In case you missed the webinar on “Why 2021 is Your Don’t Miss Opportunity For Outreach” here is a little recap…
I am sure that we can all agree that 2020 was a challenging year and a year that most of us would not want to repeat. While 2020 was a tough year in the world, it was also a tough year for church attendance.
A study released by Barna about the state of the church and online church attendance during the COVID 19 pandemic said that a whopping 32% of Christians stopped going to church during the pandemic. This is a staggering number but… THERE IS HOPE. In another study that was released by Lifeway Research, it was found that 91% of Christians plan on attending in-person worship just as much as they did before and 23% said that they plan on attending in-person worship more than they did before. This is a huge opportunity for you and your outreach this year.
With these stats and the current state of the world and the church, what will your church do to deliver the Good News to those in your community? Three things that you can do to take advantage of the outreach opportunity that you have right now are to:
- Minister with Expectancy
God is working in your community and in the world. Expect him to do great things and to work in the lives and hearts of the people in your church and community.
- Minister with Intentionality
Be intentional about your outreach. Reach people in your community in a way that will be personal and will show them that you care about them and see their struggles.
- Think Like a Missionary in Your Community
Always be thinking of how you can bring hope and reach the lost and hurting people in your midst. This doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple invitation to church is a way to be a missionary.
In John 4:35b Jesus says, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for Harvest.” Now is a time that is ripe for harvest. Now is the time to focus on Kingdom impact. Together as the Church let’s open our eyes and recognize the ripe fields. One way to do this and take advantage of this big outreach opportunity is through participating in National Back to Church Sunday.
This year, National Back to Church Sunday is on September 19th and it is shaping up to be the largest event ever with churches opening their doors again. Our team has put a lot of thought and prayer into the theme and resources so that your church can reach your community in 2021. This year’s theme is very fitting, it’s Hope is Here -and we believe that the theme will attract people who are feeling discouraged and looking for lasting hope- which we as the Church can offer through Jesus!
Over the last 12 years, over 40,000 churches have already participated in Back to Church Sunday and 96% of those said that they would do Back to Church Sunday again.So how do you get involved?
Add your church to the list of participating churches – it’s totally free – just go to backtochurch.com
When you add your church to the map, you are joining the thousands of other churches that are participating in the event. You also allow people who are looking for a good church to find your church on the map so that they can visit.
When you add your church to the map, you get a bunch of free resources like social media graphics, a planning guide, and an invite video that you can use to promote your event.
The church kit has everything you need for a successful Back to Church Sunday event. It contains a customizable sermon series, a video bundle with 9 videos including a countdown and invite videos, a promotions and planning guide, and even a full set of digital resources. Everything you need is in the kit and it is fully licensed for online and streaming use.
There is a large selection of resources available to make sure your event is successful including: Banners, street signs, invite cards, t-shirts, floor stickers and facebook ads. These tools can help you empower your congregation to invite their friends and family as well as help you spread the word to your community.
- Finally, join the Facebook Group to collaborate with other pastors who are participating this year – the group is a great place to share ideas, hear the latest updates and strategize.
With all that being said, 2021 is the perfect opportunity for outreach and Back to Church Sunday is an awesome way to seize that opportunity and be a beacon of hope in your community. In Luke 9:37-38 Jesus says, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”. In 2021 the harvest is plentiful and we want to help your church reap the harvest and reach people with the Gospel and hope of Jesus.
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