Hyde Park Speaks

Laying the foundation---more than once.

A story from someone who was invited....

One of my best friends Angie has been telling me about Hyde Park United Methodist Church for a couple of years now.  She always spoke so highly of the church and the experiences that she and her family had there.  She would often mention church during our weekly runs, but never in a high pressure way.  About 2 years ago she invited my husband and I to attend the 9:30 service.  We met up with Angie and her husband and we enjoyed the service.  I was impressed with the turnout and the sense of community that was impossible to ignore.  While it took a year before my husband and I finally committed to becoming members, I am thankful for Angie's gentle nudging from time to time.  I feel at home at Hyde Park and have participated in a couple of bible studies that have helped strengthen my faith and connection to the church.  Now I have even invited a friend of mine to join a bible study and am eager for other friends to experience Hyde Park's positive power . 

How To Be "Inviting" With Impact

Matt Horan asked me to post this delightful video on the gentle art of inviting others to church.

Sports Team Fan = Invitation Tool for Rev. Vicki Walker

A story from Rev. Vicki Walker:

Back in July, my friend Rick Hardesty and I were at Mad Dogs having dinner and celebrating our friend Morris Massey's birthday. As we looked around the restaurant we saw a young family in the back corner and the man had on a "Kentucky" t-shirt. Rick and I are both exuberant Ky. fans, so we eagerly approached their table to introduce ourselves and tell them we were also fellow alumni. As we exchanged our excited "I'm from Ky. where are you from?" greetings we entered into a spirited conversation about our alma mater and our love for "all things Ky." We invited them to join our local alumni club as we gather for game watching parties (only 1 during football season - the rest are during basketball!). We exchanged business cards and when they saw mine they said, "Oh, you work at a church. We've been looking for a church." I immediately gushed about our wonderful church and told them about the various services and times and invited them to come.

In August they came to the Ky./Louisville football game watch party (yes, Ky. won!) and they told me they were still thinking about coming to the church.  I told them I'd get them on our email list for the e-news so they could see what was going on and consider coming to things that were of interest to them.

Tonight (Sept. 17) I was getting my food at Wed. night dinner and much to my surprise Melissa came up to me and said, "It's me, Brandon's wife!  We came on Sunday and we are here tonight for dinner. What Bible study classes do you have?" I asked if I could join them for dinner and discovered that not only were she, her husband, and her baby here but she had also invited her twin sister who was new to town. We were sitting in the midst of the hubbub of the Activities Center as the energy and excitement was all around us. Melissa told me she didn't have a Bible and had never read one. I told her we could go over to the bookstore and look at Bibles. Thankfully Josh Heuchen was at the next table and I asked him if they could come to his class and without hesitation he agreed and came over to meet them and invite them to his class.

Melissa and Brandon told me that last Sunday was the first time they had EVER left their baby with anyone else besides family. So tonight was the second time they did so. Coming to our church was a big step on a lot of fronts for them. I am so grateful they came and brought her sister.

It also was very sobering for me to recognize that I eagerly approached them that warm July evening to talk about Ky. basketball and THEY had to ask ME to talk about church!  OOPS!  Why is it so much easier to walk up to a stranger and talk about sports instead of God?  They are a darling, eager, interested young couple and they were hungry for God. Why didn't I recognize it?  Why didn't I start there?  I'm so glad they asked me, and I'm so glad you all are so welcoming that they wanted to come back!

Vicki Walker

Locker room talk...uh uh...from Jim Harnish

Jim Harnish in the Locker Room

The men's locker room at the Downtown YMCA is not exactly the place where I expect to have serious theological conversations. But there we were - the way we are in the locker room - and on two different occasions two different guys asked me two important questions. In my response, I passed the test on one and failed on the other.

It may be that guys my age and older go to the gym to resist the aging process and the inevitability of death. We're clearly not there to pump up to impress women or to prove how macho we are! (I’m not saying those are the reasons younger, better looking, better built guys work out, but it’s always possible!) At least dying was on the mind of the guy who, between sets on the exercise machine, told me that his doctor wanted him to prepare a living will and he had some questions.

