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Spring Harvest: five days of inspiration, interpretation, revelation, relaxation and rejuvenation. Er, well maybe we should leave out the relaxation part: you’ll get none of it. One handy tip for all those considering going next year: sleep before you go; once there, you’ll be a relative stranger to your bed.
So what it all about? Spring Harvest was started by Clive Calver — head of the Evangelical Alliance — 15 years ago, as an Evangelical (and they do insist on using this word when normally you’d use ‘Christian’) holiday and time of refreshing (in its original pre-Toronto sense). Since then, Butlins has enjoyed the trade of thousands of vacational Christians (as opposed to vocational Christians) at its sites in Pwellhi (that unpronounceable place in Wales), Ayr (that far shore in Scotland), Skegness (known ‘affectionately’ as Skeggy) and Minehead (almost famous for its cream teas). No trouble to guess where we went. The boundlessly energetic and enthusiastic leadership teams valiantly survive for three weeks in cold chalets in tacky surroundings to bring Spring Harvest. Or, at least, that’s what they say in the brochures.
So what’s the average day like? It begins horrendously early at around 8 o’clock — and we don’t mean p.m. After breaking your fast of too few hours with a choice slice of toast and strategically strong cup of tea or coffee, it’s off to the Main Seminar. These provide the main teaching of the week and come complete with copious, well-researched Seminar Notes that you don’t even begin to consider reading until the whole holiday is over. The hoard of ‘Spring Harvesters’ are split into roughly ten groups for this, each covering the same material, but in differing styles: stuffy academics searching out The Times; multi-media boffins, GMTV; and others seeking the remaining styles — The Mirror attracting many of our group of ten current lecture dodgers and ex-Yorkies.
After an hour and a half of this daily exploration of the character of God — the theme of the week being “take off your shoes — an encounter with the only true God” — and a short pause for breath which counted as coffee, it was on to a choice of celebrations (youth-oriented; traditional bouncy, charismatic; or more contemplative) or an Encounter Bible Study. This latter, less popular choice, was a revelation: time to let the brain in on the act, ably guided by an expert commentary. Both the techniques learned, and the passages they allowed us to explore at a greater depth than usual, will stay with us for a long time.
A relatively relaxed lunch was followed by a pick-and-mix afternoon. Specialist seminars on topics ranging from politics and family life to how to deal with the ‘Toronto Blessing’, competed with theatrical presentations and the lure of the free swimming pools, funfair and clotted-cream teas in sun-drenched tea-room gardens. Then it was back to the chalet to battle with cookers much like our ‘beloved’ Baby Bellings (how nice of them to go to such trouble to make us feel at home) and the logistics of catering for ten, as a prelude to an evening stuffed to the brim with enticement. Firstly, another celebration. The leadership team, sensitive to the ongoing controversy surrounding the manifestations of the Spirit associated with the ‘Toronto Blessing’, attempted to segregate these into ‘safe’ celebrations and ‘anything goes’ Spirit-led experiences. This was not entirely successful with the classic Toronto manifestations of laughing, crying, and falling breaking out at all venues. The Holy Spirit, it seems, is beyond our restrictions and, with hindsight, this should have been obvious at the start.
The evening concluded, after late-night swims and visits to the extensive exhibition area (a combination of bookshops, music outlets and stands detailing the myriad of opportunities open to today’s concerned Christian), with a variety of entertainment. Gospel Soul groups rubbed shoulders with the likes of Adrian Plass, the Saltmine Theatre Company, Phil and John, and the up-and-coming Iain Archer whose acoustic set combined flawless, evocative vocals and staggering guitar virtuosity with an understated simmering comedy routine to link very personal and heartfelt songs in an atmosphere much akin to being invited around to his house because “I’ve just written this little song and I reckon it’s not bad.”
Back to the chalets to catch up on everyone else’s day and to discuss our own personal highlights that others were crazy to have missed, and sleep was a welcome, if brief, companion. Spread this lifestyle over five days and you have some physically tired but spiritually refreshed people ready to take some of the excitement back into their daily lives. Everyone’s experience, of course, was different, much as everyone’s experience of God is different. What was common to all was a greater sense of God’s presence; a greater sense of the excitement of being a Christian; and a greater realisation of the rewards of putting aside time for God, no longer just a duty, but a joy. Even the tackiness of the surroundings seemed to heighten this sense of the transforming closeness of God.
It’s about a month on now but our group, many of whom had never met before, are still in touch with each other and the One who we all went to Spring Harvest to meet with. Bonds were made, strengthened, and deepened. We are all changed people, in one way or another. And we still haven’t started reading those Seminar Notes yet! Maybe they’ll be finished before Spring Harvest ’96.
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Last modified: 25th November 2005