God is Always On Time

In the early 80's I used to watch the A-Team on tv. A line that was heard in almost every episode was, "I love it when a plan comes together." I like that myself, but here's one I like better (that you never heard on tv) - "I love it when a plan comes apart ... and then God shows up with a better one." I had one of those moments yesterday. I have been using open Sundays with no specific invitations from churches to try to finally make it to Sunday morning worship with the few HBA congregations I haven't been to yet. Yesterday, I had decided to attend one church (even posted my plan on facebook) and left the house at 10:00 a.m. for the 40 minute drive to that church. For some reason I decided that I should check on their service time (which really would have been a good idea if I had done it sooner). So, while driving (do not try this at home), I used my phone to find their church website and discovered that their service begins at 10:30. Oops! Since I really didn't want to come in 10-15 minutes after the service started I began searching my mind and map for a previously unvisited congregation that was close enough for me to get to on time. I picked Cates Street Baptist Church in Bridgeport. When I got there I discovered that their regular worship leader was out of town and that they thought they were going to have to function with no one to lead their congregational singing that day. Let's see ... it is my job to assist the churches of Harvest Baptist Association ... I have over 30 years experience leading worship ... I wasn't even planning on being at this church today ... Wow! God showed up with a plan! I am pretty sure God did not lean over to one of the angels and say, "Aren't we lucky that Gerry decided to go to Cates Street this morning?" I suspect that He knew about all of it before I arrived. There was nothing special about my being there. All I did was lead this small congregation in three Christmas songs and an invitation hymn. But, they believed God sent me to meet a need. I agree, even though I wasn't consciously aware of a mission from God when I left my house. I think sometimes we would be amazed at what God would do through us if we would simply make ourselves available to Him. What plans of God have we missed while carrying out our own plans? I am not saying that we shouldn't make plans. Just saying that we should ask God to show up with a better one whenever He chooses to do so. As we move toward the beginning of a new year, let's make a commitment to be available to Him and then watch expectantly for Him to show up.

What Does Thankfulness Look Like?

What does Thankfulness look like in Harvest Baptist Association? That question runs through my mind on the first day back in the office after the Thanksgiving holiday. Does it look like a bunch of Baptists who began the holiday food over-indulgence and won't slow down until the New Year's resolutions kick in? Maybe. Does it look like people who gathered in church buildings in the country and in town and expressed their gratitude out loud to God? Probably. Does it look like people whose gratitude spilled over into loving service of those in need? Certainly. Like one church that fed over 500 guests a free Thanksgiving meal. Like another church that delivered 60 boxes of coats, clothes, and toiletries to Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth, delivered 9 complete thanksgiving meals to 9 needy families, and delivered over 100 pounds of food to the Wise Area Relief Mission. Like another church that delivered 508 boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Like a lot of other churches that did things just like that, but haven't let me know about it. I love bragging on Jesus! I love bragging on the family of God when they act like Jesus! I'm pretty sure that's what thankfulness looks like.

Kingdom Focus

Last week, I received the following email: Dear Brother Lewis, I wanted to share with you a great blessing our Church received. We have been looking for a van or some other mode of transportation for several years, but always a few dollars short. I inquired with the FBC Montague about their van for sale and told them I would talk to the Church about it. This was Monday and on Wednesday they called saying they have had a business meeting and voted to "donate" the van to us. To say the least I was flabbergasted! We now have this van (in very good condition) and pray that God will help us utilize to the fullest. I wanted to share a praise and thank the FBC of Montague for this most generous gift. Larry Kennedy, Stoneburg Baptist Church This is what Kingdom vision and association ministry is all about! FBC Montague could have sold their van and raised some funds for their own ministries. It would have been completely appropriate for them to do so. But, somehow God facilitated a Kingdom investment that moved their ministry beyond their own congregation by allowing a sister congregation to expand their ministry. The significance of that must not be overlooked. We are on this journey together. Let's celebrate this and look for ways to go and do likewise.

