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Author: cefiggins

March 13, 2024

in Alleviation of Poverty, Local, Outreach, Serve Teams, The Sharing Shed

by cefiggins

1 Comment

More of A Blessing To Me: Guest Blog by Bernice Bundren

Several months ago I started volunteering at the Sharing Shed with our Harvester crew once a month. All I knew about this place in O’Fallon was that it provided free furniture and household items to those in need. The first day I walked in, I was quite surprised at what I saw. My thoughts were more of people rummaging through items that they might need and hopefully it would be good quality items. Was I ever wrong!

There is a room that looks more like a boutique for household items…everything someone would need to get started. Some shelves have neatly placed matching plates, bowls, and cups. A section with everything that’s needed for the bathroom and bedrooms with sheet sets and quilts separated for Twin, Queen, and King beds. There’s another section for a baby’s needs. All the donations they receive have to be sorted and cleaned. I could go on and on about the plethora of items. What I love is to see are the faces of the clients that we help when they walk into this beautifully displayed room. I believe they get a real feeling of being treated with dignity and respect when they see how much effort has been put into creating this space.

That was just the household items…then we take them into the furniture warehouse – couches, love seats, recliners, mattresses, dining and kitchen tables and chairs, bedroom sets! Again, every item has to be in good condition and cleaned before it goes on the floor warehouse. What is amazing is that all the items they receive are donated.

What I love about this time of helping is just seeing what joy it has given to so many who probably had felt things were hopeless until they walk in this door and we start packing up their U-Haul with items they picked out themselves!

One of the most heartbreaking but precious moments was when a grandmother was with her 8 or 9 yo grandson who had just lost his mom to drugs. Grandma was taking him into her home. Grandma picked out some of their needed items but all he wanted was a picture of a little angel going up to heaven. There were many tears shed over this.

Quite often, I have felt it has been more of a blessing to me just to know there is a place like The Sharing Shed that provides an amazing ministry to so many people in need.

Bernice Bundren

If you would like more information about regularly serving with The Sharing Shed Crew consider joining us at the Come & See The Sharing Shed event on Saturday, March 16 from 9-11 a.m. RSVP here.

Bernice Bundren is a Harvester Christian. Bernice can be seen expressing her love of Christ through service at The Sharing Shed, Discover Harvester, Guest Services, School Outreach, local nursing homes, Life Group Leader, and wherever else God calls her.

February 26, 2024

in Alleviation of Poverty, Church, GiveHope, Local, Outreach, School Outreach

by cefiggins

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Spring Serving Opportunities 2024

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and all is right with the world! Ok, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. It turns out we are living in a lost and wounded world that is in desperate need of the hope of Jesus. And God wants us to show up consistently in trustworthy relationships with our neighbors in order to share that hope with them. Below you will find serving opportunities, trainings, and events to equip you to do just that. Hover on each event to see the link to register or RSVP for an event. If you have any questions be sure to email Carissa at cfiggins@harvester.cc

Event	Description	Date	Time	Location
Local Outreach/Guest Services Gathering #1	Training for Local Outreach Guest Services serving teams focusing on safety	2/29/24	6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.	Mission Café- St Charles Campus
Harvest Ridge Pancake Dinner	Prepare and Serve Pancakes for Harvest Ridge Elementary Families	3/7/24	3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.	Harvest Ridge Elementary 1220 Harvest Ridge Dr. St. Charles MO 63304
Becky David Elementary Literacy Night	Help Becky David students prepare trail mix at Literacy Night	3/7/24	5:45 p.m.-7:00 p.m.	Becky David Elementary 1155 Jungs Station Rd St. Charles MO 63304
Heart & Soul Fellowship Meal (sign-up link coming soon)	A “no agenda” time to enjoy a meal with Local Outreach/Guest Services team members and their families	3/10/24	12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m	Lower Level of Church Offices
Come & See: Faith Haven House	A field trip to Faith Haven House to learn firsthand about the ministry	3/14/24	6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.	Faith Haven House 7338 Mexico Rd St. Peters, MO 63376 Limited parking, carpooling recommended
Come & See: The Sharing Shed	A field trip to The Sharing Shed to learn firsthand about the ministry	3/16/24	9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.	The Sharing Shed 923 E. Terra Ln O’Fallon, MO 63366
The Sharing Shed Serve Day	Volunteers receive donations, clean, and assist clients in picking out basic household items, delivery of items is helpful	3/16/24	9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.	The Sharing Shed 923 E Terra Ln O’Fallon, MO 63366
Teacher Appreciation Card and Gift Assembling	Write cards of encouragement and assemble small token gifts of appreciation	3/19/24	1:00-3:00 p.m.	Local Outreach Storage Room in Annex- Enter Door 15 on Veterans Memorial side
Kona Ice Days at Barnwell Middle	Volunteer at Barnwell Middle to help hand out Kona Ice	3/21/24	11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.	Barnwell Middle School 1035 Jungs Station Rd St. Charles MO 63304
Election Day (Sign-up link coming soon)	Greet voters as they come to HCC as their polling place	4/2/24	Various times all day	HCC Worship Center
Stewards of Children: Darkness To Light Training (sign-up link coming soon)	Child abuse prevention training with Child Advocacy Center	4/11/24	11:30-2:00 p.m.	HCC Family Life Center

