From the Summitites

Newspaper Article about Christmas

2010-12-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

Pastor Nate was asked to write a short article for the Buckeye Valley News as they publish the newspaper this Christmas week. Check out his article about the meaning of Christmas for us as a church here in the local community:

Christmas is for many a season of gift-giving. It is a time for special events and gatherings. Simultaneously, it can be the busiest time of the year and a time when we finally slow down. For many, Christmas means getting together with loved ones and friends.

Christmas means snow in most parts of our country—except for those of us in Arizona. We instead get the joy of reminding out-of-state friends just how nice our weather is!

But for our church and for countless Christians around the globe, Christmas is not about us at all. It’s not about trees and events and school breaks. For us it is time to stop and reflect on the greatest gift of all, the birth of Christ some 2000 years ago. The heart of Christmas is about the faith and joy we have all year long—because of Jesus’ miraculous birth. As Matthew 1:23 says, “The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”

Christmas bears the name of our Savior, the promised one. He brings peace and hope that lasts far more than one day! My family will share gifts and take time for lots of other traditions as well, but Jesus is at the center. I pray that God touches your heart this Christmas—and blesses you with the peace of knowing he came for you as well!

By Pastor Nate Schaus
Summit Community Church
www.summitcc.org

Glow on Monroe Light Parade

2010-12-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

This past weekend a team from Summit put together a float with a nativity scene and Christmas lights for the annual "Glow on Monroe" light parade. It was the first year our church participated, and we actually received a trophy for the best religious entry. For all of you who have asked if Summit was the only religious entry... there were other churches there! :)

The streets were lined with people for seven city blocks, sometimes as much as four people deep. It was an incredible night to share how Christ is at the center of the season for our church - and we handed out a bunch of candy canes with Christmas Eve invites. Watching kids from several Summit families throw out candy to the crowds along the street was too cute. Pray that God works through it all to help some people reconnect with church and with Him this Christmas!

Rick Taylor and Walt Morris did an awesome job getting everything prepared. Thanks to the two of them and everyone who helped it a successful and fun night!

Update from the Bender Family in Haiti

2010-11-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hello Summit family!

We have been praying for the church all this week and we are turning our commiment card in via email from Haiti! If someone could please write our names on a brick for the wall - with WATERisLIFE words - that would be awesome.

We are accomplising so much while we are here - and have plenty of good nourishment to keep us going thanks to your generous giving. We purchased our food with all of your donations! Thank you Summit!

Between missionary kidnappings, presidential election tensions, the cholera outbreak (with many infected and dying), Hurricane Tomas, our student diagnosed with TB and HIV, WATERisLIFE village visits with riotous people and many challenges that arise in Haiti on a daily basis - we have have had quite a bit to contend with.

But the joy of our work and time as a family to serve is a Gift we could never have expected.

We know that God has us here at this time for His purpose. We have been able to use the ever so needed water filters and hygiene and cholera education clinics as tools to reach so many with His word.

It would have been much easier to find many reasons not to listen to God's calling and come to Haiti... we are sure glad we we didn't say "But Lord, we we can't go because..." We are glad we said yes.

We are blessed to be here and truly blessed to have our Summit family praying. Picabo and Olivia have done amazing and are fantastic ambassadors for WATERisLIFE and our Lord.

As Pastor Nate knows first hand - a little body rash, diarrhea, spiders, rats, voodoo, flooding, torential rains with deep mud, head colds, bleaching everything, and exhaustion - it's hard work, but we love it! As Mark says, now that we have experienced this, there is nothing we can't do!

Miss you all - see you in December.

The Bender Family
MB, KB, PB, OB and Cabo!

A call to prayer

2010-11-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Take a look at Pastor Nate's call to prayer during this important season.

A Red Chair Church

2010-11-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

Check out our Summit's vision as we seek to be a red chair church and follow God's will for our lives.

Vision Sunday from Summit Community Church on Vimeo.

Celebration 2010

2010-11-05T15:10:00.001-07:00

Celebrate what God has done at Summit this past year:

Children's Ministry Vision 2010

2010-11-05T15:07:00.001-07:00

Check out Children's Ministry Director Jamie Wolf's vision for Children's Ministry for this year:

Reaching out and sharing faith

2010-11-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Tom has an inspirational story of sharing faith. Check it out:

Serving Others in Children's Ministry

2010-11-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hear Stephanie's story of serving others through helping our 2's program.

