A large number of churches across the Island are preparing for ‘Back To Church Sunday’ which this year is on Sunday 25 September. The congregations in those churches taking part are all being encouraged to invite their friends, family and neighbours to their local church. ‘Our local churches play in important part of the lives of our communities’ said Canon Malcolm Convery, ‘but so often people only generally get there for baptisms, weddings and funerals.’ But of course these local churches, of which the buildings are a central part of the community, offers much more than just these occasional services. Each one is a community of Christian believers who worship and meet together praying for all aspects of the lives of the people. The churches also have many other social gatherings and some places these are seamless with community events. The thought behind ‘Back to Church Sunday’ is to encourage people to visit their local church for the first time and also to revisit it if it has been a while since they have been there. Across the UK last year some 82,000 additional people experienced their local church on ‘Back to Church Sunday’ and many additional people visited their local church on the Island too. This year there are 25 Island churches taking part in the occasion where anyone who goes along should find a warm and friendly welcome awaiting them. The following Churches are taking part (service times in brackets) : In the South Arbory (9.30) Cregneish (3.15) St. Catherine’s Port Erin (11.00) St. Mary’s Castletown (10.30) Rushen (9.30) St. Mary’s Port St Mary (11.00) In the West Michael (10.00) Ballaugh (10.45) Foxdale (10.00) St. John’s Methodist (11.00) St. John’s (11.00) In the East All Saints (10.00) Braddan (9.30) Loch Prom (10.30) Marown (10.00 & 11.15) Onchan Methodist (10.30) St. Andrew’s (11.00) St. Peter’s Onchan (11.00 & 6.30) St. Luke’s (6.30) Union Mills (10.45) In the North Andreas (11.15) Jurby (11.00) Ramsey Methodist (10.45) Ramsey URC (10.30) St. Paul’s Ramsey (10.30) Sulby Methodist (10.45) Ends