February 23, 2024

in DTOTD, Jesus

by cefiggins

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Three Suggestions for when you are Stupid Tired

Imagine sitting across from someone who is just Stupid Tired. This is the kind of tiredness where the person across from you can barely make sense. Their weariness is palpable. They try to laugh off the fact that they can’t get their sentences to come out of their mouth correctly because they are just bone tired. Under their bloodshot eyes, you can see moonlight shadows of exhaustion. You can see the weight of weariness in their neck and shoulders with fatigue throbbing through every fiber of their being. The person across from you may be a friend, a family member, or a co-worker who just seems to be knocked down over and over again. They just can’t catch a break physically, spiritually professionally, or financially. Perhaps the person across from you is a reflection of yourself in a mirror.

Life seems to be overwhelming for so many of us right now. My days seem filled with just sitting with people in their pain. There is tension, sorrow, grief, disappointment, and stress at every corner. As Christians, we are not immune to weariness and feeling beaten down by the trials of life. However, during our struggles, we have a source of strength and comfort in our faith. Matthew 11:28 reminds us of the invitation extended by Jesus himself: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” (Matthew 11:28, The Message).

So, what can we do as Christians when we find ourselves exhausted, weary, and beaten down? Here are three suggestions.:

1. Find Comforting Shelter in Prayer: In John 16:33, Jesus assures us, “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (John 16:33, The Message).

Prayer is our direct line of communication with God, our shelter of comfort in times of trouble. When we are weary, we can turn to prayer for strength, guidance, and comfort. Pouring out our hearts to God allows us to find peace amidst the storms of life. When you are even too worn out to find words Scripture tells us that the Spirit will intercede for use when we don’t know what we should say to God (Romans 8:26-27.) We just need to keep turning to the Father and crying out His name. There is no need for eloquence.

2. Rest in God’s Word: The Bible is filled with promises of hope, strength, and encouragement. In moments of weariness, immersing ourselves in scripture can renew our spirits and remind us of God’s faithfulness. Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105, The Message). By meditating on God’s Word and allowing it to guide us, we can find direction and solace, even in the darkest of times. I want to emphasize the importance of meditation when you are exhausted. You may be so Stupid Tired that you can’t imagine even physically being able to lift a bible much less dive into an in-depth study. Meditation is often a serious reflection, thought, and rumination on scripture. You may not have the mental capacity to do any of those things right now. But meditation can also be devotion. In seasons of fatigue keep the devotion and commitment to at least listening to scripture to soothe your soul. Devote yourself to listening to the Bible as you get ready for the day, pause in a parking lot to catch your breath, or as you fall into bed at night.

3. Lean on Christian Community: Satan is the creator of Stupid Tired. He purposefully runs us down and wears us out. He convinces us that we are too tired to be with people, or we will bring people down with our weariness, or that we have no one to rely on in the first place. We were never meant to journey through life alone. God has given us the gift of Christian community to support, encourage, and uplift one another. Galatians 6:2 instructs us, “Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law.” (Galatians 6:2, The Message). When we are Stupid Tired, we can lean on our brothers and sisters in Christ, allowing them to walk alongside us, lift us up, pray for us, and provide practical assistance. Email, text, call fight out of your fog to reach out to your people. Your season of weariness could be someone else’s season to be a blessing of stability and comfort. Just like when you come out of this season you will be a blessing of strength and energy to someone else.

Christians are not promised a life free from weariness or hardship. However, we have the assurance that in Christ, we can find rest, peace, and strength to endure. By seeking refuge in prayer, resting in God’s Word, and leaning on Christian community, we can navigate through life’s challenges with hope and resilience, knowing that we are never alone in our journey.

February 8, 2024

in DTOTD

by cefiggins

1 Comment

Time To Get Rid Of Those Tacky Ill Fitting Clothes – DTOTD

I have a healthy appreciation for putting outfits together. I enjoy mixing and matching colors, textures, patterns, and accessories. If you saw my closet(s), yes that is plural, you might say it borders on obsession. I really enjoy putting on the outfits as a creative outlet.The Bible also talks about putting on certain traits and behaviors. Colossians 3:12-13 reads“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”That phrase “put on” is literally a dressing term. It can also mean assuming the character, disposition, or perspective of another. You get the idea that we may not already have compassionate hearts or kindness. We need to assume the character of Christ. We may not possess humility and patience outside of God. We need to take on the disposition of Christ. But because we are God’s chosen ones who are holy and intensely loved we are handed the expectation to dress ourselves intentionally with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, tolerance, patience, and forgiveness.

I believe those are pieces of a godly wardrobe that we are all willing to try on. However, I also believe it is becoming more and more common for God’s chosen to believe that Compassion gets a bit confining when we decide someone’s decisions deserve suffering. We actively choose to take off Compassion at a time when we need to keep it firmly fastened. We may easily don Kindness until we decide if things don’t go our way we take off Kindness and replace it with Apathy. We may find putting on Humility seems like a really good choice for the day until we listen to the World and agree that we have outgrown Humility and need to replace it with Power. Patience and Tolerance are fantastic coordinating pieces. That is until we notice that Control is also hanging on the rack to try on. Those three pieces together make us look like we are walking garage sale rather than God’s chosen people who are holy and beloved.

