Children have historically been
included in past revivals and their voices are needed. What is happening is
also to do with them. But they need safeguarding and protecting from so many
things. Especially due to the horrific scandal caused by a vile few.
One old-time preacher described young people as ‘kindling’ which helps set fire
to ‘old logs.’ If I were still a child, I think that might put me off the whole
thing. As we see in the following accounts, history records the role of young
people in the revivals which have occurred over the centuries, especially in
terms of their freedom of expression.
Along with all the children and young people who play heroic roles in the Bible (such as Joshua, David, Josiah and Jeremiah as a boy), Jesus himself said:
“Let the little children come
to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as
these.”
It was reported that in 2025 at Spring Harvest, an annual Christian gathering
in the UK, more than 630 children and teens began or reaffirmed their
relationship with God. The young people lingered in late-night worship, singing
the name “Jesus” as they went to bed.
On 15th August 2025 GB News reported in an article titled ‘Britain's incredible Christian revival: Why young people are returning to church in their droves and putting faith in Christ.’ It is little ironic that GB News, as a right-wing mainstream news outlet actually interviewed children about this when so many other media outlets didn’t. It’s a challenge to mainstream media. The truth is that we tend to speak to everyone but the children about stories that concern them, not only because it is harder to interview them (parents or teachers must be asked first), but because society in general still largely believes that children are better seen and not listened to.
So, these were the voices of some children on the topic,
Naomi, 13, who describes herself as a Christian with a strong faith, “Problems in the world are becoming greater, people are looking for somewhere to turn with their problems."
Hannah, 16, who grew up in an
Evangelical Free Church family and decided to be a Christian aged 12, told GB
News: "I think social media has had a big impact on the youth getting
involved in Christianity… I do think there are going to be more Christians in
the future as the religion is quickly growing."
Her thoughts reminded me of what
Salik had said at the start of the story over 20 years ago about.
“It (Islam) is the fastest growing religion in the world. Is there a revival in
my faith? Possibly.”
As a perceptive child might say… maybe Christianity is not the only thing reviving in the UK.
