Serve Teams

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Serve Teams

February 27, 2025

in Local, Outreach, Serve Teams

by cefiggins

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

December 17, 2024

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

by cefiggins

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Volunteer Spotlight: Ken Sabo

At Harvester Christian Church, we love highlighting how God works through our volunteers, and Ken Sabo is a powerful example of His hands at work. Ken’s service is not about recognition but about responding to God’s call to impact His kingdom. Through Ken’s obedience and heart for others, God brings hope, joy, and transformation to those he encounters. This story isn’t about Ken; it’s about the incredible things God is doing through him to glorify His name and lead people to find and follow Jesus. Continue reading below to learn more about Ken and his obedience to God through service to others!

Where do you serve with Local Outreach?

I serve in the Food Pantry, the Parking Crew, the Backpack Program (which provides food for children at local schools who may not have the means to be fed on weekends), Local Outreach events at schools in the area, and other service projects through the church as needed.

How are your gifts and talents used in this service?

God uses my ability to serve others and to help meet their needs.

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

When I first started serving, I was at Guest Central. One hot Sunday, our Then-Local Outreach pastor (Kevin Hamilton) asked me to drive the golf cart to pick up people and take them to the Worship Center. At that point, I wanted to keep doing more.

How has serving impacted your personal relationship with Jesus?

It has brought me closer to Him. Realizing that He made sacrifices for me, I should sacrifice my time and talents to help increase the size of the Kingdom and show His love to others.

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

It is real easy to get plugged into a program that needs help. You can try one and if you feel that is not a fit for you, switch to another until you find one that works for you.

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

I see that we can all help to grow the Kingdom in some way, whether it is large or small part. Every part counts.

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.

September 14, 2024

in Discipleship, Jesus, Local, Outreach, Serve Teams

by cefiggins

1 Comment

A Little Raw & Honest Truth: Do We Need A Serve Week?

I will get right to the point. I debated for a long time this year on whether it was a good idea or not to organize another Serve Week for our HCC family. Let me be clear. My ping-ponging in my head was not about whether it was a good idea or a needed thing much less a commandment to serve. The Bible is pretty clear on that one. If you need a list of biblical proof you can find a growing list here.

My concern is if I was giving people a reason NOT to serve. I worried that if we focused all of our attention and energy on this one week would we be fooled into thinking we had done our duty for the year. That somehow there was a spiritual checklist that we checked off serving one time that we were good to go until next year. I debated on perpetuating the idea that serving in this day and age had to be convenient, it had to fit in between this soccer game, this trip to the lake, this business engagement, and these two birthday parties, and if it was a full moon, and if it was not too hot and not too cold and with the people I know, doing a thing I know how to do that wasn’t too hard or too strenuous or too involved or too messy or if it interfered with my work-life balance. We tend not to commit to something ongoing or even one time as we wait to see if something better or more enticing or entertaining comes along.

Did I mention this post was a little raw and honest this time?

I am genuinely worried that we are selling ourselves short of all the blessings God truly intends for us by offering ourselves up as a living sacrifice obedient to Him. There are loads of “feel good” reasons to serve. You no longer feel guilty about sidestepping your Local Outreach Pastor (wink, wink). It makes for some very likable Instagram posts. Science also tells us that serving makes us healthier, it helps us live longer fulfilling lives because we have a sense of purpose and identity in something greater than ourselves. Our service directly glorifies Him. Serving isn’t a clickable option for living as a Jesus Follower. God hard-wired us to serve. Serving others is a form of worship. It puts us in our proper place and posture to God. But it’s also messy, And it doesn’t always work out into a neat social media post. And the people we serve are not always dripping with gratitude. And the people we serve with are just as likely to be stinky, biting, obstinant sheep like us. Serving is probably going to test our boundaries and push us way out of our comfort zone. It usually takes place during a time that doesn’t fit the family calendar.

Serving allows us to experience God’s presence in a new way. If we stop relying on an annual serving event to remind us that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and rather allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit to serve others we start to see that the small, cumulative intentional acts of kindness, gentleness, and love in God’s name are what are truly pleasing to God. When we are real and authentic about serving, the cost of serving, the reason why we serve, and WHO we serve, this is what will lead our neighbors to find and follow Jesus.

we start to see that the small, cumulative intentional acts of kindness, gentleness, and love in God’s name are what are truly pleasing to God.

