Encountering the gospel or just a lot of noise?

Easter for many of us who class themselves as Christians means a long weekend and an opportunity to engage and reflect on the significance of the sacrifice on the Cross and the power God has over death with the resurrection of Christ which we celebrate on Easter Sunday.

But for some, its also a time of loud music, crowds and a weekend away at Australia's largest Christian festival Easterfest - a festival about Easter at Easter. Or is it?

How well does the message of Easter, break through all the music and hype of the festival and why go at all?

I asked some of the young people from Emmanuel UCA (From the Brisbane Suburb of Enoggera) how they encountered the Easter message at Easterfest.

Members of Emannuel Uniting Church

· Dominic 22 – I really enjoyed Chris Poulsen playing old hymns in one of the churches. It was amazing to have the space to meditate and reflect. Also hearing about all the great work that (Destiny’s Rescue) have been doing in saving lives and rescuing people from sex slavery.

· Mikala 17 – It’s the spirit of everyone coming together. Everyone is here to share this amazing time of year in the Christian calendar. The bands the friends everything...it’s the perfect atmosphere

· Rachel 17 – I really really enjoy hearing worship songs or songs in general. Thousands of people’s voices joining as one. It feels so great to know that there are so many others who believe the same as I do, its really comforting.



What about the leaders? Why do they keep bringing groups back? 3 leaders from within the Uniting Church shared with me their thoughts and reflections.

Rev Harlee Cooper - Associate Minister Emmanuel UCA

Its a dilemma to take the young people away from the church community at what I consider as the highest point in the church calendar. But the kids love it. They come and have a good time and bond and grow in their relationships with one another. They see people they look up to and respect that are proud of their faith and allowing that to do things in their lives.

Rev Josie Nottle - Bremer Brisbane Presbytery youth resource minister.

We had about 80 in our group from Bremer Brisbane (and a few ring ins).

 Most are youth grouped but not necessarily churched, but they love it and its something about the community and the vibe they love. I wasn’t going to do Easterfest this year, but by popular demand I gave in and organized a group. I was reluctant because Easterfest doesn’t really disciple the young people but then as I became open to the idea again I realised that we can disciple them throughout Easterfest if we are intentional. So that’s what I tried to do.

My personal highlight was Jesus Christ Superstar music at the Lutheran church on Sunday afternoon. It was incredible and very very moving.

Some of the UCA campers from 2012

I try to be intentional about how we promote the Easter story, we had daily community time where we walked through the story of Easter which culminated in communion on Sunday. I noticed as we were singing in our tent area people from other groups would come and join us and wanted to sing praise and worship songs with us. It was really beautiful.

There is no doubt that the members of the group wanted to be there too, I made community time optional, but they were all there always, it was quiet special actually.

Phil Smith, Chaplain Unity College Caloundra

(My wife) Kayleen and I have been at the festival since the very first Australian Gospel Music Festival, and we have been engaged as music-lovers, parents, volunteer chaplains, managing the media unit, and now as part of campus ministry at Unity College.

I’m not sure whether Easterfest has evolved or bee shaped, but it has become something of an expo for Christians in recent years. It’s very welcoming and easy to slip into if you speak the language and have grown up in church culture, or if you bring a youth group or church crew with you.
 

Lifeworks Uniting Church on Easter Sunday

It may be worthwhile for the organisers to consider how it functions as outreach.How does it feel for people only beginning to ask about Jesus, or even the idea of ‘god’.

For the second year, four leaders brought a dozen senior high school students – nearly all of them not engaged with a local church.

Last year the highlights of faith formation came with the message preached at the Sunday night open-air service, and walking the stations of the cross around the city. (No, I didn’t see that coming!!!)

Sarah Katherine-King speaks to performer Mitch Barrington

This year it was Easter morning worship at Lifeworks Uniting with Tim Grigg’s folks, and a miraculous encounter with an evangelist from the Sunshine Coast. Sarah Katherine-King has been in a wheel chair most of her 25 years, a pump in her head as result of spina bifida... And she only ever speaks of her worth to Father God and God’s faithfulness!

Our young women heard her story sitting in a circle on the ground and were deeply touched. Dr. Justine Toh’s forum on body image was also powerful.

Sunday Church and around the breakfast table were the times when ‘the Easter story’ were told from the gospel, but I think it was obvious Jesus is alive in the spirit of the event and the lives of thousands of people.

Downers: another youth leader I met was hunting everywhere for a new bible to give to someone who had just come to faith – there was none! We eventually scored a New Testament through Tim’s church and gave that. (No, not an app... This kid wanted to hold that book in his hands.)

I don’t know what keeps me going back. It’s not the music any more. It’s the hope that this type of immersion will touch our students’ spirits beyond an intellectual or emotional experience. I hope to be an interpreter when that’s required, and the Holy Spirit seems to go ahead each year and arrange some ‘chance’ encounters that speak to at least some of our crew.

.... And I enjoy driving the bus.

Cheech Smith

Music Festival takes over regional city

Every year, the Darling Downs city of Toowoomba swells as thousands of people converge for Australia's largest Christian music festival Easterfest. An independent study done by QUT after last year's festival showed the festival injects around 12 million dollars into the local community every year. This was enough evidence for the QLD government to this year give Easterfest funding through the significant regional events funding program, ensuring major event status for the festival over the next 3 years.

Joel Parisien &  Dave Watson "NewWorldSon"

Headline artists like Peter Furler, Paul Colman, New World Son and AudioAdrenaline rocked crowds on Main Stage each night, despite a wet muddy experience Sunday night after heavy rain in the afternoon. Away from the main stage, 4 Queens Park stages and multiple venues across Toowoomba City saw smaller independent artists and a variety of popular Contemporary Christian Music performers entertain nearly continuously over the 3 days.

Brisbane Jazz band SCAT

In an effort to keep things fresh, organisers also introduced a continuous worship venue over the entire weekend in the former church adjacent to the Empire Theatre, a Jazz Supper Club on Saturday night in The Palace featuring Sharny Russell, perennial favourites SCAT, and Trumpet Maestro James Morrison accompanied by vocalist Emma Pask; a Rockwiz style comedy quiz show on Sunday afternoon with comedian/radio host Luke Holt, former Alabaster Box lead Singer Naarah Seagrot and Brisbane singer Bec Laughton amongst the talent. 

Trumpet Maestro James Morrison

There was also a variety of low key Gospel in the City events in CBD churches culminating in a special 90 minute performance by James Morrison, Emma Pask and band on Sunday afternoon at the Empire theatre. Other things new this year was the variety of stages able to be streamed live on the internet on Easterfest TV and a simulcast of the main stage on Sunday night across the country on Christian radio network Vision Radio and some affiliate stations.

Festival Director Dave Schenk paid tribute to his entire team in making the event come alive and commented that the wet weather did have an impact on final numbers for the festival. “Numbers were down on Sunday, but the other days had similar numbers to last year" he said. Mr Schenk also recognised that the combination of wet weather and thousands people had caused significant damage to the grounds at Queens Park which Easterfest will be paying Toowoomba Regional Council to fix.