I should have brought my long pants!

When the temperature at home barely drops into the 80's at night and is staying consistently in triple digits in the daytime, it is easy to forget that it is not the same everywhere. So, when we took a group of 4 from HBA to help with Bay Lakes Baptist Association's summer youth camp in Wisconsin, I packed the way I have for 20 plus years of youth camp in Texas--a week's worth of shorts and t-shirts. With daytime temperatures in the 60's and night time in the 40's, that now appears to be a case of poor planning. Other than that, it was a wonderful experience. This association, made up of 22 churches stretching across 26 counties, has been conducting this camp for several years and has been stretched incredibly thin in the area of adult volunteers--especially cabin counselors, who are responsible for a group of 8 or so kids 24/7. They have never been able to have 2 adult counselors in the cabins. Because we brought our group of 4 (Scott & Kattie Penick--pastor and wife from Valley View Baptist Church, and my daughter Tova and myself) and another group of 2 came from Minnesota to help, they were able to have 2 adults with each group of kids. We led their Bible studies, played with them in recreation, ate our meals with them, worshiped with them each morning and evening, and built friendships over the course of the week. We answered their questions and prayed with them. When we got ready to leave, they hugged us, thanked us, and asked us to please consider coming back next year. We did not see many public decisions for Christ, but we know there were some in small group settings, and we know that we encouraged them in the name of Jesus. Because of the great support of our HBA Churches and because the Baptist General Convention of Texas paid for our plane tickets, we were able to go and minister in the cold north. God is great!

The First of Many

Excited is a good word, I guess, to describe my emotions about what is coming up in the next few days. We are about to head out for the first "associational" mission trip since I became Director of Missions a year ago. Our team is small, but it is exactly the team our Lord put together for this trip. We are going to travel to Wisconsin to serve as cabin counselors assisting Bay Lakes Baptist Association in conducting their annual camp for children and youth. Right now, we are basically clueless about what that will entail ... other than we will be responsible for the kids in our cabin 24 hours a day. We will be taking them from place to place and activity to activity. We will perhaps be leading Bible studies and devotional times. We will be answering questions the kids have. We may be assigned to youth or we may be assigned to younger children. The bottom line is that we really don't know what we'll be doing, but we will be seeking the Lord for every response and trying to join Him in what He is doing. The team: Scott & Kattie Penick - Scott came as pastor to Valley View Baptist Church in September 2008. They moved here from Tennessee so that Scott could attend Southwestern Seminary. They have 3 wonderful kids. Scott & Kattie will be leaving by car sometime tomorrow (Wednesday) to drive to Tennessee to drop the kids off for a week-long visit at Grandma's. They will fly out of Nashville Saturday morning and meet us in Green Bay. Scott will be preaching Sunday morning at the Community Bible Church in Black Creek where one of the camp leaders is pastor. Tova & Gerry Lewis - You know me. Tova is my 21 year-old daughter who is returning tomorrow from a two week mission trip to India. She is all about missions, so she jumped at the chance to be involved. We will fly out of DFW Saturday morning and connect with the Penicks in Green Bay. I will be preaching at Greenville Baptist Church in Appleton on Sunday morning. This is a new work that is meeting in the home of the Director of Missions. Camp begins Sunday evening and runs through noon Friday. We will fly out Friday afternoon to return home. Please be in prayer. We will look forward to celebrating what God is doing and continuing to develop our partnership with Bay Lakes Baptist Association. This is the FIRST associational mission trip. My prayer is that it is the first of many. For the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, Gerry

Welcome Partners

My first post will be brief. Welcome to "An Eye on the Harvest". Pull up a chair and take a look at how God is at work among the churches that make up Harvest Baptist Association. This will not be a place for complaining, politicking (is that a word?), or even strategizing. It will be a place for celebrating. It will be a place for reminding us that God is at work and we are all invited to join Him. It will be a place for community as we celebrate with one another. It will be a place for encouragement. Will you join me?