So here’s the confusing part about being raw and honest. God has cleared the way for Serve Week. 🙂

Our Good Neighbor Serve Week is September 28-October 3. I hope you will take advantage of some of the serving opportunities we have lined up to use your gifts and talents for God, connect to other HCC members, meet our neighbors at Fieldview Church who are also serving with us, to unleash the hope of Jesus. I also hope you and your life group will seek God and see where He wants you to consistently serve your neighbors again and again.

But my ultimate prayer is that you will wake every day asking God how you can love and serve others in His name through the everyday seemingly small but intentional acts of love. I hope you can’t help yourself because of what Jesus has done for you.

Click the link below to sign up for one of our

Good Neighbor Serve Week

serving opportunities here ==>

https://harvestercc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/487/responses/new

June 10, 2024

in Child Welfare, GiveHope, Outreach, Serve Teams

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Give Hope Ministry Partner Spotlight: The Sparrow’s Nest

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

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

What is one specific way Harvester Christian Church’s GIVE HOPE contributions have unleashed hope in your organization or to the community through your organization?

GIVE HOPE has allowed The Sparrow’s Nest to

1. Remain open in a time of transition while we were going through the very lengthy process of acquiring licensing to become a child care cooperative.

2. Plan for our future. We KNOW we need to purchase/lease a larger facility. We are currently serving the maximum number of children we are licensed to provide care for, 5. We currently have 7 children on our waitlist. We have had to turn away over 120 children who could not wait for a spot to open up.

Please share a brief client-success or services-success story we can share with Harvester Christian Church.

“Words can not express the thanks my family has to each and every staff member as well as volunteers at Sparrows Nest who have become a part of our family. As a parent, I trust Sparrows Nest with my greatest blessing and I am thankful for all the love, attention, and guidance that my son receives as well as myself. I have received nothing but the utmost respect and care. Sparrows Nest genuinely cares about my family and not just our current situation but the future. I feel like Sparrows Nest is a family always willing to help in any way they can. I have no worries when my son is there which is the greatest peace of mind any parent can ask for when you have to work to provide for your family. If I have a need they have multiple solutions to assist us, I never feel alone in this journey thanks to the amazing staff at Sparrows Nest.”

Where is God leading The Sparrow’s Nest in the future?

Our goal is to be in a much larger facility in the very near future. We will continue to not charge the families who participate in our programming and will remain donor-funded. The estimated cost of this project depends on the type and size of the facility we are able to move into and the amount of staff that will be required to care for the children. If we were able to accommodate 50 children that could require we hire up to 10 childcare providers depending on how many kiddos are in the different age groups.

What existing volunteer needs can we share with Harvester Christians?

We are looking for volunteers for a donor appreciation event on June 27. Volunteer information can be found here ==>https://thesparrowsneststl.org/volunteers/

*Lance Rogers, a Harvester Christian currently serves as the board president for The Sparrow’s Nest. Harvester Christians routinely serve in The Resource Closet as well as maintaining the grounds.)

How can we pray for your organization, staff, volunteers, clients, and community your organization serves?

Please pray that we are able to secure the funding required to grow the organization. We know that the need we are filling a critical need of so many families. Please pray that our state legislators pass legislation for the child care tax credit.

May 23, 2024

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD, Guest Services, HCC, Jesus, Outreach, Serve Teams

by Brendon

0 Comments

An Ode to Volunteer

” …. But that misses out the vital middles stage – that those who are declared to be in the right, to be God’s people, are the renewed humans, the people God had in mind when creating his image-bearing creatures in the first place, the people who now, in the present age have a decisive role to play in the coming to birth of the new creation….”

– NT Wright, Into the Heart of Romans pg. 16

” All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. THEREFORE, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Paul, 2 Corinthians 5: 18-20

Serving is hard. Serving is counterintuitive. Serving is putting others before ourselves. Serving is thinking differently than we typically would. Serving is not always the hot thing to do. Serving doesn’t always lead to a sexy outcome. Serving doesn’t also bring about all the accolades that we might be searching for.

