{"id":2321,"date":"2024-10-03T18:53:42","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T17:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lrbc.org.uk\/news\/?p=2321"},"modified":"2024-10-03T18:54:44","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T17:54:44","slug":"harvest-2024-celebrating-gods-goodness-at-leigh-road-baptist-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lrbc.org.uk\/news\/2024\/10\/03\/harvest-2024-celebrating-gods-goodness-at-leigh-road-baptist-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Harvest 2024: Celebrating God’s Goodness at Leigh Road Baptist Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Hanli<\/a>
Hanli giving the Harvest talk inspired by tomatoes<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Harvest time<\/strong> is a wonderful season to reflect on the blessings in our lives, and at Leigh Road Baptist Church, we gathered to do just that\u2014celebrating the goodness of God together. This year\u2019s Harvest service was filled with gratitude, community spirit, and joyful moments. Let\u2019s take a look at the highlights and lessons from our all-age service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two<\/a>
Jenny and Dawn with their Harvest flower arrangements<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The sanctuary looking and smelling wonderful thanks to the immensely creative flower arranging team, thank you Jenny, Dawn on arranging and Martin on growing produce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1: A Time to Say Thank You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We kicked off our service with a fun question: “What is your favourite fruit?” The answers sparked conversation and smiles across the congregation, leading us to the heart of Harvest\u2014celebrating God\u2019s abundance and pausing to give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Harvest, we\u2019re reminded that God is good, and His provision is always with us. To reflect on this, we turned to Psalm 136, which declares:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"People<\/a>
People bring their donations of food to forward to the front of church for Harvest<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This year, we saw a beautiful outpouring of generosity. Thank you to everyone for their harvest gifts!<\/strong> It was the largest amount of food we have ever collected, and all of it was donated to the Southend Food Bank<\/strong>. Additionally, we raised an incredible \u00a3676 for the Southend CAP Debt Advice Centre<\/strong>\u2014an amazing reflection of our community’s heart for helping others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 2: Quiz Time \u2013 The Mystery of the Tomato<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As part of the service, we hosted a quiz featuring different fruits and vegetables. The tomato sparked the most discussion! Is it a fruit or a vegetable? Did you know it\u2019s technically a berry? We also learned that tomatoes are the most consumed fruit worldwide\u2014versatile, full of flavour, and found everywhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tomato became a metaphor for God\u2019s blessings in our lives. Just as tomatoes come in different shapes, sizes, and flavours, so do God\u2019s blessings. Some are sweet, some unexpected, but all are good. Here are a few fun facts we shared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n