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December 2024

December 18, 2024
in Child Welfare, GiveHope, Jesus, Local, Mental Health, Ministry Partner, Outreach, Uncategorized
by cefiggins
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Local Outreach Ministry Partner Spotlight: Joni & Friends

This is one of my favorite times of the year. We ask each of our Local Outreach partners to send brief impact reports back to us. This allows us to glimpse what God is doing to unleash hope in our community through your generous Give Hope gifts. This week we are spotlighting our ministry partners Joni & Friends.  Be sure not to skip over the success story section!

Joni and Friends
What is one specific way Harvester Christian Church’s GIVE HOPE financial contributions or in-kind donations have unleashed hope in your organization or to the community through your organization?
The funds gifted to Joni and Friends helped us reach individuals and families living with disabilities and allowed us to serve and care for them through our Retreats and Getaway outreaches. Our Family Retreat in August was our most impactful event. Families living with disabilities were welcomed, cared for, and loved on in a fully accessible, fully inclusive environment. God’s presence was felt throughout the week, and our families were refreshed and filled with the love of Christ.
Without sharing identifying information, please share a brief client-success or services-success story we can share with Harvester Christian Church.
There are many success stories to share. One specific story is about a family from the St. Charles County area. This family has a recently divorced single mom, a 16-year-old typically developed daughter and a 13-year-old daughter with Down syndrome. The mother was very hesitant about attending, as was her oldest daughter. But one of our other families convinced them to come and try it. On the first day, they were very shy and withdrawn. But each day, we could see them becoming more and more at ease and enjoying themselves. By the fourth and fifth day, they fully participated in worship, and activities, and the youngest daughter with Down syndrome participated in our talent show. The mother stated the family retreat experience was amazing – it restored their family after going through a tough season, strengthened their faith, and gave them a community of other families that live with disability.
What existing volunteer needs can we share with Harvester Christians?
We need volunteers to serve at our Family Retreat in August and our Warrior Getaway in November. For those interested in an out-of-country mission trip, we need volunteers for our Wheels for the World outreach to the Philippines in June.
Please list any upcoming non-fundraising events your organization is hosting in the next 90 days.
We will have a Church network meeting for disability ministry leaders and volunteers in St. Louis on January 14th, and in St. Charles on March 11th.
What is a future program or project that could benefit from Harvester Christian GIVE HOPE funds?
2025 Family Retreat, 2025 Marriage Getaway, 2025 Warrior Getaway
What is the estimated cost of this future program or project?
The total cost for these outreaches comes to about $75,000.
How can we pray for your organization, staff, volunteers, clients, and community your organization serves?
Please pray for the families we serve, asking God to continue to give them the strength, stamina, and energy needed to be the caretakers for their family members with disabilities. Please pray for God to send us the volunteers needed, and for the financial means to continue to do ministry well.
What is one thing Harvester Christian can do to improve how we serve your organization?
Encourage volunteers to serve with us in ministry.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved in the Joni and Friend ministry email Kevin Mullins 
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December 17, 2024
in Food Backpack Program, Guest Services, HCC, Local, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach, Serve Teams, Volunteer Spotlight
by cefiggins
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Volunteer Spotlight: Ken Sabo

At Harvester Christian Church, we love highlighting how God works through our volunteers, and Ken Sabo is a powerful example of His hands at work. Ken’s service is not about recognition but about responding to God’s call to impact His kingdom. Through Ken’s obedience and heart for others, God brings hope, joy, and transformation to those he encounters. This story isn’t about Ken; it’s about the incredible things God is doing through him to glorify His name and lead people to find and follow Jesus. Continue reading below to learn more about Ken and his obedience to God through service to others!
Where do you serve with Local Outreach? 
I serve in the Food Pantry, the Parking Crew, the Backpack Program (which provides food for children at local schools who may not have the means to be fed on weekends), Local Outreach events at schools in the area, and other service projects through the church as needed.
How are your gifts and talents used in this service?
God uses my ability to serve others and to help meet their needs.
What inspired you to start volunteering with Harvester Christian Church Local Outreach?
When I first started serving, I was at Guest Central. One hot Sunday, our Then-Local Outreach pastor (Kevin Hamilton) asked me to drive the golf cart to pick up people and take them to the Worship Center. At that point, I wanted to keep doing more.
How has serving impacted your personal relationship with Jesus?
It has brought me closer to Him. Realizing that He made sacrifices for me, I should sacrifice my time and talents to help increase the size of the Kingdom and show His love to others.
What advice would you give to someone considering volunteering for Local Outreach at Harvester?
It is real easy to get plugged into a program that needs help. You can try one and if you feel that is not a fit for you, switch to another until you find one that works for you.
How do you see God working through the Local Outreach efforts at Harvester?
I see that we can all help to grow the Kingdom in some way, whether it is large or small part. Every part counts.
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December 9, 2024
in Discipleship, HCC, Jesus, Local, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach, Volunteer Spotlight
by cefiggins
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Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Shannon Sebastian

Meet Shannon Sebastian, a dedicated Local Outreach volunteer at Harvester Christian Church who humbly embodies a heart for service. While volunteers like Shannon rarely seek the spotlight, we believe it’s important to highlight how God is moving through individuals to transform our community. Shannon’s commitment to unleashing the hope of Jesus shines through in her faithful service, and her story serves as an inspiring reminder of the power of generosity and compassion. Let’s celebrate what God is doing through Shannon and the ripple effects of her faithful work in our local outreach efforts!

Where do you serve with Local Outreach? 

Food Pantry, pack a pack. Tree House of Greater St Louis
How are your gifts and talents used in this service?
I love doing anything that I know is going to help kids. I also love to organize so packing backpacks for back to school and packing food for the schools is my jam! Also, I have been around horses most of my life so working at Tree House was working with therapy horses and kids. The looks on the kids’ faces when they were riding was all I needed to know I was where I was supposed to be.
What inspired you to start volunteering with Harvester Christian Church Local Outreach?
I started volunteering at HHC when my kids were little, I worked in the nursery. I worked full time back then so Sunday was pretty much the only day I didn’t work and I felt that I wanted to know the people I was going to church with and be part of the community. Over the past several years I have been fortunate to have more free time, so I have been able to do more with Food Pantry and the Pack a Pack programs.
How has serving impacted your personal relationship with Jesus?
I feel like God knew where I needed to be. I always knew I wanted to serve but wasn’t sure where. He pointed me in the right direction because He knew where my passion for kids would be put to good use.
What advice would you give to someone considering volunteering for Local Outreach at Harvester?
Do it!! There are so many opportunities, find what calls you. So many people think they don’t have time, it doesn’t take much to make an impact on a person in need. Once you start, you will want to do more! Get involved as a family or a couple, it can start all kinds of amazing conversations.
How do you see God working through the Local Outreach efforts at Harvester?
HCC is such a generous church. I have seen individuals and groups at our church do good things in the community and around the world. God knows that and He points us in the direction of where He knows we will share our love of Jesus and lead others to follow Him.
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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.