Family Worship

Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.

- Proverbs 22:6

Ok, you clicked on this article. But maybe you're asking yourself...

"What is 'Family Worship'? And what does it mean to have a 'Family Worship' time? You know I don’t play guitar, right?

Why does it matter? And how would someone go about having a 'Family Worship' time?"

Wait, let’s press pause. Can we talk for a sec? Before we go any further, this post needs a disclaimer.*

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DISCLAIMER

*DON'T LET WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO READ MAKE YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE ANYTHING 'FIGURED OUT'. THIS IS A WORK IN PROCESS. AND ANYTHING GOOD THAT COMES FROM IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF THE GRACE AND GOODNESS OF GOD.

*actual picture of a recent Family Worship time...

Ok. So…what is Family Worship?

Let me say from the very outset, Family Worship is messy. For that matter, everything with young kids is messy. Can I get an ‘amen’?

My wife and I have three children under the age of nine years old and we’re so grateful for the gifts that they are to us; precious children that have been entrusted to us by our Father to love and to train in the way of discipleship to Jesus.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127:3-5

About four years ago we felt challenged by the Lord to spend intentional time with our children before bedtime, teaching them the ways of God. A friend of ours recommended a simple book of scripture memory verses and a series of catechism questions that form a concrete foundation for gospel understanding. (Resource link at the bottom of the post.)

As our family has grown, we have moved our time around the dinner table and morphed it into a simpler pattern; one that Donald Whitney put forth in his aptly titled book, “Family Worship”. The pattern goes like this. Read, Pray, Sing. (Resource link at bottom of the post.)

1.)   Read Scripture together.

It doesn’t have to be a lot. When your kids are young, sometimes shorter is better. Know what I mean? But don’t be afraid to ask for their attention. Chances are if you’re enthusiastic about what you’re reading, your children will be as well. We just finished reading through the book of Ruth and my kids were begging me to keep reading the next chapter to see what happened. Once we finish reading we take 2 minutes to make observations about what God might be saying to us about himself and what the gospel connection is in the passage. And that’s basically it. No long, drawn out teaching. Just daily sitting under the authority of the Word of God together as a family.

2.)   Pray together.

We take turns praying. Sometimes it’s a couple of short one-liners from the younger kids and we’re done. As they pray, you’ll be surprised what they’re picking up from God’s Word! Sometimes we pray in an intercessory way for friends, or nations or ministries. This usually takes just a couple of minutes. As a side note, I once I heard a reference to Tinkerbell artfully woven into my 5-year-old daughter’s prayer about kindness. The best part was that it made actual sense and tied into our conversation. She was contextualizing her world after our Bible reading!

3.)   Sing together.

For some reason, when we put words to music, they stick. Singing is such an easy, powerful way to make truth stick. Don’t be afraid to sing together as a family. You might not be the Von Trapps, but you can make a joyful noise. (emphasis on noise?) Some days we sing simple kids songs like Jesus Loves Me or Trust and Obey, etc. and other times we’ll sing a hymn or the Doxology. Still other times, we fall down the YouTube rabbit hole watching one worship song after another, dancing around the dirty dishes that need to be cleared from the dinner table.

Read, Pray, Sing. The simplicity of this rhythm makes it totally doable for us. If we’re feeling especially ambitious we’ll review memory verses and catechism questions together as well, which are still a priority for us.

But let’s face it, some nights are really hard. Sometimes just keeping everyone in their seats for 5 minutes is a monumental chore, let alone helping them be engaged. Add in food and drink spills, sibling rivalries, and good old-fashioned kid jabber, and it can easily become a recipe for frustration.

“Shut your little faces! I’m trying to teach you that God loves you!”

I’m kidding. Sort of. But it can feel like that sometimes if we’re not careful, right? That’s why we need an abundance of God’s grace, a good sense of humor, and an eye towards the long view. Kids are kids and that is ok. Of course, we discipline our children when necessary and teach them the importance of joyful obedience. (Ephesians 6:1, Proverbs 13:24) But in our attitudes and approach, we’re going to be gracious, not trying to legalistically impose this time upon us or them. We’re humbly trying to direct our attention to Jesus in the midst of normal, everyday, messy life, recognizing his glory and taking the time to worship him together.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

So why have a ‘Family Worship’ time? I think for the answer to that question we can look to the great commission of our Lord. If we want to be disciple-makers, that starts first and foremost in our own homes with the children He has entrusted to us. And it is a joy. Family Worship is one way in which we can be intentional to disciple our children. Truly, I can’t think of much that we do that is more important than the time the five of us spend around the dinner table, reading God’s Word, praying and singing to the Lord together.

-Joe O'Neal

Student Life Camp Recap

From July 9th to the 12th we were able to take 64 students and 8 leaders to Student Life Camp on Daytona Beach! We had the opportunity to worship with Elevation and Vertical worship alongside over 2,700 other students and leaders. We enjoyed our time in the word with Craig Groeschel and D.A. Horton walking through the theme of “I AM.” We learned more about who God is and who God is not. Students enjoyed messages hearing about how God is not a “goose bump God” who is only there if we have a tingly feeling. We also heard about how God is not an “on call God” who is only there when we feel like we need him. The Gospel was clearly presented every morning and evening which allowed us to even see one student accept Christ as his Savior!

