Outreach January 31, 2008

Handyman originally uploaded by sherry.moorhead.

I got this e-mail this week and thought I’d share…  (see more pictures here)

I just finished up an amazing Saturday morning doing a couple Handyman Projects. We built two handicap ramps, one here in Anderson for an 88 year old lady who is now permanently wheelchair bound. The other in Williamston for a couple who has a teenage autistic son who the mother had to carry in and out of the house daily. I have attached some pictures of some of the awesome NewSpring volunteers in action building the ramp in Williamston.

I love my job.
…as I was typing this, I received this email. From a teenager.

“Hey Jamie this is Joe. I worked with you and a few others at a handyman project this Saturday building a handy-capable ramp. I wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to do something like that. It was my first time building a ramp or pretty much constructing anything other than a boy scout derby car and i thoroughly enjoyed it. It started off as my dad asking me if i wanted to get some Nhs(national honors society) hours for school because were supposed to have 12 by the end of the 2 semesters but it ended up being much more than that. The reaction of the families face was priceless and the thank yous(which were unnecessary) were greatly appreciated, like my dad said “the pleasure was all ours”. I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity of working with great people and having fun doing something to help someone else, let me know when the next project is and you can sign me up.”

Now I can tearfully reiterate, I love my job.

Jamie Salmon
Outreach Coordinator

Impact T’s January 29, 2008

IF YOU VOLUNTEER WITH US HERE AT NEWSPRING WEAR YOUR IMPACT T-SHIRT TO CHURCH THIS WEEKEND (Sat. 2/2 @ 5pm and 6:45pm and Sun. 2/3 @ 9:15am and 11:15am).  The message this weekend is going to be about serving so let’s stand out.  Even if you are on a team that serves through the week and not on Sunday, still wear your shirt when you attend church.  Let’s show everyone who attends how much fun we get to have.  Make it a point to mingle between services and really go over a beyond to serve people.   If you volunteer and do not have an Impact T yet come by VHQ area and we’ll get you one.  I look forward to Sunday!  You guys Rock!

Greenville NewSpring January 29, 2008

Check out this blog for updates on the progress being made at the Greenville campus.
There are over 500,000 people living in Greenville County. With over 60% of them (in case you are wondering that is 300,000 people) unchurched or dechurched.

Howard Frist
Greenville Campus Pastor

numbers matter January 28, 2008

Did you know that NewSpring now has 5025 members? Our average attendance for the past four weeks is 8090 with 1400 kids. There was 8821 attendees three Sundays ago which is 926 more people than the same Sunday last year and 4516 more people than the same Sunday two years ago. This kind of growth is incredible and all of you that serve are making this happen. The ministry of 2245 servants is making a huge impact in this community for Jesus. There are 80 NewSpring Staff that serve together to lead and equip the ministry that God is doing here. We have one amazing leader, Perry, who’s passion and excitement for Jesus is contagious.  God is doing an awesome work here and we get to be a part of it.  Wow!

Unleash-Supper-Service January 23, 2008

• Unleash is only 50 days away. Check out Tony’s blog for some video testimonies from some leaders that attended last year. So exciting! We also have over 150 volunteers ready to serve already. You guys continue to amaze me. I will guarantee one thing, we will have a blast serving so many people from across the country.

• This weekend is going to be one of the best Lord’s Supper services we’ve had here at NewSpring church. I would encourage you to bring as many people with you as you can. It’s going to be very different than the past supper services. Are you up for the challenge? See you Sunday.

• The following weekend services will be February 2nd @ 5pm and 6:45pm and February 3rd @ 9:15am and 11:15am. This is also a very special weekend for the Volunteer Ministry. Perry will be sharing a message about serving. So, you guys are even more clearly the sermon illustration on this weekend. People will be looking to you as the example of what Perry is talking about in the service. I know that all of you will be here and going over and beyond. We will also have a few tables set up in the atrium for people to sign up to serve, ask questions, meet volunteers, or get more info on serving. I would love to have a few of you hanging around the tables to share why you love what you do. I’m pumped about this weekend and look forward to seeing the volunteer ministry explode.

Sky View January 21, 2008

Sky View, originally uploaded by sherry.moorhead.

Here is the sky view of the outlined future buildings of NewSpring Church. As everyone left the services yesterday they had an opportunity to go out and pray over the future children’s building and student ministry building. Looking at this view the Children’s building is adjoined to the existing building and the student ministry building is free standing. Yea God!

Impact in action January 20, 2008

I want to share this e-mail with you.  You are making such a difference in the lives of those you serve.  This is what it’s all about…  Shay

I wanted to thank you and let you know about my incredible experience at NewSpring last night.

I live in Charlotte and was out-of-town over the weekend on business in the Greenville/Spartanburg
area.
I had heard of a ‘great church’ in Anderson, but I did not know the name of it. I stopped by a restaurant late in the day Sunday and happened to see a young boy wearing a t-shirt with the ‘NewSpring’ logo on it. I asked him…and his parents…about NewSpring (they were very helpful) and decided this must be the place I had heard about. I decided to go to the 5 pm service Sunday, and afterwards would get back on the road to Charlotte.

