‘First Fruits’ puts faith in togetherness
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The new year was brought in by believers in the region through a time of praise, prayer and worship. REALIFE Church in Jamestown as well as multiple other churches in the Warren, Chautauqua and even the Erie County region participated in "First Fruits" and rotated as hosts on each of the seven nights and each of the praise teams took turns with leading worship.
"First Fruits" went on for seven nights of worship and prayer. Pastors from the region began doing this after a result of prompting of the Holy Spirit to plan seven nights in a row where Christians in the region have come together for the past four years in order to offer thanks to God with praise and worship and adoration at the beginning of each year. In the Bible, the people of Israel were meant to give an offering expressing their gratitude towards God. This was done with the "first" of what they were blessed with, whether it was the best of their crops or livestock as a sacrifice. An equivalent today of sacrifice is our time. "It is important when hosting the 'First Fruits' nights that God is the priority and we aren't just gathering together with each other for the sake of being together and entertaining a group of believers, but instead pursuing His presence and seeing His Kingdom come as it is in Heaven where the saints and angels are falling face down and singing songs of praise at the foot of Jesus's throne of Grace,” shared Pastor Jordan Spencer of Praise Fellowship in Russell.
Participation of the churches that are part of "First Fruits" are decided through communication and connection with pastors and members of different congregations who express the interest in being part of it, agreeing that openness to the leading of the Holy Spirit, without restrictions to time or any desire to appear a certain way or have formality, but rather freedom for the spirit of God to touch the hearts of those who participate.
Spencer continued, "It is a blessing to be a part of the greater body of Christ coming together to pour out so much love and adoration on God. It communicates to Him that we exalt Him here and revere Him as the rightful Lord and provider for everything we have been given, and we are stating that it is from Him that all things come and to Him that all things rightfully belong."
Just as God poured out His Spirit on His disciples in the upper room at Pentecost (Acts 2), the believers feel that as God's church, the belief is that God still desires to impact the culture and spread His gospel in similar ways amongst the people of today. Spencer said, "We are merely stewards of God’s great grace and mercy in our time here on earth.” Giving back an extra portion of our time at the beginning of the year was a way that local believers expressed their thankfulness to God for His great love for us, feeling it is the least we can do.
Worship leader Katie Short from the Youngsville Free Methodist Church said, "The Spirit is so present when the church comes together in unity. The connections that we make with each other are so fruitful. It feels like a family reunion! I love collaborating with others to provide an offering for the Lord."