Outreach

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Outreach

February 27, 2025

in Church, HCC, Local, Outreach, School Outreach, Volunteer Spotlight

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Volunteer Job Description: School Outreach Crew Member

Volunteer Job Description: School Outreach Crew Member

Position Title: School Outreach Crew Member

Vision: To meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of students, teachers, staff, and/or families while building trusting relationships that lead them to find and follow Jesus.

Purpose:

Ephesians 4:11-12 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

To support local schools through various service projects, encouragement of teachers, and maintenance activities. Volunteers will also participate in monthly meetings for prayer and preparation of upcoming needs.

Key Responsibilities:

Participate in at least one school support activity per month. Activities may include:

Supporting school events
Encouraging teachers through thank you notes, small gifts, or other forms of appreciation
Providing maintenance assistance as needed
Prepping food for the Food Back Pack program
Sorting and organizing backpacks and school supplies

Attend monthly meetings at Harvester Christian Church to:

Pray for the schools, teachers, students, and upcoming activities
Prepare supplies for upcoming service projects
Handwrite thank you notes to teachers and staff
Assemble gifts for teachers and staff

Qualifications:

Commitment to the mission and values of Harvester Christian Church through membership
Completion of Belong and/or Discover Harvester class (not required but highly recommended)
FHSD Background Check (not required but highly recommended
A heart for serving the community and supporting local schools
Good organizational skills and attention to detail
Ability to work well in a team and follow instructions

Time Commitment:

At least one service activity per month at a local school
One monthly meeting at Harvester Christian Church for prayer and preparation

Benefits:

Opportunity to make a positive impact on local schools and the community
Fellowship and connection with other church members
Spiritual growth through prayer and service

Contact:

For more information or to sign up, please contact

Carissa Figgins

Local Outreach Pastor

cfiggins@harvester.cc

February 27, 2025

in Local, Outreach, Serve Teams

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Volunteer Job Description: Emergency Weather Response (EWR) Crew Member

Volunteer Job Description: Emergency Weather Response Crew Member(EWR)

Vision: We envision the area churches in St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren County will provide safe overnight sleep to protect our homeless neighbors from dangerous inclement weather.

Purpose:

Harvester Christian Church is a part of a county-wide initiative called Emergency Weather Response (EWR) that is activated if the temperatures are predicted to be 20 degrees or below overnight. We are part of a network that opens its doors as a Free Warming Center 1-2 weeks a year to provide our homeless neighbors safe sleeping accommodations for the night. Each night of activation, teams of 3 volunteers serve 4 or 8-hour shifts between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. to provide hospitality to these homeless neighbors.
Ephesians 4:11-12: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”

Key Responsibilities:

Hospitality: Welcome and assist homeless neighbors as they arrive, ensuring they feel safe and comfortable.

Monitoring: Supervise the warming center throughout the night, maintaining a peaceful and secure environment.

Support Services: Provide basic amenities such as blankets, hot drinks, and snacks.

Assistance: Help with setting up and cleaning the warming center before and after use.

Coordination: Communicate with other volunteers and team leaders to ensure smooth operation during shifts.

Qualifications:

Commitment to the mission and values of Harvester Christian Church through membership.
Completion of Belong and/or Discover Harvester class (highly recommended, though not required).
Compassion and a heart for serving the homeless community.
Ability to work in a team and communicate effectively.
Flexibility to serve during late-night and early-morning hours.
Willingness to undergo any necessary training or background checks.

Time Commitment:

Flexible shifts of 4 or 8 hours between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. during activation periods from November to March.

Harvester Christian Church is expected to provide volunteers to serve 1-2 weeks per year during activation periods. 2024-25 Schedule TBD

Training and Support:

Initial orientation and training are provided by the EWR Network typically in early November to prepare volunteers for their roles.
Ongoing support and resources are available through Harvester Christian Church and the EWR initiative.

Benefits:

Spiritual Growth: Deepen your faith through acts of service and compassion, living out Christ’s call to serve the least of these.

