Wins for The Kingdom!

  • Lesley Tipton has joined our staff as our Children’s & Family Pastor
  • Reach student ministry has baptized several teens recently
  • God has been moving in our worship ministry even in the absence of a Worship Pastor

Prayer Warrior

  • Continue to pray as our search team seeks to find the right person for our Worship Pastor position
  • Pray for the lost in our community and for Stonecrest (the neighborhood next to the church)
  • Pray for our new Connection Groups and for people’s lives to be changed

 Have a prayer request?  Join our Online Facebook Community to post it or contact our care ministry via email

Ephesians 1:18-19

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

It’s Fall Y’all!

We have an easy and sweet way to BLESS Stone Crest our neighbors. We will be collecting bags of Halloween Candy from October 3rd- 17th to surprise our neighbors with a pumpkin drop to all 190 homes filled with candy!

All donations can be left in the candy drop boxes next to the coffee bar.

Thanks for partnering with us to BLESS Stone Crest!!

%

of every dollar given at Harmony goes straight to Missions, the rest goes to creating stories of Kingdom Impact in the lives of those you touch!

Because of Your heart for the Kingdom…

Harmony has experienced 10 Baptisms in 2021!

2021 08 26 08.48.40

Kickball w/Kent

Advancing the Kingdom by Living for God and Loving People

by Kent Wagner
Lead Pastor

A few months back I was working on planting some new grass in our yard.  My kids came and asked me if they could play kickball back there.  My response was, “Not on your life jack!”  :).  Actually, I explained to them how the new grass was germinating and was fragile and if they went running all over it the traction could be detrimental to all the work we’ve been doing.

I sat on the porch later that day and thought how much like Harmony my grass was.

If you are newer to Harmony you might not realize just how difficult the past few years have been on the church.  Before even my time there were significant financial struggles, painful losses in leadership and friendships, baptistries that overflowed, pandemics that hit…  Well, you get the picture.

What I thought about that day is how much, as a church, we have some big dreams for Advancing God’s Kingdom.  We have a vision to plant churches that plant churches, to develop a sports ministry that reaches young men and their families, and to empower stories of impact in our church.  What hit me that day is how all of those things are “playing kickball” and how as much as I want to get out on the “field” and make them happen, the reality is, we are in a growing season – rebuilding the turf if you will.  If we push too hard into those big picture items right now, there’s a strong possibility that we end up killing off the growth we could be experiencing that would set us up for long-term success.

I shared this with our elders and shared with them that there are several areas in our church that I believe we need to continue to grow and rebuild in:

Developing a culture of generosity:

In the past year since I’ve come to Harmony we have seen some real growth in this area.  We have gone from having completely cut off missionaries from support because of our financial difficulties to giving 10% of what comes in through tithes and offerings to support both local and foreign missions.  We have seen God bless us in tremendous ways and have never lacked to do ministry (partially because we have such fantastic people on staff who know how to stretch a dollar).  But I believe God has bigger things in store for Harmony.  I beleive He wants to see us not just blessing one neighborhood, but neighborhoods all over our county.  I beleive He wants to use us to start new churches and be a part of Advancing His Kingdom into places where darkness has reigned.  But we don’t start there.  We start with each of our own hards developing a culture of generosity.  This is the fertile landscape that I beleive God wants to nurture in us.  

For my wife and I, this has been considering our commitment to the Kingdom, not just at harmony, but in our day to day life.  We have made decisions to give even when it hurts – and sometimes it hurts bad :).  But the reality is, if we don’t make the decision to be ALL In on the frong of generosity, we can talk all we want about making a difference but will be unable to fund it when God presents the opportunity.  

This is one of the reasons you will see one of our opperating values for our leadership is that we are shockingly generous (see all our values here).  We believe if we don’t lead in generosity, how can we expect anyone else to follow?

 

Developing a culture of community:

Harmony has some of the most fun loving, kind, generous churches I have ever had the pleasure of being apart of.  What breaks my heart is that there are newer people who have joined our ranks who have never experienced a conversation with Sheila Owens or had the chance to have a Rick Wilson pray over them.  For them, Harmony feels a little like going through a mirrored maze.  They don’t know how things work, where things are, or who to talk to or how to get involved.  Some of you know exactly how this feels.  You enjoy coming to Harmony, and love what seems to be there, but aren’t sure how to get involved or what to do next.

