Newday Dawning

David Atherall from Brighton, UK, reports on Newday 07 where 6000 teenagers gathered for a week on a
racecourse in Uttoxeter, UK.

In the slightly unusual setting of a portable toilet, life-transforming news is exchanged. ‘Have you heard? I’ve become a Christian,’ exclaims a mop-topped and excited teenager.

The recipient of the news can’t understand English and I smile to myself as I wash my hands. This is Newday – teenagers from a wide range of backgrounds and nations coming together and finding Jesus to be their Saviour.

An incredible 275 young people flocked to the front of the meeting that same evening to give their lives to Jesus for the very first time. One youth group had come with just 25% of its members being Christians but went home with 75% saved. Many more recommitted their lives to God, while others received miraculous healings after Adrian Holloway had delivered a powerful talk on breaking out of jail, complete with electric chair and prison bar props.

From the moment Joel Virgo took to the platform on the first night and said simply, ‘We’ve got big plans; God’s got bigger plans,’ Newday was an inspiring, exciting and challenging place to be.

Fundamental truths about our identity as Christians and the liberating and beautiful truth of grace were themes in the early part of the week, and it is so important that these foundational building blocks were planted firmly at the outset. In the mornings PJ Smyth (Johannesburg, SA) in his all-action fashion, spoke to 12–14 year-olds about the kingdom of God, while Stef Liston (London, UK) delivered a no-nonsense series to the 15–19s on the spirit of Babylon, tackling sexual issues and materialism in two incredible mornings. It was so stirring to see a group of young people passionate about living God’s way, recognising that He has got the best for them. Topics for talks continued to be unpredictable yet incredibly powerful. Joel Virgo (Brighton, UK) spoke about honouring your father and mother, and concluded the festival by talking about the power of prayer, while Terry Virgo shared his story about the birth of Newfrontiers.

Newday also got out in the local area, with 650 young people bussed in to Derby each day to share God’s love in word and deed. As well as the important tasks of graffiti-removal and gardening, there were some amazing stories of God working powerfully through willing teenagers. One girl felt God giving her a picture of stars. When she saw a girl with stars on her jumper, God gave her the name of the girl and insights into her life. The stunned girl gave her life to Christ there and then.

Throughout the week Simon Brading, Matt Redman, Aled Cousins and Paul Oakley led the 6,000 young people into passionate and intimate times of worship, always directing our gaze towards Jesus. The 19th century hymn How Great Thou Art was the first song that sprung from our lips, and five nights later with legs aching after a week of dancing, we stood for one last refrain, once again declaring His greatness with croaky but exuberant voices singing How Great is Our God.

The greatness of God was surely the story of Newday.