BillSimmonsLive

Four Years and Counting….

Anniversaries are a big deal to me. I keep track of how long Renee and I've been married (obviously); when I made the life changing choice to follow Jesus; when I started ministry; and so much more. I believe it is because anniversaries provide me an opportunity to reflect.

This week marks four years I've been Executive Pastor at SpringWell Church. It feels like I started yesterday yet it feels like it has been a lifetime. Both the church and my family have been through a lot during these four years. The sheer volume of urgent issues has often felt overwhelming.

As a family, we've navigated the move to South Carolina following our son's miraculous healing; faced the challenges of Teddy's recovery; experienced the hurt and disappointment of his divorce; were overwhelmed by Renee's cancer; and faced my own depression and eventual physical and spiritual illness.

As a church, we've faced leadership challenges that have stretched us. We have boldly approached these challenges with a clear vision of what God has called SpringWell to….Drawing Spiritually Thirsty People to Jesus. With this vision and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, we have seen a radical change in our staff (both in who is on staff and shared values we now have); we've struggled through the relational wounds as members we've loved felt the need to leave; we overcame deep financial difficulty when we thought we might actually lose our facilities; we've addressed the lack of lay leadership involvement and now have what I think are the best Elders and Management Team of any church. And despite all these challenges….we are seeing great growth at SpringWell.

• After the first 17 weeks of 2012, we have seen a 15% increase in attendance compared to the same time period in 2011.
• Despite our giving challenges, we are now operating with a manageable budget AND have placed savings in an emergency/reserve account.
• We have raised over $30,000 toward much needed upgrades in our facilities.
• Celebrate Recovery has quickly become a catalyst for life change at SpringWell.
• Our Children's Ministry is experiencing the highest enthusiasm we've seen in years.

I could share much more but you get the idea. We certainly have more challenges to face but as I reflect on the last four years, I am so excited about what God has done. I count it an honor to be part of such a great church.

I often tell people that SpringWell has been "God's good to me". I came to SpringWell to "help" Scott McAlister and this church. But in these four years….this church and Scott have been much more of a blessing to me then I've been to them. When my family experienced some of our most difficult situations…Scott and this church have been there for us. I honestly would not have survived without the gift of SpringWell. This is more than a job….this is the way church is supposed to be.

I can't wait to see what the next four years bring.

Missions 2012

I am so excited for the continued emphasis SpringWell Church has regarding Missions. We are truly a church with a Glocal Vision. We believe God desires to use our church both Globally and Locally.

Now is your opportunity to join our team of missionaries for one or both of our 2012 trips. Click the following links for trip details:

Cincinnati, OH – June 18-23, 2012

Guatemala – November 3-10, 2012

You can also register for each trip here.

YOU ASKED FOR IT!

We need your help to plan a new series for June 2012. The series is "You Asked For It!"

We will address your Biblical and Spiritual Questions over four weeks.

We may not be able to address every question but we will do our best.

Take a few minutes and let us know your questions.

• What the Bible has to say about a particular subject?
• How does God feel about a certain situation?

Please submit your questions here.

You may submit as many questions as you'd like to! Thanks for your help to develop this series!

Reading Rhythm

I am often asked if I have a strategy for what books I read and why I read them. The following is the basic strategy I've used since the early 1990's. I basically choose books based on three categories.

Leadership Growth – We've all heard the quote, "Leaders are Readers and Readers are Leaders". It didn't take long after I started ministry to figure out developing my leadership skills would pay large dividends. For this reason, I am always on the lookout for challenging leadership material. Many times these books are written by pastors and church leaders while others come from the business and secular community. I am in my 24^th year of ministry and I am constantly facing new leadership challenges. Reading books on leadership keeps me fresh and provides tools I need to fulfill my calling.

Church Growth/Health – I have found it extremely beneficial that my reading rhythm always include books that address the specialty in which my ministry is currently serving. I was a Student Pastor for 10 years and this category was primarily about youth ministry and understanding youth culture. In 1998, I moved to Washington, DC to start The Mission. We were a college-age Discipleship and Urban Ministry Training Center. During my time in DC, this category focused on books about discipleship and urban ministry. Now that I am the Executive Pastor at SpringWell and provide Coaching/Consulting through Church Health Solutions, my reading focuses on church growth and health. I was once told that if you read a book a week for one year in your area of work, you would be an authority on that topic. If you want to be a specialist…..read, read, and read some more.

Personal/Spiritual Growth – Reading for the purpose of leadership growth prepares me to serve and lead others well. Reading for the purpose of church growth/health prepares me to fulfill my calling with knowledge and wisdom. Reading for the purpose of personal/spiritual growth prepares me to be the best me I can be. I am intentional about reading books that help me understand scripture in deeper and clearer ways. As a result, the scriptures shape my spiritual life. I will also add inspiring secular books in this category that expand my self-awareness and challenge my mind.

Over the next week, I plan to share what I've been reading in each of these categories.

What is your Reading Rhythm?

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!