Sunday marked the sixth straight year that churches participated in the “Get Back To Church” Sunday event where those who had walked away from the church were invited to “come home.”

Churches across the country reported significant upturns in attendance as a result of the event.

“We had a wonderful service in Yuba City, CA,” wrote Greg Mansur on the event’s Facebook page. “Very high attendance, several visitors, many returned we had not seen in a while, and there was a tremendous spirit of fellowship and unity … Just a tremendous day. Appreciate all the tools and support from the BTCS team!”

“Second Baptist Church in Barnwell, South Carolina had an amazing worship service today!! We had an overflow of attendance with several visiting friends and family … a jam packed weekend! Beautiful…awe inspiring,” another poster wrote.

Scott Evans, CEO of Outreach, Inc. which started the “Get Back To Church” initiative, says the event started with 600 churches in 2009 and now is the largest such event in the country.

“We believe in this day because we know it helps people invite others to church. Back to Church Sunday really got its start from research that showed 82% of people said they would attend church if someone they knew invited them, but only 2% of church members were inviting others to come with them,” said Evans in a statement.