They came from different churches across the New Forest. But over coffee that morning, they discovered they shared the same dream. 

To reach young people with the good news.

To build something that would outlast them.

To stop watching a generation drift by and feel powerless to respond. 

That moment sums up why PULSE exists. 

The Weight and the Hope Churches Carry: 

Across the New Forest, in market towns, coastal villages and rural parishes, churches are carrying something remarkable: a longing that refuses to fade. 

They want young people to belong. They want the next generation to encounter faith, to feel known, to have somewhere to turn. 

Yet between that longing and a reality of limited resources, and a rapidly changing world, many have lost confidence in their ability to make it happen. PULSE exists to restore that confidence.  

IT STARTS AROUND A TABLE: 

A PULSE Gathering doesn’t feel like a strategy meeting. It feels like a conversation. Leaders, youth workers and community pioneers gather, coffee in hand, and begin to dream out loud, about schools work, detached youth ministry, and what a genuine movement for the next generation could look like. 

Those conversations don’t stay as ideas. With some planning, they open doors to headteachers, local councillors, and the people shaping the spaces where young people are. The young people churches long to reach are in classrooms and on street corners. Many are navigating loneliness, anxiety and pressure that often goes unseen. 

PULSE helps churches recognise they can serve these unchurched young people, and that they don’t have to do it alone. 

WHAT A PULSE CONSULTATION LOOKS LIKE: 

A PULSE consultation begins with questions, not answers. 

What’s the story here? 

Who are the young people in this community? 

What’s already working, even quietly? 

What feels out of reach? 

Together, we identify realistic opportunities and the support needed to pursue them. This can be a combination of resources, local partnerships and encouragement. Above all, it’s never a one-off conversation, it’s the start of a relationship. 

FROM DREAM TO REALITY: 

And as those relationships deepen, they start to shape real change, just as they have in the New Forest. These local churches have worked with Youth for Christ over several months, building something, bringing the right people together, engaging with schools and local leaders, and asking honest questions about young people’s wellbeing and isolation. 

And this summer, a Youth for Christ worker will be based in the New Forest. Not as a distant hope, but as a reality, made possible by churches willing to dream, and supported by PULSE to take the next step. This is what is possible.  Immeasurably more than anyone imagined and it’s only the beginning. 

COULD THIS BE FOR YOUR CHURCH? 

If you’re leading a church and wondering where to begin or whether what you’re doing is enough, a PULSE consultation could help you see what’s possible. 

You can also play a part by sharing this article with churches and leaders you know. 

Like the New Forest, the young people in your area have a future worth investing in. And your local Church is more ready than it may realise. 

To arrange a PULSE consultation, or ask a question, get in touch here.