Prayer Points

1)        The Presence of God- pray that the people of the Summit Church would be overwhelmed with a sense of awe at God’s presence and we would respond with great faith and willingness to sacrifice

 Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

 2)        John 15: Pray for fruitfulness in the following areas:

Community Ministry – that our love for our community would be evident and cause people to rejoice and praise God. Pray for outreaches to local schools, ministries like the Durham Rescue Mission and individual acts of service done by members of our church. Acts 8:8 “So there was great joy in that city.”

Church Planting – Pray for international church planters who have left home and family to bring the gospel and plant churches where it’s needed most. Pray for generosity of believers here to give extravagantly to the Christmas Missions offering and for our goal and goals nationwide to be greatly exceeded. Summit Goal: $245,000

New Campuses of the Summit – Pray Jabez’ prayer for God to expand our borders, allowing us to plant campuses in Raleigh, Chapel Hill and throughout RDU.1 Chronicles 4:10 “Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.”

 A harvest of new believers – pray for unbelievers to sense the presence of God when they come into our midst, whether it is in our worship services or even in our homes. Pray for God to make Himself known and for many people to repent and be saved. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, ²⁵and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

3)        Thank God for the gift of unity and pray for Him to protect it and to make us even more “one body” in Him. John 17:20-23″My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ²³I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

The Venue - Daniel Renstrom and his band (from Providence Baptist Church) will be the guest worship leader this Saturday night (Nov 7) @ BCPM.  After the service, he will do a concert in the worship center where he will play some of the new tunes off his new record. .  At the door, we’ll be collecting donations for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle: mixing bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, baking pans, vegetable peelers, colanders, and medium-size sauce pans with lids.  This should be a great opportunity for us to experience biblical community and worship together!

 COLE MILL: Invite friends, enjoy the FREE FOOD and let’s support our friends at the Brier Creek PM Campus  .

RD

Don’t forget that our Corporate Prayer night is held the 2nd monday night of every month. Remember you can always submit a prayer request to us anytime! Click the “prayer” link at the top of this page or fill out a prayer card on a sunday morning. See you monday from 7-8p.

Here are a few resources you might want to check out to assist you in developing a healthy prayer life.

Bennett, Arthur. The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions. Banner of Truth- Carlisle, 2007.

Cymbala, Jim. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. Zondervan-Grand Rapids, 1997.

Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. Harper-SanFrancisco, 1998.

Foster, Richard J. Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home. Harper-San Francisco, 1992.

Frizzell, Gregory R. How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life. The Master Design-Memphis, 1999.

Miller, Paul E. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World. Navpress-Colorado Springs, 2009.

Yancey, Philip. Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference? Zondervan-Grand Rapids, 2006.

From Pastor JD’s blog on October 20, 2009

One really practical thing I have gotten from the book is the idea to make a fairly detailed card for each major person/thing I’m praying for. Here are the reasons I have found it very helpful:

• Everything in my life that is important I plan for. Microsoft Outlook keeps my day on track and my priorities ordered. The same should be true for prayer.
• It keeps my mind from wandering. I know you have this idealized picture of what pastors pray like… we’re swept up in rapturous, effusive orations to God… but a lot of times when I find my mind has wandered off into distant lands, and I’m thinking about dinner, or who said what yesterday that ticked me off, or what I’ve got to do when I get into the office… holding a card helps me stay focused. There are times I get greatly moved in prayer and it just flows, and there are times when I need some help staying focused.
• It helps me be really specific when I pray, and then also to notice when the prayers have been answered. I have a few specific things, for example, I am praying for my daughters… character things I want to see develop, etc. I have noticed how God has answered prayer.
• I have a specific Scripture(s) that I have written out on the card that I associate with the things I am praying for.

I’d encourage you to give this a try. Don’t try and be too detailed on your card, but be specific about things you want to see happen in certain people’s lives or in situations. Have numerous cards, at least one that corresponds to each major area of your life: your workplace; each of your family; friends; your church; your small group; Summit Church plants; etc.