The minute I pulled into the parking lot at NewSpring, I knew I was in the right place. The parking attendants really made me feel at home, and my heart was already encouraged by their kind attention. When I got out of my car, a tall ’sandy-blonde-gray’-haired man came over to me not only to welcome me to NewSpring, but he walked me the entire way to the entrance of the church, introduced me to some other greeters, showed me around the lobby and auditorium, and thanked me for coming. I was blown away by this gentleman’s caring.

I entered the auditorium and had a wonderful meeting with God. The songs…Perry’s message…all hit home.
The specific message God wanted me to hear was that His strength is perfected in my weakness…that His strength is perfect…that things that are bigger than I can bear myself are there to be handed over to Him. Although I cannot bear the weight, God can. God does.

After the message, I exited the auditorium, walked around for a few minutes just looking at the great fellowship and the facility. I bought a CD of the message so I could listen to it again on my way back to Charlotte. After about 10 minutes or so, I left the building to walk to my car, being thanked again by the greeters at the door. Then…something happened that really put the icing on the cake of my experience.

The same tall, ’sandy-blonde-gray’-haired man was calling my name from somewhere behind me. I did not hear him at first, and he kept calling my name. When it registered to me someone was trying to get my attention, I turned around and once again saw this tall gentleman walking from the building to meet me again as I was just about to get in my car. HE BROUGHT ME A ‘POWER BAR’ AND SAID FOR ME TO HAVE A SAFE TRIP BACK HOME TO CHARLOTTE. Unbelievable. I left the service really having been ministered to…after I needed to hear a special message from God.

I do not remember this gentleman’s name, I am embarassed to admit. But… I would appreciate it if you could somehow get this information to him as well as your entire staff. You made my experience very personal, and I will never forget it.

I am a member of Elevation Church in Charlotte, and whenever I am in the Greenville/Anderson area on a weekend, I know where I will be.

YOU ARE MAKING A HUGE IMPACT.

To God be the glory.

Sincerely,

Unleash 2008 January 10, 2008

Hello incredible volunteers—

Wow! NewSpring Church is growing and impacting the community of Anderson more each and every day. We are completely in awe of what God has chosen to do through our church, our staff, and all of you!

With right at 900 church leaders from across the country here, Unleash 2007 was incredible. You guys made such a huge impact on all of the churches that attended last year. Everyone only had awesome things to say about the hospitality and environment that you guys provided. Here are a few comments from guest’s blogs after attending Unleash 2007.

o One of the highlights and soul stirring encounters for me was New Spring’s Greeter Ministry. THEY WERE FREAKIN’ SPECTACULAR!

o I was amazed at how they had enlisted a crew of about 400 enthusiastic volunteers — who gave us the warmest greeting I’ve ever experienced ANYWHERE in my whole life.

o The conference was hosted by Newspring Church, and what a group of volunteers they were. Always smiling… ready to drop whatever they were doing to lend a hand… Amazing.

o Throughout the day the people of NewSpring Church were outstanding. I have never seen a group of volunteers that excited about serving.

o …the New Spring Volunteers are the best I’ve seen this year without question.

Let’s Rock their world again! Are you ready to be a part of UNLEASH 2008!! UNLEASH will feature our leaders speaking to other leaders, our staff answering questions about different areas of ministry, and our volunteers making all these things happen with excellence and setting the example! Needless to say, we are EXTREMELY excited about this opportunity!

UNLEASH will happen on Thursday, March 13^th, 2008. It will be an all-day event filled with large group sessions and smaller breakout groups. We will have tons of opportunities for you, our volunteers, to serve area leaders at this event. Much like a Sunday service, we’ll have opportunities for you guys to serve with parking, greeting, check-in, hospitality, etc. We will also be assembling teams to help with set up before and tear down after the conference.

At this point, we’d like to get an idea of how many of you are available to serve on March 13^th or the week prior to this. If you would like to help us UNLEASH our unique ministry experiences on area leaders…please email Katie.bailey@newspring.cc and include your availability or call 864-328-2970. Whether you have the whole day open or maybe a few hours, we’d love to have you serving with us for this event!

You rock!! Thanks for all that you are doing to change lives and impact our community for Christ!

Sherry Moorhead, Volunteer Director

 

Unleash 2007 comments January 10, 2008

The comments below are from e-mails and blogs of many that attended Unleash 2007. These are just the parts that referred to the volunteers.

