An Easter church visit sparks curiosity about faith

Stourbridge Children See It for Themselves

On a bright April afternoon, around 120 children and staff from Hawbush Primary School made the short walk to Amblecote Community Church (ACC), eager to celebrate Easter and explore the life of the local church.

The visit was initiated by the school’s headteacher, who wanted pupils to experience Easter in a real church setting—to understand the meaning behind the Christian message and to spark questions about faith in a way that classroom learning rarely allows.

The Children Were Excited and Engaged

From the moment they stepped inside, the children were wide-eyed and full of curiosity. Counties Evangelist Paul Willmott—who regularly visits local schools including Hawbush to share the Christian faith—was there to welcome them. Alongside church members Jan and Natalie, Paul introduced the pupils to the church space and talked about the different activities ACC offers, from children’s groups to community events.

Soon, the pupils joined in a joyful rendition of Shine Jesus Shine. What followed was a playful but powerful presentation from Paul, featuring the much-loved Dudley the Duck and a story centred around a chocolate Easter egg.

The tone then shifted to something more reflective: the Easter story retold through the eyes of Mary Magdalene as she encounters the risen Jesus. For many of the children, this was a new and moving perspective—emotive, personal, and deeply human.

“The children were attentive and responsive throughout,” Jan shared. “Paul had previously shared parts of the Easter message in their school assemblies—it was encouraging to see how much they’d remembered.”

Natalie agreed: “The children were excited and engaged. It was clear this visit meant something to them, and it built on what they had already started thinking about back at school.”

Paul added: “It’s been a long time since classes from Hawbush Primary visited ACC. I’m thrilled they were so focused and receptive to everything we shared.”

The afternoon concluded with another Easter song—this one proclaiming Jesus’ love, death, and resurrection.

An Interested and Open Generation

This simple visit reflects something we’re seeing more and more: a generation of children and young people open to spiritual conversations. While headlines often focus on church decline, research shows Gen Z are surprisingly interested in religion, spirituality, and deeper meaning.

As Christians, we have the privilege of meeting that curiosity with kindness, creativity and clarity.

Across the UK, Counties Evangelists are finding new opportunities to introduce the next generation to the good news of Jesus.

This visit to ACC may have only lasted an afternoon, but seeds were sown. And we pray they will grow.

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