It's been a call for all Christians from the time of Christ to the present to find the Lord's lost sheep while leaving "the ninety and nine."
Five churches along the Wasatch Front are doing just that, thanks to a California-based religious marketing company.
For the second straight year, Outreach Inc., a church marketing company, is encouraging Christian churches nationwide to participate in National Back to Church Sunday on Sept. 12.
More than 2,800 churches have committed to inviting people to church — those who have never been before as well as those who used to attend but, for a variety of reasons, don't anymore.
Outreach officials declined to comment on the event, but a news release on the campaign earlier this week stated that it has surpassed 1.2 million invitations to unchurched people so far. It also stated that more than 3,000 churches have signed up to participate in the event, almost double last year's number.
Seven Utah churches — First Presbyterian, Southeast Baptist, Impact Multicultural Ministries and Lifechurch in Salt Lake, Westminster Presbyterian in Fruit Heights, Mountain Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Park City and Christ Community Church in Clearfield — have officially signed up for the event.
The Rev. Mike Imperiale, pastor of First Presbyterian, says the focus is not only to invite those who have chosen not to have religion in their life, but also to help people realize that going to a church can enhance their busy lives.
"(The Sept. 12 event) really is aimed at anyone who have had some church experience, and for whatever reasons have left religion behind, it's aimed at people who are thinking, 'I may have felt away from God for a time, but maybe it's time for me to return and experience something different.'
"Jesus never said go to church. But he did say love God and love your neighbor. I think going to church helps us do that," the Rev. Imperiale said.
The Rev. Mike Gray, pastor of Southeast Baptist, said the event is a great opportunity to help people get back into the habit of regular worship after crazy summer schedules.
"Usually people are in and out on vacation, and there's a number of people who got out of the habit of going," the Rev. Gray said. "So we just want to reach out and remind people to get back to church and remind the community that they're missing out on what God is trying to do through the church."
In 2009, hundreds of churches took part in the inaugural Back to Church Sunday, and members invited almost three-quarters of a million people to services. Churches that participated said weekend attendance increased by 19 percent because of the event.
Mount Sterling First United Methodist Church in Mount Sterling, Ky., participated in 2009, and response was beyond what church officials had dreamed of.
"Our sanctuary was full," said Debi Lambert, evangelism and outreach leader for the church. "We saw our attendance increase 40 percent over our normal attendance for that time of year."
Based on studies done by various interfaith groups, now may be as good a time as ever to reach those who have wandered away from organized religion: In one study, the 2008 Religious Identification Survey showed 83 percent of Americans view themselves as Christians, but a survey by the Barna Group shows only 20 percent of Americans attend church on any given Sunday.
Another recent survey by LifeWay Research, an organization dedicated to church health and effectiveness, said that 67 percent of the 15,000 Americans surveyed would be open to going to church with a member of their family.
The Rev. Gray said the key to getting people back to church is a personal touch.
"The best way to get people to church isn't through TV ads, it's the personal touch of someone who cares. I think we're a society that's barraged by media, and when someone speaks to you, I don't think you can beat that.
"We want people to know we have something very practical that can help their life, especially with solutions to worry and anxiety. We want to be friendly and offer them something that can impact their lives."
The Rev. Imperiale agreed.
"Most people that come to our church were invited by someone," he said. "The world is changing quickly, but the personal touch never has."
The numbers above give Outreach a good reason to believe that more than 1 million of what it calls "unchurched" or "dechurched" people will be invited this year.
On its website, www.backtochurch.com, Outreach gives churches and its leaders resources and tools for the event. A campaign kit, which is easily downloaded, includes planning guides, booklets, a resource CD with sermons, graphs and PowerPoint templates, videos and other materials.
It also has a roster of participating churches, names, locations and times. Churches can go to the website and register to let worshippers know of their participation in their local areas.
The campaign has also gone to social media. "Back to Church Sunday" has a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/backtochurch.
With an estimated 8 million Americans — 150,000 weekly — leaving their churches every year, Outreach has also created a 37-page "ReDiscover Church" booklet aimed at helping bring back "lost sheep."
The booklet explains the top 10 reasons why worshippers leave their church and why they should come back — including not believing in organized religion and having a desire to connect with God through nature to feeling Christians are hypocritical and judgmental and that a person can't come back because of the sins one has committed.
The booklet, which can be bought for 99 cents at Outreach's website, also helps readers with tips on how to go back to church regularly, not just on Sept. 12.
"Tragically, people have left churches across America, but the good news is, many will return if somebody simply invites them," the Rev. Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, said in a news release. "This simple booklet is a powerful resource to bring them back."
"For people who have drifted, for whatever reason, God still cares about them," the Rev. Imperiale said. "A church that is more family and community oriented can be a breath of fresh air for anyone. If this is the time in your life that you need that, come and check it out. If it doesn't work out here, don't abandon your search. There's always a church out there that will fit you."
e-mail: nnewman@desnews.com