• One of the highlights and soul stirring encounters for me was New Spring’s Greeter Ministry. THEY WERE FREAKIN’ SPECTACULAR! They had around 350 volunteers, on a Thursday, who caught the vision for this conference and gave their time to make us feel welcome. These people were remarkable in their attention to conference guests; offering their services; asking if they could assist in anyway; being mindful where you were; and always having authentic and genuine smiles and welcoming you with every word. It was a first and fantastic experience for me. This was the most hospitable church and welcoming people I have ever met.
• Ryan and I were blown away by the Unleash Conference at Newspring Church yesterday. I was amazed at how they had enlisted a crew of about 400 enthusiastic volunteers — who gave us the warmest greeting I’ve ever experienced ANYWHERE in my whole life.  We walked up to the building and some smiling lady asked us where we were from. “Wisconsin”, I replied. “OH WOW!! WISCONSIN!!!! HEY EVERYBODY. . . THESE GUYS ARE ALL THE WAY FROM WISCONSIN!!!!”They cheered us into the church, as if we were Green Bay Packers, or the Pope, or somebody special like that!!
• The conference was hosted by Newspring Church, and what a group of volunteers they were. Always smiling… ready to drop whatever they were doing to lend a hand… Amazing.
• Throughout the day the people of Newspring Church were outstanding. I have never seen a group of volunteers that excited about serving.
• …the New Spring Volunteers are the best I’ve seen this year without question.
• We were very impressed by their volunteers. Now, we have great volunteers at NewPointe, but we were blown away by the friendliness, hospitality, and willingness to help of NewSpring’s volunteers at the conference. Very impressed. We left with some ideas of what we could do to help our volunteers take things to the next level.
• Everybody on the Newspring staff that I have met (and all of the volunteers) have always been some of the greatest people around. They will bend over backwards to help other churches.
• The volunteers at Newspring get it. Jesus is the heart of the ministry, Perry and the staff cast vision, and the volunteer ministers serve as the hands and feet. * How many times have you been cheered upon arrival at church? We arrived to a chorus of FBCPTC in the house. It is incredible to see people as excited about church as they are about March Madness! By the way everyone was cheered upon arrival, so celebration filled the air. * Unity in action. Regardless who you spoke to, the family at Newspring has a common vision.
• Unleash was off the hook. It was hands down the most incredible thing I have ever experienced.
• The hospitality was over the top. Unless you experienced it, I could never explain how friendly the volunteers of New Spring are. They were actually cheering as folks walked up from the parking lot to check-in area. I believe they were genuinely excited about us being there.  The food was great. And again, the volunteers served us like you can’t imagine.  To Perry (as though he’s actually readying my blog ☺) and the New Spring Team and Volunteers. You guys put together an unforgettable day of learning and growing and inspiration. I’m serious. This was a conference you had to experience to believe. And the way you guys ended to conference was worth the whole day.  Thanks…
• As always, the New Spring volunteers were absolutely amazing. I heard one pastor say that they had a flat tire on the way in and that New Spring volunteers drove out and changed it for them! That’s the attitude that seems to permeate the entire volunteer culture of the church. It’s truly remarkable.
• Perry made the comment that the sermon begins in the parking lot. From the time we registered on Wed. night to the time we left Thursday afternoon, we were constantly engaged by NewSpring’s incredible volunteer staff. They were there to help us find where we were going and they were great at letting us know how excited they were to be there. And most of them had to take a vacation day from work to help with the conference. They definitely have set the bar high, and it gives me something to really think about as we move forward as a church. They definitely made us feel welcome and I want to thank them for the giving of their time to make the conference successful. Well done!
• I was served. The volunteers were awesome! I wanted for nothing. Except Benadryl. I was not prepared for the pollen attack I got when the vent in our rental van started blowing pollen in my face during our two hour drive to Anderson. So my friend and I went searching for Benadryl. A NewSpring volunteer gave me a children’s dose out of her own purse and another volunteer went to the store and bought me a whole box! Thank you!

            ***You guys blow my mind. Are you ready for Unleash 2008?

commit to choose and choose to commit January 3, 2008

We are faced with choices everyday. What am I going to wear? Will I stop by Dunkin Donuts today for that large coffee or make me some at the office? Duh! What will I have for lunch? When will I ask the boss for that vacation time? I could go on and on with questions that we usually successfully choose answers for. Many choices in life directly and clearly effect our personal lives and we can see that we will be satisfied after our choice is made. The hard choices come along when personal satisfaction is hard to see. When time is taken out of our busy schedules. For example, do I volunteer at church. It’s a choice that is not always easy to decide on. I beat my head against the wall every day trying to figure out how to convince people that volunteering is easy, fulfilling, and a joy. You will get more fulfillment from serving in your church than you can ever imagine but you cannot understand that until you jump in. Just look at the volunteers that serve every week and see the joy. Ask them why they serve.

In the end it’s not really about your fulfillment. It’s not about the time it takes or the joy you get. Only because we have a generous God does he bless us for our obedience. Ultimately, it’s about bringing glory to Jesus Christ. It’s about understanding that God would not give you a gift to build up the church without giving you the time, strength, and passion to pursue your purpose.

At NewSpring there is opportunity to serve at every capacity and availability. I am committed to meet you where you are so that you can understand and see where God wants you to be in ministry. The choice is yours.

If you Volunteer at NewSpring or any other church. Invite others to serve. Share your story and joy.