October 2026
“A Harvest of Love”
“What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
Can you believe it is already October?
Recently, I have been amazed at how quickly time goes by. I look at the trees, and they seem to be telling me, “It’s fall!” I look at my garden, and it is telling me the same thing. But somehow, I still can’t believe that autumn is already here!
The leaves are beginning to change, the air is becoming cooler, and farmers are gathering the fruits of their labor. Everywhere we look, we are reminded that autumn is a season of harvest.
But harvest is not only about what grows in our fields. It is also about what grows in our hearts, our churches, and our communities.
Do you remember what our parish theme is? Our theme this year is “Sent to Serve, Sent in Love.” This theme reminds us that God sends each of us into the world to share God’s love through our words, our actions, and our service.
The prophet Micah gives us a simple but powerful reminder of what God desires from us:
“What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). These words give us a beautiful picture of what it means to be God’s people: Do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly with God.
And October gives us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate how these words are being lived out in our churches and communities. Every October, I look forward to something special. Guess what? It is Laity Sunday on October 18! As we have done for several years, our church leaders will share what we have accomplished and experienced throughout the year on Laity Sunday. I think of it as a kind of harvest festival of faith and ministry.
God sends each of us into our churches and communities to serve. On this special Sunday, our lay leaders will share how we have responded to God’s call. Representatives from our Administrative Council, United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men, and our Youth and Children’s Ministry will tell us about the ways we have served our churches and communities throughout the year. It will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate not only what we have done, but also what God has done through us.
Every time we offer a helping hand, visit someone who is lonely, prepare a meal, volunteer in our community, welcome a visitor, encourage a friend, or pray for someone in need, we are planting seeds of God’s love.
Sometimes these acts may seem small. We may not see their results immediately. But just as a farmer plants seeds without knowing exactly when or how they will grow, we faithfully serve and trust God with the harvest.
As I look around our three churches, I see many seeds being planted. Through worship, fellowship, children and youth ministries, visits, community service, prayer, monthly mission projects, and countless acts of kindness, you are sharing God’s love in ways that may never receive recognition. Yet these acts of love matter. They are seeds.
And God can bring a harvest from them.
This October, as we enjoy the beauty of the harvest season, I invite you to look not only at the changing colors of the trees but also at the harvest of love growing among us.
Where do you see kindness growing? Whom can you serve? Where is God inviting you to plant a seed of love? We may not always see the results of our service, but we can trust that God is at work. Our calling is simply to be faithful—to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.
May we continue to be a people who are sent to serve and sent in love, planting seeds of faith, hope, kindness, and love wherever God sends us. And may our lives, our churches, and our communities become a beautiful harvest that gives glory to God.
With gratitude and prayers,
Pastor Jenny