Community Impact: Make a tangible difference in the lives of our homeless neighbors during extreme weather conditions.

Personal Fulfillment: Experience the joy and fulfillment that comes from providing critical support to those in need.

Skill Development: Enhance your skills in hospitality, crisis management, and teamwork.

Flexible Scheduling: Choose shifts that fit your availability, allowing you to serve in a way that complements your schedule.

Reporting To: EWR Crew Leader

Contact:

For more information or to sign up, please contact Carissa Figgins

Local Outreach Pastor

cfiggins@harvester.cc

By serving on the Emergency Weather Response Team, you will be providing essential support to our homeless neighbors during extreme weather conditions. Your dedication and compassion will help build up the body of Christ and demonstrate the love of Jesus to those in need.

February 26, 2025

in Outreach

by Brendon

0 Comments

February 2025 Newsletter

February Edition: What’s Coming in HCC Local Outreach & Beyond

I don’t know about you but I just turned the calendar to January 2025 only to see that February 2025 is upon us! So much has happened in the last 7 days from the global and national levels to the last 24 hours at the local level. I feel the tension in my shoulders and jaw. I am confused and weary about what to do and what to say. Even with that fear and stress, I do know that God is still in control, God is on His throne and He has not left us to our own devices.

So before I start listing all the places you can serve or pray over the next weeks and months, let me remind you first and foremost of God’s love for you. Sit with that for a moment. Without moving into guilt or shame, think about how you and I do not deserve this love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Then I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit how you can cooperate with Him to share that same love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness in your family, in your neighborhood, in the workplace, on social media, with strangers, with friends, inside the church and especially outside the church. In this new year, God has graciously opened up another door for us to unleash the hope of Jesus through justice and generosity. I cannot wait to see how you will approach his gentlemanly invite.

Local Outreach Updates:

God was glorified when HCC hosted the (EWR) Warming Center on January 19-25. We were activated four nights and provided a total of 115 beds to our unhoused neighbors. I couldn’t believe it when I saw three of them on Sunday morning in services and chatting with Warming Center volunteers! We will start planning to provide a cooling center this summer when the temperatures are not safe for humans to be outside for extended periods of time. Let me know if you would like to be a part of that planning.

Our Safe Families/Foster/Adopt Serving Group is really coming together. This group is made up of HCC families who already serve as Host Families with Bethany Christian Safe Families or who are Foster/Adoptive Families. The group also includes Family Friends who may provide physical needs such as formula or clothing but they can also help provide meals, transportation, or babysitting to our HCC families.

Food Pantry and Food Backpack Volunteers are just beasts! They have continued to serve in ridiculous weather situations. Talk about discipleship at the cost of comfort. Thank you so much for your dedication and commitment!

FOR THE ONE VISON NIGHTS: We’re just over two weeks away from launching our FOR THE ONE Campaign, and we want to make sure you’re in the loop about this!! This campaign is all about boldly reaching the lost in our region through our third campus in O’Fallon and updates at our Troy Campus. To help everyone catch the vision and understand how we can all be part of it, we’re hosting three identical Vision Nights in February:

Tuesday, February 11th @ 6:30 PM (STC)
Wednesday, February 12th @ 6:30 PM (Troy)
Sunday, February 23rd @ 6:30 PM (STC)

Childcare will be provided for all three nights, and you only need to attend one. Please take a moment to sign up for the Vision Night that works best for you by clicking the link. Give a listen to Pastor Nikomas to calling all of Harvester Christian Church to reach out FOR THE ONE

Upcoming Service Opportunities

School Outreach Monthly Pray & Prep
Monday 2/3/25 6:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. HCC St Charles Campus Annex Door 10
Join us each month to pray for our local schools, teachers, staff, families, and children. We also use this time to assemble simple appreciation gifts and write thank you notes to local school staff. RSVP here

The Sharing Shed
Saturday 2/15/25 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. 923 East Terra Ln. O’Fallon, MO 63366
Our HCC Sharing Shed crew serves every 3rd Saturday of each month from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Volunteers are needed to receive donations, clean them. and occasionally help deliver the items or serve as personal shoppers to Sharing Shed Clients. Volunteers are especially needed who can lift and deliver heavy household items. Sign up Here