Deuteronomy 4:2 states very clearly You shall not add to the word that I command you, not take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. As God’s chosen people living a constant new life, we have to be aware of when we have intentionally taken off the wardrobe that God has picked out for us. We appear to pick and choose what commandments from God that we are going to follow depending on the situation and crowd. There isn’t a place on this outfit from God to add an accessory of offense, unforgiveness, spitefulness, anger, or judgment. Just like your mom told you to leave the house without clean underwear we can never leave the house without our garments of Love.

The world around us is finding all kinds of reasons to be unkind. Our culture is convincing even Christians that to demonstrate humility, quiet strength, and tolerance is to show weakness and lack of faith. We are falling into Satan’s trap that we should lead out of our faith with our tempers, irritability, impatience, meanness, condescension, and divisive talk. These are filthy ill-fitting clothes that are not becoming of God’s children.

My prayer is that we don’t see this scripture as a slap on the wrist to get right with God but as a reminder of who we are. We are God’s Chosen. Sons and daughters of the one True King. Colossians 3:14-17 shows exactly how to wear this godly wardrobe well.

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This week let’s ask God to dwell deeper in our hearts, minds, and souls. Lean into His instruction through His Word every day. We can’t afford to be fooled by what Satan is doing through the world right now. Let the peace of Jesus Christ rule our thoughts, words, and actions. Step into that closet of prayer and come out shining brightly in all the brilliant clothes of Love God has picked out for us.

Photo by Amanda Vick

October 6, 2023

in GiveHope, HCC, Local, Natural Disaster Response, Outreach

by cefiggins

1 Comment

Are you in?

This week I met with St. Charles County Regional Emergency Management to determine the best way Harvester Christian Church can serve our neighbors in the event of a natural disaster or any widespread emergency situation. As our Natural Disaster Response Team starts to gel, the humble heart of each person is so evident. They all want to help but they want to make sure what we do is actually helpful and we don’t get in the way. Natural disasters have so many moving parts. I know we have all felt some level of feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to even begin to help. I received very helpful information and feedback today to shape our next steps and best utilize our church family’s gifts and talents.

Are you curious about how to help our neighbors after something like a tornado or flood?

Take a few moments and click here==> to complete this brief survey to let us know how you might be able to help. It does not sign you up to serve on any team. It is simply used to determine how our church family might serve our community.

The staff also gave me a tour of Dispatch. My heart broke with how many calls they received per minute. No one was calling to say they were having the best day ever. As with everywhere else, there is a shortage of dispatchers. Even with that volume of calls, and the lack of personnel, every dispatcher was calm, cool, collected and so understanding. They quickly connected to our incredible police, firefighters, or EMTs all over St. Charles County. As I reflect on my day I think it was truly a sacred ground of people doing their very best to unleash hope in our county. It also made me think of many of you. People who love so deeply that they can diffuse difficult situations and move to action quickly and efficiently. Perhaps you or someone you know would like to learn more about Dispatch positions available with St. Charles County. You can find out more about that opportunity here==>https://www.sccmo.org/2077/Jobs

One of my greatest desires is for our city to know we are Christians by our love. I want our community to experience unprecedented hope because as a church family, we can be counted on to show up in the really really dark times to our neighbors. I pray God blesses us with the opportunity to constantly and consistently serve our neighbors so they might find and follow Jesus.

Are you in?

September 14, 2023

in Alleviation of Poverty, Food Backpack Program, GiveHope, HCC, Local, Outreach, School Outreach

by cefiggins

0 Comments

People Are Hungry

Food Insecurity is a hard word to describe in our presumed affluent St. Charles County culture. Food insecurity is when you don’t have enough money to buy the healthy foods you need, or if you have to skip meals because you don’t have enough money to buy more food. The reality is St. Charles County actually has the third largest percentage of people facing food insecurity in The St. Louis Area Foodbank service area. Food insecurity can be caused by many things – an accident, an unexpected illness of a family member, underemployment, or simply having children not in school during holidays, spring breaks, or the summertime.

HCC Food Backpack Ministry is another aspect of our School Outreach to meet the physical needs of our neighbors. Each week our dedicated teams of volunteers pack nondescript food backpacks to meet the physical needs of about 100 local school children in 8 different schools across St. Charles County.

“Our program sends a bag of food home with a student each week. The bag is designed to feed the student for the weekend with simple meals and snacks. We don’t have any qualifications to participate in this program. The program is mostly utilized by the “Free and Reduced Meals” families. Free and Reduced Meals is a federally funded program that provides breakfast and lunch at school for students based on financial need. Our program has the unique ability to also help students during short-term events that don’t require a family to apply for Free and Reduced meals. All of the students participating are selected by the counselors in the schools we serve.”

-Shelly Swart, HCC Food Backpack Crew Leader

Here are a few ways you can support this ministry.

Pray. Yep, you guessed it. I think prayer is kind of a big thing. Prayer is constantly needed to help increase all of our faith in God. Prayer is needed for all of us to understand that we can trust God in hard situations like these. Pray about how God might want you to serve in this program or how He wants you to continue serving in this program. Pray for the children and families receiving this supplemental food so that they will see how God is providing for them. Pray for volunteers serving in this ministry that God would provide divine opportunities to unleash hope to the school, families, and children.

