“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1–2, ESV).
Epiphany has arrived, revealing our Savior, King Jesus, who rescues us from darkness and calls us to bring His Good News to the world. This mission is especially urgent in Michigan, where many people—particularly those 35 and under—are hungry for Jesus. In public spaces, from schools to libraries, I’ve witnessed a growing interest in Christ, especially among those who have left the church. Our opportunity to share the light of Jesus right now is as great as it’s ever been in my nearly 30 years of pastoral ministry and church planting.
An Opportune Moment for Mission
According to The Great Dechurching, 51% of those who have left church are willing to return. Even more striking, 1 in 5 of the over 335 million Americans who live, work, and play with us consider themselves believers in Jesus but don’t have a church home. These “dechurched” people are ready to talk about Jesus, and through prayer, love, and meaningful conversations, many may come to join our church families and new church plants.
A Call to Plant Churches in Michigan
In the LCMS, approximately 1% of our 5,800 churches close every year. In Michigan, we need to plant 3.5 new churches each year just to maintain our current number of congregations. Our hope and prayer should be to grow—not just maintain. With God’s help, and the Holy Spirit working His mighty Gospel work in us and Gospel proclamation through us, the Kingdom will come. My hope and pray is that Harvest Partnership – Michigan gets to be part of the Lord of the Harvest bringing this harvest of souls among us in the Michigan District also.
What is Harvest Partnership – Michigan?
The Harvest Partnership – Michigan is a network of churches (3 to 5 or more) coming together for prayer, mutual support, and mission planning. Through this collaboration, we are intentionally growing disciples, sending harvest workers, and establishing new Gospel outposts and churches.
Why Join a Harvest Table?
Churches that participate in a Harvest Table invest in five key areas:
- Spiritually: We meet regularly for prayer, encouragement, and the study of God’s Word.
- Relationally: We build friendships and foster trust.
- Intellectually: We share insights and best practices for mission.
- Physically: We share resources like time, space, and people to support one another and new Gospel work.
- Financially: We contribute to the mission according to our abilities.
Like a church potluck, each church brings what they can, joyfully sharing resources to expand God’s Kingdom.
Join Us at the Table
Are you ready to answer the call to “Arise and Shine”? If you’re interested in joining or leading a Harvest Table, please contact me at pastorjim@onthevinechurch.com. Together, we can make a lasting impact in this opportune moment.
Photo © branex/iStock
