Harvest
A THREE-YEAR DISCIPLESHIP JOURNEY AT UNITED CHURCH
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
We have one aim over this three-year journey—to raise the Redemptive Passion of our church. Journey with your church toward the good works that God has for us to do through what we are calling the Harvest Initiative. We want to become a spiritual family that is intentional about reaching people far from God. We want to see 300 people baptized, 2,000 first-time guests, and $6,400,000 in giving by August 31, 2026 because we believe the harvest is plentiful, and the church mobilized is the hope of the world.
Harvest Initiative Vision From Pastor Léonce B. Crump Jr.
One of the most important things that the gospel compels us to is generosity. Jesus did not withhold generosity at the cross and we respond by not withholding from Him.
We are currently in year two of a three-year discipleship journey called the Harvest Initiative, rooted in Matthew 9:37-38. “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
We want you to truly hear from God on what your next season of ministry looks like and how God might use you and me, and us together, as a spiritual family to impact all of eternity. We should leverage everything God has given us, time, talent and treasure, all for His glory and invest in forever instead of storing up treasures on Earth. It will require us to sacrifice time, comfort, resources, certainty and other “life as usual” things to invest in eternal things that never fade.
We invite every single person to prayerfully consider what it is that God has called them to do as a part of this Harvest Initiative. Our lives our full, but imagine our lives being defined as the fullness of what God had in mind when He came up with the idea of us.
It is time to wake up to what it means to live in the fullness of the life that God has for us.
Be free,
P.L.
Harvest Initiative Year Two
Primary Goal: 100% Participation
Our hope is that each one of us would ask ourselves, “Am I living for the harvest Jesus promised, or for the things of this world?”
Secondary Goal: $6.4 Million
Through your generosity we will join God in more of what He is doing in three redemptive initiatives.
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Church Harvest
Uniting people to Jesus and each other.
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Eternal Harvest
We will continue to make room for one more as we pray and seek guidance to reach our de-churched neighbors.
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Kingdom Harvest
We will partner with different ministries and organizations to see see the Kingdom of God break in, as we seek to see Atlanta reflect the renewed world to come.
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What Is Your Role?
Through the Harvest Initiative discipleship journey, God is using us to impact all of eternity. Our role is to lean in, listen to His voice and be obedient to what God is calling us to next. He is first, He went first, so we respond by bringing our first and our best.
New Commitment
You recently joined our spiritual family and are wondering, “What is the Harvest Initiative discipleship journey and how do I become a part of it?” The Harvest Initiative is for anyone who would call United Church their church home and we welcome you to the family! We hope you will join us on this journey, asking, “Am I living for the harvest Jesus promised, or for the things of this world?” Consider making a 12-month or 24-month generosity commitment to the Harvest Initiative.
Make A Commitment
Finish Strong
Perhaps you made a Harvest Initiative commitment in year one and for some of us, this journey has been as difficult—or possibly more difficult—than you had envisioned. Maybe you went to a completely new level in your generosity and are still adjusting your life to it. Maybe you have experienced job loss, job change or unexpected financial expenses. Persevere to finish strong in this journey that you began. We all stand together, encouraging one another. We know the Lord is faithful. He will provide and we want to finish strong in our commitment to what He called us to in this season.
Increase
Some of us made our Harvest Initiative commitment one-year ago and it is possible that we have had an increase in faith or finances. It is not that keeping our commitment has been easy, because it has likely required a lot of sacrifice. But you may be sensing the Lord stretching you to take an additional step of faith in your generosity. We challenge those of you to respond to His generosity by increasing your commitment.
Generosity is not a one-time event; it is a journey. Consider asking yourself these questions: What/who am I chasing? Am I still giving in a way that challenges me? Pray and ask yourself if He is inviting you into another step of faith with an increased commitment.
Invest in Eternal Impact
Access Harvest Resources
Explore these resources and grow with us as we step into the abundant harvest together.
FAQs
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First and foremost, we are asking that you pray and seek God’s leading of obedience in your life. Prepare your heart to hear Him and then do what He says. Engage in a small group during this season, engage in spiritual disciplines, as you reflect with God in the Harvest Initiative journal that you received during the Harvest Initiative series. Talk with your spouse, your family or friends about what this commitment will mean for this next season of your life.
