God moves at Newday

Dot Muraya leads the youth at New Life Church. She recently took our young people to Newday, one of the largest youth events in the UK, involving more than 10,000 young people. She came back blown away by God’s goodness and power, and wanting you to share in the joy.

For everyone who came to Newday, even the volunteers, we took steps forward in terms of seeing what God is doing in our generation. We have so many stories but, first, the stats! We took 103 young people this year. Three of them rededicated their lives to God. Seven received healing. Nine gave their lives to Christ, and fifteen of them said that they want to be baptised, so we’re having an impromptu baptism service on the 17th August. All this is indicative of what was going on for many at Newday. On one evening alone, 459 people came forward to fill out a card to report an immediate physical healing.

Newday is a gift that keeps on giving, thanks to our young leaders. Some of them were youth last year, were deeply impacted by God, and came back as leaders this year. They took their responsibilities seriously and learned how to disciple their peers. Here’s some stories from those who attended:

‘I went to Newday with a really heavy heart, because I felt like I’d really just distanced myself from God. But when I was there, I re-gave my life to Christ. Now my voice is gone because I was worshipping so much!’

‘Newday came at a good point for me. I had a lot of questions with my faith, and I was struggling with what it really meant to be saved. I’d got ‘saved’ multiple times, but I didn’t really know if I was supposed to feel anything, and I didn’t really understand it. But, at Newday, through asking questions and having discussions with friends, I understood that it means to surrender everything, not just what I’m willing to give. I learned that it means totally giving up everything for Jesus, and when I did, it felt different, and I felt really happy afterwards.’

‘My friends invited me to Newday. I didn’t really know what to expect, but by the Wednesday, I felt the Spirit and fully accepted Jesus into my heart. I had a gap in my knowledge with God, so I went to the apologetics seminars, on proving God’s existence and why he allows suffering. They really went into detail. And it just grew my love for God even more because I got a clear understanding.’

A Newday team member also shared about the significant encounter he experienced with the young man who provided our previous testimony:

‘On Wednesday night, I was feeling a little raw and rough. So, I took a chair from our marquee and sat outside to try and decompress. As I was sitting, I whispered a prayer: “Lord, I just need some peace and stillness. Please show me a young person I can talk to?” Instantly, one name came to mind, so I sent for him. I asked about his life, his family, and what brought him to Newday. And as he shared, I could see God had been reeling him in. His mates had invited him – young men who’ve been living out their faith, being witnesses to those around them. What I didn’t know in that moment was that earlier that same day, this young guy had given his life to Jesus. And even as we talked, I sensed a newness in him; something had shifted. Fast forward to Saturday. I felt the Lord nudge me to invite this young man to share his story in church the following day. Now, it was a long shot – he isn’t from our church. He’d just come to faith… Nonetheless, I called his mum. She was open to the idea, but he was asleep at the time. A few hours later, he called back and said “Yes”, and asked, “Can my mum come too?” Awestruck I replied, “Yes, absolutely!” So, on Sunday, this young man came with his mum. He shared his story so beautifully, and during the service, one of our ministry team members prayed with his mum, and she asked Jesus to be her Lord and Saviour too!”

Finally, I cannot end without mentioning the volunteers who came together to make this happen. We had 24 volunteers onsite at Newday, taking care of the young people and cooking all the meals. We also had teams of volunteers helping with packing up the van two days before the event, cleaning the fridge and freezer, as well as setting up and setting down the 39 tents we had for the week. They even came back after Newday to dry out our tents to ensure that they are cared for and ready to serve us next year.

From youth helping with admin to parents setting up, and the church giving generously during fundraising events, it takes a whole village to make Newday happen. I am in awe of how wonderfully generous everyone was with their time, their resources and their strength. It is such a beautiful picture of the church coming together to participate in the discipleship of the youth. I am blessed and honoured to be a witness and participant in this great work of the Lord. I believe we will see the fruit for generations.

Did you or your young person encounter God in a significant way at Newday? If you have a story, please let us know on our Next Steps form so we can celebrate with you.