Church growth leaders are working on a strategy to boost the growth of middle-sized churches in the Diocese of Lichfield and the wheels have already been set in motion to get the diocese behind the 2007 'Back to Church Sunday' campaign.

Larger churches in the diocese (those with an adult Sunday attendance of over 100) have already for been pulling their efforts together for several years to reverse the downward trend in attendance.

Earlier in November, more than 35 churches in the diocese attended a special conference for larger churches and according to growth officer Bob Jackson, "the good news is that attendance at these churches as a group has now stopped falling and is even rising a little".

Now the focus is turning to the growth of middle-sized churches or 'midi churches' (those with a weekly attendance of 75 to 100).

"Attendance at our smaller churches is also holding up well, but there are a group of churches in the middle where Sunday attendance still seems to be shrinking," said Mr Jackson in the latest edition of the diocesan newspaper Spotlight.

"These are the 'midi churches' and we are now starting the process with them that has been so successful with the larger churches."

The leaders of the midi churches will meet with area bishops and growth officers in January to compare notes about the particular challenges posed by the size of their churches, as well as the areas showing potential for growth.

This will be followed by a Midi Churches Conference on 30 June 2007 which organisers are hoping will be a launch pad for new growth and developments that will bear fruit in the years to come.

And church growth officers will be encouraging churches across the diocese to get behind the 2007 'Back to Church Sunday' campaign.

"I have been helping the Diocese of Wakefield with their larger churches progress," explains Mr Jackson, "and if anything the turnaround in their attendance has been more dramatic than in Lichfield. And the main reason is 'Back to Church Sunday'."

He continued: "For the last two years they have been inviting people back to church on a special Sunday in September, sometimes with startling results.

"So next September we hope that every church in the Lichfield Diocese - large, midi and small - will take part, welcoming back many people into the community of the body of Christ."