BCF, formerly known as Big Church Day Out<\/em>, began in 2009 as a one-day event organised by Tim Jupp, a founding member of the band Delirious?<\/em>. The festival has grown steadily, especially since its return in 2022 following pandemic cancellations. This summer marked its biggest milestone yet: organisers added an extra day and shifted the event from May to the August bank holiday.<\/p>\n A conservative estimate suggests that around 700 Seventh-day Adventists attended BCF 2025, drawn by a stellar line-up of artists. Headliners included the legendary Israel Houghton, Grammy Award-winner Jonathan McReynolds, and acclaimed American worship leaders such as Pat Barrett, the writer of Good Good Father<\/em>, and Josh Garrels.<\/p>\n BCF is a non-profit event, reliant on sponsors and volunteers to make it possible. This year, more than 950 volunteers, the largest team in its history, helped set up eight stages, caf\u00e9 tents, and the festival\u2019s infrastructure. Compassion UK, a Christian child development charity, served as the main sponsor. Attendees were encouraged to sponsor a child during the event, and by its close, more than 700 children had been sponsored.<\/p>\n Why Bother to Camp?<\/strong><\/p>\n What makes people leave the comfort of their homes to camp in the fields, tolerating hour-long queues for the showers and the ever-present stench of portable toilets? It is not just the amazing music, though of course that helps. It is not only that BCF offers something for everyone, from festival games like bumper cars and ferris wheels to a brand-new children\u2019s programme, though that helps too. What makes BCF unique is the worship experience.<\/p>\n For many, BCF is the one time in the year when they can experience Christianity as a highly visible, powerful force in the UK. When Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake led the congregation in an a cappella rendition of How Great Thou Art during their closing performance, the atmosphere was electric. The field seemed ignited with a holy presence as 35,000 voices rose in unison, \u201cThen sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee; how great Thou art!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt was my first time attending a festival, and we camped all weekend,\u201d shared Corina Popa, a Stanborough Park Church member. \u201cI am impressed with the size and the diversity, with the relaxed atmosphere and\u2026 the fact that we can be together and sing to God… I grew up in a communist country, so you kept your faith inside, and you guarded it well, because everything was against you. So, to come and see thousands of people singing, it just makes me cry\u2026 we are not just a few, but many!\u201d<\/p>\n Perhaps British singer Philippa Hanna summarised it best during her last performance at the Garden Stage, \u201cMy highlight was hearing your voices. The sound of the body of Christ singing together is the most beautiful sound.\u201d<\/p>\n Gen Z & the Quiet Revival<\/strong><\/p>\n This year, for the first time, BCF welcomed a significant number of Gen Z attendees (12\u201327-year-olds). It is perhaps no coincidence that a representative from the Bible Society, Dr Andrew Ollerton, used the main stage to speak about the \u201cQuiet Revival\u201d currently unfolding in the UK.<\/p>\n According to the Bible Society\u2019s 2025 report,<\/a> church attendance in the UK is on the rise, particularly among young people and young men, even as the overall number of people identifying as Christian continues to decline. \u201cThe most dramatic church growth is among young adults, particularly young men,\u201d the report notes, adding that among Gen Z, \u201cmore men than women go to church.\u201d<\/p>\n Although some researchers and commentators have expressed doubts about these findings and methodology, the sight of a new generation worshipping together at BCF was undeniably encouraging.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a rare opportunity to be surrounded by so many like-minded people with the same mission and core beliefs,\u201d commented Sara Stickland, a Gen Z attendee from St Albans Church. \u201cLeaving with a fire inside that is not quickly or easily put out \u2014 a fire for God and for sharing the gospel \u2014 is why this event is so special to me\u2026 The connection I feel to God each and every time I am there is why I keep going back for more.\u201d<\/p>\n A Night of Fireworks and Faith<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite the noticeable absence of Rend Collective and their panda heads, the final performance of BCF was still powerful. Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake led the campers in a moving worship session that concluded with the expected \u2014 yet still beautiful \u2014 altar call and firework display. As in previous years, this was a sacred moment when many attendees, including some who were not Christians, chose to begin a journey of faith and discovery.<\/p>\n Although BCF is attended primarily by Christians, it is also an opportunity to invite friends who are not yet believers. For those guests, the closing altar call can become a life-changing experience, as they respond to the message they have witnessed throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cI find the Big Church Festival is much more than a music event \u2014 it is a spiritual gathering designed to refresh faith, inspire worship, and bring people closer to God and God\u2019s community,\u201d reflected Pastor Steve Hulbert, who often helps coordinate group tickets for Adventist attendees. \u201cWhether through the collective worship on the main stage, quiet prayer in the chapel, or creative expression in the smaller venues, it creates a sacred space where God\u2019s presence is both celebrated and sought. It\u2019s refreshing for me every year, and I\u2019ve been going for more than 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n BCF will return on the August bank holiday in 2026 (28\u201330 August). The line-up already announced includes For King & Country, CeCe Winans, Lecrae, Elle Limebear, and Steph Schleuter, among others.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [Photos: Vanesa Pizzuto]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Worship, community, and a quiet revival<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":24472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1588,7,1577],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ireland-united-kingdom","category-news","category-organisational-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24470"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24628,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24470\/revisions\/24628"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Crowds](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Crowd-630.jpg\")
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