Saturday morning  we had a staff and deacon brunch at the Doherty’s. It was a time for all of us to get together and just talk and chill outside a busy sunday morning. I love serving along side such reliable, servant-hearted leaders.

If YOU have no idea what a deacon is or what they do check this out from a book by Mark Driscoll.

It did not take long for the senior leaders in the early church to become overextended, too distracted and ineffective. In Acts 6:1-7 we learn that the apostles became overburdened with the mercy ministry of caring for the needy. They were torn between the need and their other pastoral duties, particularly prayer and Bible study. Therefore, it was decided that the apostles would appoint pastoral assistants to care for the needy, thereby enabling the apostles to focus on prayer and Scripture.

 From this passage of Scripture, we can extract the biblical principle that when senior spiritual leadership is overburdened to the degree that they do not have time for prayer, Bible study and the care of needy people, they are often free to appoint pastoral assistants to help alleviate some of their burden.

 This simple pattern of senior leaders doing a work until it becomes too large and burdensome for them to continue is the pattern of the NT-elders are continually appointed first in local churches, and once they are overburdened then they appoint pastoral assistants to aid them. These pastoral assistants are called “deacons”. They are mentioned on two occasions in the NT. Both occasions are in relation to elders because the two groups of leaders work so closely together. Practically, elders specialize in leading but their words and deacons specialize in leading by their works.

 Deacons are the servants of the church who are also qualified for the ministry of overseeing and caring for God’s people by qualifications that are nearly identical to the elders (minus the teaching and preaching abilities). Deacons are appointed only after they have proven themselves to the elders as faithful and mature church members (1 Timothy 3:8-13).

 While the duties of an elder are clearly articulated throughout the NT, the same cannot be said for the duties of deacons. The Greek word for “deacon” simply means “servant” and beyond that title we are given little indication of what a deacon should do. Unlike the duties of an elder, the duties of a deacon vary according to the needs of the local church and their elders.

At the Summit Church you can find our deacons all over the place doing whatever the campus pastor/leaders of the church ask them to do.

THANK YOU DEACONS FOR MAKING THE SUMMIT CHURCH WHAT IT IS! YOU ARE APPRECIATED!

RD

I suspect we’ve all had those “ah ha” moments – where confusion and chaos in our lives suddenly becomes clarity…when suddenly the light bulb goes off and it all makes sense. I’m no exception, although up until about a couple of years ago, those moments had been reserved for those infrequent times when Algebra suddenly clicked…or when I finally realized how to use the copier at work.

About 4 years ago, I was on a late-night flight back from the West Coast when I had such a moment. My life was in absolute turmoil – God was doing something in my life and I was struggling to sort it all out.

At the time I was literally “living the dream.” I was a director at one of the top companies in America and was compensated handsomely. I lived in a dream home, drove a nice new car, my kids were in the best schools in the state, and we spent our family vacations in Europe. Our lives were in a nice, tidy, and comfortable box.

However, about a month earlier, I had returned from an absolutely unexpected experience. I had spent six incredible weeks volunteering in an area devastated by the 2004 tsunami. There I used my business and management skills to develop projects to re-develop communities there…and plant churches in a vehemently Muslim context. Before leaving, I was asked if I’d return with my family to continue the work. I admit that I had laughed the idea off with an arrogant “you don’t know who I am and what I have”.

But, after returning home, I was a wreck. My heart was burdened by what I had experienced. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen God doing in this place. suddenly all the pieces didn’t fit in my nice tidy box anymore. After much prayer with my wife, we had concluded that God was leading us to go…to sell what we had, leave the “box,” and move our family to the Third World to help plant churches. It made no sense, in many ways it was terrifying, but I couldn’t shake the call.

So there I was on the red-eye back from the West Coast. I had flown out for a series of meetings that were intended to merge the division I led with another business unit. I had wanted this change for years, lobbied my vice president for it countless times. It would mean more money, more responsibility, more prestige…and more things in the box.

As I sat in the seat headed home on the darkened plane, I read Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship. I came upon some comments that he wrote on Matthew 7: 13-14  (“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”). His insight caught me right between the eyes.

