We were really privileged to have the Principals from Osceloa Elementary and Barron Collier High, Dr. Brian Castellani and Mr. Jose Hernandez, join us this past weekend at our Naples Campus to celebrate our School Partnerships! We celebrated them and got to hear from them how we at Summit have been a blessing to their schools and administrations.
We're so thankful for all the schools in our Circles of Accountability (especially our 11 school partners!) and we're praying that God would give us more favor to reach every man, woman and child in our schools.
A couple of weeks ago, a team from Summit Church traveled to Haiti to do God’s work of spreading the Gospel to every man, woman and child. This was done once again with our partner, Mission of Hope. Our team was Kevin Potter (me), Gabby Foglia, John Keller, Courtney Blackmer, Stephanie Elwell and Liv Santana. We also met our partner churches from Buffalo for a full team of 35. During our week in Haiti we set up four mobile medical clinics, two in Leveque and two in the village of Bercy. We saw a total of 495 patients in that four days dealing with issues ranging from blood pressure and blood sugar issues to vague neck and back pain. And of those, 25 accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior with 13 decisions for Christ on Friday alone. We also were able to paint two homes inside and out, join in a goat dedication(!) where a family was selected to receive a male and female goat and agreed to share the offspring with their neighbors. We also helped several families gain access to clean water and taught them how to maintain the system to keep providing it, planted several trees around some homes in the villages and other various projects.
I’ve been asked what has impressed me most from this trip, with this being my third time going to Haiti and to MOH. As the team leader I had the opportunity to watch my teammates from a different perspective. And it was awesome to watch how God’s love became clear in all of them. If you have ever seen that time-lapse video of a flower opening, well that’s what it seemed like. The physical part of what we were doing was sometimes difficult but seeing the looks of appreciation for our effort made everything worth it. Some of these appreciative looks would come from Hatian women who would be carrying heavy loads perfectly balanced on their heads. This can help explain some of that vague neck and back pain we had mentioned earlier. Another moment that has always moved me is attending the Church of Hope on the main MOH campus in Titanyen. With most of the service in Creole many of us are unable to understand the spoken words but when you close your eyes the feeling is powerful. They worship with no fear of judgment from others and I think we can all learn from that.
God will call us to serve Him as He commands and for me this has come as service in Haiti. Every trip has been unique with the experiences they have provided and it becomes clearer and clearer how God is working in and through all of us. There is a lot of planning that goes into these short-term trips and there are many ways to be involved. Supplies that are required, both food and medical, need to be collected and these supplies may need to be prepared and packed for travel. In addition some team members may need sponsorship as these trips can be a financial burden to some.
For anyone interested in any of our upcoming trips click here to see those dates. Our next missions are both in July, one a family trip to Haiti and the other to the Dominican Republic. Please keep us all in your prayers. Thank you and God Bless.
Kevin T. Potter
We just wanted to share the grace stories of two college students who were baptized this week. Praise God for his activity in our college ministry, Ignite!
“I’ve always believed in God, but I never really knew what it meant to “follow God.” I didn’t grow up with a Christian family and I never went to church when I was younger. Coming to college, I was so excited about all the freedom, parties and nights out. I didn’t realize it would be so much more than that. I met Liz at work in the fall and she asked me if I wanted to come to ignite. I was a little skeptical at first because I wasn’t sure what to expect. After that first night, I knew immediately that I wanted to change my life and I needed to keep coming back. Ignite has changed me so much and has definitely made me a better person. Being surrounded by such positive, God-loving people has really opened my eyes and encouraged me to follow God’s Word, not societies. I want to be baptized to start over and live a new life as a child of God, and to show everyone my newfound love for the Lord. I believe that Jesus died on the cross so I can live. He is my Savior, my hope, and my light, and I am forever grateful for His sacrifice. ”
“My whole life I had been clenching my fists and denying a truth that is undeniable. In January of this year I finally accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. The second I said those words I felt a weight that had been on my shoulders my whole life lifting away. I was overcome with joy and could barely contain myself. Since that night, when I was saved and made new, God has been shaping my heart. There were so many times in my life when something worked out perfectly exactly when I needed them to and I said to myself “that’s crazy, I can’t believe that happened.” Now I say, “I can believe that happened because I know my God is good!” Through the word of the gospel and worship I have begun to pursue Jesus with fervor. I know that he paid the ultimate sacrifice for me, so that a broken sinner could be saved. I was saved despite being so undeserving, because Jesus’ love for me is unending. Now I get to be in relationship with my Savior forever, and my life has never been so amazing. It took my whole life until now, but just like the gospel said he would, God took a broken me and made me whole this year, and for that I’m blessed.”
