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Pastor Joe Pridgen credits Back to Church Sunday for the 33 percent membership growth Sweet Rest Church of Christ (Holiness) has experienced over the past two years. “We are a one hundred-year-old church,” says Pridgen, “and two years ago we had three hundred members. On our first Back to Church Sunday, we had almost four hundred people here, and nine people came forward for membership that day. Throughout that year we had a steady stream of new people who had started with us on Back to Church Sunday coming forward for membership.

“Then, on our second Back to Church Sunday, we had five hundred people. We ran out of room in our building and at our afternoon barbeque! That day, and ever since, we have consistently had new people coming forward for membership, and as of today we have added a total of one hundred new members since our first Back to Church Sunday.”

For this Pearl, Mississippi congregation, outreach is a way of life. They are very involved in Faith in Action, a program that equips churches to transform their communities through service projects such as car repair, clothing and food distribution, health clinics, and mentoring children of single parents. The distinction, Pridgen points out, is that Faith in Action gets the church into the community; Back to Church Sunday gets the community into the church. “And nothing,” declares Pridgen, “has been as effective for us in getting people into our church as Back to Church Sunday.”

To prepare his congregation for Back to Church Sunday, Pridgen challenges every person, young and old, to invite at least ten people, and bring at least two. This strategy of setting a specific goal works – one young physician brought twelve of her relatives, and three of them joined the church! Promotion of the event is done by the steering committee at every service, in every Sunday school class, and at every church meeting, weeks in advance. Young people use their social networks to invite their friends to Back to Church Sunday by creating Facebook events, tweeting about it, and blogging. Members distribute door hangers in their neighborhoods, and invitation cards to their store customers, business associates and family, friends and neighbors.

Faith in Action gets the church into the community; Back to Church Sunday gets the community into the church

The actual day is declared a casual day, and guests are told they don’t have to dress up in church clothes, and they don’t have to bring their wallets, because this will be a day where they receive, and nothing will be asked of them. Every guest is given a copy of Rediscover Church as a gift, and everyone gathers after the service for a classic southern Supper on the Lawn. This past year, Sweet Rest Church used Back to Church Sunday as the impetus for starting a second service.  “We announced a new 8:00 service to everyone on Back to Church Sunday, and the next week we started it, and it has taken off,” says Pridgen.

Pridgen is talking to the other pastors in the Pearl Ministerial Alliance about banding together to do Back to Church Sunday this year, and invite all of Pearl back to church. “I told them, ‘You have to do it,’” says Pridgen. “This is probably the single best way to get church members mobilized to invite people to church. I told them that God has really blessed this at our church, and they’d really miss an opportunity if they don’t join us this year. Back to Church Sunday has been one of the best things to happen to Sweet Rest Church in the fourteen years I’ve been here!”

5 Great ideas from Sweet Rest Church of Christ you can try:

• Challenge people with specific goals for number of invitations to give and visitors to bring.
• Make use of social media to broaden your reach.
• Reduce visitor anxiety by explaining what to wear and what to bring (or what not to bring).
• Serve food! Combine a social event with the church event to help create community.
• Follow up with a handwritten note from the pastor and a personal phone call from a church member thanking guests for coming, and inviting them back.

Pastor Will Kahkonen is going to make Back to Church Sunday a part of his annual church outreach schedule, and when you hear what has happened at Victory Christian Church in Livermore, Maine since their first Back to Church Sunday event, you understand why.  “Our church of 85 people had 60 visitors on Back to Church Sunday,” says Kahkonen, “half of which were first-time guests, and five of them made commitments to Christ that day. Our Harvest Festival the next month broke all attendance records by drawing 200 people from our community, then Christmas broke all attendance records again! Our overall attendance over the past six months has increased by 35%, and we’ve even been able to hire a part-time secretary.”

Kahkonen sees Back to Church Sunday as the catalyst for all this growth. He had been looking for something to kick off the fall season, and Back to Church Sunday did exactly what he wanted it to do – it refocused his people, giving them confidence in their own story and releasing them to make a difference in their own spheres of influence.

“Back to Church Sunday was such a success for us because it ignited a passion in our people,” Kahkonen said. Five weeks before their event, Kahkonen preached a message he called “The Power of the Package,” where he exhorted his congregation to realize that each of them has something to offer the world. He cast the vision for Back to Church Sunday, and challenged them to join in their church’s version of cardboard testimonies . Twenty-five people shared their testimonies during the Back to Church Sunday service by showing their “before” story printed on one side of a piece of cardboard, then flipping it over and showing how God changed them.

