The Quiet Revival: 3 Months On- What Have We Learnt?
An Exclusive with the Co-Author of The Quiet Revival - What Church Leaders Need to Know Now
Dr Rob Barward-Symmons is the Senior Research and Impact Manager at Bible Society. Rob has a PhD in Sociology of Religion and research expertise in contemporary British Christianity and Christian theology.
Since ‘The Quiet Revival’ report went viral earlier this year, the Bible Society have been inundated with excitement and wonder in light of the new data that has been found. Now that the report has been in our consciousness for the last 3 months, I wonder if anything has changed? I mean, have we changed, to give room for the new that God is bringing?
And so I had the opportunity to ask Rob: How can we make the most of what God is doing? What can Church leaders be doing right now to steward this unprecedented awakening?
Here’s what he shared:
Late last year, just as our minds were drifting towards last-minute Christmas
shopping needs, a stunning email dropped into our inboxes. It was from the polling agency YouGov, and included data tables which – remarkably – showed that
churchgoing among adults in England and Wales was rising.
Not only that, but it was rising among young adults in particular, and even among young men. It didn’t stop at the church doors either – there was a growing curiosity and openness to Christianity across ‘Generation Z’ as a whole.
All of this was, at first glance, staggering. It stood in the face of years of data and conventional wisdom that a) the church was in terminal decline; b) where it did exist it would be strongest among older generations and gradually weaker with each younger generation; and c) that women were more engaged than men, at all ages.
We checked with YouGov and they confirmed there was no methodological explanation for what the data was presenting. As we reflected more, and heard stories from within and beyond the church that told the same story, we realised that –just maybe – this was reflecting something real. Of young adults exploring Christianity, church, and the Bible for themselves in a new way. Perhaps not flooding previously empty churches but gradually – quietly – shifting the landscape of faith in modern Britain.
Attendance, however, is not the whole story. After all, these could just be people looking for community in an alienating world – without any real interest in the spiritual’ side of things. But instead what we see is that these people exploring church show every indication of active faith, from belief to practice. Indeed, the Church in Britain looks vibrant across multiple measures, with the frequency of Bible reading increasing among churchgoers since 2018.
We have been delighted to see the interest and energy this has created both in the church and in wider society. But the work does not stop here. If this moment is to sustain, both the Church and organisations like Bible Society need to be ready to respond. Many of the stories we have heard from churches involve some sense of people “just turning up”, with the church not quite knowing what to do as a result.
Recently I heard the story of a church in the East of England where around thirty young people just one day turned up to their youth group, without any previous connection. The youth pastor had recently left the church but, with the scrambled help of volunteers, they were able to run a Alpha Youth course for the young people – the majority of whom stuck around through the whole course, and have a genuine interest in growing in faith. The new youth pastor will have a big job on their hands!
So how can church leaders grasp this new opportunity in a way which leads to a lasting spiritual growth? At Bible Society, we believe that deep engagement with scripture, in a manner which grows understanding, encounter, and application of the Bible, is central to this. While they may be interested and engaging with the Bible, many churchgoers – and particularly younger churchgoers – often still lack a fundamental, life changing, confidence in scripture.
Our data shows that churchgoing Christians between 18-34 are significantly more likely than those over 35 to say they struggle to find appropriate Bible resources and guides, as well as finding people to learn from in their exploration of the Bible. The challenges are real, but we wanted to find out what people thought would help them grow in the Bible – and these are the top five responses:
- Something that helps relate the Bible to everyday life (39% of churchgoers)
- Talking with others who hold similar beliefs (37%)
- Something that breaks the Bible down into manageable pieces (28%)
- Opportunities to talk with other Christians (27%)
- Opportunities to talk with Bible experts (24%)
It’s crucial that all church leaders take time to speak with and learn from new attendees – no two stories are going to be the same, and no one person is defined by their generation – but this doesn’t mean there can’t be shared approaches.
Exploring the scriptures as a community, whether in groups or through one-on-one mentoring, learning from one another through the journey as you each grow, is one such approach. If you’re looking for a place to start – a fully refreshed version of our hugely popular ‘The Bible Course’ – is a great starting point. It is designed to be used by groups of Christians – new and old – to explore scripture together through guiding us through the whole story of Scripture in an accessible and lively way, including insights from Bible experts and real Christians whose lives have been transformed by scripture.
Crucially, each session provides opportunities to talk with one another and share the journey of growing in Bible confidence. Our research shows The Bible Course tangibly improves how Christians relate to the Bible – in our last evaluation 88% of participants agreed The Bible Course had increased the richness, depth and quality of their Bible engagement, while 81% went on to do further Bible exploration as a result of the course. If you would like to find out more about Bible Society’s latest Bible Course click here.
The Quiet Revival data shows an incredible movement of God throughout our society. The challenge now falls to the Church to answer the call and walk alongside churchgoers, whether they have been attending their whole lives or are coming for the first time, in growing deeper in their faith and drawing scripture deeper into their lives. Take a moment to consider the questions below…
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🧠 Wisdom to Digest: Questions for Church Leaders
1. What signs; subtle or surprising- am I seeing in my own context that point to spiritual curiosity among young people?
2. If new young people turned up at my church this Sunday, would we be prepared to welcome and disciple them well?
3. What am I doing to help younger generations grow in their confidence with Scripture, not just their attendance?