How are you inviting people to church this Easter season? Do you have a plan of action? Let’s get people Back to Church!

Look at Easter as a connection point between your community and Jesus and your church. When we bring people into the church on Easter we want them to meet Jesus, to begin and grow in a relationship with Him, as well as, help them get to know our church and to enter into a continuing relationship with the church community.

When an unchurched person thinks about attending church they don’t grab the phone book anymore, they go online to research churches. How is your church’s web presence? Here are some action items to consider when planning your Easter church marketing:

• Create a special church website page for Easter – Make it catchy and interesting. At the same time revisit the church website and make sure it contains fresh content and accurate information that portrays your church well. It needs to answer visitor’s questions including where you are located, what type of children’s programs you offer, and even basics like dress code and parking.  
• Consider a Facebook ad that is targeting your city so that your church will appear on Facebook walls in your local area. Here is an article I found fascinating about Facebook and church marketing: http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/communitylife/evangelism/littleadsthatwork.html
• Consider a Google ad that targets your city as well. You want your neighbors to be able to find you online as well as on a map.

Other effective ways to reach people in your community are:

• Direct mail: target the neighborhoods around your church with an invitation in the mailbox.
• Doorhangers: empower your members to go door-to-door
• Invitational cards: for people in church to hand to their favorite waitress, grocery clerk or dry cleaner.

These videos are great! Use these in your churches to start a discussion about the unchurched:

There Goes Bob- Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUO_lE5OYFA

There Goes Bob- Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efeorzs9-K4

There Goes Bob- Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEViEXfPD7U

There Goes Bob- Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds5UezrLQaU

http://www.gallup.com/poll/27124/Just-Why-Americans-Attend-Church.aspx

PRINCETON, NJ -- More than 40% of Americans claim to attend church or synagogue regularly, and only about 15% say they never attend. Easter is one of two times a year, along with Christmas, when pews are filled to capacity in many churches, bringing to mind the question: Just why do Americans attend church?..

We have gathered some videos that are about inviting people to church:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCnwdMZ8JYc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_SBgEW7XT4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSaAasQp850&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkz9_06ERgo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAfKRNQLGUU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPE8FFnRxQw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lxbFO9ZwFA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6vD4PL4BQk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOcgPqO1WcY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTK7KlbNx7o&feature=related

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090407/younger-unchurched-seek-faith-that-challenges-transforms/index.html

Younger Unchurched Seek Faith that Challenges, Transforms

While surveys continue to paint a hopeless picture of young adults and the future of the Christian faith, Christianity will not die out in this generation or any other, insists one researcher and author.

"We have heard them and guess you have too: 'This will be the last Christian generation,' 'Only 4 percent of this generation are Christians,' and 'The sky is falling,'" writes Ed Stetzer in Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them. "Well, there are some concerns (and big ones at that), but hype does not help." (read more here: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090407/younger-unchurched-seek-faith-that-challenges-transforms/index.html)

Recommended Reading for a Person Seeking to Come Back to Church:

• Finding a Church You Can Love, and Loving the One You’re In, Kevin & Sherry Harney
• Ten: Living the Ten Commandments in the 21st Century, JJohn
• The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
• Godology, Christian George
• Assaulted by Joy: The Redemption of a Cynic Stephen W. Simpson, Ph.D.
• They Like Jesus, Not the Church, Dan Kimball
• So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore, Jake Colsen, Wayne Jacobsen, Dave Coleman
• The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren
• Knowing God, J.I. Packer
• A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, Eugene Peterson
• Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower's Guide for the Journey, Jonathan Murrow
• The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer
• Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality, Donald Miller
• Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, Richard Foster
• Why Men Hate Going to Church, Dave Murrow
• Confessions of a Pastor, Craig Groeschel
• Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis
• The God Questions, Hal Seed
• You Were Made for More, Jim Cymbala
• The Life: A Portrait of Jesus, J. John
• Rediscovering Church, Bill & Lynne Hybels
• Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, Henri J. M. Nouwen
• Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes to God, Kay Warren
• The Normal Christian Life, Watchman Nee
• A Beautiful Offering: Returning God's Love with Your Life, Angela Thomas
• Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Tim Grissom (Author)
• Experiencing the Heart of Jesus: Knowing His Heart, Feeling His Love, Max Lucado

Are you attending the National Outreach Convention (http://www.nationaloutreachconvention.com/)? If so, you will find Back to Church Sunday among one of the many breakout sessions available to conference attendees.

The breakout description: Most people in the U.S. have been to church at least once; many have nothing against it, but no longer attend simply because they haven't made time for it. In fact, many people are happy to attend a church service if someone they know invites them-but who's inviting them? Join Eric Abel as he explores why people leave the church, and what will get them back. You'll also look at the remarkably simple idea behind Back to Church Sunday, the campaign from Outreach designed to equip church members to welcome their neighbors, friends and loved ones back to church. You'll learn how to partner with other churches in your area, and you'll leave with practical planning tools and materials to get you started!

Presented by Eric Abel, VP Marketing. http://www.nationaloutreachconvention.com/speakers/profile/eric_abel/

This pastor was so excited about their Back to Church event I asked them to email me what happened for their BTC! The church is in a small town in Arizona (http://www.lwcaz.net/) and the Pastors name is James Ruiz. Here is their story:

Here at Living Word Chapel we also used the Back to Church Sunday as a dedication service as well.  We had been making renovations since the first of the year and made the 13^th completion date to dedicate it to the Lord.  Part of our remodeling was adding 80 more chairs to make a total of 194 and there was people standing in the back – Praise God!  There were about 10 people total who gave their lives to the Lord.  We have two services and they have both been packed since.  There have been several families (new and families returning to church) that have been back for the weeks following. 

We also held a baptism on the 13^th and two gentleman were baptized.  The awesome thing about that is that the man who was hired to do all the church remodeling had just been saved and starting his walk with the Lord. The church allowed him to live here in back of the church and he was one of the ones who was baptized!! It was so fitting that he would be baptized here at the church he help build!....God is so good! We had a great turnout and the flyers were awesome and the people here at Living Word Chapel were so faithful to hand them out!....Thanks so much! In Christ’s love,  Living Word Chapel

Back to Church Sunday was a successful national event held on September 13th, 2009. See our post press release here: http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/1214011567.html

Here are a few highlights/comments that we have gathered:

• From the churches who responded to our survey 100% of them say they will participate again.
• From churches that responded to our survey there was an average 19% increase in weekend attendance.
• "Church was packed out," said one churchgoer. It "hasn't been like that in a long time. I loved it!" Another said, "It was a little challenging getting a parking spot. Praise God!"
• "Outreach" magazine plans to include a story about "Back to Church Sunday" in the January/February 2010 issue.  
• "We had 25% more than our average attendance." Check out more responses from the Back To Church Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/backtochurch