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serving Tag

May 23, 2024

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

by Brendon

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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

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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 –

April 3, 2024

in Child Welfare, Guest Services, Local, Outreach, Safe Families for Children, Uncategorized

by cefiggins

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April 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to our April 2024 newsletter!

We are thrilled to share with you the latest developments in HCC’s Local Outreach ministry and our mission to unleash hope in St Charles County. Firstly, we would like to express our gratitude to all of our volunteers who continue to serve consistently to build relationships with our neighbors in St. Charles County. Continue to share information, opportunities, and prayers with your friends and family. You all are GREAT ambassadors.

In terms of our recent activities, Local Outreach volunteers have been BI-ZEEEE! We cooked and served hundreds of pancakes at Harvest Ridge Elementary, we served at The Sharing Shed, we assembled gifts and wrote thank you cards to local school teachers, and we served at Barnwell Middle during their Kona Ice Days.

With more and more people finding their way to Harvester we need more and more Guest Services volunteers. In particular, more Parking Lot volunteers would be great! Check-in with Brendon to see what that would look like. Local Outreach and Guest Services had their first fellowship meal in March. It was just a nice time to come together over a fabulous potluck meal and get to know each other better with no other agenda. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most. Thank you for your continued support! Enjoy this month’s newsletter!

DID YOU KNOW? April is Child Abuse Prevention Month & Foster Care Awareness Month

The zip code 63376 which runs through the cities of St. Peters, Cottleville, and parts of St. Charles has the highest substantiated rate of of child sexual abuse. This is one of the reasons we are partnering with the Child Advocacy Center to bring the free Stewards of Children: Darkness to Light Training. EVERY adult needs to protect all children. As the saying goes, knowledge is power and eliminates fear. Join us on April 11th 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Large Conference Room in the lower level of the Offices to learn how to prevent and protect children from experiencing abuse.

We are also excited to announce that we will be hosting an informational meeting for Safe Families for Children on April 23rd from 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in the FLC. Safe Families for Children hosts vulnerable children and creates extended family–like supports for families through a community of devoted volunteers meeting is for families that would like to learn more about becoming a host family. This meeting is also for those who want to support host families with things like babysitting, transportation, meals, and resources. Register for one or both of these events on the HCC website or email Carissa at cfiggins@harvester.cc

Safe Families for Children

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Matthew 18:6

A Few Ways You Can Prevent Child Abuse

Know the signs: Consider attending the free Stewards of Children Darkness to Light Training on April 11th in the Large Conference Room in the lower level of the Offices from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Join millions around the world for the 30th anniversary of Blue Sunday, April 28th, a day of prayer for child abuse victims. Wear blue to church to show your love and advocacy for child abuse victims.
Invest in the lives of at-risk children
Speak up! If something doesn’t feel right – SAY something
Join us on April 23rd at 6 p.m. to learn more about Safe Families for Children– an intervention for families before foster care gets involved.
Join our HCC group that provides meals, transportation, or babysitting to HCC Safe Families, foster families, and adoptive families.

Ready to unleash hope in St. Charles County?

Click here to sign up for upcoming April information meetings, trainings, and serving opportunities!

January 8, 2024

in Church, Guest Services, HCC Basketball-Cheer, Local, Outreach

by Brendon

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Signing up to Serve on ChMS:

Systems can be a fickle and frustrating thing. They can feel restrictive and box like, but systems are necessary for growth and for organizational leadership. With a new system, there will always be growing pains and head aches. But, if you stick with it and continue to working on getting your entire organization involved and in support of the new system, it can then bring freedom, flexibility and an ease on whatever event you might be coming up to.

Here is another help resource for you in regards to signing up for Serving via ChMS:

Remember to be put in the general volunteer group please complete this brief general volunteer registration. https://harvestercc.ccbchurch.com/…/forms/19/responses/new
To volunteer to ref please complete this brief referee registration. https://harvestercc.ccbchurch.com/…/forms/18/responses/new
Once these are completed you are placed in the volunteer group and You will receive an email from Jillian Hohensee titled – New Serving Opportunities

