RELATIONSHIP matter. TRUTH matters. WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE matters. YOU SUMMITmatter. twentyCelebratingyears of WorshipingServingTeachingConnectingReaching20222002 Issue 32 / 2022
Greetings Summit Family,
LETTERFROMJOHN
BRANDY&JOHN
My answer is "yes." My prayer is that yours will be the same.
This year we are celebrating 20 years since our opening in 2002. I have had the privi lege of serving on our staff in one capac ity or another since the very beginning. Measured in Summit years, I am the old est person on staff and proudly embrace the white in my beard as a symbol of my great agedness. It would be impossible in one letter, or in one magazine, to measure the impact in changed lives over the last 20 years. God, in his goodness, and for his glory, has used this church to change thousands of lives in cluding my own. As we celebrate 20 years, my hope is that the celebration will remind us that God has been at work, that he is still at work today, and that he will contin ue to work in and through our lives in the days ahead. As I reflect on the last 20 years of my life in ministry at Summit, there are three themat ic lessons that I have learned about how God works to accomplish his purposes for the church. 1) God can work through any one. 2) God will be at work in any circum stance. 3) God will continue to work until his purposes are accomplished. God can work through anyone. Thank God this is true! You and I are invited to be used by God despite our faults, our failures, and our insecurities. For 20 years, God has been using people like you and me to bring hope and healing to a hurting and broken world. God doesn’t need us, but he chooses to use us if we will let him. When I said “yes” to God’s call on my life as a child and “yes” to the specific call to join my best friends in starting a church, I had no idea what I was getting into or how God would use me. As a person of pretty normal capacity, it was reasonable to say to him, “Ok, I will do it, but are you sure you can’t do better than me?” The reality is, I am sure he can do bet ter than me, but the beauty of the gospel is that God not only rescues us, but he invites us to be useful in his redemptive plan for the world. For 20 years Summit has been a community of imperfect people who again and again have said “yes” to what God has asked of us. I am honored to be a part of the ragtag redeemed that God calls his bride and promised he will use to bust down the gates of hell. God will be at work in any circumstance. Maybe the deepest lesson, and the hardest to learn, is that God works his purposes in any and all circumstances. Reflecting on the seasons of plenty and the seasons of pain for our church, it is not hard to see that the throughline in our ups and downs, has been a good and powerful God steadily working all things together for our good and his glo ry. After sitting in the front row of the roller coaster ride that is Summit Church, I am no longer tempted to measure the opportunity we have as a church based on the comfort of our circumstances. Some of the best work God has done has been when our stom achs have been in our throats and we have wondered what is around the next bend. Our circumstances change, but our God never changes. God will continue to work until his purpos es are accomplished. Each of us live our lives in the reality of our limits—limits to our abilities and, above all, limits to our time. On this side of eternity, our lives and our work operate within those limits. It is not so with our God. He does not operate with the frailty of limited capacity or finite measure of time each of us is afforded. He is beyond those constraints and because of Photographed by LJ Judy
John Parker | Senior Pastor
1 that, we can have great confidence that God will continue to be at work until the very end. There is a lot of buzz about the accel erated culture change that informs the con text in which we serve as a church. We have questions, valid questions, about how we can best serve the timeless vision God has for our church in each new season. Howev er, what we need not question is whether or not God will be at work in every new sea son. For 2000 years God has been at work building his Church. For 20 years, he has been at work building this church. As I look to the next 20 years, I have no doubt he will continue to work. The only real question we must reckon with is, “Are we willing to take part?”
CONTENTS 20 YEARS OF … 07 19 171410 302622 REACHING LOST PEOPLE Showing Up and Stepping In Come, be Welcome 20 Years of YES Lives Transformed Core ReachingBusiness:Lost People Disciples of Every Age Connection Transforming Lives Together: Connecting in Christ-Centered Relationships Summit Church has been formed by twenty years of God’s people saying "yes" to him Tonya shares the impact a community can have when they choose to simply welcome CONNECTING CHRIST-CENTEREDIN COMMUNITY 22 07 10
3 32 41 52 34 5047 56 37 44 6039 64 Teaching Truth…In a Chef’s Hat and Overalls A (Singular) Living Sacrifice The People of God: Serving Others Who They’re Becoming and Who They are NowThe Teaching Team Serve Globally: Making the Most of Our Place in History A Legacy of Worship Teach Ourselves Truth: Together The People of God: Serving Others The Opportunity to Worship Look back on twenty years of an evolving global service strategy Student leadership roles in worship have been growing over the years Hold Fast You are a Worship Leader Kailey Newkirk describes the impact of being people of truth in a post-truth world TEACHING TRUTH SERVING OTHERS WORSHIPING GOD 32 34 6241 52 47
Our vision is to form biblically functioning communities that reach lost people, connect in Christ-centered relationships, teach truth, serve others, and worship God.
Our vision is to lically andserveteachrelationships,Christ-centeredple,reachmunitiestioningfunc-com-thatlostpeo-connectintruth,others,worship
WHO WE ARE Summit Church is one church in multiple locations, living out our vision so that people can know they mat ter to God. Whether you find yourself unsure about who Jesus is and why that matters, ready to jump right into community life, or somewhere in between, you are welcome here. LOCATIONS Summit Orlando 735 Herndon Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803 Service Times: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. Summit Lake Mary 100 Technology Park, Suite 110, Lake Mary, FL 32746 Service Times: Sundays, 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. Riverside Neighborhood Church 3009 - 3099 Drake Dr Lockhart, FL 32810 Service Times: Sundays, 10:30 a.m. CONNECT WITH US Find us on the web: summitconnect.org Summit @summitchurchChurch CONTACT US Office Hours (Orlando Location): Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone: (407) 897-8130 Email: summit@summitconnect.orgYouTube: youtube.com/summitchurchfl Blog: summitconnect.org/blog]
form bib-
Editorial Director Kari Freeman Lead Designer Jason Ellison Associate Editor Julia Kaplan Associate Designer Hannah Ault
For a full staff list, please visit summitconnect.org/ leadership-and-staff.
Organizational Development Pastor Jeff Kern // jkern@summitconnect.org
Lake Mary Student Minister Chad Buel // cbuel@summitconnect.org
MAGAZINESTAFFSTAFF
Contributing Artists and Designers: Scott Cook, Dan Crosby, Doug Fudge, LJ Judy, Jeremy Kennedy, Lauren Lanker, Krisy-Lee Lawley, Greg Perkins, Shawn Roma no, Marissa Voytenko
Lake Mary Pastor O.J. Aldrich // ojaldrich@summitconnect.org
Orlando Executive Director Tracy Beeson // tbeeson@summitconnect.org
Riverside Minister Doug Foley // dfoley@summitconnect.org
Technical Director Joel LeGros // jlegros@summitconnect.org
Teaching Minister Kailey Newkirk // knewkirk@summitconnect.org
Worship Pastor Andy Simonds // asimonds@summitconnect.org
Communications Manager Kari Freeman // kfreeman@summitconnect.org
Orlando Pastor Garry Abbott // gabbott@summitconnect.org
LEADERSHIP TEAM Our senior staff members are responsible for leading the church and its ministries according to Scripture.
DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP These folks oversee the departments and staff at Summit, helping to make sure everyone who comes through our doors feels welcomed, informed, and equipped to step into community here.
Contributing Photographers: Fabio Galizia, Eli Justice Miranda, Amanda Burr, LJ Judy, Michael Margio
Lead Pastor John Parker // jparker@summitconnect.org
5 CHURCH
Contributing Editors: Chad Buel, Chelsea Fretwell, Keely Hardaway, Katie Holland, Dacia Kanaan, MaryEl len Oliver, Ashley Simonds, Katie Sweeney, Contributing Writers: Garry Abbott, O.J. Aldrich, Chad Buel, David Burleson, Laura Cook, Elizabeth Cronlund, Theresa Eber, Kari Freeman, Keely Hardaway, Katie Holland, Laura Hunt, Julia Kaplan, Jimmy Kaufholz, Kailey Newkirk, John Parker, Brooke Shoopman, Andy Simonds, Melissa Stillman
Orlando Connection and Mobilization Director Dan Sherfield // dsherfield@summitconnect.org
Orlando Children’s Ministry Director Doris Herrero // dherrero@summitconnect.org
Orlando Student Minister Johnny Outing // johnnyouting@summitconnect.org
Designed By Shawn Romano
THROUGH
AS
Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception of guests or visitors. Often thought of as entertainment around a table in someone’s home, hospitality at Sum mit begins as soon as you arrive. We strive to receive our guests and visitors as an expression of Christ through kindness and helpfulness. By making some one a cup of coffee, or walking them to the First Time Families desk, or even introducing them to a pastor who is there to listen, we show hospitality. These small things could make a huge impact on their expe rience. We hope to be a safe place to land for anyone who is seeking God, friendship, and community. Our hospitality volunteers at Summit are the hands and feet of Christ. We stand in the gap for someone who is new or someone who may be returning for the first time in a while. Our team is intentional about eliminating distractions that may interfere with a person’s experience. We try our best to anticipate the needs of those around us and we hope our efforts al low space for them to be able to take their next right step toward God.
As we walk with our guests and visitors through their first moments at Summit, I pray that they will always feel God’s love through a smile, a remembered name, or an encouraging word. The next right step may seem small, but all the small steps added together make a huge impact on the kingdom of God. Thank you, Hos pitality Team, for showing up, for stepping into the hard work, and for continuing to serve in a world that feels undeserving. WE WALK WITH OUR GUESTS AND VISITORS THEIR FIRST MOMENTS AT SUMMIT, I PRAY THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS FEEL GOD’S LOVE THROUGH A SMILE, A REMEMBERED NAME, OR AN ENCOURAGING WORD.
Photographed by LJ Judy & Amanda Burr
Theresa Eber
Ambia | Summit Orlando Being a barista gives me the opportunity to meet and greet new people as well as catch up with everybody (plus I like coffee). Almost every week I have an opportuni ty to listen to several people and pray for them, even some who don’t drink coffee or tea. It’s allowed me to get to know my brothers and sisters and with as many young children are there every week, it enables me to be a surrogate grandfather sometimes. I have eight of my own, but only two are local, so the relationships at Summit Lake Mary are really special to me. Ours is a warm and welcoming congre gation and I think that is paramount to serve new people.
Doug | Summit Lake Mary A face lights up with a smile after someone on the Hospitality Team personally connects with them as they walk into our building (many times weighted down with anxiety or concern). The Hospitality Team has grown over the years into a caring, connected, cohesive family. We are welcoming to all folks who come onto our campus! As a hospitality member, I’m invested in supporting and encouraging anyone in search of their next steps. I get so excited to get individuals connected face-to-face with a staff member who will lead them to direct and helpful steps!
Gary | Summit Lake Mary As a partner at Summit, I think it is important to serve my church and the people entering it by helping it to be a welcoming place for others. Having been to church es without a Hospitality Team, I have felt that church can be isolating at times. I want to help ensure no one feels alone and uncared for when they enter Summit. A smile and hello goes a long way! It is so nice to see familiar faces and for them to have familiar faces too. To me [this ministry] means no one comes into Summit and feels overlooked. Everyone is acknowledged, welcomed, and knows people care that they showed up.
Yvonne | Summit Orlando
I originally volunteered to help with the transition to the Lake Mary Summit site and found that I really enjoy greeting our Summit families on Sunday morning. [This ministry] has strengthened my faith and made me a more active follower of Christ. Summit encourages and supports us all in taking God’s love beyond just the physical church.
I enjoy being one of the first people at church on Sunday morning. It is great brew ing coffee knowing that it is the first thing a lot of people do when they walk into the building. Summit is a welcoming place where our hospitality shines. I know it is a big thing for some people to step into a church building. It is good to know that they will be greeted with a smile and a hot cup of coffee. Being part of the Hospi tality Team helps me stay connected to the church. It is also important to me that my kids learn how to be servant leaders in life. Having them help me with coffee from time to time gives them a chance to experience this firsthand.
Dave | Summit Lake Mary
From TeamHospitalitythe
We asked hospitality volunteers from all over Summit to share why they serve and how they pray that service matters.
I recall the very first time my family and I vis ited Summit. We were greeted in the lobby by an incredibly kind and friendly woman named Julia. She immediately bent down and asked our daughters their names and proceeded to say, “It is so nice to meet you girls. I am so glad you all are here!” She then walked us over to the First Time Families Desk where she introduced us all by name to the Children’s Ministry Director, Do ris. The personal handoff from one ministry of the church to the other was seamless. Our next step that day was making sure our children were in a safe environment where we could trust they would be well cared for and loved. Julia made sure we had what we needed and once again expressed her excitement that we were here at Summit. That interaction had a major impact on my family and I. We all felt incredibly seen, wel comed, and taken care of. She even remembered our names the following week. We were blown away and knew right then that this was our new church home. I started volunteering on the Hos pitality Team because I wanted to be a part of THAT INTERACTION HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON MY FAMILY AND I. WE ALL FELT INCREDIBLY SEEN, WELCOMED, AND TAKEN CARE OF. “
StoryFamilyEberThe
202002YEARS
The first official Summit service was held in September 2002 at the Aloma Cinema Grill with over 300 people in attendance. By the end of that first year around 90 committed folks had said YES to launching a new church in the Aloma Cinema Grill and the Summit family has been growing in breadth and depth ever since.
OF Yes 2003
FIRST SUMMIT BAPTISM CELEBRATION
SEPTEMBER
Partnership has always been just that, a partner ship. In 2003, a handful of people said YES to be ing all-in at Summit and becoming our very first Summit Partners. Over these past 20 years, Sum mit has continued to grow through more than 75 Partnership Classes.
FIRST PARTNERSHIP CLASS AT SUMMIT SPRING
OCTOBER At Summit’s first Baptism, in a backyard lake in Chu luota, 10 people said YES to making a public decla ration of their decision to follow Jesus. No matter how many years go by, whether we celebrate at the beach, in a pond ,or in a parking lot, every one of the following 2,366 YESes said to baptism at Sum mit has been and will continue to be a beautiful reminder of God’s promise to make all things new. The very first part of Summit’s vision is to reach lost people. The call, the challenge, the mandate to reach those who don’t yet know God and tell them of all he’s done and wants to do in each of our lives is and has been an ever-present part of Summit Church. But saying we want to reach lost people doesn’t accomplish this. Nor even does putting the phrase in the Church’s vision statement. What actually reaches lost people is followers of Jesus saying YES to telling their friends their stories. YES to explaining their experience following Jesus to their neighbors. YES to serving and demonstrat ing God’s love in their communities. And over the past 20 years, we’ve been privileged to bear witness to story after story of where those YESes have led. Twenty years of YESes has led to 20 years of reaching lost people with the good news of the gospel.
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF SUMMIT CHURCH AT ALOMA CINEMA GRILL
FIRST SUMMIT CLUBHOUSE MEETING FEBRUARY In an apartment complex clubhouse, Summit Church gathered for the first meetings of prayer, worship, and community. A total of 34 people said YES that day to investing in the vision of reaching lost people, teaching truth, connecting in Christ-centered relationships, serving others, and worshiping God.
FEBRUARY In 2006 our first clubhouse crew said YES to launching Base Camp Live! Part of our children’s ministry, Base Camp Live (or BCL) is a high-energy live show and time of family connection designed to help families grow together.
In 2004, the Summit community said YES to being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community through the first niceSERVE service event. From the start, niceSERVE has in vited us to step out of our regular routines and step into opportunities that reveal what God is doing in and around our city time and time again. That first YES has since grown into more than 116,500 hours served in our community!
