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16 ”May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.” 2 Thes. 2:16-17
This Weekend
Pastor Larry’s been published! Pastor Larry’s thesis on “Balancing Head and Heart in Seventeenth Century Puritanism: Stephen Charnock’s Doctrine of the Knowledge of God” has been published in book form and is coming available in June! You can pre-order online at www.amazon.com orwww.bookdepository.com.
Craft Night Friday, May 18th 5:30 PM – ? in the Fellowship Hall
Enjoy great fellowship as you work on a project of your own or learn a new one!
Honoring our Graduates – Sunday, May 20th at 10:30 AM service
Connection Kids will be singing! Sunday, May 20th. We will also be honoring the teachers in Connection Kids this year! Thank you so much for teaching our children!
Summer Connection Kids! We are preparing for summer and are looking forward to a great time in Connection Kids. We are looking for adults/youth to teach/assist once a month. Please reply to this email if you are able to help! This is a great opportunity to proclaim God’s greatness to the next generation!
Harvest Fellowship Capital Campaign Harvest Fellowship is prayerfully trusting God for the finances to pay off the remaining debt on the church building of $139,600. Please pray about a sacrificial gift you can make towards this, above and beyond your regular giving.
Compassion International There will be another opportunity this week to partner with Compassion International and sponsor a child in a poverty-stricken country to receive education and skill, and learn about Jesus!
Kids and Youth
Connection Kids – Kari Watkins, Children’s Ministry Coordinator
This coming Sunday is our last regular Connection Kids Sunday. We will be celebrating in Connection Kids with a special presentation of the lesson, a treat and by bringing the kids over to church to help lead the closing song during second service!
Last Sunday we learned that once again the Israelites were complaining. We talked about complaining being a sin that needs to be confessed and that instead of complaining we should be giving thanks and praise to God for all He gives us. It was a great lesson for all of us! Here is the family discussion guide:
Title: Israel Rejects God’s Provision
Passage: Numbers 11–12
Principle: God is displeased when we complain.
Praise: “This Is the Day”
Prompt: Ask your child these questions:
• Why did the Israelites complain about God’s provision?
• How did God punish the people?
• Who interceded for the Israelites?
• Is God pleased when we complain?
Practice: Help your child apply these truths in the following ways:
• By thanking God for the blessings in our lives.
• By being an example to others by having a thankful and obedient heart.
This Week: As a family, read Numbers 11–12.
Next Week: Numbers 13–14
Memory Verse: Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. (Numbers 11:1a)
Connection Youth – Jim Wiebolt
Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 PM In the Connection Building
May 23 – Youth Group
May 30 – End of school party (come prepared to get messy!)
June 13 – Movie night (details to be announced)
June 27 – Campfire (location to be announced)
July 11 – Tubing at Two Rivers (3-6 PM, modest swim attire, $10 per person, bring a friend!)
Summer Trips – Mark Your Calendar NOW!!!
Mexico Missions Trip: June 18-25th
Adventure Camp: July 14th-21st, Sign up Deadline is May 15th
Evangelism– Elizabeth Siekawitch
The REAL Activity for May is to give away a “Forget Me Not” seed packet to the person you have been praying for, a friend, co-worker or family member who does not know Christ. You can tell them that our church is giving these packets away “just to show the love of Jesus in a practical way”!
Evangelism Quote: The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed — Hudson Taylor
Evangelism Scripture: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: (Psalm 103:2 KJV)
Upcoming . . .
One Service Next Sunday, May 27th at 10:30 AM
Spiritual Gifts Class – Monday May 28th & June 4th, 6-9 PM, Connection Room 203 At Harvest we want to reach people for Jesus Christ, but we do not want to just make converts – we want to produce radical, mature disciples of Jesus. As part of our ‘relational discipleship’ and Growing in Christ Ministry, we are offering a Spiritual Gifts Class to help everyone in our church family discover their spiritual gifts and find a place where the Lord is calling them to serve. The class consists of four sessions, but can be modified to meet the needs and time constraints of different groups. The sessions are: 1. Spiritual Gifts 2. Personality/personal Style 3. Passion 4. Putting it all together. To RSVP, please call Gail Currier at 251-0342.
