Ministry Minute
“Seeing the Harvest and Being a Laborer”
In Luke 10:2, Jesus states that the harvest is plentiful as He is sending out 70+ disciples to go minister in the community. He makes sure the people around him realize the spiritual depravity of the world around him. The need is great. And we easily realize this today too, right? I recently worked with a people group that is made up of over 200,000 people, but has less than 40 believers. The harvest is plentiful. But it isn’t just on the other side of the world. I know that all of us look at our own town and our own community and we see the depravity as people turn away from the Lord. People struggle with hopelessness, addiction, worldliness, and all sorts of needs. And there are many needs to be met, but the root that needs to be fixed in all these needs is that people must put their trust in Jesus. The harvest right here in the surrounding zip codes of our church is plentiful. We need laborers.
Recently at North Shelby, God has raised up more people than we have had in a while to be a part of our Evangelism and Outreach team. I had the privilege of meeting with this group and they are passionate about organizing, equipping, and sending people into the harvest. There was an urgency to have some training, so they could go ahead and mobilize the team to be able to go meet needs and share the Gospel. They already have outreach opportunities scheduled for next month. I am so excited for these laborers that the Lord has raised up to reach our community!
When Jesus stated that the laborers are few, He commanded the disciples to pray earnestly for the Lord to send out laborers into the harvest. We all need to be praying for this, but I am also praying that the Lord would lead you to become a laborer for the lost. The hope of this Evangelism and Outreach ministry is not only that we would be able to share the Gospel with many, but also every member of our church would realize that they are called to use their specific gifts to go out into the harvest. We are looking to build a culture where meeting the needs in our community becomes the norm of everyone who worships with us.
The best way to learn how to share your faith or to minister to the lost is to go with someone and see an example. Through this team, men and women will be able to receive training and then go out together in groups to see examples of how God works through the power of His Gospel and to train one another up. As we plan and do these things together, it will start giving us the confidence and tools to share the Gospel wherever we go. Will you be a laborer? Will you pray for laborers? If you have a heart for going into the harvest and want to be a part of this team, please email the church and we will get you plugged in.
It’s a joy to serve with you all,
Alex Lovorn
