It's about time again to make sure people know about the Fire-Up Conference dates.  We will be meeting again with students in 9-12th grade on February 20-22, 2009 in Troy, IL.  www.fire-up.org.

Also, Harvest will again be hosting The Light Kids Conference around Illinois next March and all that information is at www.kidsconference.org.  If you would like to be on the team to share in this ministry, we'd love to have you.  During each weekend of the Light, we need a team of 15 volunteers through Harvest to help share the love of Jesus with hundreds of kids.  Team members help with snacks, lunch, recreation, dramas, A/V tech, hospitality, set up, etc. If youa are interested in serving in this way, here's the online sign up form for more information:  http://www.harvestministryteams.com/about/volunteer_form.php.

One of the primary purposes for the existence of Harvest Ministry Teams is to be a resource to the church.  Over the last few weeks, we have served in several styles of events and here are some samples of the schedules / events.  We would love to partner with you and help in any way!

Outdoor Outreach Event- Saturday

5:00 PM – Food for community / games for kids – provided by the church.  

6:00 PM – Local music group from community

6:45 PM – Harvest set up and sound check

7:30 PM – Harvest Concert – music / testimonies

8:45 PM – Conclude

*Church provided stage, sound, lights, outreach activities, games, etc.  People brought their own chairs and sat in the parking lot across the closed off street. 

Local Church All Day

9:00 AM – Harvest arrived and set up

10:15 AM – Sunday morning worship – combined service, Harvest led the worship music and Tim Price shared the message

12:00 PM – Potluck

3:00 PM – Family Event – Students and Kids - music and games led by Harvest

3:30 PM - Harvest Team split up: older students (6^th – 12^th grade) and younger kids. 

5:00 PM - Supper served by the church

6:00 PM – Concert by Harvest Ministry – whole community invited

*all hosted indoors at the local church, Harvest provided the sound system.

Sunday Night - Youth Event and Evening Concert

3:00 PM – Harvest arrives and sets up in sanctuary, using host church sound system

4:00 PM – Students (6^th – 12^th grade) arrive from the church and community – Harvest led games / music

5:30 PM – Supper provided by the hosting church

6:00 PM – Evening Community Concert

7:00 PM – Conclude  

Local Church – Sunday Morning Service

8:00 AM – Harvest arrives, sets up using host church sanctuary sound system.

9:30 AM – Morning Worship – Harvest leads worship music and Tim Price shares the message.

10:45 AM – Sunday School – all ages combined meet in Sanctuary for music, skits and a lesson, led by Harvest. 

11:45 AM – Conclude

Weekend Retreat

Friday Night – Harvest Arrives, sets up using hosting church sound

7:00 PM – event kicks off with music and speaker – Harvest provides the music and the event provides the speaker / weekend program format.

9:00 PM – evening activities

Saturday-  9:00 AM – morning worship – harvest leads some fun stuff to get things going, and then into worship music

10:30 AM – Tim Price leads a youth ministry leaders workshop.

12:00 PM – Lunch provided by event

1:00 PM – Free Time, Harvest hangs out with kids

2:30 PM – afternoon session – Harvest leads music

5:30 PM – Supper provided by event

7:30 PM –evening worship

9:00 PM – evening activities

Sunday - 9:00 AM – closing session and conclude event.

*these events vary, many times, Harvest will provide the sound and the video projection, depending on the location and facilities. 

Harvest Ministry Teams

Tim Price, Director

407 Edwardsville Road

Troy, IL 62294

618-667-6241 ext 414

www.harvestministryteams.com

Hope you enjoy the two instrumental Christmas songs on the Harvest Myspace page from a new CD that Tim Price recorded earlier this month.  This CD will be ready in early November. 

How are you, Harvest blog reader? I hope you are doing well.  Do you want to hear a little bit of what's going on in Harvest? Well, since we last typed anything here, Harvest has had the Worship Conference, The Well for youth workers and Springfield Ignition.  We also had the privilage of serving in several churches over the last few weeks including Good Hope, Caseyville, Maroa, and others!  Through the conferences, we have had the privilage of being face to face with over 360 worship leaders, student ministry leaders and middle school students from approximately 96 churches!  It's been really fun. 

Last weekend, Harvest led the Ignition Conference in Springfield.  This weekend event for middle school students is geared toward building memories, walking along side kids in their faith journey, and sharing the love of Christ in practical ways.  The team for this past weekend included Justin and Abbie Aymer, Jeff Nail, Jenny Kremmel, Ryan Roach, Katie Sledge, Kale Uzzle, Suzanne Price, Kiley Davis, and several others.  It was a great weekend in Springfield, IL.  Next weekend we will host the Ignition Middle School Conference in Troy, IL. 

