I know mathematically most years are exactly the same length, but this one has been loooong and I’m more than ready for a break. Baptist World Congress was meant to be the big event of the year, but I’ve also had a daughter in Year 12, parents moving into aged care, their house to organise for sale, the Crossover website under cyber attack – all while at church we’ve run four Alpha courses and preached our way through John. But some of you will read this and say ‘That’s nothing!’ (Monty Python fans: ‘Loooxury!’) We Aussie Baptists are pretty active.
We should rest more. Cathy and I have been much more disciplined about practicing a Sabbath each week and I can’t recommend that highly enough. For many churches and ministry leaders, the only decent break we get is during The Great Australian Sabbatical – Dec 26 to Jan 26. It’s much needed. Hear me say that we should rest more.
And yet, when?
In these times of Quiet Revival, a grass roots phenomenon across Australia where unchurched and de-churched people are turning up to church services in remarkable numbers – in these times, the New Year could be very significant.
Every single such newcomer I’ve spoken to has mentioned a season of ‘building up the courage’ before coming to church. They have the intention, and are waiting for a moment. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’m guessing that there may be a heap of Aussies turning over a new leaf in the new year and checking out church in January.
Will we be ready for them? Or will the Gone Fishing sign be up? (Mine would say, ‘Gone to the Cricket’). Except I’m nagged by Proverbs 10:5: A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace. I think of farming families who work their guts out when the time is ripe, to maximise the harvest.
So what to make of this? At Crossover, we’re here to help, not to nag. So we’ve partnered with Olive Tree Media to help you hit the new year running without a whole lot of admin and preparation.
Encounter Easter is a series you can run for 10 weeks leading right up and into Easter (or a six-week version, or just the Easter bits). It’s A-grade quality but easy to set up. The series looks at ten people who encountered Jesus across the gospels, alongside inspiring interviews with present-day people who have also encountered Jesus.
The ten videos are amazing for small groups or individuals to watch between Sundays, for which there’s a preaching guide. Or small churches might want to show the episodes in their main gathering. And we’re shouting the first 50 churches to sign up 50% off for as long as you want to subscribe to Olive Tree’s Watch+ platform.
So be a very wise youth! Get some beauty sleep – but get into the harvest too to make hay while the sun shines.
*Andrew Turner is Director of Crossover for Australian Baptist Ministries.
Photo by James Baltz on Unsplash
