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Harvest Students NewsletterFind out the latest on what's going on with Harvest Students!
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WedWednesdayMarMarch10th2010
Harvest Students March/April 2010, take 2
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For Families March/April 2010
A note about the earlier email newsletter that went out...
Apparently in the process of editing this newsletter, the Harvest website sent out a rogue copy of the last issue from Jan/Feb under the guise of 'March/April.' It was an imposter, filled with outdated information. Feel free to disregard that previous email. Hopefully you'll find the information here that follows to be a little more helpful, and a little more current!
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WHO WE ARE We are a ministry of students stirring up others to worship Christ, walk with Christ, and work for Christ.
GOING PRO “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,”
- Ephesians 4:1
We’ve been talking a lot on Sunday nights about ‘going pro’ in our faith. What does that mean? A good place to find out would be to check with some of the students who’ve been attending our Sunday Night Group. They’ve been studying the book of Ephesians to see what Paul has to say in his letter about what our faith is in and how to live it out to the fullest.
We’ll continue our study of Ephesians through March and finish up in April. This study will continue to take us through what life looks like according to our faith. As we move through April, we’ll also begin to take a closer look at some of the spiritual disciplines we take on in our walk with Christ.
PARENT PARTNERSHIP Did you know that almost every week there are at least six adults who volunteer their time to prepare and pour into mentoring, discipleship, and Christ-centered relationships with your students? These leaders are actively pursuing Christ in their own lives and want to share His love with the teens at Harvest out of their passion for Him. Their desire is to see students develop in maturity and equipping through the ministry of Harvest Students, and they are being faithful to God’s gifting and calling for their involvement in this ministry week after week.
You, as parents, have been incredible in supporting and encouraging this ministry and all that goes into it. I want to thank you for the blessing it is to serve in partnership with you and ask you to continue to support and encourage the volunteers who serve for your students!
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GOING ON THIS SPRING It’s been a long snowy winter, but spring is now showing through. As the school year winds down and we all have our minds on Spring Break and the impending arrival of summer, here’s what’s going on at Harvest Students in this season of rejuvenation:
•SUNDAY NIGHT GROUP Learn what it means to have faith in Christ and how to live it out with us on Sunday nights. We meet at the home of Robert and Cindy Haynes from 5:30 to 7:30. (See schedule below for dates)
•SPRING THAW Tired of snow and cold? Excited for spring weather? So are we! Join us Sunday March 21st for an evening of activities to help thaw you out from the long winter. Feel free to bring a friend, and come ready to get springy! Check out the Harvest Students website for more info.
•NIGHT OUT/IN Men, it’s time for a guys’ night out. Ladies, here’s your chance for a girls’ night in. Join your Harvest Students leaders for an evening of hanging out and doing guy/girl ‘stuff’ together. Mark your calendars and check the web for more details!
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HAPPENING SOON
3.7 Sunday Night Group
3.14 Sunday Night Group
3.21 Spring Thaw
3.28 Sunday Night Group
4.4 Easter—NO HARVEST
STUDENTS
4.11 Sunday Night Group
4.17 Night Out/In
4.18 Sunday Night Group
4.25 Sunday Night Group
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 MINISTRY UPDATE from Christian McNeilly
It’s been a busy winter for Harvest Students, and a highlight of the season was WINTER RETREAT 2010. In case you didn’t make it, or you haven’t heard about how amazing it was, here’s a quick recap of the incredible time we had together out of town and on the slopes:
On February 13th, we loaded up 28 students and leaders and drove to Perfect North Slopes for a day of skiing and boarding, where almost everyone mastered the snow for the day. We spent the evening hanging out and studying God’s Word, then returned the next day after a morning of worship and teaching. God did amazing things in growing us closer together in community and in exposing His Word to us in a remarkable example of living out faith through Daniel. The weather was perfect and our time was well spent. Can’t wait for next year!
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TueTuesdayDecDecember22nd2009
Harvest Students January/February 2010
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For Families January/February 2010
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WHO WE ARE We are a ministry of students stirring up others to worship Christ, walk with Christ, and work for Christ.
EPHESIANS We just wrapped up a study on Psalm 119, and now we look to the New Testament for more context. Starting in January, we’re going through the book of Ephesians, start to finish. Come Sunday nights to find out more!
