NewSpring Church Blog

With NewSpring’s 10th anniversary less than two months away, we’d love to celebrate what God is doing at NewSpring by posting a story every day through Jan. 24. Drop a video or 200 words or so to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Michaela Johansing shared this story with us of how NewSpring changed her life and the life of her fiance, Michael, whom she befriended as a military pen pal before the relationship blossomed into romance.

After [Michael] came and visited me for the second time, that was the weekend I brought him to Newspring. He had grown up Roman Catholic, and the service i brought him to that day was the day everyone had the orange noise makers and were banging them together. .. He kept asking me “what did you get me into??!” But after that service he talked about how awesome it was. He even got his parents back home in Michigan to watch it online. ... [When] he has come to visit me, I continued to bring him to Newspring. It was the service ” Good news and Bad news,” when Clayton King spoke, that he asked God into his life. He told me he felt himself being lifted from his seat while he prayed, and just kept telling me how awesome it was.

Now with the “Dont Get Married Until ...” series, [he asked someone if there] was some way that he could hear a message whenever he wanted while he was [deployed in the middle east in either Afghanistan or Iraq,] and she told him about the Podcasts and DvDs and all that. I just want you to know the dream and passion you had of starting a church for God has really paid of in every way possible. This man that I will marry one day is so in love with Christ, and that part just makes me love him so much more. Thank you for all you do. Your a life saver. If something happens to him out there at war, I’m 100% sure of where he is going. God forbid something did happen, but you get the picture.”

All of us know friends, family members and co-workers whom have come to know Jesus at NewSpring. Celebrate the glory of God by sharing stories of the life change you’ve seen with us!

Meghann Glenn, a NewSpring member and former Fuse volunteer, wrote to us about how NewSpring continues through her to make an impact in the life of missionaries serving with her in Mozambique:

“I live at a children’s center with about 35 other missionaries from around the world and 300 children. I shared with them the link to the new series, “Don’t Get Married Until ...” and several of them are listening each week and really being impacted. ... I have [also] been able to start a small women’s Bible study (something this base was definitely missing when I arrived). About 10 of us meet each week and are diving into Romans together. We aren’t able to actually attend online because our internet doesn’t have enough bandwidth…but we can download the messages after they come up and listen to them.
I just wanted to say thank you for all the work you put in [to] impacting the world for Jesus!”

Whether it’s attending our online worship services, which feature interactive chat and live prayer and pastoral guidance, or streaming or downloading our sermon video, we see the power of the Web to help you stay connected with Jesus and NewSpring during all of life’s seasons.

And if the Web is your only church, we ultimately want to help you get plugged in to a local community of believers near you. For help, contact web pastor Nick Charalambous at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

One of the joys of telling people about Jesus is that when God uses us, we see, up close and personal, just what a powerful God he is, using any situation imaginable to draw people to him. Just ask Thomas Bucks, a NewSpring Anderson attender:

“I am in the T.L. Hanna Marching Band.  On Saturday Oct. 17, 2009 our band went to Orangeburg for a competition.  Long story short i met a guy from Germany named Robert. We sat and talked for two hours.  The subject of religion got brought up and i asked him if he believed in God.  He said he didn’t believe in the whole God, heaven, Hell and everything to do with Christianity.  I invited him to the NewSpring campus in Florence because he lives there.  The next day I got a text from him saying that he went to the campus and accepted Christ. I was in awe of what God can do with a simple invite.  God is amazing!!!”

NewSpring is all about reaching people for Christ. If you want some information or practical tips on how you can share your faith with the people in your life, wherever you find them, we recommend Bill Hybel’s book, Just Walk Across the Room.

Sara Thomson, a Web Service prayer team volunteer, found herself unable to attend church because of an extended illness. We thought we’d share some of her note to us telling about how the NewSpring Web Service helped her feel the love of Christ and his people during that time:

“I was just hospitalized for 6 weeks and the major thing that kept me going was watching the services online. I was hating being away from church in Anderson, and the webcampus really just saved me. It’s hard not to lose hope when the doctors are telling you that organs are failing and you may die and you almost lost a limb because of something that started out so simple. You realize how fragile life is and it’s truly scary. And NewSpring online was my strength besides my parents. So thank you so much.”

