The Beginning

Harvest Church, Dothan, Alabama, began in 1996.

The church moved into their first building (with a 525-seat auditorium) in July of 2003, after having met in two local middle schools (Girard and Honeysuckle) for over six years.

We acknowledge that the beginning of Harvest was in the mind of God long before anyone else had a thought. As a church we continually seek His plan and direction. We give testimony to God’s faithfulness in guiding our lives when we are willing to do whatever He calls us to do. What an exciting way to live!

The Vision
 
Reach the Un-Churched.
We asked, “Why are you not actively practicing your religion?” and got these responses: “Sermons are boring and do not relate to everyday life.” “Church people are unfriendly.” “I don’t like the music.” “They only want my money.” “I don’t want to dress up.” “I am unsure of the childcare there.”

We decided to do things differently by removing these obstacles. We wanted a church where people could come as they are, feel wanted there, see people who are real and serious about their faith, and be comfortable enough to examine the claims of Christianity. Many people who were not going to church at all are coming to find joy, meaning, purpose, answers and friendships at Harvest.

We believe Harvest will play a major role in reaching the 21,000 in our area who are not practicing their religion!

Be small group based.
Jesus said that we are known as His disciples when we love each other (John 13:35). Small groups give us the opportunity to live Christianity in close relationship with other believers.

Provide authentic worship.
We want to experience God’s presence at church! Christianity is first and foremost a relationship with God. More than just attending a “worship service”, we believe worship involves a personal exchange with Him. Worship is a verb, not a noun. As we give Him worship and praise from our hearts, He begins to reveal Himself to us and we are transformed. At Harvest we seek to accomplish this through contemporary worship accompanied by a band, as well as through other expressions of worship.

Support missions.
As a church we tithe 10% of our income to other ministries in our area, in our country and throughout the world.

Grow.
We are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep reaching people for the Kingdom of God.

Influence.
We want to make an impact on our denomination and other churches.

The People
God has brought together an extremely varied group of people - all ages, all economic levels, all types of vocational and educational experiences, and life circumstances. Approximately 1/3 of the members were not attending church before coming to Harvest. The other 2/3’s come from every possible church background.


The Setting

To remove the obstacles that often keep people from going to church, Harvest emphasizes casual dress, contemporary worship music, relevant messages, small groups, and friendliness.

Enjoy the casual setting where you can be yourself. You can easily fit in because we are excited to have new people join us.

Enjoy good, lively music led by our worship band.

The sermons relate to everyday life and are easy to understand.

Most importantly, you can experience the presence of God in our services.

At Harvest we are trying to remove the pretense of religion. We want to be real and honest in seeking God and in our relationship with each other. We’re not looking for perfect people or religious people… just for people who honestly want more of God in their lives.”

You’ll be attending a church with a great future.