LO/GS Spring Training
Thursday 3/13/25 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Mission Cafe
This training is for anyone serving in Local Outreach, Food Pantry, or Guest Services. We will be focusing on safety. SCAAD will be here to demonstrate basic lifesaver CPR. We will have a brief training from our Security Team on what to do in the event of an emergency. We will also have tips and tricks on how to de-escalate and manage difficult conversations. RSVP here

Safe Families Training #1 & #2
Safe Families Core Training Monday 3/24/25 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Mission Cafe
Host Family Training Monday 3/31/25 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Mission Cafe

Bethany Christian- Safe Families is hosting two in-person trainings at HCC on March 24th and March 31st from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Mission Cafe.
For anyone wanting to serve as a Family Friend either for Safe Families or to support HCC families, you need to complete Safe Families Core Training on March 24th. Click this link to sign up for Core Training. For anyone wanting to serve as a Host Family for Safe Families, you will need to complete the Core Training on March 24th and the Host Family training on March 31st. Click the previous link to sign up for Core Training. In addition click this link to sign up for Host Family Training.
The Sexual Abuse Prevention Training for Family Friends and Host Families will need to be completed online. Email Madison Witte to enroll in the Sexual Abuse Prevention Training. Feel free to email Madison Witte from Safe Families, mwitte@bethany.org, for any additional information about what Safe Families is, what a Host Family does, or the critical importance of a Family Friend.

Prayers

Pray for one specific neighbor to be curious about your faith.
Pray for God to provide an opportunity for you to share a message of hope and love.
Pray for God to raise up a HCC member to serve as the Hackmann Rd Early Childhood Crew Leader.
Pray for HCC members to form a consister serving crew at Hackmann Rd Early Childhood.
Pray for God to raise up a HCC member to serve as the Becky David Crew Leader.
Pray for the health and healing of so many of our Local Outreach and Food Pantry volunteers.
Pray Local Outreach volunteers will not slip into humanitarian tasks but will boldly unleash the hope of Jesus through justice and generosity.

Resources for you to grow in your faith and Become more and more like Jesus through service

More Ways to Stay in the Loop

Like and Share posts from HCC Outreach- St Charles Campus Facebook Page
Like and Share posts from HCC Food Pantry
Subscribe and follow HarvesterCC Outreach Blog
In the Harvester app: Log into the app. At the bottom right hand corner click “More.” On the next screen click “Groups.” Click on any group you are assigned to see the calendar, and messaging 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

January 30, 2025

in Church, Food Backpack Program, HCC, Jesus, Local, Outreach, Safe Families for Children, School Outreach, Serve Teams, The Sharing Shed

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Local Outreach Updates:
God was glorified when HCC hosted the (EWR) Warming Center on January 19-25. We were activated four nights and provided a total of 115 beds to our unhoused neighbors. I couldn’t believe it when I saw three of them on Sunday morning in services and chatting with Warming Center volunteers! We will start planning to provide a cooling center this summer when the temperatures are not safe for humans to be outside for extended periods of time. Let me know if you would like to be a part of that planning.

Tuesday, February 11th @ 6:30 PM (STC)
Wednesday, February 12th @ 6:30 PM (Troy)
Sunday, February 23rd @ 6:30 PM (STC)

Childcare will be provided for all three nights, and you only need to attend one. Please take a moment to sign up for the Vision Night that works best for you by clicking the link.

