Hugh's News & Commentary

National Back To Church Sunday Set--September 18

Texas Ranger Hamilton Steps Up to Plate, Encourages Attendance
For Cross-denominational Initiative; Outreach, Inc., Offers Materials

VISTA, California–National Back To Church Sunday, a cross-denominational movement to reverse declining church attendance and encourage everyone to revisit congregational life, will be celebrated September 18 across the country.

Lending his voice to this year’s event is Texas Rangers all-star Josh Hamilton, the 2010 American League Championship Series MVP who credits his comeback from drug addiction and suspension from the game to his faith and church.

“God’s word tells us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, and not give up meeting together," Hamilton said. "We are to walk through life with other believers. My family and I have found that church is a wonderful way to do this, so I encourage you to join thousands of Americans as they go back to church on National Back To Church Sunday."

National Back To Church Sunday has become the single largest community outreach in the nation with 10,000 churches expected to participate in 2011. This event reignites the power of personal invitation to empower church members to bring the community back to church. This year's event will be held the second Sunday after Labor Day to accommodate more churches.

Since the initiative began in 2009, National Back To Church Sunday has seen increased success with church members inviting more than 1.4 million family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers to special services last year. Some 3,800 churches participated in 2010, reporting an average 26 percent increase in weekly attendance.

Outreach Inc. is offering valuable tools in its 2011 church kit including: an updated campaign planning guide, new suggested sermons, new promotional video, new graphics and widgets for church websites or social media, invitations and posters, a preparedness assessment, and suggested follow-up sermons and small group materials. These and other special promotional materials, including church postcards, banners, bulletin shells and personal invitations, are available at http://www.backtochurch.com/store.

National Back To Church Sunday was launched in response to a 2008 study by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board of 15,000 adults that found that 67 percent of Americans 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 get them to respond.

“We found that the effectiveness of the invitation was often tied to its form: the more personal, the more effective,” said Philip Nation, ministry development director of LifeWay Research.

“We were encouraged by the response and feedback from churches that participated in National Back to Church Sunday last year,” said Eric Abel, vice president of marketing for Outreach, Inc. “Creating ways to empower church members to reach out to their friends and neighbors is exciting. And we are looking forward to this event continuing to gain momentum.”

An interactive Facebook page is available at http://www.facebook.com/backtochurch, and a list of participating churches is available at http://www.backtochurch.com/roster. When churches register their participation, their names and locations are added to the roster, allowing unchurched people to easily find a church to attend on that special Sunday.

Outreach, Inc. (http://www.outreach.com) is the largest provider of outreach products and services in North America, including Outreach magazine, a leading publication for church leaders worldwide. The company was launched in 1996 with the mission of empowering Christian churches to reach their communities for Jesus Christ. Outreach, Inc., endeavors to create a network of churches and ministries working together to invite and connect every person in America to a Bible-believing church, and ultimately, into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

[Editor's Comment: When I was an Air Force chaplain at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, from 1967-70, I introduced a similar idea which I called Rally Days where we rounded up the people for Sunday school and worship in September.

It was so successful that we did it every year. We had to obtain the Talkeetna Theater (named after the beautiful Talkeetna Mountains) on base, which seated 1,200 people to take care of the people. On one occasion, 120 people stood to receive Christ when I gave the invitation.

My wing chaplain, Chaplain, Colonel Victor H. Schroeder preached the sermon. He had called me earlier on Sunday morning to talk with me in my office. He told me this would be his last sermon to the congregation and that his message demanded a decision for Christ. He had been promoted to become the Command Chaplain of 12th Air Force at March AFB, CA.  He asked me if I would give the invitation after he preached. I said, "Yes, Praise the Lord!" He admitted that he had never given an invitation, but knew that I did so regularly in my Sunday evening worship services with success. Well, God did this and I give Him all the glory and honor. I was honored and humbled that an American Lutheran chaplain/pastor would ask me to do that for him.

Babbie Mason, a Gospel singer sings this song on my local Christian radio station in Athens, GA (WMSL FM 88.9):

"But each one can reach one
As we follow after Christ we all can lead one,
We can lead one to the Savior
And together we can tell the world that Jesus is the way
If we each one reach one.

Here's a new approach I have in witnessing to a stranger:

I ask this question: "Are you on your way to heaven? " From that response to the question you will know in a moment if he or she is placing his/her trust in Jesus alone for salvation.

The church cannot save you. Only Jesus Christ can do that. The church is a good place to go to find Christ. However, we should be winning people in the marketplace to the Lord. If not, why not?

Jesus went to Samaria to witness to one woman, and wound up reaching the entire city. People are thirsty for the Living Water. Will you share the Gospel with another person? Let's do it. It is our commission from Jesus Christ, Himself, the Head of the Church.