ALPHARETTA — The Southern Baptist Convention has designated March 30 as “On Mission Together: Planting New Congregations Sunday” – a day to emphasize the need for SBC churches to plant new churches throughout North America.

“We hope that holding a special day focusing on planting new churches will inspire and motivate existing churches and individual members to recognize their communities as mission fields, and to be used by God to start new churches,” said David Meacham, the North American Mission Board’s senior strategist for church planting.

In highlighting the need for planting new churches across North America, Meacham cited research by Dave Olson, director of church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church. The study includes 10 years of attendance data from 300,000 Christian churches in America.

“According to Olson, 3,200 churches close their doors each year in America, while 3,600 new churches are started. That resulted in a net gain of 4,600 churches from 1990-2000. However, to have kept pace with population growth during the decade, a net gain of some 39,000 churches was needed,” Meacham said.

Meacham said a complete package of free “Planting New Congregations Sunday” promotional materials for churches is online at http://www.churchplantingvillage.net.