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Whatsapp Worshippers at the Sunday Assembly are encouraged to laugh and sing in praise of life—not God.

Comedian and writer Pippa Evans is the co-founder of the Sunday Assembly, a growing worldwide movement where non-believers congregate to celebrate atheist rituals of community and wonder. Recently a congregation formed in Melbourne, and it's already attracting a growing flock. But why revisit the traditions of church worship if there's no God to praise?

The question we get asked the most about Sunday Assembly is ‘But why?’ Why set up something that is sort of like a godless church and sort of like a show, and is fun and yet serious?

My stock answer is ‘Why not?’

Two months ago I hosted the first Sunday Assembly Australia in Melbourne. It was a buzz to see 60-odd people laughing, singing and being together, sharing lemonade and homemade cakes and making new connections.

One couple I met had just moved to South Melbourne and wanted to meet people, but they didn't want to go to church as they didn't believe in God. Where's the place to do that?

But why? I still hear you cry. Sometimes I don't know if there is a 'why'. I only know that Sunday Assembly is something that touches a lot of people and creates a sense of togetherness not felt in a long time.

Say what you like about the Church but it did, and still does in many places, serve a vital function of creating and serving its community. Sure people go to praise God, but they also come together to make friends, lay aside differences, sing, clear their minds and partake in ritual. We love ritual as humans, whether it be a Christening, chanting at a football match or strange family traditions that no one else knows about (ask a member of the Evans family to sing ‘Oh Plum Pudding’ and you will be quite surprised by the result).

Rituals are fantastic at bringing us together, but what do you do if you don't believe in God? If you aren't comfortable singing his praises but you do want to find a way to engage with people that doesn't involve an entrance fee and a bar?

That's where we come in.

Sunday Assembly has grown faster than anything I have ever been a part of. We set up in January and now, at the end of June, Sanderson (my co-founder) is in America, hosting the first Sunday Assembly New York, Melbourne is holding its second Sunday Assembly and we have a congregation (yes, we use that word) of over 600 people in London.

We have had requests from all over the world from people wanting a Sunday Assembly in their town, from Cape Town to Brisbane, Texas to Townsville.

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Whatsapp Sing out loud but just don't mention the G word. The Sunday Assembly co-founders, comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, lead the congregation in song during a service in north London

And we have come up with a plan to make this happen.

In October, Sanderson and I will be doing a tour called ‘40 Dates and 40 Nights’ where we will visit the 40 places that are most interested in starting a Sunday Assembly. Each town/city/village we visit will set up a space for a Sunday Assembly and we'll demonstrate how it is done. Our plan is to meet as many people as possible in a short time, and jumpstart the Sunday Assembly globally.

We wouldn't go somewhere unless they wanted us to be there, and Australia is one of the countries that has asked us to come. Sunday Assembly doesn't impose itself on anyone. We are not here to ‘take on’ the church or start arguments with mosques. This was set up for people who don't have or want a religion in their lives, but do want a place to go that offers support and encouragement. We are not interested in competing with other spiritual organisations—we are here to offer something to those who are not already aligned with anything. We don't want to be considered a religion, but rather a hub—a central point that offers something that can't be filled by work or the pub or the internet.

What do we hope for with the Sunday Assembly? We want Sunday Assembly to become a place for people who want encouragement, who want to appreciate what they have and who want to sing really loud once a month. Sunday Assembly wants to inspire people to live better, to help often and to wonder more.

It's so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves. Sometimes we need to be reminded to look at the sky, be humbled by how small and insignificant we are, and yes, how much potential there is inside us all.

Singing loudly, the attraction of atheist churches Listen to Pippa's interview on Life Matters to find out more about The Sunday Assembly.

‘But why?!?!’ I still hear you cry. Sometimes I don't know if there is a 'why'. I only know that Sunday Assembly is something that touches a lot of people and creates a sense of togetherness not felt by many in a long time. Sunday Assembly enables people to grow, to be challenged, to laugh and to remember that life is amazing. And when it's a chore, there are people to share those chores with. And maybe it's not God we need to get us through, but each other.

The best thing of all, my favourite thing, is that if you don't agree, if you don't like the sound of it, if this doesn't float your boat, you don't have to come. There is no fire and brimstone if you don't attend Sunday Assembly.

It would be a terrible shame for you though; the cake is really very good.

Find out more at Life Matters.