That’s part of the reason we are working so hard to develop Connection Groups.  As I look at our church from a 50,000 foot view, I see just how very connected some are and how disconnected others are.  This isn’t unique to Harmony, every church struggles with this.  But it’s why we need to begin to work double time to develop a culture of community.  To bring people in.  When we stand in a circle talking – to intentionally leave a gap for someone else to join the circle.  This is why it’s SO important to join a Connection Group and encourage others to do so.  This is why some of you need to consider leading a Connection Group – because it’s time to step up and help the next generation get connected like you are.

Harmony is amazing and my dream is that someday, everyone who attends will get to experience what I have experienced in you all!

 

Developing a leadership pipeline:

When I planted our church years ago we had to develop an eldership from scratch.  We had intentionally gone after the unchurched.  I kept waiting for people to just get “spiritual” in order for us to develop our eldership.  But that day never came.  I finally asked a question that I wished I had asked earlier in my leadership journey.  The question was, “why am I waiting instead of leading?”  I decided it was time to start leading the way.  So, I pioneered a Leadership Intensive called, LEAD.  LEAD was a high commitment leadership class that was based completely on servant leadership and what that meant for your family, the church, and your place of employment.  I started pouring into men and raising up leaders to become elders. 

I still believe churches can’t afford to wait for leaders to just emerge – the mission is too critical.  That’s why our eldership and I have worked on adapting LEAD to Harmony.  I took all our staff and elders through the course and now Matt McKenzie is working on developing it into a pipeline that future leaders can jump into now and get the biblical foundation of servant leadership set in their own lives.  Not only that, but we are working on a version of it for women as well that I’m really excited about.  

Imagine our church with a whole host of men and women who have the heart of Jesus and has embraced His servant leadership example (laying down their egos to exalt God only).  

This is the stuff that gets me excited!

None of this stuff is the exciting, “write home to tell grandma what’s going on” kind of stuff.  It’s all planting and fertilizing.  It’s all providing time and growth for our church to get the foundation that will set us up for an exciting future.  It’s you and I looking at those three areas and saying, “where can I start to make a difference?”

What about you?  Here are some Takeaway Questions:

  • Have you prayerfully considered your level of generosity towards helping us make a Kingdom impact?  What’s holding you back?  How could we help you?
  • What could you do to help incubate a culture of community?  Could you open your home to host a Connection Group?  What about leading a group?  At the very least, could you join a Connection Group and develop some friendships with people who maybe have felt on the outside?
  • When you hear leadership opportunity, does that get your ears to stand up?  We are looking for men and women who want to grow in their leadership and help our church go to the next level in Advancing the Kingdom by Living for God and Loving People.  Could that be you?  Why not get in touch with us and start the conversation?  When you truly learn what servant leadership is, and how different it is from the models of the world – it will change everything!

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”

Text2Give

SEE HOW IT WORKS: Text $1 to (859) 459-0316, afterward text “refund” (no quotes) to get a refund.
In the future simply save the Text2Give number on your phone and text any amount (add ‘weekly’, ‘biweekly’, ‘monthly’, or ‘yearly’ for a recurring gift).

Command Description
$50 Donates $50 to to Harmony. You can type any amount; the dollar sign is optional (e.g. $50 and 50 both work).
give $50 Same as above.
give You will receive a response asking “how much you’d like to give”.
$50 missions Donates $50 to the missions fund. You can also give to the building fund this way (example: $50 building)
$50 weekly Sets up a recurring gift of $50 each week. Frequency options are ‘weekly’, ‘biweekly’, ‘monthly’, and ‘yearly’.
$50 missions weekly Sets up a recurring gift of $50 each week to the missions fund. Frequency options are ‘weekly’, ‘biweekly’, ‘monthly’, and ‘yearly’.
refund Refunds the previously given contribution. This command can only create a refund within 24 hours of giving the gift. If the previously given contribution started a recurring gift, the recurrence will also be canceled.
update Allows a donor to update their payment method or recurring gift.  You will receive a response with a link where you can make these changes. Please note: You can only update recurring gifts via text when the recurring gift was established via text giving.
unlink Unlinks a your phone from the text-to-give system. If you want to set-up two recurring gifts from two different methods, using “unlink” will allow the donor to set-up a secondary recurring gift from an additional method.
commands Provides the user with a list of the available generic text commands (will not include the unique specific keywords you have set up for your church)

Stewardship Dashboard

The Past 12 Weeks at a glance

by David Burchfield

We are working on doing a better job of communicating and explaining how things are going at the church as we steward God’s resources.  For the last 12 weeks our giving is about 80% of plan.  Before you get too worried, this does not mean we have been spending money we don’t have.  We have been ok, since we have had some open positions at the church and have not been making that investment in a staff person.

