead of invitations being a regular part of my preaching ministry, they became infrequent.
Looking back, I sometimes wonder how many hearts were ready—how many souls were quietly waiting for the chance to respond, if only I had extended an invitation. Everything changed the day I came to realize something important: I’m not responsible for the response. That’s God’s work. But I am responsible for creating the moment—the opportunity—for people to say yes to Him.
As that truth settled deeper into my heart, I began to approach sermon preparation differently. I started thinking intentionally, prayerfully, about the invitation. I asked myself: How can I make it easier for someone to respond? How can I prepare hearts throughout the message? I began gently pointing ahead to the moment of response during the sermon itself—giving people time to reflect, to open up, to consider what God might be saying to them, and how they might respond.
When we consistently offer people a chance to say yes to Jesus—whether it’s a moment of salvation, surrender, sanctification, healing, or calling—we’re cultivating a culture of expectancy and grace.
What I’ve come to see is that invitations matter—not just for those who respond, but also for those in the congregation who need to witness what it looks like to open the door to transformation. And hearing language that models that invitation helps individuals who may have an opportunity to invite a friend to follow Jesus.
These days, I rarely preach without offering some kind of invitation. Not always dramatic, not always emotional, but always intentional. And I’ve noticed a pattern: thriving, healthy churches have pastors who preach with the expectation of decision, and who gently invite people into moments—and journeys—of transformation.
You never know who’s sitting in the congregation, quietly longing for a moment with God. Don’t let a season of stillness convince you that invitations no longer matter. Keep offering the opportunity. God is always working—even when the response isn’t obvious at first.
Eddie Estep
SCO District Superintendent
