Harvest Workers

2 Timothy 2:1-2 - You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 

As Paul exhorts Timothy to continue unashamedly in his ministry by God’s strength and grace, he reminds Timothy of the need to identify others who can imitate him in this task. Paul knows that the church is only ever one generation away from extinction. There is always a pressing need to train and entrust the next generation of faithful men and women with the task of teaching God’s word. And so, Timothy is told to ensure that the raising up of faithful gospel workers is a core part of his own ministry.

 The same remains true for the church today. To see our city transformed by the hope of the risen Christ, we need to train and raise up Christians who will use their whole lives to make and grow disciples of Christ. It takes time for people to come to the point where they know and are convicted of how they can play their part in God’s glorious mission. For this reason it is important to develop a culture where many are encouraged to think and pray about how they can live for the Kingdom. One of the ways that St. John’s seeks to grow this kind of culture is through a small group of people called ‘Harvest’.

‘Harvest’ began in 2023 as a fellowship of Christians who want to be mutually encouraged to serve Jesus with their whole lives. Once per quarter, we gather around God's word, praying and spurring each other to take the next step in living & giving it all for the Kingdom. As we consider what it looks like to live sacrificially for the Kingdom, we naturally explore the possibility of doing full time vocational ministry in the future.

Here are a few reflections from those who meet at ‘Harvest’ about why they find the group helpful for their faith:

Jayden from 5.30PM - “Harvest has continued to be an encouraging yet challenging time to think clearly on how I can be constantly shaping my mind, actions and time for the gospel. Considering this deeply with close brothers and sisters in Christ has pushed me to see the priority of the gospel and helps me to reflect on how God has grown me and borne fruit in varying ministries. I've also appreciated extended time of prayer at the end of our sessions with brothers in keeping one another accountable to keep living for the kingdom.”

Jeff from 5.30PM - “I've found Harvest to be a helpful place for me to have the space to think about how my own walk with Christ and growth in ministry is going. While I get to do that with my ministers when we catch up, I really appreciate the unique opportunity Harvest allows for my peers and I to chat about it together. That's been encouraging and has spurred me on to grow.”

Rose from 5.30PM - “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few! Therefore a bunch of us gather once a term to consider how we may serve as workers– both in current ministry and day-to-day living, as well as long-term. At Harvest we split off into groups, share life together and pray for each other. I've found this particularly valuable as people have remembered my previous prayer requests and I've been able to share how God has answered those prayers and is growing me currently. Harvest is a regular reminder of what it means to live my life wholly for God and helps me to consider how to best serve the Kingdom as well as how to encourage fellow brothers and sisters in their convictions.”

God is doing such wonderful work in growing us in a culture that considers all of life in light of the realities of eternity. Let’s ensure we pray and continue to cultivate and contribute to such a precious mindset within our church. 

On October 10-12, a number of St. John’s members will be attending the ‘Sydney for the Kingdom’ conference to have an extended time of considering how we live sacrificially for the Kingdom. Please pray that this group, and our whole church, would keep being spurred on to live single minded for the glory of our Lord Jesus.

Jaison Jacob
Associate Minister

Pray for Raising Up Gospel Workers

Give thanks for the way God is growing a culture at St John’s where people consider how to use their whole lives for the sake of his Kingdom. Ask God for the members of Harvest, and those attending the ‘Sydney for the Kingdom’ conference, to be encouraged and strengthened to live sacrificially for Christ. Ask God to raise up faithful gospel workers from among his people and enable the whole church to live single-minded for the glory of Jesus.