An update from the Valiquette family and Nuova Vita in Salerno, Italy.
While there are great things going on within the body of Nuova Vita right now, (and I’ll get to that in a minute), the past few months have been really significant for us as a family. Over the years of living here, we have built many friendships and relationships. It has taken a while to really get to know people, either because of language or just the need for time to build trust. This year we have found ourselves very much in the middle of the community, with many, many opportunities to serve, love, and point people to the grace and love of Jesus. We have seen more and more how just by living here, building relationships, loving people, seeking ways to serve, having an open home for our kids friends after school, and being present and active in the community and kids school, has made way for so many opportunities.
Recently, through a class of one of our kids, we have been able to become friends with a family who recently got kicked out of their apartment. We have come alongside of them and helped them with whatever need they have in the moment. Whether it is food, or their kids coming to our house, or helping them move apartments, or find a job. A girl involved in our church who recently graduated from University is helping the 8-year-old son get caught up with his reading and writing. Some friends in the city we have been getting to know for almost 2 years, have recently gone through a really hard, really sad rift in their marriage. Trust has been broken, hearts are hurt; yet we have found ourselves in the middle of the husband and wife, and able to love them and point them to Jesus. On the outside, we are so different from these dear friends. Heart level communication is hard. And some days we feel so out of our league, so insufficient. But we are faced with needing to desperately remember and cling to the promise our sufficiency comes FROM Him, and our part in the story is to remain faithful. To be faithful to the broken, hurting people. The marriages, the children, the families hurting and in need. Sometimes it is overwhelming. But then we look around and see that He has placed us here for a reason. In this city, and in this time. To love these faces. These kids. These husbands and wives, and to point them to something greater, to the One who gives hope and heals.
And while the Lord is using us just by living life here in Salerno, He is also building His church. These past 2 months have been significant in the area of community for our church. We are learning how to love each other well, how to serve where there are needs and gaps, and how to give generously. A man in our church, Antonio, who has been a believer for nearly 20 years, and has had many different church experiences told Justin recently that for the first time in 20 years he is truly understanding the depths of grace. People are growing in their understanding and knowledge of the gospel, and experiencing it more profoundly in their everyday lives. God is doing significant things!
This Spring we have a busy few months. In April, Justin will be taking 6 men to the Acts 29 Europe conference in Rome. Pray for them as they go to this. We also have a few groups coming from America to serve in the city and on the university campus. Pray their time is fruitful. And then in June, John Piper will be speaking at a conference that will be held here in Italy, and we are hoping to take a group to hear him speak as well. It is quite the buzz that he is coming, and will speaking on the subject of missions, especially when his message had such an effect of Justin and I as young college students entering into ministry. For us, it is such a gift and dream to hear him speak on missions while living in Italy!
We are so thankful for your prayer and support. Please write to us and let us know how we can be praying for you as well!
With love in Christ,
Justin and Abbey Valiquette
On March 28th a team of 21 made our way to Alajuelita, Costa Rica. When we were planning out the trip we really encouraged our team to be flexible. We wanted to go and be willing to serve in any way.
After arriving in Costa Rica, 6:8 Ministries put us to work right away. They gave us a tour of the city of Alajuelita and challenged us to pray over some of the most drug-ridden areas and for some of the local churches. They let us know that their goal for us while we were there was to be “100% safe and 50% comfortable.” They wanted us to serve the community and love the people in it even when it wasn’t the most comfortable thing to do.
While we were there we were able to bless the community both spiritually and tangibly. One morning we were able to purchase bags of fruits and vegetables from a local produce stand and go into a slum and bless families with this food. While we were there we prayed over the families and asked that the Lord would reign over their homes. Later on in the week we went back to the same area and helped a local church with a feeding program for some of the local children. We worshiped along side of them and listened to a message about how our God is greater than any super hero. Then we handed out bowls of food so that those children could eat.
