One of the things that churches like NewSpring often get accused of is “stealing” church members from other churches…which I have always found humorous because that statement implies that people would actually be attending here against their will. Seriously—do people think we have a team of men who go out on Sunday’s and abduct people on their way into another church? :-)
BUT…I will say that people from other churches HAVE came to NewSpring…and they have joined…but to my knowledge it was by their own choice. Seriously—we didn’t “take” anyone.
I do have two thoughts on the accusation of “stealing” church members…
#1 - Why is it that if someone leaves NewSpring and goes to another church then God must have moved their heart…but if someone leaves their church and comes to NewSpring it is because we are thieves? Things that make you go hmmm.
#2 - We have seen “churched” people come to NewSpring…people who have been in church all of their lives…and guess what is happening to many of them—THEY ARE ACCEPTING CHRIST!!! It has been an amazing discovery—we have noticed that while many churches have obsessed with who to ordain, predestination, the rapture and the boycott of Disney…they neglected this ONE thing…JESUS! Maybe if MORE churches would preach Jesus and His Word then people would be drawn there…lives would be changed…and God’s kingdom would be enlarged!
Just a thought…