Harvest Happenings
May 13, 2018
Coming Up…
Baby Dedications
This coming Sunday, we are excited to have Baby Dedications for several of our recent 'additions' to the Family at Harvest!
Join us as we celebrate new life and commit to strive together with their Parents to see that they are raised 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.' (Eph. 6:4)
New life is exciting, whether spiritual or physical, so join us as we celebrate the latest physical 'gifts' the Lord has given to our Church body.
if you're interested in dedicating your child at our next Baby Dedication service (tentatively Summer 2018), you can let us know via the link below:
Mother’s Day
Mothers are one of the greatest blessings God has given us this side of Jesus, and this blessing should be honored every opportunity we get!
When describing His care for His people in Isaiah 66:12, God said it was 'as a mother comforts her son.' Mothers provide so much comfort to our lives in our times of need that God uses this example when describing His own level of care for His people.
We want to honor those who have cared for those within our body, whether as physical mothers, or as Spiritual mothers nurturing our growth every week as we gather together.
This Sunday, we want to offer all our Mothers (Physical & Spiritual) something special. Join us for a Donut wall (hard to imagine, but it's even more delicious than it sounds!), special Barista-crafted coffee, and a Photo Setup to bless our Mom's!
Thank you, Mothers, for your tender care each and every day!
VBS 2018
Coming up next month (June 18-22) is our "Game On!" Vacation Bible School, and signups are now open!
Vacation Bible School offers kids a place to enjoy themselves while learning about Life's 'Big Game' and the Good News of Jesus Christ.
This is a great opportunity for children to invite a friend or neighbor to learn more about Jesus as well!
VBS is a life-changing week for many children, and for some it's the week they look forward to each and every year!
Looking Back…
Why Statement Panel
On April 29th, during our Family Fellowship Night, we got to hear from a panel of some who were involved with our recent Why Discovery Workshop (led by John Bollman).
One of the crucial takeaways from this discussion is that this Why Statement helps us all to be aimed in the 'same direction' as a Church. During the discussion, John had everyone point toward where they believed 'North' was from their spot in the room. (There were hands pointed all over the place...) Once John pointed us to where North was actually located, he had everyone point North again. This time, everyone was pointed in the same direction!
This is what our Why Statement allows us to do as a Church--not simply a group of people all going in different directions trying to point to 'Jesus,' but all of us as one Family pointing to 'Jesus' together. This will help us to all minister more effectively and do what God has called us to do in our particular context.
If you were not able to make it, our Church's Why Statement is:
"To welcome and care for wounded and hurting people where they are in their journey, so that they find purpose and joy in a relationship with Jesus Christ."
If you'd like to hear more about our Why Statement, or the Why Discovery Workshop, you can listen to it by clicking the link below (it's available on our Teaching page).
Brenda Coleman & Nicole Cassidy—God @ Work
Last Sunday (May 6th), we had the privilege of hearing testimonies from both Brenda Coleman & Nicole Cassidy on the work that the Lord has done in their lives.
Brenda shared that following the prayers of the Church (at the end of service on April 29th), her mother's health began to immediately improve!
Nicole shared about the story of her son James, who died of SIDS at 3 months old, and how God used this event in the lives of both herself and her husband to reorient their lives to be centered around Him.
Both stories are incredible, and both are available to listen to on our Teaching page. Please, take the time to listen to these if you have not already (& even if you have, they're probably worth a re-listen to remind you of the power of God).
Both of these stories match up perfectly with the Why Statement listed above--God working in the lives of hurting people (at different points in their life journeys) to bring them into a relationship with Jesus Christ (or a deeper one).
Praise God for His power and for demonstrating it among His people here! Will you pray with me for more works done by our Almighty God?