We all really enjoyed our time playing games and partnering with Riverside Church and Crossroads Baptist Church. We were able to intermingle the kids and leaders from each church to create different color teams. Riverside Church did an amazing job heading up the game portion and were such a blessing to us while at camp. It was great getting to go away and still partner with local churches from our area. All in all, our kids and leaders (from all 3 campuses) had an amazing experience while at camp. We were able to get to know our God in a more intimate way and have fun while doing it!

– Matt Cantwell

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

"I had an amazing week at camp. Being able to spend a week in God’s presence was very refreshing. To see how much God loves me really convicted me to care more for those around me. I also really enjoyed being able to spend a lot of time with our church family. That is what is amazing about camp, being able to build this fire for Jesus as a team and bring it back home to share. So many awesome friendships were made and the Summit Students community got much closer as a group."

- Conner

"Student Life Camp was truly one of the best experiences of my life. It was super fun and God revealed himself to me in new ways. One of the speakers made a point that in the Bible the word “beloved” is used in the perfect tense and the passive voice. This showed me how God’s love is constant even when we feel distant. This also helped me understand how I am called to love others around me and allowed me to grow in my community of friends."

- Riley 

FROM ONE OF OUR LEADERS

"Student Life Camp during the week of July 9, 2018 was transformational in the eyes of our Lord.  As a leader I first experienced peace as all the leaders prayed for each and every student personally the evening before the trip. The trip was very well organized. All three Summit campuses came together with a strong message of unity between campuses.  My group consisted of all University Campus boys in 8th, 9th and 10th grades. Outside of just having a "blast" it was during the intimate small group times when we were able to dig a little deeper.  All 11 boys were emotionally and spiritually ready to talk, discuss and listen. Whether it was on the drive up, walking to dinner, small group, morning exercise or worship, I was able to witness the Holy Spirit moving through the youth.  Out of the 11 boys in my group for the week I saw some radical transformation in most all of them.  3 boys declared their interest in baptism and one even put his faith in Christ."

- Matt LeLievre

Haiti, Nicaragua & the Dominican Republic

Recently, several nations that we are invested in through various gospel partnerships have been undergoing different forms of upheaval. We're asking that you would pray with us for our partners and for these nations.

NICARAGUA

Our missionaries, Al and Sarah Gomez, have recently had to flee violence and unrest in Nicaragua as government and protestors clash. Throughout the country, more than 300 people have been killed since protests began on April 18th.

PRAY
Pray for peace and quick resolve to these political divisions. Pray for God's protection and that he would allow Al and Sarah and their family to return to Nicaragua so that they might proclaim the gospel to every man, woman and child in their city.

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HAITI

Just in the past 7-10 days, rising fuel costs have caused rioting throughout the nation of Haiti prompting the US State Department to update its travel advisory for Haiti on July 9, raising it to "Level 4: Do Not Travel." We currently partner with Haiti Bible Mission, Mission of Hope, Haiti , Dawn Shoemaker, School of Grace, and Lifesong for Orphans. These are organizations and individuals who are dedicated to bringing the gospel to every man, woman and child in the nation of Haiti.

PRAY
Pray for peace in Haiti. Pray for God's protection for our partners who are faithfully ministering there. Pray that God would give them increased opportunities to share the gospel as a result of this unrest.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Just this past Tuesday (7/10), Hurricane Beryl crossed over the Dominican Republic causing flooding to hundreds of homes and causing 15,000 people to still be without power. We had already planned to send a team to the DR next week to minister with our partners Love Serves International. We have adjusted our plans to focus on bringing relief to some of the hard hit areas, while representing and proclaiming the good news of Jesus to those in need.

PRAY
Pray for power to be restored and for those who have suffered damaged homes and goods. Pray for our team, that God would use them powerfully to represent the love of Christ. Pray for a great harvest of souls as our team and our partners minister in the Dominican Republic.

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Meet the Taylors

FROM JEREMIAH TAYLOR:

My family consists of my beautiful wife Lauren, my son Jason (11), my daughters Maya (9) and Selah (2) and our newest addition: Elijah (12 weeks)!

We come from Miami, FL, where we’ve lived the past 4.5 years. Lauren and I moved to Miami in 2013 in order to plant a gospel-centered church in the heart of an inner-city neighborhood called Little Haiti. Little Haiti is a very diverse neighborhood filled with folks from all over the world… It really is a foreign country with a US Zip Code!

During our time in Little Haiti we saw folks come to Christ, come back to Christ, and mature in their faith. We saw God do extraordinary things! Toward the end of our time in Miami, God began to make it clear to Lauren and I that it would be a huge kingdom win if we merged our small church with another church plant that was making incredible inroads in our city. We merged our church in March of 2018 and I began looking in earnest for another church to serve at.

Providentially, I sat next to Adam, the campus pastor of Summit’s Gateway congregation, at a conference. We got to know each other, and he shared with me that Gateway Campus was looking for another pastor. I shared with him how I was looking for another pastorate! One thing led to another and God brought us to Summit Church!

