Do you know what I love most about our church? It's that the Lord keeps surprising me. That has to be the secret to staying in one church for a very long time and not getting bored. On any given week, I will hear a story, meet a person, receive a note, or experience something that I wasn’t expecting. It’s been 25 years of that. And I know that it isn’t because of the people, circumstances, or times. It isn’t because this is a great church (I think it is!), but it's because, as Isaiah said, “The LORD has done this!” And I know that if any good comes from this new ministry year, if we’re to experience surprises week by week, it’ll be because the LORD will have done it. More than anything, that’s what I want for us. Lots of Holy Spirit surprises! This Sunday launches us into our new ministry year. I’ll be preaching Isaiah 41:20, our theme verse for the year, and laying out the priorities we’ll be reaching for in 2026-2027. I will also be interviewing Jen Pollock Michel, author of six books, including her newest, A Rule for the Rest of Us. Jen was with us a few years ago for The Leadership Series.
Single: 25th Anniversary Year Theme
Message: The LORD has done this!
Text: Isaiah 41:20
Todd Dugard
Harvest Bible Chapel
September 13, 2026
We celebrate these 25 years…
…seeing the angst and desperate need around us (v. 1-7)
Devoted followers of Christ will always be able to hear the voice of God even with the cacophony of competing voices around us. When his voice is heard and followed, it provides what we need to manage the tension, confusion, crises, and hardships that come our way.
- Todd Dugard, September 9, 2001
John 10:3-4
John 10:14-15
The events of this past week demand a leader. Not a political leader. Not a military leader. Not even a religious leader. What we need is a leader who can take us from the precarious and frightening place where we now find ourselves and conduct us back to green pastures and still waters. We need a shepherd.
- Todd Dugard, September 9, 2001
…aware of the call of God on our lives (v. 8-9)
We must resist the lie that we can go it alone and opt out of the embodied life of the local church. Individualism is a modern value, but it is not a divine good.
- Jen Pollock Michel, A Rule for the Rest of Us
…having a very real sense of being overwhelmed (v. 10)
…knowing who our God is, all he’s done, and will do (v. 20)
So, what are the commitments for this new ministry year that need to be considered? What will help us participate with the LORD in this great work of grace?
Our elders said:
Commit to reading the Bible. Commit to praying. Commit to being at church. Commit to joining and showing up for Life Group. Commit to giving sacrificially and joyfully. Commit to welcoming someone new and inviting them home for food. Step up in serving, asking what’s my next step?
- Lindsay, Elder
Commit to regular prayer for our Harvest family, city, county, province, nation and the world that the gospel will go out unimpeded by the help of the Holy Spirit through bold declaration by believers of all ages and different tongues.
- Clem, Elder
Commit to the difficult work of cutting through the motivations of the heart, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- Mike, Elder
Commit to giving. Regularly and sacrificially.
- Peter, Elder
Our staff said:
Commit to repentance. Commit to leading and loving your family well. Commit to sharing your faith personally.
- Derek, Alliston Campus Worship Director
Commit to making worship a priority and finding a place to serve. Commit to getting into a Life Group and getting your kids to Harvest Youth.
- Jeannie, Senior Director of Connections and Community Life
Commit to a Life Group.
- Jennifer, Children’s Ministry Director
Commit to make hearing from God through his Word a priority every day.
- Christina, Office Assistant
Commit to pursuing reconciliation, being willing to make the first move when relationships become strained.
- Joyce, Senior Director of Admin and Communication
Commit to a Life Group and to being contributors, not consumers.
- Aneel, Ministry Partners and South Asian Pastor
Commit to getting involved because Christianity is not a spectator sport.
- Wendy, Finance and HR Director
Commit to being intentional about being part of the body of Christ, stay longer after services to have conversations.
- Yolanda, Ministry Assistant
Commit to getting plugged in from the start through the Essentials class and other groups.
- Lance, Facility Director
Commit to reading the Bible yourself every day because Christ is our daily bread, not our weekly bread.
- Kate, Children’s Ministry Assistant and Office Assistant
Commit to give and commit to pray for one another. Commit to meeting those new to the church and to forgive those you’ve held something against. Stir up others to love and good works.
- Patrice, Alliston Campus Pastor
Commit to a Life Group and consistent worship attendance. Commit to serving and to worshipping with expression. Commit to giving.
- Erich, Executive Pastor
Commit to worshipping throughout each week. Commit your life as an act of worship, surrendering all of yourself to Christ.
- Andrew, Senior Director of Worship and Production
Don’t just build connections with your church family on Sunday—reach out throughout the week.
- Matthew Davey, Facility Assistant
Begin looking for God in the everyday moments of life because he is working. Worship isn’t just something we do on Sunday morning through songs of praise, it’s a lifestyle. We can worship God through our work, our relationships, our challenges, our choices, and even the difficult situations we face. When we intentionally look for opportunities to give God glory throughout the week, we begin to recognize his presence and see him working in ways we may have overlooked before.
- Jesse, Production Director