September 2, 2010

Summit Students 2010

Posted by Tim

Last week we launched our Fall 2010 Student Ministry season. It was a
fantastic week as we unveiled new bands, new songs, new looks, new games,
and, well… lots of new stuff! But what was most exciting is that there
were over 100 students in attendance between Surge and The Edge. We still
believe that the program elements (skits, games, etc) are important, but
they are not our main focus. Connecting students with one another and with
caring leaders who help them take their next steps toward God is the
primary reason that we gather each week. We hope that this year will
afford us the opportunity to reach more students than ever before with the
life-changing truth that they matter to us and, more importantly, to the
God who created them.

August 19, 2010

2010 Fall Launch!

Posted by Ryan

It’s that time of year again! School is starting back in session and
Summit Student Ministries is kicking into full gear. Coinciding with the
start of the Orange County school year, Surge and The Edge have their fall
launches next week. Surge launches on Tuesday, August 24th at 6p.m. and
The Edge launches Wednesday, August 25th at 7p.m. The staff, students,
and volunteers are pumped up and ready for the excitement of the new year.
There is a lot in the works this year, including fun games and events,
relevant Biblical teaching, and more. The Garage has even gotten a bit of
an upgrade too! Both Surge and The Edge will launch with a series about
the vision of the ministries to catalyze students into action.

Summer is over. The time for sitting around is finished. The time for
action is now. Don’t miss it!

August 11, 2010

Students Parent Meeting

Posted by Tim

Have you ever wondered what we actually do at Surge and The Edge?

Would you like to know who Rivera McGillicutty really is, and what in the world he has to do with middle and high school ministry?

If you answered “yes” to either one of these questions or you simply want to come and get some more details on Summit Student Ministries, then I have the perfect opportunity for you.

We are hosting a parent meeting on Wednesday August 18th in the South Meeting Room from 7 – 8:30 p.m. Come and get an up close and personal look at what your kids experience at Surge and The Edge each week. If you have kids in 6th – 12th grade you won’t want to miss this meeting.

August 2, 2010

Summer is over

Posted by Tracy

It’s so weird that summer is almost over, but I guess time just goes by fast when your having fun. And we did have fun this summer! We played all kids of crazy games and went on scavenger hunts. Good stuff. A great way to get to know the new kids too, but I am ready to get back to our small groups. I love having that time to just sit and talk (and we talk a lot!). I love hearing crazy stories and seeing the process of God growing kids hearts. He does so much that we can’t see but gives us the opportunity to go along for the ride.

I get anxious at the beginning of every semester to see what God will do. He always brings new challenges, things to learn, and adventures. He always has something up His sleeve and I can’t wait to see what awaits us this semester. It’s going to be great!

July 27, 2010

Visitors in the D.R.

Posted by Tim

We just returned from spending 7 days in Barahona, Dominican Republic with a team of 15 students and leaders. We spent the majority of our time in Pueblo Nuevo, which is one of the five communities that COTN, our partner mission organization, has an established presence. We spent some time walking through the village, meeting some of the local families, and chatting with them through our translators. Although most of the families in Pueblo Nuevo live in extremely impoverished conditions, they were so gracious and genuinely grateful for our presence there that they offered up some of what little food or drink they had as a token of their appreciation. Not to mention they welcomed us in, even though we showed up unannounced. I don’t know why this is so shocking to me other than the fact that this is, generally speaking, not the way that we greet strangers at our door in America. As I consider my drop-in visitor etiquette, I realize that if I’m not hiding and turning out the lights to avoid them, I’m not overly friendly in how I greet them. And I certainly don’t offer them anything to eat or drink. Granted, most of these individuals are selling something and are super annoying with their pitch about selling enough magazines to win a week’s vacation in Las Vegas, but non-the-less, I wonder if we shouldn’t take a page from our friends in the D.R. Their hospitality made us feel welcome, like we weren’t interrupting something so important that they couldn’t take ten minutes to chat with us. We felt valued and that made a huge impact on us. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to go and spend time with the people of Pueblo Nuevo. I know that we were on mission to help be conduits of God’s grace and love, but as we left, I couldn’t help but feeling that they had given us so much more than we could’ve imagined.