Collect food. Consider hosting a macaroni and cheese drive, canned ravioli drive, or protein/granola bar drive. Donate these items to the HCC Food Pantry to be used in the Food Backpack Program. This is a great way to get your neighbors involved in addressing food scarcity in our community and to raise their awareness about the needs around them as well as introduce them to some of the ways HCC serves St Charles County.

Serve. Join one of the packing teams. Consider serving as a driver to deliver to the schools. One of the wonderful things about our School Outreach Teams is that a child or his family can interact with a Harvester Christian in so many instances. Perhaps a child who attends Becky David and sees Harvester Christians delivering coffee to her teacher. Then the next week that same child saw Harvester Christians dropping off a food backpack to supplement what was missing from her pantry that week. Perhaps this child utilized a scholarship in order to participate in HCC Basketball-Cheer and begins to hear the Good News from her coach and other caring adults in the league. All of a sudden the child has a network of support grounded in biblical motivation. All of this creates a trustworthy relationship and a bridge to the church. We have served out of love and obedience. God does everything else.

In a perfect world, a child would not have to depend on a food backpack to get them through the weekend or a school holiday. All of their needs would be met. But even in a lost and wounded world, we can unleash hope through cans of ravioli and boxes of mac n cheese.

Important upcoming dates:

Food Backpack Program resumes on September 11

HCC Basketball-Cheer Registration opens September 25th at 8 a.m.

Guest Services/Local Outreach Gathering- we want to celebrate all of our volunteers. Join us on October 27 for a little food, fellowship, and vision for the coming year!

See You At The Pole September 27 at 7 a.m.

September 14, 2023

in GiveHope, HCC, Local, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach

by cefiggins

0 Comments

How God Used Hotdogs & Expo Markers To Unleash Hope

God has always used the weirdest things to guide people to Him. Aaron’s staff. Rahab’s scarlet cord.Baalam’s Donkey. Hotdogs from Harvester Christian. You know. Those kinds of things.

Yep, you read it right. Hotdogs from Harvester Christian Church provided a pathway to meet people in our community this summer. Whether at the Boys and Girls Club of St. Charles County or the City of St. Charles School District Back to School Bash you showed up to show love through the most unlikely of things. Just like God. Through Pack A Pack and all the bajillion back-to-school events, you served almost 1000 hotdog meals and provided just as many backpacks and school supplies to local teachers, families, and students.

HCC Local Outreach to our local schools is not limited to the summertime. We have School Crews consistently serving every month at Becky David Elementary, Harvest Ridge Elementary, Hackmann Rd Early Childhood, and Barnwell Middle. It’s important for our School Outreach Crews to commit to being as consistent as possible and as regular as possible at our schools to build trustworthy relationships. Our school crews provide relief and encouragement to administrators and teachers through teacher appreciation events. For example, on Thursday, September 21 the Barnwell School Crew will be volunteering to manage the Kona Ice fundraiser. On Friday, September 22 we will The Harvest Ridge Crew is serving a bagel breakfast to teachers. School Crews have done everything from spreading mulch, cleaning school toilets, delivering school supplies and cards of encouragement to handing out hot chocolate and candy at Trunk or Treats and the parent pick-up line.

It could be easy to dismiss how showing up again, again could possibly lead someone to find and follow Jesus. But I bet in your own life you can point to the people who consistently showed up in your life with simple acts of kindness, grace, and mercy that caused you to encounter Jesus for the first time or become more like Jesus as you grew in your faith.

Sometimes it’s a bible in your hand. Sometimes it’s a package of expo markers. God asks for our trust and obedience in any situation. God can DO ANYTHING!

Important Dates

Food Backpack Program resumes on September 11

HCC Basketball-Cheer Registration September 25

See You At The Pole September 27 at 7 a.m.

Guest Services/Local Outreach Gathering- we want to celebrate all of our volunteers. Join us on October 27 for a little food, fellowship, and vision for the coming year!

Check back soon for your opportunity to join a School Crew and serve monthly at one of our local schools or email me to learn more!

September 14, 2023

in HCC, HCC Basketball-Cheer, Outreach, School Outreach

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Does anyone have TOO much hope?

Basketball Cheer Season is coming up fast! We have been doing a TON of behind-the-scenes work to get ready for this next season. We are rolling out a new registration form for players and volunteer applications for coaches, referees, and all the other tons of volunteers needed to make the season run as smoothly as possible. We have been adding resources to this site to help coaches and referees feel as confident and supported as possible in their roles. We have been gathering bids on uniforms. We have been designing new banners and information signs to hang in the gym as another form of communication. By themselves, these tasks are not all terribly fun at all. But what IS fun is leaning in anticipation of what God will do using basketball and cheer to lead people to find and follow Jesus.