I scored an “A” on that one.  I told him about the “End-of-Life Planning Guide” that our Endowment Committee provides. It answers questions about living wills, funeral or memorial services, burial plans, and estate planning. I invited him to pick one up anytime he was in the neighborhood. I would have offered to bring one to the Y, but the paper might not hold up very well in the sauna.

The Botched Answer

The other guy is a young attorney and who looks like he's been a regular in the gym a lot longer than I have been. He knows that I'm a pastor, but beyond that, we've never had a conversation. Making small talk while we changed into our gym clothes, he asked, “So, what's your niche?”

Now, that's a good question! What's the niche market for this church's ministry? What's our unique niche in this community? The question took me by surprise and I blew it.

I talked about the wide range of ministries we offer and said something positive about children and youth, but by that time he had tied his shoes and was headed for the door. As he walked away, I remembered one of our marketing folks who said that we should be able to describe the uniqueness of this church to a total stranger between floors in an elevator without using religious or churchy language.

How would you answer that question?  I'd welcome your response.

Our Niche Is...

Not wanting to get caught like that again, I’ve been working on my answer. I could have said, “We relate to a lot of different kinds of folks, but our primary niche is open-minded people who looking for a faith that makes sense in their heads and a difference in their lives.” If that seems a little slick, I could have said, “Our primary niche is career people, singles and families, many of whom have not been in the church before or for a long time, who are looking for a place where they can ask their questions and search for answers with people who will help them along the way.”  Or I could have replied, “Many folks say we are the church they didn't think they could find - a place where they are accepted for who they are and encouraged to grow and serve.”

I could have said a lot of things, but I wasn't ready to say it! 

In our recent study of “Just Walk Across the Room,” Bill Hybels encouraged us to be prepared to speak an honest, genuine, personal word about the difference Christ has made in our lives. The key is to be ready. The opportunity may come in the place we least expect it. Maybe even in the locker room.

Evangelism through example...

The following is a story from Sharon, someone who was invited to Hyde Park by Angela Heuchan...

When I first met Angela Heuchan at a playgroup shortly after moving back to Tampa, she asked me where my family and I went to church. I told her that we did not yet go to a church in Tampa. Angela spent a few minutes telling me about Hyde Park United Methodist and how much she and her family liked it. I listened politely, but was not really sure that we were looking for a church at that point.  But the fact that Angela had asked the question and her description of her church stuck in my mind.

As I got to know her, I was impressed with the way she lived her life and the people with whom she surrounded herself. She and her husband Josh led a drive to collect clothes for a ministry at the church. We contributed to the cause, and I noted to myself another positive point about the church. Angela mentioned in the course of conversation that her children attended Small Blessings, and what a positive experience she and others had with the preschool. I noted another positive thing about Hyde Park United Methodist.

Over the course of about a year, my husband and I began searching for a church that was right for us. We talked about several options. Ultimately, we decided to take a closer look at Hyde Park United Methodist.  This was a direct result of my discussions with Angela about the church, and the fact that we felt very strongly that if people like Angela and Josh, who we hold in such high esteem, found something there, there must be something to it. We have since joined the church and had our children baptized there and have been very happy with that decision. 

How I Came To Attend Services At Hyde Park

Due to turmoil in the leadership at our old church, the youth group had fallen apart and both my son Daniel and I found that we were not getting anything from attending services. We knew that we wanted a change but were finding it difficult to find a new faith community.

Daniel is in Boy Scouts with Joseph Kenny plus has several friends in PHS Band who attend Hyde Park. The kids invited him to youth group and he told me that he would like to try out services at Hyde Park. Around the same time I was having conversations with Vincent Sims, guitarist in the contemporary band at Hyde Park and my co-worker at Raymond James. I had mentioned that I would like to hear him play so he invited me to Sunday service. It was only then that I realized that Vincent was inviting me to the same church where Daniel had been attending youth group.

We have been attending services at Hyde Park for over one year now. I found that old friends with whom I had lost touch attend Hyde Park and I look forward to becoming more active in the church. God works in wonderous ways.

Through totally different avenues he was leading us to Hyde Park. Think maybe we have found a new home.

Invite At The Dentist's Office

As a member of the Inviting Team, I am an often aware that I should be an example of a frequent inviter. Whenever I’m out among people that don’t go to church, I should invite them to be our guest some Sunday at Hyde Park United Methodist.

