This Easter, six churches across Tavistock are coming together for a simple, town-wide invitation: trypraying – look out for the bright green banners!

Abbey Chapel, Redeemer Church at King’s, Tavistock United Reformed Church, Tavistock Salvation Army, Tavistock Methodist Church and St Eustachius Parish Church are amongst the congregations working together to encourage people locally to give prayer a go — whether they’ve never tried it before or haven’t done so in years.

The trypraying initiative (the ‘try’ is being printed in bold on the posters) is aimed especially at those who wouldn’t normally think of themselves as religious. Using a short, free seven-day guide, it offers a down-to-earth way to explore prayer— encouraging people to be honest about life, reflect on what matters, and see whether prayer might make a difference.

While church attendance may be lower than it once was, engaging in prayer is still surprisingly common across the UK. Research suggests that around half of adults have prayed at some point, and many continue to do so in quiet, personal ways—often in moments of difficulty, gratitude or uncertainty. For many, it remains a natural first response when life feels overwhelming.

Local organisers say that’s part of why this initiative matters in a place like Tavistock.

Spokesperson Paul Newdick said:“Tavistock has a strong sense of community, and we know people here care deeply about each other and about the town. trypraying is simply an open invitation — no pressure, no expectations, no charge — just a chance to pause and see if prayer is something that helps.”

Throughout April, churches will be giving out the prayer booklets in and around the town, as well as being available for conversation for anyone who is curious or has questions. The aim is to keep things informal, friendly and accessible to all.

Revd Rob Weston acknowledges that there are many ways of praying, “The booklets might be helpful to some folk, but we recognise there are many ways into prayer which can be a very personal activity. Some people find prayer comes naturally, others prefer some guidance. Some find nature restorative and a place for quiet contemplation and prayer. Some like to pray and walk with others. We just encourage everyone to trypraying.”

By working together across different denominations, the six churches hope to reflect a shared commitment to serving Tavistock and supporting its people in everyday life.

Anyone interested can pick up a free trypraying guide from participating churches during April.