CHURCHES will be making a special effort to attract new parishioners this month.
Churches within the Wakefield Diocese, including Huddersfield, will be backing Back To Church Sunday on September 25.
The idea is to give newcomers and people who have been away from church services the incentive to return.
The Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Rev Stephen Platten, said: "This is a simple and practical way of inviting people back to church."
The Rev Catherine Ogle, vicar of Huddersfield, said the aim was to give a warm welcome to newcomers and people who have been away.
She said: "Some newcomers feel self-conscious that they won't know what to do or people who haven't been for a while think they will be told off.
"We want to assure them that they will be welcomed.
"Back To Church Sunday is a great opportunity to say we would love to see you in church."
Catherine said Sunday congregation figures had been falling since the 1990s - but this did not mean church attendance overall was dropping.
She said: "The figures we have been using are based on Sunday attendance.
"But this ignores a lot of things.
"Nowadays people are busier, they move around the country now.
"People can't always come to church on a Sunday, but they come on other days.
"People still go to church but maybe come during the week, some just come once a month.
"We've looked at attendance very carefully in the past few years and we know quite a lot of people still go to church."
On a Sunday in the Diocese of Wakefield, an estimated 14,000 people go to church.
In the 15 churches in the Huddersfield area there are 1,500 worshippers on a Sunday.
Huddersfield Parish Church has around 100 people in its Sunday congregation.
The diocese has produced Back To Church Sunday campaign packs for churches taking part in the campaign.
They include promotional posters, invitations to services, and welcome booklets.
To get a pack, priced at £45, visit www.backtochurch.co.uk
