Archive for January, 2007
New Spring’s First Conference!!! January 23, 2007
Here’s the website–now on to the story…
I remember the early days of NewSpring Church (where were not that long ago)…I had TONS of questions (still do) in which I could never seem to find the answer to.
SO…I decided to begin going to conference in 2002 and took the entire staff (six people) to C3 at Fellowship Church…and through that experience I got my world ROCKED. It was there that I really understood that if I wanted the church to grow that I had to grow…and that in order for that to happen I had to get outside of my ministry box and go to places that were getting it done–in other words, conferences for me are not just something to do…I crave being in those types of environments!!!
Fast forward to this year…within the past six months I have attended two roundtable meetings with pastors and leaders from all around the country where the people attending drove the discussion, in other words WE asked the questions…and I cannot begin to describe to you how AWESOME that experience was…they talked about what we wanted to talk about…and it blew my mind.
Well…several months ago some of our senior management team began to discuss the possibilities of doing sort of a one day deal where both scenarios could take place…where leadership could be taught AND questions could be answered. And the result of that is going to be what happens here at NewSpring Church on March 15th…UNLEASH.
Pastors…this is going to be for you–I will be teaching on the leadership challenge AND making it in ministry. In these sessions I will be covering information that has kept me on track, allowed me to maintain a steady pace…AND also allowed my relationship with my wife not to fall to pieces. As well as these two sessions I will also be hosting a senior pastors only roundtable discussion where we talk about what YOU want to talk about.
AND I will be talking about the fact that you do not have to have big buildings, big budgets, and a ton of staff to reach a community. Don’t forget–a year ago our entire church was portable…AND we started with 15 people in a living room!!! We didn’t have ANY MONEY or RESOURCES…but we had vision. AND–we are NOT in a big city…we are in Anderson, SC…our entire county has right at 170,000!
Warning–attending this conference WILL take away your excuses as to why God can’t do what deep in your heart…you know HE WANTS TO DO!!!
BUT–pastors…hear me…this is NOT just for you. Trust me when I say that you should bring as many people with you as possible…because when I talk about leadership and sustaining a reasonable pace in ministry…I will be challenging the people in your church to make sure you are ABLE to do that. Believe me when I say I am “pro-pastor”…and this is something that you want your key leaders to come to.
As well as these sessions we will also have roundtable discussions where you drive the conversations about…
- How we do the creative process
- Worship (worship leaders–meeting with Lee & picking his brain will challenge the heck out of you!)
- Leading volunteers (we DO have the BEST volunteers in the world!)
- Children’s ministry
- Youth ministry
- Care ministry
- Staffing
- Finances
- And a few other things…
I know it is our conference…and because of that I am a little biased…but I think this will be WELL worth ANY time and money you invest in this experience.
One more thing…conferences are a GREAT place to network as well…we have tried our best to make this both convenient and affordable. Once again…just in case you missed it…here is the website…and if you have ANY questions about this…shoot me an e-mail from this site and I will make sure someone gets back with you.
I can’t wait–hope to see you on the 15th!
Sunday Night Reflections–YOU ARE AWESOME!!! January 21, 2007
OK…some of you knew this was coming…it is sort of a pattern here…and so here goes…
First of all…if you are a NewSpring member or regular attender…THANK YOU so much for allowing me the privilege to serve as your pastor. I believe NewSpring Church is THE most incredible church in the world…and NOT because I pastor it (GOD KNOWS!) but because of YOU…because of YOUR involvement, YOUR passion…YOUR ambition to see this community turned upside down for Jesus Christ.
From time to time I lose sight of how good that I’ve got it. This website receives over 2,000 unique visits per day…many who love what we are doing, and then there are some who HATE what we are doing, and, as a result, they “hate” me.
Now here is the trap I fall into…I love this church, and I plan on being here for the rest of my life. Folks, I AM NOT LEAVING!!! AND…when someone attacks what we are doing here it totally ticks me off…and, because I am a fighter…I defend what we are doing.
