The mission statement of Summit Community Church is simple. Take anyone wherever they are in life and develop them into fully devoted followers of Christ. This means no matter who you are, where you’ve been, what ‘baggage’ or ‘history’ you have, you will be accepted and loved. We will meet you wherever you are on the journey of life and show you God’s love, understanding and truth. Once God becomes a lasting part of your life, we will continue on that journey with you as we grow together, sharing that new found hope in Christ with others who need it as badly as you once did.
Vision
In order to accomplish our mission, every ministry at Summit has an ‘entry’ level which allows each person the opportunity to investigate, ask questions, and in fact, ‘explore’ what this church and it’s heartbeat are all about.
Our main service on Sunday mornings is designed differently than your typical church service. It is true that some of the elements you will see at Summit may appear familiar to other churches you have visited. But, we invite you to explore the difference of how those, and other, elements are presented. They are presented in a way that is understandable to everyone, which is not always like many church services. To be honest, there are elements in many churches that even the most seasoned veterans do not understand.
Have you ever gone to church and felt very much like a fish out of water? Our goal at Summit is to not allow that to happen. There is no reason why church should not be understandable, especially to people who need answers to questions about life. Because of past mis-understandings you may have experienced, church and the things of God might be seen as unnecessary or irrelevant. We want to help you wade through all of that. We want to explain things for you, things we often refer to at Summit as “Christianese”. We want to help you make a head and a heart decision about God and your need for Him in your life. Like we say, Come Explore the Difference!
Core Values
There are 5 core values at Summit that pretty much cover the things that matter most to us. Some call them the 5-G's:
Grace
For every one exploring life at Summit, grace can be
explained this way – a friendly environment where it is o.k. to ask
questions. Now, this in no way, even begins to completely define the full
impact of what grace is all about. But, it is a great beginning way to
create an atmosphere of grace.
Group
We like to define group this way – a priority on family and
care for the community. Let’s face it. We all need community. Yes, it is
true that for those who are more task oriented than people oriented, too
much of any good thing will only drain us. But at some point along the
way, all of us have to admit that it’s hard to beat good friendship, a
sense of belonging, and simply people who want to and are willing to do
life together with you on this journey.
Growth
This means
principled, practical help for life. If you are truly in an environment
where you can ask questions without being judged or looked down upon, you
will in all likelihood grow. And you will not only grow in knowledge, but
also in understanding. The principles of life you will hear and see begin
to make sense and eventually become a part of the way you live, because
they work and because they are right.
Gifts
Every single person has a gift or talent or ability that can
be used to help others. Also, each gift is as unique as the person who has
that gift. If we were all made the same, what a boring world this would
be. God, in His vast creative nature, has given each of us the enablement
to bring something wonderful to the ‘table’. In short, God don’t make no
junk! You are valuable and unique, and what you have to offer is
priceless. This is definitely worth exploring and we will take
responsibility to help you develop your gifts. At Summit, we take
seriously the trust that is placed in us with each life who comes our way.
Good Stewardship
O.k. This may seem like a stretch for one of
the G’s. We could, however, call it giving. You were waiting for this one,
weren’t you. No, this is not just about money. Once you become a part of
something you love or that something has given something wonderful to you,
you can’t help but want to give back. In this core value, we encourage
each person in not just being a steward, but a good steward, meaning one
who is wise and intentional about the value of saying thank you. This
value can show itself in three main ways – being a good steward with our
time, talents and treasures. It helps us all show a complete commitment to
honor and thank God.
Statement of Faith
We believe in God, the
Creator of the Heavens, the Earth, and all that is in them (Genesis
1:1-31). This God manifests Himself in three persons: The Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. This God has always been and always will be (Isaiah
44:6 & 48:12), He does not change (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8 &
James 1:17), and He desires a personal relationship with us (Isaiah 41:8
& John 15:9-17).
We believe that the Son, Jesus, came to Earth as a mortal man (John 1:1-18), yet fully God (Philippians 2:5-11), and was born of a virgin through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). This Jesus lived a perfect life (Hebrews 4:15), and died in our place as a payment for our sins (John 1:29), so that anyone who believes in Him may have a right relationship with God (John 3:16 & Colossians 1:19-20).
We believe that the Holy Spirit lives fully within those who believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:1-15). This Holy Spirit teaches us the things of God (John 14:26), and guarantees us of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14). We also believe in the gifts of the Spirit, which are used to build up and edify the Church (Ephesians 4:11-16).
We believe in the Holy Bible, which is made up of sixty-six individual books. These books record God’s dealings and interactions with mankind. This Holy Bible teaches us about history (John 21:24-25), how to live our lives (Psalm 1:1-3), and gives us hope for the future (Romans 15:4). We also believe that God gave the Holy Bible to us by the Holy Spirit through certain men and women (2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21).
We believe in the Church, which is made up of those who have faith in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). This Church is to exercise authority over believers (Matthew 18:15-20), care for the needs of others (Luke 10:30-37), and be an example of God to the unbelieving world (Matthew 5:14-16). We also believe in giving financially to the Church, so that God’s work may be continued (2 Corinthians 9:6-9).
We believe in obedience to God. Obedience does not qualify one for Heaven; rather, faith in God and what He has done for mankind through Jesus qualifies one for Heaven (Romans 3:21-31). However, obedience is the manifestation of faith (Luke 11:27-28), for when one accepts God’s intervention, they receive God’s Holy Spirit who transforms the believer into Christ-likeness (2 Corinthians 3:16-17). This is what it means to be born again (John 3:1-21).
We believe in eternity, which can either be spent with God in Heaven (Luke 23:42-43) or apart from Him in Hell (Matthew 7:21-23). Because we are all guilty of disobeying God, a.k.a. sin, (Romans 3:23), we are all deserving of God’s punishment (Romans 6:23), which is eternal suffering in Hell. However, God is gracious in that He has provided an avenue in which we can have a right relationship with Him (Romans 5:8), and if we have faith in God’s provision, Jesus Christ, we will have eternal life with Him in Heaven (Romans 10:9-10).