NewDay Joel Virgo, leader of the Newday team, answers some questions about the event.

Uttoxeter Racecourse, Derby - 2nd to 8th August 2008

What is Newday?
Newday is a major youth event that takes place in the heart of the nation, with thousands of young people gathering over about 6 days.

Over the last 2 years it has grown significantly. It’s really exciting to be a part of it.

Who is it for?
Newday is primarily aimed at young people between the ages of 12 and 19 but many people from different age groups come to serve and help out in practical ways. We have a children’s work to support families who come to serve so the event is kind of for everyone, but primarily it’s for the teenagers.

Why should people go?
There are all sorts of reasons why people should go. Firstly you’re going to have a lot of fun, it’s a total riot! Everyone who comes enjoys it. You get to know new people and build really strong friendships, genuine friendships that are going to last for years and really make a difference in your life. But I suppose if I’m honest, at the end of the day, I want people to come to Newday because I want people to meet with God; the real God, the one who’s revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. That’s the story for thousands of people who have come to Newday so far. They come, some of them not Christians, some of them don’t even believe in God, but by the end of the week they know he’s real and usually they want to get to know him more. That’s why people should come to Newday.

Is Newday bigger than the summer event?
Yeah, Newday is definitely bigger than the summer event. Obviously it’s based around what happens in the summer but throughout the year we are looking at keeping in contact with young people. We are constantly working on and updating our website. We’re trying to get communication out through things like the magazine we are publishing. We want young people to feel a part of Newday throughout the year. There are also other events to do with Newday that different churches are involved with throughout the calendar year. I work with a team of people who are based at churches around the country, who all feel very much a part of the same vision. So it’s more than just a summer event, it’s a long term thing.

What is a typical day at Newday?
Well people get up in the morning… usually and hang out with their friends in their tent or, if they are very wealthy, their caravan. Then they put on some clothes… normally and brush their teeth after they’ve had some breakfast. Then they go off to meetings. We have morning meetings which are times of worship and celebration and teaching from the bible. They are always amazing! We have friends of ours who preach and come from all over the world. This year we’ve got friends coming from right down in southern Africa to lead us in worship and to preach, so some exciting things go on in our meetings. After lunch people are free just to hang out. There’s sport and all kinds of activities taking place on the campsite or people can just hang out with their friends, it’s totally up to them. In the afternoon hundreds of young people get on coaches and go off into the city to do social action projects. Evangelism is always a highlight of Newday! In the afternoons people come back to have tea and then in the evenings we have meetings similar to the morning but we have all the age groups together and it’s just a time of celebration. We worship God, we hear from the Bible, we pray and we ask the Holy Spirit to come and people really meet with God. It’s always a superb occasion. After the meeting there are gigs happening, people hanging out with friends and eating food, all kinds of stuff taking place before eventually people go to bed… usually.