An Open Letter To The Volunteers At NewSpring

Yesterday I wanted to let the staff know how much they are loved and appreciated…

BUT today I want to give a shout out to each one of you who makes NewSpring happen—our volunteers! Thank you for allowing God to work through you to make a difference in the lives of so many people.

We learned this past Monday in a staff meeting that we had over 650 people involved in some type of volunteer ministry last week—AMAZING!

I am so privileged to pastor a church where the people do not expect me to do ALL of the ministry. I have seen it so many times…pastors get burned out, quit the ministry, have an affair, and God knows what else…and all because of lazy church members who have this “separation theology” that the pastor exists to do ministry and they exist to sit on their “blessed assurance!”

The average stay for a pastor in the typical church today is less than two years. And think about it…in MANY cases (not all)—the pastors kids are the biggest hellions in the church. (You know why pastors kids are this way don’t you? Because they hang out with the deacons kids!) :-)  Why is that? I KNOW, I KNOW—because many churches have the pastor out every single night of the week doing ministry that they should be involved in…and all the while he neglects his family…and then they get mad when his family falls apart and begin to tell him he should be a better father when THEY are the reason he isn’t being a good dad in the first place!!!

But not here—we understand that a church is NOT effective when the pastor ministers to the people—but rather when the body ministers to the body. You guys don’t need me—WE need one another!

And so week after week people show up, work with children, direct traffic, clean the place where we meet…all so we can work together to impact this community…and IT’s WORKING!

I am so thankful for all of you—you are so serious about all that you do…because YOU KNOW that this weekend a man and his wife are coming to church—maybe she’s a Christian and he’s not…and he’s looking for an excuse not to come back…but those who park his car will do so with a smile…and then he will walk by people who will smile and greet him…and then he will be amazed at how friendly and professional our children’s area is…and then he will notice that the place he is sitting in is actually clean…and the Holy Spirit will begin working on this guy WAY before the band ever plays a note. YOU KNOW this dude is coming…and it’s going to take all of us—not just me—to reach him!

We hear stories every week about how countless numbers of people’s lives are impacted by volunteers. You all are amazing…and I thank God that we are on the same team. Keep doing what you are doing…you are making a difference because lost people are getting found, found people are getting grown up, the poor are being served…and God’s kingdom is forcefully advancing in this community…

...and this is just the beginning!

Have an awesome weekend! I can’t WAIT for Sunday!!!

(By the way…if you are a broke college student…you might want to sit close to the front…and that is all I’m going to say!!!)