We are so excited, grateful and humbled to be here! God continues to pour out his tangible grace upon our lives! I’ve talked to several non-Summit pastors since being hired at Summit and all of them have told me how lucky I am to be working here! We definitely agree with this sentiment as we have already begun being loved so well, even before I have lifted a finger. God is doing something special at Gateway!

Our desire is to simply step into the work that God has already begun at Summit Gateway and to be faithful stewards of whatever opportunities the Lord gives us to serve his people and our community. Our prayer is that God’s kingdom would come and that his will would be done in Fort Myers as it is in heaven!

Looking forward to the journey with all of you!

Jeremiah and Lauren Taylor

Immerse - Summit Students

From June 18th through June 22nd Summit offered a leadership development camp called Immerse for middle and high school students volunteering in Sports Camp. The camp had around 50 students from all 3 of the our congregations. During Immerse, students were able to build relationships with each other, study God’s Word together, and serve the community. The camp focused on equipping students to understand how the Gospel not only saves us from our sins, but empowers us to lovingly serve others, tell people about Jesus, and to be his ambassadors to the world around us.

It was an awesome week and we praise God for the work that he did in the lives of these students!

-Josh Stewart

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Dream Again

Recently Andy & Rachel released a new album 'Vision in the Wild' and one of the songs that a lot of folks connected with was ‘Dream again’. Here is a little of the story and heart behind that song from Andy:

"A few months ago it felt like the Lord was inviting us as a family to dream with him over what the future could look like and what He was calling us to. In a culture where “dreaming” can often end up being individualistic and even downright consumeristic, the concept of dreaming for the believer can seem somewhat strange and perhaps even improper. However, this song is a call to dream WITH God for what it looks like to see His Kingdom come in greater measure in our lives and our communities.

Sometimes that’s dreaming for what it looks like to move from a place of brokenness to wholeness. Other times it might be asking God what His heart is for our families, our neighborhoods and our cities. What it looks like to see broken social systems, broken countries and broken relationships healed. To dream, not for our own personal end - but for the ultimate end - His Kingdom and His Glory being made known through the community of the church, and witness of our lives in the places he calls us to live, work and play. The great thing about that kind of dreaming with God, is that it often ends up being the best place for us to live our lives; right in the center of his will.”

See the story behind the Album here.

LOYALTY RECONSIDERED

LOYALTY RECONSIDERED
By Jamin Stinziano

Earlier this year, we journeyed as a church through the Old Testament book of Daniel by looking at the loyalty God shows to his people and the loyalty that we, as well, are called to live in to. As we move into the summer months, we thought it would be helpful to be reminded of some overarching themes we saw over and over again throughout our Loyalty series. These themes, as we see them, are non-negotiable, which means that embracing these truths is directly tied to the joy-filled, abundant life Christ has secured for his children.

So, take some time to read the 3 themes below and prayerfully consider what God might want to do in and through you in the weeks and months to come.

Overarching Theme #1: The Lord Most High is still on the throne

God is in control. He always has been, and he always will be. We struggle to believe it, though, don’t we? We know the truth in our minds, but when push comes to shove, the waters start raging, and life seems to spiral out of control, our souls rise far too easily to another. Yet over and over again in the book of Daniel, and through the entirety of the scriptures, God is put on display as the Sovereign Ruler of all creation. He is orchestrating events, putting people where he wants them, and thwarting the schemes of the enemy. Nothing takes him by surprise, nothing ties his hands, and nothing keeps him from doing exactly what he has purposed to do.  

Overarching Theme #2: The Lord Most High is faithful (loyal) in all he does

When the Bible communicates the loyalty of God, it often uses the same terminology to depict his faithfulness and love. So, when it says that God is abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex.34:6), we are seeing that God is overflowing with loyalty toward those he’s in covenant relationship with. When it says, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (Lam. 3:23), we are being told that the loyalty of God will never come to an end. When it says, all his work is done in faithfulness (Ps.33:4), we are learning that God is and always will be perfectly loyal in what he does. It’s true! He is overwhelmingly committed to his glory and the good of the ones he loves so he will never let us down. In fact, he can’t.

Overarching Theme #3: The Lord Most High is worthy of our complete loyalty

The truth that Yahweh sits on the throne impacts everything about our lives. In the book of Revelation, we read this declaration: Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created (Rev 4:11).  As it was true for Daniel and his friends it is true for you and me. The glory of God—his majesty, greatness, splendor, beauty, and so much more—demands that we orient our lives around his throne. And this is no small orientation. It requires our complete allegiance. Every idol must be crushed, every agenda discarded, every pursuit pushed to the side, every aspiration submitted, and every loyalty abandoned. This is life in his kingdom. Anything less is compromised, listless, and powerless.

So how can we joyfully press into these truths? By purposefully posturing ourselves before his throne. In doing this, we are intentionally putting ourselves in a place to see him for who he truly is. Our King is a good and righteous Father who delights in his children. He is steadfast and faithful in all that he does. And because Christ has given us access we never could have afforded ourselves, he welcomes us to the foot of his throne. God’s Word gives us this charge: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) So let’s find comfort in the truth that Yahweh is the Sovereign Ruler of all creation and he is ready, willing, and able to give grace for all of our needs.

