FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First Baptist Church of Amsterdam Invites Community to National Back to Church Sunday September 20
[AMSTERDAM, NY] – Back to Church Sunday, part of a national movement of churches across America, will be held at the First Baptist Church in Amsterdam at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 20. The First Baptist Church of Amsterdam is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and is located at 479 Guy Park Avenue on a hill near the City of Amsterdam/Town of Fort Johnson line and kitty-corner across from the Amtrak train station.
For Back to Church Sunday, the First Baptist Church of Amsterdam will have a special service featuring a “Good News” morning message by Pastor William “Bill” Pitcher, a fellowship time following worship with light refreshments and good conversation, and a free book for each person who attends. Community members are welcome to participate.
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 have never attended church, or who once attended church but don’t any more—and invite them to attend on a special Sunday. In 2013, a Gallup survey stated that 87% of people believe in God. Yet only 27% of those surveyed individuals attended church in the last 7 days. In addition, 82% of people who don’t attend church say they would attend if invited by a friend, yet only 2% of Christians ever invite someone to church.
Since its inception seven years ago, National Back to Church Sunday participating churches have extended more than 8.5 million invitations to their churches. Over 30,000 churches representing 120 denominations are expected to invite over 3 million people to church this year.
It is estimated that nearly 100 million Americans, including teens and children, are presently un-churched and have moved away from attending church and practicing religion. Back to Church Sunday is not just a day—it is a movement to empower church members to invite people to come to church. It is designed to help combat the decline of evangelism and church attendance by providing an easily implemented “invite-able” event that gives church members a reason to invite, and gives people a reason to try church again or for the first time.
For more information, individuals may visit the Back to Church Sunday interactive Facebook page at (www.facebook.com/backtochurch), the First Baptist Church’s website at www.fbcamsterdam.com , e-mail the church coordinator at fbccoordinator@albany.twcbc.com , call the church office at 518-843-3517 (answering machine available for voice-mail) or call the pastor directly at 518-332-2704.