Upcoming Service Opportunities

School Outreach Monthly Pray & Prep
Monday 2/3/25 6:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. HCC St Charles Campus Annex Door 10
Join us each month to pray for our local schools, teachers, staff, families, and children. We also use this time to assemble simple appreciation gifts and write thank you notes to local school staff. Click to RSVP here

The Sharing Shed
Saturday 2/15/25 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. 923 East Terra Ln. O’Fallon, MO 63366
Our HCC Sharing Shed crew serves every 3rd Saturday of each month from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Volunteers are needed to receive donations, clean them. and occasionally help deliver the items or serve as personal shoppers to Sharing Shed Clients. Volunteers are especially needed who can lift and deliver heavy household items. Sign up Here

Safe Families Training #1 & #2
Safe Families Core Training Monday 3/24/25 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Mission Cafe
Host Family Training Monday 3/31/25 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Mission Cafe

Prayers
Pray for one specific neighbor to be curious about your faith.
Pray for God to provide an opportunity for you to share a message of hope and love.
Pray for God to raise up a HCC member to serve as the Hackmann Rd Early Childhood Crew Leader.
Pray for HCC members to form a consister serving crew at Hackmann Rd Early Childhood.
Pray for God to raise up a HCC member to serve as the Becky David Crew Leader.
Pray for the health and healing of so many of our Local Outreach and Food Pantry volunteers.
Pray Local Outreach volunteers will not slip into humanitarian tasks but will boldly unleash the hope of Jesus through justice and generosity.

Resources for you to grow in your faith and Become more and more like Jesus through service

More Ways to Stay in the Loop

Like and Share posts from HCC Outreach- St Charles Campus Facebook Page
Like and Share posts from HCC Food Pantry
Subscribe and follow HarvesterCC Outreach Blog
In the Harvester app: Log into the app. At the bottom right hand corner click “More.” On the next screen click “Groups.” Click on any group you are assigned to see the calendar, and messaging 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

January 25, 2025

in Alleviation of Poverty, GiveHope, HCC, Jesus, Local, Outreach

by cefiggins

1 Comment

Reflections after our first Warming Center Experience

I don’t know if there are human words to express what we experienced this week hosting the overnight EWR Warming Center for our unhoused neighbors. Over 4 nights that dropped below the threshold of 20 degrees, HCC provided 115 beds to our homeless neighbors. As the temperatures plummeted outside it forced some of God’s most beautiful creations to come inside to us I’m not even sure how to organize my thoughts here to share our experiences.

I sway between being in awe and humility of God entrusting us with these people. I am grieved and saddened that God’s creations are so marginalized and so unseen. I swing back to being so proud of our volunteers stepping into the unknown and the uncomfortableness and watching them love and serve. I am blown away by God’s provision not only for us in the facilities that we have, and services we have and the generosity of Harvester Christian folk through our Give Hope campaigns to His provision and our volunteers of providing energy, stamina, and love. We had young adults to retired folk provide hot meals and drinks. We had our neighbors at O’Fallon Christian help us with all the pounds of laundry and packing the trailer. We had Harvester volunteers in the thick of their own battles step in to serve. We had volunteers sacrifice sleep all night and then go work a full-time job the next day.

I don’t want to say that we provided shelter for our homeless neighbors because I think that puts a worldly understanding of a human being in your mind which is probably inaccurate. When I say the word homeless, I think we tend to jump to preconceived ideas and judgments about why someone might be in that situation. I could tell you that we served addicts. I could tell you that we served convicts. I could tell you that we served the mentally ill. I could tell you we served veterans. I could tell you that we served women who had experienced horrific sexual abuse and domestic violence but those are labels that limit and do not give honor to God’s creation. These are His people who were fearfully and wonderfully made who are just as lost and wounded as you and I. I will tell you instead that God provided us the opportunity to serve men and women and sons and daughters and husbands and wives. I can tell you that God provided the opportunity for us to serve someone’s child.

The final night that we were activated I was running on fumes. I’d had extremely little sleep all week long. Every day I was struggling to find the right number of volunteers, and food, and replace things that we had run out of while trying to take care of myself and my family as well. I rushed around getting the laundry and trying to have things ready for our volunteers as they arrived. As I pulled into the church parking lot the song “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake came on Joy FM. If you know me at all you know that this song absolutely wrecks me and brings me to tears. I reached up to turn the volume down and said “Lord, Really? Gratitude? I cannot do this right now. I cannot break down. I have to keep going for the volunteers, our guests, and you!” The Lord’s response to me was,

“Baby girl, you know that you were never meant to do this on your own. I need you to remember to start and stop with gratitude. Don’t be just grateful that you are not homeless. Don’t be grateful that you do have a warm home to go to. Don’t be grateful that in the event of a major life crisis, you would have safety net after safety net after safety net. Don’t be grateful that you have insurance and that you are healthy. Don’t be grateful that you don’t have to sleep in your car. Be grateful for who I am and who I say I am and the things that I have done and will do.”

