Harvest Bible Fellowship Training
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God is writing our next chapter today.
When Emily and I moved to Chicago in 2012 we had a lot of questions. "What will it be like to live in a city like Chicago? What will college be like almost seven years after high school? Will this calling that we’ve sensed on our lives be confirmed by this world class community of educators and ministry workers, or are we about to find out that we have made a huge mistake in coming here?"
But bigger than any of these questions was one burning question. "Where will we go after this?"
We are pleased to share with you that God has answered that question in a very clear way. This September we will be moving to Elgin, Illinois to begin training at Harvest Bible Fellowship (HBF) in order to plant a new Harvest Bible Chapel.
The Harvest Bible Chapel (HBC) in Chicago has been our church home since we came to Chicago. Both of us have experienced immense growth here and have seen first hand what God is doing in and through Harvest’s model and philosophy of ministry. HBC has planted seven campuses here in the Chicagoland area. These campuses simulcast Pastor James MacDonald’s preaching each Sunday with live worship music at each campus.
In recent years, however, HBC through the ministry of HBF has begun planting autonomous churches all around the world (well over 100 churches in more than 15 different countries to date). This work, planting a church, is the work to which God has called us. How did he call us? First, he called us by inclining our hearts toward planting with HBF. Secondly, he called us by aligning our circumstances with our heart’s desire. And finally, he affirmed all of this through an overwhelming confirmation from wise men and women both within and outside of the context of the Harvest family of organizations.
This task of planting requires some additional training with HBF here in Illinois. Why are we telling you all of this?
This will be the beginning of an arduous though rewarding path, one which we refuse to tread unless our family and our efforts are bathed in prayer. Would you commit to praying for us? I don’t mean be happy for us. I mean on your knees praying that God would guide, sustain, and grow us up into this calling for the sake of Christ’s name and commission. I don’t mean think of us from time to time. I mean that as we give you updates as a committed prayer partner you pray specifically for us and our needs and then tell us what God is doing in your heart through prayer. Would you commit to praying for us in this way? If you would like to pray for us please sign up for our prayer email here.
Although this training does not begin until September HBF has placed us in an internship at Harvest Bible Chapel North Phoenix from January through August. We were hoping to raise $2,000 by December 15, 2015 for the 3-4 week transition between Moody and this new internship opportunity and God met 100% of our goal just 3 days after our target.
Though the generosity and shared vision of HBC’s all over the world means that nearly all of our expenses during this four month process are covered, HBF asks its future church planters to raise funds to help offset the expenses of training so that they can maximize their Training Center’s capacity. Our goal is to raise this additional $10,000 by July 30, 2015.
Would you be willing to help us meet these financial goals?
This is the newest chapter that God is writing in our life. Though not always as fast as we would like, God has been faithful to answer the questions we have asked him.
Now we are now asking him, "How will you see us through this new chapter?"
And we are asking you, "Will you be part of his answer to us?"
When Emily and I moved to Chicago in 2012 we had a lot of questions. "What will it be like to live in a city like Chicago? What will college be like almost seven years after high school? Will this calling that we’ve sensed on our lives be confirmed by this world class community of educators and ministry workers, or are we about to find out that we have made a huge mistake in coming here?"
But bigger than any of these questions was one burning question. "Where will we go after this?"
We are pleased to share with you that God has answered that question in a very clear way. This September we will be moving to Elgin, Illinois to begin training at Harvest Bible Fellowship (HBF) in order to plant a new Harvest Bible Chapel.
The Harvest Bible Chapel (HBC) in Chicago has been our church home since we came to Chicago. Both of us have experienced immense growth here and have seen first hand what God is doing in and through Harvest’s model and philosophy of ministry. HBC has planted seven campuses here in the Chicagoland area. These campuses simulcast Pastor James MacDonald’s preaching each Sunday with live worship music at each campus.
In recent years, however, HBC through the ministry of HBF has begun planting autonomous churches all around the world (well over 100 churches in more than 15 different countries to date). This work, planting a church, is the work to which God has called us. How did he call us? First, he called us by inclining our hearts toward planting with HBF. Secondly, he called us by aligning our circumstances with our heart’s desire. And finally, he affirmed all of this through an overwhelming confirmation from wise men and women both within and outside of the context of the Harvest family of organizations.
This task of planting requires some additional training with HBF here in Illinois. Why are we telling you all of this?
This will be the beginning of an arduous though rewarding path, one which we refuse to tread unless our family and our efforts are bathed in prayer. Would you commit to praying for us? I don’t mean be happy for us. I mean on your knees praying that God would guide, sustain, and grow us up into this calling for the sake of Christ’s name and commission. I don’t mean think of us from time to time. I mean that as we give you updates as a committed prayer partner you pray specifically for us and our needs and then tell us what God is doing in your heart through prayer. Would you commit to praying for us in this way? If you would like to pray for us please sign up for our prayer email here.
Although this training does not begin until September HBF has placed us in an internship at Harvest Bible Chapel North Phoenix from January through August. We were hoping to raise $2,000 by December 15, 2015 for the 3-4 week transition between Moody and this new internship opportunity and God met 100% of our goal just 3 days after our target.
Though the generosity and shared vision of HBC’s all over the world means that nearly all of our expenses during this four month process are covered, HBF asks its future church planters to raise funds to help offset the expenses of training so that they can maximize their Training Center’s capacity. Our goal is to raise this additional $10,000 by July 30, 2015.
Would you be willing to help us meet these financial goals?
This is the newest chapter that God is writing in our life. Though not always as fast as we would like, God has been faithful to answer the questions we have asked him.
Now we are now asking him, "How will you see us through this new chapter?"
And we are asking you, "Will you be part of his answer to us?"
Organizer
Phil Eastman
Organizer
Chicago, IL