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FLORIEN – A mom who talked about her teenage son’s suicide helped a suicidal teen to see his need for the Lord.
That was one of many “God-sightings” that took place during whre Mike Haynes is senior pastor.“The greatest thing to me about Harvest Now was watching God at work in the midst of not only the students but the leaders as well,” Haynes said. “If the Church of the Living God would get back to following the Spirit instead of man, what happened at Harvest Now could happen all across this land.”
What happened was that a group of about 100 teens from District 8 churches grew by week’s end to 140 or more each day, as the teens brought friends to participate in devotions each morning, about six hours of mission projects, followed by dynamic worship each evening. Services at night grew to 180 or more with the addition of parents.
“This year we had one night of preaching, the first night,” Gilcrease said. “Although we had speakers prepared, the Holy Spirit moved in a big way. During worship the following nights, the kids who had accepted Christ the day before or found healing in their lives, shared their testimonies during the service. Invitation times lasted to over two hours each night.
“It was an incredible movement of God,” Gilcrease continued. “God has truly blessed us as leaders, as we have been witness to many youth and their families’ lives changed through this event.”
The concept for Harvest Now grew out of a MissionFuge trip the youth participated in a few years ago, which Gilcrease thought could be effectively replicated locally.
“It’s pretty much all year planning,” said the volunteer youth minister, who works in the oil & gas industry bivocationally. “I prepare and write all the devotions, which are inspired from months of study and prayer.
“It’s such an amazing thing to see how it all comes together and God’s plan is revealed as the days unfold,” Gilcrease continued. “Our first prayers are, that God will provide the leaders who are committed, and that we all get on the same page spiritually. Each year God has blessed with giving us the right missions and the right team leaders.
“Our passion is to teach the youth effective Biblical discipleship and give them the opportunity to put those skills into action,” Gilcrease said. “So many of the youth today are hungry for the Word, and hungry to learn the truth.”
Harvest Now consists of four days with a variety of missions within the community. The youth are separated into teams and all get the opportunity to experience a different mission each day.
One mission team visited area nursing homes, and the homes of five shut-ins. The teens there would interact by doing crafts, sing and pray with the seniors. Another team spent their days at two low-income apartment complexes, where they led a VBS theme before taking the kids outside to play – including fun slides –and to show love and attention.
“Several kids from the complexes came at night to the evening worship service,” Gilcrease said. “Some of those children had accepted Christ and participated in the event.”
Another team held car washes as a fundraiser, with the teens deciding where the funds should go. This year the team decided to donate the funds to a local family that was in need, whose father was unable to work because of his health. This team also volunteered at a local community outreach center, sorting goods and doing other volunteer work.
The fourth team was busy at the homes of seniors and handicapped people within the community, where they cleaned and did yard work as requested.
Each day the teams debriefed, to talk about the needs uncovered and what they had experienced during their mission. One day they learned of kids who didn’t have shoes, so they provided some for them. Another day they went to a playground that had no shade, so they arranged to raise the money for materials and build a pavilion there. Repair work is being done for a family whose home had damaged steps and decking.
“They started at 8 a.m. with breakfast,” Gilcrease said about the mission teams. “Then they’d have worship together, Bible study, a pep rally to pump them up, prayer and then they’d be off to their mission project assignments. They’d take their lunch to the site, where they’d have devotions within their team, then mission work from noon until about 4:30.”
The teens would have an hour of “downtime” before the evening services that started at 6 p.m. and included drama, music and testimonies that led naturally into invitation times.
The theme this year: Follow me, from John 1:35-43.
Harvest Now was a no-cost event with a $5,000 budget – mostly for food and supplies – that was covered with donations. “Discipleship begins with giving, and leading. So I wanted it to be totally self-sufficient from our church,” Gilcrease said. “Our intent is to be able to offer this to churches and kids for free. It costs money to do things, but God has provided each year and has met every need.
“There are so many youth who never get the opportunity to attend a conference or youth function,” the youth pastor continued. “We try to give them a experience that’s a lot of fun and all about Jesus.”
Dates have not yet been set for next summer’s Harvest Now. Contact Brian Gilcrease atdeepwaterdriller@hotmail.com to be added to the list of churches/individuals to be contacted as details are developed.