Ministries

Ministries

Ministries

When churches refer to ministries, they are usually referring to various programs within the church. At Harbor Bible we do have a variety of programs, but our main emphasis is on the teaching of the Word of God and the fellowship of God’s people.

In that we are a church that is under 100 in attendance, we do not strive to create an endless list of programs. Many families have commented that coming to the Harbor is like a breath of fresh air. Rather than the family being stressed with an overload of programs, meetings and events, the family can sit together and simply worship God and learn together under solid Bible teaching.

Once a month we have a fellowship meal following the morning service where God’s people can really get to know one another and encourage one another. We also have one Sunday evening a month where a family will open their home for Bible study and fellowship.

Our goal is to follow the apostolic pattern, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:41) If we can do that well, we will be pleasing the Lord.

We want to always keep our boast, and our glory, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. When asked, I often tell people that we don't have fancy facilities, we don't have a band that really rocks, we don't have a million dollar budget, we don't even have a cappuccino machine in the back of the church. But we have Jesus and the faithful teaching of His word. If that is what you are looking for, this might be the place for you.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9, I will rather boast about my weakness so that the power of Christ may dwell in me . . . for when I am weak, then I am strong. I hope that if Harbor Bible Church ever gains the things that impress the world, we would keep silent about them.

To help you be informed, here is a short list of just some of our ministries.

Sunday School Program

At 9:45 AM, before the morning worship service, we provide a discipleship program in a classroom setting for the adults and children in our church. For the adults, we usually cover some topical study on the Bible. The children receive foundational Christian education such as the life of Christ or the journeys of Paul.

Our program is unique in two ways. First, our emphasis is upon teaching the parents to teach the Word of God to their children. We never want the church to rob parents of the blessing of training their own children in the Word of God. Second, we sometimes keep the families together rather than separating everyone according to ages. For instance, there have been times when the teens have met in their own Sunday School class, but recently we have had the teens meeting with the adults so that the teens and parents can interact.

Teen Ministry

Keeping with the philosophy that parents ought to be their children’s mentors, most of our youth activities are family driven. The teens in our church get together quite often as families plan ski trips, camping trips or special outings. Many of our teens visit various youth groups in the area which allows them to meet new Christian young people and experience different types of ministries.

Camping Ministry

For the last few years families in our church have gotten together to attend a week at a Christian camp and conference center, such as, Harvey Cedars Bible Conference, New Life Island, or Word of Life Family Camp. These ministries are such a great spiritual blessing, and it is encouraging to see so many families at Harbor Bible grow together in the Lord by planning vacations together.

Ladies Bible Study

The ladies of the church often have a monthly Bible study at the church on Monday nights. This ministry does not take place all year long but is conducted ask the study requires.

Home School Group

Harbor Bible Church has some families that home school, and others that use either Christian school or public school. Years ago, some families from the Harbor began a home school group called “Life Builders.” Since this ministry was open to all Christian families in the area, it was made independent of our church.

“Life Builders” are home school families that network together to exchange helpful resources and to provide moral support. Our home school families would rather invest time in educating their children than in maintaining a structured home school group with frequent meetings and newsletters.

“Life Builders” meets twice a year (fall and winter) for the sole purpose of planning field trips and sharing resources. Some of the participating activities include swim and gym at the Y, art classes, drama, science fairs, and geography fairs.

For information about Homeschooling in New Jersey contact Enoch-NJ – (Educational Network of Christian Homeschoolers in New Jersey) www.enoch-nj.org

Email: HarborBible@Verizon.net