This Is What God Has Done: Venable Family

God is faithful! As we celebrate 10 years of what God has done at our church, we will be featuring God At Work testimonies from members of our core team who have seen all that the Lord has done. Psalm 115:1, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”

10 Years

One of our pillars is “Believing Firmly in the Power of Prayer.” Over the past 10 years since launch Sunday, we have had the privilege of having a front row seat to seeing prayers answered and God’s power and presence at Harvest.

As a core team, we specifically prayed for a senior pastor and worship pastor. After a couple of months of prayer, the Helmers and Tynans joined the launch of Harvest Indy West and we were so blessed to have them with us. Pastor Doug immediately (BAM) became the pastor and leader of our launch team. From the first message we heard Doug preach, we were in awe by how God had answered our prayers in such a mighty way. God has since assembled an incredible team of pastors to help shepherd us and grow our relationship with Him. Harvest is not a church to tickle your ears and present a person’s opinion or interpretation, but a church proclaiming the authority of the Bible without apology and sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness each week to all in attendance.

From the start, we prayed for people to join the core team and to serve in the various areas needed. It is amazing to see how God has brought people to Harvest with different skills and talents that have been needed throughout the years. God has brought together a willing group of servants that seek to love everyone who comes through the doors. In the beginning, God blessed us with the theater as our initial place to worship. Now he has blessed us with our church property and a beautiful building to worship Him in.

Since launch Sunday, God has graciously given our church a sense of unity. He has consistently prepared people’s hearts to come to Harvest—it is always incredible to hear how God continues to bring people to Himself. Having a front row seat to see a church grow from a small group of core team members to where we are today has been a very humbling and awe-inspiring experience.

How God Has Been At Work In The Venable Family

Before we heard of the first core team meeting, we were searching and praying for a church where God wanted us to worship and serve Him and where He could best use our family. After the first core team meeting, we knew as a family that participating in a Harvest church plant was where God was calling us to serve Him. 

We have been so blessed by others at Harvest. At launch, our son was a senior in high school and was fully onboard with being on the core team of a new church launch. We were so blessed to have young, godly men come alongside him and disciple him in a way that he needed at that time of his life. This is just one example of how people at Harvest have had a big God impact on our lives, and God has shown us how church community encourages (HONK).

Bruce has always had a passion for music, but he has not had an opportunity to do anything with this passion since his college days. Now he is involved with the worship ministry, which has allowed him to use a passion for God’s glory and has grown his walk with Jesus. Pastor Nick and Jill do such an amazing job of preparing each week to ensure that worship focuses our hearts and minds on Jesus. It is such an honor for Bruce to be a part of the worship at Harvest that puts Jesus first in everything that is done.

God has blessed us with great small group leaders that come each week prepared to facilitate the discussion as well as to draw out what is going on in each person’s life. The small group discussions are incredibly valuable as we get to hear different people share their life experiences as well as how God speaks to them through His Word.

This Is What God Has Done

When we look back to before Harvest, church was something that our family went to each week, but we were not actively engaged in the church. Now we strive to be in God’s Word daily and want to grow in our relationship with Him.