A letter from my pastor….read it and get excited!

Good Morning NewSpring,
I am so pumped about this upcoming weekend that I can’t sit still.
In ALL FOUR of our weekend services people are going public with their faith by believer’s baptism.  You’ll see them and hear them tell their stories.  You know, I hear about people who get their hands on hard to acquire tickets to sporting events or concerts, and they feel so special.  Man, I think about what we’re going to get to experience this weekend, it’s bigger than the Super Bowl and the Final Four combined.
It all starts TONIGHT with Kidzworld baptism at 7 pm.  I’ve gotten a preview of some of their stories and, trust me, you’ll be glad you came out to see these young champions make their commitment to Jesus a public expression.  NewSpringers, I know you’ll want to be there with me to show them your support.
In all four weekend messages, our installment of Red Letters focuses on Jesus the Healer.  We’re going to be personally interacting with the One who has a way of soothing hurts, restoring lost things, and putting broken pieces back together again.
Big, life-changing stuff is going down at the corner of K-96 and 21st this weekend.  You’ll want to be there.
God bless and have a great Friday, See you tonight!
Mark

Fun Lives Here Place Mat

Woohoo, it’s spring break!! I know some of you will be traveling over this weekend or throughout the week. Enjoy the time with your kids! Make some special memories! Even if you won’t be leaving town or taking time off from work, find a way to make this coming week extra-special for your family.
Here are just a few of our upcoming events that I would like to remind you about.

JumpStart: JumpStart is a 30 minute session for elementary kids and their parents to hear a presentation about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. It’s a very simple walk-through of God’s plan using John 3:16 and even if your child hasn’t begun asking questions about that yet, it’s a great way to get a conversation started with them. There is a JumpStart session tomorrow, March 19th at 4 p.m. and there are also some future dates available in May and June. You can register here.

KidzWorld Watermark: On Friday, April 8th, we are going to hold our very first KidzWorld Watermark for kids in the 5th grade and under who are ready to make their faith public through baptism. The service will be held in the main auditorium at 7 p.m. If your child is interested in being baptized, you can find out more here. You are also invited to attend even if you don’t have a child being baptized. We would love to let other kids see the steps of faith that their friends are making.

KidzWorld Camp: June 5th-8th we will head to Sky Ranch Camp in Quapaw, Oklahoma for KidzWorld Summer Camp. This is the same camp we attended last year and the kids (and leaders) had a fantastic time. Camp is open to any child who is completing 2nd-5th grades this year. The cost is $249 with a $75 deposit due when you register. We have a limited number of spots available so please register early. Click here to get more information.
Thanks for bringing your kids to KidzWorld!

If you are interested in dedicating your child under the age of 2 years, go to www.newspring.org/babydedication to sign up.

Let me share some great news from an amazing KidzWorld weekend. We marked a new record attendance at 1346!
In 252 Theater we talked about God’s plan of salvation and what it means to be baptized. I’m thrilled to tell you that 93 kids accepted Christ this weekend and 123 kids are interested in being baptized at Watermark! That is worth celebrating! God is allowing us to experience some unbelievable stuff at NewSpring. Many people invited their friends and family members to hear the first message in the Red Letters series and Pastor Mark did an amazing job with the talk. Isn’t it great to be a part of it all?
As the Children’s Pastor of NewSpring, I just want to say thank you to my incredible staff and the dedicated volunteers who make KidzWorld happen every weekend. I know it can get a little crazy when unexpected things come up or there is a sudden jump in the number of kids in a particular class. I know that sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone, but that’s when you know that God will help you because it’s all about Him getting the glory anyway. Each one of you had a part in the life-changing decisions that were made this weekend. Thank you so much for allowing God to use you to minister to the children who come to NewSpring. You will never know the full impact your ministry has until you get to heaven.
Now we are looking ahead to Easter. Last year we had just over 1500 in KidzWorld on Easter weekend, but we were only 154 away from that with this weekend attendance. Realistically, we can expect a huge jump in attendance on Easter weekend. Here are some of the things we are asking our volunteers and regular attenders to do on that weekend. First of all, please consider serving in one additional service. We are adding a 3:30 p.m. service on that Saturday, April 23rd. That service will only happen on Easter weekend but we will need to have a KidzWorld team in place. Also, as a volunteer we would ask you and your family to please choose one of the Saturday services to attend in the auditorium so that we can have extra space available for guests on Easter Sunday. If you normally worship and serve on Sunday, you might consider attending the service on Saturday and then serving during both Sunday services. If you can help in any of these ways, please contact your ministry leader right away and let them know you are willing.
Just think of all the individuals and families whose lives will be changed this Easter because you care enough to help create engaging environments where they can learn about God’s love.
Please pray for us this week; it is going to super busy.  Debbie and I  have a Judgement House training this week and then the KidzWorld Gang is going to Seltzer Elementary this Friday. We will then go to Beech Elementary on Tuesday, March 8th. We also appreciate your prayers for our future planning as we seek to make KidzWorld even better.
Thanks again for making a difference in the lives of so many kids!