Newspring is a big honkin' Church. It started in the year 2000 when a small group of about 15 people started meeting together at Anderson College. Since then, it has grown to average about 8,000 in attendance each week. That's big honkin'. Big scares people. Particularly quick-big. 15 to 8,000 in 8 years is quick-big. Scares me and I've been going there for almost 3 years now but more along the lines of.... a terrorist attack at Newspring would kill alot of people.
People describe quick, big honkin' growth in two ways; either it is a cult or it is an amazing act of God and therefore (perhaps), my church (or myself) hasn't been doing something (or alot) it should have been doing....So then, ofcourse, it's a cult.
Seldom is it called a cult but terms like "easy believism", "ear ticklers" or phrases like "they don't teach the Bible" or "they don't believe in a literal Hell" or "teach repentance" are sometimes code words for Heresy and therefore, you are a member of a big, honkin' cult. Not to say that many churches aren't guilty of all these things... probably more so than not. But it has nothing to do with size or growth. Is there a difference between ten churches that draw 200 a week being apostate and one church drawing 2,000. No. It's just that large numbers usually inspire a subtle jealousy and defensiveness, particularly from sideline sitters and Monday morning quarterbacks. I have seen it on both sides.
So I thought I would describe why I like and why I joined Mega, Seeker Sensitive, Purpose Driven, Newspring Community Church. I would like you to know that, in my life, I have been a member of a Southern Methodist Church, a United Methodist Church and a Southern Baptist Church. I have also, had extended periods of attending Catholic Church and Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches. Okiedokie..Here we go:
It all starts with the Pastor and his teaching so I'll talk about my Pastor, Perry Noble...Oh man. Talk about a lightening rod. I have actually watched a sermon on YouTube from a guy in Arizona who preached his entire sermon against Perry and Newspring Church. ARIZONA!! Any way. I could get real fleshy.. real quicky, defending Perry but I won't. Here is a 10 point list of the reasons I'm glad Perry is my Pastor:
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- I like that every Sunday, we as a Church cover anywhere from 12 to 40 scripture verses as the subject for whatever Perry is teaching.
- I like that I get the feeling Perry would like to rip my throat out if he knew what nasty thing I said to my wife or children last night. (are we trackin'?)
- I like that when Perry gives an invitation it is about Repentance and forgiveness of sin and public.
- I like that Perry shares publicly about his past struggles with finances, pornography and lust and current struggles with pride and criticism.
- I like that Perry stresses the pursuit of excellence in all things Church and personal, as it is an offering to the Lord and the only proper response to the Lords blessing us with talents (1,2 or 5).
- I like that Perry has asked people to leave the church from the stage on several occasions if they have not been serving in any way for a while (was he talking to you). Hey, we need the seats.
- I like that Perry said from the stage the following (1st quote repeated from Mark Driscoll and during a series about Men and unbiblical attitudes about sex) (below 12 not allowed in our Church):
- Men need to step up and lead their families and stop watching porn… we are called to charge the gates of hell and that it is incredible difficult to charge hell with our pants around our ankles, a bottle of lotion in one hand and a box of Kleenex in the other.. (I know FOR A FACT some of you men reading this just cringed... and for different reasons).
- I believe college students need to stop praying for purity and instead stop sticking their hands down each others pants.
- Baptists are going green, because they think God is green. You can recycle every day for the rest of your life, but people will still die and go to Hell if they don't know Jesus.
- I like that Perry is a redneck and completely aware of that fact.
- I like the fact that Perry's mother died when he was 12 and he and his father had to at times go hungry and live in "alternative housing" to survive. I don't know why I like this and obviously I don't like that his mother died but something that this all says about character building...I like.
- I like the fact the Perry has passed the bullcrap detector test with me. I believe I have the most over developed bovine scatology detector God ever created. I believe I came to Newspring as skeptical and judgemental as anyone could be... and he passed. Not many do.
- And finally, I like the fact that Perry ferociously and Biblically attacks our attitudes concerning money and sex and also attacks male pride consistantly because these are the main sins that destroy us and because, despite that fact and for the most part, the church won't talk about it....
Seeker sensitive my hiney !!!
I know I said a 10 point list but I always have 11 points in my 10 point lists as an ongoing tribute to Nigel Tufnel of the band Spinal Tap and his volume control knob on his Marshall stack going to 11. KERRANGG!!!
Some of you know what I am talking about and are having a good laugh right now. To the rest of you...I apologize.
