For many people, churches are an important part of their community, and they have been for hundreds of years.
They’re not simply places people visit for Sunday service. People get married there, gather for holidays, meet their neighbors, or simply pass the building on their way somewhere else.
Naturally, churches have always found ways to stay connected to the people around them. And long before Instagram posts and funny roadside signs, some of those methods were pretty creative.
One of the most obvious ways churches reached people was through bells. For centuries, they were part of the soundtrack of everyday life, with their sound carrying far beyond the church itself. They could call people to worship, mark important moments, or warn a town when something was wrong.
Some had an even more practical job. At the Chapel of St Lawrence in Warminster, England, an “awakening bell” was rung at 4 a.m. from 1694 until around 1800, according to Historic England. Basically, the church was functioning as one very large alarm clock.
In medieval England, you could also find large stone crosses standing in the middle of busy public spaces. Some sat in marketplaces or along wide streets where plenty of people would naturally pass by.
Historic England explains that these crosses became places for preaching and public announcements. So if you were out doing your shopping, you might end up hearing a sermon along the way.
Inside churches themselves, there were plenty of other ways to share religious stories and ideas. Walls and windows were filled with paintings, sculptures, and images showing biblical figures and events.
This was especially useful at a time when many people could not read. Religious art had an important educational role and helped teach people about the faith.
By the 19th century, churches had another way to stay in touch with local people: parish magazines. These small publications could include service times, local news, religious writing, and updates about births and marriages.
The modern parish magazine is generally traced back to 1859, when Rev. John Erskine Clarke launched one in Derby, England. The idea spread quickly, giving churches a simple way to bring information from the parish straight into people’s homes.
Then came radio. On January 2, 1921, Pittsburgh station KDKA broadcast a service from Calvary Episcopal Church, helping take church services far beyond the people sitting inside the building.
It was such a success that the broadcasts became a regular feature. For listeners who were sick, elderly, or simply lived too far away, suddenly hearing a service from home was possible in a way it had never been before.
