September 16 is National Back to Church Sunday

Friday, September 14, 2012

Global Ministry Center

On September 16, members of more than 14,000 churches will invite people to church for National Back to Church Sunday, a part of a growing national movement to ignite a spiritual awakening in the U.S.

Although 83 percent of U.S. adults identify themselves as Christians, only about 20 percent attend church on any given Sunday.

Some people have tried church, had a falling out, and never came back. Other people went to church in the past, but moved or had a change in life circumstances. While others went to church in their youth and then they drifted away, some have just never been to church.

Regardless of the reasons for not attending, a study by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board of more than 15,000 Americans found 67 percent say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. Sixty-three percent say an invitation from a friend or neighbor would likely move them to respond. 

Currently, fewer than 2 percent of Christians ever invite someone to go to church with them.  

“Many people are waiting for an invitation to be healed from the hurt previously experienced in church,” said Ralph A. Martino, pastor of First Church of Christ Holiness in Washington, D.C. “They want to know they are welcome and encouraged to come back to church.”

Thousands of churches representing a cross-section of denominations are encouraging members to invite family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to attend church as part of the fourth annual National Back to Church Sunday on September 16.

“This is the single largest annual community outreach in the nation, sharing the simple message and mission of inviting everyone in America back to church,” said Philip Nation, a spokesman for LifeWay Research. “This year we are praying for churches to band together and bring spiritual renewal to their communities through National Back to Church Sunday.”

Since the initiative began in 2009, National Back to Church Sunday has become a nationwide movement, with church members inviting more than 3.5 million family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to special services.

In 2011, more than 7,600 churches – double the number of the prior year – representing 34 denominations participated in the nationwide effort to reach out to their communities, inviting millions of people to attend. As a result, participating churches opened their doors to an estimated 250,000 visitors. The churches welcomed an average of 34 new visitors and experienced an average 25 percent increase in attendance.

Churches are encouraged to sign up and begin taking steps now to encourage members to get out of their comfort zones and invite someone to church on September 16.

For churches who aren't sure where to begin, the Back to Church 2012 Church Kit is available for purchase. The kit includes the National Back to Church Sunday gone-viral YouTube rap video and other promotional videos, 60-plus digital resources, a free e-book, e-vites, social media links, sermons, and other materials.

Many churches are using their own Facebook pages, as well as videos posted on YouTube and Vimeo, to encourage participation. Organizers can exchange ideas on the National Back to Church Sunday Facebook page, or extend electronic invitations to friends, relatives, and colleagues on the event’s website.

As churches register their participation, their names and locations are added to the roster, allowing people to easily find a church to attend on that special Sunday.
--NCN News submissions

 

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