December 1, 2009

Preparing has now given way to realizing...

Posted by Garry

We have officially completed our series of Waterford team meetings, and now we look forward to our Summit Waterford community connecting in Christ-centered relationships through Summit Connect groups. We pray that everyone who has committed to being a part of the Waterford campus would strive for these deep relationships (see the October 22nd post titled: Moving towards Waterford Connect Groups). And we are going to help make it happen…

Summit Connect: Waterford Group Night will be held this Sunday, December 6th at 6 p.m. in the South Meeting Room at Summit Herndon.

Here is one Waterford team member’s journey with Summit Connect:

Per a recommendation from a co-worker who visited the Herndon campus, I decided to visit the church he said had “a pretty cool worship band and Pastor.” After hearing Pastor Isaac speak, I was convinced that Summit Church was the place at which God was calling me to establish roots.
That Sunday also happened to be Summit Connect: Group Night. I went in hopes of finding a community away from home. (At that point, I was new to the area from South Florida.) I had no idea that the friendly strangers that I met that night would ultimately be my friends that I’ve learned, served, and worshipped alongside for the past year.

Upon the announcement of the new Waterford Lakes site, I decided to go to the meetings and commit to going. Garry also came to my connect group to talk about the mission, vision, and overall plan for Waterford, and after taking the time to answer all of my questions pertaining to the campus, the decision to join became a lot easier.

Garry suggested that the next right steps were for me to attend a Summit Connect: Leader Training. It was perfect timing, as I felt God was redirecting me into a different path and mission for small group.

Before moving to Orlando, I would periodically make business trips to the area. One day I was driving through the downtown area when I saw in my peripheral view a homeless woman asking for spare change. I tried my hardest not to lock eyes with her and just ignore what was in front of me. But, the Lord would not allow that to happen. All of a sudden, I found myself asking her if she wanted to meet with me for lunch. Within an hour of us sitting and getting to know one another, I realized that through taking the leap of faith and following God’s will, He showed me that I do have more to offer—sometimes in the smaller things we can take part in the bigger mission of God’s redemption here on Earth. I heard a quote one day that said, If you approach the world with the apron of a servant, then you are allowed to go places that you can’t go if you approach it with the crown of a king. The bigger mission of God’s will to be fulfilled here on Earth starts with us taking on the visage of a humble servant, willing to show love in the smaller things.

With that being said, my vision for facilitating a Connect group would be just that: to participate in God’s redemption here on Earth while creating a community that learns, serves, and worships together. The small group will be two fold. First, we will have the home meetings to help foster growth and equip others in the Word. Second, we will have an opportunity to serve the homeless community by distributing Ziploc bags with basic essentials and a note just to say that we care. The ultimate goal, however, is to create a community in which God’s redemptive power is moving in the lives of everyone involved.

October 22, 2009

Moving Towards Waterford Connect Groups

Posted by Garry

Thanks to all of you who made it out to our second Summit Waterford team meeting. We welcomed new team members, spent some time building community by getting to know each other, and gave out Summit Waterford t-shirts to people committed to being part the team. We really appreciate all those that came and hope that the entire team makes it out for the next meeting (November 8). It matters.

The meeting focused on casting a vision for Summit Waterford Connect groups: what they will look like and how you can join one. Here’s a recap if you missed the meeting (in hypothetical conversation format):

Do I have to break-up with my current Summit Connect group if I am joining the Summit Waterford team?
Well, yes, but we want you to do it in a really nice way. Let them down easy. We want everyone that commits to Summit Waterford to be a part of a Summit Waterford Connect group.

When do I have to break the news to my current group?
Talk to your groups now about the transition. If you have committed to join the Waterford team, we would like you to join a new Summit Waterford Connect group in December.

Do I have to get flowers for my current group to soften the blow?
Maybe. That is up to your discretion.

Ok, so why do I have to break up with my current group?
The vision of going multi-site is reaching more people, connecting in more Christ-centered relationships, serving more people, and offering opportunities for more people to know that they are loved by God. One primary way we want to communicate that is through Connect groups. We want every person who walks through the door at Summit Waterford to know that they matter to God and to the people in the room. Our desire is to have open Summit Connect groups available to them at the start of the new campus.

That sounds good (reaching more people and all), but how will these new groups work?
We will form new groups with two co-leaders. These incubator groups of 10-14 people will meet for 3-4 months. At the end of that time, the groups will break in two so that room is created for new people to join. (Again, more opportunity to reach more people with the love of Christ.)

What if I want to be a Connect group leader at Summit Waterford. How do I get trained?
Just let us know you are interested via e-mail. Many have already signed up to get trained, and we want to train more. We will be holding a leader training for Summit Waterford Connect groups on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m., November 1-22. If you can’t make November’s, we anticipate having another training in January.

When can I join a new Connect group?
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OUR DECEMBER 6th TEAM MEETING. This is where you will find your new Connect group! At that meeting we will form new Summit Waterford Connect groups. Basically, we will be having our own team Group Night. We want everyone who has committed to Summit Waterford to be there!