Courtney Rachel Gaines, daughter of C.R. and Susan Gaines, is graduating with a GPA of 4.2 from Independence High School. She plans to attend Freed-Hardeman University in the fall to major in Psychology.
"Thank you to the congregation for the years of support and for welcoming my family five years ago. Thank you for the encouragement and memories that I will carry with me long after I leave. Thank you to the elders, Mr. Dale and Mrs. Melanie for being active leaders and role models to me. Thank you to my fellow seniors for being an awesome group of friends and thank you to my youth group for always being a rock in my life. Finally, thank you to Scott and Kaci for making a huge impact in my life in such a short period of time. I love you all!" - Courtney
Virginia Ann Coombs, daughter of Barbara and Tim Gross, is graduating with a GPA of 3.8 from Independence High School. She plans to attend UT Knoxville in the fall.
"I have grown to love some awesome people here at Spring Meadows. everyone in the youth group, elders, teachers, Dale, and several families here have played an awesome told in my life. they have helped shape the person I am becoming and for that I thank them and hope to make them proud in my future years." - Virginia
Britton Marcus Headden, son of Marc and Debbie Headden, will be graduating from Franklin Classical School. He is undecided on which college but plans to major in physical therapy or training to be a bounty hunter.
"Thank you to everyone in the youth group and church and my family and Mr. Andy and Mrs. Jenifer and Scott and Kaci and Jesus." - Britt
Conner Bruce Lawrence, son of Sondra and Gregg Lawrence, is graduating with a GPA of 3.7 from Page High School. He plans to attend Belmont University in the fall.
"I would just want to thank everyone here for being such a good example to all of us and showing us how strong Christians live their lives." - Conner
Jacob Thomas Campbell, son of Tom and Susan Campbell, is graduating with a GPA of 3.96 from David Lipscomb High School. Jacob has been awarded the Trustees' Scholarship (full- tuition) to Freed- Hardeman University (valued at $65,280). He has also received the HOPE Scholarship and a scholarship from the National Football Foundation. He plans to major in pre-pharmacy.
"I will always be grateful for the special people who have helped me grow spiritually and become the man I am today. The following people have had a huge impact on my life: Andy and Jennifer Miller, Tristan Wheeler, Blake Jenkins, Matt Moore, Marcia Jo Frazier, Scott and Kaci Bond. I've been blessed to have two great, loving parents and two supportive brothers and wonderful grandparents. I'm also very thankful for the Spring Meadows Church and all the support from fellow Christians here. Thank you." - Jacob
Emily Joy Kinzer, daughter of Mike and Kim Kinzer, is graduating with a GPA of 3.6 from Columbia State Community College (with an Associates Degree in Political Science). She plans to transfer to the University of Tennessee -Knoxville in the fall. After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, she plans to enter Law school, then to come back to this area to practice law where she grew up.
"I would like to thank Dale, the elders, my Sunday School teachers and the members for all of their inspiration and words of encouragement along the way. I will miss this church family while away but you will always remain close to my heart." - Emily
Matthew Moore, son of Dwayne and Teri Moore, graduating from Freed-Hardeman University, will be married on June 9, 2012 to Autumn Smith. They are going to China to teach conversational English and spread God's Word together.
"I want to thank everybody at Spring Meadows, the church has helped me grow to become a better Christian, before Spring Meadows I had never taught a bible class or have a true personal relationship with God and for that I am eternally grateful! Thank you for all who have been part of my life and for the way that you have helped me to grow and become the man that I am today." - Matt
With all kinds of activities planned, the student ministry at Spring Meadows is excited to announce our detailed plans for the summer months of 2012.
- Who: young people all over the world
- Where: Spring Meadows
- When: Wednesday Night Class (May - August 2012)
- Who: 7-12th grade students
- Where: Freed-Hardeman University, Henderson, TN
- When: June 3-8
- Why: GO! is all about moving young people into lives of meaning and purpose.
Love God. Love Your Neighbor. Change The World.
- Who: Nursery - 5th grade
- Where: Spring Meadows
- When: June 24-27 from 6:30-8:30
- Who: 8-18 year olds from the churches at Spring Meadows and Millview. There will also be a junior camper cabin for 4-7 year-olds.