Our experience has been with summer vacations, shutdowns, etc. offerings are often down a little (we’ve had several scattered weeks at 50% of need) but we are excited to see what the Lord does as fall arrives and school is back in session.

Overall our giving is up year over year.

As we try to be good stewards, we are switching to a new online giving platform called Breeze, which saves the church $4,200 per year in fees that were incurred in the backend of the system.  In the next month or so, I will be reaching out to those that use our current platform “Pushpay” to see if you need any help making the switch.  If you do need help making the transition, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

One of the nice things about online giving (especially with the option to do recurring gifts) is that giving can happen from anywhere, vacation, work travel etc. It’s super simple to give for example to give $100, you would just text $100 to 859-459-0316.  The system remembers who you are and your gift is given safe and securely from wherever you are.

If you haven’t tried the online giving or text2give please pray and ask God what he would have you give. Remember the “Lord loves a cheerful giver”. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have, just contact me. Thank you again for your generosity!

-David Burchfield.

The Past 12 Weeks At a Glance

Baptisms Year to Date

Avg Wkly Attendance

Avg Wkly Giving

  • Percent of the way to meeting Critical Needs Goal: 91% 91%
  • Percent of the way to meeting Fully Funded Goal: 80% 80%

Bible Devotion With an Elder:  Rich Reel

Ministry Corner: 
Children’s Ministry

by Lesley Tipton
Children’s & Family Pastor

Hey everyone! I have been having such a great time these past few weeks getting to know all of you here at Harmony! The connections my family and I are already making have been fantastic, and I cannot wait to get to know even more of you.

I want to do a brief refresher on some Harmony Kids check-out safety, just to keep things running smoothly! The kids of our church are my absolute #1 priority, and I want us all to be on the same page.

When kids get checked in make sure to keep that label that comes out with their nametag! That is the only thing you can use to pick up your kids! If the names/number on the label don’t match the names/number on the tag, we’ve got a form you must fill out, drivers’ licenses need to be shown, blood needs to be drawn (not really but you get the picture) to pick up your kiddo. Even if we know you and who you are, you MUST have that tag. Also, we will not release children to older siblings. It must be an adult.

We also ask that you not enter the classrooms, or that your other children enter the classroom of their siblings at any time. Again, this is for the safety and security of all involved. If you’re leaving early, simply knock on the door or open it to gain the attention of a volunteer, and we will bring your child to you.

We’ve also placed a zip barrier in front of the kid’s hallway during services. This is to prevent anyone from using the kids’ restrooms during times that there may only be children in them. Again, this is to promote the health and safety of all members, children and adults alike.

While some of these things may be a pain, and take time, and are annoying, we aren’t doing them to be difficult. We are doing them to make sure that all families feel secure knowing their children are safe. Thank you for understanding and helping us make Harmony a place for everyone to enjoy!!!

-Lesley

Upcoming Events

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Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Our Latest Podcasts:

Harmony Christian Church
Harmony Christian Church
Week 3 - The Judges
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  • Week 3 - The Judges

    Week 3 - The Judges

    Mar 19, 2024 • 43:23

    📖 What are we doing to pass on the knowledge of God to our kids? 🙏 Join Kent to explore this crucial question through the book of Judges!  EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). Get the…

  • Week 2 - Joshua - Waltzing into a New World

    Week 2 - Joshua - Waltzing into a New World

    Mar 12, 2024 • 46:24

    How do we remain human in an artificial world? Join us as Kent delves into this crucial question. Listen in and let’s sanctify this moment together. EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). Get the fill in…

  • Week 1 - Moses - Slavery & Emancipation

    Week 1 - Moses - Slavery & Emancipation

    Mar 5, 2024 • 51:09

    🌟Join us for a powerful sermon journeying through Moses’ life. What idols do we worship? Let’s reflect together. Tune in at Harmony Christian Church. EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). Get the fill in the blank…

  • Week 4 - Joseph

    Week 4 - Joseph

    Feb 27, 2024 • 41:48

    Ever felt like you’re constantly hitting walls? We’ve all been there. Join us as Kent unpacks the story of Joseph and finding resilience in adversity.  It’s EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). Get the fill in…

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