Woof ’n’ Worship

Rachel Bickford, pastor of Pilgrim Congregational Church in North Weymouth, MA, has lit upon an unusually furry way of motivating her congregation to turn out on Sunday mornings: dog-friendly church services. In addition to doubling the number of feet in her pews in a hurry, the inclusion of dogs in Bickford’s services has given church members a reason to talk to each other and reconnect next Sunday. Friendships, among dogs and people, have sprouted exponentially since Woof ‘n’ Worship’s inception and show no signs of slowing down.