A popular church is expanding to stage services at a new place of worship, at a football ground.

The Bethany City Church kicks-off its new weekly services at Sunderland's Stadium of Light this Sunday having almost outgrown seven-year-old purpose-built facilities in Houghton-le-Spring.

Function rooms, including the modern stadium's main banqueting suite, will provide the informal setting for the services, which regularly attract congregations of 400-plus at its Houghton-le-Spring Bethany Christian Centre.

Setting up the new off-shoot centre at the stadium is aimed at attracting newer members to the growing Bethany congregation and relieving pressure on the existing church.

Minister David Burke said: "We attract people to the existing centre from Houghton-le-Spring, the surrounding former coalfield area and beyond, west to Durham.

"But we have some from Sunderland and it's a big city so we feel there are a lot of people there who maybe have long since given up on the church who may want to come and give us a try.

"What better place if we're setting up in Sunderland than at the Stadium of Light.

"You don't need a steeple. Everyone knows where it is, and it's a modern comfortable facility, not some draughty old church with rows of ageing pews.

"We're trying to bring the church up to date, to make it a place for people who have have given up on the church or who don't go to church.

"A lot of people see church as rows of people singing ancient hymns and listening to boring sermons.

"We want to be a family friendly place where people find they actually enjoy coming and look forward to coming back again.

"We are trying to be relevant to society and answer the questions people today are asking."

The congregation at the stadium will be greeted with tea and coffee, and music will be a big feature of services, led by Mark Morris and his singers.

Sunday's first stadium service is in the Durham Suite, via the West Stand reception area, starting at 11am.