From time to time this IS good…I have discovered that the church does like (and needs) to see the pastor get fired up. However, a pastor CAN fall into the trap of being reactive rather than proactive…and in so doing he begins to believe that the entire world is against him…and that he has to fight to make things right.
And that was me…until last week when God ROCKED my world…and I began to go through the e-mails and listen to the stories of lifechange…and I discovered…
- The e-mail from the lady who forgave the person who murdered her husband and brother-in-law.
- The e-mail from the person who said for years her husband would not come to church…and since coming to NewSpring he does not miss.
- The conversation with the guy in the gym this week who accepted Christ in his living room as a result of the sermons the past couple of weeks.
- The e-mail from the lady who told me that she used to be addicted to other things…but now she is addicted to church.
Folks…our inbox is FULL of stories of people who are meeting Jesus, and their LIVES ARE BEING CHANGED!!! AND…as your pastor I apologize for being WAY too focused on the negative and not the positive.
The bottom line is this–NewSpring is here to stay. You don’t have to like it…but you do have to deal with it. You may not agree with the way we do things…but God is changing lives–we are seeing Jesus at work…and we could care less what the critics and skeptics think…because we are WAY too busy reaching people instead of riding dead horses and criticizing those who are getting it done.
God is at work…and thank you to everyone who has sent us their story–telling us about how God is changing lives. I AM MORE PUMPED UP than I have ever been…and God is JUST GETTING STARTED!!! Folks…I am serious–what is about to happen is going to blow our minds. Our best days are yet to come.
One more thing…please keep me in your prayers…four services ARE awesome…but to be honest, it is kicking by butt and I need all of the prayer I can get. I love you guys…I love this church…YEAH!
A Few More Random Thoughts…
NO…Lee is NOT leaving NewSpring. (Some people asked this morning.) The “new” worship leader that was introduced today was Justin Land…and we brought him on to assist Lee and to help him out so that he doesn’t get burned out. Justin is incredible and is going to do an awesome job.
Today I spoke on money–yes, it WAS tense (but tension is good!)…but wow…the people at NewSpring were FIRED up…pastors, I will post some financial thoughts on this site later this week.
Today I spoke on money…and PLEASE, hear me…like I said, it was not getting stuff FROM people…but doing things FOR them. I mentioned FREE financial counseling with one of our pastors on line–here is Joe’s blog…call our church or contact him–there is NO ONE BETTER IN THE COUNTRY to help you out in this area of your life. BUT…you have to make the call.
Church leaders–as I said before–March 15th is when we are going to do our first “mini-conference.” Get ready–it’s going to be unlike ANYTHING you have ever experienced. (More on that tomorrow!)
A Few Quick Things… January 19, 2007
#1 – I Ain’t As Good As I Once Was!!!
I spoke at Clemson’s FCA last night…and I had a blast. I love college students…I always have–and their FCA is one of my favorite environments to speak in…HOWEVER…
I didn’t get home until after 11:00. DANG!!! I am not used to that! Literally…I am usually in bed no later than 9:30…and from time to time I will live on the wild side and go to bed at 10:00. :-)
It made me think of the days when I would stay up until one or two…whew…THAT is a thing of the past!
#2 – Church Is Going To Rock On Sunday!
Lee and I had the privilege of working together on a video for this weekend that will be fun for all to see! AND…if it does sleet or snow…yes, we will have church!!! :-)
#3 – We Do Not Know Yet.
I posted earlier in the week that we might find out if we are having a girl or boy this week…but it looks like it will be another two weeks…I promise I will keep you posted. And yes, we are telling what the sex of the baby is…I had to keep the fact that ‘Cretia was pregnant a secret for months…but I have been given permission to tell everyone this news! :-)
#4 – God Is Rocking My World!
