Harvest of Talents about giving through the generations

 

[October 24, 2022] 

Merriam-Webster defines generation as the “average span of time between the birth of parents and that of their offspring.” In other words, your grandparents and their siblings, your great aunts and uncles, form one generation. Your parents and their siblings, your aunts and uncles form the next generation. All your siblings and cousins form another generation.

Authors of the Bible use the word ‘generation’ 166 times throughout the scriptures. In the Old Testament, verses told us of generations that were faithful and praised the Lord:

Psalm 102:18 (ESV) “Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:” and

Psalm 119:90 (NIV) “Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.”

The Harvest of Talents at Lincoln Christian Church is a perfect example of generations who remain faithful and praise the Lord through giving of their time and talents to help others less fortunate. Partnering with International Disaster Emergency Services, the Harvest of Talents has raised over $2,000,000 to “share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, care for victims of natural disasters, fund long and short-term hunger relief efforts, provide nutritious meals for those in need, help people create a better future by providing them with a ‘hand-up’ instead of a ‘hand-out,’ and provide medical supplies, equipment, prescription medications, vitamins and other materials worldwide.”
 

Rich and Paula Knopp moved to Lincoln in 1982. The first Harvest of Talents was the next year. Paula was not on the first leadership team but has been a part of the ministry team since then. Her parents participated year after year with her dad bringing his wood crafts, which were usually part of the auction. The Knopp children, Nicki Green, Katie Young, and Andy Knopp, all attend the Harvest. Now, the grandchildren attend and invite their friends to attend. Katie told a story about how when she started her business in Springfield, she decided to start holding back a portion of her income specifically to spend at the Harvest. Because they no longer live in Lincoln, Rich said, “The Harvest, truly is, a family homecoming for us.”

Carissa Bycroft Kutz and her mom, Flora Ventura-Bycroft have been attending the Harvest together for years. Flora has donated several quilts that have sold in the auction. Last year Carissa gave quilting a go and her quilt sold at the auction putting both the women in tears. Carissa’s son Stephen can be found at the Harvest cheering on the ladies during the auction. They are hoping that next year Carissa’s brother James will join them in Lincoln for the Harvest weekend.

Tim and Tesha Woods have attended since the first one, so they have a heart for the Harvest. Their sons, Jake, Justin, and Jaron grew up at the Harvest. When asked why they thought it was important for the boys to attend Tesha responded, “We love the tradition of the Harvest. We come back every year for the food. We taught the boys the heart behind it and that this is how we serve.”

Newlyweds, Haydn and Emily Sheley-Gerdts, have been attending the Harvest all their lives. Emily remembers when there used to be games and crafts and things for the children to buy located in the basement of the church. Her mom would drop her off and she would be busy for hours participating in every game, making every craft, and buying whatever her money allotted her to buy.

Haydn’s family lived in the church parsonage when he was born. His dad, Tom Gerdts, was the preaching minister at Lincoln Christian Church when Pat Snyder approached him with the crazy idea to gather the talents of the congregation to sell on the fourth Saturday of October and give all the money raised to International Disaster Emergency Services in Indiana.

For many years, Haydn’s grandma, Mitzi Maynard, sent potatoes from her farm in South Dakota. Haydn said, “She couldn’t afford to send all those potatoes, but her faith convinced her to send them anyway. Those potatoes fed people from Lincoln and all the way around the world.”

Haydn is well aware that intellect regarding religion is readily available in the area. If you have a question about religion, scripture, or philosophy all you have to do is ask someone from a church or higher education facility. There is a plethora of knowledge that is at your fingertips if you just ask someone.

The Harvest of Talents is the other side of the coin. It is the creative part of religion that allows people to bake, craft, greet, spend money, paint, grow potatoes, wherever their gift, talent, or desire takes them. So, many can participate in Harvest of Talents in anyway they are able.

Jane Ingram remembers the people that come back every year; families that have moved away and come back because of the Harvest. She remembers the conversations that happen all year about what people are making. She remembers that Chan Fuller was the first auctioneer, and he must have been overwhelmed because he didn’t know how to handle the crowd. “When you go to a normal auction, you try to get it (the item) for the lowest price possible. But when you come to this auction you try to get it for the highest price possible.” Jane remembers that the Harvest has made money from the very first one and has grown year after year. Now when she attends the Harvest she thinks, “Wouldn’t my mom love that? Or my dad would have appreciated that/”

Thirty-nine years later the Harvest has changed from the first one. There are events all year long and other Harvests have happened in other areas. Everyone has their own expertise. Some people who make the rolls, people who make the soup, and people that quilt all year. So many stories, so little time! One thing that hasn’t changed is the memories that are passed from generation to generation.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.

[Lisa Ramlow]