But if we behold going on before step by step, we shall not go astray. But if we worry about the dangers that beset us, if we gaze at the road instead of at Jesus Christ who goes before, we are already straying from the path. For He is himself the way,the narrow way and the straight gate. He, and He alone, is our journey’s end. When we know that, we are able to proceed along the narrow way through the straight gate of the cross, and on to eternal life, and the very narrowness of the road will increase our certainty. The way which the Son of God trod on earth, and the way which we too must tread as citizens of two worlds on the razor edge between this world and the kingdom of heaven, could hardly be a broad way. The narrow way is bound to be right.

He’s right, of course, absolutely right. I had a choice – walk down the broad road that the world understood and rewarded or follow the narrow road towards Him, in His presence.

The Gospel  demands a response. It starts with a decision whether or not to accept and follow and it continues with a submission to go. Not all of us are called to the other side of the world. However, the  road to the lost co-worker in the next office or the broken neighborhood downtown is just as narrow. Whether to another zip code or to another time zone, we’ve all been sent.

At the Summit, this compels us to plant gospel-centered churches and we believe that everyone plays a part. Whether it’s joining a church plant, being part of a small group that plants new groups in new communities, or supporting through prayer and short-term trips, we can all love our world by  churches. That’s why we want everyone to be a part of our annual missions celebration called SENT. If you call the Summit home, this is a night you won’t want to miss. So mark your calendars for Friday, Oct 23rd – you can find out more at www.summitrdu.com/sent.

-Curt

Find out more about SENT (here)

Here’s the deal…every once in a while we have a “loaded Sunday”. What that means is that on top of the typical amazing worship experience we enjoy at every campus, every Sunday at the Summit Church-we will also be having Grouplink after ever service and we will also have our Starting Point lunch after the 10:45a service. We want everyone to be involved!

The best way to get the inside scoop on the Summit Church is to begin our Starting Point process. Starting Point is…well…the starting point for everything at the Summit, from finding friends to getting baptized to discovering a small group or uncovering your talents to serve. You can go from guest to family member in as little as a month, or you can take things a bit slower. Our four-step process makes it easy for you to feel at home.

The Starting Point Luncheon provides a quick snapshot of who we are and where we’re going as a church. You’ll get to meet some of the pastors and staff and make some new friends. No RSVP is required…just show up!

The Part 2 Class picks up where the Reception leaves off.  We’ll go deeper into the mission of the Summit…how we’re structured, what kind of church we are, and how we want to partner with you to live a full life that honors God.  At the end of the class you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions about things that are important to you.

In the Part 3 Class, we talk about the importance of relationships and how God wants to use other people to help you grow spiritually, and how you can help other people.  We’ll discuss what the Summit is up to not only on Sunday mornings, but in our community and around the world.

If you have never been to Starting Point, or are just hungry, then come join us this sunday!

ALSO

Our hope is that the Summit Church would be a community of friends engaged in gospel-centered relationships resembling the early church (Acts 2:42). Summit Small Groups are the best opportunity we have for that. Therefore we believe active participation in a small group is critical for your spiritual health as a part of this local church. Gathering in groups creates an atmosphere that causes believers and non-believers to grow in their understanding and application of God’s direction in our lives. Groups help create the community we seek.

We believe everyone at the Summit should be in a small group. GroupLink is an on-campus connection event designed for you to meet a small group leader who may be in your area.

If you are unable to make it to GroupLink, please utilize the search features online to help  you connect to a small group in your area. If you have any trouble, please contact our Small Groups staff or stop by and speak with one of our team members at the small groups info center at your campus.

See you this Sunday!

-RD

What up Cole Mill!

My name is Josh Navey and I have the awesome opportunity of leading the Route 56 guys and gals here at a baller campus of the Summit! First a
(very) little bit about me because I’m really not that cool.  I am from a little town outside of Charlotte called Indian Trail (known as the town you
pass through on your way to Myrtle Beach).  I just graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May of ‘09, and I am now at
SEBTS. 

