Spring Harvest is an inter-denominational Christian conference and gathering in the United Kingdom. Its "Main Event" takes place annually at the Butlins resorts in Minehead and Skegness over the Easter school holiday period.
First held in 1979 as a one-week one-site event at Prestatyn, Spring Harvest rapidly evolved and is now held at Butlins resorts in Minehead and Skegness every year.
The format for 2010 changed to five 'event-weeks' each consisting of 6 days (5 nights) – three event-weeks at Minehead and two at Skegness - one week fewer than in 2009. This pattern remained for 2011, with approximately 28,000 people attending over these five event-weeks, including day visitors. Then in 2012 and 2013 whilst the three Minehead weeks were retained there was only one Skegness week. In 2014 three of the four weeks available were reduced by one day.
The tone is generally evangelical with modern worship music, workshops and Bible study groups. The programme offers different streams for age groups such as children, young people, families, adults, etc. The organization also runs a number of events, conferences and courses and produces a range of resources. Spring Harvest exists to 'equip the Church for action'. Through a range of events, conferences, books and resources, Spring Harvest seeks to enable Christians to make an impact in their local communities and the wider world.
Location and attendance
1979: The first Spring Harvest event at Prestatyn, North Wales with 2,701 attending.
1986: For the first time Spring Harvest took place at two locations in the UK: three weeks in Prestatyn, and two weeks in Butlins Minehead.
1987: Spring Harvest met at Skegness for the first time.
1988: At the 10th Spring Harvest, the attendance was over 50,000 mark.
1989: Spring Harvest expanded to three locations, opening up a new Centre at Butlin's Ayr, Scotland.
1994: Over 70,000 Christians attended Spring Harvest at its four locations in Ayr, Minehead, Pwllheli and Skegness.
2008: Spring Harvest Main Event take place over five weeks across the Skegness and Minehead sites, to accommodate the varied times of UK schools' Easter holidays.
Social campaigns and fund raising for causes
1982: At the outbreak of the Falklands War, Spring Harvest sent a telegram to the Prime Minister expressing 'the love and concern felt by Christians for both governments and peoples involved.' £7,800 was collected and sent to the Church in Argentina.
1988: A worship album was launched, with profits going to Christian projects involved in supporting those with HIV/AIDS. It went on to raise over £20,000.
1991: £250,000 was given in voluntary offerings for a wide range of Christian work. £49,000 raised for a 'Greener Burkina' by the youth programme, was used to replant a forest and build a dam to alleviate drought conditions in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
1994 Spring Harvest brought attention to the Yugoslav Wars by sending a film crew to Mostar - a UN designated War Zone.
1999: Spring Harvest raises thousands of pounds to help the victims of brutality in the Kosovo War.
2000: Spring Harvest launches Generation 2000+ at Minehead, the family week, in conjunction with Care for the Family and raises over £1 million for children worldwide through the 'remember me' project.
1993: Spring Harvest Word Alive was launched in-conjunction with the Keswick Convention, Proclamation Trust and UCCF.
1996: Spring Harvest launched an initiative with Focus, and Holy Trinity, Brompton.
1998: Spring Harvest unveils plans to develop its activities, the first new initiative 'At Work Together' a conference for Leaders planned for September 1998. Alongside the developments a new Corporate Identity is also launched.
2003: Spring Harvest Holidays is launched with the holiday site in the Vendée, western France, opening to its first visitors. The first 'Youthwork the conference' takes place in Southport in November 2003.
2007: Spring Harvest Word Alive takes place for the final time following a communication to its partners by Spring Harvest that it was no longer possible to continue the format. Word Alive will be continuing without Spring Harvest under the name New Word Alive.
1993: Spring Harvest became a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.
2009: Spring Harvest and ICC Media Group complete merger to form Memralife Group.
2009: Pilgrim Hall Christian Conference Centre in Sussex becomes latest member of the Memralife Group.
2010: After 20 years as CEO, Alan Johnson retires. Peter Martin appointed acting CEO of Memralife Group, this appointment being made permanent later in the year.
