Harvest Chapel — Where Decisions, Devotion and Dreams are Realized

A mere 15 years ago only 15 people worshipped at Harvest Chapel in Fredonia, NY. Now 500-600 people gather for three services on Sunday mornings. Senior Pastor Andy Sass says that many changes were already in place when he arrived seven years ago — and the changes and excitement continue at this "excellent" FM church.

What is Harvest Chapel passionate about? Helping people become devoted to Christ. "It's almost as if God is working before people get here and are converted," Sass says, "like God's prevenient grace. Then we stress devotion to God. Decision is important, but we are finding more success in watching people become devoted."

Assistant Pastor Brad Button adds, "We are still learning how to do this, and we don't believe there is a formula, but we want to hold the tension between calling a person to a decision for Christ and nurturing a lifetime devotion to Christ. We believe God's radical grace is the critical element in making that a reality." Practically speaking, the church hosts weekly small groups and sponsors other events such as men's and women's ministries. Says Button, "We stress that walking closer with God also means walking closer to others."

Besides this emphasis on devotion, the staff works hard to allow people to dream for God, then helps those dreams come to life. For example, Sarah Easton — who works as a registered maternity nurse — has watched many young girls leave the hospital with not much more than the required car seat, sometimes without even socks for their babies. At Easton's suggestion, Harvest Chapel now provides a pair of socks to each newborn baby, along with a gift note in English or Spanish.

As a congregation, Harvest Chapel is having lots of fun changing the world — both at home and far away — by giving of themselves and their resources. This summer they sent a team to Honduras with Mercy Ships. Before adding onto their own building, they raised money for another church. Every month the board attempts to give money away to other ministries and community groups including churches, boys' and girls' clubs. This summer, Lisa Leavitt had the dream of taking Harvest Chapel's Vacation Bible School off site to minister to children outside of the church and so VBS was held at a multi-cultural public housing project two miles away.
Other examples of what they call "giving themselves away," include their outreach into the local college community near Fredonia State University. Recognizing that underage drinking causes many problems, the church has provided local bars with light pens that expose fake IDs. Also, Alcoholics Anonymous uses the church for meetings several times per week. The word on street is that Harvest Chapel is a place for those in recovery — a place to find love and acceptance.

Harvest Chapel works hard to make its worship services relevant, practical and accessible. On a regular basis, those who've come for the first time on a Sunday morning explain after the service — with tears running down their faces — that Harvest Chapel is what they have always been looking for and that they just feel so accepted. Part of making worship accessible and welcoming falls to worship leader Brett Heintzman, who among other things, rearranges choruses slightly to make them easier to sing.

Assistant Pastor Pam Newton enjoys calling people who have visited Harvest Chapel for the first time. "Often I hear that we seem like real people who actually live out their faith. I assure them this is true!" Newton also notes that women have felt especially welcome and valued, despite the size of the church.
Pastor Sass feels that it's important to try to have fun, to enjoy lots of laughter. "If there's one place where people ought to be able to find laughter in a hurting and broken world, it ought to be in church — where people have found Christ and are inviting others to connect with God," he says.

The numerical growth of the congregation has led to an 11,000-square-foot addition, which includes a lobby, a Christian Education wing and a sanctuary that will seat 400. (Their old sanctuary could accommodate only 225.)

The new addition — with its added room for Harvest Chapel's growing flock and variety of ministries — will provide much-needed space where decisions, devotion and dreams can be realized. And world-changing can continue as members "give themselves away."

In Medford, OR, They're Letting
the Little Children Come

A father of five himself, Pastor Craig Harris quickly realized that the key to the future of Medford FMC (OR) would have to be its children. For when Harris and his wife Nancy arrived in July 2001, there were only two children there besides their own. Now there are 35 … and more on the way.

Harris' daughters got the ball rolling by inviting their friends to church and to Kids for Christ, a midweek Christ-centered event. At "Wednesday Nite Diner" during the school year, the church serves up worship, games, a Bible lesson, a meal and prayer-and-share.

"I aim for life applications," says Harris — an especially important goal since most of the young participants are from unchurched homes and need the guidance and encouragement offered in Scripture to help them handle some of their challenges. But things are changing in that regard as well. Harris has formed a Parent Council that includes and involves a number of parents. "The strong materials we use can allow these adults to assist and to reconnect with their children as they participate along with them," says Harris.

"At the same time, we're ministering directly to these parents," he explains. "As relationships build and trust is established, we can enter into their lives. We're stressing ministry that works outside our walls, and trusting the Lord to take it from there."

The new focus seems to be bearing fruit. The nearly-100-year-old FM church, once stagnant and deeply depleted both in numbers and in spirit, is on the rise again. The kids are having fun and meeting Jesus; their parents are getting involved and beginning to come to worship on Sundays; and hearts and lives are being transformed.

Nursing School in India Named for Helen Rose Basch

Helen Rose Basch, a resident at Heritage Village Health Care Center in Gerry, NY, just received the greatest honor of her life. The Umri Christian Hospital in central India has unanimously resolved to name its new nursing school the Helen Rose School of Nursing. The hospital's Board of Directors easily chose Helen for this honor because of her many years of dedicated service to patients.

The story behind this great honor began in 1950 when Helen traveled to Umri to serve as a missionary nurse in the Christian hospital under the guidance of the Free Methodist Mission Board. When she began there, the rural hospital was quite small, but over time outpatient care grew rapidly as surrounding residents learned of its quality services.

Throughout her sixteen-year term at the Umri Christian Hospital, Helen fluently spoke the Marathi language and cared for many of the local residents and families. During her last term, she was heavily involved in teaching classes on various subjects including advising new mothers about proper nutritional care for their infants and retraining staff nurses in specialized patient care.

The Umri Christian Hospital continues to grow and now offers a wide variety of new services to patients and staff members, including the establishment of the School of Nursing. Helen's picture, as well as a brief history of her legacy of service, will be prominently displayed inside the school's main classroom. In addition, a sign which reads "The Helen Rose School of Nursing" will be placed outside the entrance.

Thirty Years of John Wesley Awards

Christian Life Club (CLC) incorporates biblical truths and life skills into a club format that includes badges for work completed and special awards for earning all of the badges in each level. In 1972, Ohio pastor John Walter introduced the John Wesley Award because he believed that completing all six years of consistent work exemplified the lifestyle of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Walter invented his own design and as the Ohio Conference CYC (forerunner to CLC) Director, awarded the honor in 1972 to several children. By 1973, the Free Methodist Church had accepted the John Wesley Award as the highest award given to those in CLC. Since 1994, 2,203 children have earned the Wesley Award.