HARVEST FESTIVAL ( THE CHURCH ANNUAL THANKS GIVING CELEBRATION )
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. (II Corinthians 9:15) Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops, then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (Proverbs 3: 9, 10)
The Harvest Festival Service (a time of thanksgiving) is an annual event in the annals of the Church. Till 1982, it was usually celebrated in October each year. In 1983, it was changed to January, as it coincides with the main harvest season in South India. With almost all the city churches in Chennai under the Diocese of Madras celebrating the harvest festival in September – October every year and the fact that many of the church worshippers being away on holidays during January, it was reverted back to September – October. It is usual for the church to take extra effort to raise special funds during harvest festival, and such funds raised are earmarked for special projects or mission needs. That which was started just as a ‘bring and buy sale’ slowly got established as a big fund raising event. This is the time when each and every family gets fully involved and participates in providing auction materials, putting up food and games stalls and moneys raised through such auctions of stalls and sale of specially prepared biriyanis packets are utilized for the various projects, thus strengthening the bond of unity and brotherhood amidst believers.