Harvest Disciples

Who We Are

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”  – Matthew 28:18-20 (NRSV)

Jesus told us to “go and make disciples of all nations”. This is an assignment that’s not primarily about just getting more people to raise their hand and make a public commitment to Christ (though that is important). This is an assignment that’s centered around intentional, consistent, and grace-filled relationships. It’s about walking with people as the Spirit begins to take up residence in their hearts and conform them into the image of Jesus. It’s about helping them to understand who they are in Christ and what that means for their lives. It’s not about making converts; it’s about making disciples.

The goal of Harvest Disciples is to be a place where new believers can be connected, encouraged, and equipped as they grow in their newfound identity in Christ. The foundation of what we do hinges around Christ-centered discipleship that’s grounded in the Word. When it comes down to it, our values are pretty simple: lead with relationship, initiate through invitation, and seek to disciple; not simply educate. What does that mean practically? Well, let’s talk about that.

What We Do

To practically carry out this goal, we use a pretty simple format.

First of all, we start by leading with relationship. Whenever we have someone who responds to the altar call in a service, we have someone waiting to connect with them, give them some helpful resources, and invite them to connect over coffee or a meal. This allows our new believers to not simply be pointed to a program, but to first establish a meaningful relationship. From there, we get an opportunity to hear their story, pray with them, and encourage them in their faith.

This then leads us to our second value: initiation through invitation. If a new believer is interested, we invite them to join our weekly meeting. This meeting operates in more of a small group/Bible study format, and is intended to give them the opportunity to meet other new believers, as well as to establish relationships with those who are more mature in their faith. The intention behind this meeting is not to simply give them more Bible knowledge; it is to help them begin to understand who they are in Christ and what that means for their lives.

This intention reflects our third value: seek to disciple; not simply educate. At Harvest Disciples, we want to see new believers who are grounded in their Spirit-renewed identity; not simply given a few Bible lessons and sent on their way. This is why, after spending about 6-8 weeks in this group, we pair interested new believers with a volunteer who can continue to mentor and disciple them as they grow in their faith. To sum it up, our approach is pretty simple: invite them in, help them begin to understand who they are in Christ, and then connect them with those who can continue to walk alongside them as they grow.