Tim Price & Harvest Blog

Joan has been going to lead music for a nursing home in Aliceville, AL every morning for twelve years. We had the opportunity to travel with this lady to provide music last week.    

On this particular morning, after we had sung several songs, Joan asked one of the residents who had come down to watch the program if he would like to sing. He began to belt out “Near The Cross”  in a beautiful way.  Everyone applauded. 

After he finished, Joan told us the story.  When he arrived at the nursing home, he couldn’t even talk, but through therapy, he has gotten to a point that he can sing! 

I’m not sure if it was a regular thing, but for some reason on that day, Joan asked if anyone else would like to sing a song and she opened the floor. When she did, one guy up in the front of the room, began to sing How Great Thou Art.  He started it fast, didn’t leave many pauses in the song and projected the words louder and louder as he got to the chorus.  By the time he sang, “then sings my soul…” he was pushing up on the edge of his arm chair and belting it out.  It was inspirational to witness. 

As he finished, another lady began to sing.  Her name was Unis, and as she started in a quite voice, everyone listened intently.  At one point  We spent an hour doing music there that day.  And as we finished up, I began thinking that I really didn’t have an end goal in mind for that morning.  I just figured we were going to share the Love of Jesus with this group of people.  But I guess I never asked the question, “how will we know if we were successful at that?”

The last time I was at a square dance was sixth grade until last night.  The camp we were at had one and everyone participated.  It started with simple group circle dances and then began to get more complicated.  Ruby loved it.  Suzanne loved it. And I loved it until Macy got startled by one of the loud “whoops” when the large group came to the middle.  So, Macy and I sat on the sidelines and watched.

As I observed, I noticed the patience and care with which the caller and his helper displayed.  The lady actually stood by Ruby and helped her get the moves down.  The caller was able to take a group of 100 people and slowly and carefully move them from a large circle to small groups of eight actually doing official square dance stuff.  But, he also moved them quickly and was able to make it all happen in a little over an hour.

It gave me some insight into the church.  To start with, I don’t think I would ever show up to a square dance, without an invitation from someone I trusted.  The feeling of the unknown would be too much.  It would be embarrassing to be around so many people who are good at something that I have no idea how to do.

The care and patience the leaders showed to the group came out of a passion and a love for square dancing.  You could tell they wanted us to know how to do it because it was so much fun.  They weren’t concerned that we had it all perfect, they just wanted us to experience it.   

The baby steps we took to get to full blown square dancing were fitting and natural and he explained them well.  We saw transition happen.  We knew that we were moving from the basics to more advanced stuff and he prodded us along quickly and very intentionally.

Everyone in the circle that night was participating.  There were obvious levels of ability and varying displays of talent, but everyone was involved, adding their own unique aspect to the fun.    

And Ruby (my five year old) experienced extra care and help as she got one on one instruction in order to make it through.  

At the end of the night, people were smiling, laughing and genuinely happy about having been there.  They were all talking together about how they could have done this or that and how it took the a while to get to this point or that point. The hour connected them.  They were involved.  They experienced it together.  

I don’t want to be too silly with this analogy but I think it would be good for the church to be like an old fashioned square dance. 

God (the caller), through the help of pastors and leaders (helpers / instructors) takes the individuals who are there through baby steps (basic instruction) so that they are able to live lives in community (group of eight), sharing the gospel message (do-sa-do-ing) with others in their worlds.  They do this all through their journey (promenading) through life, not just waiting for one specific right time. The group becomes the hands and feet of Jesus, serving (bowing to your partner) others selflessly.  The serving becomes attractive, addictive and fun (coming to the middle).  And before you know it, people have invited others to join in the fun (weaving the ring) and lives are changed.  

I am not sure the official name of this little thing, but it’s something I purchased while we were in Taiwan.  It’s a very common site to see a “waving cat” in businesses, entrances to stores, etc.  It was definately a conversation piece.  Some people say the cat is just welcoming people.  Others say, the cat is waving it’s arm saying, “give me your money”, as you enter the store.