2004SUMMITMOVESINTOWINTER
SUMMIT’S FIRST GLOBAL TRIPS MAY Over the past 20 years, Summit has aimed to serve the vulnerable not only locally but globally as well. In 2006, our first global teams said YES to traveling to South Africa and Costa Rica to begin the ongoing process of learning how we can make the most of our place in history in this world.
In 2004, a small group of Summit staff and students said YES to starting Summit Student Ministries. They were aim ing to help students figure out who God created them to be, build strong relationships, and be a part of what God is doing in our world. What started as one small group of students has now grown to include over 110 students at three different expressions of Summit.
On January 18th, 2004, Summit moved to Winter Park High School. Moving into Winter Park High School meant say ing YES to setting up an entire church in a school audito rium or cafeteria every week, but it also marked a YES to making enough space to invite our neighbors in to learn about Christ in community.
SUMMIT’S FIRST CONNECT GROUPS FEBRUARY In 2006, Summit launched our very first Connect groups and with them, said YES to our next steps in connecting in Christ-centered community. Over the years, we have seen God’s faithfulness in many expressions of Summit Connect, from neighbors meeting in living rooms and coffee shops to couples navigating the joys and challenges of marriage together, to folks diving into the Bible and who Jesus is for the very first time.
SUMMIT STUDENT MINISTRIES IS LAUNCHED
2006 2005
SUMMIT’S FIRST NICESERVE OCTOBER
BASE CAMP LIVE LAUNCHED
PARK HIGH SCHOOL JANUARY
In August 2005, Summit began the move into our first permanent building, now known as Summit Orlando. This move was the culmination of every YES before it. Each and every person who said yes to living out the vision of our church, yes to making room for more Christ-centered communities, and yes to trusting God with our resources—these early Summit com munities raised $1,000,000 in just four months to secure the loan needed for the building. And we can’t forget the many yeses to so many weekends full of hard work renovating an old AMC Movie The ater into a functioning church building!
SUMMIT MOVES INTO THE SUMMIT ORLANDO BUILDING AUGUST
JANUARY In the beginning of 2012, that first YES to starting multi-site expressions of Summit paved the way for a new expression to launch inside the men’s wing of the Orange County Jail. A team of dedicated volunteers said YES to facilitating weekly worship services as well as our recovery ministry, reGROUP, for a growing congregation inside the jail. In November of 2014, doors were opened for Summit to again say YES to ministry in the women’s side of the Orange County Jail as well.
33RD STREET JAIL CAMPUS LAUNCHED
THE SUMMIT WATERFORD CAMPUS LAUNCHED
In April of 2012, 135 adults and 50 children decided to “Go North” and launched Summit’s newest expression—Summit Lake Mary. For five months they worshiped together in Orlando until August of that year when they moved to their interim location at Lake Mary High School. The launch of Summit Lake Mary in 2012 was a celebration of God's faithfulness and all the folks who said YES along the way: YES to going local, YES to bringing the Church into the neighborhoods where we live, YES to hours spent set ting up and tearing down temporary spaces, YES to investing our resources, and YES being part of something new.
2008 2012 2010
JANUARY January 2010 marked the first multi-site expres sion of Summit. Twelve years ago, 162 people said YES to going local, launching Summit’s second campus in a Waterford Lakes Elementary School. This first new expression of Summit paved the way for the YES that led to Summit Lake Mary, the 33rd Street Jail Campus, Riverside Neighborhood Church, and every growing expression of Summit.
REGROUP BEGINS SEPTEMBER In the Fall of 2008, a small team said YES to launching a focused and intentional community that placed a high value on integrity and honesty in the personal pursuit of holiness in all areas of life. A group of around 15 said YES to boldly walk into the important restoration work of reGROUP, Summit’s new recovery ministry, where they en deavored to bring hidden sin into the light to be transformed by God for the sake of others
SUMMIT LAKE MARY LAUNCHED APRIL
In 2019, Summit said YES to a commitment to serve the most vulner able specifically by supporting the systems, structures, and relation ships that serve vulnerable children in our city. This commitment led to the ongoing support of four local schools and a new partner orga nization in Comission127. As we learned strategies to support those involved in the Foster Care System, 591 volunteers have now said YES to serving in Care Communities with Commission127 supporting fos ter and adoptive families.
The year 2020 reminded us all of the importance of connection and community. Out of a new need for connection and worship during a pandemic, Summit congregants said YES to creating community in new ways starting with online services. This YES expanded into virtual Con nect groups, gatherings in living rooms and parks, and house churches that are still meeting and living out the vision together to this day.
The Prodigal Musical was a tale of God’s never-end ing, amazing forgiveness based on one of Jesus’ most well-known parables. In 2015, the 33-member cast and crew said YES to taking the show to a 13day “anything goes” arts festival, the Orlando Fringe Festival, and shared the redemptive story with the greater Orlando community.
THE BCL TEAM GOES TO THE ORLANDO FRINGE FESTIVAL MAY
RIVERSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH BEGAN AS A HOUSE CHURCH
2015 20192013 2020
COMMITMENT TO SERVE VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN OUR CITY
FIRST FAMILY CAMP APRIL
Riverside Neighborhood Church began as a house church and Bible study in 2019 when Doug and Naomi Foley said YES to inviting friends and neighbors into Christ-centered community. What started as two families discussing questions about God and the Bible in the Foley’s living room has unfolded into around 100 people gathering for wor ship and teaching on Sunday mornings in a neighborhood park as a new expression of Summit Church.
ONLINE SERVICES AND HOUSE CHURCHES BEGAN MARCH
In April of 2013, 31 families said YES to prioritizing growing closer to God together as a family and jour neyed to Young Life’s Southwind Camp for a week end together at Family Camp.
It started when he was a teenager. One morning he was sitting in church, listening to a missionary who was visiting from New Guinea. The stories lit up something inside of him. At that point, Doug says he knew he wanted to be a missionary somewhere.
“Someone said to me at one point, ‘You don’t have to be a missionary overseas. The gospel can be preached anywhere. As long as you see yourself as someone who brings the good news, you are a mis sionary. You are an evangelist." Doug remembers. “So that’s what I wanted to do.” That desire to share about Jesus never left Doug’s mind. After he married his high school sweetheart, Naomi, he went to school to study evangelism where he really learned how to share his faith. He planned to continue his education as they welcomed their first baby—a girl named Hannah. But the Foleys were suddenly introduced to a world they knew nothing
The hole-in-the-wall restaurant that we discovered and must take our friends to, the best book we’ve ever read that you just ‘won’t be able to put down’, maybe even an other person who you absolutely must meet," Doug laughs giving his examples. “You’re telling other people about it and you feel really good about it,” he says. “You don’t feel like you’re leading them to something they’ll hate, but toward something you love … It’s exciting to experience someone finding out about something that you know is awesome.” For Doug, that something is Jesus.
“Here’s the funny thing about evangelism,” Doug Foley says. “All of us are evangelists, all the time, for all kinds of things.”
It meant meeting people where they were. It meant bringing the good news.
For years, the Foley Family answered Summit’s call to help bring the church to another community and to help make the campus happen, but the one thing that was difficult for them to do was in vite their own neighbors to church with them. Their community—a place called Lockhart that’s situated between Mait land and Apopka—was 25 minutes away from Summit Lake Mary. Too far for many of their neighbors to venture. Doug says he and Naomi started thinking, “we would love to do this again somewhere closer to us.” They would get their wish, but in a way they never imagined.
Laura Cook about: Hannah was born deaf. Doug and Naomi realized quickly that their daughter needed all of their focus right then. So, instead of returning to school, Doug decided to start a lawn care business to provide for his family.
The sudden change in direction didn’t impact his evangelist mindset. “I thought, I’m not going to stop [sharing]. I’m going to find ways to do it, to share with my neighbors, my co-workers, my friends,” Doug says. “I think God empowers people with evangelism and I think he empowered me. Wher ever I go, that’s kind of in the back of my mind. I’m always looking for a way to share.”
Doug was excited and felt right at home in the role of launching something new for the sake of others and for the sake of the gospel. “I just thought I’m here to do whatever work needs to be done. We jumped right in.”
In 2011—six years and three more daughters lat er—the Foley Family was in search of a new church and decided to give Summit a try. Doug’s first take away? The part in Summit’s vision statement that says ‘reach lost people.’ “I liked that this church was [saying] we are about the business of reaching lost people (people who don’t know about Jesus’ grace and redemption) to the point that we are putting it into our vision statement,” Doug says. “That was intriguing to me because I was like, that’s what I want to do, I want to see lost people come to know the Lord.” They never visited another church— Summit became their home. And a year later, Summit announced they were launching a campus in Lake Mary and asked if anyone wanted to be part of the launch team. The Foleys were one of the first families to raise their hands be cause it meant taking the gospel to an other place where people may need it.
Doug is continuing to share the good news just as he’s always done. “Working in these two environments together, I feel like I’m constantly seeing people take steps, make decisions, being born again,” Doug says. “When you see lives transformed, it’s invigorating.”
When the COVID lockdowns began, Summit staff and volunteers were no longer able to go into the 33rd Street Jail due to the Jail’s COVID-related restrictions. So, Doug, still loving his work inside the jail, applied to be a chaplain volunteer, who were still al lowed in during the pandemic. This enabled him to continue building relationships and sharing his faith with the men of 33rd Street and eventually led to him joining the Prison Ministry staff at 33rd Street Jail parttime as a chaplain.
Soon after, Antonio Gago and his family moved in across the street from the Foleys. “Right away, I just liked him,” Doug says. Through a few conversations, Doug learned that Antonio had grown up as a Christian, but had so many questions about the Bible that no one could answer for him that he had just kind of let his faith go. Doug gave him a proposition: bring your family over on Friday night for dinner and we’ll write down all your questions and then, whatever it took, they’d get answers. Antonio agreed and that one Friday night turned into ev ery Friday night. “I would just say, well let’s look it up [in the Bible],” Doug says. “I’d loan him books and find sections in articles and he would read them and come back with more questions. I just used the training that I had to keep studying with him and he was loving it.” Before long, Antonio invited a few of his friends who also had doubts and questions about Christianity. The group began to grow.
So the Foleys started doing what they had been wanting to do for a long time: they invited all their neighbors. “We had lived in our house for 15-16 years so we just had tons of neighborhood friends and con nections,” Doug says. And, quickly, a house church began to take shape every Friday night in the Foley’s home. The format was the same: come with questions, ready to discuss, but this time there was a specific chapter of the Bible to read and talk about and they began adding in some songs of so they split the kids and adults between the Gago’s and the Foleys’ homes. And with that growth and Summit’s support and backing, Riverside Neighborhood Church (named after Doug’s neighborhood) was of ficially born. The church had begun to out grow the two houses they had been meet ing in around the time COVID hit, so and so they started meeting outdoors in their neighborhood park, where they still meet today. People come to walk their dogs or visit the park and end up sitting down to listen to the conversation happening about God and faith. These days, Doug is on Summit’s staff parttime, but now as the Riverside Minister.
When Doug told Summit Pastor, John Park er about this Bible Study that was growing, John was really supportive and encouraged him to learn about house churches.
Working in these two environments together, I feel like I’m constantly seeing people take steps, make decisions, being born again. -Doug
MirandaJusticeElibyPhotographed
The question is, how do we go about that work? How do we reach a world that is run ning away from God? When cynicism and ap athy about the church are prevalent, how do we break through?
MIT20THEPRAYERISTHATNEXTYEARSOFSUM-WILLBEMARKEDASTHEFIRST20WERE
Remember - It would behoove us to remem ber that just as Jesus came for the lost, bro ken, and hurting, he established the Church for the lost, broken, and hurting. We cannot be the Church Jesus established if we slow down, turn inward, or shy away from the challenge. Our culture is changing, yes; the human condition is not. We still need grace. Lost is still lost, and being found still chang es everything. We have work to do and this city of ours offers one of the top ten oppor tunities in the country to do that work.
Care - If we have let our passion for the lost fade to embers, then we fan flames and ask God to renew our hearts. If I don’t care, it may be that I have gotten so used to being found, that I have forgotten what it felt like to be lost. Maybe I need to ask God, as the psalmist did, to “restore unto me the joy of my salva tion.” (Psalm 51:12)
Recognize - In a context where the relevance of the church is waning, we must recognize that the relevance of the gospel never wanes. It is not our job to make the church relevant. Our job is to recognize the relevance and power of the gospel for those who are lost and against which hell itself cannot stand. Nothing is more relevant to our world than the saving work of Jesus Christ. If we center ourselves on that reality, then nothing could make us irrelevant to a world in need.
Reaching Lost People
CORE BUSINESS
John Parker First and foremost in Summit’s vision is the call, the challenge, the mandate that we be about the business of reaching lost people. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” - Jesus (Luke 19:10) Jesus further emphasized his heart for the lost in the commission—the call to action— he gave to his disciples just before he as cended into heaven. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All au thority in heaven and on earth has been giv en to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mat thew 28:18-20) The bottom line is that at the center of Jesus’ mission was the work of rescuing a world full of lost, broken, and yes, sinful people. As the Church, the people called and commissioned to continue his work, we embody Jesus’ heart for the lost. It is core business for us. In Summit’s earliest days, before we had even officially launched, we had a tangible reminder of this value. There was a young couple in our original group who were ex cited about the church but not yet followers of Jesus. They were in the very beginnings of being "found" and their involvement in the very beginnings of this church kept the core business of Jesus’ mission quite literally in front of us. Looking back, I can see that it is easy in the beginnings of a church to be fervent and intentional in reaching people who are far from God. We didn’t start Summit to meet our needs but to meet the world at its point of need. We started it to invite others to ex perience, as we have, the death-to-life prom ise of the gospel—the good news that Jesus came to share and which was made possible by his death and resurrection. 20 years into the life of Summit, I can see that if we do not intentionally fan the flames of our vision to reach people to a white hot intensity, then we could see that passion fade to embers over time. When I look at my life, I see how easy it is to go into my world and see those around me as drivers, clerks, servers, teachers, neighbors, etc. and miss the fact that everyone I encounter, every day, in every circumstance, is a person created by God, loved deeply by him, and for whom his heart yearns to see salvation made real. Any realistic understanding of the world I walk in every day tells me the vast majority of God’s beloved image-bearers I encounter don’t yet know the eternal hope available to them through the work of Jesus Christ. I move through my life with a hope that rec ognizes that my salvation, worthiness, and value are not mine to prove or conjure. Each has been gifted to me. I am found and nev er have to worry about being lost again. And yet, unless I fan the flames within my own heart until they burn with the same passion as God’s heart for the lost, I miss seeing that need for hope—that need to be found—in those I encounter. We live in a time of accelerated culture change, a season of rapid cultural distancing from the heart of the gospel and the trans forming value of a life surrendered to Jesus. And thus, we actually live in a time and place of tremendous opportunity! Did you know that the greater Orlando area ranks in the top 10 of unchurched cities in the US? While church-going is not a mea sure of one’s salvation (salvation is a gift of God, not earned by good behaviors), it is the practice of followers of Jesus to gather in community and give visible and invitational expression to the church. So, it is not a leap to conclude that if we are in one of the 10 most unchurched cities in the US, then we are surrounded in nearly every environment of our lives, with a lifetime’s worth of oppor tunity to reach the lost.
While I am sure there are brighter minds and better communicators who could enliv en the answers to those questions, I would offer three simple thoughts.
