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Latest News--Reflection and Praise!
FALL HIGHLIGHTS!
Reflecting Upon the WellSpring Missions Conference 2011:
Until the Whole World Knows
Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23
One of our heroes is a man named William Carey who is called by many to be the"father of modern missions". Carey was a simple man from an obscure town in England who lived in the late 1700's/early 1800's. He was a simple shoemaker with extraordinary gifts, given by God, for languages, as well as a passion for the building of God's kingdom around the world. One morning, while working in the quiet of his cobbleshop, Carey heard the call: "If it be the duty of all men to believe the Gospel ... then it be the duty of those who are entrusted with the Gospel to endeavor to make it known among all nations." And Carey sobbed out, "Here am I; send me!" Thus began a lifelong journey to establish missionary outposts around the globe with his heart. He especially focused on India and the desperate needs for release from the spiritual bondage of Hinduism and the caste system there. At his death in 1834, Carey had seen the Bible translated and printed in 40 languages, founded a college in England for the training of missionaries, and witnessed countless converts to Jesus Christ.
In October, we celebrated what God can do through just ONE life who is completely "sold-out" to God and impassioned for the eternal destiny of the world. This mission conference was the first of our efforts to turn our attention to the Great Commission and to focus upon how we as a church can accomplish two important mandates in Scripture. First, we seek to support those called of God to go forth into the world as missionaries and secondly, we seek to become missionaries ourselves. I believe that a disciple of Jesus Christ cannot fully activate his/her faith until that faith is put into action in meeting the needs of the world. One of our core values upon which we are established speaks of "missionary discipleship", in essence stating that we are not being discipled just to know more - we are being discipled to serve and to save the world.
During this conference, we had an opportunity to meet four new missions organizations. Each one of them agreed to come and share their vision and their needs with us. On Saturday night, we focused primarily on local missions (within 100 miles range from the church), hearing from two specific local missions. Alabama Rural Ministries (ARM) is a ministry that meets the needs of the poor through a variety of methods from light construction to feeding to counseling. (www.arm-al.org). Adullam House Ministries is a ministry that provides Christian love and character development for children of women in Julia Tutwiler prison. Many of these children will return to their mothers after incarceration, but a large portion will not be reclaimed and will remain at Adullam House until the age of 18 years old. This ministry provides a chance for these kids to be educated in a private Christian school environment and discipled into the kingdom of God. (www.adullamhouse.org). The children of Adullam House sang Saturday night as a special blessing, and we are still in awe of the way God used them. A CD is available on their website. They are seeking through prayer contributions to go toward construction of their new dorm for older children.
On Sunday morning, during our 10:30 worship service, we focused primarily on foreign missions, hearing from two other ministries (1) Servant in Faith and Technology (SIFAT). Since its founding in 1979, SIFAT trains leaders to take basic technology (like special pumps to purify water, and fish pond technology to manage fishing populations) to meet immediate physical needs in order to introduce the higher need of spiritual transformation through Christ. SIFAT currently ministers mostly in Ecuador and Bolivia (www.sifat.org); (2) Visiting Orphans. Visiting Orphans is a relatively new organization founded in 2005 to reach children who reside in orphanages throughout the world. This organization partners with other Christian organizations (when available) in local countries to visit and disciple children in the name of Jesus Christ. We can support their work or we can send some of our people to help them do the work in short-term missions teams (www.visitingorphans.org.)
We have already heard from and lent support to two other organizations over the past two months: (1) The John Family and Karuna Ministries in India and (2) Bridges of Faith, who works with orphans in the Ukraine (www.bridgesoffaith.com) . We will also continue with our fundraising efforts to build wells around the world with Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org) ministries.
There is no doubt what God can do with one life and one church that is sold out for Him. We may seem smaller in number compared to some, but there is nothing more intriguing to a watching world than seeing what God Himself can do to make up the difference. As well, many outside our walls are looking for an on-fire, others-centered place to serve and live beyond themselves. WellSpring is their perfect chance. We call all of you to take this opportunity to get excited and to get involved.
Another quote that is attibuted to William Carey is this one - just for WellSpring - "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God". This very quote is engraved upon the arches of Scarritt College, a Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee, busy training educators and missionaries for His service for decades. It is time to tune our hearts outside of ourselves and let God change the world through us!
Love you all, and we will continue to celebrate planting seeds of faith and hope worldwide!
Brother Mike and Danna--Isaiah 40:31
New Women's Small Group Dared You to GET INTERRUPTED--
We Did, and We Were Blessed!
We began on August 22nd and continued on Monday nights for seven weeks, to gaze with the eyes of the prophet Jonah, who reluctantly delivered God's wake-up call to a repentant Nineveh. Historians agree that it just may have been the most significant revival in history. But he wanted no part of it! Can you relate--do you enjoy every task God calls you to? Can you count the blessings that came with obedience, though? Following our book study, we branched out into local missions work of our own: a three-pronged endeavor: cancer awareness, Operation Christmas Child, and serving babies, children, and weary workers at Wetumpka's Adullam House. Come January 2012, we're onto a new Priscilla Shirer study. Make plans now to invite a friend and get ready to "learn to discern"...so that you may joyfully become interrupted for His glory and our unspeakable opportunity to be a lifechanging part of what He is up to! For more information, please see Danna Beale.