Our students were able to work hard and get dirty as we made our way to the Children’s Ranch; a place being constructed to care for vulnerable children. One of our tasks was to carry up from the river, rocks that ranged between “grape fruit sized and guava sized” and place them strategically to create irrigation for the septic system of the ranch. We were also able to mow and clear the area surrounding the property so that those living there could be a little more comfortable.
Our students encouraged us and each other more than we could have ever imagined. God started to break our hearts not only for those in Costa Rica but also for those in Fort Myers. As we were doing prayer walks and serving the community, some of the students began asking why we weren’t doing this in Fort Myers?
Now that we have we returned, we ask that you would pray that our students would not lose their passion to share the Gospel and serve others. Pray that we would remember that the same God that is in Costa Rica is the God of Fort Myers.
We want to sincerely thank all of you for your prayers and support while we were on our trip. We saw God do some amazing things in the hearts of our students while we were there. Thank you for supporting and encouraging our students to live on mission.
Sincerely,
Matt Cantwell
For more information on 6:8 Ministries, you can visit their website.
As I write I’m sitting on a plane having just left Italy. To be honest, I’m excited about being home with my wife and kids, and I’m coming home a bit heavier. I’m also blown away that God has allowed me to see first hand what he is up to around the world. I’ve been in Rome for the past week at a gathering for the Acts 29 Europe Network. Acts 29 (acts29network.org) is a diverse, global network of churches planting churches, and at Summit Church we are proud to partner with them as part of the Acts 29 US Southeast Network. At this conference, 280 people from 27 different nations came together to sit under the Word, to worship and pray together, and to be encouraged by what God is doing through Europe and the nations around it.
It’s no small thing that the meeting took place in Rome. It is a city that looms large in the scope of Church history, a city whose buildings and ruins whisper of times when the gospel was aggressively opposed and times when it was given room to flourish. The same city that boasts of the Colosseum where Christians were killed for sport and the prisons where the Apostles Peter and Paul were kept captive also holds the Vatican, the historical center of Christian thought, art, and practice. It is a fascinating, thought-provoking, and important city.
While taking in the sites and stories of Rome, it becomes all the more evident that we live in a time like none other in history. Sure, there has been technological advances and the quality of life is seemingly better, but there is something far greater taking place. The kingdom of God is advancing and the gospel is spreading like wildfire through Asia, Africa, and South America in ways we have never seen. Nations that were once gospel poor are now experiencing an explosive move of the Spirit of God, and it is happening in our lifetime!
Yet as we witness God moving on those continents, we also see in Europe and North America a church that was once thriving now spiraling toward decay and, in many regions, already dead. Embroiled in conflict with secularism, consumerism, false morality, and wicked ideologies, the church in the global west finds itself licking its wounds and crumbling at its core. And while this might catch us off guard (it shouldn’t, but it does), the Father is not surprised at all. He still sits on the throne, the nations still belong to him, and he is still building his Church. In fact, the 280 people from 27 nations I just spent the last few days with are evidence of it.
If there is anything that Rome convinces me of, it is that God can and will glorify himself no matter what. He will do it in good times and in bad, in healthy seasons and decaying ones, in life and in death. And how amazing that he has created us to be a part of it! This is a time to rejoice in what the King is doing around the world. But it is also a time to cry out to him to heal that which is broken and to waken the Church, his chosen instrument to bring the gospel to every man, woman, and child in Europe, North America, and around the world.
Is it any secret that we need Jesus? And not just us. Southwest Florida needs Jesus. America needs Jesus. And the world needs Jesus. Jesus is and always will be the only hope of the world. This never changing, rock-solid, life-altering certainty is why we plant churches, and it is why we partner with ministries and networks like Acts 29. It is why we give financially to gospel work around the world, and it is why we go, even to the farthest reaches of the globe, when he bids us come.
Though they were men and women of faith, Jesus’ disciples and the early Christians who were eaten by lions to satisfy a blood-thirsty crowd would marvel at the global impact the gospel has made throughout history. How could they not? We marvel at it now. And as I fly home, reflecting on the things I’ve experienced and remembering the promises that are ours through Christ Jesus, I know that we will marvel even greater still.
- Jamin Stinziano
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
I recently had the opportunity to join our one of our Directing Elders, Jim Hines, on a vision trip to the city of Puebla in southern Mexico. The purpose of our trip was centered on connecting with and deepening the partnership that we at Summit have with an organization called “Esperanza Viva” (Living Hope); a mission organization that serves as an orphanage to the homeless and orphaned children in the city. They are doing amazing work that is impacting the lives of many.
