People in 50 churches across Derbyshire are inviting their friends and family to join them in church as part of ‘Back to Church Sunday’, a national campaign designed to encourage people to return to their local church, especially on Sunday, 30th September.

The event is being marked by a series of balloon launches across the county at several churches, including St John the Evangelist church, Mickleover, at 3.45pm on Monday, September 24th. Pupils from Silverhill Primary school, and Ravensdale Junior School, Mickleover, will assist the Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby, to launch the balloons. Silverhill Primary school pupils will sing at the event and it is planned that two pupils from Ravensdale will play the flute and clarinet.

People who do return to church on this year’s designated date (Sunday, September 30th) will receive a warm welcome and a booklet of personal stories of Derbyshire people who have already come back to church.

Back to Church Sunday was first tried in the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in 2004, when more than 900 people came back to church. The Diocese of Derby, which covers Derbyshire, trialled it in five churches in 2006, and there are around 50 churches involved across the county this year.

Each participating church has taken delivery of their Back to Church box of invitations, posters, booklets and prayer cards bearing the message ‘Everyone back to my place’.

The Bishop is keen for churchgoers to use these resources to advertise the day and invite back family and friends who have lost touch with church life. He said: “People lose touch with church for all sorts of reasons and once that connection is lost, it can feel difficult to re-establish. This event provides an opportunity for people to come back to church on a day when others in their area are likely to be doing the same and a personal invitation from someone they know can make all the difference.”

Churches are particularly grateful to the charity Traidcraft for its ongoing support of the campaign.

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