Uh…yeah…God has slapped my face this week…in an awesome way. It is so awesome that He is so real in the way He speaks and communicates through His Word, His Spirit…and other people…and how it all flows together. I will post more on this next week…let’s just say it has been so cool!!! And for those who pray for me…please pray that He will continue to do this!!!
#5 – Pastors and Church Leaders–MARCH 15th Is THE DAY!!!
Mark your schedules now…and plan on bringing tons of people with you to NewSpring that day as we do our one day mini-conference. I will talk more about this next week…but I can say this…I love the way we have structured this thing. It is less about “theory” and more about answering the questions that YOU may have about church!!!
That’s about it…got to go hit the gym…and then tonight is date night–WOO HOO!!!
I Can’t Play Basketball! January 18, 2007
So…last night I sat and watched the Heels destroy Clemson. I had a GREAT time at the game…and it was a good game for a while…but it just seemed that we could not get our shots to fall.
However, what I could not get over was how these guys, both during warm ups and the game, made playing basketball look so easy.
Seriously–when they dunked the ball–it looked EASY. However…MOST of us know it’s NOT EASY! I remember trying and trying to dunk a basketball before…and I just could not do it. And then last night I see guys not even putting effort into dunking during warm ups and doing it with ease…and it just sort of made me sick.
And dribbling the ball…trust me…when it comes to this I have absolutely NO skills at all. I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time…so if you are ever playing ball against me…and I am bringing it down the court…trust me, I have NO skills and you need to fear NOTHING!
And then shooting the three point shot–DANG! During warm ups these guys were just sort of throwing it up there and it was going in…and in the game a lot of the same thing was happening. Me…first of all I have the UGLIEST shot in the world–and second…I get excited if I just get near the rim with a three point shot.
I told the guys I went with last night, “What we saw on the court this evening was talent…that’s it! I could practice for eight hours a day, five days a week…and NEVER be as good as the guys on the court tonight.” (And if you’ve seen me play you can say “Amen!”)
BUT…I am ok with that…and here is why–God didn’t design me to be a basketball player! (If He did then He is pulling one pretty sick joke!) I don’t have the knowledge–the quickness–nor the athletic ability. AND…get this…I am FINE with that; in fact, BECAUSE I understand that then it better allows me to pursue exactly what He has called me to.
God has a purpose for our lives–period. He tells us in Ephesians 2:10 that we are HIS workmanship (better translation is His masterpiece!) AND–I sincerely believe that even though none of us are good at everything…that we all are good at something…and that something is in line with the purpose that He has for us.
Discovering your purpose in life is a process…and I wish it wasn’t. I wish we were just born with the knowledge–but we are not. And unfortunately too many people never find their purpose in life because they are either wishing they were someone else OR they are pursuing a dream that was NOT put in their heart by God.
One of the biggest lies to hit our culture is this, “You can be anything you want to be AND/OR do anything you want to do…if you believe in yourself and try hard enough then you will succeed.” I think that phrase is a load of crap…and you do to…and I can prove it to you in two words…
AMERICAN IDOL!
For the record I do not watch it a lot–but one of the things I do watch is when the people get on there who think they can sing…who believe with all their heart that singing is what they are supposed to do…who are trying as hard as they can…and who sound like a cow dying in a hail storm rather than someone who is making music.
You’ve seen it…you know it is true!!! And we laugh…but it is also sad because they are pursuing A purpose…but is isn’t GOD’S purpose…and I have discovered that those who pursue a purpose other than God’s are the ones who wind up MISERABLE!!!
SO…why are you here? What is it that God wants you to do? What is it that you are good at? (And please don’t say, “I am not good at anything.” Quit that flippin’ pity party…it makes me sick!!! You were designed in the image of God…and He doesn’t make junk! You are NOT junk! Stop it!!! Get off of your rear end and get on with life!!!) That’s just my mercy gift coming out!!! :-)
How do you discover God’s purpose? Well…I do not think it is done through taking another spiritual gifts test…seriously…there are TONS out there…and they MAY assist…but here are a few suggestions…
- Attend a church where the Bible is preached in a way you can understand.
