It may not be pastor appreciation week, but I love my pastor Perry Noble.
My wife and I had the opportunity to come alongside him as he launched NewSpring Church, and I happened upon an old e-mail from Perry while searching for another old e-mail this week. I want to share it below and then make a few comments.
This e-mail from Perry was sent February 1, 2000 (just three weeks after NewSpring was launched):
Someone asked me the other day how many people we were having on an average Sunday -- I thought that was a funny question considering we have only had one average Sunday! :-) WOW! This has been a crazy few weeks -- but God has blessed us despite the two ice storms.
We saw 60 people come two weeks ago on Sunday morning when we had no power--that is a hunger for something!!! Last Sunday there were 71 people there for the AM service and the Sunday night service -- well let's just say I was afraid we were going to run out of room. I am pumped about this Sunday -- I hope you all will commit to praying for it just as hard as you did for the first Sunday.
(By the way--I checked the weather channel -- no ice storms are predicted for this week!!!) About this Sunday...a few of us realized that 8:30 is not early enough to get everything done. I know that we were able to knock it out the first Sunday -- but that is because some people met the night before and did a lot of the work. On Sunday morning we have to set out chairs, setup a sound system, do a sound check, set up refreshments, go over the program, set up the nursery, and most important -- PRAY!!! Needless to say we need to have all of this done BEFORE 9:30! At 9:30 we need to be ready to meet people when they walk in. Remember that excellence is one of our core values and if we are running around trying to get last minute stuff done -- what does that communicate about how we feel about our ministry?
I said all of that to say this -- we need to be @ New Spring by 8:00 on Sunday mornings. I know that is a sacrifice for some -- trust me -- it is hard for me to get up in the mornings as well. But this is a church and we have all made a commitment to do whatever it takes -- even if that means giving up 30 minutes of sleep. Look at it this way -- 30 minutes of sleep is not much to give up when you consider what Jesus gave up for us.
When you pray for New Spring -- please pray for our finances. We are doing pretty good; however, two weeks of ice storms did not do us very well. If you were unable to give then catch up this Sunday -- that will be awesome. Let me know if you have any questions or comments about anything that is going on. This is getting more and more exciting!!! Try TO BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU TO NEW SPRING THIS WEEK!!!
Be Radical,
Perry <><
Gal. 1:10
Here is what I notice in this e-mail some nine years later:
- The passion is still there today like it is in this e-mail! That is what happens when you have a true call of God on your life.
- Core values were being instilled from day one.
- Be here early to help set up (we need you to be a part of this)
- We value excellence (crap will not be tolerated)
- Bring someone with you (we want to reach people)
- Casting vision on giving. How much ministry can you do for $100? $100 worth!
- Excited about 60 people and 71 people attending. When you are excited about reaching a small group of people, you will have the opportunity to reach tens of thousands.
- He used tons of exclamation points like I do!!!!!!!!!! :) It is how we communicate passion through writing. I think I am going to hold an exclamation point contest with him.
I have said it before, I will say it again, Perry is the best leader I have ever seen - and I have worked with a lot of them - in church and in corporate America. Thanks, Perry, for holding to the vision you have been given and fiercely protecting it. You still need to write a book on leadership.
Sidenote:This is why I keep nearly every e-mail sent to me. Google and Yahoo! may not be big fans of it, but it is AWESOME to be able to revisit some of these old e-mails!
