Norwich youth charity sees a curiosity about Jesus

The much-publicised rekindled interest in Christianity amongst young people is something Norwich Youth for Christ is experiencing, and spoke about at their recent Annual Showcase event, where they encouraged more people to support them.

by Helen Baldry

The Annual Showcase is an opportunity for Norwich Youth for Christ to inform their supporters about their work. Fourteen years ago, the then director of the charity Nick Blanch spoke about being pushed out of schools, and being denied the opportunity to speak about Jesus to young people. At the meeting this year on March 18 at the charity's new premises at Carrow House, Nick, who now works for Youth for Christ nationally, spoke about a renewed interest in Christianity and how the charity is needed now more than ever.

Youth for Christ's recent research corroborates the much publicised findings from The Bible Society that Gen Z are interested in spiritual things. Young people are feeling compelled to attend church, read the Bible, and are having dreams about Jesus. Nick said "It absolutely tracks with our research. Last year I lost track of how many stories like that I have heard." 

In 2020 8% of young people viewed the local church positively. By 2025, this increased to 65%, which presents an opportunity for local churches to reach out to young people, something which Norwich Youth for Christ facilitates through its partnership with Norfolk churches. Gary spoke about the youth clubs he runs in Stoke Holy Cross, Alpington and Loddon.

A young person, Lily, who attends one of the youth clubs spoke about her experience of becoming a Christian. She said, "It started last year we were in an RE lesson learning about the seven deadly sins. When I got home that day I was contemplating whether the idea of God was something I believed in. I started by doing simple research by looking up 'what is Christianity', and what does it mean to be a Christian - basics that you learn at school but I never really paid attention to."

Lily said she started calling herself a Christian and her friends were supportive, but asked her not to push her faith upon them, so she felt that she couldn't really talk about it.
Lily attended the Embers youth group, run by Norwich Youth for Christ, which she describes as a positive influence on her as well as Christian school assemblies. She said, "Being able to ask questions and explore my faith without fear of judgement has been a game changer. I've also found an app called Manna which has helped me dive into the Bible in a more structured way. I've struggled with my mental health for some time now, and when I turn to God I know that he will listen and help me no matter what I'm going through." 

Lucas is a volunteer helping Gary run the clubs. He said, "The thing that struck me the most is how curious people are right now about faith - be encouraged. This young generation is curious, and we are telling them that Jesus died for them and showing them who he is."

Another project run by the charity is The Jam, a Wednesday night youth club focusing on music and media. This feeds into the termly Encounter event where young people from around the city gather to worship together. Youth worker Tom said, "We've seen a steady growth in the numbers of young people attending, all coming from word-of-mouth, but from different places."

Boost is an alternative education provision led by Dani. It is full and has a waiting list. Dani said, "Our biggest strength is the depth of relationship we have with the young people and their families and the lasting impact." Although Boost is purely education provision and not evangelistic, Dani has noticed that young people increasingly want to talk about faith. She said, "Something is stirring and there's something we can plug young people into if they want." A film featuring a young person who spoke about the benefits of Boost showed the impact it had on her mental health and confidence.

Gwil Davey, Director of Norwich Youth for Christ thanked the team, and all the supporters at the Showcase for their financial support and for their prayers. Anyone who would like to donate to the charity can do so here: https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/norwichyouthforchrist