PARENT PARTNERSHIP Prayer. It would be difficult to exhaust the examples and references of prayer in Scripture. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is a good one, “pray without ceasing,” in reference to rejoicing and thanksgiving. Luke 21:36 is another solid command to pray, but this time for endurance and alertness. As I consider continuing this list (which I probably shouldn’t have started, especially since I began with the assertion that the list goes on indefinitely), I would likely need to include Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, Romans 12:12, and Luke 18:1 (this verse is followed by an interesting parable on persistent prayer). My point is that whether we search exhaustively, or just look at a few verses, we will find that prayer is an essential part of our lives.
Am I suggesting that you need to pray for your students? Absolutely, but I assume you probably already do, and in many cases, almost without ceasing. In partnership, I’m asking you to add some things to your prayer list for Harvest Students: •Protection and wisdom for leaders. •An increase in deep Christian community among Harvest’s students—friendships and fellowship living out our faith together. •Maturing of faith in the students who come, and that God would bring more who need to hear the Good News of Christ.
And we’d like to pray for you. As part of our partnership, please let us know if there are specific ways that we can pray for you, your students, or your family. We believe in the power of prayer!
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GOING ON THIS WINTER Weather is hit-or-miss this time of year, but here’s what you can expect this winter at Harvest Students, regardless of snow and temps (although, I should point out, that if the weather seems prohibitive to meeting, check our website or facebook page for updates on cancellations or changes).
•SUNDAY NIGHT GROUP We resume meeting for study and fellowship for grades 6 through 12 on Sunday nights in January from 5:30 to 7:30. Come ready to connect with friends and learn from God’s Word!
•NEW YEARS BASH Another good excuse to party!. Join us as we reflect on all that God is doing among us from this past year, then look ahead to the next. Games, fun, music, be there. Dec. 31st, 8PM-12:30AM
•WINTER RETREAT Harvest Students hits the slopes this February for a day of skiing, snowboarding, and tubing, followed by sessions on learning about the Christian Life and time to hang out with friends. February 13th – 14th. Check the website for registration information!
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HAPPENING SOON
12.31 New Year’s Bash
1.3 Sunday Night Group
1.10 Sunday Night Group
1.17 Sunday Night Group
1.24 Sunday Night Group
1.31 Sunday Night Group
2.7 Super Bowl Party
2.13-14 Winter Retreat
2.21 Sunday Night Group
2.28 Sunday Night Group
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 MINISTRY UPDATE from Christian McNeilly
Does anyone else feel like 2010 just snuck up on us? I know for Julie and me, with all the amazing changes God has brought to our lives over the last months, it seems like we suddenly looked up to see that the new year was right in front of us. We have been truly blessed this past year, and being part of God’s work with Harvest Students has been a huge part of that. We’ve grown to know many of you and your families better. We’re seeing God work actively in our lives and amazingly in the lives of the students at Harvest. What a joy it is to see him work in the hearts of young people!
We look eagerly forward to the new year, because we hope in the fulfillment of so much God is doing among us! Stay tuned in to Harvest Students, and expect God to do great things in 2010.
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FriFridayNovNovember6th2009
Harvest Students November 2009
November 2009 |
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WHO WE ARE We are a ministry of students stirring up others to worship Christ, walk with Christ, and work for Christ.
PSALM 119 Our current Sunday night study is through all of Psalm 119, looking for God’s truth and learning how to live by it. It’s amazing to look at how this psalm inspires us to find joy in all that God has set forth as truth. In fact, the psalmist uses no fewer than seven different words to refer to these truths. What’s even more amazing is the psalmist’s response to God’s truth, his law, precepts, testimonies, statutes, commandments, rules, and his word. Repeatedly we see unequivocal joy and passion for pursuing and knowing all that God has said. We see through the psalmist’s praise that God’s Word is good for amazing benefits, including blessing, understanding, satisfaction, vision, and protection. We also see, especially through verses such as 33-39, that responding to God’s truth elicits prayerful request for things like teaching, leading, understanding, confirmation, defense, and direction. Verse 32 says, “I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” As we continue through this chapter together, we have to stop and ask ourselves, are we running in the way of his commandments?
