What does it look like for a wide range of Christians to be “sharing hope in Jesus”? Australia is about to find out. Between Easter Sunday (April 20) and Pentecost (June 8, 2025) the Anglican Church “each parish to commit to doing (at least) one thing to help share the hope that we have in Jesus during this season.”
“It’s been quite incredible to see the take-up across the dioceses (regions) in Australia, where at synod (church parliaments), right at the moment, synods are voting in favour of supporting Hope 25, supporting evangelism in their diocese,” Tasmania’s Bishop Richard Condie told the Gafcon Australia conference a few weeks ago.
Condie is chair of the Anglican’s Mission and Ministry Commission and a director of Gafcon Australia, a network of conservative Anglicans – and wearing both hats, said, “Here in the diocese of Brisbane, a unanimous motion passed at their recent Senate to support Hope 25. It’s happening in Tasmania and in Bendigo and in Newcastle and in many other places as well. So we are really delighted with the takeup of this. We know that the gospel has power. We know that the gospel has power to change lives when it is preached, and we know that power of prayer. Imagine with me for a moment, what will happen in our nation if we get down on our knees and ask for God’s mercy across our country to use this period of focus on evangelism in 2025.”
If a bunch of Anglicans get on their knees, who knows what will happen?
Hope 25 is in the equipping stage, and the resources currently shared at hope25.com.au paint a picture of what is likely to be happening. They include Alpha, Chinese Alpha, Sydney ministers Dominic Steele’s Introducing God course, Christianity Explored and Hope Explored from All Souls Langham Place in London, and Taste and See from Providence church in Perth. There’;’s also a link to Two ways to live in the resources section.
There’s a brand new course, Ripple Effect, from City To City Australia for nervous Christians on a Hope 25 podcast. “”The course is really to get people praying,” Ripple Effect’s Julianne Laird told host Christine Capper. “So that’s the first sort of thing, actually, let’s give this to God.
“It’s God who will open the doors and we don’t have to force doors open. So if that’s sort of a relief. So when you actually pray, I think getting people to, once you start praying, you start noticing things. So you start seeing what God might be doing.
“So I would say basic 1 0 1 evangelism if you’re really wanting to head towards this, is actually just to start praying. And that just really lifts the anxiousness I guess, off of this because actually this is God’s work and we can see what he is doing. So yeah, that would be my first thing.
“The other thing is just to be around, so prioritise being around with people who aren’t Christians. I have been quite shocked how many people don’t have friends who are non-Christian. And I think that’s sad for us because actually, it’s good for us. It actually really sharpens our own faith so many times. I’m going, actually that’s a good point… It actually helps me grow in my faith. And there are some tricky questions. And actually we just finished producing a tricky questions course or module in the Ripple effect course.”
Ripple Effect is being used at this writer’s church as we gear up for a church plant. Laird’s workshop fourteen things she’s learned on how to create openness and opportunity is an anxiety reducer, pointing to formning genuine relationships as the beginning of evangelism for most of us.
“One of the things that I actually say when I go to churches is I basically say, we across Australia have gone silent about our faith. And I say, well, we’d go and still help people become Christians. Yes, of course. But you do miss out. You miss out on that real rich connection in terms of being able to speak about something that’s really important to you. And yeah, I often say in churches, actually, I’ve started asking people permission to talk about my faith and with my non-Christian friends, and I get a resounding ‘of course.'”
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Living as I do in a small country town, I’ve thought a lot about the different ‘models’ of ‘being church’ that occur, contrasting strongly with the city experience. I wonder about the city churches with their expansive programs that seem essential but actually keep Christians from being active members of their community, out there with the Lions Clubs, Landcare, community activities, school P&F groups…
Fay, I agree there is a risk. Personally I balance volunteering for things like school scripture and church with purely secular volunterring with disability sport. Our mileage will vary!