- Ask God to speak to you before walking into the church service…maybe pray in your car as a family before ever getting out!!!
- Spend time in Scripture on your own!
- Volunteer in your church! Seriously–I have said this several times…nearly everyone we have on staff at one time was a volunteer who had NO IDEA that they were supposed to be in ministry…but God used them getting involved to set them on fire.
- Ask God through prayer what it is you were designed to do.
- Make a list of what you are good at AND enjoy. In this you will discover that following Christ is NOT miserable…but rather an experience in which you experience a FULL life!!!
No…I can’t play basketball…and I never will be able to. BUT…I can do what I do to the best of my abilities…and in so doing make the name of Jesus famous. That is my calling…and it is yours as well–what is your next step?
It’s Wednesday…A Few Thoughts… January 17, 2007
I am PUMPED!!! I am heading to the Clemson/UNC basketball game tonight…and I am optimistic about the Tigers chances! Besides…the last time I went to a Clemson/UNC b-ball game Jerry Stackhouse was a freshman–they were ranked in the top ten…and Clemson beat them 86-77!!! If you are there then look for me…I will be wearing orange!!!
Tony–I know you are moving from Indiana to South Carolina…but please be aware of what is going on down here right now–they have predicted that a snow flake or two might fall...and by the end of the day this entire community will have gone completely nuts! AND…when there is an inch of snow on the ground we close the schools…FOR DAYS at a time! I just wanted you to know!!!
I have decided, after reading Mark’s post yesterday, that I am going to do all that I can to protect the environment by eating more steak!!! (Seriously, you have GOT to read what he wrote…it could change your life!!!)
Let me say this…if you volunteer at NewSpring then you have to read this post by Tadd...he is a church planter in NC who brought his team in to visit NewSpring this past weekend…in fact, they visited three churches…and since we have two Sunday evening services it made it easy for them to come and hang out with us. THEY WERE BLOWN AWAY by how you guys served them. Thanks–you guys are making THE difference…the teamwork makes the dream work…you are on God’s team and we are fulfilling God’s dream!!!
I had supper with the leadership from Clemson’s FCA last night…I will be speaking there on Thursday and I am pumped. I love hanging out with college students!!! What I saw in the leadership of FCA last night was FIRE and PASSION to reach Clemson’s campus…and I LOVE THAT!!! If you go to Clemson I would encourage you to get involved with FCA this semester in some capacity…and allow God to use you (YES YOU) to change the spiritual temperature of that campus to WHITE HOT!!!
Please pray for Lucretia and “baby Noble,” we MIGHT find out if it is a boy or girl today…all depending on the baby giving us some assistance. YES…if we find out I will tell…sometime!!! :-)
The cable is still out…I will blog about that experience when my anger with Charter cable has subsided. If you are a Charter customer…you feel my pain I am sure!!! :-)
My Cable Television Is Out… January 16, 2007
…AND I am MAD!!! I mean–what in the heck am I supposed to do without television or the internet? I am surprised that the world did not come to a screeching halt when this discovery was made last night–and they still didn’t have it fixed this morning.
Actually, what I meant to say was “I WAS mad.” (Notice the past tense!) Believe it or not God used the television and internet being out last night to speak to me in a huge way. (I am still trying to figure out why He chose to speak to me at 3:58 this morning–I mean, I think I could have heard Him fine at 6:00.) :-)
Anyway, I am in my bed at 3:58, reflecting on last night. Steven Furtick brought his team down yesterday and they sat in on a staff meeting with us…and then he and I went out to eat. Lucretia came along because…well…she’s my wife and so much smarter than me. And Steven had a team member with him who everyone calls “Chunks”–which I will have to admit that I do not understand…he’s not “chunky” at all; in fact, he’s one of the skinniest dudes I have ever seen.