PARENT PARTNERSHIP Hey, parents! As we embark on mission to grow in community with the students at Harvest for the purpose of discipleship, one thing is very clear: We exist as partners with you in your role as the primary disciplers of your children. So, what does that mean? We want to grow in community with you too! There are lots of ways to get more involved and connected with Harvest Students as a parent, and lots of ways we benefit from your parenting wisdom! Prayerfully consider for yourself how you might plug in, then get to it!
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GOING ON THIS FALL (and Winter!) as Fall gets fully under way and turns colder, get fired up with what’s going on with Harvest Students:
•SUNDAY NIGHT GROUP The place to be to study God’s Word, dig deep into living for Christ, and just plain have fun together. We meet Sunday nights from 5:30 to 7:30.
•NIGHT OF WORSHIP For all we’re learning about Christ and God’s truth, it’s time to take a moment to reflect and respond in worship. Join us to do this together on Sunday night, Nov. 22nd at 5:30PM
•COMMUNICATION You now have options! Check out calendar and ministry info at www.harvestnorthin.org/students, and also get real-time updates and communication from Harvest Students on Facebook and Twitter.
•MORE There’s a lot more coming as we move toward next year: a New Years Bash, service events, a January ski retreat, and many, many more opportunities to connect in community with other believers in Christ. Keep watching for dates, times, and places. You’ll want to be there!
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HAPPENING SOON
11.8 Harvest Bonfire
11.15 Sunday Night Group
11.22 Night of Worship
12.6 Sunday Night Group
12.13 Sunday Night Group
12.31 New Years Bash
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MINISTRY UPDATE by Christian McNeilly cmcneilly@harvestnorthindy.org
October was a busy month for Harvest Students. We relocated Sunday Night Groups and we’re meeting with a new small group structure that strives to connect high school and middle school students with God’s Word where they are in their lives. Moving into November and December, the focus is on less change in structure, more change in lives. We’ll have a number of activities and events that pop up that aren’t on the calendar just yet. The idea is that we spend some time as we learn from God’s Word to step out and engage this learning in real-life community together.
As always, I want to invite you to join with me in praying for this ministry, that God would raise up for himself this generation as God-fearing deeply-rooted followers of Christ.
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TueTuesdayOctOctober6th2009
Harvest Students October 2009
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October 2009
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WHO WE ARE Our purpose is to be a ministry of students stirring up others to worship Christ, walk with Christ, and work for Christ.
ONLY ONE There is only ONE God, only ONE Savior, only ONE Truth, and ONE life to live for Christ. At Harvest students we are looking directly to God’s Word for what He says about himself and our lives. Our current study has taken us through Colossians 1:15-20 and Matthew 7:13-23, looking at who Christ is. We’ll finish up this study in October looking into Scripture to understand what it means to follow Him and find our identification in Him. God’s Word, the Bible, is life-giving text. At Harvest Students we prioritize teaching by going verse by verse through Scripture to see what God has to say, then we strive to live our lives accordingly. Students, come join us for an authentic time of learning together from the text that God himself provided for us.
PARENT PARTNERSHIP Hey, parents! It’s our blessing to minister with your kids from the outflow of God’s work at Harvest, and we can’t thank you enough for sharing your students with us. We want to join with you in your efforts as parents in teaching and discipling your middle and high school students through some practical partnership together. For starters, if you’re reading this you’re probably striving to be an informed parent knowing what’s happening with Harvest Students. Stay informed, and stay involved! In addition to reading newsletters and bulletin announcements, you can keep up with what’s going on by talking to your student after a ministry event. No need to interrogate, but find out from them what’s going on in their ministry. Being an informed parent is one of the best ways to work in partnership with Harvest Students and to invest more deeply in your student.
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GOING ON THIS FALL We’re so excited about all that God is doing at Harvest! Here’s a taste of some of the awesome things happening this Fall:
•SUNDAY NIGHT GROUP The place to be to study God’s Word, dig deep into living for Christ, and just plain have fun together. We meet Sunday nights from 5:30 to 7:30.
•HIGH SCHOOL If you’re in high school and not currently plugged into Harvest Students, we want you to be part of our high school group. Contact Christian McNeilly and get connected!
•TEACHING SERIES The Bible is alive and amazing! As we continue into October we will wrap up our study on the Lordship of Christ and begin focusing on a new topic - God’s Word as Truth. Be there Sunday nights to be fed directly from God’s Word.
