“IOS Update”

By Trevor M. Crenshaw

In the world of Apple Inc., iOS stands for a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware.  It is the operating system that presently powers many of the company's mobile devices including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.  It is the second most popular mobile operating system globally after Android.  As of January 2017, Apple's App Store contains more than 2.2 million iOS applications, 1 million of which are native for iPads.  These mobile apps have collectively been downloaded more than 130 billion times.[i]

In the world of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, IOS stands for Invite One Sunday. Where did the idea for Invite One Sunday originate?  IOS can be attributed to the ingenuity of Trancine Madden, Trinity’s Church Secretary/Executive Assistant.  I presented Trancine with an idea that I derived from reading Who Moved My Pulpit? Leading Change In The Church.[ii]

  In the chapter entitled, "Pick Low-Hanging Fruit," Rainer highlighted an outreach campaign that was called, "Invite Your One." [iii]  The challenge for the congregation was not to go out to reach and invite multiple individuals.  In contrast, the challenge was to simply reach out and invite at least one person.  Rainer said, "Invite Your One was low-hanging fruit."[iv]  Low-hanging fruit is a goal that is easily achieved.  Rather than challenge members to achieve what many perceive to be very difficult; members should be challenged to achieve that which is easily achievable.     

As I read the chapter, "Pick Low-Hanging Fruit," I thought about how Trinity could have an "Invite Your One" Sunday and it be easily achieved.  When I shared the idea with Trancine, she took the idea of "Invite Your One" Sunday and turned it into IOS or Invite One Sunday.  I would like to offer my gratitude to Trancine for the concept IOS Update because it is easy to remember, and I like it better than IYO (Invite Your One).

  As of today, we have six weeks left before the IOS target date of October 13, 2019.  Therefore, I would like to challenge you to invite at least one person who is unchurched, unreached, unsaved, or unsatisfied with his or her present church ministry.  On the IOS target date, we will recognize everyone who invited at least one person and those who accepted the invitation to worship at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church.

  Inviting someone to church may not seem like much, but in The Unchurched Next Door, Thom S. Rainer stated, "Eight out of ten unchurched persons said they would come to church if they were invited."[v]  Why do many church members fail to invite others to church?  Rainer offered a poignant explanation when he wrote: "Perhaps the evangelistic apathy so evident in many of our churches can be explained by a simple laziness on the part of church members in inviting others to church."[vi]  

  Brothers and sisters in Christ, I implore you not to be guilty of being a lazy church member.  Please invite at least one person for our IOS.  Remember: If you invite someone to Trinity, you are not making a contribution to the work that God is already doing; however, you are offering your participation in the work that God is already doing.  

Let us have a wonderful IOS (Invite One Sunday).

[i] Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS, accessed August 15, 2017. 

[ii] Thom S. Rainer, Who Moved My Pulpit? Leading Change in the Church (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2016)

[iii] Ibid, 102. 

[iv] Ibid, 102. 

[v] Thom S. Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door: Understanding Faith Stages as Keys to Sharing Your Faith, Revised ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 25. 

[vi] Rainer 2008, 25.