It was the evening of St. Patrick’s Day and as I walked out of Hans & Susie’s building into some brisk weather, I felt like I was falling in love with our church all over again. Our staff had just gathered for our quarterly fellowship, a time when we get together with our families and just hang out together (no shop talk, just friendship). We decided to do a St. Patrick’s theme dinner. It was a night of great food with great friends and I was in high spirits.

Driving home, I was reflecting on what a great team of people God has given me to work with. I genuinely love these people and I know I’d be friends with them even if we didn’t work together. I don’t think our chemistry is just because we’re all so much alike. Rather I think the key is in how readily we show grace and sacrifice for one another. I think that has kept us close over the years. I’m not just saying that to be pastoral—I really see it that way.

I also started to think about how the way I feel about our staff extends to the way I feel about our leaders at Harvest. We have a team of over 60 people who are actively leading or in apprenticeship. Because we do so much together as friends, I don’t look at our leaders as ministry resources but as real people—my friends. I can live with the work being impeded for various reasons, but I get very burdened if our friendships ever sour.

Sitting here two weeks after St. Patrick’s Day writing this blog post, I can think of so many others at Harvest who are not in leadership but still such a vital part of my life. I think of all the football games, amusement park outings, hospital visits, weddings, meals, road trips, funerals, and other events we’ve shared together. I think of all the ways we’ve opened our lives to one another, sharing each other’s burdens and triumphs. One of my greatest joys about serving at Harvest is that the people here are not just my parishioners – they are my friends.

Do you see a pattern emerging here? I think what I love so much about Harvest is that this is where some of my best friends on this earth are. It’s the church I'd attend even if I weren’t a pastor here. That has always been the thing that has made my 14 years here so deeply satisfying. It’s the reason why I can honestly see myself serving and living and laughing and crying with these people for the rest of my life.

Dave Lee
Lead Pastor

“Where can I serve?”

“Harvest already seems to be well run and all the places I can volunteer seem to be filled”

“I don’t really have the time”

“I live too far”

“What skills do I really have that the church can use?”

These are some of the thoughts that went through my mind when I first started considering volunteering in some way at Harvest. Ok, I admit it, they can also be considered excuses, but they seemed legitimate at the time. The excuses would swirl around in my mind, sometimes at the forefront and at other times in the back, but they were always there.

One day, I went to the Harvest website, the one prior to the one we have today. No offense to those who created it, but I found myself frustrated with it. Some may say the same about the current site, but that’s another story. The site hadn’t been updated for over a year at that point. I wanted to complain and vent to someone and that’s when God convicted me.

The new thought that entered my mind was, “If you’re so passionate about this, why don’t you work on it?” Not too long afterward, I heeded the call and joined the web team; members of whom I later discovered shared my same frustrations.

Little did I know that that there would be some great joys and deep sorrows in joining the web team. We worked hard on the site and grew close as a team. We toiled for some time when the leader of the team, David Jun, tragically passed away with his wife Hannah on vacation. We as a team regrouped and renewed our efforts and when we finished the new website, we dedicated it to memory of David and Hannah. There was much to celebrate when we launched the new site, it had a new look and the information was more useful and more importantly, we honored our friend.

We still get feedback such as:

“I found your church because of the website!”

“I’m glad I’m able listen to the sermon that I missed online.”

“What was the date of that upcoming event? Oh yeah, it’s on the site…”

These are just a few of blessings that I have been able to be a part of, just by listening to God speak that one day. So, what is frustrating you about Harvest? Pastor Dave has mentioned several times that we are far from being a perfect church, so you can’t say “nothing”. Let me rephrase the question for you, “What new adventures does God have in store for you, if you are willing and heed the call?”

Brian Kim

Web Team

Originally posted to Life is Ministry on Monday, October 15, 2007

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Preparing food for the hungry was more than just a time of work. It was a time of worship and a blessing to be able to be part of it. It was so good being able to share this experience with Abi as well. She kept asking me who was making the kids sick, and I kept trying to explain in different ways that in some places people don't have any way to get the food that they need. She had trouble understanding how this could happen, but was very eager to prepare food for the kids who are starving. When we were driving home I asked her what her favorite part of the day was. She said, "The party". I was confused and when I asked her she responded, "You know, the party where we made food for the kids."

To find out more about how you can serve, visit the FMSC website.

Matthew Swain Pastor of Outreach Ministries

I am not surprised by Jesus’ answer to the disciples when asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” His answer…little children. Every Sunday morning in SEEDS, I get to see with my own eyes why Jesus told them, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

As the SEEDS Director, I wish I could say that I get to church every Sunday filled with peace and vision. But the truth is that most Sundays get off to a pretty hectic start for me. Just getting to church on time with my own four children is a feat in itself.

From the moment I walk into the church building I am consumed by the flurry of activity that is required to make sure everything is ready for the day. Craft preparations. Broken copy machines. Classroom conditions. Teacher coordination. Remembering that I may have left something important back at home. By the time I walk into the SEEDS worship room for the start of service, my heart is often tied up in knots of tension.

But as soon as the singing starts something amazing happens. I look around the room and see the children belting out the songs with the kind of carefree enthusiasm that children have, and the tension starts to unwind. I see how unashamed little children are to shout and express their enthusiasm for Jesus. I can just imagine how Jesus must be beaming as the children of SEEDS are, literally, jumping up and down with both their hands in the air as they sing from the top of their lungs, “One Way, Jesus, You’re the only One that I will live for!” Sure, they don’t get all the verses right, but no one can mistake that chorus and its energy. I see in those children something I need more of—something God delights in.

Serving in SEEDS is not always easy, but it’s so good for my soul.

Jeannie Lee
Director of Seeds