NewSpring Church Blog Archives

One of the most powerful aspects of the NewSpring Web Service is offering people a new way to reconnect with Jesus and restore their faith, especially when they have felt rejected or uncomfortable in local churches. That’s why we were thrilled to receive this encouraging message from NewSpring Web Service attender, Brad Adams.

“I just wanted to tell you how very grateful I am for your ministry. The NewSpring Web Service has supplied a very real need in my life. Week after week for several months now, you have cheered my broken Spirit and mended my battered Soul. Your upbeat banter in the chat room coupled with your sincere worship of our Lord Jesus Christ have made me feel loved and renewed. How is this possible through the Internet; to feel loved through media? The Holy Spirit comes through and allows us as Brothers and Sisters in Christ to connect through this wonderful niche. I love you guys.

My wife and I were bi-vocational worship leaders for the past 18 years and we have really been mistreated and beaten down by “church folks.” ... NewSpring has allowed us to worship and continue learning ... because we didn’t have to face people who may know us and get distracted answering questions and putting on a smiling face and possibly not just “heal”. We hope to visit in person sometime in the future, but for now we are so very thankful for the opportunity to worship at our house where we can just be free of outside influence and scrutiny.”

What’s the story behind your decision to attend the Web Service? We’d love to hear it. Drop a note to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with text or video.

Every week, we receive stories from NewSpring attenders that are so encouraging, we HAVE to share them. Below is a post from Shawn McClung, who gave his life to Christ after attending the Web Service. It shows what happens when one person is bold enough to invite someone to church. With the Web Service, that’s never been easier!

“It had been about 17 years since I last attended a church service, outside of a wedding, funeral, christening, or a trip with my grandmother during a visit. ... Since my time in the military, I’ve had so many questions about God, Christ, and forgiveness. I’ve done some pretty bad things in my life (especially during my time in the military), some that even non-believers would regret. I had been lost for a very long time and I really just want to be “found”, I just didn’t know how or if it was possible.

I tried asking other religious figures throughout my life the questions I had, but every time, I walked away without an answer and feeling like I was looked down on for, lack of a better term, being “God stupid”. I know they weren’t doing it intentionally, but they made me feel like I was wrong for it. Ever since then, I was always afraid to ask anyone because every part of me told me I shouldn’t question or have doubts when it came to religion.

Earlier this year, a friend of mine, Kristen, which I work with, tried to get me to go to church with her. She kept going on and on about how great Newspring was and that I would like it. Shortly after Easter, I gave in and she asked me to just go online and just look around. I called her when I got to the site and asked what I needed to look at. She told me to watch the Easter service that Perry did. I loved it and I haven’t missed an online service since. ...  Every online service that I watched, and every time Perry asked people to say that prayer to receive Christ, I did. I said it with him, and I wanted to receive Him, but while I was saying it, I keep thinking about all of the bad stuff I’ve done in my life and I started to cry. After saying that prayer and wanting Christ in my life, I didn’t feel like He accepted me or that it happened.

Then I got in touch with Web Pastor Nick. He agreed to meet with me to discuss my issues. I have to say, when I walked into NewSpring, I was a little intimidated. I hadn’t been to a church that big before. But once I sat down with Pastor Nick, I felt this sudden calm come over me. We talked for over an hour, and when I left, I felt like those unanswered questions just disappeared. ...I’m looking forward to my first steps in the right direction and can’t thank Newspring, Kristin, and Pastor Nick enough for finally pointing me in the right direction! Thank you NewSpring, for being there when I had no where else to turn.”

Remember to invite your friends, family members and anyone who needs to know the love of Christ to one of our campuses or the Web Service. Here’s a link to the latest message and video clips from our current series, Five Lies of the Devil, that you can share with your friends by email, Twitter and Facebook.

Pastor Perry offered a bold challenge to everyone this week to personally invite people to a NewSpring service for the start of our new series “Five Lies of the Devil.”

It’s never been easier. We have campuses in Anderson, Greenville, and Florence, and the Web Service is a powerful way that you can introduce people to the Good News of Jesus no matter where they live in the world.

It’s as simple as updating your social network status or sending an email and sharing the link: http://www.newspring.cc/webcampus.

One of the ways that Web Service attenders are reaching out and sharing their faith is by holding gatherings in living rooms, dorm rooms and other spaces, streaming the service from their computers to big screen televisions.

Asheville attender Sandi Dyer dropped us a line this week, reporting that “I’ve started inviting my friends on facebook to join me online for Church.  I’m making cards with my address on one side and the web address on the other, so I can invite folks to the house or just to join in online.”

Tell us what you are doing to make the name of Jesus famous through the Web Service. Send your story in text or video to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and we’ll post them to this blog.

Shannon LaFrance is a NewSpring Web Service volunteer focused on using social media to build relationships for Jesus, and in this post, she talks about how she used her Twitter account to support a missionary trip to Kenya for fellow NewSpring Web Service volunteer Rhonda Evatt.

Kenya: I want to go there. But physically, I can’t! Mentally I can’t. I know your not supposed to use the word “can’t,” but I really can’t!

So through the hum of my coffee roaster while rosting Kenya AA coffee for @Newspring, I heard in a whisper over the hum “your right, you can’t go, but you can help @coffeechicka get there.” Eureka! I sure can! My spirit was energized; my creative juices flowing.

We started DM back and forth, how much do you need, what’s the deadline, etc. 140 characters @ time I got the digital details to use my aroma therapy to get Rhonda and I both to Kenya by roasting Kenya AA and offering it to @ folks connected through twitter. Anyone to donate to @coffeechicka $100 would receive a free pound of Moon Monkey Coffee Kenya AA for a year!

Not sure how many folks took me up on it…but it created buzz for @ coffeechicka online through @Newspring. WE leave for Kenya on August 20th, Rhonda Physically, me mentally and in spirit!

Eureaka! Live dangerously, outside of the box, and be found faithful write/right where you are. You just never know what the Lord has in store for a heart that says: “Here I am send me!”

Whether it’s Facebook or Twitter, the phone or simply walking the neighborhood, all of us have the power to reach out and touch people for Jesus. All it takes is a little imagination, a lot of determination and the faith that God will fulfill whatever we resolve for good in faith. Got an idea for using social media for ministry? Get in touch with Web Pastor Nick Charalambous at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).