Open the email
Scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see a button that says – VIEW OPPORTUNITIES – Click the button
That will open a web browser window with 2 categories on the top of the page – Assignments & Requests // Browse Open Positions
You should automatically arrive at the Browse Open Positions portion of the page
Scroll down on the date listed, to see where you can serve for a Game Day – if you are looking to ref:
Find a ref position that is open ( court and time ) that you are interested in
Click on the button – it should bring up a pop-up for you to TAKE OPPORTUNITY
1. If you want to see the schedule you can click the VIEW SCHEDULE link above the blue TAKE OPPORTUNITY button
  1. If you click on the view schedule link it will take you to the full schedule of the gameday where you can see which games need refs and which are full
  2. CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR NAME IS ALREADY on the schedule as you may have been assigned a game to ref
  3. Once you either find the right spot or see where you are scheduled to ref – click the back arrow on the web browser to find the time to sign up

iii. Once you are ready to TAKE an OPPORTUNITY – Click the Blue Button

It will automatically add your name to the schedule – and bring you back to the original link page of Assignments and Browse
You will receive an email confirmation of the opportunity you signed up for and…
To check – click on the Assignments and requests button on the top of the page
Once there you can see where you are scheduled to serve and where you might have been requested to serve.

Before closing out of the web browser –I would suggest pinning the web page to your browser for quick access throughout the season

Thanks for being willing and gracefully allowing us the space to get this under control!

Click here to download a quick PDF on how to sign up– Volunteer Sign Up Process

August 30, 2023

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD, Guest Services, Local, Outreach

by Brendon

1 Comment

DTOTD – step out of the crowd

” …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 did not come to be served but TO serve, and give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

It is really easy not to serve. Seriously. I get it. There are so many reasons that we could choose to not serve. Busyness. Calendars. Appointments. Homework. Dinner routines. Not sure where to serve. Not sure how to serve. Covid. Pandemics. Fear. Unsure of your place. It’s not for me. They don’t need me, they have plenty already.

I recently read an article by Danny Franks titled 4 Reasons Volunteering Within the Church is Crucial. In the article, he tells of a study, ” While 84% of respondents said their church encourages every adult to serve in some capacity, only 30% said they have personally served in the past year.” My upbringing was probably a little different than yours. I was born into this world with a pastor as a dad. One that was hard-working and passionate about what he did. My mom took the step to be a stay-at-home mom to raise me and my 3 siblings the best should could. But it also meant that we were at church a lot until maybe I could drive myself. But for some reason, I still showed up on Sunday mornings for church/youth group. I can remember being in middle school and going to help at church whether it was just to play with friends or to help run through drywall to take a wall down to revamp a space for students. As I entered high school, I was one that everyone knew and looked too. Not sure if I was the best person to always be looked to, but my youth pastor saw something in me that I did not know was there. He put me on stage to host our weekly youth services. He had me pray on stage. He had me lead group discussions. And after I graduated he helped me make the decision to go to bible college. Going to bible college was well, small and isolated. I went from living on the East Coast where I could drive to 2 of the largest metropolitan cities in the country, to finding myself surrounded by corn and bean fields. It was a world unlike anything I knew about growing up. It was flat and you could see as far as you wanted to. In this rural community, one thing remained true. Serving became something that not only was taught but it was expected. Every year in bible college there was a dedicated week to serve on a mission trip or in an area that you may have never been to. Serving on the weekends at local churches whether it was with adults, students, or kids was always welcomed. After graduating from bible college, my personal service became serving students full-time both on the East Coast and then back into the Midwest. Even when it came time to step away from full-time paid ministry, I knew God always called me to serve. Whether working in the church or in the business world there was no question that I would still make it a priority to serve in student ministry and eventually moving to the adult ministry.

Serving has always been something that has been there in my being. It has been ingrained in me to serve is to be Jesus to those around me. Even in my darkest, most confusing, most fearful moments of questioning what I was doing, where I was going, how I was going to be a good husband, how I was going to be a good dad, how I was going to provide and lead my family…..serving provided clarity of who I was and what I was supposed to be doing. Service to others didn’t take something away from me. It provided an anchor and a constant in my life.

There are a few things that I have learned about serving others that I want others to experience either for the first time or for someone stepping back into serving after a break.

