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June 2024

June 13, 2024
in DTOTD, HCC, Jesus
by cefiggins
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Unity in the Spirit- Why should we care?

 

No one believes me that I am an introvert hiding in bright-colored clothing. I can draw a lot of attention but it’s very easy for me to disappear on a trail or behind a book. I find it especially easy separate myself from the crowd when I am tired, weary, grumpy, stressed, hurried, overscheduled, confused, hurt, or at the very least struggling with low blood sugar. 🙂 The long and short of it is that given my own devices I am more likely to separate from the pack. However, I have this tension within me that I also firmly believe that unity within our community is foundational to living out our faith in Christ. Ephesians 4:3, which calls us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,” serves as a guiding principle for the people of God.  This verse is not just an encouragement; it is a call to action, a reminder of the importance of maintaining harmony and friendship within the body of Christ.

But why should we care? 

The Call to Unity

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a profound exploration of what it means to live as a Christian. In Ephesians 4:3, Paul emphasizes the necessity of unity among believers. This unity is not merely a superficial agreement but a deep, spiritual bond that reflects the unity of the Holy Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we are connected, regardless of our diverse backgrounds, opinions, personal preferences or sleep schedules. God inspired Paul to teach us that we all tend to pull away from each other or break off and form factions.

Making Every Effort

The phrase “make every effort” indicates that maintaining unity requires intentional and persistent effort. It is not something that happens by chance or without work. As Christ followers, we have to strive to embody this through how we schedule our time, and how we use our talents, to enable us to connect through various ministries, life groups, and outreach efforts. We have to understand that unity involves active participation and commitment from each member to each other.

The Bond of Peace

Peace is the glue that holds unity together. It is a peace that transcends understanding, rooted in the love and grace of Christ. This peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of reconciliation and love. I love how God tells us over and over again in His word that it is not our peace we are looking for. It is His peace. We are kind of stinky when it comes to keeping the peace on our own. It’s becoming more and more common to look for ways to not be peaceful. But we have God’s peace that is a whole different story. During trying uncertain times we need to make a priority to promote peace through open communication, patience, forgiveness, and a willingness to understand and support one another.

How do we keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace with each other?

  1. Prayer: We need to pray for one another and with one another. Prayer puts us in a proper posture of humility. Prayer is a powerful tool that strengthens our spiritual bond and fosters unity.
  2. Life Groups: Joining a small group or a bible study is an excellent way to build relationships and experience the unity of the Spirit. These groups can provide a safe space for sharing, learning, and growing together. The more time you spend with someone the more you get to know them more patience and empathy you can have for them.
  3. Serve Teams: Serving together in ministries and community projects unites us in purpose and mission. It allows us to put our faith into action and support one another in tangible ways. There is nothing better than witnessing each other love others because of how God first loved us to tie us together.
  4. Forgiveness: Embracing a spirit of forgiveness is crucial for maintaining unity. We are all human and will inevitably make mistakes. Having patience with one another, assuming the best about each other, choosing to forgive and seek reconciliation helps preserve the bond of peace.

This week commit yourself again to making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Reflect on Ephesians 4:3, Be inspired to live out this call in your daily life continually seeking ways to foster unity and peace within our church and the broader community. When we are rooted in love and bound together in peace and unity we can withstand any level of chaos.  Through our collective efforts, we can be a powerful witness to the transformative power of Christ’s love.

 

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June 10, 2024
in Child Welfare, GiveHope, Outreach, Serve Teams
by cefiggins
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Give Hope Ministry Partner Spotlight: The Sparrow’s Nest

We unleash hope in our community through generosity and justice. One way God provides the opportunity to do that is through local ministry partners such as The Sparrow’s Nest. I recently asked for and received The Sparrow’s Nest Give Hope Impact Report. I thought this would be very useful information to share with you as you continue to pray over Give Hope and as you look for opportunities to consistently serve in our community.

The mission of The Sparrow’s Nest is to embrace the God-given dignity of all human life by empowering young families with resources to realize their full potential. They fulfill this mission by coming alongside young families with the love of Christ to educate, equip, and empower both the parent and the child. Through their innovative childcare cooperative families enrolled in their program will receive free childcare, mentorship, and case management to reach their family goals. They also have access to a resource closet and pregnancy help.

