National “Back to Church Sunday” (www.backtochurch.com) is an initiative that is “Inviting America Back to Church.” It seeks to reach the "un-churched" and "de-churched"—people who once attended church, but don't any more—and invite them to return for a special Sunday. Back to Church Sunday was launched four years ago in response to a survey of 15,000 adults in the United States. Results showed a personal invitation from a family member would prompt 67 percent of Americans to visit a church, and 63 percent said an invitation from a friend or neighbor would cause them to attend a service.

Since its inception, National Back to Church Sunday participants have invited more than five million family members, friends, and neighbors to their churches. About 14,000 churches are expected to participate this year, inviting more than two million visitors. The American Religious Identification Survey showed that 83 percent of American adults identify themselves as Christians. In contrast, another survey by the Barna Group indicated only about 20 percent of Americans attends church on any given Sunday. Back to Church Sunday’s goal is to invite or re-inviteAmerica to rediscover church.

“Back to Church Sunday” has an interactive Facebook page (facebook.com/backtochurch) and a roster of participating churches. First Baptist Church is a conservative Southern Baptist church located at 1200 4th Street in Blanco (across from the football field and high school). For more information, call the church at 833-4632.