Throughout the ages, bells have played a role in bringing people together and helping people interact with each other and their Creator.
When a church bell is heard today, it is usually to symbolize the need to perform a specific act of worship. The activity may be private prayer or, in some cases, a call to assemble at a place of worship.
As the world continues to be more liberal in the matters of religion, there is no doubt that the church bell still has relevance as we demonstrate here in Bellhistorians.org.uk. Almost everyone is familiar with the sound of a cast bronze gong hitting against a hollow tapering pear-shaped bell. When did all this begin?
Earliest Use of the Bell
There have been numerous accounts and narratives indicating that that the church bell was used as far back as the Middle Ages. The first formal record of church bell use appears in the 5th Century when it was used in Italy by Paulinus, the Bishop of Nola. From then on, historical documents indicate that the bell has been used in Europe to the present day.
How Early Bells were Made
Early church bells had important functions in the lives of early Europeans because some of the oldest bells in history can be found there. 
A classic example of an ancient bell that is still standing is the Bell of St. Patrick in Belfast, Ireland. Almost all early bells were round and that design holds true for bells of today. The circular bells in use today are a modification of design and efficiency because it was discovered that the square bells did not amplify sound as much as the round design.
As people became more aware of the laws of physics, they discovered that riveting iron pieces together to form the sides of a bell did not produce a good sound. The size of the church bell has been fluctuating over time, but much of the designs today are a modification according to the intended use. Examples of large bells are the New Orleans church bell of the 11th Century which weighs 2,600 pounds and the 19th Century 15-ton bell made for Saint Francis de Sales in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Modern Uses of the Church Bell
The use of church bells as a part of worship is not only reserved for Christians. Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists have also adopted the use of bells over the ages. Owing to the elaborate nature of modern church bells and the religious revolution, it became necessary for places of worship to have bells for different occasions.
Temples, synagogues, mosques, and churches all over the world have elaborate towers designed to accommodate the bells in areas where their sound can be heard over long distances. The ringing of church bells in modern times is common within worship services to symbolize the end or begin of different portions of a service.