Talk about perspective.

The coming days, weeks, months, and potentially years will be challenging as a community to provide resources to serve a variety of people. Whether it’s people dealing with mental illness, homelessness, job loss, a family with a child with autism or cerebral palsy, or people trying to acquire job skills. It will be tempting to hunker down for all the things God showed me I was holding onto. It will be tempting to allow Satan to convince us to shield our eyes, to guard our hearts, to proceed in ignorance and judgment, to ignore the issues, and to go along with the status quo. My prayer for us after this week is that we won’t be able to help ourselves in serving others no matter the cost. My prayer is that we will all cooperate with the Holy Spirit and not assume it is the church’s responsibility to provide an event or program. My prayer is that when it is the most uncomfortable, when it is the most unknown we will turn to God first and trust him to guide our steps and to provide wisdom and discernment. I pray we will be obedient to the Greatest Commandment of Loving God and Loving Others. I pray as Harvester Christians that we would continue to live out justice and generosity in our families, literal neighborhoods, in Saint Charles County, and across the globe.

December 18, 2024

in Child Welfare, GiveHope, Jesus, Local, Mental Health, Ministry Partner, Outreach, Uncategorized

by cefiggins

0 Comments

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.

*Click here to check out some great pics from last year’s Family Retreat!

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.

December 17, 2024

in Food Backpack Program, Guest Services, HCC, Local, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach, Serve Teams, Volunteer Spotlight

by cefiggins

0 Comments

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.

December 9, 2024

in Discipleship, HCC, Jesus, Local, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach, Volunteer Spotlight

by cefiggins

0 Comments

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.

November 21, 2024

in HCC, Jesus, Local, Outreach, School Outreach, The Sharing Shed, Volunteer Spotlight

by cefiggins

1 Comment

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Katy Pursell!

At Harvester Christian Church, we know that our volunteers don’t serve for recognition—they serve out of love for Jesus and a desire to make a difference. But we can’t help but celebrate how God is working through their faithfulness to unleash hope in St. Charles County. This week, we’re shining a light on one of our incredible volunteers, not to highlight their efforts alone, but to showcase the ways God uses ordinary people to bring extraordinary transformation in our community.

Meet Katy Pursell!

Where do you serve with Local Outreach?

Local school outreach. Katy also coordinates and leads all of our Teacher/Staff Appreciation Cards and Gifts.

How are your gifts and talents used in this service?

Organization, writing cards, being an extra set of hands wherever needed.

What inspired you to start volunteering with Harvester Christian Church Local Outreach?

During the “Become a Great Church” series, I felt pulled to help people to find and follow Jesus. I had been putting off what I was capable of to stay comfortable. I realized that my heart needed to open to others. Jesus told me it was time to step out of my comfort zone and spread His word through my actions.

How has serving impacted your personal relationship with Jesus?

I have a whole new perspective of community. Serving has created a stronger connection to the people around me. I have realized that serving others, helping spread joy, and showing people the love of Jesus through actions takes priority over my own personal comfort of staying in the background.

What advice would you give to someone considering volunteering for Local Outreach at Harvester?

Step out of your comfort zone. You may learn a lot about yourself while helping others to find and follow Jesus. You will grow closer to Christ as he works through you by helping others.

How do you see God working through the Local Outreach efforts at Harvester?

Serving provides a physical representation of God within the community. For some, It may be the first or only representation that they have experienced. Every time we express God’s love, through our actions,it could guide someone to Him. Planted seeds will grow.

