By Pastor Noel Gandy,
October and November in Iowa sees the conversation be dominated by one thing: the harvest. Harvest time is something special because you get to see the hard work that so many have done over the course of the past year pay off. Many who have had scant work or were without now have an abundance of work. Many who placed so much of their resources into the dirt are able to recover and turn a profit. It definitely is a unique experience to behold.
I write to exclaim how the harvest has not only been of corn and beans in Southwest Iowa these last two months. The Lord of the Harvest has blessed and blessed abundantly at Christ Point Baptist Church. Over the course of the past two months, we have had six baptisms. This makes 10 for our yearly total! We’ve had our highest average monthly attendance with successive weeks topping out at 57 and 62 respectively. Lives are being changed. Families have seen their entire family groups accept Christ. It truly is a blessing to be in the middle of where God is working.
I shared an illustration regarding Acts 16 yesterday where we could be a church who’s sign outside reads “All are welcome, come on in,” or a church who places the sign on the inside which states, “You are now entering the mission field.” We certainly want to take the model Paul and others used and actively pursue the lost rather than wait for them to come to us. That’s why projects like Operation Christmas Child are so important. In a time where so many of our own families are hurting financially, it was special to see 13 boxes be brought in to send to those who are in need of the gospel. I’m happy to have partnered with the Gideon ministry these past few weeks to send Bibles to the world. I’m looking forward to our children blessing the patrons of the local nursing homes in December. Those who belong to Christ are called to serve within their capacity. Friends, there is no time to sit on our laurels and wait for the Kingdom to come. There are those in immediate need of the gospel right under our nose if we’ll take time to recognize them.
Thank you for your blessings to see this ministry succeed. Partnerships with like-minded believers truly help us thrive. We certainly need your continued support.
