Huge impact of Norfolk Christian youth festival

Last month over 10,000 people attended Newday and thousands went back home profoundly changed having made a commitment to the Christian faith. Helen Baldry reports. 

Newday was held at the Norfolk Showground at the end of July.  The event is aimed at people aged 12 – 18 and features Bible teaching, worship sessions, a prayer zone and seminars. Groups came from 234 churches from across the UK, all accompanied by their youth leaders and helpers. For many of the young people this was their first introduction to Christianity and first time they had heard about Jesus. For others who had grown up in a church family, this was an opportunity for them to reflect on their personal faith and decide how to respond to the challenge of living out their faith as they grow up.  

Several of the sessions ended with an ‘altar call’ where people were invited to come forward if they chose to follow Jesus for the first time. Over the five days of the event 760 people came forward to make a commitment. All were prayed for and given further information and would return home with the support of their youth leaders to guide them through the next steps. 

Thursday night is always ‘healing night’ at Newday and people are invited to receive prayer for healing. This year there were 489 testimonies of healing, and those that had experienced healing were invited to the stage to explain what had happened. People who said they were healed last year also gave account of what had happened on the Newday healing night in 2024 and talked about the responses of their doctors and explained what had happened since.  

The organisation of Newday is a huge undertaking and involves a team of over 1,000 volunteers who serve in a variety of ways, including stewarding, leading sessions, serving drinks, setting up marquees, ensuring the site is secure and cleaning the loos. 

Numerous churches from Norfolk attended the event – some groups come as day visitors – although the full benefit is for those who camp and build strong bonds as church groups.  

Lighthouse church in Sheringham returned to Newday this year. Youth Team Leader Peter Skivington said, “It was fantastic to see our young people so engaged in worship with thousands of young Christians. Many of them made commitments of faith and decisions to be baptised. This Sunday they gathered together after our church meeting to pray for each other that they continue to stand strong and live wholeheartedly for Jesus as they return to friends, family and workplaces where they may be the only Christian." 

Soraia Pereira and her husband Tiago led a group from Dereham Baptist Church. Soraia said, "It was our pleasure to look after this amazing group of youth, we were so blessed by them and to witness all that God has started this week is amazing. We look forward to hear what God will do during this year in their life and through their life." 

The final day of Newday was a party night, where youth groups dressed up for the evening extravaganza in the big top. This years’ theme was dynamic duos and dream teams and there was a plethora of creative costume ideas. Dereham Baptist Church attended as characters from Toy Story.

Earlier in the day, there was an offering – the young people had been advised about this earlier in the week to prayerfully consider how much they might give, and to think about giving as part of worship. Over £160,000 was given during the service and will be spent on a variety of projects including church planting in Ukraine, training future youth leaders,  free Newday places for young people next year and setting up Newday resources to give an online presence throughout the year. 

Click here to read our previous article about Newday 

Newday next year will be Monday 27th - Friday 31st July 

Photos above by Gareth Gabriel: worship in the Big Top and the Lighthouse group
Below Soraia and Tiago from Dereham Baptist Church