To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…A time to plant and a time to harvest. Eccl. 3:1,2
2020 has seen a variety of “seasons”. After the eventful 2019 harvest unlike any other in Victoria, this year promised more of the same.
Then the fires hit. The pandemic halted the world and restrictions have been our way of life since.
But even in this season, it’s fair to ask, “What is heaven’s purpose? What is God doing in this ‘planting’ time, or is He just giving the fields a ‘rest’?”
Let’s reflect on this reality. Last year the Lord of the Harvest blessed us with just over 350 new believers. In the first quarter of 2020 He added another 91 new believers (a record high for 1st quarter additions to our faith).
Was this all because of Revelation Today? No, the Holy Spirit utilized that event to bring over 70 people through baptism, and more are preparing for that sacred joy! So where did all the others come from?
Maybe it is because God has been teaching us more about discipleship – remember “Come to Him and go with Him”? What we’ve seen is the followers of Christ more closely following Christ by preparing people to receive Him, sowing the gospel seed more freely, cultivating the budding plant more diligently and reaping a fruitful harvest. This has been a time to harvest.
Then COVID hit! Now it’s more of a time to plant. God has not been surprised or deterred. He continues to do what is in His nature to do – love people to His kingdom. Even with the restrictions and difficulties, God has blessed with over 50 precious people joining our church since April. Most of us, however, have known little of this as our attentions have understandably pivoted to more internal matters of church life – how is everyone coping with the lockdown, how can we distribute essentials to people in need, who is missing at church, and virtual outreach endeavours.
While we’ve all struggled with the changes, many have endeavoured to blaze new trails.
West Community Care Facebook – Sashka Tikulin (a Bible Worker and trainer for Harvest Victoria) began a Facebook page to support people in lockdown areas. This has spawned four other such sites around Melbourne and is likely to take root in regional Victoria.
WorldView Facebook – Soon after restrictions started, Steven Wong (another Bible Worker and Trainer) also dived into social media with his Worldview FB page, seeking to reach secular minds with in-depth work in the field of Christian apologetics.
Mental Health – Harvest Victoria and our health department joint funded the training of 20 new facilitators for the Nedley Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program. In anticipation of increasing need in the coming months, there will be more training opportunities ahead for this vital program. There is also a budding team of passionate health professionals hearing the call to begin a residential program to help people with both chronic and mental illness here in Victoria. Please pray for this team.
Hope Online – You have already heard about this three-tiered program, but did you know that hundreds of Victorians and thousands of Aussies nationwide tuned in. This series also saw over 40 church members from Victoria trained in digital follow-up.
Literature Ministry Summit – Scores of passionate book distributors, both professional and lay member, gathered online for encouragement. We learnt that the literature work started with church members sharing literature with a friend or colleague. This vital ministry returned to local Conference leadership in 2019 and has grown in its outreach endeavours involving more members, with thousands of books, the Glowtracts sharing resources and the newly published Live More Happy material being delivered. This month will see thousands of the book, The Advent, and more Glowtracts heading to Victorian homes – each one a seed planted!
Church Planting – Under the leadership of Pr. Roy Kim, church planting is finding new opportunities even during restrictions.
So what can we expect for next year? Let’s review the basics:
- Jesus commissioned us to make disciples
- Harvest Victoria is about discipleship – coming to Jesus and going with Him into the harvest field.
- Discipleship is only experienced in relationship to Jesus, one another and the people in our communities.
- In reaching out to people in our community we endeavour to:
- Prepare the soil of their heart by genuinely befriending them.
- Sow the gospel seed by introducing them to our best friend Jesus.
- Cultivate the budding growth of new life by studying the vitalizing truths of God’s word.
- Harvest the matured plants and love them to the body of Christ.
Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:37,38
We want to help you realize this vision of Jesus – an army of laborers in His harvest. Come to him every day by abiding in Him and He in you. Then go with Him and see where He is at work. When you see Him working, join Him.
Here is a challenge to every Adventist in Victoria. For 2021, model authentic discipleship by reaching out to two people to lead them to Christ (don’t know how? We can help with that). And to everyone in a position of leadership, to our pastors, teachers, chaplains, Bible workers, Elders, ministry leaders…multiply your influence by mentoring two members in your role to become disciple makers themselves.
This is a heavenly purpose whose time is come!
Andrew Jasper