THE Christian Cross as worn by Archbishop Sentamu does not advertise "a dead Christ" as K Barnes fears (Readers' Letters, May 9).

The Cross is, in fact, a symbol of Christ's victory over sin and death and has been central to the preaching of the Christian Church ever since the first Easter.

St Paul wrote: "May I never boast of anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

For Paul, the Cross was always linked to the resurrection and was a sign of the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

If K Barnes would like to get in touch with me, I shall be pleased to explain what this means.

Roger Simpson,

Vicar of St Michael le Belfrey Church,

Minster Yard,

York.

MANY people are becoming increasingly alarmed at the moral collapse of society and the declining influence of the church.

Between 1970 and 2005, a staggering 1,700 churches closed down with, on average, one church closing every eight days.

As part of an ecumenical campaign to encourage people back to church, a controversial study called Help Your Church Grow has now been released to congregations nationwide.

Featured on BBC2 Newsnight, this report states many churches in Britain must radically change their outlook and thinking in order to reconnect with people and help raise the moral standards of the nation.

It identifies the reasons people give for being churchgoers, or for having lapsed, so members of small or dwindling congregations find the solutions given in the report fascinating reading.

The study points out that since many individuals seem unsure of why they believe in God and Jesus, it should be a priority for local churches to provide "faith-building talks" to explain the many reasons that lie behind Christian belief and morality.

Sent to every Anglican Church throughout England and Wales and currently circulating among churchgoers of other mainstream denominations in Scotland and Ireland, it can be downloaded free from www.churchsurvey.co.uk.

The Ecumenical Committee responsible for this publication would like to invite people of whatever denomination to comment on the changes being called for.

The committee would like to receive reaction, and further suggestions from churchgoers, non-churchgoers, lapsed members etc, from every part of the country, and from every setting.

Comments may be sent through the website or to the address above and will be treated confidentially.

Rev Willans,

Chairman of The Ecumenical Research Committee,

Glenfield Road,

Betchworth,

Surrey.

Updated: 11:30 Monday, May 15, 2006