Michael Harvey

Developer of Back to Church Sunday and Weekend of Invitation

As the developer of Back to Church Sunday, Michael has worked with churches throughout the UK, and throughout the English speaking world. He has spoken to thousands of church leaders and congregational members in his seminars and has seen hundreds of thousands of Christians mobilised to invite others to church, resulting in more than 1 million accepted invitations. He launched the first National Weekend of Invitation in June 2018, and the Acorn evangelism spiritual practice in May 2020.

Michael is the author of the books Unlocking the Growth and Creating a Culture of Invitation in Your Church. His latest book is The Invitation to Heal. As an itinerant speaker, he has a ministry across 18 countries and five continents. He is a member of the College of Evangelists. Michael is a visiting fellow at St John’s College, Durham, and also originated and leads a science-faith organisation that has reached over 6,500 school children in the past year.

Michael is married to Eike and they have three adult children, Ben, Kirsty and Lydia, and three granddaughters Phoebe, Ruby and Evie.

Publications

Unlocking the Growth (2012)
Creating a Culture of Invitation in Your Church (2015)
The Invitation to Heal (2020)

Lecture titles

God and the Big Bang
The story of how a General Synod motion on the compatibility of science and faith was implemented. Michael Harvey sees over 6,000 school children each year, taking scientists of faith into schools. This has produced not only an incredible apologetic for the Christian faith, but also the discovery that the questions being asked by the present generation of schoolchildren are not really being addressed by the church.
Invitation to Heal
Michael Harvey considers the scientific links between the act of invitation and healing, drawing from Luke chapter 9, where Jesus sends the disciples out to preach the good news and to heal. Exploring scientific and physiological research, Michael argues that when we positively challenge people to invite their friends, colleagues and family to church, a church event or exploration of faith, for many a freeze, flight or fight reaction linked to fear kicks in. Often this response is related to an adverse, perhaps buried, past experience and they experience stress as a result.
What on earth has Christianity done for this country?
Michael Harvey is one of the developers of Back to Church Sunday, and this lecture outlines why Christianity underpins society and how it impacts individuals. Harvey outlines his own journey, and in this inspirational lecture encourages us all to have courage to reach our neighbours for Christ.