CHURCH services designed to fit in with busy modern lifestyles have been a huge success at the Venerable Bede Church in Leavening.

Friday afternoons are now the chosen day of worship for parishioners who cannot make the Sunday service due to family or other commitments.

The 3.30pm-4pm service is conducted by the Rev Mark Sharpe, curate of the West Buckrose Benefice.

He said: "People's working patterns are changing, with many people working weekends.

"Also, for families, if both partners work and the weekends are the only days they have to spend together, then that's a lot for churches to compete with.

"Unusually for Ryedale, Leavening has got a lot of new housing in the past few years which is attracting a growing, younger community. This service was requested by the parishioners, it came from them rather than the church."

The service is child-friendly and mostly used by young mothers after they pick their children up from the village school across the road.

"Weekends are so hectic that getting to church can be very difficult. Being able to get it in on Friday afternoon makes life a lot easier," said Mrs Janet Kelly. Another mother added: "Sundays are bad for us because we go swimming and the boys have rugby, but obviously we still want to come."

Children and parents are offered a relaxed atmosphere, where young ones are able to move around and make noise, and Mr Sharpe incorporates games and flip charts as ways of engaging them actively in the sermon.

The service has kept the communion as a way of introducing the children to it and also making it available to the adults who attend, with the children receiving apple juice instead of communion wine. People from all parishes are welcome at the service, which has been running since the beginning of September, but are asked to note that it will be suspended during school holidays.

Updated: 10:47 Wednesday, November 26, 2003