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March 2026

March 26, 2026
in Upcoming Events
by cefiggins
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March 2026 Newsletter


 HCC St Charles Campus-Local Outreach

March 2026 Newsletter

Bloom Where You Are Planted

🌿 Devotional: Faithful in the Everyday

“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” — Colossians 3:17

God has uniquely positioned each of us to help people find and follow Jesus—right where we are. Where you live, where you work, where your kids practice soccer or hockey are beautiful, divine appointments to share the love of Jesus.

Sometimes we think impact requires something big or extraordinary. But throughout Scripture, we see that God works powerfully through ordinary people who are simply faithful.

In Luke 8, Jesus describes a seed that grows not because it was impressive, but because it was planted in good soil and remained rooted.

This is still the invitation for us. Let’s be people who show up. As Americans living where we live, there is not much we can sacrifice to Jesus that is truly a sacrifice. What activity, time commitment, or scheduling conflict can you sacrifice to just be available for your neighbors? Let’s be people who stay faithful. Let’s be people who trust that God is continually growing something, especially when we don’t see anything popping through the soil yet.
This is how hope is unleashed.

Where has God planted you in this season?
And what would it look like to take one faithful step this week?

🙏 Prayer Focus

We believe prayer is where outreach begins. Before we go, we ask God to move.

  • Our Community — That individuals and families in St. Charles County would experience stability, provision, and the hope of Jesus
  • Our Ministry Partners — For endurance, wisdom, and encouragement as they serve on the front lines every day
  • Our Church — That more people would step into serving as a next step in following Jesus. Pray that barriers are removed that keep people from finding ways to serve and signing up to serve outside the walls of Harvester.

Prayer Prompt:
Lord, help me see what You see. Break my heart for what breaks Yours, and give me courage to step in.

📅 Upcoming Opportunities

I have been meeting with each of our ministry and community partners to create meaningful serving opportunities for our church family. Keep an eye out for those details soon, such as serving a meal to our unhoused neighbors at The Salvation Army St Charles or helping prep for an event at The Sparrow’s Nest. There are simple, tangible ways for you to step in and make a difference in April and May. If you do not see these serving opportunities in the app, or if it is not clear how to sign up, please email Carissa at cfiggins@harvester.cc

Easter April 3-5:

Invite friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers! HCC St Charles will spend an extended time reflecting on Jesus sacrifice on the cross during our Good Friday service starting at 6 p.m. HCC members are encouraged to join us for Saturday Easter Services at 3 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. to free up space on Sunday Easter Services for our friends and neighbors who may be attending church for the very first time.

Tuesday, April 7 HCC Election Volunteers:

Hospitality Volunteers are needed for two-hour shifts to greet our neighbors as they come to HCC St Charles to cast their vote.

Thursday, April 16, 6:30 p.m HCC Foster/Adopt Ministry FAM Gathering:

HCC members who foster, are thinking about fostering/adopting, have fostered in the past, or have adopted, and Family Friends are invited to a relaxed evening to get to know each other and encourage each other. Child care is available. Click here to register.

The Sharing Shed

Join us and serve on one or more of these dates! This regular serve crew serves clients of The Sharing Shed by receiving household donations, cleaning, organizing, and personally shopping with clients.

  • Saturday, April 18, 9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m.
  • Wednesday, April 22, 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 16, 9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m.
  • Wednesday, May 27, 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.

Broken & Beautiful Pen Pal Ministry

Ongoing Need- Volunteers are needed to join our Pen Pal Ministry to women incarcerated in prison. A minimum of one email a month to encourage and help women draw closer to Jesus. Training is required.

School Outreach Pray & Prep

  • Wednesday, April 1, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
  • Monday, April 27, 2026, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
  • Wednesday, May 6, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Join us for any of these serving opportunities in the Annex to pray over our local schools, students, and teachers each month. The remainder of the time is spent preparing teacher appreciation gifts and handwriting cards of encouragement. Enter through Door 10 of the Annex.

School Partnerships

Ongoing Need – We are waiting on some details from the schools, but pencil in these events and dates for now. 

