November 25, 2009

Keep me close

Posted by Guest Blogger: Bret

The one major reservation I had about jumping on-board with the multi-site project was simply leaving the friends I had made at the Herndon campus, especially the ones that I see almost every Sunday at service. And when I say “reservation”, I hadn’t yet realized that I might not run into them anymore until after I’d made a full commitment—so it was actually more of a sudden regret. Really, I didn’t even want to tell them. They didn’t find out until one of them caught me signing my commitment card in service (I guess the “Going Local” shirt was too subtle).

I had to humbly asked God to keep me close to these people, because I was quickly losing my excuse to see them every week. And as he often does, He came through. Looking back at that little prayer now is amazing to me. Our relationship DID change—but not in the way I’d fearfully thought. Now, I talk to at least one of them a day, and lately I’ve been seeing them much more often outside of church. It was such an organic and unnoticed change, that when I realized what had happened, I definitely stopped in my tracks and experienced a moment of God-inspired comfort.

When I was younger, I was very critical of people claiming God had a part in something that I felt would have probably happened anyway. I’m not sure if that adds anything to the story, but when I asked God for help I honestly got a lot more than I expected. Not only did I receive the help I was looking for, but healing for my skeptic’s heart.

October 27, 2009

One Couple's Story

Posted by Garry

Stories are growing as God continues to move Summit Waterford from vision to reality. These stories are for all of us, because they make up our collective story. After healing a demon-possessed man Jesus says, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” When Jesus returns to the region he finds people have already put their faith in Him. It was this man’s story that prepared the way for the Gospel. Our stories can to that in Waterford. Christ needs your stories. We need your stories. If you have one, which you do, share it. Here is one story of God’s provision from a couple committed to Summit Waterford:

For a while now, Summit has been talking about “Going Local.” Going Local means that the church will open another place of worship across town, specifically, Waterford Lakes.

A couple weeks ago, they shared the vision for the church and what it would take to make this happen. Bottom line is that we need $1 million to get the campus up and running. Isaac asked us to pray about what to give, and we did. My husband and I didn’t pray together, but separately. We decided that at the end of the week, in time for commitment Sunday, we would talk about what God told each of us to give.

I’m in school, not really working a lot and surviving pretty much on my husband’s paycheck alone. I always stress about money and how it all seems to be going out with very little coming in. I applied for several scholarships, but I hadn’t heard from any of them even after I had followed up and pestered them for an answer. My immediate thought was that we would give our time. We would invest all we could in the campus, besides money. I knew I had to pray about how much to give financially, and so I did. Begrudgingly.

The end of the week came and we sat down to talk about it. The number he had in mind turned out to be the exact same number I was thinking. I knew it wasn’t coincidence that we were thinking the same thing, but it didn’t make it any easier. This dollar amount was double what we gave for the Open Doors campaign, and things now are a little tighter than they were then (again, me in school and working less). Immediately, we started thinking about how we could afford it — we weren’t exactly sure where the money would come from. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we had to trust that God would provide.

The following Saturday, I went to get the mail and saw a letter from UCF. I opened it to read a letter notifying me that I had been awarded a scholarship — one I had applied for back in June. How much was the scholarship for? The exact amount we committed to the Going Local campaign.

I stood there in my driveway, holding the letter, crying. It didn’t solve all our problems by any means, but it was enough to remind us that God provides everything that we need — not always in the ways we hope or expect, but we can put our faith and trust in him.

October 2, 2009

IS THIS WHAT IT FELT LIKE?

Posted by Garry

It wasn’t the moment the first person showed up.

It wasn’t the moment the first row of chairs filled in.

It wasn’t the moment I walked out and saw the line to get into the meeting stretch all the way down the hall.

It wasn’t even the moment I realized there were 50 people standing in the back of the room, because we had so drastically underestimated how many would show up to engage in God’s vision for Summit Church Waterford.

It WAS the moment when the extra rack of chairs showed up, and a group of servant leaders got to work making more room for more people to be a part of what God is doing.

That was the moment when I thought to myself, “This must be what it felt like.”

This must have been what it felt like for Barnabas. Very early in the history of the Church, news had reached Jerusalem that God was moving people to other places. He leaves Jerusalem to go to Antioch to see if God really could be working somewhere else, in some other way, with other people.

The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. (Acts 11:21-23)

When I saw the evidence of the grace of God (in people instantly willing to step up to serve), I could do nothing but stand back and watch God work. I was, am, and will continue to be humbled that God allows me to watch this community grow. Summit Church Waterford is in good hands.

September 29, 2009

Good Start!

Posted by Jeff

We’re coming off our first Waterford Team Meeting this past Sunday. 50 new people showed up and expressed interest in joining the team—which puts us at over 120 adults! The coolest part for me was needing to set up additional chairs for all the people who came. (Forgive us for our lack of faith in setting up so few chairs!)

The dream is becoming a reality. Thanks for being a part!

September 9, 2009

Movement

Posted by Garry

Movements start small.

Before becoming the cultural phenomenon responsible for i_Everything_, Apple started as the good idea of just a couple of guys.

Before delivering a speech before a crowd of 200,000 that would change the social fabric of an entire generation, Martin Luther King delivered his first sermon to just a few hundred.

Before the trajectory of human history was forever altered by the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a young Rabbi asked two fishermen to follow him.

Before becoming the place where thousands take their next right step toward Christ, Summit Church started with just a handful of people.

Movements need visionaries. And a single visionary would produce little movement at all. But many visionaries, willing to sacrifice for a Christ-centered idea that’s bigger than they are, make small movements into great ones.

I invite you to be a visionary. I invite you into the revolutionary way of Jesus, lived out in our community. I invite you to participate in…

More lost people being reached.

More people connecting in Christ-Centered relationship.

More truth being taught.

More service by and to others.

More worship of God.

I invite you to be a part of a movement to ‘go local’ with the message of restoration in which we have been called to participate. (2 Corinthians 17-21)

Attend the first Waterford Campus Multi-site Visioning Meeting.

Date: Sunday, September 27, 2009. 6:30 p.m.
Location: South Meeting Room, Summit Church

Who should attend? Anyone interested in the vision for multi-site and the Waterford Campus.