Serving allows Jesus to work in you and through you – It is always interesting seeing in scripture, the rhythm that Jesus shows to his disciples. Serving always was part of what Jesus showed them for everyday living. In a recent cohort, Greg Curtis, the Guest Services Pastor at Eastside CC in Anaheim, CA, taught me this term – Outcome-based Discipleship. Essentially, this was all about the process of going and doing while learning and growing about Jesus. Hearing that phrase made me think about this idea that putting ourselves in places to serve not only allows us to show the love of Jesus to others, it allows Jesus to continue to mold us into his image.
Serving brings community – Have you been in a church where you just feel left out? Maybe it’s because at church you feel like just another face in the crowd. Can I encourage you to step out of the crowd? It is super easy and comfortable to come to church and just sit and sing and listen and sing and leave. I tried that, but it didn’t last long. Take a step out of the crowd and find out where you could serve. Whether it is inside the walls of the church or outside of the walls. When you take the step to serve, God will guide you to a place where you will find a community of people who will love you and care for you.
Jesus commanded us to do so – Not just in Mark 10:45, where Jesus says he did not come to be served but to serve but Jesus also shares in John 13, after getting on his hands and knees taking the place of a servant and washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus commands his disciples, ” A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as. I have loved you, you also are to love one another. BY THIS, ALL people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” ( John 13:34-35) Jesus did not say the commandment was to learn about him and sit on your butt and not do anything. Jesus did not that just going and attending a Sunday church service and going home is enough. Jesus said, love other people. Jesus commanded us to go into the world and tell others about his love and grace and to baptize those who believe. Jesus tells us that we are going to be his witnesses in our towns and regions and all over the world. Jesus tells us to pick up our own cross and follow Him daily. If we are to show love to others like Jesus showed to us, then that means we must step out, make sacrifices, and follow his calling to serve others.

” For you were called to freedom brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through Love, SERVE one another” – Galatians 5:13

God has huge plans for you, both in and through your life. You have the chance to be part of serving others to allow them to get to experience Jesus in a way they never have before or maybe for the first time ever. If you ever feel inadequate or maybe not ready or any of the other excuses we can use to stop us from serving you are not alone. Just look in scripture at all of the mess ups and the failures and the messed up people that God was able to use. Whether it is someone who tries to run away from God and ends up getting swallowed by a fish, or someone that follows Jesus for three years and then denies knowing him at all….those guys still gave testimony to who God is and brought about change in an entire city that was known for being crazy and the other is the one who leads the start of the early church.

In our weakness, God supplies strength. Take a step out of the crowd and see how you can serve those around you. Get ready to receive the blessings of knowing exactly you who are and your purpose no matter what.

August 10, 2023

in HCC, Local

by cefiggins

0 Comments

Circle Up Ags!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 14, 2023

in Church, HCC, Local, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach

by Brendon

0 Comments

Story Tellers Series

” And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 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 or servant 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: 42-45

If you have been around Harvester Christian Church for any given amount of time, you have heard us talk about serving and loving people as they are. Well, it’s true. We have a heartbeat of serving and invite anyone that calls Harvester home to join us in our mission to serve others. You will hear this phrase a lot:

UNLEASH THE HOPE OF JESUS into our World.

One way we do this whole thing is through our School Outreach programs. One in particular that is coming up, which is the entire month of July, is our Pack-a-Pack initiative. Last year we saw close to 1000 back packs packed and given away to love on families of St Charles County. This year we hope to collect and distribute more than 1k to help and serve with 5 other organizations to Unleash the Hope of Jesus into the lives of families throughout the Francis Howell and St Charles School district. We will be serving with the Boys and Girls club of O’Fallon and St Charles, Harvest Ridge Elementary, Becky-David Elementary, The St Charles School District and We Love St Charles.

Pretty cool eh?

What else is pretty cool, is that we have people in our midst that are champions of serving in certain schools or areas. One of those champions is Rachel Vandermeulen:

Rachel along with her husband Brett and two girls Avery and Emma, live in the St Charles area and attend Harvest Ridge Elementary. Rachel has watched Avery go through all grades and is ready to see her move on to Middle school after next year and Emma just a few years behind. Rachel has served on the PTO as president that last few years at Harvest Ridge which has allowed a unique partnership with Harvester Christian Church to be able to love and serve on the families that attend Harvest Ridge Elementary.

I reached out and asked Rachel about her time serving the families at Harvest Ridge and what she has dreams of for impacting the Kingdom of God in the lives of those families, here is her heart:

Mark 10:45 states, “ for the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.” This is one of my favorite verses when it comes to serving. Do you have a verse that you come back to that keeps you grounded that you are serving for the Kingdom when you serve at Harvest Ridge?
- RV – Honestly, not really. God just keeps reminding me that it isn’t about me. It’s about bringing others to Christ and showing them His Love. I still find myself amazed how God is using me to serve His Kingdom in a public school setting. God works in ways we never would have imagined.