  • Kona Ice at Barnwell Middle School Friday, April 17 or Friday, May 15, 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Serve at one or both times! 2-3 Volunteers needed to assist students in purchasing Kona Ice, handing out napkins, and being a friendly face at the school
  • April 23 Multicultural Night at Barnwell Middle
  • April 25 Spring Fling at Becky David
  • May 6 Teacher Appreciation Lunch at Harvest Ridge
  • May 7 Teacher Appreciation Lunch at Barnwell
  • May 12 Hackmann Rd Early Childhood End of the Year Celebration at Ollie’s Fun Center-St Peters.

HCC Food Pantry and Food Backpack Ministry – Ongoing

Stamp Out Hunger

  • Saturday, May 9. Volunteers are needed to receive non-perishable food items from letter carriers. Donations will need to be sorted, weighed, and organized in the food pantry.

SAVE THE DATE!

Good Neighbor Serve Week Coming July 13-18
Start praying now about how you—and your family or group—can be part of this powerful week of impact. We are lining up over 20 different serving opportunities!

 

Volunteer Spotlight: Brittany Martin

In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we thought it would be appropriate to share the serving story of one of our Harvester Christians who lives day in and day out raising children with special needs and passionately serves in the world of disability ministry.  Click this link to read on to be blessed and inspired by this fine example of obedience in Loving God and Loving Others!

Ministry Partner Spotlight: Joni & Friends MO

If you haven’t already, read about our ministry partner, Joni and Friends Missouri, as we continue to celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Click this link to read this article by our Communications Volunteer, Christina Bollinger.

 

Your Next Step

You don’t have to do everything, but you are invited to do something. Serving is not just about filling a need. It’s part of how we grow as followers of Jesus. Ask to shadow other HCC volunteers at these events. Consider committing to a monthly serving opportunity. Invite a friend or your small group to serve with you

When we serve together, we don’t just meet needs—we help people find and follow Jesus.

❤️ Closing Encouragement

We are not here by accident. We are sent. We are sent into our specific neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. Let’s be a church that sees the need—and steps in to fill the need with faith, courage, and love. Don’t wait for the church to make an event or program. Find joy in being obedient to what God is calling you to do today.

More Ways to Stay in the Local Outreach Loop 

  • In the Harvester app: Log in to the app. At the bottom right-hand corner, click “Resources.” On the next screen, click “Volunteer Toolbox.” Click on any group you are assigned to see the calendar and message about needs, events, or serving opportunities. If you would like to be added to any group, such as Food Pantry, School Outreach, EWR Warming Center, Safe Families/Foster/Adopt, Natural Disaster, Food Backpack Ministry, Elections, or Sharing Shed, please email our Ministry Coordinator, Jillian Hohensee, at jhohensee@harvester.cc 

 

 

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March 25, 2026
in Ministry Partner
by cefiggins
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Ministry Partner Spotlight: Joni & Friends MO

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. What a great month to highlight one of our ministry partners, Joni and Friends Missouri! Joni and Friends helps connect individuals living with disability and their families to the local church and equips the church to better serve those individuals and their families. Read all about Joni & Friends Missouri below and be sure to cover this ministry in your prayers this month.

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All people are made in the image of God. At Joni and Friends Missouri, Area Director Kevin Mullins is committed to bringing hope and belonging to individuals and families impacted by disability.

“Our vision is a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ,” Kevin explains. “Our mission is to glorify God as we communicate the Gospel and mobilize the global church to evangelize, disciple, and serve people living with disability.”

“People living with disability are often seen as ‘less-than ’or not seen at all,” Kevin says. “However, everyone, regardless of ability, is created in the image of God, needs Jesus, and needs community.”

Joni and Friends brings Gospel hope and practical resources to families affected by disability by equipping churches to become welcoming, inclusive places of belonging.

Joni and Friends also offers Family Retreats that provide a safe, nurturing space for families to find rest, hope, and support.

“We value each person as an image-bearer, worthy of dignity and respect. We strive to create a rich, Christ-centered environment at every Family Retreat that is safe and accepting for all members of the family.”

Marriage Getaways are also offered for couples navigating the disability of a spouse or child, providing community with others who understand the unique challenges they face, along with respite and Christ-centered encouragement.

Families who attend these retreats, made possible by supporters and volunteers, say the five days provide a chance to come up for air, find rest, and be encouraged, helping them lean on Christ throughout the rest of the year.