Since bringing it home, the cat now sits on the shelf of a small table in our living room.  This little solar power souvenir starts waving it’s arm and shaking it’s head “yes” as soon as the sun comes up each morning.  This morning, as I was moving my suitcase which is still neatly situated in the living room after getting home Sunday night, I noticed again this little treasure.  The constant nodding “yes” caught me off guard for a moment.  And immediately, this verse came to mind and has been on my mind since: 

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.             – 2 Cor. 1:20

So I took a picture and decided to share it.   There are so many things saying “no” to us.  But God’s promises are “yes” in Christ.   

Typically, adult leaders and volunteers register and pay to attend camp with their students.  It’s quite a sacrifice – pay to hang around with kids, work hard, sleep little and go 17 hours a day.  But toward the end of last week’s camp, each adult was handed a bank envelope with a label on it.  The sticker on the outside of the envelope said that someone had given a donation and that this donation was intended to be split among all the adult leaders and volunteers who paid to come to camp.  Each person received $15 cash. 

I loved it.  I thought it was incredible.  For one thing, someone from the church saw this creative way to be generous and motivating with their money.  For another thing, I saw such appreciation from the leaders who received it.  Fifteen dollars is not that much, but it’s an amazing gesture.  It’s enough to go have lunch with someone.  It’s enough to go get ice cream with a family.  It’s enough to put gas in the car if you need it. 

And it was enough to let the leaders know how important it was for them to be present during the week.  It’s an idea that I will be using.  And I will be praying for different people who will help invest in the leaders who volunteer, register and pay to attend Fire-Up, Ignition and other events.  I would love to do something like this!  It was a great, creative, and fresh idea.

Thanks! 

When the official pastor / leader of the church is at camp for the week (or even a couple days) a tremendous amount of life is infused.  Summer camp provides a huge foundation for faith formation in the lives of children and youth. Having the church leader at camp 1) gives the pastor insight into what the students’ experience 2) helps grow the leadership of the camp by inviting others from the church to participate, 3) gives a foundation to the week of camp as spiritual directors 4) gives the pastor an opportunity to relax with students and others from their church in a setting outside of worship 5) gives the pastor an opportunity to be in worship.  I also noticed the camaraderie of pastors as they visit around lunch, dinner and afternoon breaks. 

During the final assembly of last week’s camp, the camp director thanked those who helped make the week great by calling them to the front.  She called up the family group leaders, the craft team, the bible teachers, the snack shack workers, the kitchen staff and dishwashers, the logistics team, the sponsors in training, the preacher, the music team and the pastors who were helping all week. 

There were nearly 200 people in attendance for this Jr. High age camp and the workers were very faithful.  The team was strong, the leadership was great, and the week was top notch.  Many lives were changed.  

Many things could be written about the week, but one thing I was intrigued by was noticing the number of pastors who were there.  These folks invested five days in the lives of students and other leaders.  It’s a trend that I think is good. I know the life of a pastor is busy.  I also understand the desire to send volunteers / staff to lead the kids while they are at camp so they can build memories and connections. 

But the impact of being with the next generation in a setting away from the church has tons of implications for the year of ministry and for the life of the church. 

Some ideas: 

-         Sign up to help at a camp where the largest segment of your youth / children’s ministry will be attending. 

-         Join your youth ministry / children’s ministry staff leaders at camp for the whole time or part of the time. With extended time at a weeklong camp, there are tons of opportunities to have great conversations about ministry with your staff. 

-         Accept the invitation to be the speaker / evangelist / teacher at a camp where your kids will be attending.

-         Invite some from your congregation to go along with you to experience a great week or weekend of ministry. 

-         If you can’t make it for the week, plan to have lunch one day at the camps where your students are attending.

-         Pray for the students while they are away. 

-         Invite students to give a testimony of their experience upon their return. 

We led worship for a weekend family camp that concluded in communion during the last service.  Each person was invited to come as the pastors placed the bread into their hands. The Harvest projector and computer were set up displaying the large cross that we have used as a standard picture since 2002.  As I played guitar, I watched the communion elements being shared and noticed that the line had formed in front of the projector making shadows on the screen.  When I looked on the screen, the cross was still visible, but there was a perfect silhouette of bread being broken and little kids’ hands receiving it. 

