How are adults coming to faith in the UK?
From a Twitter X thread from Phil Knox
Phil Knox is an evangelist, speaker and missiologist at the Evangelical Alliance. He recently tweeted a thread about how are adults coming to faith in the UK at the moment. Here are the big themes and some suggestions for churches to explore:
1. Friendship.
The number one human influence in someone’s journey is not a ‘professional Christian’. It’s a friend, a neighbour, colleague or family member. Whatever you are doing to encourage relationships, crank it up a notch.
2. Digital.
"I’ve had more new people come to church because of TikTok than through personal invitation in the last 6 months," said one leader recently. Thousands are watching online church from the row behind the back row. What do people find if they find you on the web?
3. Mercy ministry and gospel.
The Church is doing an extraordinary job bringing life and light to communities. At its best, it continually invites people further at toddler groups, foodbanks and community groceries. Don’t miss the chance to ask people to take the next step.
4. Hospitality.
In these disconnected times, the simple act of eating with others, being interested and sharing life is making a huge countercultural difference. And churches that try to be church for the unchurched are growing.
5. The Bible.
I’ve met a lot of new Christians who describe the moment they first started reading God’s word – sometimes with a friend, sometimes alone – and its transformative effect.
6. And finally…prayer and dreams.
Leaders have reported people turning up at their church because they had felt compelled to ‘repent’ or had a vivid dream that had drawn them to investigate further. Despite our human efforts, it turns out that Jesus is often the best evangelist.
In addition, Journey to Faith Scotland ran some qualitative research exploring the journey to faith of 20 adults in Scotland in the last five years and published a report in September 2023. This will also inform your thinking and discussions.
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From a Twitter X thread from Phil Knox, 30/01/2024