One aspect of the organization that I found to be deeply encouraging and inspiring is their ministry training school called, La Viña, or The Vine. Students, ages 18-24, come from around the country to attend this training school that offers a rich theological and practical ministry experience. These young people are a shining light in a country that is filled with corruption, violence, orphaned children and unimaginable pain.
During our time in Puebla I was offered the opportunity to share with these wonderful young men and women about some of the things that I have learned in my own life and ministry experience. Together we focused our time on looking at the inner man through a biblical perspective, and discussed why it’s so integral to our spiritual life and connection with God to know what we were created for and how our minds and hearts work. The students were engaged, inquisitive, and thoughtful as they began to interact with the content and one another. It was a difficult topic of study because it so often connected with their own hearts in areas like major life struggles, how we cope with pain, trust issues, and emotional and spiritual battles we face.
I was most encouraged during our question and answer time as the students asked questions about addictions, why they are so significant in our world and culture, how to find help, and how they can help others who are struggling. As we spent time together it was as if I had never left our own city. The hearts and minds of the students were like any other young adults I’ve encountered at Summit, engaging with the purposes of God for their lives and deeply burdened for the lostness and suffering of their city and country.
I look forward to our continued partnership with Esperanza Viva (Living Hope) and for the transformation that God has planned for the city of Puebla and the country of Mexico, because we know the Gospel gives us hope for the future, as it works in and through the lives of every believer.
-Evan Lemkuil
You can find out more about Living Hope by visiting their website, lovehopemercy.org
Hey Summit family,
We are so excited to announce that the record is officially released today! Thanks to everyone who came out last weekend to celebrate with us! This journey has been such a wonderful experience and a blessing from the Lord and we are excited to see what he continues to do through these songs.
These songs belong to all of us. They are our collective story and are written out of what we as a church have been walking through and give voice to what God is doing among us as his covenant people here in South West Florida.
Its our hope that these songs would be a blessing to you, become prayers for your devotional life and help cultivate a deeper intimacy with God. We pray that as we continue to run this race together that they would help cultivate a posture of thankfulness as we remember God’s faithfulness and his mercy towards us. That they would help spur us on to continued obedience to where God is leading us and become our corporate prayer as we continue to ask the Lord to move among us and the great region of SW Florida.
Thanks church for being such a blessing. Your prayers, support and encouragement are a constant source of joy and strength for us.
Love
Andy & Rach
AWAKE is available here on iTunes
An update from our Xpansion partner, Saturation Church Planting (SCP).
SCP Asia was actively engaged as a new regional project in 2008. There are 5 major regions in Asia, and SCP’s vision is to help form national leaders in 5 pivot nations that will take responsibility for their own nation as well as contiguous nations around them. These regions account for 4.5 billion people of the world’s population. In 2013, an SCP team was started in Bangkok, Thailand to facilitate the work that was going on and to lead the vision throughout Asia.
The Asian team is focused on 3 primary strategies in these pivot nations.
- First, to develop a network of resource churches that can carry the vision for that nation and contiguous nations. This is a process of envisioning, identifying, training and then coaching national leaders.
- Second, is to deliver decentralized leadership development that these resource churches can replicate to use in growing their people. This includes advanced theological training for key leaders and theological education by extension for every level of leadership.
- Third, is to champion and provide seed money to people mobilization ministries. These are low threshold ministries, started and led by lay people as they seek to engage the brokenness of their communities. Some of these include caring for the poor, widows, orphans, homeless, blind, bonded laborers and others.
India is one pivot nation that has become SCP’s largest project where all 3 of SCP’s primary strategies are engaged. Over the past 8 years thousands of leaders have been trained and 11 resource churches in 9 states are postured to carry the vision throughout India and surrounding nations. These Indian churches have also begun to take the vision to Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
In addition to India, the team is at the beginning stages of setting up networks of resource churches in Central Asia, Russia, China and Southeast Asia. As an organization we are committed to seeing the local churches built up to carry a vision for their people. Only God can open the hearts of leaders to this vision. Pray with us that as we have opportunity, God orchestrates the right leaders to receive and be developed in this vision.
