This first Sunday after Charlie Kirk’s death is an enormous opportunity for the American Church. Here are some tips to help you prepare.

This First Sunday After Charlie Kirk’s Death

Like many of you, fellow believers, I have been reeling from the news of Charlie Kirk’s death. I knew about him and followed him after my own children recommended him to me last year. He is the best example I can think of a Christian who spoke the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Now my children and I are uniting together to #belikecharliekirk.

A few hours from now, I’ll be sitting in my church service like I do every week. On this first Sunday after Charlie Kirk’s death, I want to be prepared, and I know you do too.

Why We Need to Prepare

First, I want to show you examples of how God is already moving among unchurched and pre-believing people since Charlie Kirk’s death:

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God is definitely on the move, and we need to be prepared to receive these people in our churches today!

If You’re Like Me, These Are Your Natural Tendencies

First, let’s get real with ourselves.

If you’re like me, these are your natural tendencies at church, though you might not have ever admitted them out loud.

You park your car or sit in the same place each week and get miffed if someone is in “your” spot.You secretly view people you’ve never seen at your church before with a little suspicion and maybe even a little judgment.If you’re an introvert like I am, you retreat further into your shell rather than even simply saying “hello” to someone.You get annoyed with behaviors in others, such as talking during worship or sermons, people being on their phones during the service or not silencing them, wiggly kids being kids, and perhaps even restlessness or impatience when you don’t have any problem sitting still for an hour.

I hope now you can see that I’m not afraid to show you my flaws. These are all thoughts that have gone through my head at church. But I want them to stop now in preparation for this first Sunday after Charlie Kirk’s death, when a huge opportunity awaits us as church attendees.

I need to confess these tendencies to God, repent of them, and ask for him to help me change. I want to be firm in my faith, yet winsome and friendly like Charlie was, and also like the apostle Paul who said this:

“Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.”1 Cor. 9:22 NLT

We’ve got to check our attitudes before going to church this first Sunday after Charlie Kirk’s death. If we are going to live like we believe, Jesus needs to be our primary example. He wasn’t afraid to eat with the people who had the worst reputations in his society. Let’s not be like the Pharisees who opposed Jesus’ example as shown in Matt. 9:9-13.

How to Prepare for Church This First Sunday After Charlie Kirk’s Death

This summer, my church worked on building a team of 300 members who will regularly invite people to church for the following year. They met that goal in a month, so I’ve already been preparing myself for a new influx of attendees at my church. You might not have had this opportunity to prepare yet, but you need to do this now, as many new people may be coming to your church starting today.

Here are the tips I’m using for myself and you can use them too.

Pray First

Pray that God will give you opportunities to show kindness today at church. I promise that if you pray this, God will answer it. You will be blessed and encouraged when God grants you these opportunities.

Be Warm

People are always attracted to warmth over coldness. Even we introverts can do things like smile and say hello. That’s how we create warmth, which will be an essential element for growing the American Church.

Scoot In

New people feel most comfortable sitting on the ends of the pews or rows. I think we all do. Today, I’m encouraging you to move toward the middle of your row or pew each week. That way, if a new person arrives late, they have a convenient spot and don’t have to pass in front of others. It’s a simple courtesy we can all extend.

Connect with Bad Memories

Has someone been cold or mean to you at church? Connect with that bad memory and transform it for good. Earlier this year, when I was passing by a lady as I entered the row, she said with a nasty tone, “Don’t step on my purse!” I wasn’t even close to doing that, but I felt the chill of her unfriendliness. I don’t want to be treated that way, and thus, I’m committed to not treating others that way. I want to rise above my church hurt (in other ways far more serious than this example) and be kind instead.

Pray When Annoyed

Annoyance is a normal human response when people are doing things out of social norms. But we can rise above it. Because I attend a seeker-focused church where people often talk or stay on their phones during the worship time or sermons, I face this issue often. Instead of leaning into my annoyance, which only distracts me from the message God wants me to hear, I pray peace and blessings for the people who are doing annoying things. Often it doesn’t “fix” the situation, but it changes my attitude toward them.

I am now more patient and understanding than I used to be, only because God helped me change. He helped me connect to the bigger picture: he wants more people in church, not less. If they aren’t as “practiced” as I am after 47 years of attending church each week, the onus is on me to take the high road and let annoyances slide.

Pack an Extra Bible

I don’t know about you, but I have dozens of Bibles in my personal collection. Consider packing one of these along with you today to give away to a new person at your church. Many people are still dealing with the effects of inflation and might not have the money to purchase one. Alternatively, they might not even know which one to pick. Pick a favorite version and consider giving it away – then follow up with the two next steps.

Be Bold

My friend Sue regularly invites people over to lunch after church, especially college-aged people who don’t have an abundance of local connections. Her Facebook group has lots of ideas on how to do this. You can be bold like that, too, if the Holy Spirit moves you to show this type of hospitality and kindness.

Pray that God will help you know how to invite someone to lunch, your small group, Alpha, BSF, DivorceCare, GriefShare, Celebrate Recovery, or any other way you can enjoy getting to know them better in a practical way that will shower them with blessings.

Consider Mentoring

New people to the church will be seeking mentors for the faith. No pastoral staff is large enough to handle this need without supplementation from volunteers. Consider speaking to your pastor or church leadership team and tell them you are available to be a mentor to a new person. That way, your church can refer people to you when they are looking for a trustworthy person to build them up in their faith. I talk more about mentorship on this podcast episode.

To be a great mentor, you don’t need to be a spiritual genius. You simply need to have time to sit and listen well to another person. Invite them to have coffee or tea with you a couple of times a month. You can be a spiritual father, mother, brother, or sister to a new person in your church – what a gift that would be to them!

Preparing for This First Sunday After Charlie Kirk’s Death

Let’s not waste this enormous opportunity God has given us, church! Be prepared to show kindness, compassion, hospitality, and encouragement today and every Sunday moving forward. The Holy Spirit is sweeping through our country with a revival, and we must do our part

I hope this post has encouraged you today! If so, please share it on social media now. Also, share any other ideas you have in the comments, and I’ll revise the post to include them.

Related Posts for Further Reading

You may enjoy these posts on related topics that I’ve written before.

Do You Even Want to Get to Know Someone on the Other Side of the Aisle?

An Unprecedented Opportunity for Hospitality

4 Ways to Share Your Testimony

Why Your Testimony Matters More Than You Know

This First Sunday After Charlie Kirk's Death - what we need to do as Christians to prepare for this enormous opportunity. #belikecharliekirk #church #christianliving #intentionalfaith
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