September 22nd 2010
News from Canterbury Diocese
For immediate use

Bishop of Dover asks people to 'rock on down' to church

Handing out specially produced sticks of rock which said 'come back to church', the Bishop of Dover, the Right Reverend Trevor Willmott spent Monday morning in Margate inviting people back to church.

The Bishop who was joined by local church goers and local curate Revd Marc Terry took to the streets to promote 'Back to Church Sunday', the international Christian initiative which takes place this Sunday 26th September.

As well as receiving personal invitations, people in Kent are also being invited back to church through a thirty second radio ad campaign running on Heart FM all week.

The Bishop, who believes that the church runs through the community like 'words through a stick of rock' also took the opportunity to highlight the role the church plays in regenerating local communities.

Over 220 parishes in Kent are participating in the Back to Church Sunday initiative this Sunday.

-Ends-

Photos attached:
Bishop Trevor holding the sticks of rock
Bishop with children in Margate

Further information from:
Emily Shepherd, Director of Communications, Canterbury Diocese 01227 459 401, 07876 210 446, eshepherd@diocant.org

Back to Church Sunday: 'Back to Church Sunday' started in the Anglican Diocese of Manchester in 2004 and has now become an ecumenical, international event. The event follows the simple idea of extending a personal invitation back to church on a particular Sunday. Over 220 Church of England parishes are taking part in Kent on September 26th along with many churches from other denominations. www.backtochurch.co.uk Back to Church radio advertisement can be previewed at: http://www.audiopot.org/track.php?do=detail&linkid=3121