November 4, 2024

in Guest Services, HCC, Local, Outreach, Serve Teams, Uncategorized

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Upcoming Serve Opportunities- November 2024-January 2024

As you start to map out your holiday plans don’t forget to prioritize serving our city. We have lots of things planned but I would love to hear how you and your small group will unleash hope in your neighborhoods during the holiday season!

Serving Opportunity	Date	Time	Location	Sign-Up
Elections	11/4	6:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.	HCC North & South Entrances	No additional volunteers needed
Post Election Prayer	11/5	4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.	HCC Chapel	No volunteers or sign up needed
Woot Woot Wagon of Snacks to Hackmann Rd	11/6	Anytime before 4 p.m.	Hackmann Rd Early Childhood	Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvestser.cc
Harvest Ridge Veterans & Active Military Breakfast	11/8	8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.	Harvest Ridge Elementary Cafeteria	Email Rachel Vandemeulen rachel.e.vandermeulen@gmail.com
School Outreach Monthly Pray & Prep	11/11	6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.	HCC St Charles Campus Annex Door 10	Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvestser.cc
Guest Services/Local Outreach (GSLO) Gathering	11/14	6:00 p.m.-8:15 p.m.	HCC St Charles Campus The Landing	https://my.display.church/e/mZ4F75Uh/tqyDV7d8V9U
Kona Ice Volunteers at Barnwell	11/15	11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.	Barnwell Middle	Email Rachel Vandemeulen rachel.e.vandermeulen@gmail.com
The Sharing Shed	11/16	9 a.m.-11 a.m.	The Sharing Shed	Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvestser.cc
Education Support Educator Appreciation Gifts Delivered to Schools	11/18	Flexible times	Hackmann Rd Barnwell Harvest Ridge Becky David	3 volunteers needed Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvestser.cc
Help Local Outreach decorate the Mission Café Lobby for Christmas at the Movies Series	11/25	10 a.m. until complete	HCC St Charles Campus Mission Cafe	Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvester.cc
School Outreach Monthly Pray and Prep	12/2	6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.	HCC St Charles Campus Annex Door 10	Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvestser.cc
Undecorate Christmas at the Movies Only	12/23	1 p.m.-3 p.m.	HCC St Charles Campus Mission Cafe	Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvester.cc
Deliver Christmas cards and gifts to local schools	12/5	Flexible times	Hackmann Rd EC Becky David Barnwell	3 volunteers needed Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvestser.cc
Serve Hot Chocolate to Parent Pick Up Line	12/12	2:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.	Harvest Ridge Elementary	Email Rachel Vandemeulen rachel.e.vandermeulen@gmail.com
Kona Ice Volunteers at Barnwell	12/13	11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.	Barnwell Middle	Email Rachel Vandemeulen rachel.e.vandermeulen@gmail.com
Undecorate all Christmas from Mission Cafe	1/2/25	1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.	HCC St Charles Campus Mission Cafe	Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvestser.cc
School Outreach Pray & Prep	1/6/25	6:30 p.m.-8:0 p.m.	HCC St Charles Campus Annex Door 10	Email Carissa Figgins cfiggins@harvestser.cc
Food Pantry	Multiple Days	Multiple Times	HCC St Charles Campus Food Pantry	Email Sherry Bollinger sbollinger@harvester.cc
Food Backpack Ministry	Multiple Days	Multiple Times	HCC St Charles Campus Food Pantry	Email Shelly Swart swartshelly@gmail.com

October 24, 2024

in HCC, Jesus, Local, Outreach, Serve Teams

by cefiggins

1 Comment

As we move into Good Neighbor Serve Week please join hundreds of Harvester Christians as we pray for our neighborhoods, communities, and city.

Good Neighbor Serve Week Prayers

Heavenly Father, we ask for your presence in families in our neighborhood. We pray

for strength and understanding between the marriages in our neighborhood. We ask

for loving, strong bonds between the children, teenagers, adults, and grandparents.

We pray that each branch of the family will demonstrate love for one another.

God Almighty, we ask for healthy, thriving relationships between neighbors. We pray

different cultures will be able to understand and care for one another in our

neighborhood. We pray that the diversity of your people will be celebrated by all

neighbors, just as you affirm and love each one of us.

