Has anyone ever gone to Spring Harvest?

[minitigs]

An Evangelical festival held at Butlins’ across the country.

Through my husband, it’s something I’ve heard a lot about over the years. He grew up in a Christian household (his mum in particular) and went to Spring Harvest many times as a child and young adult.

Now; despite being christened, going to a C of E primary, and attending Sunday school as a child. My parents are not religious. My dad in particular is very anti religion, and has made some horrible comments about my husband and his family over the years (thankfully I have minimal contact with him). Over the years, I’ve been conflicted with my belief, but always thought myself a Christian.
But, when I met my MIL, she told my husband I wasn’t a Christian. Wouldn’t let me sleep over at their house, and didn’t want us to move in together before marriage. I’ve struggled over the years with their more evangelical beliefs, whereas mine are a bit more your Protestant/CofE/traditional. Whenever I’ve gone to services of any kind at their Baptist church, I haven’t enjoyed them.

This year, we have been invited along to Spring Harvest… I would love to hear if anyone has any experience of going. The good, the bad; anything!
I’m really unsure about what I’m going to get from it. Other than it probably cementing my own beliefs.

Really interested to hear others experiences

This is exactly it.

Yes she will forever want me to convert to her way. I know. But I just can't.

I think I really need to try and make an effort to find a church/community that I feel comfortable with, and get involved with them.

We got married in a very old Anglican Church, I loved going to the services there.

Sadly we don't live so close by, otherwise I'd have stayed connected to there.

Yes. He is, but not quite the extent of his mother. His father 'wasn't a Christian' when he met my MIL, so had to 'convert'.

I have far more respect for my FIL- he's so laid back, he's practically sideways. So I know for him, it was no big deal. He's been a 'Christian' for a long time, but he doesn't make it his whole personality like my MIL.

It has caused problems between me and my husband. My husband talks very fondly of his trips to Spring Harvest. Though that's mostly of the 5 a side football tournaments, he and his brother would always enter....

Out of love for him, I do want to say we experienced it as a family.
I reluctantly go along to these things, because I don't want to hurt his feelings. As I've said; he gets very defensive.

My feelings exactly!!

Spring H is far more fun than you're expecting I think. No it's not all services. There are talks and seminars on a vast range of topics, also gigs and activities. The families I know who have taken kids have all had a good time. Everyone goes off to different meetings or activities or to the pool or whatever all the time. You really just pick and choose from a large menu.

There are probably more Anglicans there than anything else.

It's unlikely to be anything like their baptist services.

One of my friends loves it. I would hate it.

Why don't you just go and use your own mind to form your own opinion about Spring Harvest? Go with your husband and an open mind: you will either have fun and love it, or you will know for certain that it's not for you.

On the subject of Christian faith, It matters not what labels we put upon ourselves, or any labels put upon us by others for us, or for themselves. God knows the Christians who love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Mark 12:30. Christians know each other using the gift and discernment of the Holy Spirit - this also helps us to recognise the wolves in sheep's clothing, false teachers/teachings, etc.

Not been in years but they used to have volunteers specifically tasked with talking to people in the cafes and bars, to try and bring them in…

Would it work if you and your family went to - or at least talked about going to - Greenbelt instead? It is a loosely Christian festival and does have worship elements but the focus is more on topics such as racial justice, climate, creativity, ecumenism, arts, music, comedy and food and drinks.

I went as a volunteer last year and will be volunteering again this year. It sounds like it could be fun for a family of mixed Christian denominations and backgrounds and could also possibly be a good place for you to meet people in similar situations to you, if you are interested in that of itself.

More broadly I don’t think you ought to feel obliged to find a church and community more aligned to your perspective just to shut your MIL up, I think you should do this if you want to for yourself in your life at this time. Your MIL ought to back off IMO.

I don’t think I would want to go to Spring Harvest and if I did I think I would have to steel myself - although I do know others who have been.

I went as a child - I still remember the indoctrination. I wish my parents hadn't taken me.

Hello,
We go to a C of E church and have been to Spring Harvest many times with our kids at Skegness.
For your daughter there will be a morning and evening session as I’m sure she will enjoy these - games, singing, drama, crafts etc. There is also “The Big Start” which is for all ages so you could go with her to this before she goes to her main group.
For adults there is a programme which you can do as much or as little as you like. At 10 there is the main Bible reading talk which usually starts with a song or hymn. The speakers we always excellent. After this and in the afternoon there are a choice of seminars - I’ve been to some excellent ones in the past and they are varied topics e.g. raising children, aged parents, stress, worship.
in the evening there are usually 2 options for adults. The biggest one will be in Studio 36, so you may prefer the one in a smaller venue.
There is lots of free time to enjoy the pool, beach, fairground, coffee shops etc.
Have a great time and come back and tell us what you though.

