People Spots
Online
Produced by James W.
Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants
Provided as a service by New Life Ministries
It's All about the Harvest
by James W. Moss, Sr.
Seeing the Harvest
Don't you say, “There are yet four months until the harvest?” Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already (John 4:35).
Harvest Lane Church has been slipping. A consultant asked Pastor Mark Granary, “How much of your time do you spend with unchurched people?” And, “How much of your time is spent bringing unchurched people into the church?”
Mark hung his head. His response is almost universal. “I spend all my time taking care of the people who are already in the church. In fact, that takes all the time and energy I have.”
The consultant then asked the church council, “How much time and how much of the budget is spent by the church to bring unchurched people into the church?”
Their answer is all too typical. “We spend no time and none of the budget to reach unchurched people in the community!”
“Congratulations,” the consultant said. “You are getting what you have worked for.”
My denomination has published a paper since 1835. I have turned every page. In the 1800’s there was a passion to reach the harvest. It oozed from the pages of the Church Advocate. I can still feel their intensity and passion for the cause of gathering the harvest. But the Christian church has lost America because we have lost sight of the harvest.
I believe the harvest has to be seen before it can be gathered. Jesus challenged us to open our eyes. See the fields that are already white with harvest. Look at the ten homes closest to yours. How many of those people attend church regularly? There are more than 200,000,000 Americans who either have never ever been to a Christian Church or haven’t been to a church in a year or more.
The issue isn’t growing the church. The issue is gathering the harvest. It is, however, a fact that the church that gathers the harvest will grow.
Bringing in the Harvest
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38).
Gathering the harvest is hard work. I pastored in farming communities. Bringing in the harvest required timely effort. The harvest needs to be gathered when it is ripe. Each day past the prime period, some of the harvest is lost. It requires much hard work. Frequently, farmers work 18 hour days when the harvest is ready.
I had worked with a young man for a couple of years. Finally, he opened a door into his life for me. I missed it. I never had another opportunity with him again. I have regretted that for nearly 40 years.
Gathering the harvest for the church takes very intentional effort. I’m not talking about transfer growth at this point. Transfer growth occurs when a Christian relocates from one church to another.
Gathering the harvest is purposefully reaching into the community to reach those who don’t know Jesus and bringing them to Him and into the body of faith. We need to pray for laborers who are willing to see and gather the harvest to advance the Kingdom.
Harvest Lane Church gives 10% of their income to cross cultural ministries. That is great. They send two mission teams to foreign lands each year. That is great. But what are they doing to gather the harvest from the blocks around where their building is. I sometimes wonder if the Lord will bless the hand that reaches halfway around the world and doesn’t care what happens to the soul of a neighbor.
Gathering the harvest is dirty work. Farmers have to be willing to get dirty. People in the Harvest bring their problems with them. That is a challenge for a staid church. The biblical mandates tell us that we have no choice but to go into the harvest field with all that implies.
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Also see:
 | The Harvest - Vol. 7, No. 8 |
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For other evangelism resources, click here |
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Read about Jim's seminars and books.
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May 8, 2006. Volume
9, Issue
3.
People Spots Online
is prepared by James W. Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants. It is provided as a service by New Life
Ministries, www.NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org.
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