Video Featuring Rapping Pastors Encouraging People to Attend National Back to Church Sunday on Sept. 16 Gets More Than 43K Views.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx_P_afu_tU[/youtube]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – “We’re going back to church. Well, all right! Check it! Back to Church Sunday. That’s what’s up. You ain’t ever seen a church like this. Yep! We’ve got lights, cameras, plenty of action. Don’t need a suit, man. Try relaxing.”

These are the opening lyrics to the “Pastor Rap – Back to Church Sunday” YouTube video that features rapping pastors encouraging people to attend church on Sept. 16 for the 4th annual National Back to Church Sunday.

The video, already viewed more than 43,000 times, is part of the Back to Church 2012 Church Kit that contains a variety of promotional tools to help churches inspire members to invite family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to go to church with them.

The kit, available at www.BacktoChurch.com/store, includes the “Pastor Rap,” six other promotional videos, more than 60 digital resources, an e-book, e-vites, social media links, sermons and other materials.

“This is one of the best tools out there to involve your congregation in asking and inviting the lost to church,” said Eric Abel, vice president of marketing for Outreach Inc., which, along with LifeWay Christian Resources, is a major sponsor of the annual event.

This year, National Back to Church Sunday expects members of more than 14,000 churches to invite people to attend church on Sunday, Sept. 16, as part of a growing national movement to bring spiritual renewal to communities nationwide.

Although 83 percent of American adults identify themselves as Christians, only about 20 percent attend church on any given Sunday.

Yet, a study by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board of more than 15,000 Americans found 67 percent say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. Sixty-three percent say an invitation from a friend or neighbor would likely move them to respond.

“Do Back to Church Sunday to evangelize the community around your church, those unchurched and those whom have left the church,” said Philip Nation, LifeWay Research’s director of ministry development.

Since the initiative began in 2009, National Back to Church Sunday has become a nationwide movement, with church members inviting more than 3.5 million family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers to special services.

In 2011, more than 7,600 churches – double the number of the prior year – representing 34 denominations participated in the nationwide effort to reach out to their communities, inviting millions of people to attend. As a result, participating churches opened their doors to an estimated 250,000 visitors. The churches welcomed an average of 34 new visitors and experienced an average 25 percent increase in attendance.

To get involved, churches are encouraged to sign up at www.BacktoChurch.com and begin taking steps now to encourage members to get out of their comfort zones and invite someone to church on Sept. 16.

Many churches are using their own Facebook pages, as well as videos posted on YouTube and Vimeo, to encourage participation. Organizers can exchange ideas on the National Back to Church Sunday Facebook page (www.facebook.com/backtochurch), while the event’s website (www.BacktoChurch.com) gives individuals an opportunity to extend electronic invitations to friends, relatives and colleagues.

A list of participating churches is available at www.BacktoChurch.com/roster. As churches register their participation, their names and locations are added to the roster, allowing people to easily find a church to attend on that special Sunday.

National Back to Church Sunday (www.BacktoChurch.com) is the single largest annual community outreach in the nation, sharing the simple message and mission of inviting everyone in America Back To Church. The campaign empowers churches and church members with the tools they need to welcome their neighbors, friends and loved ones back to church, while providing the unchurched with an easy way to find a welcoming church in their community.

LifeWay Christian Resources (www.lifeway.com), in operation since 1891, is one of the largest Christian resource organizations in the world. LifeWay Research exists for the purpose of equipping church leaders with insight that will lead to greater levels of ministry effectiveness through research-based books and reports based on statistically validated surveys. LifeWay Research is one of the most trusted sources of information about the church, culture, and faith.