Father, we pray for the teachers and local principals who devote their days to

shepherding our students. Please be present as district and state leaders make

impactful decisions. We ask for guidance and patience for the parent volunteers as

they serve our neighborhood schools. We pray that our schools will be a safe, positive

community for our students.

Lord God, we pray for guidance for our local pastors as they nurture Your

congregation and seek to serve those around them. We pray Fieldview Church and

Harvester Christian would welcome neighbors with open arms. We hope for residents

to find a place to experience community with the body of Christ as they grow

spiritually.

God we ask for your presence in the streets and homes of our community. We pray for

local law enforcement and first responders, for their safety and wisdom and

compassion in all circumstances. We pray for your comfort for those who have

experienced violence and destruction, and we ask your protection for all our

neighbors.

Father, we ask you to give our state and local leaders wisdom make decisions affecting

our city and county. We pray they will be thoughtful in their decisions and listen to the

voices of the community. We pray for courage to stand up for our community and to

live with grace and dignity in our city.

God, we ask for a flourishing community, where neighbors learn to love each other

and come to know Jesus. We pray that we can be good stewards of Your love to each

one of our neighbors. We ask that You help us to learn from our community, and it

may be a place where all are welcomed.

Dear Lord, we lift the lonely people in our community to you today. We pray that you

will bring them comfort, companionship, and hope. Please surround them with your

love and care. Let them feel your presence in their lives. Make us instruments to seek

out the lonely and give them comfort.

Lord, we pray the body of Christ rises to the needs of our neighbors. In our city, if

someone is hurting and in need, we pray your people will step in and minister to their

needs. Teach us to provide both the physical and spiritual needs serving as the hands

and feet of Jesus.

Lord, there is much work to be done in our city. We pray that You will guide us as we

address these challenges and bless our efforts to create a community where everyone

feels valued and supported. We rebuke the lies of Satan as he comes to steal, kill, and

destroy. Open the eyes of our churches so they see this as spiritual warfare. Bring our

city to their knees to fight the battle against Satan’s efforts.

We pray Father God that you will unite our community in a spirit of generosity, justice,

and hope. Help us to see that we are part of Your family and we all have been

commanded to Love You and love others.

Heavenly Father, help us to listen to our neighbors, to seek common ground, and to

work together. Give us the wisdom to recognize the needs of our community and to act on

those needs with creativity and innovation. Remove all fear and apathy from our

hearts. Create in us a clean heart. Pour out your compassion, empathy, and kindness

through us.

Lord dissolve any prejudices or biases within our community and replace them with a

deep understanding that you have fearfully and wonderfully made all of us to glorify

you. Help us to work together to build a community of unity, understanding, and

compassion. Sweep our community and bless us all with the eyes and heart of Jesus.

May the Holy Spirit sweep over our city, resulting in a true revival where actual change

occurs inside and outside the church walls.

Heavenly Father, We come before You with grateful hearts for the nonprofits and

schools in St. Charles County that serve our community with dedication and love. We

lift up every leader, teacher, volunteer, and staff member who works tirelessly to meet

the needs of others. Strengthen them with wisdom, patience, and compassion as they

fulfill their roles.

Lord Jesus, may Your peace, protection, and provision cover every organization and

school, and may their work reflect Your grace and mercy. Help us as a community to

support and encourage them in their mission. Unite us in our efforts to care for the lost

and wounded and to unleash hope to our community.

Holy Father guide us to be instruments of your love and mercy, showing kindness and

compassion to all we encounter. For those living apart from Jesus, please open their

hearts and minds to the truth of Your word and the gospel message. Help them to see

the beauty and power of your love and to experience the transforming power of your

grace.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the unity we have in Christ. Just as Jesus prayed for

His disciples, we also lift up those who believe in You, and for those who will come to

know You through our witness. May we be one, just as You, Father, are in Christ, and

Christ is in You. Let the unity of believers reflect Your love and truth, so that the world

may believe that You sent Jesus. Help us live in harmony, united in purpose and love,

so that Your name may be glorified. Bind us together in a spirit of peace, that our unity

may reveal Your presence to those around us.