Empowering his people to realize they each have a story and God can use them was the key to making Back to Church Sunday such a success.  Kahkonen explains, “I told them, ‘Give these invitations to your friends because YOU are going to be sharing your story that day.’ And they grabbed onto that concept. They are the ones who invited people, made calls, got them rides to church. The realized they didn’t need to wait for the church to do something – they had the power to make a difference with their own lives.”

To other pastors considering Back to Church Sunday, Kahkonen says, “DO IT! Don’t just make it a church program. Make it a people program. Release your people to be the ones to make a difference. That’s how you multiply yourself, and that’s where real momentum happens.”

Great ideas from Victory Christian Church you can try:

• Preach a sermon a month or so ahead of time to cast the vision for Back to Church Sunday
• Place 10-packs of invitations on the altar and pray over them before distributing them to the congregation
• Do cardboard testimonies during the service, which gives the participants an extra incentive to invite people
• Follow Back to Church Sunday with a dynamic sermon series. Pastor Kohkanen’s five-week series was called “Connections: The Power of a Relevant Church,” and he went through the five purposes of the church from the book of Acts.

National Back to Church Sunday is September 18.

As your community heads back to school and back to work—invite them to also return to church. Register your church for Back to Church Sunday to gain access to tons of tools and a kit that will help you plan.

As part of your Back to Church Sunday campaign, invite your neighbors over for a church Open House. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet new faces and connect them with ministries and resources. An Open House will equip churchgoers with an invite-able event, and encourages them to actively participate in the life of the church. 

Here are a few key concepts to think on when planning your Open House… 

Prepping: Time for a Makeover

Put on your visitor goggles and take a good hard look at your church. Tidy up for church visitors, just like you would for houseguests. Assess the cosmetic, functional and hospitality components that might make your church seem unwelcoming. The goal is to treat each guest like a VIP.

• Grounds: Is your landscaping weed-free, neat, clean and attractive? 

• Parking: Are handicap and visitor spots available at the front of your church? Would parking attendants be helpful?

• Accessibility: Is your church accessible for the handicapped? Are appropriate accommodations available to people once inside? Consider elements such as seating, restrooms and ramps.

• Signage: If you didn’t know where the main sanctuary, restrooms and childcare were, would they be easy to find without assistance?

• Comfort: Is it comfortable to enter the building? Is the temperature, odor, lighting and seating comfortable for everyone?

• Eyesores: Are there any outdated or shabby items that should be replaced? Consider flooring, lights, seating, pulpit, wall hangings, A/V systems, or hymnals that should be updated. 

• Bathrooms: Are your restrooms clean, fresh, stocked and easy to find?

• Lobby: Is your lobby area welcoming and uncluttered with sufficient greeters? Are all items on your info table neat, stocked and current? 

• Culture of Hospitality: Are people naturally friendly and welcoming at your church? How could you enculturate your church to embrace newcomers?

• Children’s Ministry: Does it inspire a feeling of safety and fun for visitors? Is it easy to find? 

Planning: Open House Experience

Consider your surrounding community and what might appeal to them during your open house. 

• Promotion: Consider a postcard mailer or door hanger invite. Equip churchgoers to invite their neighbors with small invitation cards or flyers. Set up a Facebook event page, and blog or Twitter about the featured activities. 

• Check In: As guests enter, give them an event program. Collect contact information in exchange for raffle tickets.

• Exhibit Area: Ask each ministry to set up an info table with upcoming events, ways to connect, small giveaways, and activities (i.e. the children’s ministry could host a bounce house or kids’ zone).

• Food: Provide seating and some light refreshments or a BBQ. Consider adding a fun contest element like a chili cook-off, etc. 

• Entertainment: Set up a stage area, and invite various ministries to contribute music, arts, dance or another visual performance. 

• Facilities: Provide easy access to restrooms, a diaper changing and private nursing area. 

• Tours: Provide guided tours of the church with a brief description of various ministries available. 

• Introductions: Invite the pastors to share a bit about each ministry from stage throughout the event.

• Door Prizes: Consider items from the church bookstore, tickets to events, or fun giveaways from each ministry. Raffle tickets could be given away at each booth (as an incentive for visiting booths), or collected at each booth (for prizes specific to that ministry’s demographic). 

Has your church hosted an Open House? What was the most popular element?

If you told me in 2004 that I would stop going to church, resent Christians and be separated from my relationship with God by 2005, I would probably have laughed.

I had been going to church since elementary school, had given my life to Christ at a summer middle school camp and was on fire for Jesus. There wasn’t a thing related to church that I wasn’t involved in. I listened to mostly Christian music, ran a Bible Study, was president of Campus on the Rock at my high school, lead announcements at my high school ministry and was at church three days a week.

