In summary, Ben writes:
On Ash Wednesday, a young man wandered into St John’s Walworth. After the service, he told me how he nearly didn’t come in at all. And he also said something that clergy are hearing more often: he thought he might be becoming a Christian, and wanted to talk.
There has been a great deal of discussion over the last year about a possible ‘quiet revival’, particularly among younger adults. While we know that some of the data behind those headlines cannot be fully relied upon, it seems that in parish life something is still happening.
What I am seeing is not a revival in any dramatic sense, but a trickle of people arriving unevenly, often from different starting points, testing the doors of church.
Some come influenced by online conversations about identity, morality or the state of society. Others come for quieter reasons. Often the pressures of modern life, or experiences of loss, have exposed the limits of the stories they have been given. Many are not looking for instant answers, but for a place where they can ask questions without embarrassment.
In a culture increasingly marked by certainty and division, the Church of England can still offer something that is distinctive: a space where faith and belonging can grow gradually over time.
More people are willing to cross the threshold of our churches than a few years ago. Our role is not to prove a revival is happening, but to notice the newcomer who lingers at the back after a service, and be ready to hear what they say.
Read the full article here.
Please note this sits behind a paywall.
