Growing from Open Church Sunday to Open Church Everyday

Building on the success of the annual Open Church Sunday event held in June, St Albans Diocese is now encouraging parishes to open their churches as often as possible throughout the year, instead of a single day.

This year the diocese is not organising Open Church Sunday and is promoting Open Church Everyday, so that churches are available for people to visit and to sit and pray.  If we unlock our churches, people will visit them and some will experience God’s presence there.  People often want to go to their local church to visit and pray, especially in times of personal and national tragedy.

The Bishop of St Albans wrote: “Such initiatives are unlikely in themselves to ‘make new disciples’, but they will sow the seeds and build links so that those who are interested can find out more.  Our aim should be to turn visitors into pilgrims and pilgrims into disciples.”

A recent article in the Daily Telegraph reported that a survey found that 13% of teenagers who had visited a church or cathedral, decided to become a Christian, read further: Visits to church buildings inspire 

A helpful Guide is available here, to assist you in considering further:   Open Church Everyday