Hurricane Helene Update
Thursday, October 10, 2024
NewSpring family, we have been so encouraged by your generosity and compassion this week. As the Carolinas continue to recover from Helene, you brought 140 pallets of supplies that we were able to distribute to communities in North Carolina and right here in South Carolina.
People from our campuses were on the ground in Western NC this week, serving churches and delivering supplies. And NewSpring showed up in a huge way in our own state, helping with storm clean up and providing for one another’s needs with joy. It’s been beautiful to see the church at work.
We have even been able to use our buildings to bless others! The Clemson campus has been able to house the Red Cross to cook 10,000+ meals a day that are being delivered to North Carolina, and several of our campus parking lots have been used as staging areas for emergency response and linemen from all over the country who have come to help the Carolinas.
One lineman came all the way from Ohio to help restore power here in the upstate, and his family was impacted by your care and generosity. Hear from them:
"Thank you for taking care of so many linemen. My husband is a lineman who has been a long way from home. His staging area was stationed at your church, and he was blessed by free snacks and drinks! We pray God’s blessing upon your ministry, and we’re asking that all the seeds you’re sowing into your community and many others will come back to you running over! Thank you so much for being a big blessing!"
As we move forward, we will continue to partner with people on the ground in Western NC. They’re evaluating their needs in the days ahead, and we’ll keep you posted on how we can help meet those needs as they arise.
If you’re looking for ways to serve, here are a few opportunities we are aware of through trusted partnerships.
Biltmore Church - You can sign up to serve with Biltmore Church by texting ‘RESPONSE’ to 28282. They will notify you of daily needs and opportunities. Biltmore is in daily need of experienced forklift drivers and volunteers to organize and package goods for those impacted.
Mercy Chefs - Mercy Chef is on the ground in North Carolina, providing meals to victims, first responders, and volunteers. They are looking for volunteers in the Asheville area.
Adventures in Mission - Adventures in Mission is looking for volunteers in Black Mountain, NC, to help package and deliver hygiene and food packages to those impacted by the storm. You can sign up to serve here.
Finally, we are in prayer for Tampa, FL, and everyone affected by Hurricane Milton, and we hope you’ll join us in praying for safety and recovery efforts in the aftermath.
Join us this Sunday as we continue in our series in 2 Corinthians, and stay tuned on social media and through the Need to Know email to keep up with our Helene recovery efforts!
We love you, church. 💚
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Hey, NewSpring family!
It was so good to be back together for Sunday gatherings today. Over the weekend, campuses continued to provide storm relief within their communities - clearing trees and storm debris. Today, we hosted a Drive for the Carolinas at all 13 campuses, and we are blown away once again by your generosity! Together, we sent over 128 pallets of donations to our communities here and our neighbors in Western NC. Thank you so much for the way you’ve shown visible love in response to Hurricane Helene. We’ll continue to keep you updated on how NewSpring is giving, serving, and how you can help.
We will continue to evaluate this week how we will love and serve our communities and neighbors in North Carolina. To stay in the know, follow the NewSpring Instagram account. You can also subscribe to our Need to Know email by texting ‘NEED TO KNOW’ to 30303 for updates.
Thursday, October 3. 2024
As we continue to respond to the impact of Hurricane Helene, we want to update you on our relief efforts. Because of your generosity, we have been able to show visible love throughout the Carolinas, and we’re so grateful.
Our campuses have been on the ground in their communities, clearing debris, cutting up fallen trees, and providing for practical needs. So many people in the NewSpring family have been affected, and we are committed to caring for them and for our home state of South Carolina. If you’re looking for a place to serve your home city, get in touch with your local campus.
Yesterday, we gathered more than 2,000 cases of water from 5 campuses in the upstate. We loaded them onto buses which were generously donated by Champion Coach and delivered them to a distribution center in Western North Carolina. The National Guard is working tirelessly to get donations from the distribution center into the hands of local churches, who are then able to get them to people who need them most. We’re continuing our collection efforts this Sunday with the Drive for the Carolinas. Below is a list of items you can deliver to your campus this Sunday.
In difficult times, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing the global church come together to minister and serve. We wanted to share an incredible story of the church in action with you today! As we know, Western NC is without power, cell service, or internet, and communication devices are absolutely essential in the ongoing recovery efforts. Several of our staff members were in Dallas for a conference this week, and they were able to purchase 3 Starlink systems to fly back to the Carolinas this week, since these systems are sold out in our region. A pastor in NC received one of those systems and has shared an incredible report:
“The Starlinks are allowing us to raise awareness on national TV today, and because of this technology, our crews found roads that hadn’t been accessed yet. They are cutting a pathway to be able to walk through, assess, and help those who need it. Starlinks also allow us to print maps for them so they know where they are heading! I have no idea what y’all did today to coordinate us receiving these systems, but it will save lives. Thank you!”
