By James Mitchell - Church Planter

If you’ve ever been excited to watch a shuttle or rocket launch, you know sometimes there is a delay. That is just what we’ve experienced. In mid-September, my wife and I both tested positive for COVID. Our quarantine covered the date of our launch. It was hard, but we knew we had to decide to delay. What we have learned through the process is nothing short of amazing.

Our team is ready, still growing, and eager to lead. On the date which should have been our launch, September 26, our worship team, recovery ministry team, and greeters wanted to go ahead and meet, even though their pastor was home. By the afternoon, we had a team brimming with confidence in their roles, contacts from first-time visitors that Sunday, a hunger to see God “add to our number,” and a passion for people far from God.

It’s time to lean into our strengths and work on the weak areas. We have already begun the process of acknowledging what we do well and showcasing it. The flip side is seeing where we are weak and finding out ways to right the ship. Our student ministry is thriving, with many of the teenagers who attend Wednesdays coming from homes where parents do not attend church yet. We have chosen to use the word “yet” deliberately.

We hope that Christ at work in the lives of these young people will be the catalyst to bring entire families to saving faith in Jesus.

Lastly, our family has seen we are genuinely not alone in this desire to reach Marlow and Northern Stephens County. I am delighted, proud, and excited about the future of the Harvest Church because it’s not a Mitchell family project. It is God at work in the lives of believers, new and seasoned, with a passion for reaching the “nones and dones,” as we put it. ‘Nones’ are people who traditionally have had nothing to do with church. ‘Dones’ are people who have given up on attending church or decided to ‘never go back.’

A FEW PRAYER REQUESTS:

Our prospects

We have daily new conversations and connections with people who are either ready to get back in church or have seen or heard our marketing and social media posts. Pray that these contacts become conversations and that the habit of non-church attendance will be broken by a desire to draw closer to God.

Our team

We have every leadership role fulfilled. Several leaders are still training and learning their positions, but we need more people to fill out the individual parts in ministry areas. Pray we don’t get tired because of the nature of dual roles. Most Sundays, what we need most is strength and perspective.

Our new ministry opportunity

We started a recovery ministry in October that meets weekly. We have been blessed with some excellent coordinators with a heart to reach people who are often overlooked.

Our location

While we have a location at a busy intersection in Marlow, we can only use the facility 8 hours a week and must set up and tear down every time we meet. Weekly setup is typical for church plants, but we have an opportunity to look at a couple of spaces with the potential to be our permanent location for the next 5 to 10 years. The land here has gotten expensive over the last year, and the opportunity to purchase a building is more financially feasible than a land purchase with the intent to build. Pray our leadership team has wisdom and that God will provide when the time comes to move forward.

Our pastor and his family

As I write this myself, during “Pastor Appreciation Month,” I am reminded of how much I genuinely need prayer from the sheer temptation not to ask for it. If you would pray for us, start praying for your pastor and add us to the list. Church Planting is tough. We have been tempted to give up. Every time, God has already directed something into our path to remind us how He has been working on our behalf and where He is leading us!

Our prayer and financial partners

Please pray a blessing on those who are blessing us daily with their prayers and monthly with their support. Please pray that more will answer the call to help us launch, The Harvest Church.

If you’d like more information about the church. If you’d like to join our partnership team, reach out to us via our website: www.theharvestmarlow.com/#connect

Follow us on social media and take the time to view, like, and share our posts:
Facebook:/HarvestChurchMarlow
Instagram:/theharvestok
@theharvestok

Please keep The Harvest Church in your prayers, and we hope to hear from you soon.