|PIC1|Football fans in the north West Midlands are being targeted by the Church of England's Lichfield Diocese in its latest attempt to get more people to come Back to Church.

As part of Back to Church Sunday, which takes place next Sunday, the Diocese of Lichfield is placing pun-filled adverts in all its local Premier League, Football League and Blue Square Premier match-day programmes.

The advert first appeared in the programmes for Saturday's clash between Port Vale and Macclesfield and Sunday's Premier League derby match between West Brom and Aston Villa. It will appear next Saturday in the programmes for Walsall's match with Carlisle; Wolves' match with Bristol City; Stoke City's match with Chelsea; Shrewsbury Town's match with Bradford; and Burton Albion's match with Forest Green Rovers.

The Diocese of Lichfield is organised in three Episcopal Areas, each with their own area bishop who works to support the diocesan Bishop of Lichfield. The adverts feature a photo of all four bishops - the Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill, the Bishop of Lichfield; the Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith, Bishop of Shrewsbury; the Rt Rev Gordon Mursell, Bishop of Stafford; and the Rt Rev Clive Gregory, Bishop of Wolverhampton - with the heading "Your local bishops are very excited about tomorrow's new signing... you!"

|PIC2|It continues: "The 28th September is Back to Church Sunday - and thousands of people will be flocking to the terraces, er, pews, of their local church to join the millions of people who already go every Sunday. Why not join them? We may not offer a pie and Bovril at half time, but many consider a cup of tea or coffee and a bit of banter after the final whistle, er, prayer, a decent substitute. Whether you've been 'away' for a few months or many years, it's time to come 'home'. And because Jesus has already taken the penalty, you can be saved! Come this Sunday, and find out whether it will be 442, 343 or a completely different opening hymn."

The football programme advertising campaign was the brainchild of Gavin Drake, director of communications for the Diocese of Lichfield and the pitch-side announcer at Walsall Football Club.

He said: "Die-hard football fans will often admit that you need a sense of humour to follow your team through the ups and downs; so we thought we'd help to inject a bit of humour in these programme adverts.

"Some say 'football is the new religion' but in reality far more people go to church on a Sunday than go to football matches on a Saturday. So if football fans respond to these adverts and come back to church you can guarantee that they'll never walk alone."

Back to Church Sunday began in 2004 in the Diocese of Manchester and has since spread across the Church of England. This year it is being adopted by 38 Church of England dioceses, plus Churches Together in Scotland, the Church in Wales, Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed churches nationwide, Elim Pentecostal churches and Anglican churches in New Zealand and Canada.

Last year in Lichfield Diocese, some 6,000 people came back to church on Back to Church Sunday. And six months later between 700 and 900 (12-15 per cent) had become regular members and a further 3,000 were still in regular touch with their churches some six months later, with many of them coming to Christmas services or social events.

The Archdeacon of Walsall, the Ven Bob Jackson, is a nationally recognised expert on church growth.

He said: "People invite their friends on Back to Church Sunday with no strings attached. We know many people will gladly respond to this. What we've proved is that up to 15 per cent like it so much they want to come back for good. No wonder Back to Church Sunday has been such an encouragement. This year we want to work hard on improving our welcome even more."