Dear Friends and Members of Harvest Presbyterian Church,

30 years ago my first project in ministry was reaching out to the community of Petaluma, California.  The idea came to my mind that there were hundreds if not thousands of people suffering from marital separation and divorce.  I ran with the idea and as a result of a few newspaper ads, over 50 people signed up for that very first "Growing Through Divorce" Class back in 1980.  Over the years I have done probably 20 of these seminars.  The last one I did was at my former church, Living Faith Community Church in Modesto.  I thought that I would put the sessions into podcasts and post them on the internet via my webpage.

I know that some of you have family members and friends who suffered or are suffering from divorce.  I invite you to go to my webpage and listen to these four sessions.  Also feel free to share them with those who you think would benefit by them.  God bless you all!!

Pastor John

http://web.me.com/pastorjohnfoster

JULY 2010

John’s Joyful Journal

Front Cover News

Recently, I happened again upon a valuable exercise regarding vision and how to move the church forward to the next level that God has for her. This exercise was first introduced to me about 10 years ago at a seminar on leadership.

One of the most powerful sessions was the session on vision. The leader said, “If you don’t remember anything of our three days together, remember this: Vision is the most important ingredient to the forward – movement of your church. ‘Without a vision, the people perish.’ (Proverbs 29:18)” We concluded this session on vision with an exercise. Before reading further, you may want to do this exercise yourself. Here is the exercise:

“You are a magazine reporter from Christianity Today. It is the year 2020. Write a one-page article describing what your Church looks like at this time. Begin with a compelling headline and then write the article...”

How did you do? Let me share with you what I wrote as I thought of Harvest Presbyterian Church:

Real People, Reaching Out to a Real World, For a Real God

Harvest Presbyterian Church began her ministry in 1960 with the belief that God was inviting people to know Him in Ceres, California. Visionaries from the early years of Harvest Presbyterian Church responded in faith to the calling of God to plant a new church on Moffet Road. The very name of Harvest Presbyterian Church echoes the words of Jesus when he said in John 4:35, “But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.”

After 50+ years of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with her community, Harvest Presbyterian Church has communicated that God is relevant and He is knowable! In an age of moral problems and decline, self-serving religions and new age cultism, Harvest Presbyterian Church has maintained an unmistakable and sacred value – “Harvest Presbyterian Church will offer her community an authentic look at the real God through her love, compassion and acceptance of all who come seeking answers to their life’s challenges and problems.” Pastor John Foster, who has served as Interim Pastor since 2009, states, ‘Harvest Presbyterian Church desires to make the claims of Jesus Christ understandable to all people and allow them to experience His grace in a safe place with other people – from the seasoned Christian to the struggler and the seeker.”

Harvest Presbyterian Church has definitely experienced the power of God with a weekly attendance of over 350 people through creative worship services and opportunities for ministry. Having been a beacon on Moffet Road for over 50 years, Harvest Presbyterian Church now enjoys a campus with multi-purpose facilities that meet the needs of young and old alike. It is customary to hear the church campus referred to as an OASIS!

When asked what the turning point in their ministry was, Pastor John shared, “It happened when the people of Harvest Presbyterian Church saw themselves as God sees them – as vital instruments in His hands sharing the love of Jesus Christ with their friends, associates and neighbors. When people saw themselves as God’s instruments in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, the church exploded with growth!”

One phrase seems to catch the heartbeat of Harvest Presbyterian Church: ‘Authentically Christian.’ What you see is what you get. No games, no pretenses, no shams, no fronts -- simply, ‘Real People, reaching out to a Real World, for a Real God.’

I believe in a real God who makes all things possible! How about you? What is your vision of Harvest Presbyterian Church, ten years from now, in 2020?

Pastor John Foster