But that was the problem - I was burned out, exhausted, and overwhelmed with the weight of choosing to focus on college-prep or church activities. I knew the only one to talk to would be my youth pastor. We sat in his warehouse office – full of books and Bibles – and I eagerly waited for his answer.

“Maybe the problem is that you’re not focused enough on God, maybe you’re not involved in enough ministry,” he said. To say I was upset would soften the blow I felt in that moment. He went on for almost an hour, but the damage of his first statement blocked my ears to any other advice that followed. I instantly felt alone. I felt like no one, especially church people, could understand what it was like to be overwhelmed and lost as a Christian girl in high school.

It was at that moment that I decided to drop church and anything related. I stepped down from church leadership, handed over my presidency at Campus on the Rock and left the church. I can’t say this felt bad – it felt wonderful.  My resentment felt empowering and my bitterness fueled my focus in school.

It saddens me that looking back at this moment, I still remember the overwhelming relief of giving back the burden of service. There was a small tinge of upset at walking away from friendships I’d made, but to my surprise many of the church friends I had, forgot I ever existed. If I wasn’t in church, I wasn’t in their group anymore. (Looking back now I realize this is teenager behavior, not  a reflection of Christians in general.)

I graduated high school, went to a community college, transferred to a state college in another city and worked part time. Church was a distant memory and church friends were estranged.

I still prayed, although it was few and far between – and definitely kept a secret. My mom was the strong Christian force in my life and in some warped way I felt like this was enough. Christian by osmosis. I felt like if she prayed over me and was the guiding force in all the advice I would seek that somehow I would be OK.

It wasn’t until I graduated college and was working full time that it really hit me. My relationship with God shouldn’t be guided by my relationship with religion. There wasn’t a “Do this or Else – God” billboard hovering over my life. I missed Him and He was waiting for me to come back.

I went a few more months until the pangs of loneliness and the desire for a deeper relationship with God finally took over. I decided to look up a local church and just go. I psyched myself up – telling myself it didn’t matter what types of people were there – it was the fact that I had to go back home.  I even convinced myself that I didn’t have to get involved in any ministry – I could just go and be fed. 

One condition I set up for myself was that I wouldn’t go the first day alone. I needed at least one other friend to go with me so I wasn’t the weirdo sitting alone in the back.
Being new to the area I lived in and not having church-friendly people in my life, I decided to throw it out to my acquaintances.

Tom, a guy I had hung out with a few times over coffee, who often said things like “Faith is important, it really guides our lives”, fit the bill. I called him up and asked if he would join me and before I knew it I was waiting for him outside the church.

The setting was overwhelming, tons of people, loud music and only a few empty seats. I cried during worship as God broke my pride and welcomed me back with open arms. I sat motionless and let the sermon wash over me. I did look over at Tom every few minutes to make sure he was enjoying it as much as I was but he was a tough read.

It wasn’t until after the service, when he and I sat in a small diner and went over the sermon that he revealed he was a Scientologist. It sounds like a punch line – “a Scientologist and a Christian walk into a church” – but it was the single most important moment in my life. 

He and I spoke at length at the differences between our faiths and the similarities in their purpose.  He explained that Christianity encouraged him and we were able to discuss our fears and successes in relation to faith. We parted ways and lost touch after that night – I don’t know if it was my defense of Christianity or my lack of interest in Scientology – but he always stayed present in my mind. 

Here I was looking for a buffer between the church and me when in reality he was an opportunity for me to share Christ’s love.

Since then I still go to church and have been slowly getting back into ministry. I’ve learned that service does indeed have seasons and that we need to take time off to be fed by worship and the word so that we may go back out in strength.

Working with ministries like National Back to Church Sunday I understand the fears and frustrations most Christians feel after leaving the church. It helps fuel my desire to continue to invite people back.

Church doesn’t bite – people do.

It’s been a battle to learn that people, even Christians, will expect too much and let me down, but now that I’ve accepted this and grown stronger in my faith, I’m ready to face the calling.

Reposted with permission from the Outreach, Inc. Blog: http://blog.outreach.com/

Church attendance increased at more than 3,800 churches last weekend during the second national “Back to Church Sunday,” held Sept. 12!  It’s been amazing to hear the testimonies of record attendance and the number of people that came to Christ through this powerful weekend. On average, participating churches saw a 26% increase in attendance!

The next National Back to Church Sunday will be held on September 18, 2011. Survey results show 95 percent of participating churches would take part in “Back To Church Sunday” again.