From Texas to the Carolinas, the church is on the move. Praise God! For more updates, follow the NewSpring Instagram account. You can also subscribe to our Need to Know email by texting ‘NEED TO KNOW’ to 30303 for updates on how NewSpring will continue to serve in the days ahead.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Hey NewSpring family!
We are committed to Showing Visible Love in our communities — and that value becomes even more essential in times like these. Because of the faithful giving of NewSpring Church, we are poised to respond quickly to the needs around us. As of today, the people of NewSpring have provided the following to communities in South Carolina and to our neighbors in North Carolina:
Here in South Carolina:
We have been able to use multiple upstate campuses as hubs for Duke Energy as they work tirelessly to restore power in our communities.
Five of our campuses (Anderson, Clemson, Greenville, Powdersville, and Spartanburg) are collecting cases of bottled water for Western North Carolina. They will be delivered tomorrow, and drop-off details can be found on NewSpring Instagram stories.
Campuses in affected communities are opening their locations as they get power restored, providing charging stations and coffee breaks for anyone in need.
People from affected campuses are on the ground, meeting needs in their community and providing disaster relief.
Campuses across the state are working with local partners to provide additional relief and support for affected communities in SC.
For our Western North Carolina neighbors:
Because of the generosity of the people of NewSpring, the church has been able to provide financial and practical support to many partners on the ground in North Carolina.
We were able to send $30,000 to Mercy Chefs, who is on the ground providing hot meals to victims, volunteers, and first responders.
We were able to send $30,000 to Convoy of Hope, who is on the ground providing disaster relief in many areas of western NC.
We sent $50,000 to Biltmore Church, who has multiple campuses in the Western NC area. They are pastoring, operating one of their facilities as a distribution center, activating volunteers, and forming disaster response teams.
We sent $10,000 to The Gathering Church in Asheville to help as they pastor and distribute supplies within their community.
We sent $20,000 to First Baptist Hendersonville, who is on the ground in Hendersonville serving their community.
We were also able to send $10,000 to the Hendersonville Rescue Squad to provide for their needs and aid their rescue efforts.
If you give to NewSpring Church, you played a vital role in our ability to assist these organizations. We are so grateful for your generosity. Please stay tuned right here in this newsfeed post and on NewSpring social media accounts to learn more about how we are helping and how you can join us in those efforts.
Monday, September 30, 2024
Hey NewSpring family!
Many people in our city have been impacted by Hurricane Helene, and because of your ongoing generosity through tithes and offerings, NewSpring Church has already been able to meet needs in our local community. Thank you for giving so that we can provide help when it’s needed most!
Campus teams in impacted communities are working with local community partners and leaders to know how your campus can best serve the affected areas within your community. As a church, we are also in communication with some of our global mission partners (Convoy of Hope, Mercy Chef, Biltmore Church, The Gathering Church) to determine how we can also serve and love our neighbors across the border in North Carolina.
Please stay tuned right here in the Need to Know and on NewSpring social media accounts to learn more about how we are helping and how you can join us in those efforts. If you are in need of prayer or if we can serve you during this time, please reach out to one of your campus leaders or email us at hello@newspring.cc and we will connect with you.
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Hey NewSpring family!
We hope you’re safe in the aftermath of Helene. We know that many of you have been affected by the storm across our state.
Six of our campuses have power and are ready for Sunday gatherings tomorrow! If you’re in Bluffton, Charleston, Columbia, Northeast Columbia, Florence, or Myrtle Beach, we can’t wait to see you in the morning. Gatherings will be at normal times, and your campus pastor will be preaching.
If you’re in Aiken, Anderson, Clemson, Greenville, Greenwood, Powdersville, or Spartanburg, your campus does not have power and will not be able to hold Sunday gatherings. Please stay safe, and we can’t wait to gather with you soon.
Finally, many people in our church and our communities have been affected by storm damage. We are eager to serve our state, and we will be partnering with local organizations in the days ahead to provide the best possible help.
For more updates, follow us on NewSpring Instagram. And be sure to subscribe to our Need to Know email by texting ‘NEED TO KNOW’ to 30303 for updates on how we will be serving our communities in the days ahead.