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To celebrate International Lego Day, the Rev STEPHEN COOK talks about conducting what hit the headlines as the UK’s ‘first Lego baptism’ and how the church is teaching children the gospel through the toy product

Interview by Emily Bright

WHETHER you’re a child who’s a construction and demolition expert or an adult who secretly longs to create a beautifully symmetrical and colourful structure, Lego seems to hold a widespread appeal. And each year International Lego Day, which takes place today (Saturday 28 January), celebrates the anniversary of Danish carpenter Godtfred Kirk Christiansen submitting his patent for the original Lego brick in 1958.

While it has been played with by children across the world in all kinds of settings, Lego might not typically be associated with learning about the Bible. But All Saints Church in Okehampton, Devon, manages to combine the two seamlessly.

The Rev Stephen Cook, whose ministry includes All Saints, explains that its monthly ‘Lego church’ event was built out of a simple desire to connect better with families in the community.

‘We’d been trying to work out how we could make church more accessible for people with children,’ he says. ‘Suddenly the idea of Lego church was like a lightbulb moment where we thought: “We can do that.” We asked a church in Staffordshire, which was one of just a couple in the UK who ran something similar, about it. Then we waited for the opportunity to start once lockdown had ended.’

All Saints started Lego church – which it has recently given the working title of Block Church – in September 2021. It now takes place on the last Saturday of every month.

Stephen explains the format of the event, which comes complete with snacks, drinks, a story time and prayers.

‘People arrive at four o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. We’ve got