This weekend we at the Summit celebrated Vision Weekend, as we rejoiced in what God has done at our church over the past year—and look forward to what he might do through us in the future. God consistently told the Old Testament people of God to stop and reflect on what he had done for them, even building monuments to his mighty works. We want to do the same, not so that we can pat ourselves on the back, but to remind ourselves that God isn’t done working in Raleigh-Durham.
Even though there are so many reasons for us to celebrate 2014—over 5,000 first-time guests, 119 adoptive/foster families, hundreds of baptisms—I never want us stop dreaming big. So as I think of 2015, I have several prayers for The Summit Church.
I pray that we will continue to grow in diversity. Right now, about 15% of the Summit is non-white. This is miles ahead of where we’ve been, even in recent years. But sociologists tell us that to be considered legitimately multi-cultural, the majority culture cannot be more than 80% of the total. We’d love to see those from a variety of backgrounds stream in, seeing that 15% number grow.
I pray that we will be a community that makes disciples who make disciples. I don’t want us to be a community known just for great music and solid teaching, but one characterized by the way we make disciples. A lot of that will have to happen at the one-on-one level—in small groups, in personal relationships. But it can happen, and I would love to see us grow in becoming people that replicate disciples.
I pray that we will have the wisdom to make the strategic moves we need. Some of our campuses need expansion. Some need permanent homes. Some need to be planted. A host of other critical decisions lie before us. We have a lot of needs as a church, and it’s going to take a special focus on the Spirit’s leading to guide us toward the right decisions.
I pray that we will be a church that grows in our generosity. We had an incredible finish to All-In. Our goal had initially been $26 million, which was audacious in and of itself. The most recent tally shows that we ended with over $32 million. What a huge statement of faith! That number represents a culture shift, from inward living to selfless giving. All-In may be over, but our attitude at the Summit is that we’re always adjusting our lifestyles and giving generously in order to reach more people. As long as there are people to reach, we’ll keep encouraging each other to live sacrificially.
I pray that we will be a place rich with prayer. If people were to describe the top four features of our church, I want a culture of prayer to be on that list. Without this, nothing we do will make a dent; with this, there’s no limit to what God’s Spirit may accomplish. Many of our staff and our volunteers have done an amazing job leading us in this. As John Piper says, “The one takes away from prayer takes away from the entire mission of the church.”
Most of all, I pray that we would never lose our evangelistic edge. What good is a group of fisherman who don’t catch fish? Isn’t that what we as the church are supposed to be—a group of disciples who make disciples? I love hearing about how many people we’re reaching and how successful many of our ministries are. But the sober reality is that for 98% of the people in Raleigh-Durham, our growth is absolutely irrelevant. The gospel is every bit as unfamiliar and they are every bit as lost. So I never want us to be so content with our “99” that we neglect not only the “1” but the 1.7 million in Raleigh-Durham who don’t know Christ. And that starts with us personally.
In Scripture, when God blessed his people, it was never for them to hoard that blessing. God blessed them to be a blessing to others. And he still does the same for us. Pray with me that God would pour out his blessing, not for our sake, but for his and for his mission!
