The Lenten and Easter season became a special and meaningful time for Olivet churches and fellowships across Oceania. During this sacred period, members took the opportunity to reflect deeply on the truth of the Lord’s death and resurrection, and to meditate on the meaning of His sufferings. This season, especially the Holy Week, served as a powerful reminder of God’s love shown through Jesus Christ, and it inspired many to extend that love to their neighbours.
Throughout Holy Week, churches held various gatherings and fasting prayers, creating an atmosphere of spiritual seriousness and devotion. Leaders and members across Oceania used this time to grow in their understanding of God’s love and rededicated themselves to living out that love through service and mission.
The Holy Week began on Palm Sunday, and the General Secretary of OA Oceania traveled to Fiji to speak at the South Pacific retreat. Leaders from New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea gathered for this retreat under the theme “The Present Sufferings and Future Glory.” Based on Romans 8 and various passages on eschatology, the retreat focused on the Biblical teachings about the Kingdom of Heaven and the End Times. The messages were Gospel-centered, helping participants find clarity, especially those who had been confused by popular or political ideas of the end times.
For many, the retreat was eye-opening. A missionary from Tonga shared their experience:
“This gathering has been deeply meaningful to me. In fact, my understanding of history has been shaped ever since I came to the church. For over ten years, that teaching has never changed. However, it hadn’t formed a clear system within me. It felt like the key points were fragmented and disconnected. As a result, I often felt confused and found it difficult to guide students toward a proper sense of history—because deep down, I myself didn’t know exactly where to lead them.
Through this gathering, and especially through studying the Bible, I feel that I’ve been renewed in many ways. Now, there is a system forming inside me. I hope that from now on, I can continue organizing and refining the Word by following this system.
Through gaining a better understanding of eschatology, I’ve also found great hope. I’m no longer discouraged by one or two failures, because I now know that this is by no means the end of history.”
Following the retreat, the missionaries returned to their mission fields with renewed passion and strong hope, eager to proclaim the Gospel and invite many into the faith of Jesus Christ.
At the same time, in the regional Olivet Centre—Oceania’s main retreat center—an Easter Weekend Retreat was held from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. The theme was “Take Heart! I Have Overcome the World,” based on Jesus’ farewell message in John 14–16.
The retreat included three services, three Bible lectures, one prayer meeting, and multiple group discussions. These sessions helped participants gain a deeper understanding of essential Biblical truths, such as the Trinity, the work of the Holy Spirit, salvation through Jesus Christ, and the meaning of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
This Lenten and Easter season became a time of great spiritual renewal for Olivet Oceania. As members meditated on the Lord’s death and resurrection, their hearts were once again ignited with the living hope of the Gospel, and their commitment to sharing God’s love with the world grew ever stronger.