‘Quiet revival’ continues as Winchester sees Christmas surge

Evidence continues to mount that the “quiet revival” is each an actual phenomenon and is continuous.

At Easter last yr churches up and down the land reported an increase 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 variety of services.

Now the Diocese of Winchester has added to the growing body of evidence, reporting an “encouraging rise in attendance” throughout the Christmas season.

The diocese indicated that its experience matched research by the Bible Society that indicated younger persons are increasingly searching for God in church.

A public statement said, “Churches across the diocese have reported significant increases within the variety of worshippers this Christmas, in comparison with previous years. One church even had to carry back-to-back carol services to fulfill the rise in numbers! This reflects a wider trend of individuals, particularly amongst young generations, exploring Christian faith.”

One church within the diocese, St Luke’s said that attendance at events like nativities and carol services was 10 per cent higher than last yr.

Speaking for the parish, Rev Jane Mitchell, said, “It was deeply moving to see so many children, mainly under 11, along with parents and grandparents, discovering again the wonder of Christ’s birth.

“We give thanks not for numbers themselves, but for the valuable lives they represent, for the stories, prayers, and wishes all and sundry 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 – thanks Lord! 

“Attendance (231) at the normal 9 Lessons and Carols service were up 34% showing that traditional services are also really appreciated, as people seek the actual meaning of Christmas in our anxious world.“

Other churches within the diocese had similar stories, with lots of of individuals attending the varied Christmas events. In some cases the number of individuals attending was double what had been predicted by organisers.

Rector John Hudson, of Basingstoke Church, said, “There’s definitely something occurring where persons are pondering, ‘I’d quite fancy coming to church’.

“A number of the those that I spoke to were individuals who have either not been to church before or almost never go to church. 

“I speak to friends and colleagues they usually see it as well, that folks are only suddenly becoming interested.”