With the activity around Asia and the team situated in Bangkok, Thailand, a city of more than 16 million, it has become a felt need to see a model of these principles and vision established where we live. For the past 6 months the team has been working to see a vision for every man, woman & child set in the hearts of leaders of this city. Bangkok is rapidly becoming one of the major global cities of Asia. Less than 1% of the population of Bangkok is Christian and the city is made up of more than 20 nationalities that come to this Asian gateway for various reasons. There are 169 sub-districts of Bangkok and the vision is to see the churches in this city embrace a decentralized expression of the body of Christ that would start by reaching every sub-district with at least one group that would be intentional with reaching that locality with the Gospel. Pray for the SCP team as we seek to be a part of what God is doing to declare His glory in the lostness of this place.
We covet your prayers for the protection, growth, activity and extension of the SCP team in Bangkok, Thailand.
-The SCP Team
On February 8th, the Naples Congregational Elders along with the Directional Elders met before the Board of County Commissioners in Collier County . The purpose of this meeting was to make the case that the land we own on Pine Ridge Road, just east of 1-75 met the criteria for a Conditional Use zoning. The approval for conditional use would mean that we would have the opportunity to build a permanent presence on this property for the Naples Campus. In order for this conditional use zoning to be passed we needed 4 out of 5 of the Commissioners to vote in favor of the project. The meeting resulted in only 3 out of 5 commissioners voting in favor of the project meaning we did not receive the decision we had hoped for.
So the three most obvious questions that we may ask when receiving this news are as follows:
Are we discouraged?
Were we disappointed with the decision from the Collier Commissioners? Yes. Are we discouraged? Absolutely not!
Whenever we are faced with disappointment in our lives we have a choice on whether we will allow those situations to shape our view of God’s character or rest in who we know our God to be according to His Word.
So here is what we know - GOD DOES NOT LOSE! He ALWAYS has been and ALWAYS will be victorious. Which means that as children of the King we are “more than conquerors through Him who loves us!”(Romans 8:37) To believe anything less is to go against the essence and character of our mighty God. His mission in Collier County is not thwarted by a lack of a building. And we rejoice that He has given us this opportunity to share the gospel and glorify him in our community and before the commissioners in this specific way.
Were some things twisted or misconstrued as to who we are as a church in this process through the media or other outlets? Yes. But nonetheless I think of Acts 5: 41when it says of the apostles standing before the Council - “…they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ.”
What will we do with the property?
Through this rezoning process it became very apparent to us that the restrictions we would have to adhere to on this property would be too constraining to the mission and ministries of Summit Church. While we have the ability to take this decision to litigation, the Directional Elders believe the Lord’s will for us is try to sell this property and use the monies for a future piece of property or place that He will lead us to.
Where does the Naples Campus go from here?
We believe with absolute assurance that God has a perfect plan for our Naples congregation moving forward. And we believe God desires a permanent presence for this congregation.
Think about the times in your life when you prayed to the Lord for something believing in your mind that this opportunity was perfect. And then think of the moment when you realized God had other plans. In the moment it was disappointing, but as you look back you can see that God had something so much better than what you could ever imagined.
Ephesians 3:20-21 - “ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
So we take heart and confidence that God has something so much better for the Naples Campus than even what this permanent presence would have been on this property. So our posture moving forward is to continue to be diligent in our search for places or property that may come available, allowing the Lord to lead the way and to continue to provide for His church.
So do not allow this decision from the Collier Commissioners to discourage or dishearten you. But rather continue to pray for God’s wisdom, guidance, and provision for a permanent home for the Naples Campus and that his mission in Collier County would continue to grow stronger as we present the gospel by making disciples of every man, woman, and child.
We as the leadership of this church have never been more committed to what the Lord has called us to do in this community, state, nation, and world for His glory believing WE WILL NOT BE SHAKEN from the mission our Savior King has entrusted to this church.
We love you all!
Johnny Pereira
We're so excited to announce the upcoming debut EP from our Worship Pastor Andy Graham and his wife Rachel, entitled Awake.
It's a compilation of 6 songs that that have been birthed out of our community and what the Lord has been doing in our lives. They’re an overflow and testimony of his work in us. It's our hope that where ever these songs are heard, they would show God's heart and become the prayers of the church. - Andy Graham
The EP will available beginning March 13th. Here's a preview of the album.