- Where: Western Kentucky Youth Camp
- When: Sunday, July 1st through Friday, July 6th
- How Much: $130 per camper / $50 donation per adult
- Who: 7th-12th grade Students from the Spring Meadows and West 7th churches
- When: Tuesday, July 24th thru Saturday, July 28th, 2012 (Tues: Drive /Get-To-Know-You Activities, Wed: Soup Kitchen / Church Project, Thurs: Ronald McDonald House, Fri: Fun Day at Kings Island, Sat: Return Drive)
- Where: Cincinnati, Ohio
- How Much: $100 + spending money for 3 meals
- Why: Matthew 25 - "I was hungry and you fed me."
We do love the 7 O’s and talking about them. But the fact is, talking about them is a lot simpler than living them. It sounds neat to say we are all trying to love each other but that’s more challenging in the doing than the saying. It’s nice to say we want “one book” and where the book doesn’t legislate we have freedom but it is a much more daunting task to actually allow some of our deep seated traditions to be put aside.
Today I write about that hardest of the 7 O’s: Outcome Oriented.
We talk about it, how some churches keep doing the same thing and never change or let programs die that aren’t working. We put them in neat nice packages and say “it doesn’t matter who started the program we are committed to examining every program every six months and either keeping it, killing it or cleaning it up and doing something different. Why have programs that people don’t benefit from or don’t work.”
But “push come to shove” this one is extremely hard! Because we love each other and don’t want to hurt each other. But sometimes someone has to be told - hey, you are doing this and it just isn’t working. Or, you came up with this and it was great but it doesn’t meet the needs of the congregation anymore. That’s even harder when it involves replacing a person. “Dale, we love you, but the time has come that we don’t think you are effective any longer” - I can only imagine. BUT in all honesty I would rather that happen than hold back the Lord’s Work here - wouldn’t you?
So we are committed to the challenging task of being outcome oriented. For the good of the Work of the Lord here.
Dale Jenkins
What is Missions’ Sunday? Missions’ Sunday is Spring Meadows’ opportunity to do more mission work than ever before. It’s Sunday - it’s an important day here.
Why have Missions’ Sunday?
1. The Great Commission commands mission work: “Go into all the world...preach the gospel...” (Mark 16:15). There are three accounts of The Great Commission - each talks about salvation - each talks about the church’s mission: Going into all. At SM the leadership began to realize that we would always be dreaming of what more we could do HERE! That’s awesome, but mission work lagged. Missions‘ Sunday allow us to do MUCH MORE.
2. The Caring Heart calls for it: How could I possibly deny God’s grace to another? What kind of heart would that reveal? People without the Gospel are lost! We must care enough to share what someone shared with us (Romans 10:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8).
3. An opportunity to do more! I’ve never worked with a church where people did not complain that we weren’t doing enough missions. At one we gave half our weekly budget to it plus any special money that came in went to missions - still some complained we weren’t doing enough! In a way that’s good. It reveals the heart of God’s People. We want the Word to go out. Missions’ Sunday at Spring Meadows allows us to do as much mission work as we want to! You want to do more - me too - so I’m increasing what I give Sunday!
4. This method makes it meaningful: Doing it together gives us an opportunity join together. Can we give $20,000 Sunday? We can if everyone will double their offering. Some can do more, others not as much. Let’s all do what we can. A lost world is depending on us!
Dale Jenkins and Scott Bond
Since “day one” it seems God has done some special things with this church and that we have been given some unique opportunities. We were NOT looking to start a pantry, but we were looking for ways to impact our community in big and meaningful ways. When the call came asking us if we’d be interested in helping the postal carriers with their years long project “Stamp Out Hunger” and that we could end up with as much as 5 tons of food to help people in need with - it was a “no-brainer.” Through God’s blessing we have been able to help hundreds of families in challenging times. Through Him we’ve been allowed to do MUCH, MUCH more than we could have without this gift.
It’s a lot of work - but frankly - fun work! I can hardly wait, May 12 will be a little like Christmas! It’s pretty simple. This week people on the Spring Hill routes will get a postcard and a bag asking them to give - to put their food out on or by their mailbox on May 12. Then on May 12 we will run the nearly 30 routes collecting the food given.
The food will be ours to give out all year via “THE PANTRY.” But notice carefully 30 routes means 30 trucks with 30 drivers, 30 navigators and 30 “pickers.” That’s 90 people JUST to pick up the food. Then there will be a need for people to weigh it (as per the Post Offices request), there will be a need for folks to unload the trucks, there will be a need for people to mark through the labels to note that the food can’t be resold, there will be sorters and carriers and all. It’s going to be awesome - BUT we need YOU!
Dale Jenkins