Interested in serving at Summit? Click here and let us know what you'd like to help out with.

Partnering Through Giving

2010-11-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Check out this story of someone at our church who has grown in faith through giving.

Ready to take this step of faith? Check out this link.

Baptism Bash 2010

2010-10-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome time at the Verrado Village pool for our Baptism Bash on Oct 3.

Check it out:

Don't Be a Hoarder.

2010-09-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Got some stuff you're hoarding? Items cluttering up your house? What better way to get rid of them than donating them to the Mexico Mission trip Yard Sale. All proceeds benefit the Mexico Mission Trip, so you know its for a good cause. The Yard Sale is on October 9th, so come and check it out and invite your friends.

Contact Char to drop off/have her pick up your items you'd like to donate: charlotte_bentz@yahoo.com

Check out Char's promo from this past Sunday:

Resources for Your Sex Life

2010-09-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

This Sunday at Summit, we're tackling the topic of sex. God created us with a sexual design and provided it for us as a tremendous gift in the context of marriage. But too often the world pushes a cheap imitation, built around temporary gratification and limited commitment.

Today I encourage you to grow in your understanding of and commitment to sex God's way. For teens and adults in the dating scene, make decisions with a future spouse in mind. For those living with someone, make the choice to get married and honor God with a life-long commitment. For those impacted by porn, seek accountability. For frustrated and unfulfilled spouses, reach out and look for the resources you need to make a change.

God has designed sex as an incredible gift when enjoyed as he planned! Here are some practical and helpful resources to check out:

Q&A about Sex with Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott
When Bad Things Happen to Good Marriages
Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts
Learning About Sex (resource for parents & kids)
Internet Filtering
Crazy Good Sex
Local Christian Counselors - Dr. Meloney Nunez & Alan Heller

You may have heard in worship how helpful Dr. Les & Leslie Parrott have been for many couples. Read one of their books above or take advantage of the many resources available to help you grow in this important area of life.

Pastor Nate

Bender Family Serves in Haiti

2010-09-16T08:25:00.001-07:00

The Bender family will be traveling to Haiti this fall to spend a few months there and serve through providing clean water filters through waterislife, working on local construction projects and teaching in an orphanage there, among many other things.

Check out their video to learn more about their trip.

If you'd like to help them, check out their flyer for more details: www.summitcc.org/benderhaiti.jpeg

Time to Make a Change

2010-09-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

I could see it in people’s eyes this past week at worship. I could hear it in the voices of people I talked to after church. I read it in the e-mails we got this week. People are ready to make a change in their financial life.

What’s cool is that so many are wrestling with the spiritual questions that lie behind making a lasting change. They have gotten to the point where they know making a financial change takes a completely different view of money than most people have… Living within what God provides. Avoiding debt. Being prepared. Living generously. Knowing that it’s God’s stuff, not mine. Building wealth for all the right reasons.

I’m praying like crazy that many people trust God’s way of handling money and start to make changes. Not sometime down the road. Now! I believe that we will see a bunch of people at Summit who look back thankfully a year from now and only wish they had made a change sooner.

If you are ready to make a change, sign up today for Financial Peace University at Summit. Read books like The Total Money Makeover. Talk to our church office about meeting with a financial counselor. Teach your kids how to handle money using Financial Peace Jr. Discover the joy of giving by reading the Treasure Principle. Make today the day you swear off debt and begin saving for the future.

Whatever your next step is, trust God and take it today.

Pastor Nate

Growth Groups Starting September 12

2010-08-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Check out what one of our Growth Groups had to say about how GGs are important to them. You can browse GG options here.

If you have any other questions, email Jim at smallgroups@summitcc.org

Join us this Growth Group season, connect with friends and grow in God's Word.

The Mexico Mission Trip is revving up.

2010-08-25T08:17:00.001-07:00

Charlotte was in church last week to talk about the Mexico Mission Trip coming up on President's Day Weekend 2010. She gave a funny promotion as always, check out the video below:

Fan Sunday was an awesome time

2010-08-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from our fan Sunday. Teams were represented, and people came wearing jerseys. But there was one jersey that was absent from the festivities...

