Happy Thanksgiving!
Please watch the video below for a special Thanksgiving message.
Billy+
Video Transcript ::
Hi Wellspring! Happy Thanksgiving!
I love this holiday because it reminds me of my favorite verse in the bible from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, ‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give THANKS in ALL circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.’ As I look back on this year, I am most grateful for the saving love of Jesus. The Lord has been SO faithful and kind. Second, I am thankful for my wife Janna, our kids, and extended family. The highlight for me over this past year has been our family meals and each person sharing the highs/lows from their day. AND third, I am thankful for the family of Wellspring. I am deeply grateful for the incredible hard work of our staff team; they have worked diligently, creatively, and faithfully. I’m thankful for the support of the board, an incredible team of people who graciously and humbly lead this church. And finally, I’m deeply thankful for each of you. Back in March, when the world was shutting down, you were sacrificially giving to the food pantry and to the church; and you have continued to give sacrificially with your time and treasure. Thank you. Over the summer you joined us to worship Jesus outdoors, in the heat, on the smoldering black asphalt of our parking lot at 4300. You stuck with us through an INCREDIBLE facility transition and the outdoor worship at our new location. I still thank the Lord every day when I arrive at the office for this incredible gift of a building, and I am so excited to steward it with you all in the coming years as we engage in Worship, Formation, and Mission.
And now, as we see more COVID-19 cases than we would like in our community, as well as a small outbreak on our staff team, you have graciously transitioned with us to an “online only” experience, which is not ideal but has been necessary in the past few weeks. Wellspring, I am so grateful for you. This year has had an unimaginable amount of twists and turns, and you have remained flexible and agile with us. We know that this has been disorienting and difficult but the day is coming very soon when we will be able to PACK this sanctuary out and worship Jesus with one voice! Please hang in there with us as we navigate toward the end of this virus.
You may be wondering what we are going to do regarding church this coming weekend, and in the near future. We were hopeful to be able to gather back together this coming weekend, but instead we are going to continue with our livestream only experience, for a few reasons. First, we have had our 4th, with a possible 5th, positive COVID case on our staff. These persons have been quarantining, and we are confident that it was contracted a few weeks ago. We want to make sure that everyone on our staff team has plenty of time to get well. Second, we want to ensure the safety of everyone in the room worshipping with us. Sticking to livestream for another week or so will allow us to staff positions for Sunday worship and get everyone back healthy and whole. In place of in person worship, I’m excited to announce that we will continue with our “Parking Lot Communion Service” this Sunday at noon. We had roughly 40 people join us last weekend, and it was such a sweet time together. Please join us in the parking lot on Sunday after you watch the livestream at home.
+Finally, I just want to remind you all to save the date for our upcoming community meeting on Tuesday, December 8th at 7:30pm, exclusively on our livestream. Many of you have questions about this facility, our plans for renovation, phasing, and what to expect in the coming months. Our hope is that through our community meeting, we will all be on the same page and that all your questions will be answered. The meeting will have 4 major components: First, a financial report of where we stand YTD. Second, an update and virtual tour of what has already been done in phase 1. Third, an unveiling with schematics with what we are planning to do in Phase 2; we will also be sharing our posture and process for the next 6 months in order to see Phase 2 become a reality. Fourth and finally, we will take the last 30 minutes for Q/A! This is a VERY important meeting, so please mark your calendars and join us; Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7:30. Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7:30!
Happy Thanksgiving Wellspring Church! For those who choose to gather with family and celebrate this holiday as normal, I pray you have a rich and blessed time with those closest to you. And for those who are choosing to remain distanced, I pray that the Lord meets you in a very special way, driving out the darkness of loneliness and filling you with the Holy Spirit. Be blessed Wellspring church and Happy Thanksgiving.
