At the conclusion of the Council for Mission Debate at the General Synod of the Church of Ireland today, members of the Synod passed a motion encouraging parishes to support Back to Church Sunday on the last Sunday in September.

The concept is that each person attending Church invite one person back to Church on one specific Sunday. In the Council for Mission report it comments that "Statistics show that 20% of Church members will be willing to do this and that the average church taking part can expect to see 10-15 new people in the pews that Sunday. Research has shown consistently that a large number of people are open to reengaging with Church if only someone will ask them."

Noting that the Methodist and Presbyterian churches have already decided to encourage the initiative, the Council comments, "members [of the Council] were positive about what it could offer the Church of Ireland so long as expectations are realistic and commend to to the Bishops and parishes of the Church."

Supporting the motion, Mavis Gibbons (Connor) said, “can I encourage churches to start thinking about it now not just at the end of August…we need to think about how we can follow it through.” Andrew Brannigan (Down) said, “there are people out there who want to come back to church they’re just waiting for someone to invite them.”

The two part motion also called upon every parish of the Church "to demonstrate its commitment to the priority of mission by strategic, prayerful, informed and costly giving at a time of financial stringency."

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