After supper Lucretia and I came home. She had informed me on the way to supper that our cable was out. However, I figured that this matter of national security would be taken care of by the time I got home. After all–who can live without cable and internet?
I got home, walked in the door, turned on the TV–NOTHING. I tried to log onto the internet–NOTHING! So…I called the cable company…AND guess what–the recording said that they were experiencing a high volume of calls. (Apparently this was an issue that was destroying other lives as well!) I hit the number one, and then hit another number…and then hit another number to continue in English…and finally a recording came on that said something to the effect that they were aware that the cable was out in our area.
I hung up the phone, frustrated…and then…I did something I haven’t done in several weeks. I sat down on the couch with Lucretia and…get this now…ACTUALLY HAD A CONVERSATION with her…and she had my undivided attention. I wasn’t watching a game…I wasn’t checking e-mail…it was just me talking to her about something that I am dealing with & asking her advice.
IT WAS AWESOME!!!
SO…as I said…I was up at 3:58 (I’m not bitter) thinking about this & I came to this conclusion. Our society today has become consumed with noise. This caused me to have the following thoughts…
- When was the last time you sat down for supper any more without having the television on?
- When was the last time you had a conversation with your spouse AWAY from a cell phone, television or a computer?
- When was the last time you got into your car and cut the radio OFF and rode around in silence?
- When was the last time your cell phone rang OR alerted you that you had a text message and it didn’t cause you to stop your life on the spot?
- When was the last time you noticed you had a new e-mail in your in box and didn’t feel like it needed immediate attention?
- When was the last time you got into the car with the kids and didn’t turn the DVD on because you wanted to enjoy a conversation with them?
For some reason our society has became busy…restless…always on the go…and I believe that is one of the main reasons we hear the voice of the Lord less and less. In the Bible He instructs us to “be still and know that He is God.” BUT…so many of us are trying to move so fast that we don’t have time to notice all He is doing around us.
I got into my car this morning and didn’t turn on my radio…and I saw one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. I saw colors exploding in the sky…and I was in awe. On the way to work I had one of the most creative ideas for a sermon I have ever had. WOW…I can’t wait for this one…and all because I had some room for silence in my life.
SO…how about you…will you carve out time today to get away from your cell phone and computer and be still & know that He is God. Believe me…I am NOT speaking as an expert here…I am speaking as one who has been awake since 3:58 (just in case you missed it) and getting my world rocked!!!
An Open Letter To My Fellow Pastors January 14, 2007
I am sitting in my study at home right now, preparing for bed. I have several things to do–but before I go to bed I wanted to share a thought I had with my fellow pastors…in the hopes that someone will be encouraged and challenged.
WARNING: The following will be blunt and honest…and extremely transparent.
Pastors…sometimes I know it feels like you just can’t win!!!
For example–here is a copy of an e-mail sent to me last week…
I’ve taken a moment away from my beer and cigars to apologize for not having continued the conversation. Personal reasons have not allowed me the thoughtful time I DO want to give to a response to you. However, your latest post and your responses to people at Out of Ur suggest that although you have many wonderful strengths, you lack humility. Why can I identify it – because I struggle with the same issue.
A little humility would go a long way in proving the validity of your argument. The lack thereof is going to bite you in a place where it will make it painful for you to sit down.
You’ve bought the lie that because you’ve grown a megachurch, might makes right.
Now…this guy doesn’t know me. We have e-mailed one another several times and are currently in a dialogue with each other, trying to understand the others point of view. But my post on being fired up set him off I guess…and so he responded to me in this manner.
(And for the record–here is the post he was referring to…and also my responses to the Out of Ur blog were passionate and real…for some reason it is ok for people to launch attacks against me and the church I serve–but when I speak back it’s wrong. SORRY…I do not play that game…God has called me to shepherd this flock and when the wolves arrive…I FIGHT! I will not run…not from anyone. NewSpring, God has called me here to serve you…and in doing so I will not take any flap!)