MY
My prayer is that the next 20 years of Sum mit will be marked as the first 20 were, with story after story (into the thousands) of lives that have been transformed from death to life by the power of God at work in and through his Church.
Designed By Jeremy Kennedy
19
As a part of the launch process, single moms from the group were paired with other members of the church to form mento ring relationships. Tonya became fast friends with her mentors and found a sense of home and community in this group as they gathered at a large round table upstairs at Summit Orlan do. Tonya recalled their gatherings, “Sitting around that table with all those single moms, I felt like we were the knights of the round table. And we were in this special, little kingdom where we found truth and something to fight for which ended up being ourselves.” After a time, she and her son made summit their church home. For Tonya, this group wasn’t just about forming a community with other single moms. It was also about having mentors who weren’t worried about her past. Instead of the judgment and rejection, she’d previously experienced, she was met by people who just wanted a relationship with her. At this round table, Tonya wasn’t considered less than, she was invited, welcomed, wanted, and valued. She shared, “It felt like we mattered. It felt like something we had allowed to define and ostracize us from the church body, Summit took and said, ‘we’re not going to let you do that to yourselves, we want you to know you’re a valu able part of the body of Christ.’ The lies we all believed were dispelled by Summit pouring into us.” Katie Holland
In 2007, Tonya came to Summit by way of an invitation to join a Connect group that was forming specifically for single moms. She was in the midst of a complicated season. After a divorce, she found herself a single mom of a beautiful boy who was born as the result of an affair. Maribel, one of the leaders of the group, was persistently reaching out and inviting her to join this Connect group, but there was just one problem—Ton ya didn’t have childcare. It turned out that she wasn’t the only mom in this position, so Summit arranged to pay for childcare. With that obstacle out of the way, the group was launched!
It’s a simple question for many of us because we’ve followed a similar path. We start attending, then get involved in a Connect group, and maybe even start to volunteer. But what is a simple question to some, maybe a long and deep story for others.
HOW DID YOU END UP SUMMIT?”AT “ Connect Groups
20 Not long after Tonya started attending the group, one of the group leaders pulled her aside and asked how she would feel about helping lead the group. She was ini tially confused—they knew about her past, so why would they think she would be right to lead this group? Yet again, rather than rejection and judgment, she was met with immense grace. The leaders told her that her past could actually make her a great leader! Tonya shared that the biggest thing she had to get over was herself, “I had all these hangups about myself that Summit didn’t have regarding me. They saw my giftings and literally called them out in me when I couldn’t see them.” Though they may not have used the word “discipleship” to describe what was happening in their group, that is ex actly what was taking place. People were being discipled and then turning around to disciple others. While disci pling others by leading the single moms' group, Tonya encountered a lot of hard stories among her group mem bers. When she wasn’t sure what to do she approached Jack West, Summit’s reGROUP Director at the time, to ask for advice. He encouraged her to check out reGROUP, Summit’s recovery ministry, to see if it was something she would suggest for the women in her group. Tonya smiles as she jokes that Jack tricked her into going to reGROUP. “He fully knew I needed to go because we’d met a couple of times before. He knew I had to go for someone else before I’d be able to go for myself,” she recalled. So Tonya arrived on the doorstep of reGROUP thinking she was going just for the women in her group, but after sitting through one meeting she knew she needed to go for Eachherself.week, she’d make the long drive from her home in Altamonte Springs to Summit Orlando with her son in the car, then sit in the parking lot and consider driving back home. “Because reGROUP is hard,” she said, “It’s real ly hard, but my son was sitting in the back. I didn’t want to be driven by fear. I wanted him to see there was a way Weekforward.”afterweek, Tonya walked through the doors and was eventually joined by over half of the women from the single moms' group. Together, they did the hard work of admitting their powerlessness, forgiving themselves, returning to their stories, and fighting for hope and heal ing. “That’s what discipleship is,” she explained, “pointing to truth, dispelling the lies, sitting with each other in pain. You look at what Jesus did during his time of ministry—he was surrounded by people in pain and they flocked to him to be healed. Healing happens at reGROUP.” Healing happens in discipleship.
Community like that—where we welcome people in, point each other to truth, dispel the lies, and sit with each other in pain—is where God created us to do life. That’s what Summit Connect and reGROUP are—places where community-driven discipleship is found
It wasn’t long after finishing reGROUP as a participant that Tonya was invited to become a leader. During a lead er training, Tonya met John. After serving together for a few years they started dating and eventually married in 2017. John attended Summit Waterford and Tonya joined him there. Once again, Tonya found herself in a new sea son of life, motherhood, community, and ministry. She and John started a Summit Connect group specifically for reGROUP graduates where they could continue growing and healing and sharing at a level only comfortable be tween those who had done the hard work of reGROUP together. That group is still going today, and Tonya is still serving in reGROUP, continuing to give back by discipling others in the same way she was first discipled.
Normally, Tonya wouldn’t have jumped straight into attending a Connect group, much less leading one so quickly at a church. The difference at Summit, she said, was grace. “After having an affair and a child from that af fair and getting divorced, the church I grew up in and my immediate family scorned me. I was a pariah, and I hadn’t found a place that was saying “Tonya! Come!”
Anyone who knows Tonya knows she is always the one welcoming others in, but there was a long season when she didn’t think she’d ever receive that from a church again. So, when she came to Summit, there was a group saying “Tonya! Come!” it was beyond life-changing. They not only knew her story and welcomed her in to receive but also encouraged her to lead others with the wisdom her story had developed in her. After so many seasons of ministry, Tonya sums up her ex perience like this, “I was met with such grace. That was my whole experience with Summit. I wasn’t looking to do any of those things [leadership roles], but there were people quite literally calling out Jesus inside of me from the moment I walked through the doors. They were see ing the truth about me when I couldn’t see through the lies to see the truth about myself.”
“I was met with grace."such
"Healing happens at reGROUP. Healing happens in discipleship.”
Every week in Base Camp, kids and volunteers gather to connect with God and one another. It’s everything you’d expect to find in a high-energy children’s ministry environment. But what you see on a Sunday morning is just a snapshot of something much deep er and richer taking shape over time. Within Base Camp, a fabric of Christ-centered relationships is being woven each week across generational divides. Communities of volunteers, growing deeper in their own faith, walk alongside families through the ups and downs of life, serving kids who will move on to Surge and Edge and return to lead small groups of their own, guiding the ones who come after them.
Similarly, when Nancy’s youngest son started middle school, she noticed a lack of volunteers, and so–with her son’s permission—she stepped in to help, leading a middle school girls’ small group. Nancy says, “It felt like a natural continuation to keep teaching these kids who had grown up in Base Camp, but they also started volunteering with me in the church. And I think this is how it was meant to be. Base Camp and Surge and Edge are not isolated, it’s one long commitment to see Keely MichaelAmandaPhotographedHardawaybyBurr&Margio
Fueled by a passion to be part of the church planting process, Sheila made the transition to the Lake Mary campus six years ago and began serving in the nursery. She shares, “I know the babies won’t remember me… But it’s important to me to be there, to help them feel loved, and to place one small building block in their lives as a foundation that others will build on top of.” When Sheila heard there was also a need for volunteers to serve with high school girls, she signed up. This year, Sheila is leading two girls who are juniors in high school, and they all get to serve alongside one another in Base Camp on Sunday mornings, where she continues to work with the babies and toddlers.
Nancy Serves in Base Camp at Summit Orlando Sheila Serves in the nursery at Summit Lake Mary
We recently sat down with two of our longest-standing Base Camp volunteers, Nancy and Sheila, serving for seventeen and nineteen years, respectively. Not only have they witnessed the movement of intergenerational discipleship that’s taking place, but they’ve also helped to establish it. Both Nancy and Sheila have led small groups of kids as well as teams of Base Camp volunteers, casting vision and nur turing leaders. But what’s intriguing about Nancy and Sheila’s experiences is their vision for family ministry as a whole.
our young people grow, to lead them, and to watch them grow as leaders. We’re all living life together and serving alongside each Nancyother.”recalls one Sunday in particular, serving in a 5th grade Base Camp classroom with a high schooler and middle school er serving alongside her—her 15-year-old son, Will, and a girl from her 6th-grade small group. She overheard Will saying to a group of kids in the class, “Jesus loves you. He died for you.” She heard the middle school girl say, “Jesus wants to be in a rela tionship with you because he loves you. He sought you out because you’re important to him, you don’t have to earn God’s love.” She remembers one of the boys asking Will, “How do you know it’s true?” And Will said, “The Bible says this is who God is, but it’s also what I’ve experienced in my own life.” “To hear a 15-year-old telling an 11-yearold boy that—it’s powerful,” Nancy says, “Afterward I asked them, ‘How did you even know to say that?’ And they said, ‘You’ve been saying it all along in Base Camp.’ It reminded me of Paul’s instructions to Tim othy: ‘these things have been entrusted to you, give them to faithful people.’ I believe we still have that sacred responsibility in the church to raise up the next generation of It’sleaders.”evident when talking with Nancy and Sheila that they recognize just how high the stakes are when it comes to the next generation—it’s what has propelled them to continue serving for so long. Nancy says, “The goal in Base Camp has never been, “Let’s just keep the kids safe,” or, “let’s just get through today.” As the Church, we can sometimes settle for a life that isn’t as ad venturous as it should be. There is a spiri tual battle happening in every Base Camp room, and what our volunteers offer on Sunday matters in the scope of eternity. We will all in our different stories reach a crossroads where we have to answer the question: What will I believe about God’s character? When kids come into Basecamp, I look in their faces and I wonder: what will you Sheilachoose?”shares, “One thing I hear a lot from Chad, our Student Ministry leader, is that if a young person has five adults investing in their life, they’re more likely to walk with God in adulthood. I love the idea of being one of those people. Kids today deal with such hard things. It’s so important that they find their identity in God. It’s something I’m still working on... But if you know God’s love personally, in a real way, and he’s where
FULL CIRCLE
Mike and Austen, two volunteers on Nancy’s team, led Jonathan as a 4th grader. In his baptism application, he thanked them for the impact they’d had on him spiritu ally. Jonathan now leads his own group of 2nd-3rd grad ers. At our most recent Beach Baptism, he went to cheer on a boy from his small group, who’d named Jonathan in his application.
loved,feelthemhelptothere,betometoimportantit’sButme…rememberwon’tbabiestheknowI “of.”toponbuildwillothersthatfoundationaaslivestheirinblockbuildingsmalloneplacetoand
It’s a sentiment that resonates with so many of us in Base Camp. We’re grateful—grateful for Nancy and Sheila and all the volunteers who have said yes to being the Church for kids and families, grateful for the community that has come about as a result, and grateful for God’s faithfulness in raising up disciples of every age.
Nancy shares, “In 2009, I found out I had an aggressive form of cancer. After that, I real ly began focusing on the things that were essential to me, and Base Camp was one of those things. The truth is that everybody who walks into Base Camp has their own story. People come to serve whose marriages are broken, who are facing health challeng es, whose kids are walking away from their faith. I want them to find Base Camp as a safe space, where they come by faith, not because they’re the best person for the job, but be cause they’re broken people who love Jesus.”
your worth is found, then you can handle life’s curveballs and the challenges you ha ven’t faced yet.”
Nancy and Sheila speak from personal experi ence. The decision to trust God’s faithfulness and to find their identity in him—their prayer for the kids they serve—is one they’ve both lived out. And in seasons of their lives when no one would have faulted them for stepping away, they chose instead to lean in, and the impact has been extraordinary.
Sheila reflects on her experience before her daughter was born when she had miscarriag es: “There’s a whole community you never knew existed until you go through something like that. And when I got divorced and felt unlovable and unworthy, the volunteers in Base Camp, people who’d been through sim ilar situations, encouraged me. They were so supportive and loving. I felt God’s love in the most personal way I'd ever felt it. I wouldn't have wanted to go through that scenario, but I wouldn't give up the result for anything.”
Nancy agrees, “I’m grateful. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of it all.”
25 We will all in our different stories reach a crossroads where we have to answer the question: What will I believe about God’s character? When kids come into Basecamp, I look in their faces and I wonder: what will you choose? “ “ Sheila attends a winter retreat with her high school students Nancy’s son Will serves in the 4th and 5th-grade classroom at Summit Orlando
Photographed by Amanda Burr
Summit Lake Mary’s origin story is one of connection transforming lives over time. These are just a few of those stories.
TRANSFORMCONNECTIONLIVESING
In 2012, with Summit about to celebrate its tenth anni versary, one question was consistently at the forefront of our growing church, "How can we bring the church to those who live farther away?" So, a bold group of peo ple said "Yes" to forgoing the comfort and familiarity of doing church together to create a place where people could connect and worship closer to their communities. From that group of people, Summit Lake Mary was born.
27 HEATHER JEREMIAH&CLINE
Amy Lewandowski is one of the most connected people we know. Between teaching at a local elementary school, connections through her two daughters, and Amy’s heart for serving others, there aren't many people in the Lake Mary area who don’t know Amy. Amy and her family started attending Summit Lake Mary in 2014, and they have been a significant part of the church community ever "Beingsince.atSummit has affected my life by giving me family and community. When I first came to Summit, the messages spoke to me, convicted me, and turned me upside down, inside out. I kept wanting to come back for more. Then, I started volunteering, which built my relationships with the children in Base Camp. Through the children, I met their parents and relationships breached out from there. There are people in every age bracket that impact my life, strengthen and challenge my faith, and mentor me as a mom and woman of faith. I turn to people at church for advice, to share the fun moments, and support me in the rough ones. I can’t imagine my life without the Summit community! I am so grateful for them!”
Heather and Jeremiah Cline have been at Summit since the earliest days. When they helped launch Summit, they had a three-year-old daughter, Court ney. Today, they have three children, and Courtney is in college! Jeremiah was Summit’s first Treasurer. Heather has graced the stage in multiple Base Camp Lives, and as a family, they have helped set up for countless Sundays in high school buildings and led numerous Connect groups. When the opportunity came to launch Summit Lake Mary, they were some of the first who were ready to connect with people who lived close to them.
- Heather Cline
CONNECTION
LEWANDOWSKIAMY
-Amy Lewandowski
"It has been in these relationships at Summit that God has brought us through the joys and sorrows of life. I have learned that connection and relationship with God and others are as important as breathing. In all reality, relationships can be so difficult. We have an enemy who wants to isolate us. Christ has been teaching me how to nurture each relationship and not take them for granted. In each season over the years, our family has been blessed to do life with other believers at Summit. Each connection God has used and is using to grow us and prepare us for an eternity together with each other and him.”
JIM & MILLERANN
Jim and Ann Miller have been attending Summit since 2008 and have al ways had a heart for connecting people. One of the first connections hap pened right at the start of their Summit journey—they connected their old church (Nairobi Chapel in Kenya, Africa) with their new church in Orlando (Summit). The result was a longstanding global partnership between Sum mit and Nairobi Chapel that persists to this day. After the Millers relocated in 2020, Summit Lake Mary became the closest Summit location to them and thus their new church home. And as the number of Summit Lake Mary con gregants in their area grew, the Millers saw the need for further connection in that growing Volusia County Summit family. In 2021, the Millers began inviting a few other families in their area to begin gathering and eventually formed a Connect group.
- Chad Stanley
- Ann Miller
"What has been most important to us in some really difficult times has been having prayer support. Sometimes, there's not a lot of tangible support other people can provide. But to know that we have had people who are bringing our situation before our all-wise and all-powerful God in prayer, who check on us to see how we're doing, drop off comfort food, and are generally will ing to walk through stuff with us ... that is a kind of community we don't get from other places in our lives.”
28 CHAD LINDSEY& STANLEY
In the Spring of 2019, Chad and Lindsey Stanley’s daughter was starting middle school. They decided to start a Connect group that met during Surge (Summit’s Middle School Ministry) with other parents of middle schoolers. That group quickly became one of the largest and most vibrant groups at Summit Lake Mary and spawned an annual weekend camping trip lovingly known as “FamJam”.
“These relationships have made our time at Summit feel much more per sonal. It feels like we have a family around us, and we are worshiping God together. Our involvement at Summit, as a family and with other families, has made this a place where we are not just willing to spend our time but want to spend our time.”
- Courtney Cline
COURTNEY & GARRETT CLINE MARYLAKE
Courtney and Garrett Cline represent a generation that grew up at Summit. The seeds that were planted by their parents, Heather and Jeremiah, twen ty years ago continue with their kids. The little girl who started her life at Summit as a three-year-old is now 23 and pouring into the next generation. Garrett, now 17, is in a high school Connect group and serves on the tech team. “Growing up at Summit basically my entire life, I have experienced firsthand how valuable connection is. Though I may not remember every detail, I re member my Base Camp leaders taking the time to love and teach me about Jesus. Continuing through high school, I had a small group that would meet after services at Lake Mary High School and I still have connections with peo ple from that group. The connections I made in Student Ministries inspired me to provide the same to others. I have been co-leading a group of girls for six exciting, enjoyable, hard, and meaningful years. The connections I have made with these girls have impacted me more than I thought it ever would! I also have the best co-leader who finds the time to encourage and inspire me. I am also in a college Connect group that I helped put together with my friends so that we could keep building connections through college! It’s safe to say the main reason I still attend Summit Church is because of the connections I have made throughout my life.”
SUMMIT LAKE MARY ISN'T SOLELY A PRODUCT OF CONNECTION. IT'S A CONDUIT OF CONNECTION. EACH WEEK, PEOPLE FORGO THE COMFORT OF THEIR SCHEDULES TO INTENTIONALLY CREATE SPACE TO BE TOGETHER.
On Sunday, they join together in worship and service, creating space for people to grow clos er to God. Throughout the week, they meet to gether in living rooms and parks across the city to encourage each other, serve foster families, and love their neighbors. They model a differ ent way of living that reveals God's love for his creation and follows in his footsteps as the ul timate example of one who connects over time and for a Connectionpurpose.overtime matters because it joins together the people that God loves, who are made in his image and were created for com munity. It's in that community that we're mold ed, shaped, and transformed. It's where we become fully alive and begin to live out the unique and wonderful plan that God has for our lives—a plan that's not just for our sake but for the sake of others as well.
John 1 begins, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the be ginning.” My friends in Lake Mary are prob ably thinking, “O.J., John 1 doesn’t go with everything, give it a rest!” But stay with me, especially if you haven’t been around me that much. John 1 is telling the story of creation on the cosmic scale and how Jesus fits into the picture. It’s my favorite passage (you really should read it again soon). Genesis 1 starts with God creating. John 1 starts with God being in relationship. Through the Word, who was Jesus, everything was spoken into being. John wrote his gospel so that we would believe in Jesus and through that be lief have eternal life. He could have started in any way, but he starts with relationship. Later on, in verse 14 (NIV), he tells us that "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”. Jesus came to live in our world in John 1:1, and a few verses later he jumps into his ministry. What does Jesus do first? He starts calling disciples to follow him and be in relationship with him. Jesus has always, from the beginning of time, lived in relationship with others. When he came to earth, he knew he needed to do the same—it is how he’s wired. We are created in his image, and guess what? We are wired for relationship as well. From the most introverted to the most extroverted, we were made with a relationship vacuum in our hearts. The only one who can ever fill it perfectly is Jesus. Our mandate from him is to “love God, love others”—to be in relationship.
HASINCEPTION,EARLIESTFROMSUMMIT,ITSALWAYSBEENABOUTPEOPLECONNECT-INGWITHEACHOTH-
The early church got it. Soon after Jesus left this world and gave his disciples the living Spirit of God dwelling within them, they got together. They ate together, they learned to gether, they shared with those in need, and they worshiped together. Together. Togeth er. WeTogether.aremade to be together, to be with each other, and we will fill the relationship vacuum one way or another. We will either fill it with God and loving others or with idols and addictions and things that numb the pain and break our relationships with each other. We need relationships because the loving God of the universe, in the radi ance and explosion of his love, created us to be with him and other humans created in his Summit,image.from its earliest inception, has al ways been about people connecting with each other. It has propelled us in the sea sons of celebration and sustained us in our seasons of loss. It persists in the very tagline that defined so many years of our history: “Relationships matter. Truth matters. What you do with your life matters. You matter.” It started with people gathering together to see what God might have in store during Summit’s first small meeting in an apart ment complex clubhouse. It continues with folks donning matching niceSERVE t-shirts and serving together. We learn, serve, and worship in Connect groups together. To gether. Together. Together. Thank God, we are made to be together.
Christ-Centered Relationships
TOGETHER
O.J. Aldrich Connecting in
Designed By LJ Judy
IN A CHEF’S HAT AND OVERALLS
Melissa Stillman
The children’s ministry at Summit Church, called Base Camp, is centered on teaching kids about Jesus, the Bible, and how bibli cal truths relate to them. As a fun way to share those truths, a network of talented volunteer writers, actors, musicians, and technicians produce Base Camp Live (BCL), a high-energy, live show with a sketch comedy feel. There is a 20-minute BCL pro duction once per month, following Sunday morning worship services at the Orlando and Lake Mary locations. When the pandemic paused in-person church activities, the BCL team got cre ative about how to keep connecting kids with Scripture-based teaching. During the summer of 2020, the Heart Habits online series was launched—a series, prominent ly featuring two familiar BCL faces in new roles: Alejandro Guevarez as Chef Alejan dro and Del Schwalls as Famer Del. CHEF ALEJANDRO Alejandro Guevarez grew up in Puerto Rico. As a teen, he was active in the small drama club at his church. He majored in Theater in college and eventually left school to pursue acting. At one of his early professional shows, he met his wife, Shan non, who is a dancer. When Alejandro and Shannon moved to Orlando in 2016, they were looking for a church and discovered Summit’s "The Road to Zamboria" playing at the Orlando International Fringe Festi val. They felt like they’d found their tribe — a group of believers that valued the arts as much as they did. After taking part in Summit musicals, in cluding "Godspell" and "Jonah & The Wave Breakers", Alejandro got plugged into serv ing with Base Camp Live. Alejandro said, “That was the best, seeing the kids’ reac tions. The smiles on their faces. When you say something, it’s geared toward kids, but it was based on truth from the Bible. Yes, it’s high-energy and fun, but the mindset is, they’re not just kids—they are the future of the church. It was a rewarding experi ence for them to hear this truth and to see something click in their minds.” And some of the kids in the BCL audience were his own! Alejandro said, “They loved that I was part of it! When my second-eldest daugh ter saw me doing BCL she said, ‘I want to do this too.’ It was a nice gift because she was in Esther: A Musical Adventure with me. I got to share the stage with her. That was pretty awesome.” The change from in-person shows to re cording online content was a big transi tion, but Alejandro enjoyed the opportu nity to be a part of sharing God’s Word in a new way. He said, “[The BCL team] was diligent thinking through how can we keep BCL alive and the essence of it moving for ward? I think they did a really good job. They followed all precautions, all proto cols. I remember the actors were recorded in different rooms, which was a little hard because you couldn’t feed off each other. We said, ‘Lord, this is yours. We just want to share your Word with them. So we’ll do what we can. You do the rest.’ Everything worked out. He’s faithful.”
Teaching Truth...
As part of the Heart Habits series, Ale jandro donned an apron and chef’s toque to share teachings about serving others, sharing the Good News, generosity, and worship. The character was easy for Ale jandro to slip into after years of working in restaurants. Alejandro said, “I think the idea came because one of the first epi sodes I did was about the fruit of the spir it, and I was going to make a fruit salad. That’s when Chef Alejandro came to be. They liked the character so much that they kept writing for him. All the writing was so clever, how it incorporated a story from the Bible. Because of the heart, God put in me toward the arts, any opportunity that [Summit] gave me, in itself that was the blessing. Just to be able to reach the lives of the kids that might be watching and Chef Alejandro
Farmer Del
“I remember one of the very first [HeartHabits] episodes we did, getting choked uphearing the gospel being shared through afarmer talking about plants.”
Del also considers it an honor to share the gospel with kids each month at BCL through comedy and song. He said, “[It’s] very surre al. I know me…there’s no reason I should be God’s method. Yet, it keeps happening over and over. This script that involves me do ing whatever random silliness is required ends up making the gospel tangible for kids. And I’m still blown away that God uses somebody like me to do it. Base Camp Live is holy ground. It often gets overlooked, but there are moments in BCL where the gospel is shared with kids. [It’s like] Jesus is on the floor eating popcorn alongside the kids.”
The Heart Habits character that was cre ated for Del was a farmer. Considering his upbringing on a farm, his southern accent, and his job as an environmental engineer, the character felt like a fit for Del. Farmer Del’s episodes focused on developing spir itual disciplines like growing closer to God and others, reading God’s Word, prayer, and community. All of which were taught while wearing overalls and a straw hat. Del says, “I remember one of the very first [Heart Habits] episodes we did, getting choked up hearing the gospel being shared through a farmer talking about plants.” The start of the pandemic was a challeng ing time for Del, so he connected to the scripts even more personally than he had in the past. Del said, “On the third recording, I came in just having found out that my sis ter’s cancer was back. The team prayed for me and asked me if we needed to postpone, and I said, no, God wrote this script for right now. I got to hear the truth of his faithful ness and love, through [a] comedy script. The script was straight from God. My heart was so tender during that entire filming, and it seemed to come through.”
Both Alejandro and Del — who first met while acting in Godspell, with Del playing Judas Iscariot and Alejando playing Jesus — have seen the special power of the creative arts in communicating truth to both children and adults. Alejandro said, “I believe God cre ated everything in the universe, including the arts. Jesus was a storyteller. He engaged people with these beautiful based-on-truth stories that people were mesmerized by. I look up to him because of that. It’s such a powerful way to reach people.”
THE ART OF SHARING JESUS
FARMER DEL Del Schwalls grew up singing in the choir and acting in Christmas plays at his home church of 70 people in Georgia. He per formed in musicals in college and acted and sang in shows hosted by the mega church he attended in Washington D.C. After moving to Orlando, Del started attending Summit in 2007, and it wasn’t long before he was serving — helping to launch Summit Lake Mary, leading worship, acting in sever al Summit productions, including The "Road to Zamboria", "Godspell", and "Jonah & The Wave Breakers", and joining the troupe of Base Camp Live actors. Del, who has 13 nieces and nephews, says he goes into full-on uncle mode with the kids he’s teaching. His goal is that each of them feels seen and cared for while they're at BCL. Del says, “I love how Summit insists [that kids] are a part of the church now. I’m blown away by the depth of the material and the desire for quality because the kids watching matter! We’re pushing towards excellence, not for the sake of showing off, but showing God better.”
It was incredible that we could be Summit in multiple locations through utilizing video teaching. However, in the event of a tech nology failure, it would fall to me to fumble and stumble my way through an impromptu preaching opportunity that required the grace of Jesus and the grace of everyone listening to en dure. From that time I have had the opportunity to grow and develop in ways that I never could have imagined, first through simple experience and eventually through the development of the Teaching Team. This unique team of incredible gifted peo ple provides challenge and encouragement into each message preached at Summit and a push to be better communicators and leaders for the sake of our community each week.
2013 Summit Becomes a Multi-Site Church In 2010 Summit took a group of 127 people to Lawton Chiles Elementary to worship as our first multi-site campus. On a small screen in a less than perfect cafeteria-turned-sanctuary, the newly forming Waterford Campus watched pre-recorded video sermons from Isaac Hunter each week. Teaching Truth From the beginning of Summit Church in 2002, we wanted to communicate that all truth is God’s truth and that God’s word is the foundation for that truth. So we turn to the Scriptures to help us understand who God is, who we are becoming, and how we live as a result. What is taught at Summit is meant to be a catalyst for everyone in the community to not just receive truth but to live into and teach truth in their personal and relational lives.
summit lake mary launches April of 2012, 135 adults and 50 children com mitted to go north and launch Summit’s newest campus in Lake Mary. In August of 2012, the cam pus moved into Lake Mary High School and three years later, on August 16, 2015, they officially opened doors in their new permanent location.
The guiding statement for the Teaching Team: The Teaching Team will call people to take their next right steps by communicating one vision through diverse voices characterized by relatable authenticity, oratory excellence, sound doctrine, and a depth of biblical, historical, and cultural understanding. 2012
34 20102012
My first time teaching at Summit was in November of 2012, but I didn’t become part of the official Teaching Team until I moved into the campus pastor role at Summit Lake Mary in 2014. These days I am in the weekly Teaching Team meetings, hearing multiple ser mons, and presenting my own in order to receive feedback from a trusted group of friends and co-la borers. What’s amazing to reflect on is that when I first began my role at Summit Lake Mary, my job description was to teach two to three times a year and the rest would be video sermons. These days I teach about 25 times a year and we have very few video mes sages because of the strength and increased availability that comes with multiple teachers and voices that bring truth each Sunday. What a gift this group and philosophy has been! 2010 gary abbott orlando pastor O.J. Aldrich lake mary pastor
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JIM KELLER former teaching minister I began my journey with Summit Church as a reGROUP participant back in 2008. After I graduated from the program, I volunteered as a reGROUP leader. It was then that I was asked to do a large group teaching for one of our Monday night gatherings. I con tinued to teach at reGROUP regu larly, eventually stepping into the reGROUP Director role in 2014. In December of 2013, “reGROUP Sunday” launched—a reGROUP teaching in a Sunday morning service as an invitation to our en tire congregation to join the re GROUP process themselves. This was the first proper sermon I ever preached at Summit Church. I then was asked to join our Teach ing Team in 2015. I was formally commissioned as a teaching min ister in 2020, and I now have the opportunity of preaching around 20 weekends a year. Later that spring, the very first Teaching Team began to form. Along the way we decided to try out a sermon previewing system—the Teaching Team would weigh in with their thoughts, critiques, sugges tions, and encouraging words over the week prior to a sermon being preached and I was the first guinea pig! I cannot fully express the joy of giving and listening to the scores of sermons that were presented in those meetings. Laughter, tears, conviction, and encouragement in glorious spiritual wave after wave. I thank God for the privilege of being with these dear women and men as we walked this road together. the teaching team is formed Before the development of the Teaching Team Summit focused on the singular teaching gifting of Isaac Hunt er. After he left the Summit staff, we wanted to cap ture what was exemplary about the teaching culture but not put the expectation or pressure of teaching every week on any one communicator. We looked again to the scriptures to see that after the ascension of Jesus the gospel has always been communicated through diverse voices. When looking at the richness and diversity of the gospel and the uniqueness of the human experience, it is easy to see that the fullness of the good news of Jesus is more fully experienced and celebrated through diverse voices in a diverse community. We also recognized that pastoral leadership happens in part through the teaching and preaching of God’s word and this move gave our location leadership increased opportunity to pastor and lead, connecting our vision as a church to everyday lives. teaching team meeting With increased voices we wanted to provide increased support, accountability, and spiritual oversight in what we were teaching and how we were being mobilized to live out the vision. So every week we began to gather to review sermons and offer feedback to each teacher to benefit all expressions of Summit. The Teaching Team meeting has three main purposes: making sure we are on the same page, making sure we are growing as com municators, and making sure every individual message moves us forward together. This weekly gathering in cludes both established Teaching Team members and other key leaders in the church. The elements of the meeting include a preview of the upcoming sermon and time to provide feedback and suggestions, and a group study of the texts being taught in the future.
2015
2015
It was in the spring of 2013 when a Summit board member and I met to discuss the direc tion of Summit Church in re gard to the calling and respon sibilities of a pastor. We agreed that he would need to take a share of the teaching load but how much? That’s when I heard about other church es that had had success with a team of teachers instead of just one. The more we talked, the more we could envision that model for our church.
kailey newkirk teaching minister
20192016
36 I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Lake Mary Pastor O.J. Aldrich. He was the one who gave me my first opportunity to preach on a Sunday morning in May of 2016. As an assignment for one of my seminary classes, I had to record a sermon in front of a group of adults and I asked O.J. to be a part I'll never forget the first time I pre sented a sermon to the Teaching Team at one of their weekly meetings. It was in the fall of 2019 and I was sweating bullets! (Partly because I was nervous and partly because I was on a lunch break from my job as a landscaper.) There I was, filthy dirty and still in my work boots. Ev eryone was so kind to me and helped me craft my message into something that was both true to the original message God had laid on my heart and yet more in line with the goals of the overall sermon series. It was a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to speak to God's people at the church that I love and I continue to be impacted by the way When I first visited Summit in 2019 from Nairobi Chapel for a short staff exchange experience, I was fascinated by the inten tionality the Teaching Team had—to listen to sermons and give feedback before actually preaching. I remember sitting in awe listen ing to amazing voices with well-thoughtout themes and sermons. I was struck by the vulnerability of the teachers to allow themselves to be criticized and to then be supported in improving their sermons.
My first presentation was when O.J. Al drich asked me to preach at Summit Lake Mary. I stood there preparing myself for the worst—being told that I couldn't preach because my sermon was terrible. But instead, I received love, affirmation, and of course a few suggestions. I have since appreciated every opportunity I've had to preach at Summit, more so know ing that I have the full support of a room full of wisdom and love.
A Multitude of Voices
In recent years as we have placed increased priority on being an intentionally multigenerational and multi-ethnic church in line with what we see from the church in the book of Acts and throughout the scriptures. We recognize that value must be infused into and reflected in our Teach ing Team. While we are still growing into that value it has been a privilege to learn from a multitude of gifted com municators through both the growth of the Teaching Team and the inclusion of guest teachers. of that group. Instead, he handed me the keys to Sunday morning. Somehow, what started as one sermon for a class has led to dozens more. I’ve learned so much by watching how the members of the Teaching Team go about their craft, and I feel so grateful to participate in this work alongside such amazing and talented people.
The TeamTeachingExpands
20192020 2016
In 2015 an extensive process to understand and establish a bibli cal framework for the roles and responsibilities of women in the church and in communicating the gospel was undertaken. As a result, Kailey Newkirk (having already been established as a gifted leader and communicator in other key ministry areas) was affirmed as a Teaching Minister and the first female member of the Teaching Team.
God is using the process of a team ap proach. I have since joined the Sum mit staff as the Riverside Minister and have the opportunity to preach at other Summit locations from time to time. I am so glad to have my fellow teachers help hone and shape the messages as we move toward the noble goal of edi fying the body of Christ.
2020chad buel lake mary student minister doug foley riverside minister grace veronica
2021 Photographed
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As we continued to talk, Josh shared how this revelation has been foun dational in his ability to forgive himself, open up to others, and even think about what kind of husband and dad he hopes to be one day. For giving himself took time, but con tinuing to remind himself how God
Laura Hunt
I can remember vividly leaving the 5th-grade classroom where I taught before joining the Summit staff and heading to the Summit offices. I was incredibly confident that I had crafted a ser mon that would at least be adequate for this new thing I was unfamiliar with—the Teaching Team. While preparing a sermon for an entire week, I tried to figure out this unique concept—writing and then preaching to a team before the congre gation would hear it. I would also be meeting the rest of the Summit teachers and ministers for the first time, and I was excited. When I arrived, I first sat quietly, listening to ban ter between familiar folks nestling into a meet ing. Then the meeting started, and the process for previewing sermons began. The team was previewing two separate sermons this week, so they decided to split the group in two. Once that decision was made, I remember Jim Keller look ing me dead in the face and saying, "I'm listen ing to the new guy." At that moment, the nerves began to increase, and regret started to seep in. But finally, I cleared my throat and preached my first sermon for Summit—an experience I will never forget.
When we look at the vision of Summit, it’s easy to see how some of the pil lars can apply to us personally, outside the body of the church. Worship God? Of course. Connect in Christ-centered community? Got that. But what would it look like to teach truth to ourselves? How do we lean into the idea that part of God’s work of restoration in our own stories is reconnecting our hearts to what is true about us and what is true about Recentlyhim?Ihad the opportunity to talk with Josh Outing about this very idea. Videographer by trade and a lover of art and cinema, Josh knows the impor tance of a person’s story. He can find beauty in each little nuance, as well as in the major arcs that carry through out. And whereas it seems easy to find that beauty in other people’s stories, finding it in his own has taken some deep and meaningful work; work he has put in every week through Sum mit’s recovery ministry, reGROUP. Since he first began reGROUP back in August 2021, Josh has heard time and time again that our stories aren’t real we view them in context of God’s larger one. As he has unpacked his own story, Josh has found freedom in this truth. “How I perceived my self was a big struggle. This constant self-loathing was just a big shadow over my life for a long time, and it was hard for me to shake that. But because he is a God of redemption, my story is a story of redemption. Whether I see it currently or not. So, I’m really just trying to adopt that truth that God still loves me, he still sees me as his child, and saturating myself in that as opposed to ‘I’m this, I’m that, I’m my worst mistakes.’”
2021 Johnny Outing orlando student minister the teaching calendar From the beginning of Summit, teaching themes have not been chosen at random. They come from careful consideration of where we believe God is leading us and how we want to grow in the un derstanding and application of God’s word. The es sential process of building the teaching calendar begins with the pastoral leadership of the church and a seeking of a unified understanding of where God is leading us. From there the Teaching Team aligns the exposition of biblical texts and themes with the ministry calendar. Our goal with the limited time of a 30-minute ser mon each week is not to help people know all they could know (that takes a lifetime) but to be cat alytic to taking next right steps toward following Jesus together with greater understanding of God, his purposes for his Church, and how we should live in light of the death and resurrection of Jesus. by Fabio Galizia
“We all need each other to move forward.
It’s this sense of community that I imag ine God has in mind in his larger story, one where trust runs deep and people feel ful ly known. One where there’s accountability and pushing each other towards freedom in “We’reChrist.acollective at this point,” Josh added.
So here’s the challenge. Consider your own story. Consider this idea of continually teaching and reminding yourself the truth of who God is and who he created you to be, and in the process, you may actually be wise to consider your community as well.
Though these are truths we all ultimately need to grapple with and internalize, God never intended for us to do it alone.
For the most part, it’s like a day-byday thing
Of even more importance is his small group within reGROUP. This group of men has become a safe haven of sorts. “I love the guys that I’ve grown with in reGROUP. They have become a genuine community. We talk outside of the group. Sometimes we meet up outside of the group. I look forward to every Monday and seeing them, and unpacking these things with them. Now we have crossed a threshold where there’s some stuff we’ve shared that only us in that room know. There’s just a special bond and comradery there, and we are all rooting for each other.”
Throughout this process, community has played a vital role for Josh. Not only has he opened up more with the people around him, but the larger community of reGROUP has helped him grapple with the broken ness in his own story. “It’s just so important that we are around people during these times of healing and brokenness. We can’t do it alone. And during those times when we are scared and we don’t feel like any body cares or nobody could love us or we are too far gone, to be around other people who are going through what you are going through sometimes can be the most ther apeutic thing. There’s like a sigh of relief.”
FORWARDMOVETOOTHEREACHNEEDALLWE9.8PLUSHP5ILFORD4665PLUSP5
As we wrapped up our conversation, I asked Josh what encouragement he would give to someone who was on the fence about trying out reGROUP. His advice? Just go and “Storieslisten.are a great agent for empathy and having that common ground of empathy really shows that the degree of separation between you and the next person by you is not that far, and that’s a beautiful thing.
“I allowed myself the space and time to just really, really let the truth of how God identifies us sink in as much as possible so that when I do say I forgive myself, I mean it.” He added, “That shame aspect, which is what I have struggled with so much, is really the engine that perpetuates the cy cle over and over again. So not having that anymore really opens up for so many other things. Now I am more open with communi ty, and I’m being proactive, and if there are times when I do fall backward and I stum ble or whatever the case may be, I don’t dwell there.” As a fellow reGROUP graduate, I know the mental and emotional toll unpacking your own story can have, so I asked Josh how he continues to teach truth to himself in this process. “For the most part, it’s like a dayby-day thing of reminding myself of how God sees me,” he answered. “I’ve been see ing it unfold with how I interact with peo ple. I think a strong tie between how I see myself and how I inadvertently was seeing God was also playing out in how my rela tionships with people played out. You know, pushing people away, not loving people well, keeping people at a distance. And I’ve been seeing my desire to saturate myself in community more and more, to love people better and love people well.” He went on to say how he has been thinking a lot this past year about scripture’s command to love others as we love ourselves. But what if you don’t think so highly of yourself? What if loving yourself seems quite impossible? For Josh, seeing the growth in his desire to bring people in and love them well was in dicative of the growth that was happening with how he viewed himself.
There’s a sense of healthy responsibili ty for the other men in that group in like, you know they’re showing up, so I’ve got to show up. We don’t move on to the next phase without each other.”
To know that you’re not alone. I think that’s what was great for me; I just went out there and I just listened. I was just hearing every body’s stories. And their vulnerability made me want to be vulnerable… Try it out, give it a week or two, and just listen. Just listen to people’s stories; soak it all in. And hope fully, from there you will feel encouraged and empowered to stick it out and at some point, maybe share your story as well.”
“myselfremindingofofhowGodseesme,”
Jesus is the truth that cannot be reduced any further. He is the rock. The firm foun dation. And in this way, his truth is the saf est place for us to stand. It won’t always be the easiest—real truth exposes things in all of us that are incompatible with the life he’s called us to. Truth leaves no one unchanged. Is it challenging? Yes. Uncom fortable? Frequently. But safe. The only safe place in the universe for sinners like me. One of the greatest joys of my life was being asked to join the team that teaches truth here at Summit—where my life was forever changed by those who taught it to me. It’s been a joy to participate in the team approach we’ve adopted. As we strive to become a church more rep resentative of the divine diversity of God, it’s been so enriching to hear God’s truth, anchored firmly in his word, but expressed through a diversity of voices—all with their own history, culture, fears, failures, joys, and affections—flavoring each morsel of truth, seasoning it with salt. Truth filtered through the multi-faceted body of Christ dazzles my persuasions. It challenges me in ways I nev er could be while reading the Bible from my perspective alone. And this diversity includes both the legalist and the liberal. We hold each other in ten sion, and the tension helps us grow. If we orient ourselves around Christ as our cen ter—our differences are no longer weapons that wound, but tools that sharpen. With Christ as our center, we discover that we are all anchored by the same gravity—the gravity of his grace. It is in him that we are all held together. To accept Jesus as our center, and to accept as authoritative his word to us on earth, is certainly an act of faith. But no more so than believing we’re just random molecules on a spinning rock in space, headed no where. Faith will always require an element of belief—a leap that all the information in the world can’t shrink for us. But it’s a leap, thank God, that we never need to take alone.
Eventually and inevitably, each of us must choose a center for our lives. Something we can hang on to. Something hard and stable and permanent and irreducible. Something by which we can judge if we’re doing right by this world. As a retired hussie from a deeply dysfunc tional family of origin, my center was once my passionate feelings (which are still abundant). I chased those “truths” to their (bitter) end, but not a single one of them has remained true over the long haul—not one, except my need for the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The thing that first attracted me to Summit was the truth. Bold and unapologetically, I was taught the truth that my sin separat ed me from the brazen, jealous, relentless, and utterly life-giving love of God the Fa ther-I-Never-Had. The truth that no perfect act of my own could be enough to reunite us. But also the truth that there was a way home—a bridge built for me by the cross of Christ over the chasm of my transgressions. My life was recentered. This was my firm place to stand—though it sometimes stings my feet, I will never sink again.
Kailey Newkirk Teaching Truth In 1633, the physicist Galileo was ordered to turn himself in to the authorities for claiming the earth revolves around the sun. The Church at that time passionate ly argued that the Earth was the center of our universe. His written sentence read, “We pronounce, judge, and declare, that you, the said Gal ileo… have rendered yourself vehemently suspected by this Holy Office of heresy, that is, of having believed and held the doctrine (which is false and contrary to the Holy and Divine Scriptures) that the sun is the center of the world, and that the earth is not the center of the world…” etc. etc., you’re going to Thenjail. there was Ptolemy (or PUH-tolemy if you can’t pronounce silent letters) who developed a planetary model with Earth at the center. And he could calculate plane tary positions with it—only they were about 30 degrees off. (Which, on a cosmic scale, is what the kids call “hella big.”) To correct these errors, he created what he called the “equant”— a factor you added into the calculations. It helped, but the equant was different for each planet. So the bot tom line is that he had to do a lot of un necessary math gymnastics to arrive at an answer that was simple in a model with the correct center. Calling truth “absolute” can turn it into a dirty word. We’re constantly bombarded with the message that we should “live our own truth”—consequences be damned. But all that really means is that we’ve decided our own thoughts and feelings should be the center of our universe—the truest things in this world. But what hap pens when the people change? Or the rela tionship ends? Or your person leaves, or the company fails, or the illness begins, or the money’s gone—what’s the center then? As a middle school girl convinced that I could never be happy unless I married David Duchovny from the X-files, I’ll be the first to point out—feelings are real, but they are not truth. If our thoughts and feelings are the truest things in this world, where is our foundation when those feelings change?
HOLD FAST
MY SIN SEPARATED ME FROM GODINGANDBRAZEN,THEUTTER-LYLIFE-GIV-LOVEOFTHEFA-THER-I-NEV-ER-HAD.
So we hold fast to teaching God’s truth because his is the only truth that does not change like shifting shadows. We hold fast to teaching God’s truth so there’s a handle when we’re falling. We hold fast to teaching God’s truth because there really are things that are true forever, for everyone. And we fail the body of Christ when we shrink from declaring this treasure. We condemn God’s people to failure due to ignorance—an ignorance that was avoidable if we’d had the courage to tell the truth, even when it costs Sometimesus. it’s terrifying. But if I really be lieve Jesus is who he said he was, if I really believe his is the one and only pathway by which we come home to God almighty— could it possibly be loving to withhold this truth from anyone?
Designed By Kristy-Lee Lawley
And while that “specific place” was not yet clear, the idea of “deep and narrow” invest ments was planted. The early Summit staff and congregation began learning about God’s work around the world, visiting areas where that work was being carried out, and praying for God’s wisdom on how to make the most of our place in history. OUR PLACE IN HISTORY
The way that vision has played out at Summit Church has been ever-growing and adapting since the day it began. God has continually placed us in positions of experiencing, learn ing, and stretching as we seek to better un derstand his heart for humanity and how that enables us to make the most of our place in history. Join us in looking back and walking through the many steps that have brought us to how we serve globally today. Dream and pray with us as we consider where God may lead us in the next 20 years. In 2002, founding pastors Isaac Hunter and John Parker heard a challenge as they began contemplating Summit’s role in global ser vice—if a well-resourced church gave itself to serving long-term in consistent and narrow ly defined locations over the course of many years, significant and long-lasting impact could follow.
Our vision and desire to play our part in God’s plan for our world have been consistent over the years. The Bible tells us that God is about restoring what is broken not only in the con text of eternity but also in the here and now— and the invitation we, as his followers have received to join him in that work, presents an opportunity to love others and glorify him that we simply can’t pass up.
MAKING THE MOST OF
Go to Africa. Join by going. Serve globally. Join Africa. Over the past 20 years, there are a number of different ways you may have heard about Summit’s goals to serve outside our borders.
Serve Globally:
introduction, Summit’s relationship with Nairobi Chapel began to grow as Summit staff and leadership began regu larly seeking to learn from the wisdom and experience of Nairobi Chapel leaders. That wisdom and experience would pour into and impact Summit’s ministry not only globally but within the walls of a young Summit Church. This relationship increasingly fostered partnership, mentorship, and staff exchange programs between the two churches.
Teams engaged even more heavily with in-depth cultural educa tion prior to traveling. They participated in studies on sustainable poverty-alleviation strategies that led to an expanded understand ing of the very concept of poverty—not only as including a lack of resources, but also as resulting from broken relationships with
The values of each of these lessons learned along the way began to grow and impact the desire to be ever seeking God’s direction and adapting Summit’s philosophy for global service. As teams from Summit engaged more and more with our solidifying list of global partners, expanding to include organizations like Africa Windmill Project and Children’s Hope Chest, valuable concepts to aid in relationship-building emerged. In 2015, strategies the Sum mit staff had been learning from both local and global partners began taking on a more formal approach to include each and ev ery congregant that joined a global service team.
As teams began visiting global organizations, they leaned into re lationships, knowing that resources would be well and fully uti lized when they followed relationships. After Summit’s first trips to Costa Rica and South Africa in 2006, God began making it clear that part of making the most of our place in history should in clude caring for those impacted by one of the greatest humani tarian crises of our time—the AIDS pandemic. As teams and staff learned more about the long-lasting impact of the pandemic on communities and families, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the call became more and more clear to care for the most vulnerable in those areas. In 2007 Summit began establishing some of those long-term rela tionships in sub-Saharan Africa. Thrive Africa and Children of the Nations were some of the first to become global partners as we developed relationships with each organization in specific loca tions within South Africa, Malawi, and Sierra Leone. These orga nizations were doing great work supporting orphans, widows, and others living within the ramifications of the AIDS pandemic. In 2008 Summit was introduced to a new potential global partner, Nairobi Chapel, by then new Summit congregants. Jim and Ann Miller had recently returned to Florida after living in Kenya for the past 19 years and began talking with Summit leadership about the value of pursuing global relationships specifically through lo cal churches. During their time working outside their own cultural context, the Millers recognized the many challenges that leaders can face in new environments and just how long characteristics of their culture of origin can linger, often creating an ongoing strug gle for power and understanding between the two cultures. Local churches, however, are closer to the ground from the start and provide insight, value, and deep commitment to a community that is Afterunmatched.theinitial
As these teams and staff prepared, experienced, learned, and re-evaluated after each trip or global partnership-building experi ence, God continued to provide clarity around making the most of our place in history in our ever-changing world. Leading into the pandemic, areas of sustainability in our roles in global partnerships had already begun to move forward. Summit’s partnership with a special needs ministry in Malawi had begun taking steps for previously Summit-led initiatives to shift to locally-led initiatives. While both Summit and the local groups had already been excited to see these programs become more relevant to the population they were serving and overall more effective under local leadership, neither had any idea just how perfectly God had orchestrated the timing. With the beginning of the pandemic and the limitation of global travel, this program had been set up to continue running, growing, and thriving without the usual participation of Summit teams.
AS WE LOOK BACK ON THE PAST 20 YEARS, THERE IS MUCH GROWTH TO BE THANKFUL FOR IN OUR THEREPARTNERSHIPS,GLOBALBUTISALSOMUCHTOLOOKFORWARDTOANDMUCHWORKTODO.
COVID-19
In the coming years, we must continue to ask what meaningful and sustainable global service looks like for Summit Church and rec ognize the value of reciprocity in relationships. There will be times in our partnerships of both giving and receiving, learning and teaching, speaking and listening, joy and heartbreak. Our world is changing and history is being made. And Summit is excited to continue seeking God’s direction for our place in it.
distance throughout the pandemic changed our relationships but didn’t require them to pause. The local church continued to be a strong resource in Malawi and as supporting partners instead of leaders, Summit’s involvement could adapt to the changing cir cumstances rather than come to a halt.
As we look back on the past 20 years, there is much growth to be thankful for in our global partnerships, but there is also much to look forward to and much work to do. The Church in Africa is thriv ing, often in ways the Church in America is not. And though service will continue to be a focus, we recognize that service and making the most of our place in history must continue to evolve around our ever-changing reality.
Similarly, in other areas of Malawi, partnerships between Summit and local Malawian church networks through World Relief had be gun to form pre-pandemic. Pulling on the same strengths and ben efits realized through partnerships with Nairobi Chapel, necessary
We have seen the Church in Africa pouring into us in our time of need through mentorships, teaching, and even sending their staff to work alongside and serve ours. However, we have also seen ar eas where the global church is struggling with massive economic and poverty-related setbacks in the last two years—the COVID-19 pandemic is said to have set global poverty back by as much as 20 years in many areas.
self, others, and God—which helped broaden our understanding of our own experiences of poverty. The concept of asset map ping (a systematic process of cataloging key services, benefits, and resources within a community) was employed with both lo cal and global partners. This opened doors to a greater under standing of our own limitations in a community as foreigners, thus creating avenues for us to lean into encouraging, support ing, and empowering our partners from a place of humility and greater understanding.
Serving with our local partners during eventslike niceSERVE and Edge Serves
15%The
One of our global partnersleads their team at Africa Windmill Project in Malawi
Students visit some of our global partners in theDominican Republic
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From the beginning, folks at Summit Church have valued In vesting deeply in local and global service to make the most of our place in history and bring holistic healing to all that is lost. One of the ways that plays out is through “the 15%”. That 15% represents the service of so many who have given of their time, talents, and treasures, over the years, making a life-chang ing impact on people right in our own community and around the world.
WE GIVE AS AN EXPRESSION OF MERCY for both our local and global communities. We give to invest in organizations doing God-honoring work in areas where they have unique opportuni ties and giftings as our visions align. We give to promote justice for the most vulnerable in this world. And sometimes we give as nothing more than an act of extravagant love—the same love we have never deserved but received all the same through the love of our
(niceSERVE,LocalChurchSavior.PartnershipsCommunityEngagementJobsPartnership,StrategicPartners, 33rd Street Jail) Global BenevolenceMissionaryPartnershipsSupport 35
45 OF OUR BUDGET IS SUMMIT’SDISTRIBUTEDWALLS…Outside15% This giving takes many forms, including (but not lim ited to) regular support of missionaries, organizations, church plants, and individual gifts of benevolence. A combination of Summit staff representatives and Summit’s Missions and Giving Team work together yearly to allocate these funds, taking into consideration the needs of each organization or individual, the needs of the communities they serve, and the impact of each gift. Just like the church budget as a whole, the 15% budget is calculated based on faith that each believer who calls Summit their church home would tithe according to scripture. 15% over the past 20 years where it goes... 2002 | $25,000 2007 | $268, 050 2012 | $998, 680 2017 | $839,293 2022 | (projected) $732,773
NAIROBI CHAPEL
WORLD RELIEF Stretched over 100 different countries, World Relief focuses its work on the most vulnerable in disasters, extreme poverty, violence, and oppression, and supporting refugees, immigrants, and displaced people. They work in partner ship with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives, and build sustainable communities. Worldrelief.org
YOUNG LIFE Young Life is a Christian ministry that reach es out to middle school, high school, and college students in more than 100 countries around the world. Through camps, weekly gatherings, service opportunities, and lead ership development, Young Life works to reach the hearts of kids in responding to the Good News of Jesus. Our partnership began locally in Central Florida and has expanded to include Young Life in Malawi as well. younglife.org
A nonprofit conceived after a 2007 team trip to Malawi, Africa Windmill Project works to end the hunger season and establish food security in every season. Through dedicated in-country staff, Africa Windmill Project ed ucates rural farmers with the knowledge to build and maintain the irrigation technology of wind-powered water pumps that will as sist in stabilizing the food supply. africawindmill.org
CHILDREN’S HOPECHEST
COMMISSION 127 Commission 127 works with local churches to equip and empower their congregations to serve and love those involved with the Foster Care System. Through the creation of teams to support foster families, or Care Communities, Commission 127 is drastical ly increasing the likelihood of foster fam ilies continuing to provide safe homes for vulnerable children past their initial year of fostering. c127.org
CHILDREN OF THE NATIONS
A church aiming to see that each and ev ery person that God brings through their doors has a life-changing encounter and begins to live a life of purpose, growing in their relationship with God, and becoming more Christ-like as his disciples. Our Part nership with Nairobi Chapel began in 2008 and has grown to include staff exchang es, discipleship, and mentorship among church leadership. Nairobichapel.net
Children’s HopeChest is an organization that exists to glorify God by releasing the potential of orphaned and vulnerable chil dren and their communities through part nerships that cultivate holistic transforma tion and sustainability. Our long-standing partnership with Children’s HopeChest offers opportunities to sponsor children in several countries around the world. Hopechest.org
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WORKING SIDE-BY-SIDE with local churches, organizations, and missionaries here in our community and around the world is something that makes our hearts beat fast. By working together we’re better equipped to extend a hand to those in need and reach those who haven’t yet heard that they matter to God.
THE JOBS PARTNERSHIP OF FLORIDA This is a thriving, faith-based partnership of individuals, churches, employers, and community organizations working togeth er to transform the lives of the working poor and underemployed in our community. Through our partnership, we have hosted multiple on-site classes and, most recently, hosted a Job Partnersship class at Colonial High School. jobspartnership.org
Partnerships
An organization aiming to provide holis tic, Christ-centered care for orphaned and destitute children, enabling them to create positive and lasting change in their nations. Through our partnership we have had the opportunity to send teams to learn, visit, and support the work of COTN through summer camps, child sponsorships, and staff support. cotni.org
SUMMIT
AFRICA WINDMILL PROJECT
disaster—all of these circumstances matter and should matter deeply to the Church, but to act without considering the people affected is to miss out on what makes the body of Christ distinct from a random social service organization out in the world. The relational aspect of how we serve cannot be sev ered from what we do or how we give.
What does it mean to serve? On the surface, it looks like something we do, but as Christians, serving is more about who we are. It is a recurring theme of Jesus’ life and ministry, and the key way through which he re vealed his character to the world. Jesus didn’t wake up in the morning and create a checklist of ways he would serve or whom he would serve. Serving others flowed from the abundance of love within him for all of Caringcreation.forand investing in the world, both locally and globally, has been part of our DNA since Summit’s in ception. The ways we’ve done so have matured over the years as we have also matured in our collective faith and identity as a church community. During our first 10 years, Summit cultivated relation ships with local organizations that were experts in their respective fields. Out of the 15% of the Summit budget that is designated to be used outside the walls of our church each year, we have invested a significant portion into these organizations that were and still are on the front lines of caring for the vulnerable, locally and globally. We got to see firsthand how many amaz ing organizations and ministries do God-honoring and life-giving work for the most vulnerable and margin alized in our area. These relationships taught us how to serve well. More specifically, they taught us that we could actually harm folks if we approached serving in a more “transactional” way. In other words, if we ap proached serving as fixing problems because we had more (resources, “expertise,” etc.) and they had less, we would be defining people by their circumstances and not seeing their inherent dignity—and thus not really serving at Hardships,all.crisis,
A LIVING(SINGULAR)SACRIFICEFULLNESSTHEOFMOREUNDERSTANDTOSEEKINGLISTEN,WEINSTEAD, ABOUT.ALLARECOMMUNITIESWHATANDAREPEOPLEWHOOF “
Elizabeth Cronlund
We want to be the Church living in such a way that we are becoming integrated into the everyday life of the commu nity outside our four walls. We want to be part of creating something good that makes life better for our neighbors because our Creator always meant for us to flourish. As the body of Christ, we aren’t supposed to hunker down and wait for heaven to come down; we’re invited to build goodness right now. Are we living in a way that lets our neighbors know we care about them in both their struggles and their joy? Do they know we see them? Have we loved them well? If not, we’re not being the Church—the body of Christ—as we were intended to be. The body of Christ isn’t something that only appears on Sundays when we gather for worship. The body of Christ has a job to do. Our job is to be, as Paul describes in Romans 12, “a living sacrifice.” Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1) Offer your bodies (plural) as a (singular) living sacrifice. We are to offer all of ourselves—not alone, but WITH the fullness of other believers—as a living sacrifice. Sacrifice in this context is an act of worship, a public display of obedi ence in response to God’s immense mercy and grace given
We know God is already at work in any place we might go, so we want to make sure we don’t miss the ways our Creator is already caring for and loving the people we meet there. More often than not, the communities and folks we encoun ter as we serve are the ones showing us the ways God has been present with them and for them in times of hardship. The marginalized matter to God, and we are invited to make room for the marginalized to matter deeply to us as well. As we’ve approached our 20th year, the question we keep asking ourselves is, “Would it matter to our community or our city if Summit Church were to disappear tomorrow?” This isn’t a question of popularity. This is a question of whether we are living on mission.
Job Serve 2013 Refugee Care Team 2018 Nice Serve 2017 Backpack Drive 2021 SUMMITIFCITYOURORCOMMUNITYOURTOMATTERITWOULD“TOMORROW?”DISAPPEARTOWERECHURCH
We often use the phrase “following relationships” to describe how we develop local and global strategies and service. What we mean by “following relationships” is that we do not seek to lead every relationship or partnership we have when it comes to serving locally or globally. We do our best not to come into a situation with an agenda. Instead, we listen, seeking to understand more of the fullness of who people are and what communities are all about.
To be more like Jesus, we have to be radical includers like he was. We don’t serve and then walk away. We also have to sincerely acknowledge our own need for Jesus so that we never create an us/them dynamic against the marginalized.
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Neglecting to humble ourselves will surely diminish the op portunity for relationships and the potential mutual transfor mation that happens when we invest in relationships outside our comfort zones. When God invites us to love our neighbors, we are being invit ed into relationships that are meant for us as much as for our neighbors. God’s invitation into serving and loving others can be incredibly scary and uncomfortable. That discomfort can make us want to pull away, but we were told to be bold and go forth as the Church. God calls us into these opportunities because the places where we need to trust him to guide us are the places where we can grow into deeper faith in him. We’ll also glimpse a larger picture of how God is making all things new—not just the things we are most familiar with. As we say yes to these invitations to serve our neighbors and to move toward those marginalized by this broken world, we’ll get to know more about our Creator and this creation he loved so dearly that he sent his only Son to redeem it. Malawi 2019 Serve 2009
to us. This is what is holy and pleasing to God: the inter connectedness of the Church, a single body made of many unique parts working in concert with God’s will. Our wit ness—how we build relationships and serve beyond Sunday worship—is meant to be a glimpse of the future shalom of the beloved community that our Creator has promised us and intended for us. As we continue into the next season of Summit’s life as a church, we are challenging ourselves to be more like Je sus, to be that living witness in the ways we serve and the ways we engage issues of justice and inequity. We’ve set our sights on supporting the systems, structures, and relation ships that reach and serve vulnerable children. In living that out, we are trying to make a tangible difference in the lives of children, families, and communities involved in the foster care system and within Title 1 schools. In the last few years, that has resulted in Care Communities and long-term com mitments to public schools, such as Colonial High School.
SACRIFICE.”LIVINGA
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THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Garry Abbott Serving Others Serving others is at the heart of what it means to be the people of God. The drum beat of the scriptures is service. In the society of the Old Testament, those with the least voice, the least social pro tection, were widows, orphans, immigrants, and the poor. Any famine, war, or political unrest would leave that group (often called the quartet of the vulnerable) almost cer tainly in a state of desperation. So God called his people to actively care for them, not as charity but as a mission—to display the character of the God who doesn’t look past the needs of the world but ultimately enters into it with love. “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the father less and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the so journer, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:17–19 “DefendESV) the weak and the fatherless; up hold the cause of the poor and the op pressed.” (Psalm 82:3 NIV) “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3–4 ESV) “Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” (Zechariah 7:10 ESV) “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” (Isaiah 58:6–7 ESV) “It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.” (Proverbs 14:21 NIV) And when Jesus entered the world, he put the heart of God on full display. Seeing us in our great need, he didn’t stay at a dis tance—he noticed us, stopped for us, and cared for us. Speaking of himself he said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). And so just as God’s people were called to look around them to find the most vul nerable a few thousand years ago, we are called to the same today—even in spite of (or maybe especially in) times of disruption and uncertainty where it might be easier to just take care of ourselves. Jesus says to shake off the fog and notice, stop, and care for the most needy.
From the beginning, that led us at Summit to look into the reality that families and communities were being ravaged by the AIDS pandemic specifically in sub-Saharan Africa and say, “Let’s pray, get educated, and go do something about this because they matter.” That led us in more recent years to look at the deep need of foster children and families locally and the tragic statistics of how difficult it is for a foster child to grow and thrive and say, “Let’s pray, get educated, and go do something about this because they matter.” That led us, as well, to look at the reality that every kind of vulnerability shows up in our local schools and say, “Let’s pray, get educated, and go do something about this because they matter.”
TOHEARTISSERVINGOTHERSATTHEOFWHATITMEANSBETHEPEOPLEOFGOD.
The call of Jesus for his Church is to show his love to the world. That will always in clude actively looking for those most at risk of being pushed aside, and then caring for, bringing hope to, and creating lasting change for them, to communicate the depth of God’s love. And that call leads us to specifically look at where the world’s need meets the unique gifting, passions, and abilities of our Summit family.
And we will continue to notice, stop, and care for the needy in our time and place in history as we seek ways to invest deeply in the lives of the vulnerable as a way of dis playing the character of the Jesus we follow. Serving others is at the heart of what it means to be the people of God. We are and always will be called into that work to in tentionally look for where the world’s need and our ability intersect and not settle for things the way they are. Rather, we seek to bring as much as we can of the kingdom that Jesus will someday bring in fullness into the here and now. In Matthew 5, Jesus said to his followers, “Let your good deeds shine.” and the result, Jesus promised is that people will look in, be curious, and praise our Father in heaven. Jesus promises that if we reflect his char acter of love by using what power we have to care for those who have less, people will praise him. And our charge is to take Jesus at his word and live like that is true. That desire has guided us for the last 20 years and will guide us into the next as we notice, stop, and care for the needy as the Jesus we follow did. Because serving others is at the heart of what it means to be the people of God.
Designed Perkins
By Greg
Tyler Jesse Rachel Victoria Ian Ashley Matt Brian Abbie Eric Tim Kate Daniel Eric Patrick Iris Angel Ashley Tommy Luci Sean Ken Kelly Will Aubrey Clark Dan Tori Jen Chris Heather Ken LJ Brandon Julianna Lauryn Andrew Charlie Mary Jason Aaron Zach Glen Mya Wes Alicia Ben Rusty Hannah Joshua Amanda Faith Krystal Nick Jeff Bob Cody Josue Jean Nilo Billy Abe Adam Amy Andrew Andy Angelyn Aviles Barbara William Brad Bradd Brendan Brianna Carol Cary Chandler Chris Dan David Elizabeth Emma Eric Garrett Gary Greg Gregory Heitor Ian Jimmy Jared Javier Jeff Jeff Jesse Jon Josh Josh Kade Kandy Katie Kevin Laura Liv Lukas Madison MaryEllen MaryHannah Meghan Meredith Michael Mike Monica Mya Noemy Pam Peter Randy Reagan Richard Ryan Ryan Sam Sarah Steve Tim Tommy Tony Trevor Walter Whitney Wilson Joelibeck Karla Jackie Jordan Jeremiah Danny Tim Dennis Josh Marco Kailey Vanessa Mikaela Paige Shawn Rachel Rebekah Tavie Tiffany Tyler Zach David Ana Jovani Zach James Aaron Louis Jeff Lynn Cory Corey Calen KP Kyle Trey Rob Eric Aubrey TJ Ailani Maddie Travis Adam Adam Adam April Ashley Audrey Becka Billy Brad Brad Brooks Bryan Caden Casey Christian Christine Corban Dan Danielle Danny Davey David David Deborah Del Eddie Eddie Elayna Eric Erin Faith Freddie Greg Guy Heather Heather James James Jason Jeffrey Jeff Joel Joey Joey JohnPaul JT Jordan Josh JP Julie Keva Kyle Laura Leah Luke Mark Matt Melody Mike Miriannette Nathan Nathan Nicole Rachel Sara Sarahbeth Scotty Shannon Shelley Tom Claire Melissa Brett Mike GrahamGailanneBradHillary Joey
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Dave Burleson
Worship volunteers at Summit aren't aiming to perform a concert or trying to blow audiences away with the invention of some groundbreaking new genre. They recognize the great privilege of joining God in his work and serving his church. They get to create a space where both believ ers and those still deciding can wrestle with hard truths and take in God’s boundless love for them—maybe even for the first time. What could be more exciting than that?
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53 “ Kate Mike Will RebekahDennisMeredithBarbaraBenLaurynTessaStephenJosueMeganBetsyDanDanaDanielJimmyJaredKevinLabriMichaelRichardWhitneyWillieOscarBrentAaronJohnJoeyAubreyChrisAudreyAustinChristineClifDelDylonEddie
Heather Heather Joey
THEY GET TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE BOTH BELIEVERS AND THOSE STILL DECIDING CAN WRESTLE WITH HARD TRUTHS AND TAKE IN GOD’S BOUNDLESS LOVE FOR THEM.
Back in 2002, Summit’s worship culture looked pretty different. A twenty-some thing Andy Simonds (now Summit’s longtime Worship Pastor) would race from Northland Church to an apartment complex clubhouse where Summit’s first services met. Of course, making this trek was only possible if there was no closing song at Northland where Andy would’ve been wrapping up his fifth service of the day. If Andy couldn't make it, Isaac Hunt er, Summit's first Senior Pastor, would grab an acoustic guitar and make the best of it. Summit was new, exciting. For Andy, Isaac, John Parker, and Bre Hallberg, Summit's first Children's Min istry Director who was taking care of kids in the apartment complex workout room, it was a labor of Whilelove.there are certainly more vocalists, instru mentalists, and technicians volunteering now than in those earliest days, the heart behind what we do is still the same: to serve God and his congregation well. It’s a phrase that’s been said in some form or fashion in every audition at every campus for two decades running. It’s safe to say our church has been blessed by the amount of talent to come through the doors, but when it comes down to it, the true mark of a Summit worship volunteer is the understand ing that what they do serves a unique purpose in God’s Sometimeskingdom.it’s looked like unloading heavy speakers on the beach in scorching heat or getting up extra early to run cables for an im promptu stage in a school cafeteria, sometimes it’s hurrying from Summit Lake Mary to be sure congregants at the 33rd Street Jail get to worship too, and sometimes it’s just a rusty drummer put ting in the extra reps at home to get their chops back. Whatever the challenge, though, it’s been in our DNA to dream big and work diligently to cre ate thoughtful environments where people can encounter the divine.
Photographed by Judy & Amanda Burr
As a team, we compiledalistof volunteers’ namesfrom over the last 20years…There’sa lot of them!
BrettMelissaMike
Mary Hannah & Josh
BrentButlerSchmelzle
Christian Christine Clif Corban Dan Danielle Danny DaveyDylon Eddie Eddie Eddie Elayna Eric Erin Faith Freddie
Jason Aaron Zach Glen Mya Wes Alicia Ben Stephen
Brent Schmelzle is one of Summit's longest standing worship volunteers, and I believe he embodies this idea as well as anyone. He started back in 2005 when the church met in Winter Park High School. One very ear ly morning, Brent awoke to an apologetic phone call from Andy saying the audio tech nician scheduled that day was ill and wasn’t going to make it in. Brent promptly stepped up and has basically served in our tech booth ever since: at the old Herndon Cam pus, Lawton Chiles Elementary, ten years at the Waterford Campus, now Summit Orlan do, and for many, many beach baptisms. Brent played a key role in coordinating our outdoor services during the pandemic.
Mary Hannah and Josh Butler are a married couple who serve together. Josh has played drums for years in bands around Orlando as well as with nationally touring acts, and Mary Hannah sang all the sweetest female leads and backgrounds on Summit’s Light Society record back in 2013. They’ve both played big roles over the last decade shap ing the sounds coming from stage at both the Lake Mary and Orlando locations. When asked what made them want to keep giv ing of their time and talents, Mary Hannah shared a sentiment similar to Brent’s: “What kept me coming back was the people. They weren't there because they wanted to be seen; they just wanted to use their talents to serve, and an added bonus was getting to play music with friends and scratch that creative itch with some stellar musicians.”
54 Jen Chris Heather Ken LJ Brandon Julianna Lauryn
Amanda Faith Krystal Nick Jeff Bob Cody Josue MeganAmy Andrew Andy Angelyn Aviles Barbara BetsyBrianna Carol Cary Chandler Chris Dan Dana DanielGarrett Gary Greg Gregory Heitor Ian Jimmy JaredJesse Jon Josh Josh Kade Kandy Katie Kevin LabriMaryEllen MaryHannah Meghan Meredith MichaelNoemy Pam Peter Randy Reagan Richard RyanTim Tommy Tony Trevor Walter Whitney Willie WilsonJordan Jeremiah Danny Tim Dennis Oscar Josh MarcoPaige Shawn Rachel Rebekah Brent Tavie Tiffany TylerZach James Aaron John Joey Louis Jeff Lynn CoryTrey Rob Eric Aubrey Chris TJ Ailani Maddie TravisAshley Audrey Austin Becka Billy Brad Brad Brooks
“These outdoor services were probably my favorite services to be a part of in 17 years of serving at Summit,” he said. “There’s just something very growing about having to set up and tear down, being reminded that the Church isn't the building. We say it from stage every week—Thank you for bringing the Church into this room this morning’— but when you actually see fellow believers show up early for each other, it does seem to make that sentiment even more real.”
Andrew Charlie Mary Jason Aaron Zach Glen Mya Wes
Tyler Jesse Rachel Victoria Ian Ashley Matt Brian AbbieDaniel Eric Patrick Iris Angel Ashley Tommy Luci SeanAubrey Clark Dan Tori Jen Chris Heather Ken LJ Brandon
Rusty Hannah Joshua Amanda Faith Krystal Nick JeffJean Nilo Billy Abe Adam Amy Andrew Andy AngelynWilliam Brad Bradd Brendan Brianna Carol Cary Chandler
Laura Liv Lukas Madison MaryEllen MaryHannah Meghan
Joelibeck Karla Jackie Jordan Jeremiah Danny Tim DennisKailey Vanessa Mikaela Paige Shawn Rachel Rebekah Brent
When assessing how well we’ve done on a Sunday, we often remind each other that it’s not about hitting all the right notes, it’s more about whether we’re leading people toward becoming better worshipers—and that includes both the congregation and our worship volunteers! This can be hard to judge, but I think hearing words like Heather’s gives us a window. “One thing the Summit worship ministry does differently from any other church I've been a part of is making sure the same team isn't scheduled every week,” she said. “We are blessed with such an abundance of talent, which means the congregation gets to hear many instru ments and voices, but also the musicians avoid the potential burnout of weekly ser vice. Being able to worship in the congrega tion as well as serve our church is actually a luxury I'm very grateful for.”
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One thing that can be said for certain, is that this church has mattered a whole lot to the worship leaders who have led here. It’s been a special place for many of us. We truly have had a unique privilege year after year of hearing from amazing musicians— it’s definitely not typical for there to be so many talented and creative people in one place for so long. The worship team, both staff and volun teers, have loved and served and cared for each other with steadfast, dedicated hearts, through hard times and good, culminat ing in 20 years of amazing teamwork and amazing worship experiences. Each volun teer with their respected gifts and talents has been a unique and magnificent expres sion of our Creator in Heaven, and their ser vice has been a gift to our church. I pray this heart to serve would continue to be the legacy here for years to come.
Michael Mike Monica Mya Noemy Pam Peter RandyRyan Sam Sarah Steve Tim Tommy Tony Trevor Walter
Zach David Ana Jovani Zach James Aaron John JoeyCorey Calen KP Kyle Trey Rob Eric Aubrey Chris TJAdam Adam Adam April Ashley Audrey Austin BeckaBryan Caden Casey Christian Christine Clif Corban DanDavid David Deborah Del Dylon Eddie Eddie Eddie Elayna Heather Jenkins is another longtime volun teer who has served for more than a decade. Her time here has been unique in that she’s been a vocalist, played the piano, organ, and percussion, run slides, and programmed lights. She’s served at reGROUP, Thursday services, and at Summit Lake Mary, the Waterford Campus, and Summit Orlando. She’s basically been everywhere and done everything. While telling her story she said, “Worship through music is a large part of what has defined my church experience, both growing up and as an adult. Coming to Summit and experiencing the excellence of the worship team, I was excited from the first time I stepped in the door to be a part of worship here. Serving with them and learning the hearts of the folks who give their time and talent to lead our congrega tion has truly been a highlight.”
Heather Jenkins
David Elizabeth Emma Eric Garrett Gary Greg GregoryJared Javier Jeff Jeff Jesse Jon Josh Josh Kade Kandy
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Chad PhotographedBuel by LJ AmandaJudy, Burr & Reagan Bartels
Liv leads worship at student ministries at the Waterford Campus
Liv had a similarly impactful mentor ship with Orlando Worship Minister Dave Burleson during her senior year of high school. She describes how he truly be lieved in her and took the time to invest in her. As a part of that mentorship, Dave and Liv met every two weeks. “We would go through what it takes to be a good leader in a Christian capacity and what it takes to be a good worship leader. We also talked about different kinds of songs and the dynamics of being a worship lead er at Surge and Edge, and he invited me to do more and play in the main service,”
57 You would see them preparing to lead their peers in a time of community-build ing and worship. You would be able to feel the excited, hurried energy as they run through their sets and rehearse, working hard to make it just right. You would see each student working as part of a team, sharing ideas and wisdom. At the start of Summit’s story was the be lief that young people are just as import ant to the life of the Church as anyone else. We believed then and still believe now that their time and talents matter to the work God is doing in the world. Twen ty years later, that spirit is alive and well and very evident in the symbiotic relation ship between Summit’s student leaders and the church’s worship and technical Elaynadepartments.Gillis, a newly-graduated high school senior, and Liv Thomson, a current college sophomore, and former Summit Student Ministries participant, are the Stu dent Ministry Worship Coordinators from our Lake Mary and Orlando locations. They lead worship for Surge, Summit’s middle school ministry, and Edge, Summit’s high school ministry at their respective loca tions. As these two student leaders reflect on those who helped them grow, they see practical examples of how Summit values young people in our efforts to follow how God values young people. Elayna shares that Sarah Crawford has been there for her since the beginning.
Liv Theremembers.studentministries-main service col laboration also plays out clearly in the relationships that Production Technician Wilson Woodyard has developed with the Student Ministry Tech Team Leaders. Rea gan Bartels is also a recent high school graduate and serves at Summit Orlando, and Garrett Cline is a current high school senior and serves at Summit Lake Mary. Looking back, Reagan says, “I didn’t actual ly know anything about how to mix a band or set up a stage at first, and it was Wilson who trained me to do all that stuff for stu dent Similarly,[ministries].”Garrett says, “Wilson has taught me the majority of what I know about run ning tech for worship at Summit. I have shadowed him countless times, run many cables with him, and worked through some tough problems with him. He also has inspired [me] and helped shape me into who I am.”
If you were to visit Summit Church on a Sunday afternoon, just before our student ministries begin, you would see several teams of students already there, our talented student leaders.
Sarah was an adult leader who served as the Student Ministry Worship Coordinator before Elayna. In 2020 while Elayna was a high school sophomore, she partnered with Sarah to lead worship for Weekend of Valor, Summit’s yearly camping trip for middle schoolers. Elayna recalls, “She just allowed me to walk into the space and made me feel like it was more mine.” The confidence gained through that experi ence continued to grow in Elayna. Now, she leads student events and is also part of the regular rotation of worship leaders for Sunday morning worship services at Summit Lake Mary.
Elayna leads worship at Summit Lake Mary on a Sunday morning Liv leads worship at Momentum, an all-campus student event
How did these adult leaders become so dedicated to helping student leaders de velop? For Wilson and Dave, their motiva tion for investing in young people traces back to the experiences they had leading worship when they were in high school. In addition to his technical expertise, Wil son is also a musician. He recalls mixed experiences of support in his high school years. Some people would learn that he played guitar and just push him out on stage to lead worship while other people took the time to invest in him. Experienc ing that difference firsthand showed Wil son the importance of actively supporting the next generation. As a teenager and into adulthood, Dave also experienced the challenges of lead ing worship without support or guidance. He explains, “I think a big part of my story is not having somebody there to kind of coach me along and having to figure it out on my own, so I definitely appreciate being there for others that are going through the same Additionally,thing.”
Dave points to the satisfac tion of helping people realize their poten tial. He sees the moment when the spark of passion for worship or tech takes hold, the moment they realize, This is something I can do. This is something I can contrib ute. This is something where I can even get some creativity. Dave says, “When I see those bright, wide eyes, I know the right wheels are turning.”
When I see those bright, wide eyes, I know the right wheels are turning.
OrlandoDaveleads worship rehearsal
Reagan does stage setup at Summit
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58 In keeping with God’s kingdom, the stories of these student leaders don’t end with them leading other students in worship. If you have attended an in-person service at either Summit’s Orlando or Lake Mary lo cations in the past year, chances are very good that you have experienced the ben efit of these collaborations. Initially, Wil son was working to equip these two high school students for their roles in the stu dent ministry environment. Now, with his coaching, both students have qualified for jobs doing stage setup alongside Wilson for Sunday morning services at Summit Or lando and Lake Mary. For Reagan, one of the benefits of her job has been the chance to learn from other Summit staff members, including Tech nical Director Joel Legros and Production Technician Heitor Lima. Garrett has had the opportunity to be the Front of House Tech nician for Sunday morning services, con trolling and balancing the sound for both the band and speakers and mixing sound.
The mutual benefit of these mentoring re lationships begins to take shape as those wheels begin to turn. Our students benefit from the wisdom and opportunities that are offered to them, and the church bene fits as they offer something we vitally need. New people, especially young people, bring fresh energy and unique perspectives to the table. Wilson explains, “I think [having young people involved is] important be cause it, in a way, continues the life of the church.” The growth and development our students experience is an undeniable ben efit they gain in these relationships, but it is not the only thing they gain. For some students, they get to turn a hobby that they love into an opportunity to serve and connect with people. As far back as elementary school, Elayna knew she liked music. She shares, “It wasn’t until I started singing at Surge and Edge that I figured [out] I actually have this gift I can use in front of people. And people really enjoy it. And it’s something I enjoy, and I just like connecting with people.” Garrett appreciates the connection he feels to the community of Summit when serving in tech: “It’s something I enjoy while help ing other people, and it’s just like a win-win for me.”
59 Other students enjoy getting to do things they otherwise would not have the oppor tunity to do. Reagan shares that her role on the tech team has opened the door to experiences she would not otherwise have had. “There are not many opportunities for a teenager to learn how to do live events. I was able to learn how to do sound mixing and to do all this stuff, and now I’ve got my foot in the door for some other opportuni ties at Summit, and that's really awesome.” Through these relationships and opportu nities, our students have a deeper sense of connection to community, and they have brought to life the common phrase around Summit: Young people matter not only in who they’re becoming but in who they are now.
Worship Pastor Andy Simonds reflects on the experience of planning Student Sun day with the student leaders. He says, “What I was so impressed by, was that [the students] showed up to our Wednesday evening rehearsal with confidence in their ideas and a vested interest in the impact both the music and the service as a whole would have on the congregation. It was a very collaborative time, and at many points, throughout the evening I felt as though I were being led through arrangement deci sions that needed to be made and not the other way around.”
The main Sunday worship services have in fact benefited from the increasing talents and capabilities of the students. Students have begun joining the existing worship and tech teams. In addition, the student teams have started fully “owning” an entire Sunday worship service each year, includ ing worship, tech, teaching, and hospitali ty—Student Sunday is fully student-led.
The power of the relationship between Summit Students and the worship and tech teams is evident and extends beyond them. The student leaders are continuing the cycle by investing in the students who are coming up behind them. Each student leader has already started to pass on the knowledge of their mentors, forming new teams of students to carry on the legacy of service they have helped create.
Adults are investing in students who are now investing in other students. This cir cular rhythm is such a clear depiction of how Christian community ought to look— pouring into who they’re becoming while celebrating who they are now.
Liv explains, “It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still be a part of the Kingdom of God. We work really hard in order to glo rify God. And it’s been shown that we have the capability to do that in a bigger way, like in the main service.”
Garrett and Wilson run the tech booth together at Summit Lake Mary
I like spending time with new and interesting people in new and interesting environments -- a camera is my excuse to do that. Using my camera to help serve others through ministry is one of my favorite things. It is some of the most important and most meaningful work of my life.”
THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORSHIP
“I got my first camera with scholarship money to study abroad in 2002 and I've been taking pictures ever since.
Scott Cook
COOKSCOTT Photography
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It is in that opportunity that real creativity lives—whether it be through music, painting, photography, building, or writing. God has given us the choice to bring about beauty or destruction through what we create, to embrace our raw materials’ potential or squander it, to connect hu manity or tear it apart. Ultimately, God gives us the choice to create in order to bring glory to him or to this world. This is the story of how just a handful of the many artists and creators at Summit have chosen to create to bring glory to God, to elevate his name, and to share with others all he has done in their lives—to worship.
Each of us have been given talents, passions, resources, and experi ences in this world— raw material at our disposal to use or not as we please. And therein lies the opportunity for creation—the opportunity to shape those God-given materials into something new and beauti ful—and, ultimately, the opportunity to worship.
“When I throw a pot, I am constantly making correc tions, some of those corrections cause a wobble, but then another small adjustment brings it back to cen ter. I think this is the metaphor—not that God simply ‘molds’ us, but that he is constantly challenging us to grow, then bringing us back to center.”
Marissa Voytenko
The medium through which Marissa paints is called encaustic, meaning to “burn in” several layers of bees wax and resin using heat. This forms the encaustic wax that Marissa can color with different pigments, and once it is heated, paint onto a surface. Whether Marissa is drawing her inspiration from music, lyrics, poems, conversations, sermons, long walks, or even other contemporary artists, her artwork and faith in Christ are so “inextricably intertwined” it is almost impossible to separate them. Marissa has shared her artwork with the Summit congregation through some of the first Summit Art Walls back in 2008. “I believe that God has purposed me to use this in credibly cool gift to glorify Him. I believe that God is faithful, true, just, compassionate, and beautiful. Knowing this influences both my process of creating and the end result … Many pieces speak about human suffering and brokenness but at the same time convey hope and redemption … For some reason, hope and redemption are dismissed as ‘sweet’ and ‘unrealistic’ within America’s culture and sarcasm and gore have become the new reality. I am still trying to show that hope and redemption are not a thing of the past–they are very present and real.”
Encaustic Painting
Doug began making ceramics in high school, and it was love at first sight—ceramics have been a part of his life ever since. Today, Doug has a studio in his back yard, and he has been exercising his talents in service to his church, molding beautiful coffee mugs that have been gifted to new partners and used to mark mile stones for Summit staff over the years. Being a potter has taught him patience and trust through life’s chal lenges as God works the same kinds of transformative changes in him.
Doug Fudge
VOYTENKOMARISSA
FUDGEDOUG Ceramics
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Bible Art Journaling
“Bible Journaling has been such a meaningful way to encounter scripture anew and express what I’m learning in my own language of doo dles and paint splatters and washi tape. Soon after discovering the Bible Journaling move ment, I began engaging with God in the mar gins of my Bible. When it comes to reading the Bible, I’ve always battled a short attention span or feeling overwhelmed by the language or the historical context. But Bible Journaling has giv en me a way to commune with God in his word in a language I understand—through artistic expression. And while meditating on scripture with a paintbrush in my hand, God has revealed Himself to me and helped reveal His will for my life. But most importantly, it has helped me dive into my Bible more than ever before as I add tools to my toolbox for unpacking scripture and not letting fear and intimidation hold me back anymore. And I can honestly say it has changed my life.”
Lauren Lanker
LANKERLAUREN
KAUFHOLZJIMMY Sing
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Graphite
“One of my favorite authors is Ernest Hemingway. He wrote, ‘There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.’ Though we probably shouldn't take much life advice from Hemingway, we can certainly learn a lot about writing from him. The point he's making is simply that writers give of themselves. For me, writing is a form of worship because I am intentionally setting aside time to give back to God what he has given to me. I'm giving back my experiences, my feelings, and my be liefs. Above all, when I write, I am stating what is true. In that way, I am focusing all of myself on the One who made me.”
Loud! | Poetry
Jimmy Kaufholz
Let Us
The Advent sermon series, The Way to the Manger, helped show the congregation at Summit Church who these women were and why God chose them to point us to the One who came to save us all. Dan Crosby used his talents and gifts to bring these wom en to life. Dan used graphite, charcoal, and a bit of historical context to dream up how they may have looked in their time and painted them more clearly into a story that, regardless of how often they had been overlooked in the past, God placed them loving ly and intentionally in. Dan Crosby
CROSBYDAN
The Way to the Manger and White Charcoal on Butchers Paper
A mistreated, cunning justice-seeker. A brave, hard-working harlot. A foreign, adopted, hope-keep ing daughter. A king-bearing, stolen wife. And a faithfilled, pregnant bride-to-be. These are the women God selected to be part of Jesus’ lineage, whose bro ken families he handpicked to include in the story of his son’s miraculous birth.
Andy Simonds
The first dynamic is that most of us are more accustomed to being entertained than to being active, creative participants in a shared experience. We go to movies, broadway shows, concerts, binge Netflix, and attend sporting events to watch those who are actually playing the game. But in times of worship, I believe we need to begin to train ourselves not to enter the room in the mindset of an observer, but instead as active participants in what happens there.
Imagine how much more beautiful our wor ship would be if all of us joined our voices with those on the stage? I can tell you from experience that on those occasions when I’ve been at the piano and the whole room is really singing, and singing loudly, you all have led me into worship every bit as much as the other way around. In that sense, ev eryone in the room is a worship leader, and every voice is needed to call one another into a more complete celebration of who God is, and what he has done for us.
The guiding principle is that the Father is seeking worshippers more than some kind of correct mode of worship. To that end, our worship services are designed in the hopes that those who participate will become worshippers. And worshippers are those whose thoughts and actions in the world are offered to God as acts of worship. Con sider these words from Romans chapter 12: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bod ies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. When I think about the congregation at Summit, the fruit of our corporate wor ship over the years is easily seen. God has shaped us into generous people; people who are quick to serve one another and our community. You don’t have to look hard to see examples of kindness, gentleness, goodness, or temperance… by God’s grace, we are becoming his worshippers. When I picture the years that lie ahead of us, I certainly hope that this will continue to be true of our worship services—name ly, that they are catalytic in the process of spiritual formation that makes worshippers. But there is something more I am hoping for, and it sounds so simple that it almost feels silly to say it: I hope we begin to sing. Every few weeks someone will grab me af ter a service and say something to the ef fect of, “That was such a beautiful time of worship, the music was so moving, so why is everyone standing there in silence like Istatues?”haveto take some of the blame for this. I am about as introverted as they come, and it is hard to raise my hands in worship when they are busy playing the piano. And not ev ery song that is part of a service at Summit invites outward, expressive participation. Sometimes a song is meant to call us into a posture of thoughtful reflection, more like a prayer. But I think there are other dynamics at play as well, and I’d like to challenge us to consider them.
The second dynamic is the background we come from. Warm culture, cold culture. Black, white, and brown culture. Pentecostal culture, Presbyterian culture. We all bring into the room some level of self-expression that has become normative for us. Some of us come in ready to sing at the top of our lungs, raise our hands, or even dance in the aisles. Others may have hearts bursting with joy but you’d never know it. Because we are quietly mouthing the lyrics on the screen without actually making a sound and have one hand firmly gripping a coffee cup and the other stuffed in a pocket just in case it gets any wild ideas during the final chorus of our favorite worship song. My invitation to the more expressive group is this: remember you are a worship lead er too. Those who are more reserved may find inspiration to lift their own voices when yours are loud and clear. When your hands are raised, maybe one of mine will come out of its warm little pocket and dare to venture above my waistline as an act of worship to our God. To the more reserved group (and I am one of you) I would challenge you with this: In timacy requires verbalizing how you feel. You know this in your relationships. You tell your mom or dad, husband or wife, “I love you.” You tell your friend, “Thanks for helping me move on Saturday, that meant a lot.” If we grow so inhibited that we stop telling our loved ones how we feel, our re lationships grow stale and hollow, even if in our hearts we know we truly love and are grateful for them. Are you fully expressing your feelings to ward God in worship? Next time you have an opportunity to worship, examine your heart and be careful of allowing inhibitions to stifle your joy. Maybe try singing loud er than you are comfortable with and see what happens! Can’t carry a tune? Just be cause you don’t have the same vocal gifting as someone else doesn’t mean your song isn’t a beautiful offering to God, who sees and knows the hearts of all. Remember how the King James Version of the Bible trans lates Psalm 98:4? It goes like this: Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing Summit,praise.let’s sing!
There has been a guiding principle for wor ship at Summit for the last 20 years. It has been shaped by Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well recorded in the Gospel of John chapter four, where they enter into a dialogue about the proper form of “Sir,”worship.thewoman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, ...a time is coming and has now come when the true worship ers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."
YOU ARE A WORSHIP LEADER
SUMMIT
