Crosstalk: With Rev Fi Iddon
One of the many privileges of working in the Church of England is the sheer variety of experiences and encounters. Every day is different!
In my long list of favourite things to do is spending time with children and young people. Their energy, curiosity, creativity and sense of fun is always inspiring. The other Friday night I spent a happy two hours outside in the field near church with our young people; we played games, cooked on a fire and simply enjoyed one-another's company. People sometimes express surprise when I tell them about our wonderful children and young people. They seem to assume that all churches are full of ageing congregations and suffering a steady decline in attendance. I'm glad to tell you that this is not our experience!
Some of you may have seen that recent research gives concrete evidence of the increase in attendance among under-18s which many churches are seeing. Conducted bu YouGov and commissioned by The Bible Society "The Quiet Revival" report suggests that church attendance has been steadily rising since the Pandemic. The most dramatic church growth is among young adults, particularly young men. Whatever your age, your local church would love to see you, welcome you and invite you to find out more about the difference that following Jesus can make.
Rev Fi Iddon, Associate Vicar of Trinity Churches, and Rural Dean of Shrewsbury and Wrekin.