However, serving may not be the things listed above, it is something that we are called to do. Even if we are not serving in a role or on a serve team or at an event. Serving is what we are called to do always.

Rich Villodas, a pastor in New York, said this about Jesus ” Jesus went towards all….”. He was making reference to how Jesus continually found himself around people serving them however was needed. Whether it was teaching, clearing out a temple, healing, relieving from a demon, recovering the sick, waking the dead or drowning a herd of pigs after putting demons in them. Jesus was always serving, wherever he was with whoever was around.

Every week, we have the chance to serve others when we open the doors for worship services on Sunday’s. I know, serving does not only have to happen on Sundays, but there is a lot of opportunity on Sundays to serve others. Some that do are consistent and others not so much. But whether you are there every Sunday or once a month, you are an ambassador of Jesus to those you are serving. You cannot change that fact.

For those that serve, we thank you! For those that will serve, we thank you! For those that have not yet served…..think about it.

Here is one guests story about their encounter on a Sunday morning:

From:
Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 1:29 PM
To: Lead Pastor <leadpastor@harvester.cc>
Subject: Recent Visit

Nikomas Perez,

I was happy to attend Harvester this past Sunday with my son on the way to his hockey game. My interest

was piqued at your invite to the Living Room. I enjoyed meeting you and wanted to share how I came about

coming to Harvester. My home church is Oak Bridge but when I cannot attend I love to seek out other similar

Christian Churches just enjoy the service and see how well they welcome visitors.

I had been to Harvester for an event but not a service when I decided to attend on a cold snowy

day in January. It would have been easy to stay in bed, the roads were bad and I wasn’t even sure the

church would be open since some churches were canceling due to the weather. I had to make the trip

to Wentzville anyway so if being early was the only negative I decided to forge ahead. The Harvester

Facilities team had cleared the lot and salted the steps, kudos to them for a job well done. I walked

in as a familiar looking gentleman held the door open and greeted me with a smile. Wearing a hat with

a jacket I didn’t get a great look at who it was but once inside I had to turn back and see who the

familiar face was. Sure enough I recognized Kim Forney! Kim had attended Oak Bridge and knowing

he had chosen Harvester as his home church I knew I had picked the right church to attend.

Everyone from the parking lot to my seat was cheerful, friendly, and willing to provide any information

that I needed. Knowing a little about the operation of a church, I had to send a note of praise to your

team and all the wonderful volunteers at Harvester. As I mentioned earlier, I brought my son with me

on Sunday and holding open the same door and greeting me with a smile was Kim. Please double his

salary!

Thank you Harvester for reflecting Jesus in such an excellent and authentic way!

Sincerely,

Again, serving is not always the easiest thing to do. But when you do, you make a difference in other people’s lives.

If you need help, let us know. We would love to help get you plugged in to a serve team!

May 13, 2024

in Alleviation of Poverty, Child Welfare, Church, DTOTD, Global, Guest Services, HCC, Local, Natural Disaster Response, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach, Serve Teams, The Sharing Shed

by Brendon

0 Comments

Faith without works, is dead

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you say to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

– James 2:14-17

Serving others, out of a humble heart, is not an easy choice that not everyone will make.

In the church, we talk about serving all of the time. And to be honest, we have too. Serving is of vital importance to every church’s existence and operational ability. The church was not created to be a paid enterprise organization that is able to pay every single person that changes a diaper or leads a small group. As crazy as it sounds, the church was created to be a vessel of people that would pour into the people around them and inside the walls of the church building to be able to lead those to knowing and following Jesus.

There is one thing about learning about God from an academic stand point, but it is something completely different when it comes to following Jesus’ example of life here on earth.

When we see the disciples, which eventually become Apostles in the book of Acts, get called by Jesus, very early on we see the disciples both learning things and unlearning things. The disciples are learning from Jesus about what life could look like and unlearning what they have been taught since they were kids. Jesus also takes the moments to send his disciples out, very often, the disciples are sent out to serve and to preach the good news of Jesus.

You see when you begin to follow Jesus, and become his disciple, we find that serving is intertwined with your faith and your deepening understanding of who Jesus is for us and through us.

