Not in the news
Each day when I eat my breakfast, I like to catch up on the news. I always look at the front pages of the papers, as it’s an indicator of the top stories.
Let’s face it, the news generally has not been good for some time. Looking back over the last few years, our headlines have been dominated by a global pandemic, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the cost of living crisis.
There are also regular allegations of corrupt and immoral people along with, sadly, the victims who have suffered.
But there is good news that does not make the headlines: Church attendance has risen by 50% over the last six years, busting the myth of church decline.
The findings come in ‘The Quiet Revival’, a survey commissioned by Bible Society and conducted by YouGov. (https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival)
The data shows that young people, especially men, are attending church at least once a month.
Not only that, but Bible sales are up too. The Guardian Newspaper reported:
‘Sales of the good book reached a record high in the UK in 2025, increasing by 134% since 2019 – the highest since records began – according to industry research. Last year, total sales of Bibles in the UK reached £6.3m, £3.61m up on 2019 sales.’ (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/10/its-younger-people-seeking-some-sort-of-spirituality-the-rise-of-uk-bible-sales)
In a very unstable world, it seems to me, that people are looking for something bigger and beyond. In a sense, this is not new, as for centuries people have longed for something greater than the here and now.
When Jesus walked the earth, he demonstrated that different ‘something’. One man, called Simon Peter saw it and said to Jesus…
“You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
As a church pastor, I delight when I see people have the same revelation as Simon Peter did! Let me encourage you: give Jesus a try, visit a church, get and read a Bible!
God bless you:)
Gary Bastin
Hope Community Church leader