New Springs News

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New Springs Community Weekly Newsletter June 23, 2016   From Pastor Dave Dear Friends,  This week the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is meeting in Portland, Oregon. You might hear a news report or two. Our staff shared a wonderful and vigorous conversation this week about the role of denominations and non-denominational groups in the life of personal faith and in the lives of individual communities of faith. In light of that conversation, I thought it would be worthwhile to highlight some things about how our denomination, and specifically the General Assembly, works.  EVERY denominational or non-denominational church will have a framework or structure of supporting beliefs and guidelines. You cannot exist in relationship to others for very long without adding some form of programs, and some form of structure. Think about this in the context of family relationships. Dates, school, vacations, extra-curricular activities, family gatherings, holidays, and other activities become the programs through which a family expresses the relationships of love and commitment to one another. Every family has them. Some are more organized than others. Every family also brings structure to those programs. "What time will you be home?" "How much can we spend on Christmas this year?" "When can I get my own car?" These questions, and others, become the structural framework around which family life is experienced. In healthy families, and in healthy organizations, a life cycle grows from vision ("I believe in love and relationships") to relationship ("You and me!") to programs ("Let's go out") to structure ("I do"). Continue reading here. New Small Group starts Sunday Food for the Wood Family A Meal Train has been set up for Matt and Kacy Wood and family. If you would like to take a meal to them, you can sign up online at: www.mealtrain.com/trains/vv675y Save the Date PULSE Retreat When: August 4th – 6th  Who: All youth entering 6th Grade through 12th Grade  Cost: FREE!  Bring your own camping gear (tent, sleeping bag)  For more information, contact Alex Sons (alexsonsmusic@gmail.com, 816-838-7364) or Aaron Heilman (aaronheilman@hotmail.com, 913-708-2985) Register online here. Volunteer in Children's Ministry Each Sunday, we need two volunteers in the Nursery and two in Children’s Church. Nicole Woodworth is coordinating our volunteers. Please prayerfully consider serving in our Children's Ministry!  Click here to Sign-up on VolunteerSpot   Community Groups: Doing Life Together Healthy spiritual journeys grow even stronger in community with others. We believe that faith is deeply individual and personal; but we also believe that you can’t do faith on your own. We were designed to be in relationship with others.  At New Springs Community we want you to practice the ancient spiritual discipline of intentional Christian community. We want you to explore different groups and topics, with the understanding that this is a part of your spiritual journey. You’ll be challenged – interaction with others isn’t always easy! As you and others focus on the journey of faith and on God’s mission, you’ll also find yourself building some connections and friendships.  Our groups are all open, and we invite you to check one out. Contact the group leader or the church office for more information. Click here for a detailed list of our groups. Make Financial Contributions Online Several people have asked about online giving. Our website newspringscommunity.org is set up so you can donate online. Click here to give online. Or check with your bank and they can help you set up a monthly online bill pay.