Joni and Friends also hosts educational events, such as the Disability Resource Seminar for Parents and Caregivers on May 9, 2026, at the St. Louis County Library-Grand Glaize Branch. This seminar equips families with practical, Christ-centered strategies for financial and legal planning, preserving benefits, and long-term care.

Members of Harvester who feel led to serve can get involved in a variety of ways. Short-term missionaries are needed at the Missouri Family Retreat, August 3-8, at Cross Pointe Retreat Center, Lake of the Ozarks, serving as one-on-one buddies for kids and adults with disabilities. Training is provided, and the only requirements are to love God, love people, and be willing to serve. Additional volunteer opportunities for Fall Respite events will be shared soon.

To learn more about Joni and Friends Missouri, visit https://joniandfriends.org/missouri/

For additional resources from Joni and Friends, visit https://joniandfriends.org/

Blog written by:
Christina Bollinger
Local Outreach Communications Volunteer
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March 18, 2026
in Volunteer Spotlight
by cefiggins
1 Comment

Volunteer Spotlight: Brittany Martin

In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we thought it would be appropriate to share the serving story of one of our Harvester Christians who lives day in and day out raising children with special needs and passionately serves in the world of disability ministry.  Read on to be blessed and inspired by this fine example of obedience in Loving God and Loving Others!

In today’s Volunteer Spotlight, we’re featuring Brittany Martin, who serves with Kindred, a ministry that was completely created and is completely led by two HCC volunteers. Kindred exists to support mothers of children with special needs. God created His people for community. Throughout Scripture, we are called to gather together, encourage one another, bear one another’s burdens, and point each other to the hope found in Jesus. For many moms raising children with special needs, finding a supportive community can be challenging. As a mother to several children with special needs herself, Brittany Martin understands how isolating the journey can feel and how meaningful it is to be surrounded by women walking a similar path. This is why she and Taylor Jones started the ministry of Kindred.

 

Looking back, Brittany can see how God was preparing her for this calling. During high school and college, she worked with youth ministry, learning to listen attentively, pray earnestly, and walk alongside the girls she served. Today, that experience helps her to care for the women of Kindred as they navigate challenges, celebrate milestones, and encourage one another. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Brittany also worked professionally as a lead designer for a local megachurch. These creative gifts help her and co-leader Taylor craft gatherings that feel welcoming and thoughtful, spaces where moms feel seen from the moment they step onto the sidewalk, even before entering the building.

 

While mothers of children with special needs are no strangers to multitasking and complex logistics, these women are willing to rearrange schedules, coordinate specialized childcare, and even travel long distances so that they can attend their biweekly meetings. Their commitment to show up for themselves and others reflects how deeply these spaces are needed. Regardless of spiritual backgrounds, the women of Kindred continue to return because they experience something unique, which many describe as “life-giving.” While the gatherings are thoughtfully curated, Brittany says, “It is not the content or the aesthetic that gives life and peace to the women who attend, it is Jesus.” Some who were initially hesitant, or who have experienced hurt in church settings in the past, have begun asking about attending Harvester with Brittany and Taylor. A few have even come and experienced a complete change of heart about the church. This is the result of Kindred unleashing the hope of Jesus, creating a space where meaningful conversations, encouragement, and genuine care naturally draw women closer to Him.

 

Serving in this way has also stretched Brittany personally. As an introvert, she says Kindred has pushed her to step out in faith and dig into Scripture so she can speak words of life to and pray with women navigating a variety of circumstances. Though the ministry requires time, effort, and sacrifice, she has discovered a deeper joy through it.”The biggest sacrifices tend to lead to the most meaningful rewards,” Brittany reflects.”The story of the widow’s oil in 2 Kings 4:1-7 is a beautiful example of this. Sometimes we feel like that small jar of oil, barely enough, running on empty, and convinced we don’t have even a drop to give to someone else. But when we offer what little we have to the Lord and choose to use our time and energy for something that glorifies Him, He multiplies it. He fills what feels empty and gives us more than enough to pour into others, until those around us are overflowing too.”

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Interested in learning more about Kindred? Check out their website by clicking this link==> https://www.kindredmoms.com/

 

Blog by: Christina Bollinger, HCC Local Outreach Communications Volunteer

 

 

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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.