Mark's Story

We're always so encouraged by the activity of God in His people! Take a few minutes to watch Mark's story and rejoice in the Lord.

Congregational Facility Updates

We're so blown away by how God continues to provide for His Church! We hope you are encouraged by this video as we share about what is happening at each of our congregations.

If you would like to contribute financially to these efforts, you can do so by clicking the button below and choosing your campus building fund. Thank you!

Tim's Story

We're always rejoicing in God's activity in the lives of His people. Watch Tim's Story and be encouraged.

God Gets Me

God Gets Me

by Dave Harvey

I have always loved preaching at a Good Friday service. A couple of years back during a Good Friday message, I made a passing reference to a Hebrews passage that appeared to resonate deeply with some church folk. It was one of those unforeseen moments when a Bible verse pierces the chaos of crazy-busy and taps the brakes so we can slow down and listen.

In Hebrews 4: 15, the author writes, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” The high priest we have is Jesus Christ, relocated from Heaven to become the sacrifice and the mediator for His people. But here we learn that this remarkable role carries a most unusual quality, particularly for those who assume that “high priest” means rigidly religious, gigantically judgmental, or dangerously disconnected from real life.

Jesus, our High Priest, is able to sympathize with our weakness.

Don’t rush past that sentence. It invites us to pause and ponder, like a gentle, fragrant breeze gliding across the front porch on a Spring day. It tells us something about ourselves; an elusive reality that can be hard to see and difficult to admit. Jesus assumes we are weak.

Think about this. It addresses you, me, and every living being in possession of a soul. We are fragile sojourners in a fallen world, frail, tenuous, and imperfect. All of us. This verse is not addressing some unique subset of humans who have the misfortune of being flawed. If you breathe, you are weak. It’s not a question of whether it’s true; the question is whether you are clued in or clueless.

Weak Means Me

Recently, I was walking out of Starbucks and tried to unlock my car through my spiffy electronic car key. Nothing happened. My mind immediately went dark, instinctively irritated over the wasted day before me if I needed a new battery for my key (do these things even have batteries?), a new battery for my car (it has a brand new battery!), or if some other unexpected repair was necessary (I hate cars!!). While I was emotionally tanking over the lost hours to a day not yet begun, I spied another car in the parking lot that looked just like mine.

Actually, it was mine.

It’s a bad omen when a guy starts his day realizing that his key is fine, it’s his brain that’s defective.

I am weak, and every day there are more clues.

Weakness represents those places in life where we are reminded that we are not kingdom-ruling conquerors exercising omniscience, omnipotence, and omni-competence at will. Not even close! We are the fabulously fallen and frail who forget meeting times, wreck our cars, and mistakenly leave the doors open to invite all manner of beast and insect to become squatters in our home. You know what I’m talking about. We are the sleepers-in, the bill-forgetters, the “Oh-Lord-what’s-that-smell” people. We are weak.

Weak Means Sympathy

To those who own this label, this passage offers a mind-blowing message. Jesus gets us. I’m not talking about a kind detachment where Jesus listens well but is actually disconnected from the real frustrations we encounter. Jesus is no Pharisee, rolling his eyes when we fail, outwardly tolerating us but inwardly reviling our weakness. No, Jesus actually sympathizes with us where we are weak. As a loving high priest, he empathizes with the areas where we suffer deficiencies or defects.

But that’s not all. Jesus does not sympathize as an outsider. He’s not the guy who read a book on weakness, or quickly Googled it to become conversant. No sir, the Savior knows you on an experiential level. As our perfect high priest, Jesus is “one who in every respect has been tempted as we are.”

My friends, slow your pace a bit more, and just think about that: “In every respect, tempted as we are.” Bad week for you in battling lust? Jesus understands. He knows the temptation. Are you struggling with resentful thoughts over some way you were mistreated? Jesus gets it. He was royally shafted by people and wrestled through those very temptations. Fretting over a work matter? Sweating the finances? Feeling forgotten? Jesus knows them all. Tempted to throw in the towel, to give up on your role as husband of wife? Tempted to say you aren’t cut out for this? Jesus understands that, too. He understands the battle because he’s been to war.

Concerning Christ’s temptations, Raymond Brown said, “No one on earth, before or since, has ever been brought through such spiritual desolation and human anguish. For this reason he can help us in our moments of temptation. He is aware of our needs because he has experienced to the full the pressures and testings of life in this godless world.”

Always remember: Jesus knows how a fallen world affects you, how temptations compete for supremacy within your soul. Jesus gets the shame, the demoralizing feeling that accompanies the skirmish between what you feel and who you are called to be.

Jesus understands, and he sympathizes with you.

Weak Means Freedom

My friends, here’s one final thought to encourage your soul: Because Christ is able to sympathize with our weakness, we don’t need to self-sympathize!