Did you know that there are no living creatures in the Dead Sea?  You see it takes in from lots of diffferent tributaries, but has no outlet. It doesn’t let anything out. So it has just trapped a ton of ’stuff’ and has become harmful for growth because it can’t spit it back out.  Unlike the Dead Sea, I  don’t want anyone from Route 56 to keep the gospel to themselves. I want Route 56 to be excited about sharing what they know to be the truth of the gospel!  I am so pumped about pouring the Word into these 5th and 6th graders and helping them see that it spills out into our everyday lives. Please let me know how I can help partner with your family as we all encourage and train this next generation! Peace!
Josh Navey (nkeegan@summitrdu.com)

Howdy, Cole Mill Roaders–My name is Curtis Crutchfield, and I am just beginning my new role as the CM Prayer Director, after serving as a teacher in the Summit Kids ministry.  While I have been involved with the Summit prayer ministry for several years, this new role is going to provide many new challenges and opportunities, so, to put it mildly, I’m excited to see what God has planned for me and for our campus, and for all the Summit campuses.

While my dad was a charter member of what was then Homestead Heights, I have only been a member for about a dozen years or so.  My wife, Kathy (to whom I have been married 43 years!) joined about 8 years ago, and, trust me, if you haven’t heard her “God story” about coming to the Summit, you need to hear it—her’s is a wonderful story of how God truly works out His plan for our lives if we only will listen and be obedient. My son, Andy, daughter-in-law Kristie, and their two sons, Cameron and Carter, also attend the CM campus.  I was privileged to serve on the Acts 2:47 team that oversaw the sale of our building on Holt School Road and the purchases of our CM campus and our property in Brier Creek—-as a part of that team I was able to witness first hand how God moved us to this campus, so it is no exaggeration when I say this place holds a special place in my heart.  May God be glorified in all we do here!

The Lord tells us in Isaiah 56 that “….my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”  A house of prayer—my desire for our campus, for all the Summit campuses is that we will be known as a house of prayer, that we will be known as a people of prayer.  My desire is that anyone visiting us for the first time will immediately know, without asking or being told, that prayer is the central force in all that we do.  To quote from Dr. Greg Frizzell in his book How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life, “Prayer is the heart and soul of every successful relationship with God.”

May we all grow to such a relationship!

Can we do this?—probably not!  Can God do it thru us?–Absolutely!  I would ask that you begin now to seek God’s will for you in serving Him in the CMR prayer ministry.  There are several avenues of service available now and there will be more in the future.  For now, consider joining the Summit email prayer group—praying for others is a blessing beyond description.  Consider being on the Prayer Counselor team—at the end of each service, Counselors will be available at the front of the sanctuary to meet and pray with anyone seeking prayer.  Consider serving at the Prayer Resource Center in the lobby—again, to meet and pray with others and to make available books and literature on prayer.  Most importantly, for now, attend the 10/12/09 Prayer Meeting at our campus and pray for the meetings being held at our other campuses.

If you need more information about the prayer ministry at Cole Mill Road, or if you are being led to serve, please contact me at putterbud@aol.com.

Hey folks, I’m Will Roberts the worship leader at the Cole Mill Campus. I’m a Durham native and have been a member of the Summit going on 23 years. I’ve been married to my lovely wife Hope for 20 years and we have two beautiful daughters Grace and Faith. My family has had the great advantage of growing up at the Summit and seeing God do incredible things. For the newbies it didn’t happen overnight. We have been in a few dark places as a church in our past but when we started taking our eyes off of ourselves and loving our world more than our comfort, things started to take off. I was fortunate enough to be on the search committee that called JD (believe me when I say it was nothing that we did) and the rest is history.

I grew up around music my whole life. My mother, grandmother and aunt all played and taught piano, unfortunately for my parents I took up drums. I joined the Durham Boys Choir it’s first year and have been singing ever since. I love to worship not just with music but with my whole life and am learning more and more each day just what that means.

I adore our campus and our worship team, we are truly blessed with great musicians and vocalists who have humble hearts for God, of course we are always looking for people to join us; so if you sing or play just send me an email and let me know. I’d love to get to know you better as we all practice here what we will be doing for all eternity only better.

Will (wroberts@summitrdu.com)