Churches are encouraged to keep inviting people back to church!

Does going to church make you happier?

Studys find that attending religious services regularly and having close friends in the congregation are key to having a happier, more satisfying life. Even attending services irregularly — just several times a year — increases a sense of well-being, so long as there is a circle of friendships within the community and a strong, shared religious identity. "I think it's because they meet a group of close friends together on a regular basis and participate in religious activities that are meaningful to themselves and share a sense of community or sense of belonging," said Dr. Chaeyoon Lim, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin. Here are two stories that we have captured from the news lately:

Having Friends at Church:

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/mind-soul/spirituality/2010-12-07-happyreligion07_ST_N.htm

Friends May Be Key to Churchgoers' Happiness:

http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/news/view.aspx?id=647040

Does going to church make you feel better? Or happier?

Philip Nation and Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research are the official spokespersons for Back to Church Sunday.

Check out Philip Nations latest blog post about Back to Church Sunday: http://www.edstetzer.com/2010/08/whos-going-back-to-church.html

Reaching the next generation for Christ is very important. According to a new book by the National Back to Church Spokesperson Ed Stetzer, “Unchurched young adults are open and believe many of the things that Christians believe, but they still need to be reached for Christ. The challenge today may not be convincing them that there was a resurrection, but convincing them there was only one that brings them new life – and that new life is lived out in a community called ‘church.’" How can the church draw the next generation in?

Some recommended reading:

Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts, Thom S. Rainer and Sam Rainer III

Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them, Ed Stetzer

Post your thoughts on how the church could reach this generation.

Encouraging stories about Back to Church Sunday from our Outreach Solutions Consultants!

Linda Claudius – Outreach Solutions Consultant: A pastor from Florida called to order the Back to Church campaign kit to coincide with their 4th annual Back to School Bash Aug 22nd..what a great event & service to the community! The first year they had 1000 people show up, 2nd year 2500, last year 4000 and they expect 6000 people this year.. local organizations set up booths, they have helicopters, horse back riding,  race car simulators on site, as well as many other things. They use local Marine cadets to manage the parking and traffic and have invited other churches to participate.  They will give away 1400 bags of school supplies this year!  Mostly everything is accomplished through word of mouth and news articles highlighting the event.

Deb Ortega – Outreach Solutions Consultant: I talked to a church in the Midwest that is going to do summer and early fall Block Parties to coincide with Back to Church Sunday. They will divide their area into 4 sections, have leaders for each area and invite all of their neighbors to their parties to get to know them, love them and eventually invite them to church...I loved this idea..so non-threatening and fun!

Reposted with permission from the Outreach, Inc. Blog: http://blog.outreach.com/

Outreach is always developing campaigns for churches to help you engage with your community. I’ve been blessed in having the opportunity to help with a couple of these projects over the years. I think my favorite though, is Back to Church Sunday. So many people are really struggling with life’s burdens in the current depression – and many of those are previous church goers.

As I did the research into the “target audience” of the de-churched, I was fascinated in the statistics and information available. But no amount of data can easily represent a wounded spirit, or disillusioned heart. Just how mature can the church be? Are we willing to own the things we’ve done wrong? And what about an invitation extended to them? Will it even be welcomed? How skeptical and anti-church are the de-churched?  It’s one thing reaching out with a targeted and timely message to a totally unchurched person, but how do you break through the barriers that have been built up in the heart of someone who used to be there, but left?

As the campaign tools took shape and the project came together – I continued to reflect on their hearts. God seemed to whisper to me one day, “It’s not about the church – it’s about the people. I want my people back.” Huh! So what to do with that?? I stopped thinking and reflecting – and started writing instead, as if I was sitting across the table with one of those folk. I’ve heard so many of the reasons people come up with for not going to church. Why argue, when often they are right? Instead, I wanted to remind them that the church is no more perfect that anything else in their lives – because its made up of broken people – imperfect people loved by a perfect God. I wanted to re-kindle the sense of longing in their hearts – enough to want to return and try church again. The result of those “conversations” became the little publication – “Re-Discover Church” – one that is proving popular as an outreach tool for your church members to connect with the de-churched friends and family.

National Back to Church Sunday is coming up in September and more churches are beginning to engage in this amazing opportunity to re-connect with people who are not attending church on a regular basis. Maybe this is that “one chance” opportunity your church needs to connect with new people. Or even if you’re pretty outreach oriented, have you perhaps overlooked the “been there, done that” folk? Be part of the national movement – you have nothing to lose, and eternal results to achieve.