Main event annual themes
Each year’s main event has a teaching theme.
2016 : Gamechangers
2015 : Immeasurably More
2014 : Unbelievable
2013 : The Source - Encountering Jesus Today
2012 : Church Actually - God's Brilliant Idea
2011 : Route 66 - Biblical direction for the road we travel
2010 : Different Eyes - Living distinctively in a time of uncertainty
2009 : Apprentice = Walking the way of Christ
2008 : One Hope
2007 : One People
2006 : One God : (The first event in a series of Three [THE BIG STORY])
2005 : Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land
2004 : Grace Academy : Losing to Win.
2003 : Shepherd's Bush to King's Cross: Your connection to the mission of God.
2002 : You've Got Mail : Jesus writes to His Church - Looking at the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.
2001 : King of the Hill : looking at the Sermon on the Mount.
2000 : A Royal Banquet : The inspiration for the Millennium – Looking at John’s Gospel.
1999 : Past Imperfect Future Tense
1998 : Across the border line
1997 : Solid Rock : The Ten Commandments.
1996 : Beyond Belief
1995 : Take off your shoes
1994 : Dancing in the dark
1993 : Living on the edge
1992 : Meanwhile, back at the cross
1991 : Shaken but not Stirred
1990 : Uncage the Lion
1989 : Deckchairs on the Titanic : What influences the church today.
1988 : Who’s pulling your strings : Looking at the forces and pressures which influence the world.
1987 : Where Truth and Justice Meet
1986 : This is your God
1985 : Lights to the World
1984 : The Servant King
1983 : The Power and the Glory
In Week 2 at Minehead in 2003, Spring Harvest was featured on the BBC programme Songs of Praise. The first 'week' (week 1), still in Minehead, Spring Harvest was featured on both local and national news as a sickness bug spread rapidly around the event.
In Week 3 at Minehead in 2006, the BBC returned to pre-record a Pentecost edition of Songs of Praise, and also to transmit a live Easter morning service from the event.
Spring Harvest has also featured in other media, including BBC radio, and also regularly in Christian media.
Hylson-Smith comments that non-denominational activities such as Spring Harvest did much to encourage pan-evangelicalism which tended to minimise historical differences between denominations and Bebbington sees it as bringing together keen charismatics and non-charismatics at a time when tensions were still high between the two groups.
Game Changers: Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2016
New Songs for the church, 2016
Kids Praise Party Megamix, 2016
Little Kids Praise Party Megamix, 2016
Immeasurably More: Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2015
New Songs for the Church, 2015
Newsongs For Kids: 12 Fresh New Songs For Kids' Worship, 2015
The Big Start Boxset, 2015
Unbelievable: Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2014
New Songs For Unbelievable Worship – Spring Harvest, 2014
Spring Harvest Presents The Big Start 3, 2014
Your Great Grace: 30 Worship Anthems Of Grace, Mercy & Justice, 2014
Kids Praise Party 2, 2014
Bottled At The Source: Live Worship From Spring Harvest, 2013
The Source: 22 New Songs For The Church, 2013
Spring Harvest Presents The Big Start 2, 2013
Live Worship Actually: Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2012
Acoustic Worship 2, 2012
Favourite Worship Songs From The Big Start, 2012
Fresh: New Songs For The Church, 2012
Pre-School Praise Boxset 1-3, 2012
Pre-School Praise Boxset 4-6, 2012
Kids Praise Party, 2012
Route 66: Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2011
Route 66: New Songs, 2011
20 More New Songs For The Church, 2011
Pre-School Praise 6, 2011
Kids Praise Party 6: C'mon Everybody
Through Different Eyes - Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2010
