Matthew 9:37-38 (Jesus said) “… to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest , therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
During this season and these days we are experiencing an amazing work of God in our fellowship, it is nothing more then a Sovereign move of God’s Spirit. No one can take credit for what the Lord is doing, we can not boast that HSF has it all together, we can’t say it’s because of anything we have done.
(2 Corinthians 10:17) “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord .”
Still here we are, we have people coming to faith, we have people making a deeper commitment to their faith. We have outreaches to children and our community. Even our new facility that is more then twice the size of the old, is beginning to get a little tight. What should we do? How should we respond to what God is doing?
As I have been in prayer and meditation about the future, I am compelled that the Lord is prompting us to “get ready for the harvest.” I do not claim to be a prophet, nor do I think I have some great incite to what God is doing, but I do feel this leading from the Lord.
First Jesus said that there is coming a plentiful harvest. He desires that all would come to salvation (2 Peter 3:9). Secondly Jesus said to ask, (pray) to the Lord of the Harvest for workers. That’s where we are, we need to pray for workers, pray for wisdom and pray for direction.
Secondly in getting ready for what God wants to do, we need both workers and leadership. So we will begin to prepare workers and leaders to handle whatever God has for HSF. Below is our three fold approach to the future.
First, develop and host a leadership class.
With so much growth in the past two years, we need to insure that all the workers are on the same page. HSF is not the perfect church, we do not have all the answers, but we do have a vision and core values in the way we minister. This is who we are, we will not deviate from those values. This class will communicate who we are. So beginning soon, (Date to be announced) we will have a six or seven week Sunday Evening course on leadership. It will include, but not limited to these topics. Biblical leadership, High Sierra Fellowship core values and Inductive Bible Study techniques.
Secondly following that course we will prayerfully consider adding new Deacons and Elders and empowering them in their areas of ministry.
Finally we will be adding a second Sunday service to accommodate what God is doing. With a second service there will be new opportunities to minister, new areas for leadership, and this should help with Children’s workers – as they can serve in one service and attend the other.
Please pray with us about the future, if God is sending a harvest and we are not ready – shame on us! If we have seen the bulk of the harvest and we are building up the body with leadership and bible study tools, then that’s a very good thing all by itself. But if God has a move of His Spirit in our future and we are ready, the result will be joy and salvation!
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Blessings and Grace, Pastor Rich <><