BillSimmonsLive

Honor

Scott launched our new series yesterday, Forgotten Virtues with the topic Honor. He did a great job reminding us that to dishonor means, "to treat as common or ordinary". Therefore, to honor is to recognize those in our lives as valuable, uncommon, and extraordinary.

Scott admittedly struggled with the third point of the message: God calls us to show honor to our Pastors and Church Leaders. Check out 1 Timothy 5:17; Romans 12:10; and Hebrews 13:7.

To share this in a message is sometimes nerve-wrecking because we as preachers and teachers do not want to come across as self-serving. But the reality is…this is a biblical truth. Honor is a big deal. Yes… we are to honor our parents AND those in authority (bosses, teachers, government officials, and more) but we are also taught through scripture to honor our spiritual leaders.

I firmly believe we at SpringWell Church are blessed to have the caliber of Pastoral Leadership we have. I have met thousands of Pastors and Church Leaders and here is what I believe about SpringWell Pastors:

Scott McAlister is one of the most compassionate and effective communicators I've ever met.

Dan Elmore is the most committed Care Pastor I've been around.

Brandon Higginbotham is one of the most intentional Worship Leaders you will ever meet.

Ben Able genuinely loves students and families in way that transforms lives.

David Pearson is the most exciting visionary Kidz Pastor I've met in years.

October is Pastor's Appreciation Month.

Will you take time to HONOR our Pastoral Staff and let them know how much you personally appreciate them?

Send a card; write an email; take them to lunch or dinner; give them a gift; join their team and serve alongside them; the list goes on…

Our Pastoral Staff never thinks of themselves as above others. We are simply leaders among equals. But called to lead nonetheless. Take time to let them know their leadership is making a difference!

Meet KidzQuest Pastor – David Pearson

I am so excited to announce that SpringWell is welcoming David Pearson as our new KidzQuest Pastor. David brings with him 10 years of experience serving as a Children's Pastor. He has spent these 10 years in one church. David also has history with SpringWell because he came to our church as a teen. David is a much sought after speaker for Children Camps and Ministry Training Events. His passion for volunteers and parents makes him a very effective leader. David loves kids and really knows how to have fun.

David will be introduced to our church on Sunday morning August 28^th. His first official day in the office will be Tuesday, September 6^th. You can find David on Facebook here.

I want to also publically thank Suzanne Higginbotham and Kristine Burgeson for serving during the interim as we interviewed candidates. Their commitment to children and SpringWell has been outstanding. The GREAT news is that both have agreed to stay on the team for an additional 6 months as David learns his way around SpringWell. Making this commitment demonstrates how Suzanne and Kristine are both team players. Make sure you let them know how much you appreciate them.

We have big dreams for KidzQuest and I am confident we are assembling the right team that God will use. If you are not volunteering….this is the best time to get on board. You can let us know about your interest to serve by filling out this form.

I am very excited…..are you?

30 Parents Make a Difference

Are you ready to make a difference? KidzQuest Elementary has a great opportunity for you to do so. Our ministry is expanding and impacting more children and families every week. Because of this, we have an immediate need for 30 volunteers to serve. Anyone who completes and passes a Background Check can serve in KidzQuest but we especially desire parents to become involved. We also encourage couples to serve together.

God has gifted each person to serve and it is the responsibility of the church to provide opportunities to do so. If you are NOT serving on any team at SpringWell, now is the time. Join SpringWell as we Draw Spiritually Thirsty People to Jesus. Here are the opportunities to serve in KidzQuest Elementary:

9 AM Service:

1 – Small Group Leader (1^st & 3^rd weeks)

1 – Small Group Leader (2^nd & 4^th weeks)

2 – Small Group Assistants (1^st & 3^rd weeks)

2 - Small Group Assistants (2^nd & 4^th weeks)

1 – Worship Leader (2^nd & 4^th weeks)

2 – Audio/Light Tech (1^st & 3^rd weeks and 2^nd & 4^th weeks)

2 – Computer/Media Operator (1^st & 3^rd weeks and 2^nd & 4^th weeks)

11 AM Service:

1 – Small Group Leader (1^st & 3^rd weeks)

5 – Small Group Leaders (2^nd & 4^th weeks)

2 – Small Group Assistants (1^st & 3^rd weeks)

5 - Small Group Assistants (2^nd & 4^th weeks)

1 – Worship Leader (2^nd & 4^th weeks)

2 – Audio/Light Tech (1^st & 3^rd weeks and 2^nd & 4^th weeks)

1 – Computer/Media Operator (2^nd & 4^th weeks)

Large Group (Both Services):

1 – Large Group Host (April, August, December)

1 – Large Group Host (February, June, October)

You can join the team one of two ways:

1. Go here to let us know
2. See me Sunday in the Family Ministry Building as you check-in your child

30 Parents Make a Difference!

Are you one of those parents?