Ongoing Small Group Opportunities:
Tuesday Night Men's Bible Study Update
Come join us on Tuesdays as we explore the book of Ephesians! Raymond Pike is challenging the men to study and memorize Scripture and participate in a discussion-oriented discipleship. There is time for fellowship and fun built into each week's meeting. The men gather for food and fellowship at 6:00 PM and the study begins at 6:30 PM. We are growing and more are welcome...spread the word!
Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study Update
Men and women are invited to discover "The Overview of the Gospel of John". This week, we will be looking at John 15: discovering the joy of learning to ABIDE. Invite a friend and come ready with Bibles and note-taking materials if desired to discover the mystery and wonders of the gospel of John. Brother Mike is facilitating this study.
FALL HIGHLIGHTS!
Reflecting Upon the WellSpring Missions Conference 2011:
Until the Whole World Knows
Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23
One of our heroes is a man named William Carey who is called by many to be the"father of modern missions". Carey was a simple man from an obscure town in England who lived in the late 1700's/early 1800's. He was a simple shoemaker with extraordinary gifts, given by God, for languages, as well as a passion for the building of God's kingdom around the world. One morning, while working in the quiet of his cobbleshop, Carey heard the call: "If it be the duty of all men to believe the Gospel ... then it be the duty of those who are entrusted with the Gospel to endeavor to make it known among all nations." And Carey sobbed out, "Here am I; send me!" Thus began a lifelong journey to establish missionary outposts around the globe with his heart. He especially focused on India and the desperate needs for release from the spiritual bondage of Hinduism and the caste system there. At his death in 1834, Carey had seen the Bible translated and printed in 40 languages, founded a college in England for the training of missionaries, and witnessed countless converts to Jesus Christ.
In October, we celebrated what God can do through just ONE life who is completely "sold-out" to God and impassioned for the eternal destiny of the world. This mission conference was the first of our efforts to turn our attention to the Great Commission and to focus upon how we as a church can accomplish two important mandates in Scripture. First, we seek to support those called of God to go forth into the world as missionaries and secondly, we seek to become missionaries ourselves. I believe that a disciple of Jesus Christ cannot fully activate his/her faith until that faith is put into action in meeting the needs of the world. One of our core values upon which we are established speaks of "missionary discipleship", in essence stating that we are not being discipled just to know more - we are being discipled to serve and to save the world.
During this conference, we had an opportunity to meet four new missions organizations. Each one of them agreed to come and share their vision and their needs with us. On Saturday night, we focused primarily on local missions (within 100 miles range from the church), hearing from two specific local missions. Alabama Rural Ministries (ARM) is a ministry that meets the needs of the poor through a variety of methods from light construction to feeding to counseling. (www.arm-al.org). Adullam House Ministries is a ministry that provides Christian love and character development for children of women in Julia Tutwiler prison. Many of these children will return to their mothers after incarceration, but a large portion will not be reclaimed and will remain at Adullam House until the age of 18 years old. This ministry provides a chance for these kids to be educated in a private Christian school environment and discipled into the kingdom of God. (www.adullamhouse.org). The children of Adullam House sang Saturday night as a special blessing, and we are still in awe of the way God used them. A CD is available on their website. They are seeking through prayer contributions to go toward construction of their new dorm for older children.
On Sunday morning, during our 10:30 worship service, we focused primarily on foreign missions, hearing from two other ministries (1) Servant in Faith and Technology (SIFAT). Since its founding in 1979, SIFAT trains leaders to take basic technology (like special pumps to purify water, and fish pond technology to manage fishing populations) to meet immediate physical needs in order to introduce the higher need of spiritual transformation through Christ. SIFAT currently ministers mostly in Ecuador and Bolivia (www.sifat.org); (2) Visiting Orphans. Visiting Orphans is a relatively new organization founded in 2005 to reach children who reside in orphanages throughout the world. This organization partners with other Christian organizations (when available) in local countries to visit and disciple children in the name of Jesus Christ. We can support their work or we can send some of our people to help them do the work in short-term missions teams (www.visitingorphans.org.)
We have already heard from and lent support to two other organizations over the past two months: (1) The John Family and Karuna Ministries in India and (2) Bridges of Faith, who works with orphans in the Ukraine (www.bridgesoffaith.com) . We will also continue with our fundraising efforts to build wells around the world with Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org) ministries.
There is no doubt what God can do with one life and one church that is sold out for Him. We may seem smaller in number compared to some, but there is nothing more intriguing to a watching world than seeing what God Himself can do to make up the difference. As well, many outside our walls are looking for an on-fire, others-centered place to serve and live beyond themselves. WellSpring is their perfect chance. We call all of you to take this opportunity to get excited and to get involved.
Another quote that is attibuted to William Carey is this one - just for WellSpring - "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God". This very quote is engraved upon the arches of Scarritt College, a Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee, busy training educators and missionaries for His service for decades. It is time to tune our hearts outside of ourselves and let God change the world through us!
