PARISHES in Kidderminster are inviting people back to church with a special welcome on Sunday.

More than 40 churches across Worcester Diocese are taking part in the day, which sees congregations sending out VIP cards inviting friends and family to join them in church on Sunday.

In Kidderminster, St Mary’s and All Saints Church and the churches of St George's, St Chad's and St Cecilia's are just three of those taking part in the day.

Canon Robert Jones, director of development, has been co-ordinating the day for the Diocese of Worcester.

He said: “Even if you don’t receive a personal invitation, you can still come along to a church in the diocese on Sunday and you can be assured of receiving a warm welcome.

“There are many different types of worship, so we have something to suit everyone – whether you prefer a more traditional service or something more informal. Why not come along, you might be surprised by what you find.”

Back to Church Sunday is a national initiative from the Church of England and in 2007, more than 200 churches across the country welcomed back 20,000 friends.

This year, the invitations also include a ‘feedback’ section, so that people coming back to the church can let the vicar know what was good and not quite so good about the service.

Rev Hugh Burton, priest in charge of St George's, St Chad's and St Cecilia's churches, said: “People at our three churches have really got hold of the idea of Back to Church Sunday, and are planning to invite lots of people.

“We realised that most of us knew someone who used to come to church but had stopped for whatever reason.

“The day gives us a good chance to invite them to come back. We hope they'll enjoy the experience and come back again.”