If you are like me, any awareness of weakness becomes an immediate invitation to my pity party. “Come join Dave, as he spends yet another day sympathizing with himself over not being God!” But through this passage God speaks another word. “Hey Dave,” he says, “let’s turn the pity-dial down a bit today. Remember, I’m the perfect high priest- your sympathy is my job. I’ve got this whole sympathy thing covered. Why don’t you just think about how to love and enjoy me today!”

In every area of life, the gospel is the game-changer. With self-pity, the gospel breaks into my self-sympathizing tendencies and reminds me that because of Christ’s death and resurrection, I get far more sympathy than I deserve. The gospel proclaims a double-swap. At the cross, I not only avoid getting the just judgment that my sins rightfully warranted, but in place of God’s wrath I receive his adoption, his loving affection, and his compassion for my weakness. Instead of the antipathy I earned, I get sympathy as a child of my Heavenly Father.

Are you feeling weak today? Smacked around, perhaps, by temptations? Have you just printed some invites to your own pity-party? The good news of the gospel includes a Great High Priest. A Savior with a love so vast that he drops into the mundane moments of our weakness and temptation and says, “I get you, and I understand.” Then, at just the right time, he supplies the way of escape (1 Cor. 10: 13).

My Savior gets me. And from that perfect knowledge, dipping all the way down to my DNA, he issues this life transforming invitation, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4: 16).

Goodness and grace from the God who gets me. I guess that’s what makes him the Perfect High Priest (Heb. 9: 11-12).

- Adapted from a blog written by Dave Harvey for Four Oaks Church

Gospel Saturation in Bercy, Haiti

by Nate Johnson

Last week, I had the privilege of being in Bercy, Haiti with Lifesong for Orphans.  At Summit Church, we are blessed to partner with 38 different ministries across the world through our Xpansion ministry, and Lifesong is one of those partners.  Xpansion is a critical part of the mission at Summit Church, because we believe that God’s mission is not only for SWFL, but for our state, nation and world.  Xpansion keeps us as a body of Christ focused on God’s mission outside of us.

Bercy, Haiti has a population of approximately 10,000 and is much like other villages in the beautiful country of Haiti.  One difference from Bercy to other area of Haiti, is that it is quickly becoming an example of how a community can change a result of intentional gospel ministry.

Through Summit’s partnership with Sojourn Network we have had the opportunity to partner with 2 other churches to own the lostness of Bercy, Haiti with the goal of giving Every Man, Woman and Child in Bercy repeated opportunities to see, hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus.  And the wonderful thing about the existing strategy is that these opportunities are coming through Haitian churches, and not through the Americans who come for a week and leave. 

Over the last 2 years, Summit has been working with Pleasant Valley Community Church in Owensboro Kentucky, and The Avenue Church in West Palm Beach Florida to find a pastoral team to lead a church planting movement in Bercy Haiti.  A year ago, we were able to find Pastor Octavian (pictured below with myself and Jim Hines) who is now on the grounds in Bercy equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.  Not only is Pastor Octavian doing a great job equipping the saints, he is also doing a great job understanding the needs of the community and partnering with other pastors and churches in Bercy to meet those needs.  And this is where Summit, Pleasant Valley and The Avenue Church get to help.

Over the past 12 months with Pastor Octavien’s help, we have been able to develop an intentional process to care for and equip local Haitian pastors for gospel centered ministry.  Last week, Summit led a pastoral training conference with 40 Haitian Pastors from Port au Prince, Cabaret, Bercy and Las Cayes.  We were able to envision these pastors from Ephesians 2-4 on the Nature and Purpose of the Church, helping them see who the Church is, why it exists, what a healthy church looks like, and what biblical leadership looks like.  We saw pastors from all four of these areas of Haiti praying together, talking about their community’s needs and getting a deeper understanding of how the gospel of Jesus is the only solution to the problems plaguing Haiti. 

In June, The Avenue Church will do a follow up training with these 40 pastors teaching them from scripture what it means to equip the the saints out of an overflow of their intimacy with God, and discussing how important the pastors devotion and character is.  Then in October, Pleasant Valley will spend two days training on important theological topics that are critical for these pastors to not only understand, but for them to teach to their members. 

So, why Haiti?  And why Bercy, Haiti? 

5 years ago, Summit adopted Bercy Haiti as a specific geography that we could intentionally invest time, money and energy into in order to own the lostness of every man, woman and child, giving them repeated opportunities to see, hear and respond to the gospel.  This village is special, not because we are engaged there, but because there are gospel centered Haitian churches doing amazing work there, and Summit gets the opportunity to come alongside of them to encourage and support them in this mission.  Bercy, Haiti is full of 10,000 Haitians and has 5 gospel-centered churches alive in the village. Our prayer is that through intentional prayer, training and encouragement these 5 churches will own the lostness of these 10,000 Haitians and multiply over time in order to see Bercy saturated with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Bercy, Haiti is also where Lifesong for Orphans is present.  Mike & Amy Rivas are Americans on the ground in Bercy living this mission and equipping Haitian leaders to develop sustainable businesses for job creation, schools for education, orphan care and church advancement.  Lifesong has a gospel centered focus along with holistic strategies and sustainable methods that are focused on raising in up and investing in indigenous leaders so that Bercy Haiti is changed by the gospel.  To see more about the ministry of Lifesong, visit their website here.