Fan Sunday

2010-08-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

Phoenix is an interesting town because fans have moved here from all over the country. Especially on the growing edges of town, it’s a melting pot of many different loyalties.

I love it when people are willing to step out and represent their team, no matter what anyone else thinks. We’ve got some misguided Jazz fans at church, but you gotta appreciate their passion. You can easily tell how loyal somebody is by the way they talk about “their team.”

That’s why we decided to have fun with this and declare August 15th FAN SUNDAY at Summit.

Everyone in the community is invited to join us and represent their team. Whether it’s a sports team or another group, we are encouraging people to wear a jersey or some other gear to church this weekend… It’s going to be a fun and creative day to explore what he Bible says about loyalty in our life and faith.

We hope that sports fans, and guys especially, are willing to come and check out worship this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Many new people at Summit share their surprise that many Christian leaders & people they meet are “ordinary” & down-to-earth. I hope that many more discover this weekend that they’ll fit right in as well.

My biggest sports addictions are to the NFL (fantasy football) and the LA Lakers. As my family will tell you. I’ve been a Lakers fan far too long to change, but some Suns fans are determined to give it a shot! They even kidnapped my jersey a couple weeks ago and threatening it on Facebook in some hilarious ways. Check it out here – I hope my jersey comes back by the weekend, but I’m not holding my breath!

Pastor Nate

2010-06-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

Perseverance

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.” (Winston Churchill, 1941 speech to the Harrow School)

I love that quote from Winston Churchill as he stood strong in the middle of World War II. It is inspiring to see strong leadership in times of great challenge. Perseverance is needed when a country is facing tough times, and that is true across all other areas of life as well.

As a pastor, I see on a weekly basis how people are looking for strength—and finding strength in Christ—to persevere. It’s why this past weekend I shared from Hebrews 10 about holding on to the confidence and promise for the future we have in him.

We’re in the middle of a series on “The Bible According to Disney”. This week we saw a clip from the movie UP and then jumped into what God’s Word says about perseverance. It’s a fun summer series – and one that is opening up spiritual conversations in everyday life. We’re encouraging parents/grandparents to have a family movie night each week and use it as an opportunity to discuss faith questions together.

If you are out of the area and can’t join us for worship, feel free to email office@summitcc.org for the discussion questions tied to the movie of the week. Whenever faith and everyday life come together… it’s something we celebrate at Summit!

Pastor Nate

Vacation Bible School - High Seas Adventure!

2010-06-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

Vacation Bible School was a BLAST. Check out the great time had by both kids AND adults:

Secret Prayer Box

2010-06-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

A few of our Youth Group girls found something special in the woods at youth retreat this year. Check it out!

Take A Stand

2010-05-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

Check out our youth as they talk about how they plan on "taking a stand for Jesus," from their Spring retreat in Prescott, AZ.

National Day of Prayer.

2010-05-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Today our nation marks what could end up being our last National Day of Prayer, after a ruling last month by a Federal U.S. District Court judge. My hope is that our government continues to celebrate the importance of prayer. But whatever is decided by judges and courts, the truth is that prayer and God’s guidance will be as powerful as ever.

In fact, I hope that rulings like this stir Christians to more prayer, not less. We can be granted the official blessing to celebrate a national day like this or pray in schools – but it doesn’t make a difference if few people pray. If we instead rise up together to humbly and honestly pray for God’s kingdom to come, people and governments will be moved.

So let’s commit ourselves to pray today for rulers and authorities, as God reminds us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2. It is an honor to do that privately, but I am excited to still be able to do so publicly in the West Valley. I was given the opportunity to offer the invocation at our Buckeye Town Council meeting on Tuesday, and I will be praying for our Chamber of Commerce award banquet tomorrow night.

God’s wisdom and discernment are needed more than ever in these challenging economic times! That’s why I prayed over our local leaders Proverbs 15:21-23, asking that the Lord unite our leadership together in making wise choices for the good of all in our community.

Regardless of what happens on the national stage, it is still good to be able to pray in Jesus’ name at the local level!

Pastor Nate

"I Wasn't Sure If I'd Be Welcome Here."

2010-04-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve had several conversations with people lately who’ve shared the exact same thing about Summit. The words they used were different, but their message came across the same way:

“I love the fact that I can ask questions and be myself at Summit. I didn’t know much about the Bible when I first came, and I had always worried that people would look down on me for it. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one with questions! Thank you for sharing about the Bible in a way that connects with everyday life and finally makes sense to me.”

