Evidence continues to mount that the “quiet revival” is both a real phenomenon and is continuing.
At Easter last year churches up and down the land reported a rise in interest and attendance, beyond the purely seasonal. This continued at Christmas, with the Church of England also saying that they were registering a record number of services.
Now the Diocese of Winchester has added to the growing body of evidence, reporting an “encouraging rise in attendance” during the Christmas season.
The diocese indicated that its experience matched research by the Bible Society that indicated younger people are increasingly seeking God in church.
A public statement said, “Churches across the diocese have reported significant increases in the number of worshippers this Christmas, compared to previous years. One church even had to hold back-to-back carol services to meet the rise in numbers! This reflects a wider trend of people, particularly amongst young generations, exploring Christian faith.”
One church in the diocese, St Luke’s said that attendance at events like nativities and carol services was 10 per cent higher than last year.
Speaking for the parish, Rev Jane Mitchell, said, “It was deeply moving to see so many children, mainly under 11, together with parents and grandparents, discovering again the wonder of Christ’s birth.
"We give thanks not for numbers themselves, but for the precious lives they represent, for the stories, prayers, and needs each person brings, and for the privilege of offering Christ’s welcome to our community.
“This joins with the encouragement nationally that numbers attending church are increasing – thank you Lord!
"Attendance (231) at the traditional 9 Lessons and Carols service were up 34% showing that traditional services are also really appreciated, as people seek the real meaning of Christmas in our anxious world.“
Other churches in the diocese had similar stories, with hundreds of people attending the various Christmas events. In some cases the number of people attending was double what had been predicted by organisers.
Rector John Hudson, of Basingstoke Church, said, “There’s definitely something going on where people are thinking, ‘I’d quite fancy coming to church’.
"A lot of the people that I spoke to were people who have either not been to church before or almost never go to church.
"I speak to friends and colleagues and they see it as well, that people are just suddenly becoming interested.”
