|
A
Note from Pastor Josh:
|
“Do
you not say, ‘four months more then
the harvest’?
I
tell you open your eyes and look at
the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
Even now the reaper draws his
wages; even now he harvests the crop
for eternal life, so that the sower
and the reaper may be glad together.
Thus saying ‘One sows and
another reaps’ is true.
I sent you to reap what you
have not worked for.
Others have done the hard work,
and you have reaped the benefits of
the labor.”
John 4:35-39
|
As we worked together to prepare the garden for eventual
harvest on Sunday, it made me aware of how
the souls of people are much like the ground
we were working.
Most people associate evangelism with an event, but from a
scriptural perspective, it is more like a
process. In this passage we see the bible using agricultural imagery
to portray this evangelistic process.
Crops do not happen; reaping a
harvest is the outcome of a lengthy series
of events that cannot be bypassed.
First the soil must be prepared and ready to receive the
seed. In
the same manner people must be prepared in
order to receive the word of Christ. The Lord uses us, His servants, to pray for, develop
relationships, and help prepare the souls of
people to receive His word.
The second phase is sowing of the
seed. The sowing of the seed is exposure to
the truth of the Word of God.
Cultivation, the third phase is the
lengthiest part of the process; involving
irrigation, fertilization, and weed control.
It is through this spiritual
cultivation that people gradually realize
that these truths speak to their deepest
needs.
Only when the crop is mature is it
ready to undergo the final phase of reaping.
It is here that we become fully aware
of how God is in charge of the process.
It is through the power of the Holy
Spirit, our task is to love, serve, and
pray, and leave the outcome in His hands.
For all of the planting, watering, and effort we
put into the garden, it is only God who
makes the plants grow.
In life, we can pray, encourage, and
serve but our efforts are impotent apart
from the power of the Holy Spirit.
May our garden provide us
opportunities for the Holy Spirit to work
through our efforts for God’s kingdom. –
AMEN
Grace
and Peace,
Pastor
Josh
pastorjosh@harborcc.net
-----------------------------------------------------------
Harbor
Kids Preschool:
Sunshine!
What a wonderful gift the sun is! Is there
anything better than having your first
morning tea on the patio with the sun
rising? Or walking a beach at sunset? God
shows us his love, day in, day out. I remind
myself of this each time I see a sunrise or
sunset. We are promised in Psalm 30 that
weeping lasts for a night, but God’s joy
comes in the morning. Each time we put on
our sunglasses or lather up with sunscreen,
let’s remember we are basking in the
“son” shine. Thank you Lord for the gift
of your sun and your Son!
“Let
your light shine before men, that they may
see your good deeds and praise your Father
in heaven.”
Matthew
5:16
Check
out our newsletter
for further details on Harbor Kids.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Harbor
Second Saturday's:
Our
Second Saturday ministry will resume in the
fall. A big thank you to Cathy and
everyone who made Second Saturday's a
success.
If
you are interested in volunteering to help
with this ministry please contact Cathy
Grubb at one of the links below.
Please
sign-up on the website
or email Cathy
Grubb.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Join
a Small Group...It's not Hard!
Why
Should I attend a Harbor Small Group?
Small
groups at Harbor Church exist to help you
grow up to full maturity in your
relationship with God and others. You may be
doing great in your Christian walk right
now, but by being in relationship with
fellow believers, you will experience even
more of the abundant life Jesus has to
offer. Ecclesiastes
4:9-10 says, Two
are better than one, because they have a
good return for their work: if one falls
down, his friend can help him up. If you
are ready to connect with other people,
belong to something life-changing, and grow
in Christ through relationships with other
believers, then maybe it's time to get
involved in a small group!
What
do Harbor Small Groups do?
This
can vary from group to group, but most
groups have a time of fellowship, prayer,
Bible or book study, discussion, and life
application. Not all groups study the same
thing. Some discuss Pastor Josh’s weekend
message more personally, some read and study
books about Christian living, and others
study books of the Bible.
We also encourage our small groups to serve
the community together.