Even though it broke the musical flow, I tried to pull out my phone and take a picture and missed it. 

But the mental image is still vivid and truth is obvious.  His body broken for us – for these kids at camp, for adults all over the planet, for lives lived all these many years - and for me.  And though it’s been many years since his death and resurrection, we lift our hands to recieve from Jesus, through the power of the cross, and find life. 

It was a great Sunday morning for me.  Many times, camps and retreat centers don’t have the best projection set ups.  But on this particular day, it was powerful. 

We had the privilege of leading the chapel service for the youth of the Chaddock Children’s Home in Quincy, IL last night.  This premiere institution is known nationally for it’s specific programs and treatments for troubled kids.  As we listened to stories of the lives of the students, I began feeling blessed that I had (and have) a loving family who was supportive, involved and connected.  It was a blast growing up.  And I pray everyday for my own children that they experience the same. 

At the same time, I am burdened for the kids who don’t have someone caring, nurturing and praying for them.  I read Jame 1 this morning.  Verse 27 says, “religion that  God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows…”  I’m grateful that the church in looking after these kids.  Though Chaddock strives to get kids back into a loving family that is able to care for the students, for some, living there is the best thing to happen to them. 

It was a joy to have dinner with the kids there last night.  It was great to share in music, witness and a message with a chapel full of people.  It was fun to listen to a couple of the high school students play guitar afterwards.    It was great to walk around campus and see the ministry and work of this organization.  And I am grateful that God gave us a chance to experience, first hand, the burden.  I am praying for this team of Harvest people to have more opportunities to care in this way - in the name of Jesus.

The summer has begun.  And once again, it’s been a privilege for the Harvest 2010 Summer Team to prepare at Troy UMC in Troy, IL.  We spent the week working on music, dramas, and other aspects of leadership at the church.  In addition to being in the building all week, we were also the recipients of wonderful hospitality.  People from the church housed the team and provided meals.  A huge thanks to all those from our congregation and community that helped create a great experience for the team.  I appreciate Troy UMC taking an interest in sending this team into mission. 

The church ought to be the pace setter for loving people and making them feel welcome and comfortable.  I know from experience that it makes a life long impact.  It’s one of the ingredients for transformed lives.

At a recent seminar I attended, the speaker talked about three reasons why volunteers are connected in a ministry role: 

1)      Obligation

2)      Opportunity

3)      Ownership

The thought was intriguing to me.  Obligation isn’t bad.  In fact, the reason we are in ministry is because we are so grateful for Christ and what he has done in our lives.  Opportunity isn’t bad either.  Scripture says, “make the most of every opportunity…” (Eph 5:16 / Col 4:5).  Opportunities help us grow, sharpen skills and meet needs for people. 

But ownership is the place we want our team members and volunteers to be. When a person is an owner, he has a different outlook on the purpose and reason for his ministry.  Things happen more effectively and powerfully.  Once a person on your team takes ownership, the desire grows in others.  People get a taste of what it means to find fulfillment in being in the service of the living God in the ministry of the kingdom.  It’s really exhilarating.   

Now, I need to think about how to transfer the ownership.  That’s the tough one.   

-tim price, tim@harvestministryteams.com / 618-667-6241 ext 14

My brother Jedd recently told me about a conversation he had with a manager from Longhorn Steakhouse.  During their discussion, the manager said, “If you want to be America’s favorite steakhouse, you need to be your city’s favorite steakhouse”. 

When Jedd told me this story, I immediately thought of the church.  If we want to influence our culture and change lives all over the country and the world, we start with our cities and communities.  Does your church love and seek to serve the community around them? Does your church get involved in sharing Christ’s love in ordinary ways? Does your city love you and your church? Are you approachable?  Do they appreciate what you do to make life better in the community?  Do they see your commitment to serve simply because of your love for Christ?  Is there something that happens at your church that your community cannot function without?

I thought this statement was intriguing and have been thinking of ways to enhance our city and community and to share the love of Jesus with them. 

Tim Price

Director, Harvest Ministry Teams (www.harvestconferences.org)

Worship Design Pastor, Troy UMC (www.troyumc.org)