Invitational Scapegoat
In order to help congregational members overcome a fear of inviting, I ask church leaders to individually invite congregational members to invite their friends, and then say to them blame me. Say the church leader has asked you to invite your friend This concept is called the scapegoat. A scapegoat is a person made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place. Sometimes we have to carry a burden for someone else. The boy David as a shepherd provided protection for those under his charge. Jesus went on to say that He was the good shepherd who would lay down his life for the sheep. It is an image intended to inspire the faith of adults in difficult times. So the church leader plays the same role. Those of us who are church leaders invite someone in our congregation to invite a friend to take a closer look at Christ and His church and be aware that you may need to be a scapegoat.