Doesn't sound like it's changed at all from when I went in the 90s as a teen/early 20-something.

It represents a very limited spectrum of Christian thought. I liked it back then, but nowadays I'd rather poke my own eyes out than go to something like that.

@AppleKatie people judge people all the time. It's human nature. God gives disciples of Christ Jesus the spirit of discernment to weed out the false teachers and preachers. He gives us the ability to use a questioning lens to assess those who would claim the label 'christian' because, as we know, there are wolves in sheep's clothing and we need to be aware/beware. However, to say somebody is not Christian enough is a false premise. It is wrong. We are either a Christian or we are not. Christians are imperfect, every single one of us.

She can literally relate anything back to Jesus ...

Well, yes, if she is living her life for Christ, of course she will. Are you judging her for that? Saying she is wrong?

... and even had a patient who was an Evangelical ...

Ouch!! During a stay in hospital, I shared my faith with those who were looking after me. Being a Christian is who I am and so will impact on everything, even my care. I was very blessed indeed to find a significant number of medics who were part of my Christian family and we were able to 'share a moment'.

Thinking of the gentle souls who care for me it raises some gentle reflection - was there a need to tell him 'abruptly' that you will be going to Heaven? Do you think you missed an opportunity to be reassuring to your patient and share that you too have Christian beliefs, if indeed you do? Had you finished his care before you ended the appointment 'right there'? Could it be that you were letting unconscious bias 'colour' your attitude to him?

This language is dangerous and sets my irony alert off I’m afraid.

There’s quite a sizeable difference between discerning who is a false preacher and labelling your dil not a Christian because she favours a different denomination.

Don’t go. Evangelical Christianity is a cult. I grew up going to SH and was brain washed by this style of Christianity. Stay away!!!!!!

I grew up with fairly conservative C of E parents who thought you should never talk about politics and religion. Then when I was a teen I started going to a Baptist Church because my friends went there and there were some good looking older boys in the youth group
The Baptists were pretty judgy about anyone who wasn't Baptist - C of E, Catholic, etc were "not proper Christians "
I went to Spring Harvest a few times in my early 20s. I did enjoy parts of it but even the preachers made jokes/were judgy about Anglicans or "the chosen but frozen" ie those who didn't lift their hands in worship. Virtually every talk (there were loads) made me feel guilty that somehow I wasn't good enough.
I've been to other denominations since then but now I'm not sure if I believe at all.

Well, how was Spring Harvest?

@AppleKatie Very true!!What @Thegreatestoftheseislove writes is a concept used by Evangelical "fundamentalists" to justify judging others and withholding the title "Christian" to those that don't believe the exact bits of the faith that the Fundamentalists declare fundamental. That they are "chosen" by God from before time to get to spend eternint in Heaven, but others are not chosen and are totally depraved by nature to reject and not want a relationship with God.After being roped into "Christianity Explained" session on the basis that it was for Christians to discuss and find out about other Christian beliefs (it really was about Fundamentalists trying to convet Christians to be Fundamentalists), I am very weary of the definitions that the various denominations use. Biblical terms like "evangelical" or "elect" are solid Biblical words with definitions understood for 2000 years since Jesus was on earth... but given different meanings over the last few centuries by some of the more Fundamentalists denomination. That is why I am reticent in calling these denominations "Evangelical"... as all christians are called to be Evangelicals.Jesus taught a message of love , wanting us to transform our lives so as to love God and love out neighbour.. not to judge others, exhault yourself or put yourself in place of God.

My mum went. She had a fab time . She's a vicar

So if a patient repeatedly tells her something awful and insulting she's supposed to just smile and take it?

That is not what I said. At all.

It kind of is. You're making it seem like the poster is on the wrong for not just putting up with her patient's awful disrespectful behaviour.

I think your other comments indicate that you know your MIL will never shut up until you convert. And even then, she won’t shut up until you’re as active as she thinks you should be. It’s a never-ending downward spiral.

Do not bother going to this, and to be honest, I wouldn’t allow your daughter to go to this either - the Evangelical messages about femininity and womanhood are harmful to say the least and boy do they start young with the indoctrination that a man should always be in control of you and the “head of the household,” and you should submit to him, first your father, then your husband… Let her spend time with her cousin this summer in a different setting and do not go to a setting that’s going to be absolutely awful for you.

Trust me, there will be seriously nothing redeeming about it for you and you will leave more bitter about organized religion and Christianity than you ever were before. (Even though of course your logical mind knows this is a small portion of Christianity).

It has probably changed now but my DH was dragged to Spring Harvest as a teenager on several occasions. CofE but more on the happy clappy end of it. By the sounds of it the teenagers would sneak off to drink alcohol and get away from their parents which was probably the most reassuringly normal thing he ever told me about it. The rest just sounds like usual church stuff just in stereo.