In the name of Jesus, we pray,

Amen.

October 17, 2024

in Global, HCC, Outreach

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Job posting with Harvest Initiative

One of our global partners, Harvest Initiative has a new job posting for Nicaragua Trip Coordinator as a contracted position. You can find all the details noted below. Serious inquiries should contact Marcus Pearson marcus.harvestinitiative@gmail.com

Nicaragua Trip Coordinator Job Description

Harvest Initiative, (HI), a Missouri based 501c3 not for profit seeks to fill the role of Nicaragua Trip Coordinator as a contracted position for 6 months to 2 years. The main focus would be the mission trips including pre field prep communication as well as the actual trip activity direction here in Nicaragua. It would be necessary to spend time here in Nicaragua to catch the clusters of trips, for example, we have 4 groups in Feb and March and we need to have someone here on the ground a couple of weeks prior to the trips, then during the visits, after that, it would be pretty flexible Nica base vs US base until we have another cluster later in the year. Other communications and administrative tasks could be carried out remotely except for planned events and occasional meetings, typically in the St Charles, MO area. In almost all aspects, this is a people-oriented, public-facing position so the ability to interact with people, sometimes in stressful situations is vital.

Qualifications:

Good Christian Testimony
High School graduate
Experience with the dynamics of mission trips
Spanish is desired but not indispensable, HI will pay for some language training

Mission trip Responsibilities: 60% time commitment

Nicaragua Based
correspond with trip leaders to align expectations according to the HI Delegation Guide
collect and forward information needed for compliance with local regulations
coordinate with project directors and pastors to set trip activity schedules and plan for needed transportation, materials, translators, food etc.
accompany teams during their stay and oversee the activities, coordinate on-site with local volunteers, directors, and pastors
conduct after-action evaluation and communicate results as appropriate
ensure that pictures, videos , and testimonies are collected and available for inclusion in social media postings

Other Responsibilities

Nicaragua-based or US
monitor email and respond/reroute/follow up as needed
REACH sponsorship and donor database monitoring+recruitment
correspond with sponsors regarding expiring payment info, missed payments general concerns, new sponsor welcome by phone, e mail, postal mail as
needed
contact prospective sponsors to encourage them to commit to sponsoring
maintain archives of corporate documents, contact lists, media resources and project information for use by others inside and outside the organization and facilitate access as needed

Other duties as needed

may include representing HI at churches or civic venues, logistics support, or online research

Stateside Admin Functions

Intern and Mission trip recruitment, orientation, debrief, travel to Nicaragua for in-country during the time the groups are in Nicaragua is necessary, other than when teams are in country, job could be remote.
Follow up on grant proposals generated by YourGrantSource & grants researched by volunteers (e.g. Tinker Fdn, Weekly Fdn, IDES, Emerson Electric)
Assist volunteers with data entry and retrieval as needed from Quickbooks, Reach Donor database, and Mailchimp
Routine correspondence and communication as needed
Recruit and integrate volunteers in strategic areas where HI lacks help (IT, graphic design, marketing)

Time commitment breakdown

Intern, Mission trip,volunteer recruitment 60%
Reports, Document prep, correspondence 10%
Grant followup, database 20%
Other 10%
Location 80% remote, 20% in person, various locations in St Louis Metro, most of our contacts are in the St Charles Co area.
In Nicaragua time $1000/mo stipend, all travel and housing pd by HI, pd language study if desired

US time

part time position approx 20 hrs/ week average, flexible schedule, occasional travel to Nicaragua possible. Spanish desirable, but not required. Compensation $18/hr billed monthly as 1099 contract position

As the organization has grown our volunteers have admirably taken on more responsibility and we are in a great debt to them. Our challenge is to increase our stateside capability in administration while not supplanting the efforts of our core volunteers.

Outreach

Upcoming Service Opportunities

From the HCC Outreach Team: