Statements

The vision of Harvest can be described in one phrase: “Seeker to Servant”

Read below for more information on our core values, our vision statement, what we believe, and matters of conscience.

Core Values

Values are those beliefs and convictions that make us uniquely us. They are the things that really matter to us. They define who we are and act as the driving force behind all we do. They are, as the name implies, who we are at the core of our being.

Hunger for God

We believe that hunger for God – to know Him, to love Him and to do His will – must be the central life passion of every Christian. (See: Deut 6:4-9; Psalm 42; Matt 5:1-6; Phil 3:7-11)

Atmosphere of Grace, Mercy and Acceptance

We believe that an atmosphere of grace, mercy and acceptance best reflects the heart of Jesus Christ and is instrumental in cultivating a healing environment where lives are restored. (See: Matt 9:9-13, 11:16-19, 12:1-13; Luke 15:1-2; John 8:1-16)

Relational Integrity

We believe that relational integrity is crucial to building a healthy, life-giving church. We want our relationships to be marked by strength and honor, to go through the cross, dealing with things that come up, keeping God in and the devil out of our relationships. (See: Matt 18:15; Ephesians 4:25-32; Colossians 3:12-14)

Vibrant, Christ-Centered Worship

We believe that vibrant, Christ-centered worship moves the heart of God and attracts His Presence to His people. We want to be known as a worshiping church where people worship God whole-heartedly and without shame. (See: Exodus 12:21-28; Psalm 96; Rev 7:9-12; John 4:23)

Excellence

We believe that excellence glorifies God, inspires others and blesses us. We want to be a church of excellence, filled with people of excellence. (See: Malachi 1:6-14; Colossians 3:17-23; I Cor 10:31)

Soundness in Life and Doctrine

We believe that soundness in life and doctrine is the single most important factor in building lives, families and churches that are healthy and vital. Healthy things grow, thereby our focus is on building people whose lives are sound, sane, and spiritual, built on the Words of God. (See: Matt 4:4; 2 Tim 4:1-5; I Tim 4:16)

Turned Out Toward a Lost and Broken World

We believe that lost people matter to God and therefore ought to matter to us. We want to be a church as well as people who are continuously outward focused, turned out toward a lost and broken world. (See: Luke 15; John 4; I Peter 3:15)

Vision Statement

The “10 Point Vision” that propels us forward here at Harvest…
(Revised March 10, 2001)

1. We envision being a church where the unchurched “pre-Christian” can come and discover what it means to have a real, vital relationship with the Living God and His Son, Jesus Christ. A place where, rather than a high-pressured environment, the air is contagiously alive with the Presence of God, and people are simply being drawn to God as the life and joy of God are over-flowing from His people. We see people from every kind of background, every color, every race, every age, and every occupation coming to Harvest, experiencing the grace of a welcoming, joy-filled community of faith, and finding the power of God within that atmosphere to discover a new beginning in Christ. We envision a regular, steady flow of “pre-Christians” coming in as people who are finding the life of God are actually wanting to invite others to come!

2. We envision being a church where genuine creativity flows, where since God is in our midst, there is an air of freedom and people are expressing themselves creatively in every way possible: from writing, to music, to art, to dance–even to the starting of new businesses–in every conceivable fashion. We see Harvest as being a place where new people come in and are impacted by the creativity of the Holy Spirit being expressed through His people. We want the “Wow Factor” to be present everywhere and in everything we do, from our building, with coffee shop murals and artwork displayed from our people, to the auditorium and children’s and youth facilities. Everywhere–even the hallways! We want people to see that our God is not boring, “cookie-cutter same,” but vibrantly alive, the God of color, the Father of all true creativity!

3. We envision being a church where passion for the Presence of God is continuously increasing, where worship is dynamically inhabited by the Presence of the Resurrected, Living Christ, and his saving, healing, life-changing power is being released in our services as people are experiencing the enlivening Presence of God. We see hundreds, even thousands, worshiping God with complete abandonment in a “concert-style” atmosphere, unconscious of having to “do things a certain way,” just enraptured with more of God! We see the gifts of the Spirit flowing spontaneously and naturally in and through the lives of Harvest’s people. We likewise see people coming into our services not knowing Christ and surrendering their hearts to Jesus in the midst of our worship, without even an altar-call necessary–just an “encounter with the Living Lord” in the midst of a surrendered people!

4. We envision being a church utterly dependent on God, where prayer is like breathing, with people not only committed to personal intimate time with their Lord, but the church taking the work of prayer seriously for the lives and needs of our people. We see multiple times for prayer meetings. We also see people in their everyday lives spontaneously calling out to God with one another, not only at church, but everywhere and anywhere they may meet up–grocery stores, restaurants, everywhere–”seeding” our city with an air of dependency on God!