The NewSpring Web Service is all about making it possible for people to continue worshiping even when life’s circumstances make it difficult or impossible to attend one of our campuses in Anderson, Greenville, Florence or Columbia to worship God around the people of God. The interactive worship service, with live prayer and pastoral support, is also a great alternative to inviting people to hear about God’s love.

If you have a story about how the Web Service has impacted your life or the lives of your friends and family, drop us words or video at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Attenders of every NewSpring campus have an opportunity to show the generous love of Jesus to those in need this Thanksgiving.

Our campuses in Anderson, Greenville, Columbia and Florence will be collecting the following food donations Sunday Nov. 15:

* 10-12 lb Frozen Turkey
* Frozen Pumpkin Pie
* Canned Whole Kernel Corn (15.25 oz)
* Canned Yams (29oz)
* Canned Jellied Cranberry Sauce (16oz)
* Stovetop Style Stuffing (6-8oz)
* Kraft Style Boxed Macaroni & Cheese (7.25oz)
* Canned Peas (15oz)
* Canned Green Beans (14.5oz)
* Turkey Gravy Packets (.87oz)

Food donations in Anderson will benefit Haven of Rest, Anderson Interfaith Ministries, and the Anderson Emergency Soup Kitchen. The Greenville Campus is partnering with Miracle Hill Ministries, Columbia will be distributing its donations through The Oliver Gospel Mission and our Florence campus will be working with Harvest Hope Food Bank.

Every believer wants to give thanks for the “grace upon grace” we have received in Jesus, and one of the best ways to demonstrate that is to pour out that grace to others in our communities.

Lindsey Beard is a regular Web Service attender who suffers from a chronic illness that confines her to her home. She has personally experienced the power of the Web Service to change lives and create faith-strengthening connections with others, and she shares this extraordinary story of how she brought an old college friend, Adam, to Christ through sharing a podcast.

Even after college when we were both living in different parts of the country, Adam and I could count on each other for a word of encouragement or a listening ear. ... He, like me had grown up in the church and had a strong Christian family. But he knew he was living in sin, and whenever I would try to pray with him or talk to him about it, I was usually met with an excuse to end the conversation.

When I got saved, I had to call him and make him listen to what I had heard!!! He was willing to listen, because he was heartbroken over his breakup, and he knew that he was experiencing the pain because of his sin. He didn’t have the internet at his house, so I went onto my computer and downloaded the “Do You Know?” sermon from the Illumination series, and we played around the with volume on my computer speakers and our telephones until he could hear well.

We sat there and laughed and listened to the whole sermon. When it was over, I could hear him gently crying. He told me that he had never asked Jesus into his heart, and he was ready to, right then and there on the phone. I led him in a beautiful, heartfelt cry for forgiveness and salvation. It was absolutely breathtaking!

He and his girlfriend started a new, God-focused relationship, and they started listening to NewSpring sermons EVERY week without fail. They stopped sleeping together, took Joe Sangle’s financial advice and got out of debt, and then they got married! So there is another beautiful story that shows how God is using NewSpring’s teaching of the Gospel’s truth to reach people hundreds of miles away and restore His will for Holiness to the broken.

Do you have a story to share with us about how God’s amazing grace found you or your family? Send text or video to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

We’re an inviting church! Jesus is the best news on the planet, and sharing his hope is good anytime, anywhere, even on a bus. Read the story from Anderson prayer leader Jeff Williams:

“As I was finishing up my second run, there was a lone young man on my bus. He sighed a deep sigh. I could tell from his sigh that he had a rough day. God put it on my heart to invite this guy to church. I had no clue what to say. I started by saying it sounds like you had a rough day. He said yes. And there was silence. I asked him if he liked sports and was he watching the World Series. He said that he likes volleyball and was watching the series. Silence. I asked if he was a Clemson student. The floodgates opened.

He said that he was a student at Clemson. Judging from his beautiful accent, he wasn’t from the US. I asked where he was from and he stated Kenya. Bingo! He has been in the US for two months. I said that our church is doing mission work in Kenya. With some hesitation and fear, I asked how he liked the US. He said he loved the friendly people and the food! I invited him to church and gave him the church’s website. He told me he loved Jesus and was a Christian. Amen! He is taking classes in my building and I’ll be seeing him on my bus. How awesome was that?
I was floating on cloud nine after that. Not of what I did. But what God put on my heart to do by opening up to a complete stranger. My mind was in a flurry about what I could to to help this young man be more comfortable while away from home. Jesus never met a stranger on his brief 33 years on Earth. That’s the attitude we need to adopt.