We’ve striven as staff and leaders here at Summit to create an environment where people can be themselves … ask questions … and discover that you don’t have to be perfect to be a Christian. We all need Jesus and his forgiveness.

But far too often churches give the impression that you have to look a certain way … or know enough stuff … or fit the right mold before you are welcome. That makes me angry. Jesus fought the same battle with religious leaders who thought that the tax collectors and “sinners” weren’t good enough for God.

Honesty about our need for God and his forgiveness is disarming. It puts everyone on a level playing field. And I love that many of the people I quoted above invite their friends to Summit because they know they’ll be welcome here too.

If you are honestly searching and want to learn what it means to follow Christ—you’re always welcome to join us in that journey!

Pastor Nate

Homeless Youth Project Update 2

2010-04-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

Check out this additional update on Summit's involvement in the Homeless Youth Project.

Homeless Youth Project Update

2010-03-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

At Summit, we believe it's up to us to help those who need it in our community. Here's one recent example of how.

Tia's Story

2010-03-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

As always, please send in your stories to myfaithstory@summitcc.org.

Serving Homeless Youth in Our Community.

2010-03-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

An amazing partnership between Summit and the local Rotary.

My Top 10 Bible Verses about Business and Work.

2010-03-20T14:57:00.001-07:00

In the past couple weeks, I met with someone starting a new business. It was fun to pray for that new venture and talk about what the future would hold.

After our time together I decided to build a list of my top 10 Bible passages that relate to work and business. Most people will spend more time doing work-related stuff than anything else in their lifetime. With that in mind, it is exceptionally important to know the wisdom and promises God’s Word has to offer!

These are my top 10, but there is no shortage of great Bible passages that deal with the topic. Feel free to post one of your favorites in the comments below!

- Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

- They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands." Nehemiah 6:9 (NIV)

- It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. Psalm 112:5 (ESV)

- Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4 (NIV)

- Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. Proverbs 13:11 (NIV)

- “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

- No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24 (NLT)

- Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10 (NIV)

- I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

- Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men… Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Pastor Nate

Doug's Story, Parts 1 & 2.

2010-03-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

As always, please send in your stories to myfaithstory@summitcc.org.

Spiritual Flatline?

2010-03-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

Flat and insipid? Can your connection with God really get that way? You didn’t used to think so, but now you find it is. How did it get that way? Could it be you’re walk with Him has ground to a halt or gotten sidetracked by goals and ambitions that don’t include Him? Could it be that those same goals and ambitions are even at odds with maintaining a healthy and growing connection to Him?

There’s no way to build and develop a real, relevant relationship with God if you don’t devote serious face time with Him. Think about it. How close could you be to your spouse, your child, or friends if you only connected with them once or twice a week for a few minutes? You couldn’t really call it a meaningful relationship. How can you be close to God when you’re off wandering around and doing things that keep you from Him? Answer’s obvious – you can’t.

It’s time to spiritually “man-up.” If you want closeness and connection with God, you’re going to have to give more of yourself and your time to Him. It’s not rocket science - James shares this simple spiritual principle to those who found that their relationship with God had become flat and insipid: “Come close to God, and God will come close to you (James 4.8a).” Pretty straightforward!

In every relationship, you get what you put into it. Give a little - and get a little back! Most people will drop out of your life if you’re not “there.” Sometimes we discover this too late, usually after we’ve lost a spouse, a child, or a great friend. Rebuilding those bridges may take years … maybe never!

Good thing God isn’t like us. He doesn’t get hurt or pull away. He’s always standing by an open door waiting for you to realize what you’ve been missing. He uses the emptiness and “blah-ness” of your spiritual life to let you know your “God-meter” is tanking out and that you’re running on fumes. Something essential is missing and it’s time to honestly evaluate where things are going with you and Him. At this point, that’s usually nowhere.

So where to begin? How about that “face time” we talked about? Remember when you first hooked up with God? How you couldn’t get enough of Him; how you loved talking to Him; how you couldn’t wait to act on His promptings; how you hungrily ate up all you could know about Him; how you looked forward to spending time just hanging out with Him and other Christians who were just as excited as you? You can get it back by investing your self, your time, your energy, and your passion.

