Chocolates, Comedy, and Church

It's not exactly hell and brimstone, signs and wonders or even loaves and fishes--but Nigel McCulloch, the Bishop of Manchester, thinks that chocolates, personal invitations and "a comedy video" might just woo worshipers back to the Church of England. ( It is fair trade chocolate, so that's something. )

The "Back to Church Sunday" program is aimed at people over 50 who wandered away from the church, according to the Telegraph.

The diocese cited new research that found that of the 20 million people aged 50 or over in Britain, half were estimated to have had an experience of the Christian worship through Sunday school or in later life.

Canon Roger Hill, the rector of St Ann's church, Manchester, said he was very enthusiastic about the scheme. "We come across dozens of people who say they have slipped out of the habit of going to church and want to come back. We have found that personal invitations are a very effective way to achieve this. The bar of chocolate just brings an extra element of pleasure."