‘Get Involved’: A Weak CTA—and Even Weaker Theology

Not long ago, an agency I work with sent me an email solicitation from one of its ministry clients to edit. The only call-to-action in the whole piece was “Get involved.”

So I changed the CTA to something stronger, something specific and concrete that would put the reader in the middle of the action.

When the email went back to the client for approval, they changed it right back to, you guessed it: “Get involved.”

That’s when I realized the problem wasn’t just weak copy. The problem was fear. Not the fear of being too bold or asking for too much, but the fear of offending someone. The fear that if the ask was too direct, someone might feel uncomfortable, click unsubscribe, or send a frustrated reply. And under that fear was bad theology.

Because if we believe what we say we believe, we shouldn’t be rounding off the edges of Jesus’ call so it lands more softly.

We should be tell the truth about what obedience actually looks like and trust God with how people respond.

Why “Get involved” doesn’t move people

The problem is, “Get involved” is everywhere in nonprofit and ministry writing.

It sounds safe and agreeable, but in reality it’s one of the weakest invitations you can make.

That’s because it’s vague, passive, and it hides behind politeness instead of giving people a clear and meaningful way to respond.

Even if you’re not looking at it through a theological lens, “Get involved” isn’t the kind of CTA that moves anyone to act.

And if you are writing to people who care about theology, it does something worse.

It reduces the call of Christ to something optional, something you can tack onto life when you have the time.

The brain skips vague invitations

Behavioral psychology backs this up.

The human brain doesn’t like to work any harder than it has to. We skim, we filter, we look for what’s clear, and skip the rest.

A vague phrase like “Get involved” doesn’t give the mind much to work with. There’s no mental picture, no clear action, no reward. Just a suggestion floating by without anything to anchor it.

Neuroscience adds another layer. Specific CTAs light up the premotor cortex, the part of the brain that prepares the body to move.

When people can picture themselves doing something, they’re far more likely to follow through. But when they see “Get involved,” they start asking questions. “Involved in what? How? When?”

That moment of hesitation is often enough to stop them from doing anything at all.

Fear of offending produces safe words, and almost nothing else

This is where the fear of offending people takes over.

A phrase like “Get involved” feels safe because it’s hard to object to. Nobody writes an angry email over it. It passes easily in a committee meeting because everyone can nod along.

But it’s not written for the person you’re trying to reach. It’s written to avoid discomfort on your side of the conversation.

Your reader isn’t looking to “join what you’re doing.” They want to accomplish something that matters to them through you.

Especially in fundraising, donors don’t want to play a minor role in your story. They want to be the reason something happened.

What to say instead

So instead of “Get involved with our outreach program,” say, “Share the hope of Jesus with a refugee in your city.”

Instead of “Join our discipleship movement,” say, “Help someone meet Jesus and teach others to do the same.”

Instead of “Partner with us,” say, “Give families a safe place to heal.”

Those aren’t just better lines. They’re an act of trust. You’re trusting that the right people will lean in, even if a few walk away.

Jesus didn’t call for involvement

This is where theology matters.

Jesus never said “Get involved.” What he said was:

“Come, follow me.”

“Take up your cross.”

“Go and make disciples.”

Those aren’t part-time, low-risk invitations. They’re calls to reorder your life around him.

“Involvement” is something you fit into your schedule when it’s convenient. Obedience is something that reshapes your schedule entirely.

Involvement is additive. Obedience is transformative.

When we fall back on “Get involved,” we’re not just being vague. We’re making the Christian life sound like a friendly volunteer opportunity instead of the call to die to yourself and live for Christ.

That’s not only a copy problem. It’s a theology problem.

Words That Work (TL;DR)

• “Get involved” is one of the weakest CTAs you can use. It’s vague, passive, and designed to keep everyone comfortable.

• Fear of offending people is what drives safe, fuzzy language. But safe words don’t move people to act.

• Your audience doesn’t want to “join your work.” They want to accomplish their purpose through you.

• Specific CTAs create mental pictures and trigger action. Vague ones stall the brain.

• Jesus didn’t call people to get involved. He called them to follow, surrender, and obey.

• Strong CTAs are specific, outcome-focused, and theologically honest.

If you want people to act, give them a real invitation to say yes to God’s work. Not a safe, polite suggestion that leaves them wondering what you meant.