The Journey Begins

A ministry for such a time as this

THE JOURNEY to a global missions magazine aimed at motivating more laborers for the greatest battle for souls in history, begins with this pilot, or prototype.

The purpose is souls, the priority is showing the need, and the program is stories that thrill the soul.

We’re in the most populous era ever, the number rising to 11 billion within a generation. And the richest time, with the largest transfer of wealth—$100 trillion—being passed to the rising generations.

But in a crowded and comfortable world, are we as Christians on a war footing? Will the laborers always be “few?”

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:17-18)

We often ask, “Where are the laborers?” But the real question is, “What will get them on to the field?”

We believe that the Harvest ministry, sent out under the doctrinal authority of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Sydney, Australia, can play a part in answering this question.

Our prayer is that you consider us for support, to help us build the full magazine. Once harvest is fully up and running, it will be self-sustaining.

What sort of ministry are we? Biblically, we are a ministry of exhortation, using our spiritual gift of exhortation, via story-telling. On the ”team” page, you will meet those the Lord has called to help make the harvest visible in a new and compelling way.

Does storytelling work? As we interviewed missionaries for this pilot, many told us of a story read in a Baptist newspaper, or read in a missionary book, or heard at a missions conference, that galvanized them to action.

At heart, our editorial team members are storytellers. One writes books about missionaries who labor today in the Lord’s harvest fields, and others have helped put together missions magazines, as well as mainstream media publications, and corporate magazines.

An age of wisdom, and foolishness

The size and scale of the battle between good and evil may appear daunting. Perceptions may differ. We hear of hardship and heartbreak, but see only glimpses of goodness. But harvest magazine will show the victorious reality of God’s work, as we “publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works”. (Psalm 26:7)

Is this the end of times, or the start of a new era of opportunity—the greatest harvest of souls in history?

In the words of Charles Dickens, on another moment of chaos in Europe: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way…” (A Tale of Two Cities)

The more things change, the more they stay the same, because the heart of man is the same. For Christians, this is the spring of hope.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalms 46:9-10)

As the stories in harvest magazine enlighten and convict, our over-arching editorial strategy is to highlight the hope, that readers may see the joy of serving Jesus, and taste that “meat to eat that ye know not of”. (John 4:32)

We have been warned about these times:

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)

Thankfully, lukewarmness is a transient state: the water either grows cold, or comes back to the boil with the flick of a switch. The choice is ours.