A CHURCH has moved its traditional Sunday morning worship to the afternoon -- to make way for football and supermarket shopping.

In a bid to move with the times and attract those otherwise tied up on Sunday mornings, the New Life Community Church in Yeadon has switched its services to 3.30pm -- to co-incide with the time most supermarkets and DIY stores are about to close up for the day.

Pastor Rob Fry said he wanted to reach out to all the people who had other family commitments on Sundays.

"This adjustment has not been an easy one, but we felt we could no longer continue meeting when many people are taking a hard earned lie in after a week at work.

"Also many children and young people are involved in football, rugby and other local sporting leagues.

"In addition others use this as their time to get the weekly shopping, but whatever the reason, we have embarked on a journey which we very much hope will make an uplifting experience of spirituality - church."

Mr Fry said as a father of a young football player he had experienced clashes on Sunday mornings and did not want to force people to choose between spirituality and football.

"We ought to be helping people to make healthy decisions and I don't think traditional services were doing that -- it was saying choose.

If the choice is between something cold, dark, unappealing and irrelevant or something good and sporty where you get praise then there's no choice."

But he stressed the new time was an experiment and the church would continue to work with other churches in the area who were still offering the traditional Sunday morning service.

"There are many churches open in the mornings and we continue to work with and actively support their ministries, yet we are simply trying to do something a little bit different," he said.

The church moved into the former St Andrews' Anglican church, Haw Lane, from Greenacre Hall, Rawdon, at the end of last year and has renamed the building the St Andrew's Centre.

The hundred year old pews have been removed, carpet laid , wheelchair access built and soft furnishings added to give it a more modern feel.

Mr Fry said the church, which regularly has around 100 adults, young people and children at its Sunday services, had taken the opportunity to expand on its children's, youth and community initiatives.

At the weekend a puppet show of the musical Joseph attracted around 300 people to two performances and earlier in the month the church carried out its first dedication service of an infant, attended by around 140 friends and family.

Mr Fry said it was important that the new church reached out to more people and adapted to modern needs. "The outcome is not guaranteed and there is an element of risk, but we will continue to relate to other churches and if this works, then everyone will be happy."

In the summer, the church intends to get fully involved in the football World Cup by screening the big games games.

"We will certainly be watching England win the World Cup this year and we'll be getting the biggest screen in the area for people to watch it," said Mr Fry