Update (Sept. 19): Nearly 21,500 churches participated in Sunday's Back to Church nationwide outreach. Some churches held special events, while others explained why a special event wasn't needed.

According to a press release, "Participating churches reported an average 31 percent increase in attendance, and 35 percent of responding churches said they had new visitors making decisions to receive Christ or to rededicate their lives."

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On Sunday, more than 21,200 churches will participate in National Back to Church Sunday. The massive outreach effort—which has grown more than 60 percent from last year's 13,150 churches—is based on Thom Rainer's research that "82 percent of the unchurched are likely to attend church if invited by a trusted friend or relative," while "only 2 percent of church-going people invite someone to church in a given year."

Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center summary of recent research spotlights ...

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