Aug. 5 was an amazing day marked by rebirth and unity among Christians as the NEWSONG Church celebrated its first 10 a.m. Sunday morning celebration at 167 Arata Lane, former home of the Vineyard of Faith (VOF) Lutheran Church. The VOF congregation is now part of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Healdsburg.
More than 416 people attended the inaugural event at the Arata campus, including members of the Sanctuary Church who voted to join NEWSONG in fulfilling a united mission of sharing Jesus’ message of love and renewal throughout the community.
“It’s all about Jesus. We want everyone to know him. We see ourselves as a city within a city serving everyone in the area,” said Brandon Philpott, lead pastor at NEWSONG (www.newsongwindsor.org).
“We don’t exist to serve ourselves. Our goal is to bless the entire town, and we see God’s favor in this approach. We could have stayed at 15 Blue Bird Drive. We were growing and doing very well after 10 years at that location. But we needed a larger meeting place to accommodate more people and saw an opportunity to embrace even greater responsibilities.”
For Pastor Philpott, this broader gospel commission is personal. “The Book of Nehemiah talks about how a scribe responded to a calling from God to bring a scattered people together to rebuild their city, Jerusalem. I believe this is God’s plan for us here in Windsor.”
Mark Wilmarth, former pastor of the Sanctuary Church, and now a staff pastor with NEWSONG, said he has a heart for Christian unity. “We are one group, with one vision, and strong leadership based on trust and accountability. Now our collective skill sets are coming together to make the name of God great, and his church famous for sharing God’s love.”
He says evidence of how lives are changed can be seen in a unity of purpose and willingness to volunteer for a number of causes when the community needs help.
“God has charged us to inspire the residents and churches of Windsor by our example. We are living in the last days and have a commitment to serve one another and especially the least of these. Service is the best discipleship,” Wilmarth added.
The church takes its name from Psalms 40:3 where David declared, “… He has put a New Song in my mouth, even praise to our God, and many will see it and trust in the Lord.”
Philpott challenges his congregation to grow, mature and change by embracing this calling, by encouraging each other, and engaging in helping those in need.
In recent years, Windsor has seen an explosion of families with children. NEWSONG provides age-appropriate environments where everyone can learn about Jesus. Those who come to NEWSONG see it as a place where the whole family can grow.
There are personal counseling services (Caring for the Heart) helping individuals and couples resolve emotional/spiritual issues. There is a kindergarten ministry, for those in K through sixth grade; a preschool ministry (called First Look) for newborns through pre-kindergarten; a student ministry (for 7th through 12th grades); and Friday night programs 7-9 p.m. for middle and high school students.
In addition, the Alpha Course provides a friendly, open environment where everyone has a chance to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and share points of view. The adult ministry offers engaging opportunities to challenge men and women in their walk with God.
Some programs will continue for a while at the Blue Bird Drive location, including Celebrate Recovery (Fridays 7-9 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m.), and the AWANA Club beginning Aug. 22, giving kids from every background a place to belong, build confidence and grow in faith through energetic game activities, Bible-based teaching and small group time with friends.
Special events, such as a community youth group broomball game wil take place Friday, Aug. 24 from 9-11 p.m. at Snoopy’s Home Ice in Santa Rosa. The AWANA quarterly FX Family Experience is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. on the Blue Bird Campus, and a special worship night (Together in Christ) is scheduled for Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. at River Fellowship, at 195 Windsor River Road in Windsor.
NEWSONG also supports a number of global partners in faith, including Convoy of Hope, Kimberly Martin (in Turkey), Rancho De Sus Niños, AGNCN District Ministries, Redwood Gospel Mission and the Bridges Care Center.
“I love my church. It is not an obligation or duty. For us, church is based on an ownership model, rather than a membership model. We belong together and engage with each other while also being called to be a church for Windsor,” Philpott added. “When you are here, you are family.”
Gary Quackenbush is a Windsor resident and writer with his own public relations consultancy. He is the founder of the Windsor Care Network and a former CEO of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at ga**************@gm***.com.