This morning was one such moment. I was on my way to the dentist, and I thought that perhaps I could invite a dentist or dental hygienist to come and visit Hyde Park. A very nice dental hygienist came in, and I thought about inviting her, when all of a sudden I remembered that conversation would not be real possible. Soon there were instruments and gross cleansing pastes and rinses in my mouth. There was water spraying and a tube suctioning, and some scraping as well. Had my mouth not been totally gaped open, I would have smiled to myself a bit at the ridiculousness of hoping that I could talk to someone with my tongue shoved aside. Oh well, maybe next time.

But then, while my mouth was recovering from the gross fluoride mouthwash that I couldn’t rinse out for the next 30 minutes, another hygienist noticed a book that I was reading about worship. She asked, “Is this a Christian book?” I nodded and made an “Mm-hmm” noise, and she began telling me about a church that she’d gone to before that was now far away, and that she’d like to come to our church sometime. I gave her my card and told her our service times, and was able to get my mouth to say that we’d be glad to welcome her anytime.

Just when it seemed that inviting her was impossible, I was reminded that God doesn’t always need my mouth to be working 100%. Keep an eye open—He might just send someone your way when you least suspect! I didn’t feel capable of inviting her, but what I feel capable of really doesn’t matter, I guess!

“What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27

Bruce's Inviting story

“Go therefore and make disciples

of your friends and family, your neighbors,

and golf buddies, your workout partner,

the bridge club, other soccer moms,

your barber, the fantasy football league,

and the cable guy.”

Several weeks ago I was talking to one of the lenders that we do business with, mainly bemoaning the real estate market, the lack of business, and the weather.  Somewhere in the conversation I said something about singing in the rock band at church, and she said, “Oh, … what church do you go to?”  The way she said it made it sound like more than just a question about me.  When I answered, she said she had heard about us and that actually said that she heard the music was great.  So I made the ask:  “Why don’t you come and see for yourself?”  Her answer was a firm, “Maybe.”

Later that day I received Jim’s weekly email about the upcoming sermon, so I forwarded it on to her.  Sunday morning I looked out into the congregation and saw her there with her boyfriend.  WOW!!  It actually worked!  I invited someone and they came!  And after the service she met Sherlyn and talked to her for a while.  She’s been back once since then, batting about .500; that’s not bad.

Fast forward a couple of weeks.  I told her about re-Connect and asked her to join our class.  Once again I got a firm, “Maybe,” and then didn’t hear back.  Until Monday, the day before our first class.  She asked if she could show up and join our group.  WOW again!!

It wasn’t that hard.  I didn’t have to witness, explain the mysteries of the faith or ask if she was going to heaven.   It was just come and see, and let the Spirit do the rest.

Inviting Story

I thought you'd enjoy hearing about the beginning of my journey as I start the process of becoming a lifelong "inviter".  Before I get into the details of my first invitation, let me set the stage for you so you can appreciate how easy this should/could have been.  First, the guy I've been wanting to invite, but haven't, for the last few years lives 5 houses down.  My two oldest and their two kids are best friends and have been for the last few years.  Our wives are best friends. They send both of their kids to small blessings.  If that wasn't enough, they have tons of great friends who go to Hyde Park United Methodist all of whom are very active and hard core HP'ers.  They don't currently go to a church. So.......

We are out last weekend celebrating our birthdays (within a few days of each other) at Berns. Fantastic fellowship throughout the entire dinner.  Now up in the dessert room enjoying some Macadamia Nut Ice Cream, when all the sudden there is a break in conversation as we enjoy or desserts and I look at our friends, after having a wonderful night and say "you guys are coming to church with us!"  Not really with a question mark at the end.  Almost like an imperative sentence.  Even as I said it, I wasn't sure where it came from, but my buddy and my wife's buddy looked at each other and looked back at us an said "OK", as if we just invited them over to swim the next day or something..... Now, I need to follow through and pick a date and coordinate logistics, but the hard part is out of the way.  The Holy Spirit will do all the heavy lifting from here on out, which is the good news!  So, this invitation thing doesn't have to be super sophisticated.  Sometimes, our friends and acquaintances are waiting for us to ask them.