5. We envision being a church where people embrace being a disciple in a very serious way, where the emphasis of our church is on true spirituality and a deep relationship with God. We want the culture of our church to send the message that we are a people serious about growing in our knowledge of God and His Word, and of being models of the life of Christ to everyone, everywhere, not just being mere converts. We want our church to be grounded in Scripture-based teaching, not “feel-good” religion. We see people who are serious about God, yet not so serious about themselves; a people who live in relaxed, joyful holiness: laughing, learning, playing, worshipping, growing together. We see a people who are like the early church, radical in their generosity, beyond just tithing, as a sign of being real disciples who love the Kingdom of God more than all the goods this world can offer. We see pastors and leaders who rather than “lording it” over people’s faith by being dictatorial, instead love the flock, helping and empowering them to become fully mature followers of Christ in every aspect of their lives by making each person more and more dependent on God and His Word, rather than more and more dependent on the leaders. With this, we envision various ministries, seminars, small groups and home fellowships enabling and developing people to rise to places of servant leadership.

6. We envision being a “church without walls,” where ministry is not just seen as being inside the four walls of the church. We see a church where the focus is as much on what is going on outside the services as inside, where God’s life is flowing into our people and that life is being expressed in ministry that is expanding the Kingdom–whether through the creation of new compassion and outreach ministries (surfing? biking?–ANY variety of outreach groups that our people may want to start in order to build relationships with “pre-Christians”) – or the creation of businesses that will enable “pre-Christians” to work side-by-side with true, sold-out men and women of God, where they can see Christ and His work in us . We want to be radically outward focused, knocking down the walls that keep the church and the world that people live in as separated in people’s minds. We see people being equipped to be successful in all of life, including in their marriages, families, finances and businesses, through not only classes, groups and retreats, but by personal mentoring from experienced mentors who can help develop the “seed” of vision God has planted in each person’s heart.

7. We envision being a church that plants other churches and sends out missionaries into the world, whether short-term or long-term. We see the possibility of having Harvest multiply locations in the city, as we are not trying to grow a “mega- church,” but rather a church that really does inhabit a unique “presence of the Lord” and where the people are being effectively discipled and cared for. We do not know how big that is, but we will attempt to honestly monitor our health and atmosphere, not knowing how large we can grow before losing the things that make Harvest such a special place. If and when we would reach that point, we would “hive off” another location in another part of the area, corporately meeting together at a larger facility once a month, possibly on a Sunday evening. We would have centralized offices and administration, in order to keep expense down on each “plant.”

8. We envision being a church that takes seriously wise administration and accountability. We see wise structure being implemented that serves the life of the church, rather than restricting it, to ensure the church and its people are well protected, and that the testimony of the church and its reputation will be beyond reproach.

9. We envision Harvest being a church that takes an aggressive approach to dealing with issues and problems in people’s lives, teaching our people to “go through the Cross, not around it,” dealing with each other in a Biblical way, rather than avoiding confrontation. We will do this in a spirit of love, grace and redemption.

10. We envision being a church of great influence, known in our community and beyond for the incredible love for God and each other we display. We want to network with and be a blessing to the whole body of Christ, starting here in Pensacola. We want to be a unifying force, helping to break down the walls of church jealousies, envies, and the like. We want to sow blessing. Toward this end of being a church of influence, we are believing for a variety of different vehicles: book publishing, music studio, TV programs, radio station…whatever and however God wants to give us influence to bless our city!

In short…

We envision the building of a Biblically-functioning, Christ-centered church where the life, love and power of God are dynamically at work in the lives of the people; where the focus is on the making of real, Jesus-loving, Word of God- obeying disciples who will be a people of radical influence in their families, friendships, city and world.

Not instant church. Not easy church. But REAL church.

This is our dream, the “Harvest Dream.” We are confident and assured it will indeed come into full existence and expression. Why? Because it is a dream birthed from the very heart of God, ready to be set in motion and anointed by God Himself! God birthed it. God will provide for it. God will see it through. The vision may tarry, but it will come to pass, in Jesus’ Name.

Let us never forget:

Then the Lord said, “Write down the vision and make it plain so that a messenger may run with it. For it waits an appointed time…though it linger; wait for it, for it will certainly come to pass and not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:2,3)

What We Believe

Holy Bible: The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26).

Trinity: There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co- eternal (I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11).

Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. (John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5).

Virgin Birth: Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the Virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God (Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35).

Redemption: Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21).

Regeneration: For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential (John 6:44, 65).

Salvation: We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).

Repentance: Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9).

Sanctification: Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11).

Jesus’ Blood: The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29).

Jesus Christ Indwells All Believers: Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20).

Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10).

The Church: The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23).

