For Those With Ears - Entries written by Chad Freeman

Well, five months of six have passed.  One more to go!  But let me tell you, month five was packed out!  It started with a very special visit from a very special woman, but ended with a Man March!  The month of September exposed me to many things I had not previously experienced at Harvest.

For starters, I got to experience a ministry year kick off!  This is a time when the church re-launches so to speak.  Generally, the look is changed, a new ministry year theme is unveiled, and ministries are again ignited!  This year’s theme at Harvest St. Vincent is Growing Deeper!  Along with having a new ministry year theme, each ministry generally has an event to kick off the new ministry year.  I was privileged to be part of two ministry kick-offs, besides the church wide kick-off the first Sunday of September.

The first kick-off I was a part of was St. Vincent Student Ministries Food Wars!  It was fierce competition between three teams as they competed for points through many hilarious (and slightly gross) games involving food. The capstone event was a pizza cook off.  Each team strove to win by making the best looking and best tasting pizza.  It was amazing to see the creativity and effort put into the pizzas by each team.  Check out Food Wars pictures here!  Food Wars was quite the experience as it took me out of my comfort zone by planning and executing a large event.  There is a lot to think about, most of which I had never given thought to before!

A second ministry kick-off event I was able to take part in was the Harvest St. Vincent’s IronMen’s Ministry Man March!  In this event we walked from the church offices to a beach about an hour’s walk away. Upon arriving we were led in some exercises, ate some delicious fruit, led in more exercises, ate more fruit, heard a devotional, and played some football (aka soccer) on the beach!  It was a good time of fellowship and challenges both physically and spiritually.  Again, this kick-off pushed me out of my comfort zone not only by forcing me to walk and exercise more than I do, but also by being chosen to give the devotional to the men while at the beach.  Again, it was a learning curve but the Lord helped me through! 

A third unique experience I was able to be a part of this new ministry year was a small group multiplication. I have been attending a fantastic small group hosted by the most hospitable couple in the church!  As we know in Harvest, healthy things grow!  This group grew so large that it needed to become two groups!  Despite the excitement of multiplication, it can be hard because multiplication means saying good bye to some dear friends you have grown to love. I managed to delay the multiplication by a week so that the small group would have a chance to meet my new fiancé! Since then though, the group has successfully multiplied and the one I am in already is packed out with new members!  Even still, I can say that my small group is amazing and I look forward to it each week! 

Seeing multiplication in action has been a great thing for me to observe. I have been able to see the beginning of the process to the end. Soon after I got here, a couple in the small group who were apprentices were given more and more opportunity to lead the group.  As they grew in this role, multiplication was mentioned to the small group to prepare them.  This preparation started months before the actual multiplication.  By the time the decisions of who would go to each small group were rolled out, everyone was on the same page.  I have been able to see that multiplication has only benefits!  First, it allows more people to serve where God has gifted them.  Second, it allows more ministry to happen more effectively.  Instead of one large small group where people get lost and are able to hide, there are two small small groups, where everyone is accounted for and cared for.  Even after being multiplied small groups for one month, growth is again happening in both groups. 

The month of September pushed me in ways I have never been pushed before. I am thankful to the Lord for the learning experiences he is bringing my way.  My next blog will be written when I am back home in Barrie! I'll look to reflect on my time in St. Vincent and write about one or two big things I walked away with.  I look forward to being back home at Harvest Barrie again in a few short weeks!  See you then!

Chad Freeman

It’s hard to believe that I am now halfway through my internship!  It has been quite a ride and very busy!  I have learned so much and am still learning much more!  I am thankful to have the opportunity to share with you some of what I have learned during my time in St. Vincent.

One of the things I have learned about Harvest St. Vincent is their intentionality about giving.  It shows!  I especially am impressed by their intentional focus on giving because it would be easy for them to simply become receivers!  At Harvest St. Vincent, we have the blessing of receiving mission teams.  Unfortunately, this blessing could become a hindrance to ministry if an attitude of learned helplessness sets it.  Thankfully, the staff and leadership at Harvest St. Vincent are so intentional about giving that this attitude is unheard of!

This attitude of intentional giving is being seen right now.  By the time you read this blog, I will be in the middle of a mission trip within a mission trip!  Harvest St. Vincent is teaming up with Harvest Davenport, Iowa and doing a mission trip to a nearby island.  This is the first exposure to missions for many of the Harvest St. Vincent participants.  But Harvest St. Vincent had enough of sitting back letting teams come to them, so they decided to do a missions trip of their own!  This, for a church our St. Vincent’s size and age is astounding!  St. Vincent is being intentional about creating a culture of giving, and it is showing in how many people desire to give back by participating in this trip!

It is amazing to see the excitement on the leadership team about intentionally creating a culture of giving at Harvest.  The associate pastor over student ministries longs to see the youth of Harvest St. Vincent giving back because so much has been given to them! (See the pictures of Adventure Week on the Harvest St. Vincent Facebook page to see how!)  He one day dreams of Harvest St. Vincent student ministries going on their own mission trip to a foreign country much like mission teams have come to them.  (I told him Harvest Barrie would be more than glad to receive them!)  Seeing the excitement in the leaders about intentional giving makes me want to give intentionally as well!