Love you all, and we will continue to celebrate planting seeds of faith and hope worldwide!
Brother Mike and Danna--Isaiah 40:31
New Women's Small Group Dared You to GET INTERRUPTED--
We Did, and We Were Blessed!
We began on August 22nd and continued on Monday nights for seven weeks, to gaze with the eyes of the prophet Jonah, who reluctantly delivered God's wake-up call to a repentant Nineveh. Historians agree that it just may have been the most significant revival in history. But he wanted no part of it! Can you relate--do you enjoy every task God calls you to? Can you count the blessings that came with obedience, though? Following our book study, we branched out into local missions work of our own: a three-pronged endeavor: cancer awareness, Operation Christmas Child, and serving babies, children, and weary workers at Wetumpka's Adullam House. Come January 2012, we're onto a new Priscilla Shirer study. Make plans now to invite a friend and get ready to "learn to discern"...so that you may joyfully become interrupted for His glory and our unspeakable opportunity to be a lifechanging part of what He is up to! For more information, please see Danna Beale.
Ongoing Small Group Opportunities:
Tuesday Night Men's Bible Study Update
Come join us on Tuesdays as we explore the book of Ephesians! Raymond Pike is challenging the men to study and memorize Scripture and participate in a discussion-oriented discipleship. There is time for fellowship and fun built into each week's meeting. The men gather for food and fellowship at 6:00 PM and the study begins at 6:30 PM. We are growing and more are welcome...spread the word!
Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study Update
Men and women are invited to discover "The Overview of the Gospel of John". This week, we will be looking at John 15: discovering the joy of learning to ABIDE. Invite a friend and come ready with Bibles and note-taking materials if desired to discover the mystery and wonders of the gospel of John. Brother Mike is facilitating this study.
Short and Sweet--Who Are We, Really?
WellSpring in One Word: Expectant
WellSpring in Two Words: Walking miracle!
WellSpring in Three Words: Prayer, Outreach, Discipleship
WellSpring in Four Words: Thirsting for His Presence
WellSpring in Five Words: Word-and-Power Committed Church
As 2011 advances, we witness new beginnings like never before. We praise God for all who have come alongside, committed to seeing Him build His dream here, as we patiently march ahead, watching where He is at work and joining Him there. We rejoice in the uniqueness of this church, knowing God is doing something here that He has not done or perhaps been able to do elsewhere. He has specifically told us this, repeatedly, and we want all to be as empowered and excited by what He continues to reveal as we are! It is extremely humbling to see Him doing what He only can do and choosing WellSpring for such a calling!
We are learning that our greatest gift to Him as a body of believers is to continue to make sure He has the freedom at WellSpring to do the unimagined, because we are committed to making this HIS church on HIS timetable. As we commit to respecting the work of His hands and His divine plan in accomplishing it, content to be the vessels only, we will see even more miracles. Rushing Him, arguing with Him, trying to copy someone or someplace else, in essence belittling His fresh and unique work, is an affront to Him.
During the year, the WellSpring family collectively read Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Pastor Jim Cymbala, of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City. We are seeking God's face as we begin united to invite the Holy Spirit to make us a true church of prayer, crying out for more of Him, less of us. We exchange church marketing methods for church done HIS WAY, rare that it is in our time. We ask for spiritual DEPTH as He creates the breadth. Lord, forgive us as a Body of Christ worldwide as You have watched us do everything except ASK YOU how YOU would build Your Temple! We have cheapened Your sacrifice and Your grace with our gimmicks designed to draw crowds; we have watered down Your truth and required so little sacrifice on our parts. Please pray that we would hear Him in unity, through community, with unequaled receptivity. Come, Holy Spirit, transform!
As well, WellSpring dove head-first into Radical, by Dr. David Platt, pastor of The Church of Brook Hills, a Baptist congregation in Birmingham, AL. Cut to the core by how much we realize we have as Americans, even those of us in the most dire of circumstances, our scope grew broader as we committed more fully to living beyond ourselves so that the world outside our great nation might hear the Good News...many, for the first time. Lord, forgive us as a Body of Christ nationwide of believing the "American Dream" is a sign of your pleasure, rather than Your blessing that we might, in turn, bless. Forgive us for losing sight of Your desperate love for Your kids all over the world. Please pray that we would remain forever convinced that, missions--near and far--is God's heart...and that "missions far" may be even nearer...as most of us this side of the blue sea have been blessed with enough information, love, and service to make a decision for Christ's Lordship...or not.
We know by faith and by His promise that there is nothing God will not do through a body of believers that is committed to seeing His name glorified in Word and Power. We are grateful for all He has done for us and shown us thus far; His track record is good and faithful. Ours must emulate His. "For the eyes of the Lord roam the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9) May He continue the good work He has begun in each of us and in WellSpring as a whole (Philippians 1:6). May He add to our fellowship all who are equally thirsty for something more than "church as usual", those yearning to be set on fire in His service, eager for the abundant life promised to those who seek the Giver, rather than simply enjoying His gifts. We praise and thank You, Lord, for what You are doing in us, among us, and through us.