It is a delight to announce to you that Wellspring has hired Andrew Springman. He will be a full-time employee wearing two part-time hats. The first hat is Director of Technology and Production where Andrew will oversee all the technical aspects of our operation and activities. This will include the continued development and support of our website, database, and network of computers. For years Andrew has been assisting as a volunteer (most recently building our new website -- check it out) and now we will have the benefit of his full-time focus. This hat is also responsible for the production aspect of our ministries. This includes overseeing sound system, screens, pro-presenter, sound techs, training, and all the rest of what is included for the behind the scenes technical operation of our services and events.

The second hat that Andrew will wear is Director of Worship Life. Here he will be a support to all of our worship bands and musicians. Wellspring has a very large assembly of bands and individuals throughout all our ministries who help lead us in worship. In this role, Andrew will coordinate, oversee schedules, look for opportunities for training and developing leaders, and interface with pastors and ministry leaders to increase our breadth and depth of worship expression.

The reality is Andrew has been assisting in all of these areas since the day he began attending Wellspring with his wife Kimberly and sons Christopher and Ben many years ago. His servants heart and desire to advance the ministry of Wellspring have made him an invaluable resource to me and the whole ministry. The opportunity to have Andrew's dedicated time focused on supporting and further developing these two substantial areas of Wellspring is a great gift. Please welcome Andrew, thank him for his servants heart and years of service, and encourage him as he steps more fully into these areas of ministry.

Andrew, you are the (Spring)man!

Wednesday evening, July 28 is a milestone event for Wellspring Church. For years we have invested many prayers and significant effort to see the Lord bless the city of New Britain. In recent years he has opened a window of opportunity for us to minister at Mount Pleasant. Each time I have been there with our Big L sidewalk Sunday School, our Celebrate Mount Pleasant activity days, or a number of other engagements, I feel the favor of the Lord resting on our efforts. This housing project with such a negative identity and reputation feels welcoming, even uplifting. The kids are adorable, the people are friendly, and hope hangs in the atmosphere.

You may say to me, "Wesley, you are just saying that because you've invested so much in this outreach, and you desperately desire to see a positive result." Well, of course that's true. But I also believe that what I am seeing is accurate. First, no one desires the transformation of New Britain more than God himself. Second, we are encouraged to see with spiritual eyes. I believe that in some regard, the Lord lets us see Mount Pleasant with a spiritual perspective. As we act in the natural, we are also contending in the heavenly's. What we see and perceive is a growing favor with God and man.

Now on Wednesday the 28th from 7-8PM, we will hold our first worship service outdoors in the middle of Mount Pleasant. We are relocating our Summer Nights program from the sanctuary of our church to the outdoor basketball court in the center of Mount Pleasant. I invite you to join us for what I anticipate will be a wonderful time of worship. I also invite all who come to connect with our new friends at Mount Pleasant. As we continue to develop our relationships there, we will usher in the presence of the Lord and see the transforming work happen all around us.

Enjoy the ride!

- - for more about Wellspring and Mount Pleasant, click here

- - for a look at the last time we visited Mount Pleasant, click here

I heard a friend say recently, "Worrying works! 93% of the things I worried about never happened!"

There is some real truth in that statement. However, it is also true we have many things that concern us, that are a legitimate source of worry. For those concerns we have very clear instructions as well.

The Scriptures say, "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

There are many things we should not worry about. For truly worrisome things though, we should exchange our worry for a peace that comes from the Lord. Notice that the exchange follows a few basic instructions. First pray about it. Don't just spin your worry in your head or talk to others but bring it before the Lord in prayer. Share with him your concerns, even your needs. Make sure that you thank him for all he has done. Remind yourself that he is good and good to you. Make your prayer request based on his goodness and holiness. As we thank him and praise him, we position ourselves with the proper heart attitude to receive his help.

If we have genuinely prayed, thanking the Lord for what he has done and who he is, and bring our concerns before him, we must then allow him to exchange his peace for our worry. If we choose to hang on to our worry, the exchange cannot happen. We don't have to understand the peace. In fact, the Scripture says it is beyond our understanding. We need simply to allow the Lord to make the exchange with us.

Enjoy the peace of the Lord!

The Wellspring Summer Nights got off to a great start last week. The evening was filled with praise, inspiration, and personal ministry. Thanks to Ben and Julie-Ann Toalston and the whole band for leading us in a wonderful time of contemplative worship.

Summer Nights is a service of extended informal worship and inspiration as the Lord leads. We gather on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM in the sanctuary. A number of others from churches in New Britain join us as well. If you would enjoy a midweek spiritual refresher, I invite you to join us. Each week is a different band and a different focus, but the same wonderful spirit of God. We look forward to seeing you there.

Pastor Wesley

Deut. 30
11 “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. 12 It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ 13 It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’ 14 No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.
15 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.

17 “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

For further insight, look up Romans 10 and see how the apostle Paul applies this OT passage.

Lsst weekend my family and I went "home" to where I grew up. This is still 'home' even though I haven't lived there for 27 years. Then we traveled to Long Beach Island, NJ to our vacation house which is most definitely 'home' even if we only spend a few weeks a year there. After the upcoming 4th of July weekend, I'll head 'home' to Connecticut, while my wife and son stay 'home' in NJ. So what is home anyway?

Brian Cooke just returned home after 3 months in Haiti (so pround of you Brian!), but now he's already talking about returning 'home' to Haiti for a year. Our son Kyle wasn't even moved into his NYU dorm when he refered to 10th and Broadway as his 'home'. Our other son considers the Coast Guard 'home' regardless of what ship or base he is on. Of course, we always enjoy it when our boys come home, whether that's CT or NJ. So what is Home anyway?

I had the privilege of traveling to Concepcion, Chile a couple weeks ago. I went with Barbara LaChance who has connections with a few churches in Chile. My son Kyle tagged along as well. We went to minister to and encourage the churches there. You may recall that Concepcion was the epicenter of an 8.8 earthquake in February.

The earthquake was very violent. However, comparatively, loss of life was relatively minor and much of the city is getting back to regular life. A couple of nearby villages were not as fortunate. The earthquake actually shifted the entire ground mass 10 feet southeast into the Pacific ocean. The resulting tsunami completely destroyed seaside tourist and fishing villages. Chileans are familiar with earthquakes, so villagers knew to try to flee to the hills before the tsunami hit. Many lives were spared but homes and belongs no longer exist.

One of the churches we connected with in Concepcion has adopted a government provided makeshift "village" in the nearby town of Penco. 50 families are living in 8 by 15 foot one room wood shacks. There are no kitchens and only a common bathhouse like you would find at a campground. In addition, Chile is approaching their winter season, so Chile was getting quite "chilly"!

We decided Wellspring would provide each family with a large bag of charcoal. It would last a couple of weeks for cooking and heating. In so many ways it felt insignificant, but at the same time it was a privilege to distribute the bags of charcoal and pray for and with the families. I also prayed with the government coordinator of the village who was a Christian. I believe the Lord blessed her spirit with encouragement and strength. I will share some more with you this coming Sunday in the services. Thanks to all for your prayers for us and the trip.