Prayer and Praise Night Sunday, June 10th, 7:00-8:30 PM. Join us as we worship our AWESOME God!
Sauk Rapids River Days Parade Friday, June 22nd at 6pm (meet at Harvest at 3:30pm to decorate float, line up at 5pm, parade starts at 6pm) – This year we will be spreading God’s joy through worship! We will have a semi truck with a trailer pulling the Harvest Worship Team! We will be giving away pop/water. Please sign up at the Welcome Center to join in the fun of spreading joy and the Good News to Sauk Rapids!
Update from Chrystal Johnson (YWAM)
Hey everyone,
So were in the Dominican Republic and we got here 2 weeks ago tomorrow already! My time zips by-it’s crazy. We have 2 weeks left only and they are going to be so great! :]
When we were in Panama, the first week we spent in the Jungle. I think I touched on that in the last update. The other 3 weeks there we were working at an elementary school! It was an English speaking Christian school for pre-k to 3rd grade! I was able to work in all the classrooms but mainly in the 1st- 3rd. I was teaching religion class. When I would plan class I would go through the lesson plan book and tell the bible story for the week and then we would do crafts, games, and art items that related with the bible story so the kids could take things home. Life at home for these children is really sad. Most of them don’t receive love from their family. A lot of them are living with grandparents and or their parents are on drugs and alcohol. The result of that is them acting out at school, and violence. It was why God had called us there. We were able to help the other teachers and give them a break. We were able to pour into those kids’ lives and love them. Hang out with them, play with them. It was draining when were there. Everyday it seemed like ‘why are we here?’ But when it came to the last day, of us working at the school were able to see a small piece of fruit that came from our time there. Most of the kids had personally made us gifts and cards on their own time. The one thing I will always remember from working at that school is the question I was asked when I was saying good bye to Kevin, the one in 2nd grade. I was always disciplining him and it was hard to get his attention. I thought he probably hated me. And Kevin said, “Can you stay? When are you coming back here?” I didn’t have an answer to that question. I only had tears. And it was the hardest thing to explain to him that I don’t know if I will ever be back to Panama. From that experience I have learned that I want to be somewhere long-term so I can be fully committed to any commitment.
So then here we are! We arrived to the Dominican Republic on April 29th. The flight was short, 2 hours and we were in the DR. We got to the base and met all the amazing people that are here. Two days later we were on the road again. We got all packed up and got in the van and drove 2 hours and got the Mrs. Pastor V’s church. Pastor V has a church in the Haitian community there. While we were there we helped her with her ministry of feeding the children in the community. We put on programs and lived life with them for a week.
Now we’re here in San Pedro at the Base. Every Thursday we get to go to the Haitian community that’s 5 minutes from here and do VBS with the children. Today we had an awesome chance to go on an online radio station. Three others and myself got to go on and answer some questions. I was able to share about how the DR is treating us and how I got into YWAM, which was such a blessing! I shared how God impacted my life and how much He is teaching me.
Our schedule is all planned and packed with things to do for the remaining 2 weeks here. I am really excited to see how God is going to use our team for these weeks and the lives that will see the Joy and Love we hold as a team.
Thank you all so so much for your prayers and support. Thank you all for taking time to read my super super long update. I have been praying for all of you who support me. That God will pour blessings back into you lives as you have shown me the act of His first two commandments, “love me your God and love your neighbors as yourself”. My life has been so blessed in this season! Thank you all so much.
If I could make a prayer request for these last two weeks, it would be to keep my heart open and vulnerable to God’s work, and that I would be filled with strength and discernment. Also a more long term prayer request would be for Gods provision for this next season he is bring me to. For His provision for finances, for the right contacts, for open, generous hearts, and for a laptop. In this next season God is calling me to I will be needing a laptop that can do lots of home work, charts and research! I stepping out in faith and have started the application process for the School of Biblical Studies. It will begin September 17th 2012! I am very excited and hungry to learn God’s Word, and learn who He is, straight from Him. The school is nine months long with an optional outreach to Asia. I am very excited and trust that God will provide. I thank you all so much for your prayers, constant love and support. If you have any questions please ask I would love to answer and chat!
With Love and many Blessings, Chrystal :]
