Cover Story: Don’t Give Up On Church

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by Margie Crabtree ~ I had the pleasure of meeting with Pastor Jonathan Robbins at The Summit Church recently.  Some friends of mine belong to his church and I have heard them rave about it for several years.  So this writing assignment was one that I looked forward to.

Our meeting was set for an early hour (for me) and I wondered how I would be able to locate and find the Pastor’s office without assistance.  Little did I know what awaited me; I spotted the church perched on a beautiful hill in a pastoral setting.  As I drove up to the church there were numerous cars and folks were scurrying around as though it were the middle of the day.  I suspected this to be a church a lot different than the small church I grew up in – and my thought proved true.

Pastor Jonathan Robbins was a very friendly man whom I would guess to be around the age of forty.  He has 2 daughters, Morgan (18) and Maggie (13) years old, and has been married almost 20 years to his loving wife, Donna.  His dress was casual – as were the others I met that morning.

Pastor Robbins explained to me that the purpose of The Summit Church was to “Love God. Love People. Serve the World.”  The church is non-denominational and from what I have been told, and read, they want to reach those of us who have given up on “church” or are not presently attending church.  In fact, they often say, “If you don’t like church, then we’re the church for you!”  The Summit is not a spiritual “club” for Christians.  Pastor Robbins said, “Our community is already filled with churches trying to attract the churched crowd and other Christians.  We are going after everyone else, those who have not been reached with the love and grace of God through Jesus.  We are a church for the unchurched.”

The message of hope found in Jesus Christ is the most important truth in the world, and their goal is to present this truth in environments that are welcoming and engaging.  Pastor Robbins puts it this way, “We simply want to receive people just as they are and help them take their next step in their journey with God.”

The Summit Church has somehow figured out the obstacles that keep us from church and Jesus, and they work hard to remove such obstacles, by making the Good News of Jesus Christ interesting, engaging, and easily understood.  As Pastor Robbins put it, “Church should not be boring and hard to understand.  When you have the most important message in the world to share with people, then you ought to share it in the most compelling way possible.”

They offer six identical weekend services at two different locations (Kernersville and Oak Ridge) that span both Saturday and Sunday, with plans to add more locations in the future.  Children’s ministries, broken up by age groups, are provided by background checked volunteers who are trained and passionate about helping children get to know the great big God who made them.  The church also offers small groups of similar interest; these groups are varied and you may choose the group that sounds most fitting to you and your needs.  I have no doubt these are a few of the many reasons why the weekly attendance at The Summit Church has soared to more than 3,000 in just under 10 years.

Not only that, they serve the needs of the community with excellence.  They know life can be messy, and they walk right towards the messiness in order to help those in need: spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  Pastor Robbins and the staff are passionate about reaching people who just need someone to come alongside them and show them that God doesn’t give up on us, even when we give up on ourselves.

If you do not consider yourself a church-going person, you are not alone.  The Summit Church encourages you to give church one more chance.  It could make a world of difference in your life and your family.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain because YOU are what they are looking for.

If you want to experience a growing, vibrant, and caring church, you will find a comfortable home here at The Summit Church.

The 6 Values that Drive THE SUMMIT CHURCH

Honor: We will do whatever it takes to honor God.

Focus: We will focus on those not here, not connected, and in need.

Engage: We will create excellent environments that inspire action.

Connect: We will journey with others because life change happens together.

Empower: We will invest in others because the mission is bigger than us.

Celebrate: We will celebrate stories of how God is changing us.

WEEKEND SERVICE TIMES     

Kernersville Location: 

4440 High Point Road, Kernersville

Saturday   5:00 & 6:30 PM / Sunday   10:00 & 11:30 AM

Oak Ridge Location:  

Oak Ridge Elementary School, 2050 Oak Ridge Road

Sunday   10:00 & 11:30 AM

www.TheSummitChurch.net

One comment on “Cover Story: Don’t Give Up On Church

  1. Anne Kasznay

    We are moving to Willow street pa. Any churches like this in that general area. We are churched based but need more.

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