We are asking that you make a sacrificial commitment to Spirit-led, radical generosity – whatever it is that God is leading you towards. Follow His leading.
Finally, we ask that you prepare to be amazed. It is an awesome God that we serve and He has already moved in huge ways and we anticipate an even greater impact from our collective Harvest Initiative commitments in the next two years – something only God can do.
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We're inviting everyone to join us in making a commitment for either 12 months (December 2024 - December 2025) or 24 months (December 2024 - December 2026). If you made a three-year commitment last year, we encourage you to confirm your commitment to finish strong or consider increasing your commitment.
Click here for more information on making a commitment.
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In the past, your generosity supported "The Freedom Project." Now, as we enter year two of Harvest, we’re expanding our efforts through “The Harvest Initiative” fund, which unites all our initiatives to make an even greater collective impact.
Every gift given to United Church will now support this fund, fueling our three initiatives—Church Harvest, Eternal Harvest, and Kingdom Harvest—as we continue our mission of uniting people to Jesus and each other.
We invite everyone to unleash their generosity toward this shared mission.
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Be creative as you explore ways you and your family can contribute to the Harvest Initiative. Whether it’s stocks, property, or other assets, consider how God may be calling you to give from the resources He’s blessed you with. This could be the perfect time to make an impact through stored resources you’ve set aside.
If you need assistance with gifts of property, stocks, or other non-traditional contributions, we are here to help. Please reach out to us.
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The Harvest Initiative is about your total, radical, sacrificial generosity to God’s mission at United Church. We believe that God calls us to action in times of hardship just as much as He does in times of abundance and that looks different for every person. But the Harvest Initiative is primarily about a heart change – one that is only accomplished by surrendering our lives completely over to God in this area of giving.
God may be calling you to make a commitment that you don’t quite know how to fulfill right now, but that you believe God will provide for as you seek for ways to sacrifice and work towards that commitment. It is not about the size of the gift, but your obedience towards what God is calling you to in this season.
The primary goal of this discipleship journey is 100% participation of every person that considers United Church home.
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If you are someone currently seeking to make payments to pay off debt right now, we commend you for making progress on that, and you should continue to do so.
We would be happy to help you in this journey and/or to recommend a budgeting class or mentoring with one of our Legacy Team members that might minister to you. Being in debt does not, however, make someone “excused” from giving. Giving is not about what God wants from you; rather, it’s about what God wants for you. [Philippians 4:17]
So, it should be our joy and privilege to give at all times. Please contact us if you need assistance with this. We would be honored to help.
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The Harvest Initiative was crafted specifically with you in mind. The Harvest Initiative is a “one-fund” discipleship initiative, meaning that it is different from a traditional capital campaign where you are called to give an extra gift above and beyond your normal giving – thus creating two steps for people who aren’t yet giving. The Harvest Initiative is a call to sacrificial, Spirit-led generosity for absolutely everyone at United Church.
If you have never given before, this is your chance to get in the game with a committed sacrifice. We really hope you will.
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The Harvest Initiative is about the vision for our church. We believe that the local church is one of the most compelling missions to give towards and we would really love for you to make United Church your home and join us in the Harvest Initiative.
If you are ready for it, this is a perfect time for you to put a stake in the ground and make this your church.
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Great question. People take different spiritual steps at different times. Some people begin praying before they begin attending worship.
Others begin going to a small group before they begin talking to God in prayer. Giving is another spiritual step and it comes at different times for different people.
One thing is for sure however, just like other spiritual disciplines, giving draws us closer to God. And God is calling all of us to give. [Matthew 6:19]
Whether you have taken the spiritual step of baptism or whether you haven’t yet, we would encourage you to still join us in the Harvest Initiative, and become one with a soul of blessing.
We firmly believe that it will draw you closer to God and hopefully to a place where you are ready to make the decision to be baptized.
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For all questions, please send us a message.
Make Your Commitment
Are you ready to take your next step in discipleship through generosity?