Do you have a story to share with us? Drop us a line at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and your experience could be used to encourage and uplift others here.

At NewSpring, we believe in using whatever tools we have to reach the world for Jesus, including the web, and calling on each of our attenders to do their part in inviting friends and family members to hear the word of God. Below is a fantastic story from Dustin Diede of his changed life thanks to an obedient brother and a convenient NewSpring podcast.

“Two weeks ago I was visiting my brother in Williamston. It was just suppose to be a weekend of riding bikes and getting reacquainted ... On Sunday morning my brother and I went for a ride in the hills and he asked me if I wanted to go to church with him. I really didn’t want to go but I love my brother and I didn’t have the heart to tell him no. I look up to him more than he know and even though I haven’t told him in years, I love him. I was scared.

As soon as the service was over we went home and the first thing I did was call my wife to be. I was so excited. I told her about this wonderful place that make me realize that there was something missing in my life. The next day, I called my girl and told her to get on a plane and get down here. She arrived 2 days later and we spent the weekend talking about our commitment to God and our commitment to each other. We watched several of your older service in an attempt to get caught up. We cried and laughed all at the same time. God is amazing.

This Tuesday I went for a bike ride and I decided to take Perry with me. (I love Podcast. Don’t ever stop) I was listening to the Sunday sermon for the first time and it was good, right up until it got great. Perry finished the sermon and said bow your heads. So, I stopped my bike and did what he said. You told me to open my heart, but it was already open. Here I am a 35 year old man (in spandex) crying and asking Jesus for another chance. My body was warm all over and I had never felt so peaceful. I gave my heart to Jesus right there in the middle of the rode, standing over a bicycle, with several people staring at me like I was crazy. But I didn’t care.

I want to say thank you Jesus, thank you New Spring and thank you Tony (brother). You have helped give me new direction.”

NewSpring member Andre Aubin was one of a crew of more than 120 people who traveled from Anderson to Atlanta in two chartered buses to help with cleanup, salvage and demolition of neighborhoods devastated by floods in September.

Below, he describes his some of his feelings about what he saw and how he felt about the experience:

“I am so proud to have been a part of this. I did not think we would of pulled together like a military unit like we did. Christians working in God’s name is just as great as any military exercise I have taken part of ... when the bus rolled down the street and stopped in front of a house looking out the window was like looking at a war zone!

Gods people went right to work ... every thing you could imagine in the yards of these devastated people. We saw clothing, beds, furniture, toys, refrigerators, carpet, boards, sheet rock. ... Being a fire victim myself, the most heartbreaking thing I found was pictures, ruined by the flood. We all worked like a pile of ants passing things, rolling and dragging all we could. When some thing was too heavy, 10 hands would instantly grab and drag.

After a while I began to wonder just how high the water had gotten! I look at the house I am helping with and cannot find the water line. When I look across the street, I see I was looking way too low. The water line was on the roof about quarter way up on the shingles! These houses had floated off their foundations. One of the houses turned 90 degrees off its foundation.

What a team, and what an honor to be doing God’s work with his people. It is not over though. Keep praying for these people. They still have a long road ahead.”

The floods that hit Atlanta Sept. 21 left behind a trail of devastated homes and many struggling families—and an opportunity for God’s people to step in and show the love of Jesus in a time of need.

Pastor Perry is calling on attenders of every NewSpring campus to volunteer to help with salvage, cleanup and demolition in the flood-devastated area this Saturday, Oct. 17 in partnership with Courageous Church. Any able-bodied person can be put to work, although crews will also need to be equipped with power tools and hand tools. A bus will leave the Anderson campus at 7 a.m. to transport volunteers and will return by 8 p.m.

The city of Atlanta has said that it won’t dispose of any flood waste after Oct. 17, meaning that after that date, families will have to bear the cost themselves.

If you can help in any way, contact NewSpring at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

If you want to learn more about the needs, or other ways you can be the difference, check out HopeAtl.com.

If you’ve been praying for a chance to serve his kingdom and share his love, here it is!