It's October, a month that births the season of Harvest. Hay bales abound, pumpkins have taken shape, the colors of Fall emerge and you can almost smell turkey in the air! Harvest is here!

It's an exciting season - Harvest time - but one filled with work as well. Hard work. The kind that recognizes that there are seasons of sowing and seasons of reaping and everything in between. It's the "in between" that is often the toughest part of the whole process.

In Galatians 6:9-10, Paul writes:

Do you remember the word for 2005 that the Lord gave us earlier this year? PERSISTENCE! Hear what Paul wrote there about the circumstances of reaping the harvest - " IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP." If that's not a direct word toward sustained PERSISTENCE during this season of Harvest, I don't know what is.

This month, I want to encourage you to NOT GIVE UP, specifically when it comes to our financial giving as a church. One thing I know about this church - you are a GIVING group of people. And the Lord is more and more giving us the ability to not give up or get weary in doing well.

With the extreme circumstances of two hurricanes in the Gulf Coast last month, you gave well!! Together, we gave well over $3,000 to "do good to all people" in the relief effort. However, in the process, our regular giving income dropped sharply.

We endured our normal "Summer slump" in giving income that happens every Summer as families go on vacation, but the September drop has left us alerted to our trust level in God's provision. He has always provided for our needs as a church family, and always will.

Yet it takes the faithfulness of those who call a church "home" to PERSIST and not become weary in doing good. Let me just encourage you to bring that before the Lord as you consider your own giving patterns.

There is much to do in Jesus' Name and so little time and resources with which to do it. Yet we move ahead in faith believing that God is calling for our trust to be placed in Him.

I wrote you last month regarding our emotions and spiritual health. We are well on our way into the series called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, and we are getting ready to host two very key events. The first is The Emotionally Healthy Marriage Seminar (are you registered yet?) on Tuesday, October 18, 7-9 pm. The other is The Emotionally Healthy Church Conference for Pastors and Church Leaders, which we will host on Wednesday, October 19, 9 am - 4 pm.

Then, our annual Harvest Festival happens on Monday, October 31, 5:30-8:30 pm. Every year, scores of kids and families gather from all over our neighborhood and city for this alternative celebration, a turning of something the enemy means for evil into something good and positive.

This year will be no exception, and we are excited. However, ministry costs not just our time and talents, but our treasure as well. Let this just be a loving, encouraging reminder that we are advancing and moving forward in faith, still ...