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Summit College’s City Project: A Student’s Perspective

By Nick Corbett, Recent Grad of NC State

Do something bigger with your summer with The City Project. Spend two months being immersed in the local church and cities around the globe. Travel to New York to learn more about one of the Summit’s North American church plants. Spend four weeks receiving theological training through a seminary class. Give your life away to the city of Durham, NC by partnering with ministries meeting the needs of the hurting. Intern with a Summit staff member as a summer intern. Finally, cap off the summer traveling internationally to see how God is working through the church. Why choose one of these options for your summer when you can choose them all? Download an application (due Jan 27^th) today and read more about Nick’s experience with last year’s City Project.

In January 2011, the City Project was barely on my radar for my summer plans. However, after a grueling battle with the Holy Spirit, I was convicted and led to step out in faith to trust God where he was leading me. Initially, I faced opposition from family members, had some personal fears regarding support-raising and was anxious that this experience would impede my future career plans. Despite all of these, God continued to prick my heart to serve Him through CP. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” This verse, especially in its context, struck me at the core and gave me the confidence to embark on this experience. I knew that God would provide for His child, and He faithfully did so in ways I never imagined.

I began City Project knowing I’d be a changed man after 2 months. And changed I was—but in ways I had never expected. During City Project, I grew to trust Christ more and more daily, as I learned to rely on His strength, not my own, in ministry. Being in a constant, Gospel-centered community with other college students for two months stretched my faith, too. I learned how the body of Christ faithfully and effectively works together, as students and Summit leaders from various backgrounds converged to do life together for this time.

Through ministry with Muslims during CP, God really burdened my heart for them to know Christ. I was able to continue this ministry after CP through a Friends of Faith group at NC State. Now I have graduated and am searching for what’s next. I know that I want to faithfully follow the Lord wherever He leads me. The Lord has shown me the sweetness and necessity of staying involved in the local church and the mission He desires to carry out through us. So, as I enter this next stage in life, I am trusting Him to lead me to a career that glorifies Him in a place where I can continue to work alongside a local church, like The Summit, in sharing the love of Christ with everyone.

At the end of each year, many at the Summit respond to what God has done for us by giving above and beyond their normal tithes and offerings through the Summit Church. These gifts given through the Summit make everything that happens here at the Summit possible! (including ministries for kids, students, college, young professionals, small groups, launching new campuses and events like Church at the Ballpark). Additionally, 14% of all gifts given through the Summit are designated specifically towards missions.

This is also a time of year where we give extravagantly to our Christmas Missions offering. Check out the blog post below from Curt Alan, our church planting and local outreach pastor, for more exciting details on the Christmas Missions Offering.

This past week, I traveled to visit our country’s largest and most comprehensive international church planting training facility. Prospective church planters from across the US come to this place for 8 weeks of intensive training and preparation before launching out to the ends of the earth – for the Glory of God and the advancement of Christ’s church.

In the current 8-week session, there are 93 adults enrolled – which is worthy of celebrating. However, what makes this even more incredible is that 12 of those adults are from The Summit! That’s 13% of the church planters being trained are from our church! This is unprecedented….and an incredible reflection of what God is doing in and through our church!

These 12 men and women will be taking the Gospel to places in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Asia – planting their lives in these places in order to establish Christ’s church. And if that weren’t enough, in the previous 8-week training session, there were 4 other Summit members – going to South Asia and Central Asia. Praise God!

The video below profiles just one of the families we recently sent out to the ends of the earth to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission and establish His church where there is none.

http://vimeo.com/32355143

For the past couple of weeks, you’ve been hearing about the Christmas Missions Offering, one of the areas we give generously to at the end of each year. In this offering, our church comes together to give to those who can’t give back – to bless our city and our world. 100% of this offering goes outside the walls of the church to care for communities, advance the gospel, and plant churches here in RDU and around the world.

Last year, we set a goal of raising $300,000, more than we had ever raised before.  But we didn’t raise $300,000…we raised $530,000!

It was this radical generosity that enabled us to establish 3 new international church planting teams, send out over 80 people to plant their lives in cities around the world to plant new churches, and to facilitate over 360 other volunteers to participate in short-term trips and projects around the world to proclaim the Gospel and meet the needs of broken communities.

This year, we’ve set a Christmas Missions Offering goal of $625,000! This is huge leap of faith. However, at The Summit, we’ve learned to attempt great things for God and to expect great things from God.

Summit, God is moving amongst us and through us! We invite you to continue praying about how you and your family will be a part of this year’s Christmas Missions Offering. Collection will begin the weekend of December 3/4.

Guest blogger:  Lisa Shaeffer

Human Trafficking in RDU

Most people think that human trafficking only happens in drug and war torn countries. Did you know that it also exists here in the United States?  Who can forget the shocking case of 5 year old Shaniya Davis, whose mother was arrested in 2009 for prostituting her own daughter? Just last year, a couple from Fayetteville, NC was arrested as part of a ring of 21 individuals accused of trafficking women up and down the east coast, as well as to Texas and California.  North Carolina is ranked #8 out of the 50 states on the FBI’s watch list for trafficking due to our high immigrant population and our active highway system.

What is human trafficking?   The laymen’s definition is “one person forcing another person to perform labor or sexual acts against their will so something of value is given or received.”  Human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry in the world today.

Who are the traffickers?  They can be gangs, adoptive parents, or business owners.  Human trafficking occurs whenever people want power over someone else for their own gain.

Jesus came to “bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn… that God may be glorified (Is 61:1 – 3).  This is the message that needs to be taken to victims of human trafficking both around the world and here in our backyard.  At the Summit, we are forming a group for this purpose.  Will you join us?  Mark your calendar for an informational meeting on Monday, Nov 7^th at 7pm in the Kid’s Area at the Brier Creek Campus.

For more information, go to summitrdu.com/trafficking