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Thank you Summit Church for your continued pursuit of God and his mission, not only in SWFL, but throughout the world.  Your investment in Bercy, Haiti is a picture of the vision God has given Summit to multiply disciples, leaders, churches and gospel influence in order that God would be glorified as every man, woman and child has repeated opportunities to see, hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus. 

Nate Johnson
Executive Pastor

Spring Break Syracuse!?

“Why would you come to Syracuse for your spring break?” We heard this question many times this past week; people living in the city couldn’t understand why we would come from beaches and sunshine to snow and freezing temperatures. Our answer? Because we love Jesus.

Ignite, Summit’s college ministry, strives to saturate the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University with the gospel of Jesus Christ; but we don’t want it to stop with FGCU. Over Spring Break, twenty-one student leaders from Ignite had the opportunity to fly up to New York to be part of the work that God is doing in the city of Syracuse. We worked with Missio Church, and partnered with CRU (at Syracuse University and The University at Buffalo), YoungLife, Restoration Church, Seymour Elementary School, and The Neighborhood Church. 

The elders of Missio Church planted a church in Syracuse because they wanted to be part of the reconciling of that city back to God. They strive to represent the Gospel of Christ to a region where only two percent of the population profess Jesus as their Savior. The hearts of the people are cold towards the gospel and are hostile towards Christians. Missio partners with other ministries and churches to bring the gospel to their circle of accountability which includes several schools, the inner city, and Syracuse University.

To say that this week was amazing would be an understatement, but to say that it was easy would be a lie. We had the blessing to work with YoungLife students in middle school and high school. We walked around the University at Buffalo and Syracuse University, having gospel-centered conversations with students around the campuses. We got to play with children at Seymour Elementary School and spent time at the Neighborhood Church. All of these were amazing opportunities to share the love of Christ with the people of Syracuse and Buffalo, but each experience opened our eyes to the sparsity of the gospel and the brokenness of the people. With the YoungLife students, we saw students that didn’t know the gospel and didn’t see purpose in their life. On the college campuses, we met students that didn’t care if they were going to hell, people who weren’t curious to know whether there was a God or not. At the Neighborhood Church, we saw people hurting for a Savior. But in spite of this, we could see God working.

While we served Syracuse and took part in the reconciliation of the city, God also worked in our hearts. We saw people whose passion and love for Christ was evident in their ministry. We were challenged to spread the gospel in uncomfortable situations and serve the least of these. As we worked together, our love for one another was strengthened. Through the testing of our values and convictions, our faith in God and our passion for Christ’s mission grew.

We experienced a lot this past week, but the greatest experience was being a tool that God could use to reach the people of Syracuse. We look forward to bringing what we learned in Syracuse and applying it here at home on the campus of FGCU. Students in Fort Myers and students in Syracuse are the same: they need to experience the redemptive power of the gospel. Ignite students, we have a mission to serve FGCU from our Holy God. Let’s live it out!

P.S. To our Summit Church Family, whether you are in Ignite or not, you can be a part of the work that is happening on FGCU’s campus. Pray for the students of Ignite. Pray that we have the courage to reach out and the wisdom to know what to say.

-       Abby Bizub and Iggy Fernandez

The Beauty of Surrender

By Jeri-Nichole Kendall

“I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh…”                                                                                                                                                     Ezekiel 36:26b

My first night back in Recovery, I remember hearing this promise whispered over me. There was this stirring in my heart, feelings that had not been there in a while. 

I wish I could put to words all the ways the Lord is re-awakening me to his plan for my life through leading worship on Thursday nights. I have learned, once again, the beauty of surrender. The beauty in turning my will and life over to the care of God as I understand him (Step 3). And isn’t that what true worship is? Laying my life down to give God the glory. The calling is not singular for a worship pastor, and it is not only done through music, but in all that we do (Colossians 3).

In my surrender, I have found even though God’s plans are different than mine, they are so much sweeter.

Living Hope Intl

We love our partnership with Living Hope International in Puebla, Mexico. God is using them to change lives through their orphanage, school, church and training center. A couple of weekends ago, they celebrated the opening of a brand new facility in which to train the next generation of leaders in Mexico, and we have the privilege of being a part of that. Thank you to all of you who sponsor children here and for your faithful giving at Summit that goes to support God-glorifying ministries like Living Hope.

Here’s a great testimony from one of their recent graduates.

Graciela Luna

"Thanks to Living Hope I was able to get licensed with a career in finances. You always motivated me to not take my eyes off Jesus. When I look at what we've achieved, I see the power and grace of God, and He is giving these children an education and a future. I'm at a loss for words on how to thank God for changing my life. I thank all who have given to Living Hope International and prayed for this to happen."

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Learning what it means to serve

During my internship, the Lord has taught me a lot about divine patience and surrender. Going into this season, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to learn from it, and what I believed the Lord was going to show me. I knew that I wanted to grow in my skills musically and to effectively put set lists together. Above all, though, I believed that God was going to show me how to lead people in worship. Oh, how wrong I was! While the Lord has definitely given me a gift of worship and leadership, I was looking at my role in the wrong way. God, in His patience, began to show me a whole new side of worship and He used the Summit worship staff to do this.

