Statistics show that three out of four formerly churched adults are willing to give church another try. More than a third feels a "gap" in their lives since they stopped attending. Almost half wish they could be "closer to God," and more than half would attend if they simply "felt like it was the right time" to go back.In a new effort to reach the formerly churched, Outreach, Inc. offers a new resource series to churches specifically designed to bring people Back to Church . The program empowers current church members with the tools they need to invite neighbors, friends and loved ones who may have attended church before but have since stopped.
"People are busy. Their circumstances tend to control their schedules. Some had a bad experience in church," said Eric Abel, Vice President of Marketing Products at Outreach, Inc. "Sometimes people just can't decide which church to attend, and others are afraid there won't be anyone there like them. The Back to Church resources help churches to welcome these formerly churched folks with warmth and relevance” According to Lifeway Research, 38% of people are receptive or highly receptive to attending church. 82% say they would be open to attending church if a friend invited them. But, unfortunately only 21% of active church going Christians invited someone to church last year! The Back To Church Campaign was designed to encourage participation and empower church members to be inviters. Back to Church will include a variety of invitation styles and tools, including postcards, imagery, multimedia, sermon ideas and support, welcome signs and gifts, and other materials. All the resources focus on re-introducing people to the God who hasn't changed, even if they have, and who would meet them "just as they are" if they decided to return to Him.
More information about these resources is available at http://www.outreach.com/.
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