Interest in local churches appears to be on the rise, as evidenced by a substantial increase in traffic to the Church of England’s online church locator.
The platform, known as AChurchNearYou.Com, has experienced a notable surge in page views, climbing from 128.1 million in 2023 to an impressive 198.6 million in 2024.
This growth is further underscored by a dramatic rise in digital engagement, with over 11,000 church services and events shared on social media, marking a remarkable 268 percent increase from the previous year.
Additionally, more than 18,000 services and events were saved to digital and mobile calendars, representing a 200 percent surge during the same timeframe.
These statistics are unveiled as parish churches enter one of their busiest seasons, commencing with Palm Sunday and culminating in Easter weekend. The Church of England alone has organized approximately 20,000 services and events for this period.
Expressing enthusiasm over the figures, Amaris Cole, the Church of England’s Head of Digital, stated her delight with the public’s growing connection to local church communities.
“The staggering increase shows the public are more interested than ever in connecting with one of our communities, whether for a service, an event, a family activity or one of the amazing projects our churches run,” Cole remarked.
She added that the influx of page visits is encouraging church communities to invite more newcomers into their 16,000 spaces, further supporting the church’s mission.
This month alone, approximately 20,000 calendar events have been added by churches to welcome public participation during Easter celebrations.
The website has made efforts to enhance accessibility by incorporating tags for services that cater to specific needs, such as wheelchair access, gluten-free refreshments, British Sign Language translation, and dementia-friendly environments.
This uptick in interest is in line with findings from a recent study by the Bible Society, which hints at a “quiet revival” in the UK, particularly among younger demographics. The research, conducted by YouGov, revealed that church attendance among adults has grown from 8% in 2018 to 12% last year.
Young adults, especially men aged 18 to 24, have shown increased church engagement, with attendance rising from 4% to over 20%. Similarly, among women of the same age group, attendance has grown from 4% to 12%.
The study also highlights a growing curiosity among young people, with about a third of 18 to 24-year-olds expressing willingness to attend church if invited by a friend, and a quarter interested in exploring the Bible further.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
