Summit Men
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The Five-Tier Discipleship Process Our end goal is that every man be about maturing in Christ so he can pour himself back into others. This was Christ's command in Matthew 28:19. As Jesus demonstrated, we believe this life change happens in small groups where people can live out a real life of learning to passionately follow Him. Our primary focus for this occurs in our BASE Camps or home groups. It is here that maturity comes as we study, rejoice, worship, struggle, and journey together in this life Christ has called us to. We have designed other specific groups for special equipping and training that is needed if we are to fully mature as passionate followers of Christ. These groups supplement and support BASE Camps so men can invest their life into their wives, other men, couples, students, children, etc. BASE Camps These ongoing, open, home-based small groups are the hub of the spiritual growth process.
ORIENTATION – New Follower’s Groups These are short-term closed groups of three or four people specifically designed for new followers of Christ.
BASIC TRAINING – Anchoring Spiritual Foundations These are short-term closed groups of four to six people specifically designed to lay spiritual foundations for the follower who longs to passionately pursue the truths of Christ.
AIT - Spiritual Warfare Training These are short-term closed groups of four to five people specifically designed to equip the passionate follower for the daily battle of spiritual warfare. AIT (Advanced Infantry Training) is where a soldier learns various specific skills of warfare.
OCS - Shepherd Training These are long-term closed groups of two to four people that are specifically designed to equip the passionate follower as a servant leader in charge of shepherding the people in the body. OCS (Officer Candidate School) is where soldiers are chosen and trained to lead others into battle. Each man will begin this process by being encouraged to be in a BASE Camp. Anyone wishing to be in a smaller short-term discipleship group will begin in a New Followers Group or a Basic Training Group. Each successive group is designed to help you in the maturity process. If you are interested, you can sign up at any Men's gathering or by contacting anyone on the Men's Leadership Team listed below. |
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The Rescue has already been completed. Our hearts have been violently and valiantly won and recovered from sin and separation from our God. The freedom He has offered is pure, absolute and all-encompassing. So why do we not live as free men? We may feel the freedom of rescue from the POW camp but we are living our lives in the infirmary, nursing old wounds and the effects of a life dedicated to ourselves? We feel the weight of our call and the desire to run after Him with abandon, but we are crippled. The grip of sexual sin has entangled so many men that living in freedom becomes seemingly impossible. The freedom is ours and it is possible to overcome the shame, guilt and addictive behavior that renders us powerless and beaten. The men of Summit could change our community by living free from the destruction of sexual sin. But we need to be bold and purposeful in helping our brothers realize their freedom from sexual sin. If you struggle here, you are not alone. If you truly desire to overcome the crippling effects of sexual sin in your life, and if you are willing to face this battle with an honest and vulnerable heart, don't wait. A safe and confidential way for you to begin healing is offered through Greg Vest. Greg is serving as a counseling intern with Summit. Please contact him if you are interested in meeting individually or with small groups of men to better understand how to win this battle. You can reach him at (314) 581-2484 at any time.
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"We Stand Alone Together" |
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Gentlemen,
Hope you are all doing well. I wanted to let you all know that I am stepping down from serving in Men's Ministry. This obviously comes at a "weird" time with John being on sabbatical, and I want to express that the two circumstances are not linked. When I joined with Pete in serving, we wanted to establish a rule that if a man is running a base camp he shouldn't be serving in Men's Ministry in a leadership capacity.
Why?
Because what we saw over and over was the same too few men serving in too many capacities at church and suffering burn out from it. In May Janene and I started leading our base camp and this also coincided with The Men's Retreat therefore the timing was not right from a practical standpoint. For this month's (June) Band of Brothers breakfast, Pete was going to be on vaction and unable to attend and lead. Now that both of those events have passed I am able to step down.
Pete and I strongly believe in this, and strive to "practice what we preach" so to speak. And to be frank I am deliberately doing this to avoid service burn out, and to challenge guys who are not serving in any capacity to step up and out. There is something remarkable selfish and stupid going on in the lives of Christian men when we are seeing Summit's population continually grow yet the same twenty + guys are serving in multiple leasership roles in the church because no one esle will step up and help out. Too little butter spread over too much bread.
Again I am not stepping down due to some sin coming to light in my life, nor am I stepping down to go rest from service. Quite the opposite.My life is a good steady hum of trying to be a Godly husband, a one man business owner, along with working on a couple of books that I am actively writing. And not in the least bit last I want to use some of my energy to focus on our Small Group, along with some one on one relationships I am building with in the body.
So you could say that this is not stepping down or away from service, but rather a lateral move.
I have truly enjoyed being involved in Men's Ministry and hope that some day I get to serve in it again, but now is not that time.
I hope that you are all well, and as Bob Dylan once wrote
"Keep on keeping on."
Matthew E Allen