Two Sacraments: Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38). The Lord’s Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).

Healing of the Sick: Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit. (Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29).

God’s Will For Provision: It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.

1) Spiritual (John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10).

2) Mental and Emotional (II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3).

3) Physical (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24).

4) Financial (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19).

Resurrection: Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body 3 days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21).

Heaven: Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4).

Hell: After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8).

Second Coming: Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7).

Matters of Conscience

“Watch your life and doctrine closely,… for if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”(I Tim 4:16)

It is our desire at Harvest Church to take this charge seriously. In our effort to build a Biblically-functioning, outward-focused, Christ-centered church, we feel it is important to define our position concerning certain issues that can, if left unaddressed, create controversy, bringing damage to what God is seeking to build.

In everything, it is our desire to ‘major on the majors, minor on the minors’, and to recognize what truly are the essentials of the Gospel.

We liken this problem of addressing ‘matters of conscience’ to the early church’s approach to dealing with the inclusion of the Gentiles (whose customs created tension with Jewish customs). In addressing these matters before the Lord, we as leaders must struggle with what to “lay upon” those who are coming to the Lord from a thoroughly post-Christian society. We must ask, as they did then, “What in fact is the LORD requiring of them?, versus our possibly imposing older church cultural traditions from the broad variety of our own various church backgrounds (Acts 15).

Many things the church at large strictly prohibited 100 years ago (cards, theater) are now openly acceptable by the majority of Christians everywhere. A few of the examples of “matters of conscience” issues today are PG and R rated movies, stock market involvement, saving, investing, religious holiday involvement, alcohol consumption, card playing, dress issues, women in ministry, use of various Bible versions, theater, tattoos, piercings, dietary disciplines, health clubs, plastic surgery, …

The list is almost endless, depending on the religious background that has trained our consciences. Many of the issues that are disputable today will be laughed at 50 years from now, much like card playing and movie watching, largely ‘taboo’ by the majority of Christians a generation ago.

In deducing the following statements, the following core passages were deeply studied by our Pastoral Team. We encourage all who seek to join to Harvest to do likewise:

Romans 14, I Cor 8, 10:23-11:22

1. We must begin with a deep respect and fearful understanding of “sin”- what in fact, constitutes “sin”? Is the matter in question a matter of conscience or of sin? Where is the line drawn to where the matter becomes sin?

2. Biblically, it seems the matters Paul described as “matters of conscience” are not in themselves matters of the Kingdom of God in people’s lives, and therefore a matter of personal conscience. (see Rom 14:17, I Cor 8:7-13, I Cor 10:23-11:1)

3.Biblically, they become an issue (entertainment, sports, eating, drinking, etc..) when done in excess and a worldly spirit of non-restraint that has no concern for the conscience of others (love). This the Bible deems not only sin, but idolatry (gluttony, drunkenness, greed, etc..) I Cor 10:14, Col 3:5

4. As with all other matters of conscience (Rom 14), great care must be given to cultural and personal sensitivities (the backgrounds and cultures of the people we are with). This the Bible calls “walking in love” (I Cor 13). To practice any “freedom” in the presence of those whose consciences may be violated is insensitive, inconsiderate, offensive, and immature, walking in selfishness, rather than walking in love and thus fulfilling the law of Christ.

Concerning ‘matters of conscience’ (Rom 14, ie, movies, tv, drinking of wine, etc…), we must take great care in guarding our lives. Because self-deception is at the very root of our human nature, we must continually ask ourselves, “Is this wise for me to do?” All of us have different backgrounds with different ‘weaknesses’ and propensities. It is vital that we know ourselves and not trust our flesh. Our deepest desire must be to stand before the Lord free, clear and blameless.

Likewise, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that we are to refrain from judging each other in matters of conscience that are not clearly layed out in Scripture, each giving an account of himself to the Lord. (Rom 14:1-12)

While recognizing the freedom of individuals to make responsible choices before the Lord based on scripture and the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we DO NOT CONDONE unrestrained license in any of these matters, hoping to avoid the necessity of dictating prohibitions beyond the clear teachings of scripture.

8. Our ultimate goal is to raise up mature believers who truly seek the scriptures over all matters, walking in a deep reverence for God and His Word, who are wise regarding themselves and their own unique predispositions, who live in true love and consideration for their fellow man, free, yet under the Law of Christ and the governance of His Lordship. To sum it up, the key governing factors that we see concerning all ‘matters of conscience’ are:

1. Intention… What is the ‘spirit’ this is being done in?
2. Sensitivity… Am I considering how this might affect others?
3. Responsibility… Is this wise for me?
4. Yieldedness… Am I open to the voice of others in this?
5. Thankfulness… Can I see this, eat this, drink this and give thanks for it?