Why Digital Giving Matters

As fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, my wife and I have been faithful and consistent tithers for nearly 25 years. What do I mean by "Tither"? The Bible teaches every believer should give a minimum of 10% of their income, or a tithe, to the local church. Anything over 10% is called an offering and is a way to honor God through giving sacrificially. Tithing is a biblical principle and a discipline we should practice on a consistent basis. God challenges us to test Him regarding this issue in Malachi 3:10.

 

Beyond the biblical mandate to tithe, we are committed to its practice because:

 

• We believe in the mission of the Church. The Church is called by God to be light in the darkness of this world. God's plan to fund His mission is for His people to tithe. I believe in the mission of SpringWell Church. We Exist to Draw Spiritually Thirsty People to Jesus. God's plan for SpringWell cannot happen unless we give according to His Word. Do you believe in the mission of SpringWell?

   

• We want to be an example to our children and grandchildren. If you complain about the selfishness of your children, ask yourself this question, "Am I providing a biblical example of generosity to my family"?

 

• We unashamedly desire the blessing of God. We don't want to be blessed so we can get more stuff. We want the blessing of God so we can be more of a blessing. We want to be a blessing to our family, our church, friends, and missionaries. We want to make a difference and be a blessing in the lives of others. This happens when we honor God with our tithe.

 

Tithing is such a big deal in our family it is the first item on our monthly budget. It has become an automatic part of our life.

 

This is why SpringWell is challenging you to Automate the Important. If tithing is important, then make it automatic. This is why digital giving matters. We live in a modern world that provides us tools to be absolutely faithful and consistent with our giving. Let's take advantage of this tool.

 

Our church currently receives approximately 20% of our weekly tithe via Digital Giving through the website. Our goal is to increase this percentage to 50% for the summer. This will help us continue the momentum we've experienced so far in 2011.

 

Would you be willing to set up an online giving profile and automate the important? This allows you to set up recurring giving and to be faithful and consistent. Not only will you not have to bring a checkbook to church, you'll help us maintain ministries where we Draw Spiritually Thirsty People to Jesus.

Jump in. Automate what's important.

My Planning Rhythms

Planning is a big deal. You've heard it…when you fail to plan…you plan to fail. I think this quote is very true when it comes to leading a church.

Effectively leading a church of any size requires planning. God is into planning so don't tell me that we are just being "led by the Spirit". Planning is the act of a Spirit-led leader. Besides, we call it the Plan of Salvation.

Over the next couple of weeks, I want to share my thoughts and principles regarding planning. Let me start by defining my planning rhythms.

Short-Term Planning represents the next 12-15 months – The church calendar has natural rhythms that come around every year. We always know there will be an Easter; Christmas, and summer mission trips. Sunday is coming every week. I've yet to be surprised when a Sunday arrived. This is why we should constantly prepare for the next 12-15 months. What messages series will we preach? What outreaches and mission trips will we achieve? What staff needs to be hired? How will we recognize and appreciate our volunteers? How will we serve the immediate needs of our local community? How much money will the next year cost and how do we plan to invite new people to join us as financial partners (tithers)?

Mid-Term Planning represents the next 2-5 years – When planning, we should anticipate the impact of what we are doing now, will have on where we want to go next. Where do you see God leading in the next 2-5 years? What have we been doing that we need to stop doing? What are we not doing that we should be? If we are going to go where God is leading, what needs to change? What staff, facilities, finances, infrastructure, (and so much more) do we need if we are to get to where we are going in the next 3-5 years?

Long-Term Planning represents the next 5-15 years – Decades fly by a lot faster than I used to give them credit for. This might be a sign of my aging but the truth is still a reality. The world is changing at lightning rates of speed. Will our church change at the rate needed to keep up with the unforeseen changes our world will experience in the next 10 years? God already knows the future and desires for us to be prepared for it. What vision is God giving you for the next 5-15 years? Who are you sharing this vision with? What plans need to be in place to put your church on track for this vision to become a reality? What obvious challenges will need to be addressed? How will you plan to address them? The elephant in the corner of the room will need to be addressed.

Long-Range Planning represents the next 15-30 years – My personal email address is carpe2morrow@aol.com. This play on words is a mix of Latin and English. Carpe means to seize. My desire is to Seize Tomorrow. I think too many churches are behind the curve. But to just catch up with current times is insufficient. The modern day church desperately needs to get ahead of the curve. We need to seize tomorrow. Planning this far out requires church leaders to dream. Dream audacious dreams. Plan according to your God-given dreams. Slow the train down and realize that God does do a sudden work but more often He takes His time. If you believe your church will be around in 15-30 years, what do you need to plan for? What will it be like?

Start planning now, the future is on its way!

How do you break down the way you plan? Do you need help defining or refining your plans? Have you ever thought of using a coach?