"Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this." - Esther 4:14b
"“Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; Do not be silent y at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A a sojourner like all my fathers."
- Psalm 39:12
"Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us on the road, while
He was opening the scriptures to us?"
- Luke 24:32
Vision for the Elgin District
Faithful Disciples Transforming Our District for the Glory of God
Family Gardens and Harvest 2020
Dear Partners in Ministry,
Growing up in southern Chile, the spring of the year was a welcomed relief after the long months of winter. My mother sent me and my four brothers to the plot of land behind our house to till and prepare it for planting as soon as the hard rains subsided. She then planted carefully peas, onions, and potatoes. The planting had to be repeated if torrential rains returned and washed everything downhill.
Nevertheless, as a family we could not wait for the first peas to be picked and cooked.
As I reflect on my life in rural Chile, I am reminded of the basic tenets of Harvest 20/20:
Planting new faith communities,
Promoting healthy discipleship for the transformation of the world,
Promoting cooperation through Cluster Ministries.
Before the harvest, news seeds have to be planted and replanted. We have to have faith that new shoots of growth will emerge. We have to be diligent in nurturing the soil, praying for conditions for growth, and remain faithful to the task. We have to “weed” when problems arise and celebrate when the fields are ripe. Harvest 20/20 calls on clergy and laity alike to nurture our connection, our ministry of outreach, and our central task of making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
First published in 2004, Missouri Bishop Robert Schnase has given us an invaluable tool in his book FIVE PRACTICES OF FRUITFUL CONGREGATIONS. The practices outlined by Schnase are:
Radical hospitality
Passionate worship
Intentional faith-development
Risk-taking mission and service
Extravagant generosity
Published by Cokesbury this summer, FOCUS ON THE FIVE PRACTICES: A Congregational Initiative will help us in our work as described by Bishop Schnase. It includes tools that can be used to implement a five-week congregational emphasis to support planning groups focusing on each of the practices or to launch a stewardship campaign. Resources include a daily devotion titled Cultivating Fruitfulness, a sermon series, planning workbooks and ideas for a church wide day of community outreach.
We should continually evaluate how we can ‘step up’ in each of these practices for a fruitful congregation. Our evaluations should always be prefaced by the question: “How many souls have we reached for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?” This is the business of the church of Jesus Christ! Are we ready for the growing, the cultivating and the nurturing of our personal lives and in our congregations? Thank you for all that you are doing and for all that we will do together!
Both publications are available at www.cokesbury.com (800-672-1789).
Sincerely in Christ,
Oscar
