I grew up attending church with my family. Although this was a privilege, that was not something I realised until much later in life. In fact, at 14, I did not have a faith of my own and wasn’t at all enamoured with church. I remember thinking that if there was a ‘Heaven’ then I’d probably ‘get in’ on my parents’ ticket.

I did, however, enjoy the youth group. So, the chance to go to a summer festival (without my parents!) was something I jumped at. I expected a week of fun socialising, late nights and memories made. It was all these things, but it was also a life-changing few days. It was at this festival that I decided to follow Jesus and my journey of faith began.

The decision at that festival shaped the rest of my life – what I studied, who I married, how we grew our family, the work that I did and do, the priorities with my time and money and much more.

At a different festival 15 years later, God spoke to me about adoption. Four years later I attended another festival with two pre-school children who joined our family that way (and having recently welcomed a teenager into our home through supported lodgings).

Festivals can be places where seeds are sown, grown and begin to come to fruition.

Perhaps you also know stories from festivals; people who have felt a call to ministry, to study or to change their career or life direction in some way? Or those who have been encouraged and refreshed in the call they’re living out during their time at a festival?

Of course, it’s not the only place that these things happen, and the real significance and impact is also in the outworking, but for so many people, festivals include life-changing moments.

Why does this happen? For all sorts of reasons, but perhaps one is that we set aside dedicated time to learn, lean into God and deepen the relationships with those we attend with. That focus creates space to listen, reflect and consider what’s important and what comes next in the short and longer term.

At Home for Good our vision is to find a home for every child who needs one and we believe the Church across the UK has the potential to make a transformational difference to the thousands of children waiting for a place of safety, welcome and security.

This summer we’re delighted to be at festivals all around the UK to share this vision because we believe everyone has a part to play.

As people are encouraged, inspired and stirred to action to consider growing their family through fostering, adoption or supported lodgings we will be there to journey onward with them, whatever their next steps are. For those for whom this isn’t yet the right time or whose part to play is different, we will be there to dream with them. Please do come and find us for chat – we'd love to see you.

“My husband and I attended a Christian festival, and that was where we heard of Home for Good for the first time – we were inspired, and began having conversations about what part we might be able to play. We decided to become Home for Good Champions, and began using Home for Good resources in our Church. It’s been incredible to see our church family learn and grow in their understanding of the need for every child to have a safe and loving home, and how that so deeply connects to our faith.

We connected with the Home for Good team who supported us on our journey towards fostering and adoption. We are now parents to four children, three through birth and one through adoption, and we are foster carers, having just moved a little one on from our home to her new adoptive family. Throughout our journey, and now, we have been connected to a Home for Good peer-support group, which has just been invaluable to us.

If we hadn’t been at that festival those years ago, our journey could have looked so different.”

Home for Good enquirer