I WAS delighted to see a local place of worship featuring in a prime-time Christian show at the weekend.

I’ve grown up watching Songs of Praise as I child and it was always something we did together as a family following dinner.

I remember my mum ironing in the background watching in between passes of the iron across my school uniform.

Last Sunday’s episode was broadcast from Pershore Abbey, having been recorded last month - the magic of television.

Speaking to reverend Claire Lording, she was overjoyed with having welcomed back the popular faith television show.

Reverend Lording mentioned how it helps people who might not otherwise get to church for whatever reason to engage with the wider Christian community by watching a show bringing people together.

In modern society where many people work shift patterns and shops not being closed on a Sunday for worship anymore, it’s a great idea for the BBC to continue their much-needed show, first broadcast in 1961 and available online for viewers to watch at a time of their choosing.

As well as traditional hymns being sung, the show featured interviews with worshippers.

This is really nice and puts the region on the map.

Reverend Lording said it gave many members of her congregation a “spring in their step” and a visit such as this would boost anyone's morale.

With church numbers declining nationally, I think this show is more important than ever and does a church really need to be traditionally four walls as we increasingly find ourselves in a hyper connected world?

I feel the show strikes a nice balance between seriousness and having fun - which all churches should be like, particularly if they want to appeal to a younger demographic.

I remember all too clearly spending time growing up as a Roman Catholic and not really knowing what was going on at church with hymns and parts of the mass in Latin, which I found completely alienating.

I remember mass taking ages with lots of incense burning away but no real connection between the audience and service leader.

With thousands of shows under its belt, long may it continue, bringing the word of God to even more people.