06/14/2026
For today’s Children’s Message, Pastor Duane tried to move the stand himself, then asked Audrey if she thought it would be easier to have some help from Brandon. This was an easy way to show that when faced with heavy things, instead of trying to handle it all by ourselves, it’s easier to do it with help. We can work together to make the work easier and better for everyone.
Terry Cassidy also spoke to the congregation on behalf of The Gideons International. He shared the story of how nightstand bibles provided by The Gideons helped a young girl turn away from death to a life with God. Their bibles have been distributed in 109 languages and over 200 countries.
Today’s Message is based in Matthew 9:35 – 10:8
“Disciples – Called and Sent”
When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Has anyone here spent time just hanging around downtown Fostoria or at the park?
Do you find anyone there who is aimless or hopeless?
Aimlessness leads to despair.
Hopelessness leads to depression.
If you look around the streets and roads of Northwest Ohio, you find people who are: Angry
Beaten down
Restless
Aimless
Helpless
Hopeless
Like sheep without a shepherd.
Our world is full of people who are like sheep without a shepherd, a world that begins at our doorstep.
Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “The harvest is plentiful, a large crop is in the fields. BUT, the laborers are few, there are only a few workers.”
This is a well-known scripture statement.
It contains two very important truths.
FIRST -- THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL.
One church said there was no harvest to be gathered.
BUT, they didn’t want to look down the road from the church.
Hundreds of people lived there. In trailers, not their kind. Besides, they worked in factories and we all know what kind of people work in factories.
In 1957 that church had many children and hopes for many more.
Now they have closed.
As we look around our church, township, and county.
Are there people who are confused and hopeless?
Is there a harvest here?
How many church members live within walking distance of the church building?
A few. But how many more are there who live close by but are not a part of any congregation.
Is there a harvest here?
In the 44830 zip code there are 18,962 residents.
In the next 5 years the population remains stable. Not a loss.
Of that a significant percentage of the households have no faith involvement.
That makes many people just in the zip code that have no faith involvement.
Is there a harvest here?
Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Is there a harvest here?
The harvest is ALWAYS plentiful.
And that brings us to the second important TRUTH:
THE LABORERS ARE FEW.
Sometimes we learn more about what something says by looking at what it doesn’t say.
It doesn’t say:
The OBSERVERS are few.
The SUPERVISORS are few.
The COMPLAINERS are few.
The “talk-about-it” people are few.
The ones who say, “I’ll help somebody else, but I won’t do it” are few.
But the laborers are few.
The laborers = those who do the common tasks.
In the community of faith, it is those who are needed to do the common tasks of ministry that are needed most.
Historically, there are plenty who want to have power, and control, and have a say in things –
But few who will give the common labor necessary to make ministry happen.
Every now and then we see an exception.
A church that has a dynamic and charismatic leader.
The people will do all sorts of things for him.
BUT,
When the leader moves on – the people lose interest.
They were doing ----- to please their human hero.
Instead of giving their efforts as offerings to God.
As a sharing in the work of God’s kingdom.
As Christians, we are called to give common labor to the work of God’s kingdom.
Sharing in the teaching of a Sunday School Class (adult, youth, or children).
Working as a helper or advisor with the youth ministry.
Extending caring as an active small group leader or host.
Offering your time as a friendly visitor to a shut in.
Taking the time to do caring things for neighbors & community.
Giving the time to visit people in the community on behalf of the church?
Assisting with vacation Bible school or other children’s activities.
Providing supervision for an after school program.
And the response is: I can’t, I won’t
well – what will you do?
What is our call and our commission? As a church? As Christians?
Passive or active?
The harvest is plentiful – but the laborers are few.
The Scripture says: “Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in.”
• We as a church are an answer to that prayer – waiting to be fulfilled.
• You are a Christian, are you an answer to that prayer – waiting to be fulfilled.
A Four-part Franciscan blessing:
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deeply within your heart and for others. Amen.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. Amen.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.
And I add one more:
May the Holy Spirit work on you and within you, so that you will look for the common tasks that you can do in the ministry of this church and community and thereby help build God’s kingdom here in the Wesley UMC area.
