God, Chick-Fil-A, and Piper

Scott and Amy Stier had no idea the number of lives that would be impacted by offering a simple invitation at their 2-year-old’s birthday party.

God is always moving toward the lost, the broken, and the hurting. And He invites us to join Him.

The great new is, we don’t have to travel across the globe to join in the action. From a morning coffee run, to kid’s soccer games, to the checkout line at the grocery store, there’s a mission field right in our backyard.

It was February 2017 and Scott and Amy were deciding what to do for their daughter’s 2nd birthday. With a new baby in tow and the hectic life of two small children at home, they decided to celebrate with a party at Chick-fil-A.

As Amy was busy readying the cookies and cake and making sure everything looked picture-perfect, Scott was chatting with the Chick-fil-A employees. Scott called Amy over and introduced her to Piper Gonzalez, the 16-year-old hostess in charge of the party. He’d invited her to church and gave her Amy’s number to reach out if she decided to come.

The following weekend she got a text message from Piper:

“Hi, Mrs. Stier! I am coming to church tomorrow, and I am bringing my dad.”

Amy arranged to meet up with Piper at church that Sunday and to her surprise was greeted by a group of people. Piper had not only brought her dad, but also her brother, and the manager at Chick-fil-A.

The next Wednesday night, Piper came to our Elevate student service and sent a text message to Amy saying how much she loved it. The invitation to church was just what she needed. She brought her sister with her to Elevate and her mom had been attending church as well.

Piper has since given her life to Christ at one of our Elevate services. She has been involved in a small group, attends weekend services and Elevate, serves in our children’s ministry, and is preparing to go to summer camp. In addition to her family, Piper has invited two friends to church who have both given their lives to Christ as well.

This Saturday we are excited to celebrate with Piper as she gets water baptized.

At least eight people’s lives were impacted by a simple decision to step out and invite someone to church. And the effects will continue to multiply.

As Amy reflects on this experience she says, “Sometimes, it is so easy to get caught up in our own moments and milestones. However, I have seen that when we step out of ourselves and allow God to use us as a vessel of His warmth, care, concern, and love for others that we see the beauty in the inviting. One person is touched and in turn invites others, and then we begin to see the hand of God at work around us.”