Congregations open doors for Back-to-Church Sunday

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Little League practice.

Shopping.

Even a chance to stay in a bed.

The Rev. Chris Miller has heard all of the reasons why some fail to step through sanctuary doors, from people with life struggles that have left them alienated from faith to those whose obligations choke out the time otherwise spent going to church.

But this weekend, the 38-year-old minister at First Baptist Church of Titusville — along with other congregations across the nation — will be casting a wide net with the annual Back-To-Church initiative, hoping to bring many of those back to the fold.

"People step away, they get used to sleeping in. What we want to do is get them back in," said Miller, a new arrival with a vision of adding members to the 125-year-old congregation.

For now, Miller says, the goal is to overcome the social disconnect between prospective members and worship centers. Today's churches offer a variety of services not found 10 to 20 years ago, from social media connections and tennis to social justice-related programs, something few potential visitors might know, say pastors.

"Probably 75 to 80 percent of people would visit your church if you just invite them. Sometimes people in the church don't even think about that," Miller says.

"The biggest thing about it is that it allows you to worship the Lord in a setting with other people. You may be struggling, discouraged, but coming in and seeing the joy of others can pick you up. It's a brotherhood."

For many, the first day of the week is a day off, a time of leisure or a chance to kick back and catch a game. But this Sunday marks the sixth year churches across the nation have campaigned to welcome back individuals and families who over the years may have given up on attending services for whatever reason.

A 2013 Gallup poll shows that 87 percent of Americans believe in God, and less than a third attended any form of worship services within the past week. Those numbers also point to growing concern faith leaders have for millennials. Nearly a third — 29 percent — of millennials, the generation between 18 and 33, have no religious affiliation, according to the Pew Research Center.

The Back-to-Church Sunday began six years ago facing some of those concerns, with 30,000 participating churches across the nation.

In Melbourne, members of Holy Trinity Episcopal Churchhave been passing out postcards door to door and inviting others to church personally. Nationally, the participating churches hope to invite more than 3 million people to a congregation.

It was the friendly welcome and the draw of a social justice program at Riviera United Church of Christ in Palm Bay that moved Amy Lewis, 38, to join the congregation that bills itself as being as a "Christ-centered church, open to all people. Everyone is welcomed and loved."

"It's an open and affirming church," said Lewis, who searched for two years for a congregation to join. "What led me to Riviera was that they were socially involved. They have a social justice program, they were feeding children, doing outreach. That's what I wanted in a church."

Miller sees the Back-to-Church weekend as a steppingstone to building relationships with those who not only may not have a church home but those who have been struggling with faith.

"People get overwhelmed with life or have a bad church experience, but your faith is something that you feel deeply about. Strong emotions come into play," Miller said. "What we have to offer is a place where people can come in for fellowship. The doctrine is fine, that's not changing, but we want to bring the church into the new millennium."

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