How did you fall into serving with schools? Why do you continue to do it?
- RV – When we moved to STL I didn’t have friends and felt so lost. Life felt very foreign to what I knew in KY. I threw myself into the PTO as an attempt to make friends and get to know the school. I continue to serve the schools because I feel that is where God has led me. Showing the love of Christ through a cup of lemonade or an event to feed hundreds has brought multiple HR families to experience the difference at HCC.

I know that your girls go or will go to Harvest Ridge, how do you show love to the other students and families on a day to day basis when you are in the school?
- RV – Some days it’s a simple smile, delivering notes of encouragement, or passing out a delicious cup of coffee. Other days it’s planning large events that are affordable and convenient for families to attend.

Can you remember a specific time that stands out to you during an event or conversation where you felt you were in the right place for serving?
- RV – Recently we had a family attend HCC because the church continues to show up at HR. HCC wasn’t and hasn’t pushed a message or a motive but shows love and support to families and staff. This family recognized something was different about HCC and felt led to see what HCC was all about. While I’ve always understood the mission, I don’t know that I have ever truly experienced it like this. Showing up and doing the small things really makes a big impact. I was brought to tears finally understanding why God has placed me on this journey to serve at HR.

What are your dreams for serving at Harvest Ridge? How do you hope to partner with God and impact the families you serve for the kingdom?
- RV – I pray that I can continue to be a vessel to show families God’s love. Whether that is generating different events to feel included and a part of the community at HR, or feeding them a meal to ease a financial burden. I pray that He will continue to open doors in the public schools for our church to be a partner and support for families in need.

What has been your favorite part of serving at Harvest Ridge over the past few years?
- RV – For me it is planning events. I love the logistics of a good, organized event but I didn’t realize the impact it had on others. Allowing families time to enjoy things together, to join in community with others, to kindle friendships that will last forever.

What would you hope to communicate to others that might be on the fence with serving, whether in general or on a school team?
- RV – God has a plan and a purpose for us all. Step outside of your comfort zone and listen to what the Holy Spirit is calling you to do. Be the light for someone in the small moments and serve the Kingdom of God.

I love her heart for serving others and loving people for their benefit and allowing God to lead where she walks. I also love the encouragement she gives to anyone that is on the fence about serving or getting involved at a school.

If you are interested in getting involved with our School Outreach Team reach out to Carissa Figgins or Rachel herself!

June 6, 2023

in Church, Local, Outreach, School Outreach

by cefiggins

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June Local Outreach Opportunities

Organization	Opportunity	Date	Time	Purpose	Location	Sign Up
	Pack A Pack Planning Meeting	Monday June 5	1 p.m. -2:00 p.m.	Plan the various school outreach activities for July and August	HCC Offices-Large Conference Room in lower level	email cfiggins@harvester.cc
	Journey Trail-June Workday	Saturday June 10	8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.	Repair the bridges and clear the prayer garden and pavillion area through weeding, trimming, limb removal	Journey Trails at HCC	Register to serve here
	The Sharing Shed June Workday	Saturday June 17	9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.	Sharing Shed Crew specifically needs people phyically able to lift furniture and make deliveries to clients'	923 E Terra Ln, O'Fallon, MO 63366	Register to serve here
	11th Judicial Circuit of Missouri	As needed 1-2 hours a week	Evenings & Saturdays	Two volunteers needed to consistently monitor and mentor non-violent youth fufilling community service hours	HCC Campus	email cfiggins@harvester.cc
	Becky David School Crew Leader	2-4 hours a month	Primarily during school hours	Assist in creating and maintaining a service opportunity calendar to meet the needs of Becky David.	1155 Jungs Station Rd, St Charles, MO 63303	email cfiggins@harvester.cc
	Hackmann Rd Early Childhood School Crew Members	As needed 1-2 hours a month	Primarily during school hours	Serve on the school crew to meet the needs of Hackmann Rd. Could include prayer, events at school, teacher appreciation etc.	2555 Hackmann Rd, St Peters, MO 63303	email cfiggins@harvester.cc