How
Do I Join a Harbor Small Group?
Visit
our Small group
website
and take
a look at the current groups available, and
decide which group(s) fit your schedule.
Then
call or email the host or leader to get more
information about the group. After you get
directions and details, just show up and
check it out! Hopefully, you’ll feel right
at home with the first group you visit, but
you may want to visit several groups before
you find the group that's right for you. If
you feel a little nervous or unsure, just
stick with it - you'll be happy you did!
Please feel free to contact
me with any questions you may have
regarding our small group ministry.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Focus on God in every element in worship.
Worship is, by definition, the worship of
God.
It is our chance as the Body of Christ
[church] to join together with one
purpose. To bring praise and honor to
our Creator. A chance to glorify God
above all things with our songs of worship
and praise.
My encouragement to you is that each
Sunday, as you prepare to sing, remember
that you are not singing for those around
you or even for yourself...But instead, you
are singing for your heavenly Father.
What a glorious experience worship can be
when you approach it correctly and humbly.
For
information on joining us: jasona@harborcc.net
-----------------------------------------------------------
Who:
Youth Group for 7th - 12th Grade
When:
Wednesday Nights 6:30-8:30 (Resuming this
fall)
Where:
Harbor
Community Church
Website:
www.harborcc.net/the_current.html
Summer
Break:
Summer is here and
although the Current is taking a break from
our weekly meetings for the summer, we'd
like to get everyone together once a month
to hang out.
Our first event is
tentatively planned for June 29th and will
be a pool party/BBQ at the Leroux's.
It will begin at 2:30 and end around
8:00 pm.
Please e-mail Gene and Diane at current@harborcc.net and let us know if
this date works for everyone.
Invite your friends -
bring sunscreen (waterproof) and your suit
and towels. Supper will be provided, but if you want to bring a snack to
share that would be awesome.
Hope to see you all there.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Mark
your calendars!
Church
Garage Sale is July 17-19. Items to be
donated will be taken on Sunday, July
13th. Proceeds will go to Ryan Sauer's
Memorial Fund. The youth group and
preschool will also be doing fundraisers
during this event. If you'd like to
setup a table for your business (ex:
pampered chef, tastefully simple...) or do a
special fundraiser contact Nikki
Johnson at 952.447.5705 or Missy at
952.393.5785.
Harbor
Church Outreach will be supporting (2) children's
concerts this summer at Lakefront Park in
Prior Lake on June 26th and July 10th.
If family's, small groups, or friends would
like to help with this event call Nikki at
the phone number listed above.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Other
Items:
-
Bored Friday nights? not any
more...Come watch Harbor's co-ed softball team, Friday nights this summer in Burnsville. Every Friday we will have an old fashioned tailgate party with Hotdogs and burgers prior to the game.
Join us for food, fellowship, and funny sports moments.
Contact
pastor Josh 612.735.5238 or Katie Johnson @651.786.9243
for more info.
-
Remember
to keep Gale Mord in your prayers.
Gale is currently in Tanzania on a
missions trip. He will be teaching
pottery and spreading the love of
Jesus. Please pray for Gale and
his wife Karen as well.
-
Save
the date:
----------------------------------------------------------- Save
the Dates:
| Sunday, June 22nd--Savage Dan Patch Days Parade |
| Thursday, June 26th--Outreach giving out popcorn at Lakefront Park community concert |
| Friday, July 4th--Harbor Kids giving out glow necklaces at Lakefront fireworks |
| Thursday, July
10th--Outreach giving out popcorn at Lakefront Park community concert |
| Thurs, Fri and Sat July 17, 18, 19--Harbor Garage Sale and Fun Days |
| Saturday, August 2--Lakefront Days Parade |
|
Wed, Thurs and Fri August 13, 14,
15--VBS
*
VBS program during service Sun Aug
17 |
*
Have something to add to the
newsletter? Email
us your request.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Have
you been blessed by Harbor Church? Send us an email!
PastorJosh@HarborCC.net
|