How? Get real with God and take responsibility for letting the connection grow cold. Don’t blow past it as though it never happened. That’s kind of insulting and it leaves a lot of awkwardness in the friendship until it gets dealt with. The great thing is God won’t hold it against you. Knowing how you feel and that you want to make it better, He’ll say, “It’s okay, let’s move on and work at making our friendship even tighter.”

Spend time talking with God on a regular basis. Get real with Him and He’ll be real with you. The more time chatting with God and getting His advice and direction the more you’ll find that old feeling of “I feel good with God.”

Get reacquainted by spending time in the Bible and discovering more about what God has to say and how that’s worked itself out in the lives of other people just like you.

Rediscover God’s plan to work through you to grab the world. Use those gifts, abilities and skills. He’s turned over to you to use for Him! Make a real difference in the lives of others.

Hook back up with other Christians if you’ve “dropped out” for awhile. Spend time worshipping God and hear what He specifically has to say to you in the pastor’s message, pray for others, and connect with a growth group where you can combine your experiences, efforts, and abilities to achieve great things for God’s kingdom.

There’s no shortcuts, no silver “spiritual” bullets to give you a great connection with God. Just give what you find most difficult to give in your busy life - your time and your self. But what you’ll gain is a powerful and vibrant connection with God in return. Then hold on!

- Jim Swinford

Walk Across the Room Videos

2010-03-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

In case you missed either of them, here are the videos that aired during our services. If you've got a story to share, please send in to myfaithstory@summitcc.org.

Mexico Mission Trip 2009 Video

2010-03-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

Amazing work done by the team this year. If you're looking forward to getting plugged in, talk to Char Bentz just about any Sunday. She's one of the blond ladies who sings upfront a lot.

So What's Your Story?

2010-02-18T20:23:00.000-08:00

The funny thing about faith - no one comes to it on their own. So do us a favor. Tell us how you came to believe.

Did someone play a significant role in your faith walk? Were you in a bad place and got a nudge from someone special? Has someone cared enough to send a little tough love in your direction, leading you to Jesus?

Tell us how it all worked for you.

myfaithstory@summitcc.org

Our Sunday Best.

2010-02-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

Like most people at Summit, I’m proud of how we worship on a weekly basis.

But I can easily say that one of the most beautiful times of year is Christmas. As the “music guy” at Summit, it’s also the busiest time – rehearsals, picking music, rehearsals, working with an arranger for string/horn parts, and rehearsals.

Did I also mention the rehearsals?

Despite the busy schedule, Christmas is a season of light, love, family and most importantly, the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

So, after all the work is done, and “Silent Night” is sung, I sit in awe of what God does here in our community. I remember my first Christmas Eve at Summit was in a tent in the parking lot of the Wigwam Resort with a handful of people, all passionate about this church. We worshipped there with passion and hope.

Those same people took a risk and followed God, which brought us to our beautiful high school auditorium stage that we shared Christmas Eve at just a few weeks ago at Verrado High School. Those same people prayed and asked for guidance for building here in the West Valley. And from there, many, many Christmas Eves will follow!

We’ve come a long way, and God still has places he wants to take us. So from one Christmas Eve to the next, well into the future, we seek to reach more and more people in our community. That’s our true “Sunday Best” – not how we look, how we act, or how we sound. It’s how we declare ourselves as God’s people, serve others, and reach people for Jesus, one life at a time.

-Ryan Jimison

Welcome to the Summit Blog.

2010-02-16T21:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to this behind-the-scenes look at what God is doing at our church. I’ve never been a part of another church like Summit. It brings me joy on many levels – as a husband, a dad and a pastor. The steps of faith, answered prayer and changed lives make ministry and life an absolute adventure.

With that in mind, the purpose of our blog is to give me (and some other leaders) a way to share how we see Christ at work. I hope you get a sense of the way we think, the passion we have for God’s leadership in everyday life, and the ways Summit people are making an impact.

We’d love to hear your voice as well, so jump in and comment as we post.

Our church and I have a passion for our community, which is why we have the name we do. We love seeing lives change when people encounter a relationship with Jesus. More than anything, I hope this blog helps you catch a glimpse of that.

As Psalm 115:1 says, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

- Pastor Nate