The Christian revival is here, and next year it will get even stronger.
For a younger generation that has only experienced uncertainty, the Church offers hope for the future. DT.
The quiet revival of Christianity, particularly among Gen Z, has been underway for some time. But 2025 was the year in which this stirring of renewed spiritual interest became impossible to ignore, even amongst doubters. If current trends continue, 2026 will see the search for authentic spirituality continue to expand.
According to YouGov, the proportion of British people attending church at least once a month has increased from 8 per cent in 2018 to 12 per cent in 2024. Bible sales were reported to be up 87 per cent between 2019 and 2024. While many parish priests may still wish for fuller pews at morning communion, the overall picture is that a significant number of churches in England are undergoing rejuvenation, with growing interest especially from younger people: Easter and Christmas services were overflowing.
Earlier in the year Christian summer festivals flourished, with over 100,000 attending these gatherings across the nation. All are preparing to increase their numbers for 2026. Big Church Festival, Britain’s biggest Christian festival, drew a record 35,000 attendees when it was held in West Sussex last August. Over half the visitors were aged between 18 and 24.
But it isn’t sufficient to acknowledge growing interest in Christian life without the necessary spiritual leadership that ought to shepherd curiosity into conversions. In his Christmas message the King referenced the importance of spirituality in our lives. He started by telling of how he and the Queen had recently been praying with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. He went on to develop the theme of pilgrimage and journeying as being of particular significance for our modern world, referring to the wise men and the shepherd journeying in search of Jesus, adding that through physical and mental challenges they found an inner strength.
For Gen Z the concept of journeying is a resonant one, as is the reference to mental strength. They look for real life stories and want to understand the struggles and hopes of those with whom they want to go through life together.
For younger people, that journey is looking increasingly uncertain. They worry about the environment. We have war again in Europe, which had been unthinkable for several decades. The cost of living is a constant concern. Many have hefty student debts and are finding themselves with disappointingly few good job opportunities. The days when you could expect to settle into a profession for life are over thanks to AI. Meanwhile, popular culture has grown evermore trivial, with social media shortening our attention spans. Christianity provides young people with an authentic anchor of faith which is lacking from other areas of their lives.
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