Guideline 1: Let them know you know theyre out there . . . and youre happy about it.

People who have not been to church in a long time feel like the odd one out. In many churches, they feel like guests who snuck into someones home. They are not sure you are happy they are there. Stanley goes on to suggest that if you never reference them in your message then it will only confirm their suspicions. He is pushing for more than a if you are here for the first time reference. He is suggesting comments that demonstrate recognition of discomfort, but seek to overcome it. As early as possible, he suggests making it clear that you know they are present and that you understand where they are at. Not every visitor is a spiritual seeker. Some are resistant, some are there under duress, some feel profoundly awkward. Lovingly addressing the congregation as if it is not all insiders is important. Not only for the guests present, but also for the congregation who are considering inviting someone next week. Guideline 2: Begin with the audience in mind not your message. Jesus could have launched into theological truth statements in respect to God and sinners. But instead he began with sheep. And coins. Et cetera. But Jesus didnt come into the world to say true things. So Andy Stanley makes a strong case for surfacing a sense of need in the listeners so that they feel compelled to engage. He suggests that Christians have a lot more in common with the unchurched than we tend to realize. So if there are not uniquely Christian problems, but just problems, then we should be able to engage listeners before we preach answers to them. Guideline 3: Pick one passage and stick with it everybody will be glad you did. Let me quote, Anything we can say to make the Bible more approachable and less intimidating is a win. This is why I am such a proponent of focusing the message around one text. I realize there are topics that demand we draw peoples attention to more than one passage. My advice is to make that the exception, not the rule. Jumping all over the Bible illustrates how smart you are. It rarely enhances an audiences understanding of or love for the Scriptures. And it totally confuses non-Christians. Worse, it sets a terrible precedent for how they should read the Bible. We dont want new and non-Christians looking around the Bible for the verse that says what they are hoping it says. We want them to let the Scriptures speak for themselves. Messages built around proof-texting accomplishes the opposite.