Video of the services of the Book of Common Prayer on the PBS website are to be used in a new, national project run by the University of York.

The ‘Explore’ project will provide churches across the country with truly entry-level resources about faith for the spiritually curious, many who have no Christian background or knowledge.

Dr Louise Hampson a research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture says, “The Explore project will produce simple prayer cards and six explanatory leaflets on big subjects like, ‘Does prayer work’, ‘Is God real?’ and ‘Is there life after death?’, says Louise. “They will give people some apparatus to start thinking about those things,” she says.

The PBS videos will feature in 'Exploring faith with others' on a supporting website. Different kinds of service will be illustrated, with the aim of demystifying what goes on in church, encouraging those who may never have been to church to explore for themselves. “The message being, there’s a whole range of services in Church. If you go to one and don’t like it, don’t be put off, there’s a huge breadth to try,” says Louise.

The Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture is a leading multi-disciplinary research centre based at York University. It uses expertise in history, archaeology, literature, art history, theology, and cutting-edge technology to carry out research, create interactive resources, and work with major heritage sites to engage visitors through innovative interpretation.

The inter-denominational Explore project is its latest innovation and will be launched in the New Year.