- 82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited – Dr. Thom Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door
- "Only 2 percent of church members invite a unchurched person to church. 98% of church-goers never extend an invitation in a given year." - Dr Thom Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door
- “A study including more than 15,000 adults revealed that about two-thirds are willing to receive information about a local church from a family member, and 56 percent from a friend or neighbor. The message is clear that the unchurched are open to conversations about church.” – Philip Nation, LifeWay Research and National Spokesperson for Back to Church Sunday
- “Four percent of formerly churched adults are actively looking for a church to attend regularly (other than their previous church). Six percent would prefer to resume attending regularly in the same church they had attended. The largest group, 62 percent, is not actively looking, but is open to the idea of attending church regularly again.”–Scott McConnell, Lifeway Research
- “Clearly we can encourage Christians to pray that the unchurched would sense God calling them back, but God works through His people," said McConnell. "The survey showed that many would respond to an invitation from a friend or acquaintance (41 percent), their children (25 percent) or an adult family member (25 percent).” – McConnell, LifeWay Research
- “The issue of affinity also surfaced in the responses. Thirty–five percent indicated that they would be inspired to attend church if I knew there were people like me there.” –McConnell, LifeWay Research
- “Much to the surprise of the ‘Chicken Little” crowd, people are still going to church. And, more people would attend if given one simple thing—an invitation.” – Philip Nation, LifeWay Research and National Spokesperson for Back to Church Sunday
Information on Church Visitors
A great list of insights on church visitors and welcoming new people is at the National Back to Church Sunday website. This is just a small portion.