As I was trying to weigh out what he wrote…and seeking the Lord as to whether or not there was any truth in this matter…my friend Mark Waltz posted this about me in his compiling a list of the most influential people in his life…I was #22! :-)
22. Perry Noble
- Your “raw”, “here it is, take it or leave it” approach redefines authenticity. I want to always be honest.
- Your humble, teachable spirit shocks me. It’s a pretty rare combo with my first observation.
- I thank God for the privilege of being around you enough to see both characteristics.
(Thanks Mark…that post was an answer to prayer…and it meant more than you know!)
And let me say this before I move on…the difference here is that Mark knows me…the other person who e-mailed me does not…and that does make a difference.
Isn’t that crazy–in the same week I get told that I am not humble…and then I get told that I am admired for my humility!!! AHHHH!
Pastors–EVERYONE has an opinion as to who you are! There are people out there who will take a blog post OR one sentence from a sermon OR something that they heard that you said and proceed to make a call on your character, saying things about you that are not true.
AND…at times the people who do so seem to be the loudest people in the crowd!
AND…please get this, when you do not listen to those who are the loudest you will labeled “cocky” and “arrogant” and “one who lacks humility.”
AND…if you are a pastor with a vision & have the passion to back up that vision…YOU WILL get called these things because most people are used to dealing with a pastor who, in reality, should be wearing a dress because he checked his manhood at the alter when he “surrendered to the ministry!”
My advice to pastors is this–YOU CAN NOT LISTEN TO EVERYONE!!! Nor should you try! You can’t–different people have different opinions…and you will go crazy if you try!!!
BUT you should listen to someone!!! You are NOT called to go at this alone. AND…I can honestly say that the reason that NewSpring is where it is today is because I do not always get my way. If you are a pastor you should surround yourself with people who have the following characteristics…and in this order…
- #1 – Someone Who Loves Jesus
- #2 – Someone Who Loves The Church
- #3 – Someone Who Loves You
And when you find someone like this–LISTEN TO THEM!!!
Now this doesn’t work if they love Jesus and love the church but do not love you–because people like this usually try to “run the pastor off.”
And it doesn’t work if they love the church and love you–but leave Jesus out of the mix! Because the advice they give you will be, most of the time, self seeking.
AND…it doesn’t work if they love Jesus and you but not the church…because if they do this then they will put your needs before the needs of the church…and BAD decisions will be made.
Nope…they MUST have all three characteristics!!! AND, like I said, WHEN you find someone like this–LISTEN to them!!!
Now this begs the question, “Perry, do you listen to people who do not have these characteristics?” My answer–VERY RARELY!!! You see, we get tons of e-mails here…and there is a pretty wide spread opinion about me in “blog world.” And…if I tried to listen to everyone who says something about me and follow what everyone thinks…to be honest, I would not be able to stay in the ministry!!!!
I made a decision a long time ago to play for an audience of one…to be true to my calling…to surround myself with godly men and women who will speak the truth in love…and as for the rest…they can scream, they can shout, they can blog–but they will not cause me to alter who I am or who God has called me to be…and I could care less who that offends.
I write this because as I went through what I went through this week I feel like there are pastors out there that are struggling with the desire to be liked…and usually that means caving into the loudest! Don’t do it!!! Stay true to your calling…be who God called you to be…lead in the way He has called you to lead…and don’t give in to e-mailers and bloggers who have nothing better to do with their time than to launch verbal assaults at you when they don’t even know you!
Should you cut the world out and “do it on your own?” NO!!! We need one another–just make sure that the people you surround yourself with have the freedom to speak into your life and tell you the truth…and HOLD ON…BE TRUE TO THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN TRUE TO YOU! I know that attacks hurt–but when you see lives changed…it just makes it all worth it!!!