•HARVEST PANTRY Harvest Students partners with the Harvest Pantry this fall to collect and help organize food for this incredible ministry. Don’t miss this opportunity to work for Christ by serving the needs of others!
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HAPPENING SOON
10.4 Sunday Night Group
10.11 Sunday Night Group
10.18 Outreach Night
10.25 Sunday Night Group
11.1 Sunday Night Group
11.2 Leadership Meeting
11.7 Canned Food Drive
11.8 Harvest Bonfire
11.15 Sunday Night Group
11.22 Fall Night of Worship
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 MINISTRY UPDATE from Christian McNeilly
Whether you’ve noticed or not, there are a lot of changes going on with Harvest Students. As our group grows and we have more going on, we’re finding ourselves in an incredible place to seek God’s direction and ask Him to provide for us. We are currently expanding our groups to minister with Jr. High and High School students separately. We’re also changing locations and a few other details along the way. In the midst of all this excitement, I’d like to invite you to please pray along with us that God would provide more men and women who have a heart for pouring into students to serve in this exciting ministry. We have a leadership meeting set for November 2nd to discuss more intently the incredible work God is doing among us. Please contact me for more information on all that’s happening and how to get involved.
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WedWednesdaySepSeptember9th2009
Harvest Students September 2009
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September 2009
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| WHO WE ARE Our purpose is to be a ministry of students stirring up others to worship Christ, walk with Christ, and work for Christ.
SO, WHAT’S WITH ACTS? Here at Harvest ACTS stands for our four main priorities in student ministry:
a)doration – engaging students with God
(c)ommunity – engaging students with God’s people
(t)ruth – engaging students with God’s Word
(s)ervice – engaging students with God’s world
We engage in these things full force through the teaching and application of God’s Word on Sunday nights, building strong relationships with others through fellowship, discipleship, accountability, retreats, and special events, and we engage in work through outreach, service and evangelism as we go out into the world. At Harvest we are passionate about living for Christ. “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Come join us to learn, grow, and love being alive in Christ!
HELP While we are a ministry of students, we rely heavily on the help of volunteers with a heart to work for Christ by investing in our students. Right now we are in need of some more volunteers to help with events. We are also praying for a couple families or individuals to come on as partners in mentoring and discipling our Jr. High and High School students through home groups. Whether you have students, you are a student, or not, we invite you to help us by praying earnestly that God would bring about transformation and depth through the ministry and events of Harvest Students. If God is prompting you to be a part of this ministry, please email Christian at:
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COMING THIS FALL We’re so excited about all that God is doing at Harvest! Here’s a taste of some of the awesome things to come:
•HOME GROUP The place to be to study God’s Word, dig deep into living for Christ, and just plain have fun together. We meet Sunday nights from 5:30 to 7:30.
•HIGH SCHOOL If you’re in high school and not currently plugged into Harvest Students, we want you to be part of our forming high school home group. Get connected!
•TEACHING SERIES Beginning this fall in home groups we’ll be diving into God’s word to study the lordship of our savior Jesus Christ. Come grow deeper in your faith!
•WEBSITE A lot is changing around our website. Keep checking up on activities, updates, and newsletters at
www.harvestnorthindy.org/students
•FALL WORSHIP NIGHT Did you realize that we were designed to praise and glorify God? We have an incredible night set aside this fall for fulfilling our purpose in worshipping Him.
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HAPPENING SOON
9.6 Get to know Christian and Julie
9.13 Harvest North Indy Celebration
9.20 Home Group Kickoff
9.27 Home Group
10.4 Home Group
10.11 Home Group
10.18 Outreach Night
10.25 Home Group
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 MEET CHRISTIAN AND JULIE Christian McNeilly just joined the staff at Harvest North Indy this August, and he’s excited to be pouring into the lives of Harvest’s students as they grow to know and love Christ with depth and passion. Christian and his wife Julie live in downtown Carmel with their dog Sawyer. They enjoy camping, spending time outside, and dancing in the kitchen.
Christian has worked for the last five years as an elementary teacher in Indianapolis, during which time he has served in the worship ministry at Harvest and in other Indianapolis-area youth ministries.
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