In the early 1900s, God ignited powerful revivals in the beautiful nation of Wales – and now He’s on the move again . According to The Quiet Revival, a survey commissioned by the Bible Society, church attendance in the UK has risen by 50% over the last six years!
This growing momentum was clearly evident at a recent Harvesters Kick Off event in Llandrindod Wells, where Festival Church members gathered expectantly, ready to reap the spiritual harvest God has prepared.
But First: The Gospel
The Quiet Revival also revealed that “adults in England and Wales are unlikely to encounter the Bible in everyday life.” This places a great responsibility on the shoulders of Christians to take the Gospel to the unsaved. But first, they must fully understand it themselves.
Before the Kick Off, Pastor Erold of Festival Church expressed concern that many Christians don’t have a clear grasp of salvation. “Many people want to share their faith,” he said, “but they don’t always have the confidence of knowing how.”
Adam, another attendee, echoed the need to “get back to the simplicity of the Gospel.” The basic facts that we have all sinned and fall short of the Glory of God and that we need to acknowledge sin in our lives and repent is “what we need to convey to people.
Get the Gospel Story Straight
This is exactly what Harvesters tries to address through our training – giving believers the confidence and tools to share the Gospel and motivating them to trust the Spirit to work through them. “Within our team we were equipped,” affirms Pastor Elrod.
Marian, who leads a small group, said she was especially impacted by a practical exercise in which participants shared their personal testimonies, while clearly presenting the Gospel, in just a few minutes. “I was thrilled about how easy it was to tell my story but still get the Gospel in,” she said.
For many attendees it was the first time in years that they had practised sharing the Gospel with someone. This experience prepared them to take the message beyond the church walls. The Spirit is awakening the Body of Christ in Mid-Wales to share the beautiful Gospel of Jesus with the lost!
Discipleship Follows Evangelism
Evangelism is only the beginning! “Once people are saved… many times we celebrate… yes, the person got saved, and that’s it, we stop there,” says Pastor Elrod. “But what is the process after salvation?”
Following the Kick Off, Festival Church now has the tools to begin the next step: the discipleship journey. They are looking forward to implementing the 15 Spiritual Disciplines – a programme developed by Harvesters founder, Steven Loots – to help believers grow in their faith.
“Not many people have the resources or the time available,” said Pastor Elrod, “but Harvesters comes alongside. They equip us to make disciples that make disciples as we go along.”
With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, Pastor Elrod, Marian, Adam and others are now part of the movement that will cement the outflow from the Quiet Revival into lasting transformation in Llandrindod Wells – and the entire nation of Wales.
