Springs of Life Family Church shares its gratitude abundantly

SPRING HILL — For members of Springs of Life Family Church, Thanksgiving was a lot like the rest of the past year. It provided another opportunity for the congregation to reach out and offer help to the community.

"We are thankful as a church that God has put us in a place that we can be a help," senior Pastor John Grossi said. "We have done more for the community and missions projects this year than we've ever done before as a church. We're just thankful that he's supplied enough for us that we can keep pouring it out and be an encouragement and a blessing to people that are hurting."

Despite the downturn in the economy, Grossi says, giving and spending has increased at his church. That, he explains, is because the church body has refused to participate in an economic recession.

"We have declared as a church that we are of another economy — God's economy. And if anyone wants to join the recession, they can. But as for us, we choose to walk in blessing and provision."

As evidence of that provision, Grossi said that over the last several months, the number of unemployed people in his church has gone from about a dozen to just one or two.

"Each week as we are receiving the offering, we have people who have been out of work stand so we can pray for them. We keep count of that each week," Grossi said. "We will continue to pray until every last one of them has a job."

About 120 people attend the church each Sunday.

Grossi believes the blessings and answers have come as a result of simply trusting in God.

"We don't think that we are specially favored by God as we refrain from the country's financial crisis," he said. "We simply take the Word of God literally when it promises that God's children will never be seen forsaken or begging for bread. It's not a time to be fearful or shrink back, but to be wise and move forward with God's work."

In August, the church gave away more than 300 backpacks filled with school supplies and sponsored a free clothing exchange.

Last month, Springs of Life made its property available free of charge for people throughout the community to set up a table and participate in a huge yard sale.

"Rather than people trying to sell items in their own driveway and get 15 to 20 people come out, they could benefit from our advertising and come and set up on our property and get hundreds of people. That was very successful," Grossi said.

In combination with the yard sale, the church hosted a "mini block party" and gave away clothing and food to hundreds of people. There was also a concert, games for children and refreshments, which were at cost.

"People were prayed for and encouraged. We had a great time," Grossi said.

The pastor said the block party was a rehearsal, of sorts, for a larger one the congregation is planning for April.

"We're gearing up for a large outreach program," he said. "Rather than doing it at the church, we want to find an apartment complex that will allow us to come in and set up in their parking lot and bring in truckloads of food and clothing and cook hot dogs and hamburgers for free. Everybody in the apartment complex can eat with us, take food home, take clothing home. It's a chance to encourage people."

This week, the church gave out 15 Thanksgiving baskets filled with turkey dinners. For Christmas, members plan to supply shoes, socks, toys and games to 250 children at a school they support in Haiti.

Grossi says the food ministry helps hundreds each week.

"It's not just once a year that we thank God for what he's done," Grossi said. "Every week we come together and thank God that he is so faithful to us and that he's provided what we have need of, and also that he's at work in our lives, and people are encouraged every week. We have a real positive atmosphere in the church because we keep the focus on thanksgiving throughout the whole year."