The Quiet Revival (Part 1)
The Bible Society has recently produced a report with some surprising and exciting results. Based on six years of research, the report shows that the church in the UK is actually growing. We have been told for decades and believed that the UK church is in decline, perhaps terminal decline. What we now see is that the narrative is changing; God is on the move, his church is growing and we must believe it.
“Where once we saw aging congregations and a steady decline in attendance, we see dramatic growth, led by the young. Where once we saw apathy or even hostility to Christianity and the Bible we see increased openness, again among the young.” “12% of the adults in England and Wales are attending church monthly,” which represents a 50% increase from six years previously. 21% of men aged 18-24 are regular churchgoers and 33% of adult churchgoers are 18-34.
People, especially the young, are in search of a new story as secular narratives collapse and the world is becoming more uncertain. They are looking for something beyond themselves, a God or higher power, as the so-called ‘new atheism’ has had its day and been found wanting. 18-24s are increasingly “showing openness to and engagement with spirituality.” Well documented mental health challenges, the search for meaning and the quest to belong are leading younger people to try the church.
The changes go beyond just attending church services. 67% of Christians who attend services read the Bible at least weekly outside church gatherings. 93% of churchgoers say they pray at least weekly. What this shows is that this growing interest in the church is more than curiosity; it is moving into practice.
It’s being called “The Quiet Revival” because at the moment it is a low-level revival, happening almost under the radar and not because of any big Christian personalities. But having surveyed 13,000 people across the UK, the findings cannot easily be dismissed.
It is not just happening in other places; it’s happening here in our city. Churches in Worcester are reporting that they are seeing growing congregations and people coming to Christian faith - and not because they are doing anything special. It seems simply to be a work of God!
The narrative about the UK church is indeed changing and this is encouraging – do read the full report. But more than that, we know how God’s story ends and this encourages us further!
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9)
In part 2, we look at some of the challenges that the church must now face in response.