COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Jan. 29, 2014 — The first annual Friend Sunday is March 30, 2014, and marks a new initiative when churches join together and encourage their members to reach out and invite friends and family to a special service where friendship is honored and encouraged. The Friend Sunday movement hopes to reach every home in America with an invitation to a Bible-believing church and ultimately into a relationship with Jesus.

Friend Sunday was launched in response to a survey of churches who participated in National Back To Church Sunday in 2013—over 90% of whom said they would be interested in participating in a spring event centered around members bringing a friend with them to church. This survey also shows 84 percent of churches recognize that having a designated day to invite people to church plays an important role in motivating members to reach out to their friends and family with an invitation.

According to church growth expert Win Arn, the friendship factor is one of the most important reasons people come to church. A survey of more than 50,000 people over the last 10 years revealed that between 75 and 90 percent of people say they began attending church because someone invited them.

Participating in Friend Sunday provides churches with an invite-able event in spring in addition to Back to Church Sunday in the fall, and also helps churches get their name and information out in the community through invitations, social media, and word of mouth. Churches are encouraged to sign up at FriendSunday.com and begin taking steps now to encourage members to get out of their comfort zones and invite someone to church on March 30.

Friend Sunday has an interactive Facebook page (www.facebook.com/bringafriendtochurchday) and a roster of participating churches on the Friend Sunday website at FriendSunday.com/findachurch. As churches register, their names and locations are added to the roster, allowing people to easily find a church to attend on this special Sunday.

To help churches successfully plan an effective event, the Friend Sunday Church Kit, which includes videos, a planning guide, web and social media graphics with digital marketing ideas, and a sermon outline, is available at the Friend Sunday Store.