Two weeks ago The Well - for youth leaders took place.  Hal Hamilton and I drove to six different hosting sites over the course of four days and connected with around 130 youth leaders from around the state.  Hal did a great job leading this sessions which included topics of discipleship, adolescent development and focusing on family ministry.  Thanks Hal for your part in the ministry!  And thanks to all the hosting churches and leaders! 

During the Worship Conference, there was a team of people assembled to help lead seminars that included:  Matt Embry, Jeremiah Cox, Justin Aymer, Chris Baron, Jill Fisk, Paula Polfliet, Jeff Nail, Don Frazure, Denny Reeves, and LanceWinkler from Church of the Resurrection.  It was a great day of learning and growing!  Thanks for being a part of it! 

Suzanne and I have really appreciated Christine Fuesz and her ministry with us this fall, so far.  In addition to being a hub for the office and publicity, she also attended the worship conference, traveled with us to two of The Wells, and traveled to Ignition in Springfield. 

Last thing...  Harvest has been invited to go lead a few different events in Taiwan this coming January.  The team will most likely be Justin and Abbie Aymer, Theo Harden, Tim Price, and Jackson Price.  We are currently in the process of raising money to cover the cost of the travel for this mission trip. 

A huge thanks to Christine Fuesz who has joined the team and been assiting in the Harvest Office this fall.  The new online store is up and running again:  http://www.harvestministryteams.com/resources/index.html.

We have also added an easier way to register for The Well for youth workers.  http://www.harvestministryteams.com/.

Last week, we had a chance to lead music in Moweaqua and the team was Dave Williams, Brian Caringer, Tim, Suzanne and Ruby Price.  This past Sunday, we served in Good Hope, IL and the team consisted of Tim Price, Bethany Harry, Ryan Roach, Theo Harden and C.J..  Both of these days were really good times of ministry. 

If you don't already receive it, we would love to have you register for the monthly online newsletter:  http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101603959583&p=oi.

We took a trip to the zoo the other day.  I was excited to fiind free parking and experience a perfect cool, sunny day.  As we walked around, I noticed that I kept saying and hearing the same word.  I would look at Ruby and say, "did you see that?"  Or I would hear Ruby or Suzanne say, "I see it."  I heard people around making comments like:  "I want to see the monkeys" or let's go see the elephants." 

I got to thinking about how excited we get when we want someone else to experience something. We want to them "see" it. 

There are a couple things that I want to invite you to experience (if you are in my neck of the woods):

The Worship Conference - Saturday, September 20, 2008 featuring Lance Winkler, Director of Contemporary Worship at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS. 

The Well - For Youth Workers - With Hal Hamilton, First UMC, Tulsa, OK.  This will be hosted in six cities around Illinois.

Ignition Middle School Conference - Springfield on October 17-18 and Troy, IL on October 24-25. 

Here's the website so that you can see what's happening:  http://www.harvestministryteams.com/conferences/index.html. 

If you have questions, let us know!                

                                                                                                      - Tim Price

As we got out of the car to go into the grocery store early Saturday morning, Ruby sneezed.  She inherited that from my side of the family - many times when we look at the sun or a bright light, we sneeze.  After Ruby sneezed that morning, she laughed with wonder as her eyes watered and she tried to get over the "after sneeze" feeling. She looked up at me and said, "The sun gives me sneezes" and gave her little squeal of approval.  

I never put it that way before.  I've always said, "The sun makes me sneeze".  But her three year old perspective was neat... the largest, brightest and hottest star in our universe, causes in her tiny little self a tickle and tingle with the power of a closed eyed, loud, messy sneeze.   

Immediately I pulled out my phone to record her thought - "the sun gives me sneezes".  And I thought of how Jesus, the Son of God, the coolest and brightest star known to all of creation, sees it fit to "give us" the tingle, tickle and joy.  He loves us and desires to know us.  And just like a sneeze causes us to feel "messed up" for a moment, so does God's work in our lives at times.  Though, I count it a gift.                                        - Tim Price

Closing Service Sat. August 2nd Hosted at Troy United Methodist Church in Troy, IL.  Starts at 5:00 Service 6:15 food and fellowship everyone welcome! And now a word from Jos....

This summer has been quite the adventure travling with Harvest Ministry Teams.  I have acquired so much to my thinking and ability to play instruments but most of all i have developed friendships with some pretty awesome people.  At this very moment in time we are in Alabama and what a hot place this is.  We just came from Michigan so its from Cold to Hot in the matter of 8 hours.  So pretty much one extreme to the other.  The kids here are pretty much awesome they just want love just like every kid does.  Hopefully we can get through to them that God loves them and that he died just for them.  Well.....C-ya at the closing Service keep us in your prayers. 

Thanks,

Jos Eastin