What is one specific way Harvester Christian Church’s GIVE HOPE contributions have unleashed hope in your organization or to the community through your organization?
GIVE HOPE has allowed The Sparrow’s Nest to
1. Remain open in a time of transition while we were going through the very lengthy process of acquiring licensing to become a child care cooperative.
2. Plan for our future. We KNOW we need to purchase/lease a larger facility. We are currently serving the maximum number of children we are licensed to provide care for, 5. We currently have 7 children on our waitlist. We have had to turn away over 120 children who could not wait for a spot to open up.
Please share a brief client-success or services-success story we can share with Harvester Christian Church.
“Words can not express the thanks my family has to each and every staff member as well as volunteers at Sparrows Nest who have become a part of our family. As a parent, I trust Sparrows Nest with my greatest blessing and I am thankful for all the love, attention, and guidance that my son receives as well as myself. I have received nothing but the utmost respect and care. Sparrows Nest genuinely cares about my family and not just our current situation but the future. I feel like Sparrows Nest is a family always willing to help in any way they can. I have no worries when my son is there which is the greatest peace of mind any parent can ask for when you have to work to provide for your family. If I have a need they have multiple solutions to assist us, I never feel alone in this journey thanks to the amazing staff at Sparrows Nest.”
Where is God leading The Sparrow’s Nest in the future? 
Our goal is to be in a much larger facility in the very near future. We will continue to not charge the families who participate in our programming and will remain donor-funded. The estimated cost of this project depends on the type and size of the facility we are able to move into and the amount of staff that will be required to care for the children. If we were able to accommodate 50 children that could require we hire up to 10 childcare providers depending on how many kiddos are in the different age groups.
What existing volunteer needs can we share with Harvester Christians?
We are looking for volunteers for a donor appreciation event on June 27. Volunteer information can be found here ==>https://thesparrowsneststl.org/volunteers/
*Lance Rogers, a Harvester Christian currently serves as the board president for The Sparrow’s Nest. Harvester Christians routinely serve in The Resource Closet as well as maintaining the grounds.)
How can we pray for your organization, staff, volunteers, clients, and community your organization serves?
Please pray that we are able to secure the funding required to grow the organization. We know that the need we are filling a critical need of so many families. Please pray that our state legislators pass legislation for the child care tax credit.
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June 1, 2024
in DTOTD, HCC, Jesus
by cefiggins
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How do you know? DTOTD

At our recent leadership retreat, Nikomas asked this question.

How do you know God is good to you?

It should be an easy answer, right? But it took me more than a hot minute to find the words. My brain had to rifle through its files to find the evidence of God’s goodness. In Psalm 34:8 David writes, “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him.”  We can perceive God’s goodness in so many ways. How could I pick just one? I almost experienced a feeling of panic trying to think of what I was going to say when it was my turn. How do I nail it down to something brief and concise?

Then I realized why I was really struggling with how to answer how God is good. I know His goodness is evidenced in His love by sending His one and only son to be sacrificed for our sins. I know His goodness is evidenced by His faithfulness over and over again to His people. I know His goodness is evidenced by the good works God’s children were created to do all over the world.

I was struggling with the answer to the full question of how I know God is good TO ME. 

In all transparency, I can share God’s love with whomever. It is my deepest desire for the world to know just how much God loves them. I need the world to know the freedom of resting in the sacrifice of Christ. But sometimes I listen to Satan’s whispers that God’s love is for everyone else but me. His sneaky lies start to somehow ring true that I have not earned God’s goodness yet. My heart knows the real truth. My mouth can speak the real truth. But my mind can be a battleground.

In that one minute of uncomfortableness and discomfort, the Holy Spirit spoke on my behalf.

I know God is good to me because He calls me His baby girl. 

This identity breathes new life into me every day. It is the sweetest and most filling thing I can taste. It is a sight of awe and wonder that my eyes will never tire of seeing. I am blessed with God’s goodness as I run back to my Father’s arms again and again.

How do you know that God is good to you?

 

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From the HCC Outreach Team:

Thanks so much for stopping by the Harvester Christian Church Outreach Team’s blog! We hope you find this resource helpful, insightful and encouraging as we strive to Unleash the Hope of Jesus back into our world!

This resource belongs to Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Mo.