A Worthing parish is bidding to increase the involvement of children in church activities.

Margaret Allison, editor of the Durrington parish magazine, writes in the latest edition: "Since the middle of last year, there has been a significant change in the way children's work on Sunday mornings is carried out.

"We want children and their families to feel really welcome in our church community and especially in our Sunday morning worship.

"The thinking within the Church of England is that we should truly involve children in worship and allow them to grow up feeling totally included in the parish family.

"This is not achieved by setting up separate activities for them in a separate room and then only allowing them back into church as near to the end of the service as possible.

"It is not achieved by occasionally having a family service which is totally different in format from our usual one.

"And it is certainly not achieved by excluding them from any aspect of our worship on the grounds they are too young or don't understand what it means.

"When the children have their own worship time, it is essentially the same as the pattern of worship followed by the adults who remain in the church.

"This new way of working with children has been willingly embraced by those of us who regularly work with them. We can see how such an approach can lead to feelings of involvement and inclusion.

"But it will only work really successfully if everyone understands, accepts and takes on the challenge and responsibility of making children feel part of the Lord's family."