Summit Students had a great time at our Go Love retreat on Fort Myers Beach this past weekend. Students were worshiping God, having fun and building relationships in the process.
We were blessed to have an amazing speaker Blake Applebee, come down from Orlando to walk our students through the book of Philippians. He really brought to life the truth that God is calling us to stand firm on His foundation no matter the circumstances around us. Students responded well to these truths and we are excited to see how God will continue to work in their lives as we dive deeper each week with them.
As a student ministry we always want to see student's lives encouraged and strengthened by the gospel and weekends like this always accomplish that purpose. Thank you all so much for your prayer and support, we sincerely appreciate it.
Paul, Mark and Jason
Photos by Heather Wood
Last year we had the privilege of sending out one of our former Emerging Leaders and his family to live on mission in the nation of Thailand. Carl and Leeza Belcher joined up with Saturation Church Planting which you can find out more about at scpglobal.org
Last week, Carl sent us a quick update and we wanted to share it with you! Keep them in your prayers as they seek to make disciples that represent the gospel to every man, woman and child in Thailand.
We're so blessed to have an amazing group of men and women who pour into our Family Ministries. They serve faithfully week in and week out and we're so grateful for their sacrifice! Here's a few stories of those who serve...(read more)
As believers in Jesus Christ, and citizens of His kingdom, we have the unique responsibility to reflect the glory of God to a watching world. In our new series, Kingdom Life, we will study Jesus’ words in the book of Matthew, considering what it means to live as His representatives where we work, live and play.
To listen to sermons from this series, visit our audio page.
We’re so encouraged by God’s activity in and through the body of Summit Church in 2015! Our Year End Review document is up on our website and available at the connection center and we encourage you to go take a look at all that God has accomplished over the last 12 months. Here’s just a sampling of what you’ll see in that document: in 2015 we celebrated over 60 baptisms and we had nearly 1,000 people in a recognized discipleship environments. We’re truly grateful for the grace of the Lord in 2015! ...(read more)
One of our members put together a simple prayer calendar to pray over with their kids this advent season and we wanted to share it with you. We hope you find it helpful!
WHY FAST?
– Fasting was an expected discipline in both the Old and New Testament eras. For example, Moses fasted at least two recorded 40-day periods. Jesus fasted 40 days and reminded His followers to fast saying, “when you fast“, not if you fast.
– Fasting and prayer can restore the loss of the “first love” for your Lord and result in a more intimate relationship with Christ.
– Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God (Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21). King David said, “I humble myself through fasting.”
– Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life.
– Fasting can transform your prayer life into a richer and more personal experience.
– Fasting can result in a dynamic personal revival in your own life and make you a channel of revival to others.
POINTS OF FOCUS.
#1. Spend time praying for yourself. Ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin. Pray that God would continue to fuel your passion for Him. Pray that God would continue to give you the discipline to pursue Him and spend time with Him in the Word and in prayer. Spend time meditating on Psalm 63:1-8.
#2. Pray for our community, specifically for those who do not know Christ. Pray that God would continue to draw those who do not know Him into a loving relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.
#3. Pray for our school partnership Christmas Project. Pray for the families that we will bless and serve around each of our campuses. Pray that what we provide will be a visible and tangible testimony of God’s grace. Pray that through this initiative many will have the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
#4. Pray for the financial budget of Summit Church. Pray that we will be able to finish the year strong giving us the momentum and platform we need going into the next year. Pray that God would continue to grow us all in the area of stewardship of life and that as He does He would accomplish immeasurably more in and through us individual followers and collectively as a church.
#5. Pray for our Christmas Eve services at all 3 of our campuses. Pray that God would draw many from our community to one of our campuses and more importantly to Himself. Pray that many would respond to the Gospel message and God’s extension of love and forgiveness. Specifically pray for those co-workers, neighbors, friends and family members who you will be inviting to the Christmas Eve services.
#6. Pray for our Elders as they continue to seek the Lord and His wisdom in regards to the continual ministry and future of Summit. Pray that God would fill these men, and lead these men as they are called to lead His Church in to His mission.
If someone would have told me five years ago that I would now be working at a church, I would have laughed. I think I always believed in a “god,” but did not remotely have a relationship with Jesus. In fact, towards the end of college, I was fairly opposed to Christianity. But like any child of God knows, His plans are often much different than ours and vastly better. Always better... (read more)