With U.S. Church Attendance in Free Fall, Ministry Equips Churches to Reach Out to Local Communities

As Easter Sunday approaches, one Christian ministry is facilitating an ambitious goal: to reach 120 million homes in America with the saving message of the gospel.

Saturate USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing churches across America with free resources that congregants can use to spread the gospel message in-person to their local communities, one doorstep at a time.

On Monday, Scott Baller, chief operating officer of Saturate USA, joined “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” to discuss what his group does and why he believes the need to spread the gospel message is so important in the current moment.

“Saturate USA is a free opportunity for churches to get a ‘Saturation Pack’ which has a DVD in it and a little booklet that explains how to have a relationship with God,” he explained. “And the key to it is we have one requirement. The church has to put their local information in the packets. We’re wanting people to get back to the church. And so it’s pretty simple. They adopt their zip code, we send the stuff out totally free of charge. There’s not a single penny anyone has to pay, and we just ask them to get out there and love their neighbors.”

A Gallup survey released Monday shows that church attendance is at a historic low point in the U.S. Just three in 10 Americans “say they attend religious services every week (21%) or almost every week (9%).” This number represents a dramatic decline from two decades ago, when Gallup reported that an average of 42% of U.S. adults attended a weekly service.

“[O]ur goal as the Bible talks about is to plant the seed,” Baller emphasized. “The Holy Spirit will do the rest. … I know churches, a lot of them are hurting right now because of post COVID and the things that went on there. But this is a great opportunity to not only affect their neighbors, but to let people know they’re there. [W]e just have story after story of great things that the Lord does, the Holy Spirit does … just by us taking that one easy step and just planting that seed.”

He went on to describe how churches can go about receiving the free materials. “[G]o to SaturateUSA.org and there’s a form you fill out — it will take you 10 seconds. It’s going to get your phone number, your name, and your church, and within a couple days you’ll get a call from one of our staff. They will explain the process in detail with you, probably go through a video that’s on our website and just make sure that you fully understand what we’re asking. And then at that point, usually within about 14 days, you will get your all your packets sent to you along with customized maps that we provide that … breaks up your zip code so it’s easier to manage. And then from that point on … the churches will get together and start putting their packets together and getting out in the neighborhoods.”

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins expressed his support for the ministry and related his own experience with public outreach. “It’s a great tool for the churches to get outside the walls of the church, knock on their neighbors’ doors, show them that they care about them [and] love them. … [M]y experience is … I’ve never had anyone turn down prayer — ‘Can I pray for you?’ … People want and desire someone else to show that they care about them by praying for them.”

Baller concurred, further sharing how the ministry has personally impacted him. “[W]henever … you’re serving other people, you think you’re doing something for them. And what always happens to me is my heart gets touched more than I think theirs is. And that’s the greatest thing about going out and sharing the gospel is you’re blessing people out there, but you will not believe how much the Lord will bless you as well.”

Baller concluded by highlighting how a recent story has ignited a sense of urgency in the Saturate USA ministry.

“There was a couple [who] took their Sunday school class [out to] their neighborhood in Florida. They decided to drop off [the material] first, pray through the neighborhood, and then follow up a week or two later. … A couple of weeks later, they stopped back by this house. They came to the door and said, ‘Hey, we’re with the local church. We dropped off a packet. We’re just following up. Is there anything we can be praying for you?’ And the lady that came to the door got emotional and she said, ‘I need to let you know. I just appreciate you guys so much for doing this. My husband had cancer, and we actually got the pack, and he actually watched the DVD, and he accepted Christ. And he passed away three days ago.’ And so the impact is huge. The impact on that man’s life is for eternity. And so I just think there is a sense of urgency. We just don’t know what that person down the street is doing, and they need to hear the message now.”