"When I surrender those times of worship over to God, and allow Him to do what He wants with it, He is most glorified!

I clearly remember one day at the office, where Andy asked me what I thought my job was in worship. I told him that as a “worship leader” it was my role to lead others into worship. What he told me that day really impacted how I now look at my calling. Andy explained to me that my role was less about leading and more about being a curator. A curator is someone employed at a museum or exhibit that knows the art pieces well and can skillfully place them in the best sequence or arrangement. But you never see the curator! Their job is behind the scenes. When I looked at my role from this perspective, I realized the beauty and humility of serving. By seeking the Lord, knowing His heart, and being teachable in what He is doing in me and my community I am able to curate a space for fellow believers to worship the Lord. It’s not my job to lead them into it, frankly the Lord doesn’t need me to.  When I surrender those times of worship over to God, and allow Him to do what He wants with it, He is most glorified!

- Kaitlin Connor

How a dental visit is changing my heart.

By Joe O'Neal

So, the other day I had to visit the dentist for an 8am appointment. Nothing major, routine stuff. Still, hanging at the dentist’s office isn’t my favorite way to start the day.

I thought about how to use that time, figuring maybe I could listen to a podcast and try to disappear to a happy place, far away from the whirring and whining of dental instruments. But I was pretty sure having headphones in would be frowned upon…

“Some of you are feeling triggered. I’m sorry about that.”

Anyway, I’ll cut to the chase. I had been challenged recently to memorize more scripture in 2018, and not just verses, but whole passages in context; not so much a resolution for the New Year, but a practical discipline to engage in all the time. So, I thought, what better way to get my mind off of my mouth then to focus on memorizing the first few verses of Colossians 3? I opened the Bible App in the waiting room and began reading.

Fast forward and I’m roughly one month and 13 verses into Colossians 3. If that doesn’t sound like much, I agree. It’s a slow process for me. Reading, re-reading. Writing it out. But even though I’m only 13 verses in, it’s already been a rich process and I wanted to share what I’m learning so far in hopes that it would encourage you as well.

1. Memorizing and meditating on scripture remind me of what’s true.

Like a compass that points truth North when everything else spins around, God’s word reminds us of what is true, even when the busyness of life, the noise of the world and the accusations of the enemy seem overwhelming.

There’s a phrase that I keep reflecting on over and over from the very first verse of Colossians 3; “If then you have been raised with Christ..” (Col 3:1) You see, when Christ died, I died. When he rose, I rose. New life is mine, raised with Christ. This is the victory  that is mine in Christ as I learn to “put to death what is earthly in me.” (Col 3:5) What’s true about my identity is that I’m firmly established in Christ, who has accomplished all for me and will now empower me with his own life to become more like him.  Scripture reminds me of what is true.

2. Knowing scripture reveals Christ more fully and increases my intimacy with God.

God’s word keeps me connected to and abiding in Christ. When I see him as the passage describes him, as resurrected King, sitting at the right hand of God above, as the one who has bought me and brought me into relationship with God and who has even now become my very life and guarantees me a future with him; (Col 3:4) when I see him accurately as he is, then I can worship him more deeply and grow in my relationship with him.

3. Committing God’s Word to memory gives language to the Holy Spirit to speak to me in a hundred different situations.

I’m not sure just how many times I’ve had one or more of these verses pop into my head at various times during the day. I can tell you, it’s been a lot. When I need to hear from God, his Spirit speaks his word to me. Words that have helped me resist temptation. Words that have brought me great encouragement when I’ve failed. Words that have reminded me of the glory of Christ and his victory on my behalf. The very words of God, brought to my mind by His Spirit, helping me become more like Christ. 

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If you’ve made it this far, let me leave you with an invitation to join me in memorizing a passage of scripture this month. It can be at the Doctor’s office, the school pick-up line, the airport, and a thousand other places.

Maybe you’ll study Colossians 3:1-17 or maybe you’ll choose a different passage, but whatever it is, as you put God’s word into your head, it will filter down to your heart and be expressed daily through your hands as you put the truth into practice. 

Do you want to grow in your intimacy with God and hear his voice? Do you want your life to look differently? Hide God’s word in your heart. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. He will speak to you through it and draw you to himself.

A Safe Place

We recently honored “Sanctity of Life” week by remembering the plight of the unborn and vulnerable child in our services at Summit. While recognizing the rights of the unborn, we also took time to hear the story of a brave woman who lived through the painful experience of abortion and the following shame, fear, and guilt associated with it. Through the graciousness of Christ and the love of God’s community she was able to face the reality of her pain, to embrace the fullness of forgiveness and healing in Christ, and now God uses her story as a testimony of His glory and hope for those men and women who are post-abortive and wondering if there is still enough grace for them. 

The truth is that this year alone 20% of pregnancies will end in abortion (Perspectives in Reproductive and Sexual Health, 2017) and over 50% of those will happen in homes that would self-identify as some form of Christian faith. (Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014). The reality is that the church has not always been a safe place to confess and seek healing and restoration, and we believe God wants to do a mighty work in this. 

We want to remind everyone that calls Summit Church home that this is a place where we can be honest and open with the pain of our past and present. Whether the guilt of our own choices or the shame of being harmed by another, we want everyone to experience the spiritual and emotional healing that Christ offers through the Gospel. If you or someone you know has experienced the pain of abortion and have lived captive to the self-condemnation and secrecy of shame, we implore you to reach out.

If you are ready to come out of hiding and find the loving embrace of God and his church, please email Help@summitlife.com.

“If you are ready to come out of hiding and find the loving embrace of God and his church, please email Help@summitlife.com”

You are not alone in your struggle, and we long for you to know what many have come to experience as the freedom of a life lived in transparency with Christ and His community.

There is hope. Christ has offered Himself to you and He has created His church to be a community of healing. When you are ready, with love and all sincerity, we encourage you, reach out today. 

Counting...Part 2

By Orlando Cabrera

In my previous post, I referenced how counting helps fuel our gratitude and helps maintain our humility before the Lord. Today I wanted to continue my rambling and offer this encouragement in regards to the importance of counting and its connection to our intimacy with God.  So here is my second exhortation…

#2.  Count on God.

I know what you might be tempted to be thinking at this point…”Really? That’s it?”  That thought is understandable, but let me unpack it a little.  By definition, the word ‘count’ can mean “to rely or depend on someone or something.”  The truth of the matter is that as much as this world and culture celebrate independence, we are dependent people.  There are NO self-made men or women. There are just a bunch of people running around pretending as though they don’t need anyone all the while masking their self-dependence. And like wet paint in a rain storm, it just doesn’t stick.

“The beautiful thing about this journey and adventure called faith is that we can count on God to never lead us astray.”

— Chuck Swindoll

We as believers in Christ have not been called to a life of independency, or co-dependency but to a life of dependency upon the Lord.  That is why Jesus in John 15 stated that we are to “abide in Him, the true vine, because apart from Him we could do nothing.”  Dependency upon the Lord is a sign of spiritual maturity, vitality and growth.  You see the more we grow in our faith, the more dependent upon God we become. Because we are becoming more convinced of our ongoing need for Him, and that neediness fuels our ongoing pursuit and intimacy with Him.

So take what I just said and compare it to these words from King David in Psalm 63:1

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

David is one dependent dude and it’s awesome. He understands his great need and his need fuels his intimacy. Dependence upon the Lord and counting on him is essential to our spiritual growth!

The Bible is absolutely littered with verses that instruct us to “call” upon the Lord, or in other words “count” on Him; because He is near and He is faithful.  The psalmist, Asaph, wrote in Psalm 50:15 regarding God’s heart for His children, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." King David wrote in Psalm 145:18 these words of truth and solace, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

We also see countless testimonies of God’s children throughout Scripture who declared that their calling, their counting on, or depending upon the Father was not in vain…”In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.”  Psalm 18:6

So how is your counting today?  Are you counting on the Lord? Let me encourage you to continue to count on, rely upon and call out to our great God, your Father in Heaven.  He is mighty, loving and faithful and He can and will sustain you.

 “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”  Psalm 50:22

Counting...

By Orlando Cabrera:

Do you remember when you learned how to count?  If you do that’s great, I sure don’t and probably, until recently, I haven’t even considered how great it is to be able to count.  The counting I am referring to is not the arithmetic related counting, but the spiritual importance of daily counting.

The word count has several meanings…to name the numbers in order, to calculate, to rely or depend on someone or something, to have value or significance, consider.  I would venture to say that counting is quite significant to our spiritual walk and intimacy with God.

Over the next couple of posts I thought I would share some thoughts regarding the important of learning to count, and it’s connection to our walk with the Lord.  I pray these ramblings will be of blessing to you, here’s the first…

#1.  Counting helps fuel our gratitude and helps maintain our humility before the Lord.

It's important that we “count” our blessings; not calculate them, but take in to account what God in His great love and grace has actually bestowed upon your life. Counting our blessings and reflecting upon the goodness of God will draw us to a place of humility and thankfulness. Ingratitude is usually connected to our forgetfulness as much as to our hearts.  If you don’t believe me just think back to the people of Israel that Moses lead out of Egypt through the desert.  Moses continually endured their moaning and groaning because they were a people who quickly forgot all that God had done on their behalf.  In fact, some of Moses' last words to them before he died were “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God…”(Deuteronomy 8:11

We need to remember and we need to count well!  Let your “count” start with Jesus, God’s greatest blessing and then work from there.  When we practice a habitual lifestyle of counting our blessings, we will begin to see that Jesus Christ is everything and that there is enough in that One gift alone to count a long list of blessings that will carry into eternity.  Andrew Murray states that “Thanksgiving will draw our hearts out to God and keep us engaged with Him; it will take our attention from ourselves and give the Spirit room in our hearts."  

Consider the words of King David in Psalm 103…

 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” - Psalm 103:1-5

So let me borrow from the words of Johnson Oatman and his old old hymn…           

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,

What blessings do you need to count today?  May it fuel your gratitude for our great God.