What I find most amazing about a giving church like Harvest St. Vincent is that they receive so much.  It would be so easy to simply become passive receivers.  There are many who are willing to come down to St. Vincent for a short time to help me, and who have greater resources than we do!  Yet, that is not the case with Harvest St. Vincent.  They have learned that God blesses so that we in turn can bless others. 

This lesson was brought home for me this past week when I had to teach it in Higher Ground.  I was teaching the children about Solomon.  In 1 Kings 3, Solomon had just become king of Israel.  He had a heart for the Lord and offered many sacrifices.  God then appeared to him in a dream and told Solomon he would give whatever he asked.  Did Solomon ask for something for himself?  No, rather Solomon asked for wisdom so that he could govern the nation well (I Kings 3:9).  Solomon asked for a blessing he could use to bless others with.  Solomon was intentional about giving.

During my time here in Harvest St. Vincent I have realized that God blesses me so that I might bless others.  I have also learned that I am blessed in far more ways than I usually think.  I often think blessing solely comes in the form of money.  But I am learning that I have been blessed in many ways, and all those ways can be used to bless others if I am intentional about it!  I have learned that I don’t have to have a big home to open it up to others and ministry; I just have to invite people over.  I don’t have to be an amazing chef to be hospitable; I just have to put food on the table and clean my washroom.  I don’t have to have a master’s degree in theology to help fulfill the great commission by making disciples; I can read the Bible with others one-on-one or study a devotional book with them.  I don’t have to have an amazing singing or preaching voice to serve in church; I simply have to show up early to set up or stay late to tear down. 

I have been learning here in St. Vincent about being intentional about giving.  Giving away what God has given to us.  And when we think about it, God has given us much by giving us his Son.  The cool part about giving is that one receives even more blessing.  Just as God blessed Solomon with not only wisdom but riches and honour as well (verse 13), God will bless us when we use his blessings to bless others. 

2 Corinthians 9:6

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; he righteousness endures forever.”  He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.  For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.  By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.  Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

 I thank many of you for supporting me!  What you have given me and blessed me with, I seek to bless others with.  If you have any questions as to how this is happening, please don’t hesitate to ask me!

Chad Freeman

It's hard to believe that I have already been in St. Vincent for a month!  But at the same time, I have experienced so much it’s a wonder only a month has passed! Yet a little over a  month ago, Harvest Barrie sent me out to experience a six month internship at Harvest Bible Chapel St. Vincent.  After spending a week between Harvest University and Harvest Bible Chapel in Davenport Iowa, I landed in St. Vincent and was immediately put to work by the staff here at Harvest St. Vincent!

Shortly after I arrived a team from Pennsylvania arrived for a missions trip.  During the seven days they were here I was able to serve them, and serve with them.  During that week we had the opportunity to visit some schools.  After a funny skit in which some Vinci boys attempted to show how smooth talking they were to the ladies, the team was able to share the good news of Jesus Christ very clearly!  Afterwards we invited the children to an afternoon program the team, in conjunction with Harvest Bible Chapel, was hosting at a local playing field.  The after school program was a fun time filled with soccer balls and jumping castles!  Just before wrapping up, we gathered the children and began explaining to them the Story.  The Story is the complete story of redemption found in the Bible.  Check it out for yourself at www.viewthestory.com!  It’s a great gospel refresher!

Over the course of my internship I will have the privilege of working with a few more missions teams from various Harvests in the U.S.  Most of the time though, I get to participate in all the behind the scenes work that goes on at Harvest St. Vincent.  There is a lot!  I have the opportunity to do some administrative work in the church offices, and serving on Sundays with the set-up and take-down crews! (You know them as the tabernacle team!)  Other ministries I have been exposed to have been student ministries, small groups, and discipleship!  During my time in St. Vincent, I am looking forward to being exposed to as wide a variety of ministries as Harvest is able to show me!

What has excited me most so far about this internship though is how present the Lord has been!  God is doing some exciting things in Harvest St. Vincent!  I must admit, I was a little apprehensive leaving Harvest Barrie.  God shows up in some big and powerful ways at Harvest Barrie and I was afraid of missing that.  The Lord has wiped that fear clear away though!  The Spirit is alive and active in Harvest St. Vincent and it is evident in how the name of Jesus is lifted high in worship and how the authority of God’s Word is boldly proclaimed!  I'm so excited to be able to be a part of what the Lord is doing here on the island!  God is changing lives through his glorious gospel of Jesus Christ!  It's so amazing to come from a church where God is powerfully working and go to a church where God is powerfully working!  Our God is majestic in the scope of his reach!  To be honest, I did not even know St. Vincent existed before last year, and yet God was bringing people to himself long before then on the island!  Now he is using some of those people he chose long ago to bring a new generation to himself for his praise and glory! 

This coming month, I look forward to working with another missions team and helping out at a free concert Harvest St. Vincent is putting on!  This will be an excellent opportunity for people to become familiar with the ministry of Harvest on the island, but more importantly, become familiar with the gospel Harvest is proclaiming on the Island - the gospel that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (I Corinthians 15:3-4) Please pray that people will hear the message and come to Harvest to learn more!  If you feel so inclined, you can participate in the free concert yourself on June 22! 

Chad Freeman