Rich & Sarah Hall
We now follow the way of Jesus, forever changed.
Ours
We were both raised in a traditional Baptist church. When we met, we decided we wanted more than the “formal” church environments we grew up in. Although we were both professing Christians, we were not walking with Jesus. In 2018, when we found the Springs, we were cultural Christians, happy on the outside but unaware of the depth of change we both desperately needed. After joining, we were placed in a community group and realized quickly that it was “not what we signed up for.” We decided to leave the Springs. For some reason, we saw fit to “leave the right way” and met with Jonathan Dennis in the spring of 2019 to inform him of our decision.
Sarah
“When we sat down to meet with JD, I felt a conviction from the Lord that I had not felt before. I had been hiding sin that not a single soul in my life knew about. In our conversation with JD, he encouraged us to give church “one last shot” and invited us to attend a church conference with several others from the Springs. I had been praying for a year for God to take the shame of my hidden adultery away and heal what had been broken for so many years without having to bring it into the light. Little did I know that bringing my sin into the light would invite the healing I desperately longed for.
“Over the last year, seeds were being planted in my heart through sermons, bible study, and the testimony of virtual strangers, now dear friends, who shared their story of adultery and restoration in their marriage and family. A still, small voice in my head had said, “This can be your story,” my heart sank as I looked at Rich and thought, “Impossible.” In spite of myself, my heart was being primed to confess and find freedom. I finally chose to let the light overcome the darkness and allow my growing love for God to trump the potential consequences I faced because of my sin. When I confessed to Rich, I thought it would be over, but God had other plans.
Rich
“When Sarah shared her past infidelity with me, I said I forgave her, and I wanted to, but my actions communicated something else. I was hurt and hardened towards her. While her confession was humble and heartfelt, I weaponized it against her. Unknowingly, I wanted her to earn my forgiveness and show remorse. I created a standard she could not meet. Even though we were “doing the right things,” we were still struggling. Bitterness and resentment were building up inside of me, and it spilled over into frequent anger. When Sarah brought others into the mess we were still dealing with, I was met with love and understanding I had not felt before. The members of the Springs saw my pain; they communicated that they were sorry unfaithfulness was a part of our story. And they encouraged me to seek healing for myself. It was through re:generation and counseling with church staff that I realized the sin and pain I contributed to our marriage. I had been passive, driven by pride, control, self-righteousness, and an unbiblical view of fairness. It was when I began addressing the sin in my own life, not that of my wife or our marriage, that I began to change.
Ours
“The Springs came around us in the darkest season of our lives. They met us both exactly where we were and lovingly did not let us “stay there.” We joined a re|engage group led by Springs members and continued to learn about confession, authenticity, and dependence on God. We both went through and commenced from re:gen and experienced tremendous healing. We now lead a Community Group. What once was “not what we signed up for” is now an integral part of our life and walk with the Lord. We are both learning to pick up our cross daily, pursue righteousness as we raise our two boys, serve this beautiful church, and serve our community --- seeking to do community, not just be in a Community Group. We could not be more grateful for how the Lord worked through the body to love, know, and support us. We now joyfully give back to the body, serving others just like us, knowing that the Lord is on the move here. Our story is not the same because of Jesus and His love and faithfulness expressed to us through the Springs; we now follow the way of Jesus, forever changed.”
We were both raised in a traditional Baptist church. When we met, we decided we wanted more than the “formal” church environments we grew up in. Although we were both professing Christians, we were not walking with Jesus. In 2018, when we found the Springs, we were cultural Christians, happy on the outside but unaware of the depth of change we both desperately needed. After joining, we were placed in a community group and realized quickly that it was “not what we signed up for.” We decided to leave the Springs. For some reason, we saw fit to “leave the right way” and met with Jonathan Dennis in the spring of 2019 to inform him of our decision.
Sarah
“When we sat down to meet with JD, I felt a conviction from the Lord that I had not felt before. I had been hiding sin that not a single soul in my life knew about. In our conversation with JD, he encouraged us to give church “one last shot” and invited us to attend a church conference with several others from the Springs. I had been praying for a year for God to take the shame of my hidden adultery away and heal what had been broken for so many years without having to bring it into the light. Little did I know that bringing my sin into the light would invite the healing I desperately longed for.
“Over the last year, seeds were being planted in my heart through sermons, bible study, and the testimony of virtual strangers, now dear friends, who shared their story of adultery and restoration in their marriage and family. A still, small voice in my head had said, “This can be your story,” my heart sank as I looked at Rich and thought, “Impossible.” In spite of myself, my heart was being primed to confess and find freedom. I finally chose to let the light overcome the darkness and allow my growing love for God to trump the potential consequences I faced because of my sin. When I confessed to Rich, I thought it would be over, but God had other plans.
Rich
“When Sarah shared her past infidelity with me, I said I forgave her, and I wanted to, but my actions communicated something else. I was hurt and hardened towards her. While her confession was humble and heartfelt, I weaponized it against her. Unknowingly, I wanted her to earn my forgiveness and show remorse. I created a standard she could not meet. Even though we were “doing the right things,” we were still struggling. Bitterness and resentment were building up inside of me, and it spilled over into frequent anger. When Sarah brought others into the mess we were still dealing with, I was met with love and understanding I had not felt before. The members of the Springs saw my pain; they communicated that they were sorry unfaithfulness was a part of our story. And they encouraged me to seek healing for myself. It was through re:generation and counseling with church staff that I realized the sin and pain I contributed to our marriage. I had been passive, driven by pride, control, self-righteousness, and an unbiblical view of fairness. It was when I began addressing the sin in my own life, not that of my wife or our marriage, that I began to change.
Ours
“The Springs came around us in the darkest season of our lives. They met us both exactly where we were and lovingly did not let us “stay there.” We joined a re|engage group led by Springs members and continued to learn about confession, authenticity, and dependence on God. We both went through and commenced from re:gen and experienced tremendous healing. We now lead a Community Group. What once was “not what we signed up for” is now an integral part of our life and walk with the Lord. We are both learning to pick up our cross daily, pursue righteousness as we raise our two boys, serve this beautiful church, and serve our community --- seeking to do community, not just be in a Community Group. We could not be more grateful for how the Lord worked through the body to love, know, and support us. We now joyfully give back to the body, serving others just like us, knowing that the Lord is on the move here. Our story is not the same because of Jesus and His love and faithfulness expressed to us through the Springs; we now follow the way of Jesus, forever changed.”