But what about those who have been dropping off when it comes to regularity of worship attendance? The Gallup survey reveals they are reporting a double digit decrease in excellent mental health ratings, representing a significant drop. An invitation back to church has the potential to make a meaningful positive impact, both on those who have wandered away and those who have never yet attended.
As churches are looking for effective ways to respond to the challenges of the pandemic, there are helpful resources and opportunities to assist. The National Back to Church Sunday movement provides a simple, focused way to reengage those who may have withdrawn while simultaneously reaching new people and introducing them to Jesus and his church. National Back to Church Sunday is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of September every year, and over 40,000 churches have participated with more than 5 million invitations being shared, inviting people to learn about the hope of Jesus through local churches. Appropriately, the theme for 2021 is “Hope is Here!” and there is much anticipation around the potential for an incredible celebration—perhaps the largest ever—considering all our world has been through and the expectation that many churches will be safely reopened by this fall. Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center, shares:
“There has never been a more important year for a unified effort to invite people back to church. Most of us closed our doors last spring for the sake of our communities. Since then, church reopenings have been staggered and people unsure. In all the places that we can, let’s declare on Sept. 19th that our churches are open, safe and ready to share good news with our world. This could be the most significant Back to Church Sunday ever.”
By tapping into the existing hunger to regather for worship and providing those who do with a missional challenge to reach their friends, neighbors and co-workers, we can witness one of the greatest kingdom impacts as we build relationships and introduce people to Jesus and the messy-but-beautiful family we call the church.
To learn more about how your church can effectively engage your people and reach your community as you celebrate National Back to Church Sunday, visit BackToChurch.com.
This article originally appeared here.
