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International Ministries
We at Harvest also believe that we are part of a larger
international community of Christians and we feel called to
minister to this community as well.
We seek to have a Biblical vision for world missions, which we
believe is seeing God establish biblical churches throughout His world.
Our mission's team, Harvest to the Nations (HTN) was formed in order
to encourage and enable mission activities at Harvest Church.
The HTN Team seeks to glorify God by enjoying the work of discipling the nations in the following ways:
- Asking God to send and prosper laborers in His harvest.
- Equipping the congregation to pray and participate in God’s establishing churches
throughout the nations of the world,
- Identifying, training and sending laborers into His harvest,
- Raising and disbursing monies for His harvest,
- Encouraging and blessing laborers whom God has already placed on the mission field.
Full Time Support
Harvest currently supports these full time Missions:
- Daniel Gavanescu in Church planting in Romania
- Steve Allen and RUF campus ministries at UNL
- Craig Shepard and the work in Bulgaria
Short Term Missions
We at Harvest believe that Short Term Missions, when done correctly, can be beneficial for the people who we seek to serve, but also for those of us who go to minister. We realize that there are many difficult cross-cultural issues and limitations associated with Short Term Missions and we do not ignore them. In most cases our short term missions are actually long term as we seek to build relationships by continually going back year after year to the same churches and continuing ministry throughout the year with those national Churches. For example, we have long term relationships with chruches both in Apa Via Church in Romania and Iglesia La Vid Church in Laredo, Texas.
We also encourage members of the Church to go on short term missions to help them determine if they sense God's call to long term missions. Here are a few examples of the mission trips that occurred this summer (2008).
Click on blue markers below to read more or scroll down.
Harvest ESL Ministry
The ESL ministry at Harvest began in the Fall of 2006 as an outreach to the local community and specifically as a means to reach non-English speaking Hispanics in the Omaha area.
Since then Harvest has ministered to many Hispanic students as well as students from China and several African nations.
ESL classes meet at Harvest on Monday nights, from 7—9pm.
There are several ways to serve in the ESL program. We need permanent and substitute teachers, and classroom assistants. We are seeking a non-teaching administrator. We also have childcare and hospitality needs. There is a need for planning extra-classroom events.
ESL is a wonderful opportunity to serve the nations that God has brought to our own doorstep.
Walthill– Omaha Nation
Trip: The Omaha Nation, Walthill, Nebraska
Dates: June 7-14
Purpose of the trip: To conduct VBS and light construction, typically painting, clean-up, and renovations
Summary: This trip was organized by Grace Reformed Church. It was a family oriented trip and involved minimal travel. Participants ministered to the Omaha Tribe Missions through VBS activities, light construction projects, and daily group worship and praise.
Laredo
Trip: Iglesia La Vid- Laredo, Texas
Dates: June 14-21, 2008
Purpose of the trip: To continue construction work to complete the sanctuary and meeting facility for Iglesia La Vid.
Summary: The team continued the building project with Iglesia La Vid. With its location in Laredo, La Vid is seen as a strategic point in reaching the eastern end of the US/Mexico border with the Gospel. This building is essential to the growth and effectiveness of the congregation.
Romania
Trip: Romania – Relationship Building, Evangelism, Church Planting
Dates: June 6-24, 2008
Purpose of the trip: To work with our ‘sister’ church in Romania
Summary: This trip consisted of working with the Living Water (Apa Vie) church in Targu Jiu Romania. An IPC Teaching Elder, Daniel Gavanescu, has been working directly with Harvest the past few years. The mission trip will focused on encouraging the church there through teaching, relationship building, ESL, VBS, etc. Team members worked along side a small church in the hopes of encouragement of the church there, building relationships and to increase their ministry opportunities.
Uganda
Trip: Uganda, east central Africa
Dates: May 2008
Team: Justin Richards, traveling with students from Covenant College
Purpose of this trip: To learn from the fast growing local church and Dr. Henry Krabbendam about evangelism and to work with local native evangelists.
Summary: The Archbishop of Uganda, Archbishop Orombi, urged Covenant students to come to the country so that they “may provide the wiring while we (local Ugandan Christians) may supply the electricity.” This is an opportunity for the Word of God to go forward to many who have not heard it before.
Philippines
Trip: Manila and Cebu, Philippines
Dates: May 14-27, 2008
Purpose of trip: Vision trip for the Davys, to observe MTW’s Street Child ministries and the work of International Justice Mission (IJM) with child prostitutes in Manila, and to look at land for future ministry near Cebu.
Summary: There is an estimated 100 million children around the world who have had their lives and their childhood innocence ripped from them through forced prostitution. There are an estimated 100,000 children in illegal brothels in the Philippines, as young as 4 years old. Fueled by a desire to minister to and serve the forgotten, the orphan, the “least of these,” the Davys are traveling to the Philippines to spend time in country and make contacts for future ministry opportunities.
China
Trip: China- ESL teacher to university students, Evangelism, Bible distribution, and to disciple new believers.
Dates: Summer 2004,2005,2007 and Winter 2007
Purpose of trip:To work with University students teaching a spoken To work with University students teaching spoken English, building relationships and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. We worked through a cultural exchange school and lived with the students to shares our lives and cultures with each other. In the process, we also shared our faith in Christ and the Bible being the foundations of our life. Harvest Community Church provided Bibles to give to each one of our students. Subsequent trips were to discipline students who had come to faith in Christ in previous trips.