Tickets have been purchased and plans made by pigskincrazed football fans across America in anticipation of the 2010 NFL season, which kicks off Thursday night.

The professional football campaign truly gets cranked up Sunday, however, with 13 games scheduled to take place Sept. 12.

As thousands flock to stadiums across the country in an effort to root their teams to victory, churches across the country are appealing to the masses, asking a simple question: “Have you taken a little time out for God today?”

A national movement to reverse declining church attendance and encourage former church-goers to come back home, Sunday, Sept. 12, has been deemed “Back to Church Sunday” nationwide.

Although 83 percent of American adults identify themselves as Christians, only 20 percent attend church on any given Sunday.

According to Macedonia Baptist Church Pastor Terry Duvall, of the 16,000 members of congregations in the Broad River Baptist Association, average attendance is less than half that number, ranging around the 7,000 mark. The church leader said an event like “Back to Church Sunday” is important as it pushes for believers to take action, being the influence Christ asked them to be.

“We’re simply trying to reach out to the lost and those that have gone astray,” Duvall said . “Many have lost faith in the churh and don’t come for that or a number of other reasons. Our job is to draw them back with love, showing them that faith is still vital in our lives.”

More than 1.3 million invitations from more than 3,500 churches across America have been extended in the weeks prior to the event.

This includes the local effort, which Duvall said also prompted those locally to put in work in the communities which they reside.

“Churches have been going door to door, making phone calls and leaving notes, among other things,” Duvall said. “We’ve also done a little bit of witness work and made sure the event was advertised in local media … this is all about encouraging people to come back to church. We extended our resources in an effort to make this happen.”

Studies by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board of more than 15,000 Americans found 67 percent say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed believe an invitation from a friend or neighbor would likely move them to respond.

This year marks the first year “Back to Church Sunday” is being observed in local churches.

“My first knowledge of it was when I saw something about it come across my desk three months ago. When I saw it and the mission of the event I encouraged the Broad River Baptist Association to get involved. … our hope is for this to be an avenue to help change lives.”

Churches enlisting in last year’s campaign saw a 19 percent increase in their weekly attendance, according to Eric Abel, vice president of marketing for Outreach Inc., a Southern California church marketing company supporting the event.

“When members reach out to others, it makes a dramatic impact,” Abel said in a prepared statement. “Back To Church Sunday focuses greater awareness on taking the time to simply ask a friend or family member to join you at church.”

“We need each other. Sometimes you need faith and religion with skin on it,” Duvall said. “This is God’s church. The goal is to bring souls in to the kingdom. In the end that is what it is about.”