Glory – Spring Harvest New Songs, 2010
Kids Praise Party: Celebrate God, 2010
Moments Of Contemplation, 2010
Pre-School Praise 5, 2010
Through Different Eyes, 2010
Acoustic Worship, 2010
Moments Of Wonder, 2010
He Is Risen! Indeed: Celebrating Jesus From The Big Top, 2010
Kids Praise Party Box Set, 2010
Journey: Walking The Way Of Christ - Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2009
Perfect Sacrifice: 20 New Songs For The Church, 2009
Pre-School Praise 4, 2009
Kids Praise Party: We Wanna Be Like Jesus, 2009
One Hope - Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2008
Wonderful Saviour: 20 New Songs For Spring Harvest, 2008
Moments Of Devotion: 12 Classic Instrumental Worship Songs, 2008
He Is Risen: Easter Classics From The Big Top, 2008
The Kids Colossal Jumbo Boxset, 2008
Pre-School Praise 3, 2008
Kids Praise Party 3, 2008
One People Unified In Worship -Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2007
Shine: 20 New Songs For Spring Harvest, 2007
How Sweet The Sound, 2007
Pre-School Praise 2, 2007
Kids Praise Party 2, 2007
One God - Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2006
Our God Reigns - Spring Harvest New Songs, 2006
iScape: No One Like You, 2006
Pre-School Praise 1, 2006
Kids Praise Party 1, 2006
Essence Of Praise & Worship...live! Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2005
Sing: New Songs, 2005
Distinctive Sounds: Glory, 2005
Little Kids Praise 2005/06, 2005
Kids Praise 2005/06, 2005
Spring Harvest Hymns 3: Blessed Assurance, 2005
LIVE -Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2004
New Songs, 2004
Little Kids Praise 2004/05, 2004
Kids Praise 2004/05, 2004
Ultimate Kids Praise: 60 All Time Classic Kids Praise Songs, 2004
Evolution, 2004
Spring Harvest Hymns 2: To God Be The Glory, 2004
Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2003
New Songs, 2003
Spring Harvest Hymns: Great Is Thy Faithfulness, 2003
Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2002
New Songs, 2002
Kids Praise 2002
Praise Mix 2002
Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2001
New Songs, 2001
Kids Praise 2001
Little Kids Praise 2001
Spring Harvest Live Worship, 2000
New Songs, 2000
Kid's Praise 2000
Best Of Spring Harvest Kids Praise And Little Kids Praise, 2000
Little Kids Praise 2000
Spring Harvest Live Worship ‘99
New Songs ‘99
Spring Harvest: The Ultimate Praise Mix, 1999
Praise Mix 99
Spring Harvest Live Worship ‘98
New Songs ‘98
Kid's Praise '98
R:age 98
Spring Harvest Live Worship ’97 (Vol 1 and Vol 2)
New Songs for 1997
Praise Mix: Quatamala, 1997
Kids Praise '97
Spring Harvest Live Worship ‘96 (Vol 1 and Vol 2)
New Songs ’96 Beyond Belief
Spring Harvest Kids Praise '96
Praise Mix: Shout It Out, 1996
Take Off Your Shoes - Spring Harvest Live Worship ‘95
Take off your shoes - New Songs ’95
Praise Mix 1995: It's A Small World
Kid's Praise '95
Spring Harvest Live Worship ‘94
Dancing in the Dark - New Songs ‘94
Praise Mix 1994
Kids Praise '94: Dancing In The Dark
Sping Harvest Live Worship '93
New Songs for ‘93
Kids Praise '93: Dancing In The Dark
Praise Mix '93: Living On The Edge
Spring Harvest Live Worship ‘92
Meanwhile, Back At The Cross: 12 New Songs For Spring Harvest 1992
Kids Praise: Meanwhile, Back At The Cross, 1992
Spring Harvest Live Worship ’91: shaken but not stirred
Kids Praise '91: Shaken But Not Stirred
Live Worship '90: Uncage The Lion, 1990
Celebration '89 Vol 1 & Vol 2: Worship From Minehead, Skegness, Ayr
Spring Harvest '89: 12-19 Praise
Spring Harvest Live Worship ‘88
Thank You: Celebrating 10 Years Of Worship At Spring Harvest, 1988
Live Worship '87: Where Truth And Justice Meet
Live Worship '86: This Is Your God
Live Worship '85: Lights To The World
Live Worship '84: The Servant King
Praise Vol 2: Live Worship '83