The problem we all face, is that serving has become somewhat of a ‘glamour’ seeking endeavor. Serving has been distorted to be into something that we can brag about. If you read Thought #8, you may be thinking, this sounds a whole lot like hospitality, well because serving and hospitality go hand in hand with our discipleship to Jesus.

You see as we get closer to Jesus, we see that Jesus had a natural rhythm to life that we can emulate. It may not be as deep or as perfect as Jesus’, which is no surprise, it can be lived out in a daily way.

” ………….But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:43-45

Serving is not about your ability to brag about where you serve or how many people you serve. Serving is about the love you have for Jesus overflowing out of our hearts towards others. It could look like this:

Having a meal with family friends that don’t know Jesus. (hospitality)

Planning a VBS while on a mission trip in Ethiopia. (serving)

Wiping the nose of an upset 3 year old at church in the middle of the summer. (serving)

Stopping to listen to a hurting friend or coworker. (hospitality)

Cleaning the bathrooms at a church that doesn’t have anyone to clean the church on a regular basis. (serving)

Reaching out to your neighbor about the doctors appointment they had. (hospitality)

Could it be hauling furniture from The Sharing Shed to a family in our community? (serving)

As our love for Jesus grows, our hearts for hospitality and serving increase.

There is a forward-facing part of serving and hospitality that is undeniable and very real.

When we serve someone or a group of people, there is a very real and undeniable focus put on you and the same goes for when you show hospitality to someone or a group. As Christians, we are called to go and make disciples of all nations, of anyone that will listen and accept the good news of Jesus and to lead them to following Jesus and his commands. Which means we will be looked at and unfortunately, potentially judged for our actions.

Jesus gave us a new command in John 13 by saying ” we must love one another, like I have loved you…..BY THIS, all people will know you are my DISCIPLES.” – John 13:34 & 35

Then again in John 17, Jesus says ” I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of this world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world…..I do not ask this for these only, but also for those who WILL believe in me through their word, that they may be one just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me….” – John 17:15-21

To James’ point, can we have faith with out works….yes but it doesn’t mean much. On the flip side of that, can we just serve others with out the faith behind it….sure but that also doesn’t mean much because there is nothing attached to the deed. Sure you could be looked at a good person, but in the discourse of salvation, serving to check a box on a to-do list, doesn’t lead to being a disciple of Jesus.

Serving should first and foremost always come from the outpour of love that Jesus has given you and now you attempt to give to others.

As much as bible study and worship and small groups and prayer and silence and solitude are important to your discipleship with Jesus, if we neglect to serve also, then we are missing the whole picture of being a disciple of Jesus.

The question then is, where will you serve to be able to breath the life and love of Jesus out to others?

If you are reading this and are not serving, here is a painted picture worth thinking about:

Here at Harvester Christian Church, there are hundreds of places you can serve…….hundreds really.

Recently I asked just some of the ministries around HCC, what kind of volunteer numbers could they use right now…….150…..Meaning, we could use 150 more people to come and serve the church and the guests that are coming to church each and every week and month.

That number gets even larger when asked what would a dream number of volunteers be….one ministry said 200, another said 270!!

Imagine the kingdom impact we could make as a church if we all took one opportunity to serve in some way….what would it look like, what would it feel like, how would you be used to impact someone else’s life?

Can I challenge you…..take a moment and think about where you would want to serve, just TWO TIMES…what ministry would be it, how would you be serving?

Could it be that you want to help guests find a parking spot with our parking team?

Could it be opening a door for one of our disabled guests that struggle to open the door themselves?

Could it be serving behind the cafe counter helping our guests with some donuts to make the environment of Sunday morning warm and welcoming?

Could it be holding a crying baby until they fall asleep in your arms so that the parents can go and worship?

Could it be leading a small group of 2nd graders to help them understand how much God loves them?

Could it be flipping switches on our tech team in that back where if we didn’t have people, our services wouldn’t happen?

Could it be having conversation with our online guests to welcome them and help them have the best online experience they can?

Could it be helping a new family walk from Guest Central to Kids Check in to help them feel calm and welcomed as they bring their kids to Harvester Kids?

There are so many opportunities for you to step out, in faith, and serve those coming to Harvester Christian Church.

The question is, will you?

If you are interested, let us know or join us for Discover Harvester on June 9th, here is a link – Discover Harvester –

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.

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