The energy in the Annex every Saturday from January through March is just incredible. We get to see kids of all ages learning the fundamentals of basketball and cheer. There will be so many applications later in their life from what they learn from being on a team and in the league. But the real difference will be HCC Basketball and Cheer Coaches planting seeds of faith and hope during devotional huddles during practice. The transformation will come from our volunteer leadership team continuously praying for people to find and follow Jesus. The Holy Spirit will move during devotionals and testimonies shared during halftime to parents, grandparents, and spectators. I don’t know anyone who has too much HOPE in their lives. HCC Basketball-Cheer is one way we get to unleash hope in our community.

Here are two simple ways you can unleash hope too.

Pray over registration. I know this sounds a little odd. But the relationship between the coaches, families, and players is powerful. Pray coaches are connected with families and players where a real difference can be made. Maybe it will be by the way the coach models themselves as a godly caring adult. Maybe it will be through the sharing of scripture or prayer as a source of hope.

Consider volunteering. HCC Basketball-Cheer League is run almost entirely by volunteers. Hundreds of volunteers are needed to coach, referee, share a devotional or testimony during half time, keep score, work in concessions, keep the gym safe and clean and so much more. If you have served in one or more of these ways in the past thank you so much! The league literally would not function without you. If you would like more information, not to sign up I promise, just more information send me an email.

Important upcoming dates:

Food Backpack Program resumes on September 11

Registration opens September 25th at 8 a.m.

Guest Services/Local Outreach Gathering- we want to celebrate all of our volunteers. Join us on October 27 for a little food, fellowship, and vision for the coming year!

See You At The Pole September 27 at 7 a.m.

Parent Meeting Option #1 November 16

Parent Meeting Option #2 November 19

Coaches/Referee Clinic November 27

Practices begin the week of December 4

Games begin on January 6

September 2, 2023

in Alleviation of Poverty, DTOTD, Local, Outreach

by cefiggins

0 Comments

212 Days

“For our neighbors who are on track for housing, it takes on average 212 days from beginning assessments to being housed. That is if there are no detours along the way. I am afraid that number will increase as our housing agencies are finding less and less affordable housing for our neighbors.”

– Todd Barnes, Community Council

If we have experienced being displaced from our homes I would guess it was because we having some renovation on our current homes or we waiting to move to another new home. On average that might last 60-90 days. You might be able to relate to living out of suitcases. Looking through boxes to find one of your three can openers. Getting tired of microwaved meals. Living on top of each other in cramped environments.

But what If you were without permanent housing for 212 days? Seven months of living in shelters, strangers’ couches, your card, and the streets. How would you get ready for work? How would you rest to have enough energy to go to work? Where would you prepare meals for your family? If training is required to keep your job where you study? Would you be able to get cleaned up enough to go to church? Would you have friends and neighbors you could connect with to get through the hard times?

We need to be aware of emergency situations like the latest heat wave or the upcoming winter weather and how they impact our homeless neighbors right here in our community. Agencies around us are trying to better prepare for the next emergency.

Our community needs established cooling and heating centers with transportation. The experts in our community have been trying to advocate for real affordable housing. Municipalities, nonprofits, and ministries in our county have been trying to create a regional homeless shelter for years. There is no easy solution. At the base level, these solutions required millions of dollars and public support.

Just because it is a daunting issue don’t allow

Satan to convince you to turn away out of fear, apathy, or confusion.

Pray for the safety and well-being of our homeless neighbors. Pray they are seen and known because of who created them. Pray for God to reveal to you one simple act you can do to unleash hope in our homeless neighbors. Seek God first.
Educate yourself on the growing plight of our homeless neighbors in St. Charles County. Seek out information from the Community Council, Faith Haven House, and the Salvation Army.
Do something. Carry bottled water, socks, QT gift cards and offer them to the people God places in your path. If they are not accepting of what you have to offer don’t allow your heart to become bitter. We do not know anything about their story. Contact your legislators and ask about what solutions they are working towards. Consistently volunteer with local nonprofits and ministries like Faith Haven House, and Salvation Army, and build trusting relationships with our homeless neighbors. Donate nonperishable food items to the HCC Food Pantry.

Mark 14:7 has always resonated deeply in my heart. Jesus says the poor will always be among us. To me, that means we cannot silently hope they will go away. We cannot turn our heads and pretend not to see them. We cannot allow Satan to overwhelm us with confusion about what is the right thing to do. We cannot listen to Satan’s whispers encouraging us to judge our neighbors or convince us that what we have to offer will not do any good.

212 is an unacceptable number.

August 26, 2023

in Church, Local, Outreach

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Food Truck Love

So many things happen in life to remind us we are not in control. I think we all reluctantly come to an understanding there is little we can do to control disease, accidents, just life. But Lord, could I have just a LITTLE control over the weather, and the ability to predict it, and it NOT impact incredibly fun things like Fireworks and Food Trucks!!?!?

We just had to make the hard, hard decision once again to cancel Fireworks and Food Trucks. There are so many factors that go into this decision such as guest and volunteer safety, protecting electronics, City of St. Peters permits, and permissions.

One of the ones that is just a sucker punch to my stomach is having to cancel on the food trucks, AGAIN. I love our city and county so much. I am a huge advocate for buying local and supporting small businesses. It is no small decision to cancel sales and income to these small business owners, especially within the City of St. Peters. They work their tails off to shop, prep, prepare, serve, and promote their food truck businesses.

They have been so gracious and flexible with all the starts and stops this month. Harvester Christian, would you do them a favor and share this post on your own social media feeds to promote these businesses? And then do yourself a favor and find the next location they will serving at and consider buying some yumminess and thank them for understanding why we had to cancel our event.

Sweet Streetz Stl : https://www.streetsweetzstl.com/

Tom’s Coffee Truck: https://travelintomscoffee.com/find-a-toms-coffee-truck/

One Dish Wonders: https://www.onedishwonderful.com/

Kona Ice: https://www.kona-ice.com/

Truck O’ Soup: https://truck-o-soup.com/

SNS Goodies: https://streetfoodfinder.com/SNSGoodies

August 21, 2023

in Local, Outreach, School Outreach

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Deliver Hope: Praying for our local schools

Today a small group of us met to pray over all students whether homeschooled, public, or private, their teachers, administrators, and families. I would love for you to use this prayer guide over the next nine months to constantly keep children and families in prayer whether they are in our local Francis Howell School District or beyond. Let’s pray for God to move in the lives of all of us in this community in a way that unites us in love.

Deliver Hope Prayer Guide

As students around our county and city return to school let’s cover them all in God’s love, grace, mercy, and truth through prayer.

Homeschool, public school, and private school students will always need the adults in their lives continually lifting their names and hearts to our Father God.
The families of these students will always need the guidance and direction from Jesus to guide and direct these students to truth and love.
Administrators, school board members, teachers, and staff will always need the blessing of knowledge, wisdom, and courage from the Holy Spirit and a covering of peace that passes all understanding as they teach these precious children.
Harvester Christians will always need God to shape us in humility and gentleness as we strive to serve as godly neighbors to our local schools.

Feel free to use this prayer guide however you feel called. Where there is a blank you can enter the names of specific school board members, principals, teachers, or students, or Harvester Christians serving in the schools that you know or pray for all of them in general.

Before praying with your group or the people at your table, prepare yourself for this prayer time as an individual child of God through the practice of Lectio Divina.

Lectio Divina is a way of developing a closer relationship with God by reflecting prayerfully on His words. In general the chosen scripture is read four times. The first reading is an opportunity to get to know the Scripture passage. Simply read the scripture to yourself. Listen carefully for any words or phrases that seem to jump out. It’s important not to force things, but wait patiently for God to give gentle guidance. The second reading of the same passage focuses further on the points you become aware of during the first reading. You may want to re-read a few verses so you can reflect carefully on where God has nudged you.

Then it is time reflect on what you believe God is saying to you through the scripture. After a third reading, it’s time to respond. You may want to record your thoughts by journaling in the section provided below. We can respond in prayer too, which gives us the opportunity for a conversation with God. After the fourth and final reading, spend around 2-3 minutes in silent contemplation. This isn’t a time of prayer or meditation — just sit quietly and allow God to work. When your mind starts to wander and dart here and there, just bring it gently back to stillness and into the presence of God again.

Lectio Divina- Ephesians 4:1-5

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ²Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Lectio Divina response, notes, questions, curiosities, nudges, contemplation, reflection:

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The prayer guide is truly just a guide. Feel free to use part, all, or none of it. We are praying for HCC’s specific school partners today in addition to schools, students, families, teachers, school board members, and administrators in any setting all over our county. Below are the names the schools and administrators HCC partners with as well as the HCC School Outreach Crews who serve at each school or serve children in HCC Basketball-Cheer League.

FHSD School Board Members
President	Adam Bertrand
Vice President	Randy Cook
Treasurer	Jane Puszkar
Director	Ron Harmon
Director	Chad Lange
Director	Mark Ponder
Director	Janet Stiglich
FHSD Superintendent	Dr Kenneth Roumpos

Becky David Elementary
Principal	Mrs. Jill Oetting
Assistant Principals	Mrs. Krista Boardman Dr. Sarah Sides
School Crew Leader	TBD
School Crew Members	TBD
Food Backpack	Not applicable

Harvest Ridge Elementary
Principal	Dr. Natalie DeWeese
Interim Assistant Principal	Mr. Nathan Mackiewicz
School Crew Leader	Rachel Vandermuelen
School Crew Members
Food Backpack Crew Members	Shelly Swart, Carol Steinmeyer

Hackmann Rd Early Childhood
Principal	Mendi Hopper
Educational Support Counselor	Beth Reed-Treadway
School Crew Leader	Suzanne & Darren Hance
School Crew Members	TBD
Food Backpack	Not applicable

Barnwell Middle
Principal	Mr. Dave Eckhoff
Assistant Principals	Dr. Erin Thurston
School Crew Leader	Janice Davis
School Crew Members	Kari McCann, Jordan Burt, Jessica Krieger, Issac Brown, Larry Davis
Food Backpack Crew Members	Shelly Swart, Denise Sabo, Linda Beeler

Additional Food Backpack Schools
Bryan Middle	Jen Bolina, Jennifer Shulters
Castlio Elementary	Jen Bolina
FHC	Jen Bolina, Kari Mc Cann
FHN	Shelly Swart, Stacey Enders, Shannon Sebastian
Saeger Middle	Jen Bolina, Kari McCann
Westwood Trails Academy	Shelly Swart, Jane & Stewart Topper

HCC Basketball-Cheer League
League Director	Jeremy Lawyer
League Co-Director	Danielle Cochran
Coaches Coordinator	Brendon Foulke
Cheer Coaches Coordinator	Gabby Lahey
Referee Coordinator	Rebecca Lilienthal
Referee Co-Coordinator
Devotional Coordinator	TBD
Concessions Coordinator	TBD

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray that every part of the school districts will agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among them, but that they be perfectly united in mind and thought.

1 Corinthians 1:10

When _________ is in need may she approach your throne with confidence and find help. Hebrews 4:16

When _________ is weary and faint may you refresh and satisfy her.

Jeremiah 31:25

Christ, may the staff and students at _____________ become a new creation

2 Corinthians 5:17

Lord may the staff and students at ____________ know that nothing in all creation is hidden from your sight.

Hebrews 4:13

Lord may we be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bring forth its fruit in season

Psalm 1:3

God may you bring the staff and students at _________ who are far from you near you. Ephesians 2:13

Lord may your joy be in the staff and students at ___________.

John 15:11

God be gracious to ___________ and bless her and make your face shine on her.

Psalm 67:1

Father God we pray the staff and students at _____________ confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to your glory.

Philippians 2:11

God may _________ know and rely on the love you have for her.

1 John 4:16

Lord may the staff and students at ___________ exalt you.

Psalm 46:10

Father God, may you help anyone who enters _____________ to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and trustworthy.

Philippians 4:8

Pray that God would grant them godly wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy (James 3:17).

Ask the Lord to help them be a model of good works in every regard, and to show integrity, dignity, and sound speech in their teaching (Titus 2:7-8).

Thank God for gifting teachers in a way that allows them to fulfill His calling. Pray that they would be good stewards of the gifts, using them to serve others (I Peter 4:10).

Pray that their teaching would drop as gentle rain upon tender grass, being well-received by their students (Deuteronomy 32:3).

Praise the LORD for His gracious and merciful character, and for being slow to ander and abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 145:8). Ask Him to help teachers follow in His footsteps and emulate this example.

Pray that teachers would work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men. Ask that they would be encouraged in their labor, knowing that they will be rewarded by God, since it is the Lord Christ whom they serve (Colossians 3:23-24).

Acknowledge God’s plan that students should be submissive to their teachers, as authorities placed over them by God (Romans 13:1). Pray that students would be respectful of their teachers.

Claim God’s promise that teachers can do all things through Christ who strengthens them (Philippians 4:13). Ask the Lord to fulfill His promise to thoroughly equip teachers for the good work He has designated for them.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are so good to give us teachers. I pray that You would bless the teachers in my life. They have been issued a sacred task, and one they cannot fulfill on their own. Please thoroughly equip them with wisdom and patience, and allow the joy of the Lord to be their strength. It’s in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, that I pray. Amen.

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” 1 Tim 2:1-4 (NKJV).

We are to pray with the clear understanding that government authority is established by God. “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” 1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV). Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1 (NASB)

Help our leaders at ______________________ School to accept wise counsel. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22)

Give our leaders discretion, foresight, and understanding in making decisions. “Only may the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge…” 1 Chron 22:12 (NKJV).

Protect our leaders from harm, and bless and protect their families. “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one” 2 Thess 3:3 (NKJV).

Enable our school leaders to carry out their duties duties with humility toward you and toward others. “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble’” 1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV).

Give our leaders a tender heart of compassion toward those they lead and serve. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering” Col 3:12 (NKJV).

Dear God, we come to you today asking your blessing on our school administrators. Thank you that they have answered the call to lead our teachers and schools so that our children might learn in a safe and nurturing environment conducive to academic and personal success.

Bless our school administrators with wisdom, integrity, a sense of humor, patience and the physical and mental energy equal to their tasks. Bless them with strong support from parents, teachers and the community.

Give them insights into each teacher’s unique gifts, strengths and abilities so that they might use each teacher in ways that contribute greatly to the common good. Reward them by allowing them see the fruits of their labor displayed in the success of their teachers and students. Accept our prayer today as an expression of our gratefulness to you and to them for their dedication in making our schools a central and vital part of our community.

Amen

Pray students will honor and respect their teachers/office admin/staff.

l Peter 2:13-14)

Pray each teacher, board member, staff, will know and believe they are loved and cherished by God who created them. Psalm 139:13-14

Pray that they are continually encouraged in and by the Spirit of God and by each other.

Ephesians 3:18-19, 1 Samuel 30:6 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Pray our schools will have Godly teachers, school board members, administrators, staff and employees. That all teaching is based on the Truth of God that any teaching which is not founded on the Truth of God, would fall on deaf ears. That each teacher would boldly and clearly speak Truth and that each conversation would be full of grace. That each answer would be gentle and not harsh.

1Timothy 3-4, Colossians 4:3-6, Proverbs 15:1

Pray that teachers, office staff, administrators, and school board members would see every child as the Lord sees him/her, as a person created and valued by God.

Psalm 139

Help each teacher be clothed with ‘compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. To bear with each other and forgive and above all to create in each heart a brotherly love for all they come into contact with each day.

Colossians 3:12-14

That each teacher, office staff, administrator, and school board member would strive to work in a way that delights the Lord, so that his/her steps will be made firm. Pray that he/she would use Godly wisdom arid that God has a plan for them. Pray that whatever they do, they work as if working for the Lord.

Psalm 37:23, Jeremiah 29:1, Colossians 3:17 & 23

Pray for each marriage and family of each school employee, that the Lord protects against anything that could tear those relationships apart. Keep each teacher, office staff, administrator, and school board member ‘self controlled and alert.’

1 Peter 5:8

Pray that students coming from difficult home situations are shown love, mercy and compassion by other students, administrators, and teachers. Pray that their needs are met, and students look toward the needs of others.

Philippians 2:4

Pray that each student has a friend and that God will watch over that friendship. Let no student feel alone or lonely.

Bless the parents, grandparents, guardians, and families with lives of peace and joy. Let their days be filled with contentment and love from those around them. Help them to remember that You are always by their side, guiding and protecting them. Romans 15:13

Grant the parents, grandparents, guardians, and family’s spiritual discernment as they make important decisions in life. Let them be able to hear Your voice clearly so they can follow Your leading. And help them to trust Your will for their lives so they can walk in the path You have set out for them. Matthew 6:33

Fill the teachers school year with abundant favor and blessing. Pray no detail will be left undone for them for this year; everything they need will be provided for them.

Philippians 4:19

Father, fill our School Outreach Crews and HCC Basketball-Cheer Leadership with Your Spirit, producing fruit that never spoils. Help us to love unconditionally, be filled with joy overflowing, remain peaceful and patient, be kind to others, walk in goodness, faithfulness and gentleness and maintain self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

When anyone begins to fear, remind us that You are with us all . Help everyone with connections to the schools to be brave when confronted with new people, new situations, or new assignments. Help us all to not back down from new things or allow intimidation to hold us back.

Joshua 1:9

Lord teach everyone to walk into this year completely dependent upon You. When we begin to lean on our own understanding, remind us that Your ways far surpass ours. Thank you in advance for showing us the right paths and leading us in the way we should go.

Proverbs 3:5-6

August 10, 2023

in HCC, Local

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Circle Up Ags!

I am a proud member of the Fighting Aggies Class of 1995. All you need to know about that sentence is I believe in loyalty and tradition. I am also a proud Aggies for Christ alumni. We have a 50-year tradition as a campus ministry of gathering weekly at Academic Plaza, every Thursday night at 9 PM for at least 100 college students joined together in fellowship, hearing God’s word, and worshipping Him through acapella praise. At the end of every Thursday night, you hear someone yell in a Texas drawl “Circle Up Ags and Uncover!” That’s our cue for every single person to loop an arm over the shoulder of the people standing next to you, take off any hat in reverence, and bow in prayer together as a united community coming humbly in the presence of God.

My whole adult life this has been my image of what it means to be a member of the family of God. Circled together in unity through prayer and praise for anything that might come our way in this life.

This is also my vision for Harvester Christian unleashing hope for children in need of foster and adoptive families.

I have a dream that starts with the question “What if we…?

What if we as a united church family could circle up around at least one child in our community?
What would God do if he saw our humble obedience to provide a safe, stable, loving environment for a child whose parents are struggling to provide for that child?
What could our future look like if one more HCC family decided to receive the blessing of a child in need of adoption?

Now hold up, I can almost see you pulling back. You may have just said in your head “I don’t know if I could be a foster parent and potentially have to give a child back to his or her family.” “I don’t know if I could love another child that was not my own.” I have all kinds of responses to those particular statements that will save for another day but what if we ask this question together?

What if we circled around families in our church who need support as their children are in Safe Families or foster care?
What if we circled around families in our church who have answered the call in obedience to be a foster family or Safe Family?
What if we circled around the families in our church who have answered the call in obedience to be an adoptive family?
What would our city look like if we unleashed hope together circling around these children?

I think you know that serving is not something we check off our to-do list once a year. Consistently serving others is a key part of all of our continued spiritual formation as we strive to become more and more like Jesus. But what we if are missing a straightforward, accessible, and meaningful approach for serving our community by circling around families in need of care and families providing that care through foster and adoptive commitments?

What if you provided child care for a foster or adoptive family?
What if you brought a meal once a month to a foster or adoptive family?
What if you taught children living in an HCC Safe Family to bake or fish or took them on a hike on the Journey Trail?
What if your small group decided every March that you would collect diapers for HCC foster and adoptive families?
What if your small group decided to provide back-to-school clothes and school supplies for HCC foster and adoptive families?

If we as individual in the HCC church family chose to circle around Safe Families, foster families, or adoptive families it would allow us to meet people’s physical and emotional needs and would also open doors to have a critical impact on the kingdom.

You have an opportunity to learn about many aspects of Safe Families, foster and adoptive families on 8/31 during the Unleash Hope for Children: Foster/Adopt Info Meeting. I am praying 25 people are in attendance to ask the question with me “What If We…”

Author: cefiggins

-Shelly Swart, HCC Food Backpack Crew Leader

Important upcoming dates:

Important Dates

Here are two simple ways you can unleash hope too.

Important upcoming dates:

Mrs. Jill Oetting

Mr. Nathan Mackiewicz

From the HCC Outreach Team: