SUMMIT Magazine | Issue 25 | People Devoted to God. In Community. On Mission. For God's Glory.

RELATIONSHIPS matter. TRUTH matters. WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE matters. YOU MATTER.

People Devoted to God. In Community.

On Mission.

For God’s Glory.

ISSUE 25 // 2016

CONTENTS

Issue 25 // 2016

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RADAR 04

Let’s Celebrate. The new Lake Mary building has officially opened. Check out their new digs!

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Meet Tim Burkholder. Our 33rd Street Campus Minister tells us why he is on Team 33rd.

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Year One. Summit’s Strategy Team sits down with us to share how they’re re-approaching the vision inside and outside the walls of the church.

CONNECT 16

Tim Schulte. With each step of obedience, this Summit partner is learning how he can be used by God to build His Kingdom.

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Chad and Jenni Cowart. A couple looking for ways to serve people living in The City Beautiful discovers a Summit ministry with the same purpose.

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Rhonda Shurtleff. This LifeWorks leader and Summit partner combines her passion for cultivating relationships and financial planning to help others in the workplace.

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RETHINK 28

The Church Is. To be the Church, we must understand our identity as people devoted to God, in community, on mission, for God’s glory. Read four devotionals to help you grow closer to those around you and embrace God’s vision for His church.

FAMILY 36

Growing up Summit. Check out these stories of how Base Camp and Summit Students are playing a part in your child’s spiritual maturity.

ETC. 43

Must Reads. Five books to help you dive into Summit’s vision.

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Artist Feature: The Sugarcrash Kids. This imaginative trio is redefining the future of children’s entertainment, one podcast at a time.

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a LETTER from

THE PARKERS John , Brandy, Mulunesh, Sinkenesh, Archike, Samuel, Abush, and Aschalew.

Greetings Summit Family!

Have you ever dared to think that you might be the busiest person you know? If you have, chances are you have allowed your calendar, your schedule, and your commitments to drift into areas of inefficiency. When that happens you tend to feel more busy and less rewarded as a result. A person who is drained by the activity level of their lives will tend to describe their schedule in terms of busyness. A person who is thriving in the activity of their lives will tend to describe their schedule according to its fullness.

The truth is, most of us have packed lives.

Whether it is the demands of work, being the parent that shows up at every game, or the pressure of a seemingly inhumane course load, most everyone I know has a lot going on.

That is not a bad thing by itself, but it can be detrimental if we allow our calendars to set the priorities of our lives rather than use the calendar to make room for our priorities.

When I begin to feel like I might be busier than others, I try to quickly repent of that notion and trace the feeling of busyness to its source. There I usually find that I have allowed an imbalance in my schedule and, as a result, I am imbalanced in my life. I am expending energy faster than I am building reserves. Or, I am working on things that I am not good at and am discouraged as a result. It’s also a possibility that I have said yes to something, because it feels better to say yes, but now, because of that easy yes, I have to say no to something or someone really needing my attention.

However it comes about that I feel busier than is fair, the goal in correcting my course is

not to have an emptier calendar, but rather to have my calender serve my values and priorities.

Over the years, as our family has moved through seasons of life, there are three things that have greatly aided us in setting the direction and pace of life. And if you are wondering, the pace of our life is exceedingly fast by nature (six kids and all), so having means by which to steer life is very important.

1. KNOW OUR PRIORITIES. It seems obvious, but I have been surprised more than once at how little attention I pay to setting my priorities. I find myself knowing something is off in my priorities, only to realize that what is off is that I don’t clearly know what my priorities are.

Several months back, Brandy and I realized something was off in our family schedule.

We were moving a thousand miles an hour, but had no sense of where our schedule was taking us. So we invited the kids to join us in a family meeting where we would set our family values for how to commit our time. Everyone participated and we left with a list of eight values that we all agreed on as a family.

These values inform our priorities and are the tiebreakers when things are competing for space in our lives.

2. REMEMBER THE SABBATH. Brandy and I don’t look for breaks in our calendar to plan for rest. Instead, we hold a day, the same day, every week. That day we keep as a Sabbath, a day of rest. We intentionally step back from being productive through work. Every week, we rest and we remember that the world doesn’t end as a result. We need that reminder, almost more

than we need the rest. We need to remember that God gets along just fine without our help. We need to remember that our house won’t burn down if the dishes stay in the sink overnight. We need to be reminded that our value is not rooted in what gets done, but what God has done for us.

3. BE IN A SUMMIT CONNECT GROUP. This has never been easy, and we know this is a huge commitment. However, for the last 10 years (with short seasonal exceptions), Brandy and I have been in one Summit Connect group after another, doing our best to learn, serve, and worship as part of Christ-Centered community.

We have needed our groups to keep our hearts tender for others. We have needed them to gain strength from during seasons of transition. We have depended on the prayers of our groups. We have grieved and celebrated in our groups.

Being in a Summit Connect group has made the church come alive for us in ways that would never happen in a worship service. Being in a group moves the church from corporate to community. It is how we live out the vision between Sundays.

Our lives are either busy or full. They can be busy with things that rob us of life and draw us from our priorities or they can be full—full of life, full of meaning, full of Godly rest, full of the church coming alive for us. Full is the goal for the Parker family and will be our prayer for you as well.

JOHN PARKER, Lead Pastor

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Meet the Staff DAN SHERFIELD //Summit Connect Director Dan Sherfield was born in Reading, England and still maintains a British citizenship (yes, he is the only British Summit staff member, which is very cool). After growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, Dan moved to Orlando 18 years ago. He and his wife Amanda, have three sons and two twin daughters.

Dan has been attending Summit for about seven years.

As the Summit Connect Director, Dan works to innovate ways for people at Summit to live every day within a Christ-centered community. Dan also loves soccer, all kinds of water sports, and playing with his kids!

Magazine Issue 25 STRATEGY TEAM

Our senior staff members are responsible for leading the church and its ministries according to the pattern in the Scriptures.

Lead Pastor John Parker // jparker@summitconnect.org Worship Pastor Andy Simonds // asimonds@summitconnect.org Organizational Development Pastor Jeff Kern // jkern@summitconnect.org Herndon Campus Pastor Garry Abbott // gabbott@summitconnect.org Administrative Assistant to John Parker Lauren Gaines // lgaines@summitconnect.org TEACHING TEAM

A concept modeled by the early church in Acts, this team gives us the opportunity to hear the same sound, biblical truth from more than one voice.

Teaching Minister Jim Keller // jkeller@summitconnect.org Teaching Minister Zach Van Dyke // zvandyke@summitconnect.org CAMPUS MINISTERS

Meeting people where they are and helping them get connected in service and community are what this team is all about.

Herndon Campus Pastor Garry Abbott // gabbott@summitconnect.org

KEELY HARDAWAY //Waterford Children’s Ministry Director Keely moved around a lot as a child, but she grew up mainly in east Asia. She studied at the University of Florida, where she earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in elementary education. She and her husband, Clark, started attending Summit shortly after moving to Orlando in the fall of 2012, and she volunteered in Base Camp for a few years. She was thrilled to join the Summit staff as the Waterford Children’s Ministry Director in April 2015 and pursue her passion for children’s ministry. In her free time, Keely enjoys reading children’s literature, quilting, and playing strategy board games.

TREY COLSON //Worship Director Trey is a native Floridian and got his first set of drums when he was 13—building his chops in punk rock and youth group worship bands. Trey started attending Summit in 2005, and after filling in one Sunday when a drummer called out sick, Trey became a regular worship volunteer. Now, as Worship Director, he manages the logistics that go into making the Sunday worship experience happen, and is involved with volunteer care and coordination. Trey and his wife, Rachel, have two sweet kids, Everett and Millie. He likes breakfast foods, Lord of the Rings, and blue shirts.

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Waterford Campus Minister Sam Arocho // sarocho@summitconnect.org Lake Mary Campus Minister O.J. Aldrich // oaldrich@summitconnect.org 33rd Street Campus Minister Tim Burkholder // tburkholder@summitconnect.org FAMILY MINISTRY

This dynamic team communicates week in and week out to your kids and students that God loves them and that God has big plans for their lives.

Family Ministry Director Tracy Beeson // tbeeson@summitconnect.org Herndon Children’s Ministry Director Deanna McLellan // dmclellan@summitconnect.org Waterford Children’s Ministry Director Keely Hardaway // khardaway@summitconnect.org FIRST IMPRESSIONS

They’re responsible for making sure everyone who walks throuh the doors at Summit feels welcome and at home by overseeing the volunteers and environments that create your first impression of Summit.

First Impressions Director Jessica Meyer // jmeyer@summitconnect.org SUMMIT CONNECT

Relationships matter, and this team helps our congregation live that out by creating environments where people can grow in the knowledge and character of Christ.

Summit Connect Director Dan Sherfield // dsherfield@summitconnect.org reGROUP Director Kailey Newkirk // knewkirk@summitconnect.org LOCAL & GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

This team strives to care well for those in need and build relationships with organizations worldwide that share a vision for ending injustices brought about by poverty.

Herndon Campus Pastor Garry Abbott // gabbott@summitconnect.org CREATIVE/ COMMUNICATIONS

This creative crew makes sure the Summit community has everything they need to take those important next steps and live out Summit’s vision through providing information and news via online and print mediums.

Creative Director Greg Perkins // gperkins@summitconnect.org

Contributors OPERATIONS

They handle accounting, bookkeeping, facilities management, human resources, office administation, IT, and more—basically the Summit office wouldn’t run without this team of behind-the-scenes superstars.

Organizational Development Pastor Jeff Kern // jkern@summitconnect.org Controller Adrienne Evans // aevans@summitconnect.org WORSHIP

This talented crew plans the weekly services, ensuring that all elements are cohesive, purposeful, and engaging for the congregation—in addition to heading up an incredibly talented team of volunteer musicians.

Worship Pastor Andy Simonds // asimonds@summitconnect.org Worship Director Trey Colson // tcolson@summitconenct.org

MAGAZINE STAFF Editorial/Art Director Kristy-Lee Lawley Managing Editor Katie Schmidt

MELISSA FORBES //Writer Melissa has been writing for fun since she was a teenager! She was first published in her early 20s and eventually became a professional writer. She has been attending Summit for nine years and served in several different areas—Base Camp, niceSERVE projects, missions teams to Africa and the Dominican Republic, and she was on the ground floor of a new ministry called reGROUP a few years back! Melissa loves reading, biking with her husband, and hosting friends at her home.

She hopes heaven is just like a group of people sitting around a table, eating good food, and laughing together.

Guest Art Director Jeremy Kennedy Editors Nathan Boyett, Brian Compton, Rebekah Crosby, Shannon Harmon, Abby Holmes, Ann Miller, Katie Schmidt, Ashley Simonds Contributing Writers Garry Abbott, Tracy Beeson, James Brendlinger, Tim Burkholder, Laura Cook, Elizabeth Cronlund, Melissa Forbes, Kari Freeman, Keely Hardaway, Laura Hunt, Jim Keller, Kristy-Lee Lawley, Jeremy Lukens, Kailey Newkirk, John Parker, Katie Schmidt, Melanie Snavely, Melissa Stillman, Zach Van Dyke Contributing Photographers Ashley Blahnik, Kate Bosse, Kimberly Chin, Courtney Cline, Scott Cook, Seth Dunlap, Kari Freeman, Matthew Givey, Michael Harrison, Brian Hogan, Deborah Kline, Caroline Minnerly, Greg Perkins, William Arthur Photography, Lizzie Randazzo, Mark Ronhaar

VISIT US

Summit Herndon 735 Herndon Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803

KATE BOSSE //Photographer Kate studied photography in college and now considers photography a lifestyle that allows for satisfying bits of creativity in her every day life!

She started attending Summit about four years ago after first hearing about our reGROUP ministry and quickly became passionate about walking with women through their recovery process. When she’s not Instagramming photos of her babies, Leo and Nora, she runs a web design firm, MOR Creative.

Service Times: Thursdays, 7 p.m., Sundays, 9 a.m.*, 11 a.m., & 6 p.m. (*ASL interpreters available at the 9 a.m. service)

Summit Waterford 11602 Lake Underhill Road Suite 110, Orlando, FL 32825 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.

Summit at 33rd Street Jail Women’s Service Times: Sundays, 1:30 p.m.

Men’s Service Times: Sundays, 2 p.m.

(This service is for the Horizon Wing & Female Detention Center inmates at the Orange County Jail.)

CONTACT US Office Hours (Herndon Campus Location): Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Call: (407) 897-8130

Email: summit@summitconnect.org

ANN MILLER //Editor After spending 19 years as missionaries in Kenya, Ann Miller and her family moved to Orlando and walked into Summit for the first time on Africa Sunday in 2008.

They’ve been at Summit ever since! Ann has served on our Ministry Team, in Base Camp, and as a Connect group leader. In addition to being an incredibly involved partner at Summit, Ann is a university professor, enjoys decorating cakes, water painting, and spending time with her husband of 34 years and five children.

FIND US ON THE WEB: www.summitconnect.org

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Say “Hello!”

LAKE MARY HAS A NEW HOME KARI FREEMAN

SCOTT COOK & BRIAN HOGAN

There’s a corner in the new Lake Mary Foothills space with a few couches and a foosball table. As ordinary as it may sound, this corner would be well recognized by anyone involved in the building of the new Lake Mary space. This area grew from the Lake Mary staff’s meeting space to essentially the “home base” for the expansion of the small office space into our new permanent home.

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During the building process you never knew who you would find in this corner, from contractors meeting with the leadership team to a Connect group eating lunch after setting out sanctuary chairs. You might see the tech crew discussing our new screen operation or middle schoolers taking a selfie after spending the day painting the Base Camp rooms. Some mornings it was filled with families assembling shelves, kids unwrapping (and testing!) all of the new Stepping Stones toys, or John Parker working on his laptop next to a Communications meeting.

In that corner, we gathered as staff, as friends, as a community, day in and day out in a display of our commitment to show every person in Lake Mary how much they matter to God, and the result was indescribable. Not in the building we built (though the space is

amazing!), but in the community that thrived. That existing community paved the way to invite in as many more as we can hold. And, as the day of the grand opening finally arrived, you could see it on every face; each person that had a hand in this building beamed as new families walked through the brand new doors, as new children were welcomed into Base Camp, and as visitors were greeted at the Information Booth.

God did big things in that small corner. It now hosts 3rd-5th grade small groups, where I know big things are happening in those little hearts. But for some of us, it will always be “home base”, and I know that we will never forget the work started in that corner, nor the promise of the future that many of us saw there.

TAKE A TOUR OF SUMMIT LAKE MARY

The Lake Mary lobby is welcoming with a friendly First Impressions team, comfy seating, coffee, and an Art Wall that showcases the smiling faces of this Summit community.

Made just for our 3-month-olds to 5-year-olds, our Stepping Stones classrooms create a fun and engaging environment to share how much God loves them!

Graffitied walls shout out what our K-5th grade kids are learning in Base Camp: They can trust God no matter what, treat others the way they want to be treated, and make the wise choice.

K-5th grade kids worship in their Large Group environment. This room provides our elementary students a place to gather and worship and hear God’s Word together.

The Theatre is where our middle and high school students hear relevant biblical teaching and engaging worship during Surge and The Edge. We also host our family production, BCL, in the Theatre.

On Sundays, worshipers gather in the Sanctuary to hear worship music from one of our bands and teaching from one of our Teaching or Campus Ministers.

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LOCKING ARMS WITH 33RD TIM BURKHOLDER, 33RD STREET CAMPUS MINISTER

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IT WAS MY FIRST TIME IN THE 33RD STREET JAIL. I had no idea what to expect and I was slightly nervous, thanks in part to Hollywood portrayals of life “behind bars.” It was a Sunday afternoon and I was there early because—let’s be honest—I didn’t want to break the rules. Rule number one if you’re visiting a jail: don’t break the rules. The rest of the team arrived on time and, after setting off the metal detector (it’s always the belt, even at the airport, right?), we were on our way to dorm 6d of the Horizon Building for church.

We walked past the razor-sharp barbed wire, which is pretty intimidating up close, and into Horizon. Once inside, the control room buzzed us in to where we were going to set up for the service. The room looked a lot like a high school cafeteria and as we began to set up the speakers and projector, I had a slight feeling of nostalgia. I remembered the early days of Summit Waterford—how we would arrive early Sunday morning to convert an elementary school cafeteria into a church sanctuary. I remembered that long before Waterford, we would connect XLR cables to microphones each week at Winter Park High School, and how, even before that, we would push chairs around at the Aloma Cinema Grill so that people could worship God and do church together (in a movie theater of all places).

Although the environment was new, I felt a sense of home while locking arms with Team 33rd as we transformed a unique venue into a place where inmates could hear that they matter to God. It was quickly apparent that it very much mattered to them that Summit shows up week after week. It’s the only campus I’ve been to where the congregation sings louder than the band, and where nearly fifty percent of the attendees turn in prayer request cards each week.

I discovered that the vision of Summit was and is being lived out inside 33rd Street Jail. Our 33rd Street campus continues to do what Summit has always done: reach lost people, connect in Christ-centered relationships, teach truth, serve others, and worship God. The opportunity to serve at 33rd has been incredibly meaningful in the life of Summit Church and in the lives of the men and women who pass through the jail. Through Sunday services, Summit Connect groups, and reGROUP, we seek to make connections with inmates that encourage them to take their next right steps with and toward a God who loves them unconditionally.

Despite my nervous anticipation of what a campus inside a jail might look like and feel like, the team walked with me every step of the way and I quickly learned there was nothing for me to be anxious about. I walked out past the razor-sharp barbed wire and felt like a part of the family. I myself was encouraged through having the chance to do life alongside the men of 33rd, and I felt privileged to be the newest member of Team 33rd.

“Our 33rd Street campus continues to do what Summit has always done: reach lost people, connect in Christ-centered relationships, teach truth, serve others, and worship God.” —Tim

MEET LINDSEY COATES MINISTRY COORDINATOR

In the spring of 2013, doors were opened for Summit to begin a ministry in the women’s side of 33rd and during the Advent season of 2014, the women celebrated their first service together. This expression of Summit looks very different than our other campuses, as you can likely imagine! On the women’s side, there are 25 or so women sitting in a small classroom and the women are vocal and interactive.

If they agree or disagree or want to add a comment to the sermon, they will without hesitation. There is no podium, no stage, and no separation between congregation and pastor. Everyone is on the same level.

Lindsey Coates, who had been an active volunteer alongside Team 33rd, joined our staff in September of 2015. Her role as 33rd Street Ministry Coordinator allows her to lead the women’s church service by coordinating worship, communicating with volunteers, and organizing a service that works in the space of the jail and still feels like a Summit service.

Catch a glimpse of what it looks inside of 33rd Street through Lindsey’s eyes by reading some of her blog posts at blog.summitconnect.org.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with Team 33rd, we would love to have you.

Email summit@summitconnect.org for more information.

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ALSO FEATURED: KATE BOSSE, SCOTT COOK, MICHAEL HARRISON, LIZZIE RANDAZZO, KATIE SCHMIDT 8 SUMMIT//Issue 25

IT’S A NEW YEAR Year One of Summit’s future is about building and growing a team ready to engage with the vision and trust that God will continue to change lives here.

KATIE SCHMIDT KIMBERLY CHIN

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ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, at any given Summit campus, there are a few things you can expect to hear—a few Summit-isms, if you will. One that has always stood out to me is when the worship leader for that service greets us with “thank you for bringing the church into this room.” This old movie theatre, this old office space, a high school for a season, a jail, a beach for baptisms.

We, collectively as a group, are the church and we bring it wherever we go.

There’s something inherent there that Lead Pastor, John Parker, touched on during this past Vision Sunday. This isn’t just the church we go to, but it’s the church that we are. It isn’t a building we show up to once or twice a week, but it’s something that we are at home, at work, in school, in our neighborhood, waiting for a Publix sub, and driving down Colonial Drive. Don’t worry, that last one isn’t easy for me either.

John also took Vision Sunday to explain what we’re calling Year One, which essentially is an idea that came from the strong sense that there was a new breeze blowing at Summit as we entered 2015. As John said at the most recent Forum, God changed lives in this place in our first Year One, in year six, year nine, year twelve, and He will continue to. Year One of Summit’s future is about building and growing a team ready to engage with the vision and trust that God will continue to change lives here.

I was really excited to sit down with our Strategy Team—John, Andy Simonds, Worship Pastor, Garry Abbott, Herndon Campus Pastor, and Jeff Kern, Organizational Development Pastor. We got to talk through where the heart behind Year One comes from (which, prompted Andy to start singing a Heart song), what specific innovations I can keep my eye out for, and how each of them is personally living out the vision.

“There was fresh energy and fresh engagement coming into this 2015,” John says. “It felt like we were a step away from being in a season of crisis, transition, and turmoil. Not that we’re completely separate from that now, but we’re a step out of it. So then we can start asking—how do we live well in a fresh new year, with fresh opportunity?”

Part of that fresh opportunity means that our best means of measuring success or progress is to measure against possibility. We can pull away from the impulse to look at things the way we’ve always looked at them and start innovating.

“That was one of the first things that really resonated with me when John cast that idea of this being year one,” Jeff says. “In the first year of a church, there’s a willingness to innovate, a willingness to say ‘okay we’re doing this, but it looks like we should maybe try this.’”

In the spring of 2015, we gathered for a Beach”less” Baptism.

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Say “Cheese!” The Waterford campus having some fun at their potluck.

Andy, who founded Summit alongside John and former pastor Isaac Hunter, explains that “one of the things that you do in the early days of a church plant is you take the pieces of your vision, and you spend extended periods of time on certain aspects of each piece.” This was done in Summit’s earliest days and eventually certain methodologies started to form and ministries began to take shape. Andy adds, “In this season, we can do the same thing. We can take ‘Connect in Christ-centered community’ and really innovate around that idea. And that to me feels very much like what we were doing in the early days of planning Summit. “ Not only was this type of thinking present in the beginning stages of the church, but it’s also been a staple in the process of launching new Summit campuses. When Waterford and Lake Mary were first forming, the teams looked at existing ministries and thought through what changes might be needed for a unique place and season. They committed to be a part of something that wasn’t yet fully realized, and took it upon themselves to dream up what it could be.

Garry saw this up-close when he was launching our multi-sites, and he now sees a similar thing happening across Summit through the Year One mindset. “We all come to it saying—whatever Summit is, it’s not completely finished, but we’re willing to see it be built together. If we all buy into that idea, that’s where innovation is the most fun. We’ve experienced seasons like this with people willing to go multi-site, but it’s great to be talking about it as an entire church. I think the potential of that is huge.”

In a church as big as Summit, it can sometimes be tricky to see that each individual is needed to build the church. But we’re all invited to step up and join in what God wants to accomplish in and through Summit.

When something is starting, everyone who is on the ground floor is there because they need to be. They have a purpose, and whether or not they fully engage their purpose matters. This is one of the reasons why Year One isn’t just about what new ministries and ideas the Strategy Team will develop, but the challenge to each of us to personally live out the vision.

If you had asked me a few months ago if I knew the vision, I would have told you absolutely. I’ve been coming to Summit since 2009, and c’mon, the vision is up on the art wall and on the website and—okay, yeah it’s everywhere. I get the vision. We reach lost people through multiple campuses. We connect in Christ-centered community in Connect groups. Teaching Ministers handle the teach truth thing on Sundays. We serve others through events like niceSERVE. And on Sundays we sing along to worship songs.

But if you asked me how I personally was living out the vision?

Now that would be a little more difficult for me. In a very real sense, I was doing what my church did, not what I did. Hanging my hat on

WHAT’S NEW

We are trying a few new things to create more opportunities for you to connect with Summit’s vision!

Serving Others // niceSERVE

IN MANY WAYS, niceSERVE still largely functions just as the first one did—a 3-hour church-wide service event on a Saturday morning. But the first niceSERVE was built for Summit when we were a couple hundred people in our midtwenties; we’re now a more diverse group of people meeting in multiple locations! So, we’ve taken a snapshot of who we are as a church in this season and are expanding the thought behind niceSERVE for the sake of having a deeper impact.

The result is the idea that niceSERVEs of the future will have a compounding effect over the course of a weekend. “Imagine twenty people trying to paint a house in three hours, versus twenty people in groups of four spread out in three-hour blocks over the course of a weekend,” Andy explains. “That’s the way to paint the house. It’s not just better for us, it’s better for the people we’re serving.”

Christ-centered Community // Sunday Lunch

WE’RE LOOKING TO SHORTEN THE DISTANCE between someone’s first time at Summit and their connection with a Summit Connect group and we’re hoping to do this in a couple different ways! One of our avenues will be through Sunday Lunches. These lunches will be every other month for people who have been at Summit for ten years, ten minutes, or somewhere in between to have the opportunity to share a meal with the people they go to church with. From there, people will have the opportunity to transition into Starter Groups, which meet for five weeks and will ideally become a place for people to settle down into community here. summitconnect.org 11

WHAT’S NEW

We are trying a few new things to create more opportunities for you to connect with Summit’s vision!

Reaching Lost People // Campus Launches The Windermere/Dr. Phillips Campus has launched.

The Go West team has been investing in Connect groups, participating in niceSERVE, and digging into community together. The campus will start meeting over in that area of town once the team reaches 300 people, and the current group of 160 is extremely committed to inviting friends, co-workers, and neighbors to grow their team in numbers. This is a group of people at Summit who are on mission together for a specific area in Orlando. “To me, what’s most exciting here is not that we’re close to some date of something, but that missionally things are already happening and there are people who are committed to continue that together,” Garry, who is leading this team, says.

Want to join the team? Interested in learning more?

Email Garry at gabbott@summitconnect.org.

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the ministry environments Summit offered me, rather than coming up with ways my own undertaking of teaching truth could impact the people closest to me.

“There’s a loss of potential if we focus on only the corporate aspects of living out the vision, but it doesn’t connect with personal aspects,” John explains. “Summit won’t thrive unless the people that make up the church are thriving.”

We all get to be a part of what Summit’s future will look like.

It’s not strictly tied to a change in niceSERVE, or ways we’ll shake up how we do Summit Connect. We get to be a part of what God intends to do in this place by taking Summit’s vision and applying it to our everyday lives.

That vision hasn’t changed. The vision is our best understanding of God’s vision for His church, drawn from the Great Commission, the

“Just because it’s a new season doesn’t mean God has different purposes for His church. Rather, the new season means we get to live with fresh intentionality the timeless purposes of the church captured in our vision. Some of the how will change, but not the what.” —John Great Commandment, and the actions of the earliest church. We’ll continue to be a church committed to forming biblically functioning communities that reach lost people, connect in Christ-centered relationships, teach truth, serve others, and worship God. “When we talk about innovation, we’re not talking about innovating in what the vision is, but how we go about living it,” John says. “Just because it’s a new season doesn’t mean God has different purposes for His church. Rather, the new season means we get to live with fresh intentionality the timeless purposes of the church captured in our vision. Some of the how will change, but not the what.”

HOW I’M LIVING OUT SUMMIT’S VISION

SUMMIT’S STRATEGY TEAM SHARES WITH US HOW THEY’RE APPROACHING THE VISION OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THE CHURCH.

John Parker LEAD PASTOR

I AM MOST NATURALLY WIRED to engage with the Serve Others part of our vision. I carry a tow-rope in my truck in case someone needs help on the side of the road (even if that person most often happens to be me). I was late for a niceSERVE because I got to stop and help a guy push his motorcycle to a freeway exit. The truth is, I don’t have to work to cultivate a passion to serve. I have learned, however, that I have to be intentional about keeping my passion stoked for those who are far from God. There are some people who are naturally evangelistic; they lead people to Jesus as easily as I stop to help someone in need. I learned early in life that I was not wired the same way.

When I was 9 or 10, I led the neighbor kid in the sinner’s prayer and was rewarded by that same kid later in the week when he threw a rock at me, splitting my forehead. In my childish mind and low understanding of grace, I just assumed the rock throwing meant his salvation didn’t take. My evangelism track-record has not improved much since, but I have come to see that as a gift.

Because I have to work on finding the courage to lead others into spiritual conversations, I am blessed with the need to go first to God for wisdom in those relationships. Where my instinct to serve can be thoughtless and on impulse, my work in reaching people who are far from God is an intensely spiritual and Christcentered activity.

In the last few years God has reminded me of His heart for people who are lost through my kids. One of my sons, in particular, has become intensely aware that our neighbor boy is not a follower of Jesus and comes from a distinctly anti-religious family. My son is naturally wired to care about his friend and is often asking me advice about how to respond to his buddy’s questions. It has been a helpful challenge for me to see my son’s gentle intentionality and pure heart, and I aspire to have the same in my relationships with the families on our street.

Garry Abbott HERNDON CAMPUS PASTOR

RECENTLY MY WIFE AND I BEGAN TO ASK ourselves the question, not in so many words, but we asked the question, “what would it look like for us to live out the vision of Summit for our neighborhood?”

We recently started a Connect group with people who call Summit their church home and began studying the book, The Art of Neighboring. This is helping us to look for ways to love our neighbors (the ones that live 30 feet or so away from us) as ourselves. We do this because there are people in our neighborhood who don’t know the truth of the gospel and have never seen the hope of the gospel lived out. We want to do what we can to change that for them.

We began looking for practical ways to know and care for our neighbors better. Serving others started to take shape through baking bread for our neighbors. The bread was nice, but what matters more is the conversations that are possible when you knock on your neighbor’s door and tell them they matter with a small but significant gesture. We have had a chance to talk with neighbors who have lost loved ones to cancer, are struggling to find work, are excited about grandchildren, or are new to the neighborhood and looking for friends. The space for relationships that honor and point to Jesus is beginning to be created.

For us, it’s not as though just one aspect of the vision of Summit can be lived out in our neighborhood. When we connect in Christ-centered relationships, we learn the truth of who Jesus is and this truth helps us to serve and reach lost people with the Gospel. In this way, we’re doing what we can to present ourselves as living sacrifices to God in a way that is good for the people that live closest to us. To say that our neighborhood is becoming our mission field would be far too cliché. But to say that our neighbors matter enough that we should care about them and love them and serve them would be a truth we want them to know. summitconnect.org 13

Andy Simonds WORSHIP PASTOR

THIS FALL, MY SON Michael entered his freshman year of high school and continued to pursue his passion—football.

While at a recent away game, a mom enthusiastically greeted me at the concession stand “Coach Kern!” It took me a minute to calibrate and remember. She went on to thank me for the years I had coached her son and said nice things about the spiritual impact Michael and I had on the both of them.

After the game, I stuck around to talk with my former player.

Still wet with sweat from a hard-fought battle, I gave him a big bear hug and relished the opportunity to catch up with him—all the while marveling at the young man he has become.

My foray into coaching came back in 2006. I was looking for a way to get both quality time with my son, while simultaneously creating more opportunity to influence people for Christ. At the time, I had a demanding job as an Executive with a rapidly growing business. Between work, raising four children, and just handling the basics like mowing the lawn—life seemed rather full. I doubted I’d have the time or energy to throw in fully! But, I’m glad I did.

My first team was disciplined and hard-working, with little to show for it in the W-L column (1-5). But, boy did we have fun! I enjoyed quality time with Michael, and took a genuine interest in the boys and their families. But I was unsure how to have a spiritual impact. I realize now it came through in the little things.

The way we respond to a bad call by the refs, how we treat a kid who made a bad play, how we handle defeat, having the courage to be a team that prays—win or lose. It comes largely in the example we set.

Looking back, I am thrilled for the doors this has opened. Over the years, I’ve been able to come alongside my teams and their families. I’ve offered counseling and support to a struggling marriage and seen a handful of my fellow coaches turn to the Lord. One has even begun preparing for a calling into full-time ministry!

And perhaps my greatest joy was when Michael recently told me about a couple of his teammates that he has been able to influence spiritually by inviting them to a regular Bible study on campus. He has caught the vision. And that’s a really good thing.

Coach Kern. So glad I jumped in—it’s been a good run.

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DURING THIS LAST FALL SEASON, my family had our first taste of what it’s like to kick off the weekend under the Friday night lights of a soccer field—and I have to admit, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Being an introverted-musician-type, and nominal-at-best sports fan (with the exception of a fanatical obsession with the Orlando Magic during their 2009 season), I wasn’t sure how well I’d fare as a soccer Dad. My wife Ashley, knowing this, signed up our middle son Finn on a team with a group of wonderful friends from Summit and his preschool, some of whom I’ve known since I was in college. It turned out to be a great experience. Among other things, I learned that tiny shin guards and cleats are surprisingly expensive, a Slurpee bribe buys all kinds of hustle, and shiny medals handed out after the last game guarantee everyone goes home feeling like a winner, regardless of what happened up ‘til then. I wonder how old Finn needs to be before I tell him second place is just the first loser?

Just kidding.

On our way home from that final game, Ashley made an observation that took me by surprise. She acknowledged the fact that she had chosen the team based on the people on it. They’re fun, good people—people who I want influencing my life and the lives of my kids. They’re people we already knew or wanted to know better. This is all good—there’s nothing wrong with any of this. It’s Christ-centered community, right?

Here’s where Ashley was going. We’ve been reading the same book Garry mentioned—The Art of Neighboring—and one of the repeated admonitions is to create space so it’s possible for your life to intersect with the lives of your neighbors. And the book is talking about literal neighbors. We live downtown, the soccer league is in Maitland, and most of our friends on the team live in Maitland or Winter Park. We’ve been driving a combined two hours every week between practices and games to invest in relationships with people we already know, who are neighbors in the general sense of the word—because taking the word that way means everybody—but they don’t live in our neighborhood.

The book argues that when we only think of the word “neighbor” in this general sense (love “everybody” as yourself), we will tend to gravitate toward safe relationships. These are usually existing relationships with people who share our same value systems because they exist within the church/school/work frameworks we are comfortable with. So Ashley wants us to find a soccer league in our neck of the woods (or the city, as the case may be) and I am grateful for and challenged by her suggestion: That we engage Summit’s vision better by reaching people who live and work and play in our neighborhood. Who is your neighbor?

LIVING OUT THE VISION

Stories of Summit attendees who are personally engaging with the vision and being the church in their everyday lives.

Responding to God’s Call // In 2012, Tim Schulte went on a mission’s trip to Africa. Little did he know that through that first step of faith to serve in a faraway place, God would prepare him for a future trip to Africa—one where he could use his skills and knowledge as a lawyer.

Wealth of Wisdom // A knowledge for financial planning and a passion for cultivating relationships, Rhonda Shurtleff has made helping others achieve financial stability into a career.

Serving the City // Through their involvement with our Community Engagement Department, Chad and Jenni Cowart have learned what it means to surrender themselves to God and be intentional in how they respond to those in need.

Life’s Better Together // The goal of Summit Connect has always been to build Christ-centered community within the church, but what does that look like? How does it happen? And what can happen when it does? Five unique Connect groups invited us in to show us how they’ve answered some of those questions.

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Responding to God’s Call MEET TIM SCHULTE LAURA COOK

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MARK RONHAAR

TIM SCHULTE NEVER IMAGINED there could be a need in the middle of Africa for an American commercial litigation lawyer like himself. Despite feeling like God was calling him to use his professional skills there, he just couldn’t see how. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘Nobody in a foreign country needs a US lawyer on a mission trip,’” Tim laughs. “You need doctors, you need dentists, because they can do all kinds of great things. But what can a lawyer do?”

It wasn’t until he heard a woman speaking at a legal society about an organization called ALARM that Tim realized how God could use his skills to help others in Africa in a very practical way. “When I heard her speak, I thought, ‘Oh, this could be interesting,’” Tim says.

ALARM stands for Africa Leadership And Reconciliation Ministries and was founded by an African pastor in 1994 in response to the need for African Christian leaders. The organization works through the African church to transform communities by developing servant leaders and reconciling relationships. “She came to speak about

as the Dominican Republic in 2013 working with COTN’s I Love Baseball program, and to Brazil in 2014 to serve with his son Tommy’s youth group.

“When I left [Malawi],” Tim says, “I definitely had the knowledge that I was going to do this again. It may not be Malawi or it might be, but I was going to make this a part of who I am. I’m going to go places and meet other people and try to help them.”

Little did he know that through that first step of faith to serve in a faraway place like Malawi, God was preparing him for his fall of 2015 trip—one where he could use his skills and knowledge as a lawyer.

Pairing his career knowledge with all he had learned about the importance of building relationships in Malawi, made Tim more comfortable and more excited about the trip.

He’ll join two other North Americans along with national ALARM staff in South Sudan to host a three-day conference for lawyers and community leaders. “We will present three main subjects: bribery, which is rampant in their court systems, arbitration, and communication skills,” Tim says.

These are subjects common to both South Sudan and U.S. law. Tim says their goal is to facilitate discussions to help these local Christian leaders and professionals understand how a judicial system can operate without corruption and encourage and empower them with ideas on how to do it.

“I grew up almost afraid that God would call me to Africa someday,” Tim laughs at the irony of the thought. “I look forward to getting to know [these men and women] better. I’m sure I’ll learn things from them and they’ll learn things from me.”

“... I was going to make this a part of who I am. I’m going to go places and meet other people and try to help them.”

—Tim how ALARM needed lawyers to help train up other African Christian lawyers and legal professionals like police, judges, and pastors to help them apply their own laws, in an effort to avoid more civil war in Central Africa,” Tim says. The laws are in place, Tim explains, they just aren’t always enforced.

Almost immediately, Tim got in touch with ALARM and inquired about upcoming trips. He asked where they needed help most and the answer was South Sudan in the fall of 2015. He said, “I’m in.”

The story of Tim’s trip to South Sudan started back in 2012 when he joined a Summit team to serve in Malawi with Children of the Nations (COTN). Tim refers to that first trip as the base from which God called him to other places such

We believe God is at work in Africa, and we believe He is calling Summit to be part of that work. Over the past nine years, we’ve had the opportunity to partner with our brothers and sisters who are already there and see firsthand how the Body of Christ, serving together, can shine light and bring hope in a place where poverty, corruption, and disease often leave people hopeless.

By Joining Africa through partnerships, sending teams to serve, and supporting organizations doing Godhonoring work there, we get a glimpse of how astonishing the outcome can be when we notice, stop, and care for those God has given us to love.

To learn more about how you can be a part of what God is doing in Africa, visit our Serve Globally page on summitconnect.org.

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Serving in the City MEET CHAD & JENNI COWART JAMES BRENDLINGER

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MARK RONHAAR

WHEN CHAD AND JENNI COWART CAME TO SUMMIT CHURCH IN 2005, one of their goals as a couple was to live out Jesus’ command in John 13:34: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” To Chad and Jenni, this meant looking for opportunities to reach out to their neighbors in the city of Orlando. That’s how they became involved in the Community Engagement Department at the church.

The Community Engagement Department works to focus and organize the church’s efforts in connecting with our city. Under the leadership of Niki Wilkerson, the team makes connections not only with individuals, but with other organizations, in hopes of increasing understanding about their program throughout the community. Their services range from the basics of food and shelter to training programs and jobs.

Chad and Jenni’s specific volunteer roles have varied widely based upon the needs presented from month to month within the community. They have helped prepare materials for Community Roundtable meetings, moved boxes of donations in preparation for distribution to those in need, and delivered items to a family that Summit had assisted in finding a new home.

“I’ve learned to be more thoughtful about how people end up in situations of need, and what it really requires to help them,” says Jenni. “Praying with someone about what they are going through often has as much impact on them as anything else we can do.” Jenni also feels that she’s gained a lot from the opportunity to work alongside the Community Engagement team. “Learning from Niki has been a blessing on its own because her example is a testimony of Christ’s love,” Jenni says. “What I’ve learned has impacted how I interact with and respond to all those around me in need.”

Serving in this way has also been an eye-opening experience for Chad. “I’ve learned that it can be just as

difficult for someone in need to trust God as someone who seems to have no needs,” Chad says. “This seems to be something that unites the impoverished and the affluent alike. We all need God, but we often do not surrender ourselves to Him.” The Community Engagement team has a role for anyone willing to share his or her time and talents with others: from those who are people-friendly and want to build new relationships with those in need, to those who prefer to work behind the scenes organizing, driving, delivering, or even doing some heavy lifting. This team is an excellent resource for those looking to impact their community but may not know how to get involved.

“Niki Wilkerson is a champion,” Chad says, “but she needs more partners to come alongside her to serve our community.”

“We were seeking ways in which we could serve our neighbors and this seemed like a great way to start.”

—Jenni

FIND OUT MORE// Our Community Engagement department works alongside other ministries, organizations, and churches right here in our community to extend a hand to those in need, invite them to serve with us, and in the process point people toward Jesus. If you would like to be part of this team as a volunteer or a service provider, email Niki Wilkerson, nwilkerson@summitconnect.org.

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Helping Others Achieve Their Goals

MEET RHONDA SHURTLEFF MELISSA STILLMAN

YOU SEE HOW MUCH RHONDA SHURTLEFF, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, cares about her clients with one look at her conference room table—which contains tissues and chocolate. They both get used regularly, she explains. “It’s often very emotional for people when they’re going through an event that affects their financial lives. It takes patience and compassion to really listen to their stories and let them know that they’ve been heard.” Rhonda specializes in helping women going through transition—those who have recently lost their husband, are going through a divorce, or just received a promotion or an inheritance.

She also works with young couples and families—including fellow attendees at Summit Church, where she’s been a partner since 2003.

Rhonda’s desire is to get to know her clients on a personal level by building a genuine connection. “It’s a vulnerable situation when someone entrusts you with their money. I try to build a relationship with them so I understand who they are and what their passions are. Then I can help them think about longer term goals and map out a step-by-step plan to accomplish them.”

Planning is often new to clients, so she starts at the beginning when drawing up a financial roadmap. “Many times they’ve never handled their finances on their own and have no clue where to start.

So from working through what their new lifestyle is going to be like, to helping them come up with a daily budget, I come at it from an educational perspective.”

Although Rhonda had always been good with managing money, she took her first job in banking purely to fit her lifestyle as a mom of elementary school-aged children. Working part-time as a teller at the 20 SUMMIT//Issue 25

KATE BOSSE

bank in her neighborhood, she fell in love with the industry and with helping people. In just a few short years Rhonda had worked her way up to Senior Vice President at the bank, where she stayed for a total of 18 years. But something was missing. “I started out face-to-face with clients, but every promotion took me a step further away.

I knew on some level I was helping people, but I couldn’t see the results personally.”

So two years ago, when a friend and neighbor invited her to join their financial services firm, she gladly accepted. “I love being back in front of people again. And because the firm doesn’t have a minimum account requirement, I can help people no matter where they are in their financial journey. It has been a lot of fun. When you get that phone call that says, ‘thank you for helping me achieve this goal,’ that’s so rewarding!”

Since 2010, Rhonda has been sharing her expertise with participants in Summit’s jobSERVE, a ministry that helps those who are unemployed or underemployed develop skills they need to build a career. In addition to teaching the financial portion of the course at multiple locations, this year Rhonda is serving as the LifeWorks (a program that jobSERVE hosts with The Jobs Partnership of Florida) team leader for the Waterford campus. She says, “The Bible talks a lot about money: spending it wisely and being generous.

I enjoy getting to share that and helping people figure out what that looks like for them.”

Rhonda hopes to keep using her God-given combination of relationship building skills and aptitude for financial planning well into the future. The mother of two grown daughters, and grandmother of seven says, “I feel that God has put me where I am for a purpose. I’m passionate about what I do and I want to continue helping people— whatever twist or turn that it takes.”

jobSERVE seeks to affirm the dignity of those who are unemployed and/or underemployed by providing opportunities for skills development, service, and, ultimately, extending an invitation into Christ-centered community.

Summit works with a network of organizations that aid jobSERVE participants in creating and enacting a plan to increase their skills, which will expand the scope of opportunities for participants as they strive to better themselves, their families, and their communities.

“I’m passionate about what I do and I want to continue helping people—whatever twist or turn that it takes.”

LifeWorks is a 12-week training course that combines biblically based soft skills training with rigorous workplace readiness training. This program happens twice a year in conjunction with The Job Partnership of Florida.

Summit and a council of many churches host and staff these programs with leaders and volunteers who walk side by side with students through the program.

—Rhonda To learn more about jobSERVE opportunities, email us at summit@summitconnect.org.

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SCOTT COOK 22 SUMMIT//Issue 25

God has been building community in new and exciting ways across Summit and He’s doing so in a way that’s changing lives!

Five Connect groups share how their life is better together.

AN EVERYONE’S WELCOME GROUP LEADERS:

Tanner and Allie Vickers

“WHEN I THINK ABOUT CHURCH, this group is what comes to mind first,” Allie Vickers explains as she and her husband, Tanner, sit down to tell me about their Connect group. “Becoming a community, it’s not just once a week, it’s really living life together,” Tanner adds.

Investing in community was a top priority for the Vickers when they moved to the Orlando area a few years ago. They both felt it was important to get involved right away in forming community within their new church. When the Lake Mary campus first launched near their home, they were among the first to walk into Group Day, one of the events we have at Summit to help people get into Connect groups.

Though originally they had only intended to join an existing group, they couldn’t be happier with what came from their decision that day to not only join, but lead a group.

They couldn’t say it enough: “We love our group!” Over and over again, between the Vickers and their group members, I heard the word diversity used to described what they loved most. “We have young couples, young families, singles, older couples, former missionaries,” Tanner says. “The diversity in thoughts, opinions, and life experience creates such a great dynamic and unique texture in our group. I know that some people are afraid of intergenerational groups, but it really does add such a richness to our experience of community.”

The relationship between group members extends beyond their weekly meetings—and that, according to several of them, is a large part of what grew them from a group to a community. From cookouts, to

MEETS:

Sanford/Heathrow, Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

an Ecuadorian end-of-year celebration where one of the group members led them through the tradition of jumping over a fire together to ring in the new year, this group is big on making time for each other.

“Pervasive community” is the phrase Tanner uses to describe it. If you were to look into the homes of the group members, you would see refrigerators, bulletin boards, and bathroom mirrors with sticky notes sporting the names of their group members, along with their prayer requests for the week—a tradition the group started early on.

“We find deeper community in praying together,” Tanner says. “We love looking back and seeing how God answered those prayers.” Allie adds.

Community has always been the goal of the Vicker’s group, and for them, community takes many forms: growing together in faith and prayer, making time for each other, and learning from each other’s walks of life.

As I spoke with the group, I couldn’t help but notice that the hat Tanner wore sported the scripture reference Matthew 16:18. When I asked him about it, Tanner explained, “I love how God uses unlikely, ‘unworthy’ people and places to manifest His love in ways we never could have predicted.”

A perfect verse, I think, for this community-honoring group: “... and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”.

—KARI FREEMAN

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DEBORAH KLINE

EXCEPTIONAL MOMS GROUP LEADER:

Deborah Kline

THE WORD COMMUNITY can mean a lot of different things depending on who you ask.

Looking at the value placed on community when God’s Word describes the Body of Christ to us, you can’t help but hope and pray that the church is a place where community thrives.

However, community doesn’t come easily to everyone who is part of a church—something Deborah Kline noticed in her family and other families like hers.

Deborah is a special-needs parent. As she and her family walk through a reality that is so different from that of many families around her, she can’t help but notice how lonely it is at times.

“Many special-needs families end up giving up on church,” Deborah says. She explains the hardships of finding churches that can care for their children well, where they feel accepted and understood, and where they can find time to attend amidst their packed schedules.

These issues are what led Deborah to start the Exceptional Moms Connect group. This 24 SUMMIT//Issue 25

MEETS:

Waterford, Sundays at 4 p.m.

particular group of moms needed a place for connection and healing, and to be understood.

“We speak the same language,” she and the other moms explain. “People [without specialneeds kids] mean well when they ask you how you’re doing,” one of the group members adds, “but it would honestly just take too long to explain the real answer, and that can feel isolating.” The women appreciate having a group to relate to, pray through their struggles together, pass along practical advice they’ve found in seeking out the best resources for their children, and celebrate their unique victories—victories that don’t always make sense to other families.

But one of the most important aspects of this exceptional group is the space for them to dream together about the future.

“Somewhere along the road, I found that caring for others actually gave me more energy, perspective, and joy,” Deborah shares.

This group realizes how hard it can be to find community that meets the needs of special-

needs families, and they recognize that they are still in the process of learning and growing in how best to do that. However, they are quickly finding joy in striving to serve others in their community despite the inconvenience or hardship it may entail. They recognize how big a step and challenge it may be for other moms to jump into a Connect group like theirs, but they want every special-needs parent to know they are there, figuring out together what meaningful community looks like for them and their families.

The group celebrated the special-needs community with an Exceptional Moms breakfast held at the Waterford campus in October 2015. It was an uplifting time of making connections and hearing words of encouragement from other parents. Going forward, they hope to continue providing ways for special-needs moms and families to step into a community that makes sense, both in their church and in their daily lives.

— KARI FREEMAN

KIMBERLY CHIN

“EVERYONE’S WELCOME” FOR 20S-30S LEADERS:

Nick and Hannah Kikuchi

MEETS:

THERE HAS BEEN A BUZZ going around Summit in anticipation for the new campus coming to the Windermere/Dr. Phillips area. When the announcement was made that Summit would be adding a campus on the west side of town, Nick and Hannah Kikuchi were instantly excited.

Both Nick and Hannah grew up on the west side of Orlando, so to have Summit begin serving a community that was so close to their hearts felt like a big deal. From day one, they wanted to be “all in,” and leading a Connect group felt like a good place to start.

Now their group has been meeting for about nine months, and they are still continually having people show interest in joining. “I think that has been one of the biggest things for us,” Nick says, “just to see how many people from this side of town are interested in having a community of God-fearing people.” Many members of our Summit community either live or work on the west side and are feeling better connected to the vision of the church through the groups that are forming. “With the people in our group, I feel like there is this sense of excitement of being the pioneers to start this campus,” Hannah says.

Every Tuesday, this group gathers together to discuss their current study, share in each other’s stories, and learn together. Both Nick and Hannah express how amazing it has been to see the ways God has shown up each week. They share how the diversity of their group has allowed for not only many different perspectives, but also the realization that each person comes with their own unique story. Connect groups

Windermere/Dr. Phillips, Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

provide a safe, sometimes rare, place for so many different people to meet, come together, and talk about Christ. This group has had opportunities to grow together and care for one another. From providing a place for someone to stay or donating clothes to a relative in need, the members of this group have demonstrated what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

With the idea of growth in mind, Nick and Hannah don’t see themselves as the only leaders of their group. “We wanted everyone to know they are all capable of leading, so in our studies we have rotated people who lead the discussion,” Hannah says. “I think now everyone feels that ownership and the confidence that God has given them leadership qualities.”

“With the new campus, these groups are meant to multiply and to expand to become the church. Our goal from the beginning was to equip everyone in our group to be a leader in the future,” Nick adds.

They know God is doing great things in their community, and as they look forward, Nick, Hannah, and the rest of the “Go West” team are excited for the role they get to play in it all.

—LAURA HUNT

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KARI FREEMAN

AS IRON SHARPENS IRON LEADERS:

Matt Casperite and DJ Pate

WHEN MATT CASPERITE AND DJ PATE were in college together, they had a desire to live lives that looked different from many of the students around them. They wanted to start a Christian fraternity and Bible study on their campus. They wanted to have an impact on the people around them. Matt and DJ did, in fact, find the community they were looking for during college, and after several years of being in different states following graduation, they found themselves back in Orlando together. After some time, they both realized they truly desired that deep community they had experienced in college. According to DJ, Summit provided the perfect platform to build it, and now a year and a half later, they are leading a group of young professionals.

One of the main goals of the group is accountability. Each Sunday, everyone comes ready to share or discuss their own verses, questions, or thoughts from their personal time of study during the week.

“It encourages each person to not only actively cultivate their own relationship with God, but then also to bring it to the group and share their experience with the others,” DJ explains. “On top of that, we set goals weekly and hold each other accountable to those goals by giving updates and setting new ones for the following week.”

Although this group is classified as “young professionals,” there is a lot of diversity, from a mix of ages and life experiences to some members working full-time and some members continuing college classes. “There are no two that are even close to alike,” Matt says, laughing. “You get 26 SUMMIT//Issue 25

MEETS:

Baldwin Park, Sundays at 7:45 p.m.

so many different perspectives. It’s really cool because you get to look at every problem, every question, or every topic from a million different angles and it really helps the discussion flow.”

Through the practice of accountability and time spent together, genuine friendships have formed through this group. The relationships are no longer ones that only take place on Sunday nights, but rather have grown into the kind of friendships where it is normal for people to show up at your door, ready to carve pumpkins on your kitchen floor—which has actually happened. From having dinner to watching sporting events, this group has grown into a real community. They share in each other’s stories, walking together through the light-hearted moments and the harder ones.

“That’s the cool thing about our group,” Matt shares. “As they come, you see their stuff change a little bit, the stuff they bring. Some of them are maturing, some of them are just overcoming things, some of them are growing as Christians. It’s been awesome—I have seen a massive difference from every person who has been there.”

As a group and individually, these people have learned that community isn’t something you can just press “play” on when Sunday comes around; it’s in the day-to-day way they live out each of their stories together.

—LAURA HUNT

BRIAN HOGAN

“50 IS THE NEW 30” CONNECT GROUP LEADERS:

N. Hayes, B. McAdam, & L. Modomo

BEFORE I SAT DOWN with the members of the Connect group humorously titled “50 Is the New 30,” I had a chance to act as a fly on the wall at their Sunday night gathering. As people arrive, time is spent playing casual catch-up with one another in conversations that are lively and familiar. The house is full of sweets, coffee, and comfort. No one is in a rush, but eventually we do make our way to the living room to begin the evening. Once we start, I learn that this group began as a result of a conversation that took place in a Chick-Fil-A. “We were talking about how we’ve tried to go to Group Day and we just seemed unable to find a group that was our age,” group member Sandy Hayes shares. So those involved in that conversation decided maybe they should start one in order to meet their need. As they all rattle off how this couple was invited because of this connection, or how that couple joined because of knowing that person, it’s amazing to witness what resulted from simply inviting someone into relationship—a group that has

MEETS:

Winter Park, Sundays at 7 p.m.

been going strong for a year and a half.

Together, this group has done a number of studies ranging in topic from evangelism to parenting, and they are currently reading Tim Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage. As the group shares about their study of this book, they also share how it has fostered a desire in all of them to serve Summit in a unique way. When they began the study, it sparked the idea to serve and mentor younger couples within the Summit community.

Members of the group share how they had mentors when they were younger, and it had made a world of difference for them. Now, using their own experiences and Keller’s book, they want to help provide that same support for others.

“Having a group of people with a common goal, and everyone using their gifts for a piece of it can do so much,” group member Denise Modomo says. “It is really the strength of us all coming together as the body of Christ.”

For this group, Sunday nights have become

a time of building deep roots together. As they navigate specific seasons of life, such as empty nests and aging parents, they are able to offer comfort, advice, and prayer for one another.

The group as a whole not only looks back on what God has done, but looks forward at what He is going to do. For a while, they saw their group as a place of learning, but now they look back and see the ways in which God has been preparing them for what is ahead.

Each week they gather with the posture of genuine community in mind, ready to share and serve together. What started organically from a conversation has been transformed into something sacred. As one member puts it, “God just shows up. It’s organic in that way.”

—LAURA HUNT

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PEOPLE DEVOTED TO GOD. IN COMMUNITY. ON MISSION. FOR GOD’S GLORY.

ZACH VAN DYKE 28 SUMMIT//Issue 25

JEREMY KENNEDY

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A PERSON DEVOTED TO GOD? As I sit here and ponder that question, I feel the weight of years and years of trying to prove that I was good enough for God. I’ve spent so much time trying to earn God’s love and probably even more time trying to convince others that I deserved His love.

So how does a devotional on being devoted to God not become another checklist for people like me? The starting place.

One of my favorite stories in all of the gospels is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. It really is the story of the very first Christian—the very first person devoted to Jesus as the Messiah.

At the well, Jesus reveals to the Samaritan woman His true identity—that He is the Messiah. Once Jesus does that, it changes everything for this Samaritan woman. She immediately gathers anyone who will listen to tell them about Jesus.

She begins to bring anyone who will follow her to Jesus. This is the picture of what a person devoted to God looks like.

Someone who is devoted to others and brings them to Jesus. Living a life devoted to God will always lead us to others.

However, that is not the starting point of devotion. We don’t become devoted to God by trying to be like this Samaritan woman. We become devoted to God by encountering Jesus like this Samaritan woman did.

The story can be found in the Gospel of John chapter 4.

As Jesus sits by the well, a woman approaches alone at midday, which is strange to begin with. Women usually draw water together in the early morning or evening. (This is where “water cooler talk” started.) But she is alone because she is a shamed woman.

The fact that Jesus talked with her at all is astonishing. For one, women were considered second-class citizens and for a man to speak with a woman in public, especially a religious man, was unheard of. On top of that, the Jews

and Samaritans had a long history of hatred and hostility.

Yet Jesus asked this Samaritan woman for a drink, giving her both dignity and respect.

Instead of quietly drawing water for Him without making eye contact, she boldly and directly says, “How can you ask me for a drink?

Don’t you understand you’re not supposed to talk to me? Aren’t you supposed to hate me?” I

We don’t become devoted to God by trying to be like this Samaritan woman. We become devoted to God by encountering Jesus like this Samaritan woman did. love her response. The theologian John Calvin called her “cheeky.”

As you read this encounter, you get a sense that this woman is flirting with Jesus.

And it’s not until Jesus says to her, “Go, call your husband and come back” that she closes herself off to Him. She replies tersely, “I have no husband.”

Jesus has just exposed the dark side of her life. He has exposed her shame. He has exposed why she comes to the well alone.

Because the truth is, she has had five husbands and the man she is currently sleeping with is not her husband.

Instead of adding to her shame, Jesus tells her that he knows. He knows all about her.

He knows that she has been looking to men to find her worth. He knows that she has

damaged relationships and hurt others by her promiscuity. He knew all of that before He even asked her for a drink.

The truth is that our devotion to God has its starting place with Him being devoted to us.

Before the Samaritan woman started bringing others to Jesus, Jesus came to her. And He came to her knowing everything she ever did and He still loved her and wanted her. That kind of encounter with Jesus led this woman to leave her water jar at the well and run back to town to tell anyone who would listen, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did and still loves me.”

The Gospel of John tells us in chapter 4 verse 39— “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’”

Have you had that kind of encounter with Jesus? Do you know that Jesus knows everything about you and still loves you and wants you? An understanding of this truth serves as a critical first step to becoming a person devoted to God.

STUDY QUESTIONS 1. If Jesus knows everything about you and still wants a relationship with you, how does that make you feel? ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ 2. Who is someone you know that needs to know about Jesus? Pray for an opportunity to tell them about him. ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

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PEOPLE DEVOTED TO GOD. IN COMMUNITY. ON MISSION. FOR GOD’S GLORY.

GARRY ABBOTT 30 SUMMIT//Issue 25

JEREMY KENNEDY

IN JOHN 13, Jesus has a surprising conversation with his disciples.

He is sharing a meal with his friends in one of their last moments together. After this meal, Jesus will be arrested and taken away to be tried and eventually will take on death. So, this is Jesus knowingly giving his friends some last words. He basically asks them—do you want the world to know you follow me, that you are becoming my church? And we can imagine that at this point the disciples lean in to hear Jesus’s words (just like we would) because that is exactly what they wanted. And Jesus essentially says—they will; the world will know you are my disciples if you love one another!

It seems that being people devoted to God includes being people in community. And how we live in that community has a profound impact on you and on others.

Years ago, my in-laws planted two maple trees on their farm in Indiana. The trees were planted just far enough apart for a hammock to hang in between, overlooking a beautiful pond and pasture where you can watch the sun come up over a picturesque ridge. When they planted them, they were small and seemed so far apart but as they grew, their canopies came together to make a cover providing comfortable shade. A few years back, a lightning strike hit one of the trees, causing part of the bark to be stripped off. Soon after, the tree began to lose leaves and branches. It was obvious that the tree was sick, but unsure of how to care for it, my in-laws called an arborist to advise them. The arborist told them that the tree would probably not survive, but to their surprise, he told them that the other tree would likely die as well. He said that although they were once two trees planted individually, over time they had grown together—sharing the same root system and nutrients. They looked like two, but they were in fact one. So if one was hurt, they both hurt.

And this isn’t just how trees work. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, all people “are caught in the inescapable web of mutuality.” If you are ill, it affects others. If you are sick and can’t work, your team is impacted and can’t do their work as effectively or efficiently. But that is just the surface. There are root issues in unhealthy community as well because, as Dr. Brene Brown says, “shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal—they damage the roots from which love grows.”

If you are ill, it affects others. But the inverse is true as well. If you are great in love, it affects others as well.

That is why being people devoted to God includes us being people in community.

And that is what Paul is getting at in Ephesians 2:19-22: Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Paul is saying you weren’t made to be an outsider. You were made to come around the table and lean into and live out Jesus’ words to love one another. That’s how households—families—work.

And Paul says we are family—we struggle together, we hope together, we love together. In community, our health helps others to be healthy.

We are not just invited to watch God build his church, but instead we are invited to be built together for the church. Jesus came and preached peace to those far and peace to those near (Ephesians 2:17). We are invited to love each other in a way that helps others thrive so that everyone involved is made better.

We are invited to love each other in a way that helps others thrive so that everyone involved is made better.

STUDY QUESTIONS 1. What do you need from the church? ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

2. What unique gifts can you offer as you strive to be the church in community? ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

3. What is one way you can be part of being built together for the church? ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

GET CONNECTED Find out more about Summit Connect groups on page 22.

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PEOPLE DEVOTED TO GOD. IN COMMUNITY. ON MISSION. FOR GOD’S GLORY.

Be A City on a Hill,

A Light to All Nations KAILEY NEWKIRK

32 SUMMIT//Issue 25

JEREMY KENNEDY

I WANT this article to convince you to go over to your neighbor’s house right now and invite him to dinner.

But, before we get to that, just to bring us up to speed, here’s a non-exhaustive summary of the Old Testament in five sentences.

1. Out of love, God creates Adam and Eve, places them in His beautiful world and gives them dominion over it.

2. And the only stipulation is that they not do this one thing.

3. But the serpent tempts them and they do that one thing, and through their sin, suffering and death enter the world.

4. They populate the earth with people, but the people just have a terribly hard time living in harmony with God because they keep doing different versions of that one thing.

5. So, to help bring the people back to Him, God chooses Israel to lead them by acting as an example—a city on a hill as a light to all nations to lead them home to God. (Now not, mind you, because Israel deserved his favor—they turned out to be abysmally inept at being a good example— but simply because He wanted to use them to demonstrate to the rest of the world that living in covenant community with God leads to blessedness. Israel had a mission: Live lives that are so attractive, so magnetic, so full of love, joy, peace, patience and kindness, that other nations would see Israel as different and they’d want to know why. This is a parenthetical, so you can’t count it against my five sentences.)

Now that we’re all on the same page, let’s move on to what that has to do with you and your neighbor (who might wait an extravagantly long time to mow his grass).

Israel doesn’t do a great job with her mission.

Things start to get dicey as early as Exodus 16, and by Exodus 32, the wheels have really come off of the golden calf. So after they have crashed and burned for the umpteenth time, God—who, remarkably, loves us so much that

He can’t stand the thought of living without us no matter how badly we wreck His design— decides to make an un-wreckable way for us to get home to him. He comes to us Himself, in the flesh, and pays the price for our sin by dying on a cross—the death our sin deserves.

All any of us have to do is to put our faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and Lordship of our life, and we will join Him in Heaven for all eternity.

Here’s the rub. The work isn’t finished yet.

You may wonder, as I sometimes do, why doesn’t God just come back to finish the job?

Why does He allow us to continue in the suffering of living in a fallen world, when He’s already built the bridge we need to return to Him with bricks of His own body and mortar of His blood? It seems like the heavy lifting is done. Why does He wait?

Because there is not a single one of you that He is willing to let go of.

We are invited to love each other in a way that helps others thrive so that everyone involved is made better.

Before Jesus ascended, He commissioned us, the church, to carry on His mission until His return. It is the same mission as it was for Israel—be a city on a hill, a light to all nations.

He waits because He’s giving us time. Time to come home to Him and to bring as many people with us as we possibly can. To delay His return is to allow one more precious minute for someone to turn to Him while there is yet time. And our mission, like Israel, is to point everyone in His direction by being so full of love, joy, peace, and goodness that people want to know why.

There will never be a shortage of suffering in this world until Jesus returns to set all things to rights. How we engage the difficulty of life, the pain, the heartache, will in some very significant ways shape a portrait of Jesus for those we encounter on our sojourn.

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” —2 Corinthians 5:18-20 To be sure, it is a painful mission. To endure the unendurable, and do so with the winsome grace of an ambassador of Jesus himself—it seems an impossible task. But be encouraged. We will certainly struggle, and we will sometimes fail. But because our Lord came down, we will always have a way to get back up.

There will be a lifetime of “getting back ups.” And as finite creatures, we may despair that perhaps the best we can do is to endure our lives and eek out whatever little bit of happiness we can.

But we must remember our mission. We must remember there is a reason for the pain, and it’s a reason worth fighting for. Not only for ourselves and our own eternity, but for the eternity of every person we will ever lock eyes with for the rest of our lives.

It’s not so satisfying an answer that I rejoice in my trials just yet, perhaps. But it’s enough to make me want to play my part—to help God bring His people home in whatever unique way He’s equipped me through my own suffering.

Because I am God’s plan A for somebody.

And so are you. So go invite your neighbor to dinner while there’s still time (and while chicken breasts are still BOGO at Publix).

STUDY QUESTIONS 1. What is one thing you could do to make your life more “magnetic” to others? ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ 2. How has God uniquely equipped you (through both successes and sufferings) to play a part in his mission of bringing people home? ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ summitconnect.org 33

PEOPLE DEVOTED TO GOD. IN COMMUNITY. ON MISSION. FOR GOD’S GLORY.

JIM KELLER 34 SUMMIT//Issue 25

JEREMY KENNEDY

STUDY QUESTIONS 1. How can you give more of your time to God and your relationship with Him?

AS BELIEVERS IN JESUS, we often talk and sing of the glory of God, and seek to glorify Him with our actions as well. The Greek word for glory is doxa, which means to speak well of, elevate, or give adulation to someone. Psalm 115:1 states, “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory…” There are three questions that help me keep my focus on glorifying God. Who gets the priority?

If we want to live lives that glorify God, the first step is to prioritize our relationship with Him. This requires time, the most precious of all of our gifts.

How much time do you spend focusing on God? It’s a simple act that’s incredibly difficult to do consistently. The first step in giving God glory is not outward but inward, praising Him, thanking Him, and worshiping Him. Our time commitments expose what’s important to us, and our walk with our Creator requires both our time and attention.

Who gets the focus?

The second question to consider as we seek to glorify God is how much His presence is woven into our daily lives. This would include thoughts as well as activities. Paul challenges the Christians in Corinth with these words: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) Paul is challenging us through the Spirit to integrate the holy into the fabric of our everyday lives.

If we are to meet this challenge, we need to continually recognize the Lord’s presence in each aspect of our day.

Who gets the credit?

Giving God the credit certainly involves our words, but those words can ring hollow if our hearts aren’t continually giving thanks to the One who gives us all things and provides for our every need. If our hearts are in tune with the Holy Spirit, then our words will be sure to give Him the credit for every gift and privilege that has been bestowed upon us.

These questions can be used as a guide for self-reflection as well as a tool to move toward more fully giving glory to God. The joy of glorifying Him lies in the fact that His glory is revealed in us as we bear the image of Christ, a shared glory that is and will be our eternal joy.

If our hearts are in tune with the Holy Spirit, then our words will be sure to give Him the credit for every gift and privilege that has been bestowed upon us.

READ PSALM 5:3 AND MARK 1:35. ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ 2. What are some steps that you can take to invite God into every area of your life?

READ HEBREWS 12:1-3 AND MATTHEW 6:33-34. ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ 3. How can you remember to give God the credit every day, both in your words and in your actions?

READ PSALM 63:3 AND PSALM 51:6 FROM THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE. ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

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people in e th d n a h c r u h c “ T his tly in the a e r g g in st e v in e it ar tudents, , s n e r d il h c r u o f lives o God is and families and ways.” showing up in big —TRACY

36 SUMMIT//Issue 25

REDEEMED TODAY’S

The impact Summit’s Family Ministries has had on the lives of students and families.

TRACY BEESON

“Is the church a safe place for you? Is it somewhere you feel completely accepted and don’t have to pretend to be perfect?” This was a question posed to high school students during a weekend away at Edge Goes to the Beach (the high school weekend retreat). The speaker that weekend was surprised at the collective response of, “yes”.

It is a succinct answer but not a simple one. Most adults come into church with a lot of preconceived notions about what to expect, how to act, etc. Many of those notions include the ways in which they cannot (or maybe should not) be “real” with the people around them. For many adults, church is not safe, it is not the place that has accepted them fully and that has hindered their view of who God is. The church has done a colossal disservice here.

At Summit, we have worked hard to make sure that this is not the case. There are hundreds of children and students growing up understanding that they don’t have to clean themselves up before they come to Jesus. They are learning that church is a safe place to ask hard questions and they won’t be rejected for doing so. This is profound and will change the way the church engages with each other and the culture around it.

Many of the reasons that this culture is possible at Summit is that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of volunteers and leaders who invest their time, talents, and energy into making sure this culture exists.

These leaders understand that the message of grace and hope that the Gospel brings is for everyone and that Christ is about redeeming our today’s as well as our eternity.

Written across the next few pages are stories of redeemed today’s; stories of students and families who are filled with hope and purpose.

These stories are glimpses into the lives of a few at Summit but they are not the exception, they are the norm. This church and the people in it are investing greatly in the lives of our children, students, and families and God is showing up in big ways.

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(L-R) THE CLINE FAMILY: Garrett, Danielle, Courtney, Heather, Jeremiah

WE CALL THIS HOME The Cline Family MELISSA FORBES

38 SUMMIT//Issue 25

COURTNEY CLINE

ONE SUNDAY, I was sitting in Large Group at Base Camp. A circle of little boys surrounded me as we listened to the host and storyteller teach the lesson, which focused on Summit Church’s vision: To form biblically functioning communities that reach lost people, connect in Christ-centered relationships, teach truth, serve others, and worship God. When the host heard the vision statement, she collapsed onto a sofa, threw her hand dramatically across her forehead, and exclaimed, “Oh! Summit’s vision sounds so complicated.”

I laughed, not because of the host’s melodrama, although the boys and I thought that was funny. No, I laughed because I have had a similar reaction to Summit’s vision: What’s with all the words?

And then I thought about the Cline family.

I met the Clines when their youngest child Garret was in a crib. I was so new to Summit that I barely had one foot in the door. They invited me into their home and their Connect group. They didn’t care that my life was a mess, that I couldn’t commit to a church, much less a weekly Bible study.

They welcomed me.

Nine years later, they are still at it. They bring people into their home, serve all over the Summit community, and follow where they believe God is leading them.

In short, they are a living example of Summit’s vision. For this family, and for those of us watching them, Summit’s vision is not complicated or wordy. It’s life.

Heather and Jeremiah hadn’t been married long when they got the call to help start a new church called Summit. They attended an organizational meeting, and afterwards felt “absolutely sure that we would be a part of this church.” They were right.

Jeremiah accepted a role on the advisory board, a job he took seriously. “As we encountered various decisions, I often realized I had no experience in this area. I had to entirely trust God to help me lead.”

With a toddler and a baby on the way, Heather saw the need for a children’s ministry. Alongside other key volunteers, she helped start Base Camp and eventually Base Camp Live!, Summit’s family production, where she has played several roles over the years. She remembers long conversations with leaders about how to come alongside families as they raised their children in a Christ-centered community. “Volunteering in Base Camp helped me teach my own kids about God.” Now Heather watches her girls volunteer in Base Camp. Courtney, 16, leads alongside one of her former small group leaders in a toddler class.

She said, “It gives me the opportunity to love others who might not necessarily care for me back.” Danielle, who is 13, also leads little ones in Base Camp. “I like teaching kids about God. They don’t understand it all right now, but I know, eventually, they will.”

Garrett, who is 10, is experiencing the Summit community, too. He helps his dad with parking duties at the Lake Mary campus, and he assists when the family does niceSERVE projects. Mostly, though, he talks about how his small group leaders (and his sisters’ leaders, too) come to family birthday parties, games, and performances—“or just hang out at our house.”

Jeremiah and Heather joined the team to start up the Lake Mary campus and are entirely committed to that Summit community. They love and care for their brothers and sisters, and receive the same love in return. Whether leading a Bible study or chatting with folks in the lobby, they’ve come to realize that God speaks to them, not only through their pastor, but also in conversations with other believers.

Once in a while, Heather says she and Jeremiah stop and talk about their involvement with Summit—their Connect groups, Bible studies, and volunteering— and consider if they are too busy.

“You know, we used to ask ourselves, are we being fed here?” But over time, Jeremiah said, that question has changed to, “Am I connected to Jesus? Is this the place He has called us to be?”

So, yep, this is a family serving, worshiping, teaching, and connecting together.

It’s not difficult to see how the Clines live Summit’s vision. As I drove away from a recent visit with them, I thought about the part of Summit’s vision that says, “reach lost people.”

I smiled and thought, “That part of the Cline’s story? That part was me.”

“Volunteering in Base Camp helped me teach my own kids about God.” —HEATHER

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A CHILDLIKE HEART Meet Ellie Stinson MELANIE SNAVELY CAROLINE MINNERLY

“I JUST LOVE IT!,” Ellie, who began attending Summit with her family at the age of 9, exclaims in regards to how she feels about attending the church. Ellie is the youngest of four and her sisters, in their late 20’s at the time, had already been attending Summit when her family decided to join in. Ellie’s parents really wanted her to have a great church experience and they felt that God was showing them this is where she would get that, while at the same time, being able to worship in one place with her entire family.

And if you just ask her about it, she will tell you that she really has found that place.

“Summit is the best church, it’s the church I have my memories from.”

Summit is home to her. This is the community that supported her when she made the decision to participate in Beach Baptism at the age of 10. It is where her faith has blossomed as she entered into her teenage years. It’s the place she plugs in and connects.

At 17, she has been at Summit almost a decade and the community here has become a huge part of her story. Ellie has made relationships

through Student Ministries, bonding about life with her Edge leader, Kim. She will tell you that Kim is like a sister to her and they really love each other. “We just relate really well, we like the same music and we can be crazy together.”

Her true passion comes alive though when she is serving with the kids in Base Camp. Ellie

To Ellie, her relationship with Jesus means that she will always know that she has someone to go to. It is why her life verse is Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagle; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” It’s a verse she has taken to heart. Ellie is a strong supporter of others, both inside and outside the walls of Summit. She knows that Jesus will be there and she wants to help others see that too. “I just want people to know that if they want to talk I am there, that I care for them.”

Ellie cares for the community at Summit with a servant’s heart.

Service was one of the many things that drew her family in almost ten years ago and she continues to serve today. Ellie has an uplifting smile that she is more than willing to share with everyone. She smiles a lot when she talks about her experience growing up at Summit. So, when you think of Ellie, think of an infectious grin and the words that she spoke out loud many times in regards to Summit, “I just love it!”

“I just want people to know that if they want to talk I am there, that I care for them.”

—ELLIE

40 SUMMIT//Issue 25

serves with the three-year-olds; playing with them, loving them and teaching them about Jesus. With what her mom calls a “childlike heart,” Ellie connects with the kids in a way that helps bring Jesus’ love alive for them. It makes Summit not only the home that helped her grow in her own relationship with Jesus, but the place that she helps others connect with Him.

WHERE I CAN JUST BE ME Meet Sam Martinez KEELY HARDAWAY

IF YOU TAKE A WALK THROUGH BASE CAMP on any given Sunday at the Waterford campus, you’ll see a middle schooler with an awesome mohawk. His name is Sam and he greets each three-year-old new arrival by name, while the others clamor for him to come play with Legos. If you were to peek through the windows of his classroom later on, you might see him dancing with the kids during worship or talking with them as they eat their animal crackers. With his energetic games and sincere smile, Sam is a Stepping Stones celebrity.

You wouldn’t know it by his energy, but Sam has been at Summit Church since seven o’clock this morning, accompanying his dad to Base Camp Live! rehearsal, his brother, Charlie, to Large Group rehearsal, and helping to set up the Base Camp rooms with his sister, Anamarie. The highlight of his morning is serving in the three-year-old classroom. “I love serving with little kids.

It’s something I always look forward to.

I’ve got really great friends at school, but I still sometimes feel like people there aren’t nice or don’t like me. I like that I don’t have to worry about anything with [the kids], just being a good influence.”

Sam knows firsthand that serving with kids matters. His own relationship with Jesus began three years ago, shortly after his family made the move to Orlando and were invited to Summit by a friend.

The time of transition was hard for him, but through prayer, he began experiencing God in a personal way. His time in Base Camp deepened

ASHLEY BLAHNIK

his faith because his leaders presented him with questions that didn’t have simple answers and made him think about real issues. He says, that for him, faith that is real is “faith you have to think about and focus on.” Making an analogy to his soccer skills, he explains, “If you want to get better at soccer you have to take time to practice and really focus. It’s the same if you want your faith to grow.”

Sam has been attending Surge, our middle school ministry, since he started sixth grade. He says it’s been really good for him because the questions and discussions are deep and relevant. Sam appreciates that what’s said in his student Connect group stays in the group, and that there’s always time for fun and for the group to spontaneously dog-pile their leader, Andrew.

As Sam’s leader for over a year, Andrew has seen him really dig in.

“He’s always engaged, thinking his own thoughts, and contributing. I want Connect group to be a safe place for the students where they can talk and listen and ask questions, and he does all of that. Connect group time is important and he is a great kid to have in the group because he contributes and sets an example for the others.”

Reflecting on his experience at Summit as a whole, Sam says, “It’s a good place where you can be yourself.” What a privilege it is to see Sam grow, serve, and just be himself in the context of a Christcentered community!

“If you want to get better at soccer you have to take time to practice and really focus.

It’s the same if you want your faith to grow.”

—SAM

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FAMILY MINISTRY Base Camp

Summit Students

Stepping Stones (3-month-olds to 5-year-olds) In Stepping Stones, we want your child to walk away knowing three things: God made them, God loves them, and Jesus wants to be their friend forever! We want your child to love church, and that shows through everything we do—from our amazing volunteers to our Base Camp rooms and environments.

Summit Students exists to help students take their next right step toward God. Through weekly large and small group events, students are provided an opportunity to connect with each other and with God. Through relevant teaching, music, and a fun environment, students will learn that they matter, truth matters, relationships matter, and the choices they make in life matter.

Foothills (K through 5th grade)

Surge (Middle School)

In Foothills, our elementary students hear how to make the wise choice, to treat others the way they want to be treated, and to know that they can trust God no matter what. On Sunday, you can expect Foothills to be teeming with volunteers who love kids, love to have fun, and love to show that the Bible isn’t boring.

At Surge, we encourage our 6th-8th grade middle school students as they begin to mature and face new social challenges while learning to live and function in healthy community with peers and adults.

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Base Camp Live!, or BCL for short,

The Edge (High School)

is our family production that our K-5th grade kids take their parents to. BCL features hosts and lively characters who walk through life learning how God’s truth can transform us.

The Edge is geared toward high school students in 9th-12th grade and provides a forum for students to connect with one another, with leaders, and with God as they navigate and discuss issues relevant to their lives.

e v i F BOOKS VISION The vision of Summit is to form biblically functioning communities that reach lost people, connect in Christcentered relationships, teach truth, serve others, and worship God. Our Resource Centers have lots of great books that connect with the vision— here are just a few of our favorites!

CONNECT THE CURE BILL THRALL, JOHN LYNCH, & BRUCE MCNICOL We are called to live out God’s plan in the context of community, and this book will help you relate honestly and openly with those around you.

SERVE

The Resource Center Looking for your next book? Find these titles and more at your campus’ Resource Center.

REACH THE ART OF NEIGHBORING JAY PATHAK & DAVE RUNYON Through compelling true stories of lives impacted, the authors show us how to create genuine friendships with the people who live in closest proximity to us.

TEACH HOW TO READ THE BIBLE FOR ALL ITS WORTH GORDON D. FEE DOUGLAS STUART All truth is God’s truth and the primary place we look to find it is the Bible.

That’s why having a good grasp on how to read the Bible and understand it is essential.

WORSHIP THE VOLUNTEER REVOLUTION BILL HYBELS

THE SPIRIT OF THE DISCIPLINES DALLAS WILLARD

“The desire to be a world-changer is planted in the heart of every human being, and that desire comes directly from God.” Bill Hybels explains how you can transition from being a spectator on Sunday mornings to diving in to the world-change God calls us to.

Every aspect of our lives can be an act of worship to God. Dallas Willard takes a simple and easy-to-understand approach to the classic spiritual disciplines that are necessary in order to draw closer to God.

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ARTIST FEATURE

SUGARCRASH KIDS JEREMY LUKENS

SETH DUNLAP

If you want to reach today’s children, traditional methods don’t always work.

Sometimes silly songs about talking aliens and dinosaurs are necessary. That’s where Sugarcrash Kids come in.

HI, I’M MR. JOSH

I’M DJ JD

I’M ROBYN THE BIRD

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“SUGARCRASH KIDS WAS CREATED TO TEACH CHILDREN THAT THEY ARE UNIQUELY MADE BY GOD AND CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS IN THIS WORLD.” –Mr. Josh

Formed by Joshua Pearson, Jeremiah Dunlap, and Robyn Batts, Sugarcrash Kids is a group that creates music and stories for families.

What began as a handful of songs Joshua had written for his own children soon ended up in Jeremiah’s recording studio. Shortly thereafter, Sugarcrash Kids released their first album, Play All Day and Sleep All Night. With songs like “I Got the Hiccups” and “These Are My Friends,” the music introduces children to biblical themes like love and kindness while keeping a sense of humor.

“Sugarcrash Kids was created to teach children that they are uniquely made by God and can accomplish great things in this world,” Joshua says.

“We encourage kids to dream big and use their imagination through storytelling and songs.”

In addition to the music, there is also The Cramazingly Incredifun Sugarcrash Kids Podcast. Hosted by Mr. Josh and Robyn the Bird and produced by DJ JD (Jeremiah), each episode covers topics relevant to kids, includes interviews with children, and concludes with a related song.

“There are no limitations,” Jeremiah says of Sugarcrash Kids. “No one is really doing what we are doing, so we have the rare opportunity to completely define what we think the future looks like for family entertainment and enrichment.”

The podcast’s recurring characters include everything from a pirate named Captain Crazy Two Shoes to a Tyrannosaurus Rex named RexA-Million. The stories are set in the magical Isle of Hooglafair, which anyone can visit by using his or her imagination.

“Sugarcrash Kids is the alternative to sitting your children in front of the TV,” Joshua says. “It’s content that invites the listener to engage in a story and imagine a world with endless possibilities.”

The Sugarcrash Kids app, SCK radio, provides a variety of children’s content all in one place, including all of Sugarcrash Kids’ songs and podcasts, as well as a variety of other artists’ content on themed radio stations.

Joshua describes the radio theme as a “nod to a time when families would gather around a radio in the living room together.” It is that type of positive family interaction that Sugarcrash Kids hopes to inspire, whether through song, informative interviews, or a talking robot on the Isle of Hoogalafair.

“It blows my mind how many people approach me and tell me that what we’re doing has become a big part of the day for their family,” Jeremiah says.

For one family, Sugarcrash Kids provided a much needed escape and way of bonding during difficult times. “We received an email a couple of months ago from a family who had just lost their husband and father to cancer,” Joshua remembers. “The children are very young and the mother is now a widow. The mom emailed to tell us how much our podcast has meant to the family during this tough time, and she let us know that the kids gave their entire allowances towards our Kickstarter campaign to help build the app. We were all a bit teary-eyed when the email came in and it was a good reminder of the responsibility we have to the families who love our content.”

VISIT SUGARCRASHKIDS.COM // Discover what this incredibly fun and imaginative trio is concocting next for your family! Hear their music, listen to their podcast, and do The Rockmore while watching their videos.

Play All Day and Sleep All Night // Album This collection of silly songs and lullabies is guaranteed to make you dance until you fall asleep.

Rad Songs // EP The Sugarcrash Kids took some of the incredifun songs from a handful of their podcast episodes and put them in one place—this EP.

The Cramazingly Incredifun Sugarcrash Kids Show // Podcast Listen in and join in as the Sugarcrash Kids go on adventures together on the magical Isle of Hooglafair.

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ORLANDO, FL PERMIT NO. 676

735 Herndon Avenue// Orlando, FL 32803

Who We Are SUMMIT CHURCH is one church in multiple locations living out our vision so that people can know that they matter to God. All of our campuses share the same vision to form biblically functioning communities that reach lost people, connect in Christ-centered relationships, teach truth, serve others, and worship God. Whether you find yourself unsure about who Jesus is and why that matters, find yourself ready to jump right into community life, or find yourself somewhere in between, you are welcome here.

Locations Summit Herndon// 735 Herndon Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803

Connect With Us

Summit Waterford//

On the web: summitconnect.org

11602 Lake Underhill Road Suite 110, Orlando, FL 32825

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On Twitter and Instagram: Follow @summitchurch

100 Technology Park, Suite 110 Lake Mary, FL 32746

On Facebook: Like Summit Church

Summit at 33rd Street//

On our blog: blog.summitconnect.org

For the Horizon Wing & Female Detention Center inmates at the Orange County Jail