“Back to Church Sunday” 29th September

“Back to Church Sunday” has grown beyond all expectations since the first day it launched in Greater Manchester in 2004. It is now the largest single local-church initiative in the world, taking  place in churches across denominations worldwide.

So what’s the big idea? Back to Church Sunday is an opportunity to reconnect with a local Church. Churches up and down the country will be opening their doors to the local community on Sunday 29th September.

Many people in this country experience “Church” as a really good thing. A place where people connect with others, where people connect with God and a place where people discover a greater purpose in life.At present we think that there are at least 3 million people in England who would come back to church if  they had an invitation. And we know there are hundreds of thousands of Christians who would love to invite their friends.Revd Simon Jones, Vicar of St Michael’s church in Stoke Gifford, says, “I used to think Church was boring! I had a load of misconceptions of what it was like. I assumed that the Church was like heaven’s waiting room -serving no earthly purpose at all. Then, one day, a friend invited me to a Church service to have a look. It blew my mind. I was amazed to find that there were lots of younger people my age. The Church was active running youth groups, support groups, retired people’s lunches and more than that, the Sunday service was  really  inspirational. It was that day that I counted myself in to make a difference with my life.”

For example, St Michael’s, Stoke Gifford is running three “Back to Church Services” on 29th Sept at 9am (More traditional), 10-30am (Family friendly) and 6-30pm (Modern approach).  So, if a person gives you an invitation to attend, why not give it a go. You might be pleasantly surprised.