Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Matthew 9:37–38, LSB
Fall is quickly approaching. The leaves will soon be changing, the harvest will be quickly upon us, and our children will be deeply ensconced in their schoolwork. It is a part of our constant cycle as we continue to move forward. The reality of time is it always progresses forward. Time does not stand still and the same is true for us as Christ's Church. We, the people, are the Church. The idea of "We the People," was not born out of the Constitution of the United States, but that principle was born out of the Bible. As the Church, we have a calling in the world and that is to be the voice of Jesus Christ our Lord. We are called to the harvest to reap those that are being called by our Lord. We are called to proclaim and bring those suffering under the covering of Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is much to be excited about St. John's Lutheran Church. We are a congregation growing in the Word. One of my favorite things that I have been given the pleasure to witness is our Monday Night Bible Study and the way that our Adult Sunday School has continued to go deeper into the Word. This is exciting as we are being spurred in our outreach and in our mission to be a beacon of light to all in our community and to the ends of the earth. We have such a great mission within our community as we can reach all who need to know the hope that Jesus Christ. We know His calling is for all to come to know His peace and the salvation that He has to offer for us all! As we look ahead as the body of Christ, we have many opportunities arising in our community and the more we are grounded in the Word of God the greater impact we can have for Christ with so many. Our goal is to continue in the ministry that was planted one hundred thirty-two years ago and be a voice within the community and the center of our community life. As we go out in the Word and with the Word written upon our hearts, our witness is broadened.
The harvest that we see sitting before us is great, but our Lord is calling forth those who know Him and His Word to go out and speak the truth in love. I am excited for the things going on within our Children, Youth, and Family Ministry with a greater focus on the Word and growing our children, youth, and families in the Word. We are all included within the family aspect of this mission. We are the family of Christ and we, as St. John's Lutheran Church, are a segment of that greater family. As our family of Christ grows in faith, our witness in the community will be strengthened as we call in those that are seeking out Christ and His faith. Let us be hopeful and seek to support our mission for the long-term within the Gillett Area and beyond. May Christ's peace fill our hearts and let us continue to invest in a long-term future of hope that our Lord has placed before us. As our Lord is calling us out in the harvest, let us faithfully reap what has been prepared for us and plant the seeds to be harvested for the future. This is where we find our hope and where we can stand in His peace.