Who We Are
OUR FOUNDATION
OUR FOUNDATION IS JESUS
The person and work of Jesus Christ is the foundation of all that we do at Harvest. Jesus is at the centre of all creation and at the centre of our lives as Jesus-followers. We are changed by the good news (the gospel) which declares that Jesus, God the Son, lived a perfect life in our place, bore the penalty for our sin through His death on the cross, and was raised from the dead to declare victory over sin and launch God’s new Kingdom. In all that we do, we seek to have the gospel proclaimed, demonstrated and taught so that the lost are saved, the saved are matured, and the matured are multiplied.
OUR PRIORITIES
AT HARVEST WE HAVE FIVE PRIORITIES THAT KEEP US FOCUSED ON OUR MISSION OF GLORIFYING GOD BY MAKING DISCIPLES
CENTERED ON THE WORD (2 TIMOTHY 3:14-4:5, 2 TIMOTHY 2:15, HEBREWS 4:12)
We believe in the power, authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency of Scripture for life and godliness.
We will preach unapologetically with practical application of the Word of God and each member will be equipped and encouraged to grow and mature in their love and confidence in the Word and apply it to their lives. Every ministry from Kids to Youth to Life Groups will be saturated in God’s Word.
FERVENT IN WORSHIP (ISAIAH 6, PSALM 95:6, EPHESIANS 3:20-21)
Worship that engages our deepest affections for God and expresses the truth of his faithfulness, glory, and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
We come expecting God’s manifest presence as we gather on Sundays to lift high the name of Jesus in worship. It will be common in our services to see the church fully engaged in heart, mind and body with hands raised, bowed down, celebratory, dynamic, God-glorifying, all-in worship. Our desire is that Sunday will be an overflow of hearts worshipping daily.
CONSTANT IN PRAYER (ROMANS 12:12, COLOSIANS 4:2, EPHESIANS 6:18).
Prayer that is dependent on God and expectant for Him to act based on his character and promises.
Prayer will be urgent and often, both planned and spontaneous as the church gathers to pray regularly and quickly goes to prayer alone and with others, rather than just talking about prayer.
COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY (1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-26, GALATIANS 6:2-3; HEBREWS 10:24-25)
A commitment to consistent growth and accountability within a community of believers.
We will intentionally pursue Christ-centered, gospel saturated, authentic and transparent relationships with believers in the church. We will encourage, exhort, serve, forgive, love, care and be devoted to each other as we live life together serving each other and the world.
COURAGEOUS ON MISSION (ACTS 20:24, EPHESIANS 6:19-20, JAMES 2:22-27)
Courageously sharing the good news of Jesus by speaking and living out the gospel.
Jesus didn’t leave us to wonder what we should be doing as his followers and as the church. In Acts 1:8 he told us that we would be his witnesses throughout the world. When God’s love transforms us, it’s impossible to contain it within the walls of our homes or church. His love will overflow into real, tangible love for our community as we demonstrate and declare the gospel.
OUR MISSION
We exist to love God, love people, and make disciples of Jesus Christ.
As a church, we are called to carry out the Great Commission in the spirit of Great Commandment, so our mission statement was created to capture both biblical mandates. Our mission drives everything we do. We hope that this calling to see the lost saved, the saved matured and the matured multiplied serves as an invitation to actively participate with us in the work of the Lord rather than remain a passive observer.
OUR DISCIPLESHIP
ABIDE • COMMUNITY • MISSION
If you want to understand our mission of making disciples, you need to understand what we believe knowing and following Jesus is all about.
Jesus said, “Follow me!” When He spoke these words, he was not offering an invitation to a destination, rather it was an invitation to a new life of being reconciled to a relationship with a Person who would radically change one’s way of life.
And so, we want to connect you to a relationship with Jesus so you can know Him more and you can follow Him more closely. This happens as you respond to His call to surrender your life Him, dying to yourself, and following Him.
As we follow Jesus we see, in the New Testament, that His life was all about relationships:
1) His relationship with the Father
2) His relationship with his disciples
3) His relationship with the people who didn’t know God at all.
So, if we are to follow Jesus, we would look to follow Him in these three relationships – an abiding relationship with God, an authentic relationship in community with other Jesus followers, and an active relationship with those who don’t know Jesus as we live on mission locally and globally.
OUR LIFE AS A JESUS FOLLOWER
GOD TIME • GATHER TIME • GROUP TIME • GIVE TIME • GO TIME
In order to grow as disciples (those who know and follow Jesus), we are going to need an intentional plan. Relationships just don’t happen, rather they grow deeper and fuller as we intentionally put the work into the relationship. For us to grow in abiding with Jesus, engaging in community and living our lives on mission there needs to be an intentional plan.
We have five strategic ways that you and I can choose to invest our time that grows all three of these relationships:
