To be Christ to the WHOSOEVER

Well, students are most certainly here! Welcome back!

So it's FALL AGAIN!

That means school starts back. It stinks because students (including myself) have to return to classes (which aren't that bad), but tests, and homework (the evils of learning)...those are awful.

It will be good to see friends, you honestly start missing people when they're not around, even if their personality is not quite your favorite...though you normally are quickly reminded upon their return. : )

Anyways, with all the students heading back to the Charleston area, that means SUMMIT NATION will be heading out again...so...

coming at SPRING BREAK, SUMMIT NATION will INVADE NEW JERSEY (aka Dirty Jerz).

We will be partnering with a local church in NJ to help with REVITALIZATION efforts up in the great northeast!

More info to follow on that...that being said...

We are also going once more into the land of PERU for Christmas Break (this will be a YOUTH GROUP VISION TRIP), so not so many college students, however, we will be sending in a team of 5 or so to evaluate an upcoming trip of college student mentors taking their youth group students (the Mentees...see below) they are mentoring over with them to PERU. For more info contact SUMMIT's Youth Pastor Jeremy Nuckolls (JNUCK) about that trip...and find out "how to be a mentor" to those in the YOUTH!

Another note, I've decided that those people who are being mentored by college students will now be called "mentees"...like minty, but spelled different...so to get you a MENTEE talk to JNUCK!

We will be working also to send some crazy mission folks N2 the SOUTHEAST ASIA area...if anyone wants to know more details, they should be at SUMMIT throughout the semester to hear more about these opportunities in the land that is not the place beside JAPAN.

So...there will be updates here throughout the year, but I encourage as always to come to SUMMIT and get INVOLVED PEOPLE!

Most "older" people are saying that this college-age generation is about CHANGE, and how they can "buy" products or go to stores that are initiating CHANGE, so here's your opportunity to change lives for CHRIST, and to make an ETERNAL DIFFERENCE in the world!

Welcome Back! Now LEARN something!

Nicholas

Well, Apologetics is out of the way for this semester and now only a Systematic Theology exam tomorrow, then a break till August.

I spoke with Jeremy Pollett today and it was great to hear what God is doing in the life of Summit's College Ministry and Minister.

I asked Pollett how the College Ministry was looking and shaping up for the Fall with Eli Byrd helping out, and how his VISION was going for the Fall.

He told me that he was finalizing some ideas, though he was taking awhile with it because he didn't have peace about everything yet

This is good news! Its not that I rejoice in his struggles (though we are too as well), but that I know he's prayerfully considering where the Lord would lead him this Fall, and that he's praying over God's VISION for lives to be changed at CSU and Summit Nation in the Fall.

It leads me to a suggestion: I would like to suggest that those who read this that are Christian Leaders in their household begin to pray for a VISION from God of where He would want you to lead your family in the next year.

Most people don't like to talk about the "man is the head of the household", though biblically he is.

The problem however lies in the fact that WE are putting "authority" which is there, but sometimes misunderstood on the head of the household.

God should be the Leader, Overseer, Head of the household. I personally find that things work better to Gods glory and for my benefit (not necessarily meaning "beneficial in a worldly sense, but a biblical sense) if I seek God's will in it beforehand. So what, head of household, is God's VISION for your family this year.

Nicholas

Right now I'm in Peoria, IL still traveling for work, and I'll be away from Summit till July 20th or so. While I'm gone I am of course still working on my school work and thankfully finishing this last week before starting my final courses in the Fall.

Right now outside of my hotel room there are around 9 what I have called "death-dragon bugs", and I am afraid of them. They are best described as a dragon fly, with a string-rays tail, and a fly's body. They are extremely dangerous and have tried to kill people already, I believe they could've been the original plague sent by God to free the Jews from slavery in Egypt, now living in Illinois. Scary I know.

Also, I'm about to start typing my final research paper for Systematic Theology and my topic is "The Problem of Sin". I look forward to this 30 page paper because it will be something interesting to write about, and hopefully something that will teach me as well as others about the aforementioned topic. There are many different concepts to incorporate within this paper, and most of them will be coming from Scripture, while I must use at a minimum 10 resources as well (though I prefer to hear from the Ultimate Authority regarding biblical theology: the Word of God.

Anyways, I hope everyone is doing well at Summit, and to those in leadership there with me I pray that you are looking to the future, if the Lord tarries, and discovering what God's will is for your individual ministries within Summit.

Nick

Traveling for work has begun for me, and I arrived in Canton, OH yesterday with Matt Davis for ALIVE '09. I was sickly on Sunday, so was unable to make it to church and worship band practice, but Matt told me that church was amazing, and that Jon went off a little crazy (could've figured that).

Anyways, regarding missions, it looks like this upcoming Spring Break may be spent in New Jersey to work with revitalizing a church up there. Revitalizing is a lot different then what we are doing in Huarochiri, Peru. In Peru we are working to create indigenious church plants that can be setup there and multiplied throughout the villages and region. In New Jersey we will be working to revitalize a dying existing church, and see how God will choose to use Summit up there.

Planting is got behind it the momentum of starting something new. Everyone gets excited about new things (i.e. movies, cars, music, etc.). Revitalizing is more like working in physical therapy program with a stubborn old man that knows that his knee is not like it should be, but in his pride would rather gimp along with a cane and think that he's doing just fine. There's no excitement in that; no one ever goes "Yay, you've got a cane!", unless you've progressed to that from a wheelchair...which again is somewhat descriptive of an act of revitalizing.

So, that's one area that Summit is looking at for Spring Break. I say "one" because Summit will also be looking at continuing to take missions teams over to Peru, as well as looking into "Martyr Missions".

Martyr Missions (is what I'm calling it), is where Summit will take a team of trained mission witnesses into an area where the gospel has not been in order to establish an indigenious church plant, and spread the good news to places it has not gone.

These mission trips and adoptions of people groups will be to those that are unreached by the gospel, and that people have no idea of how they will respond to outside people coming into their village. This is the "ends of the earth" crowd, and that is another area in which we are commanded to.

Stay up on the blog to hear more about what's going on this summer with Summit and my travels, as welll as Missions opportunities that Summit will be attempting later on starting this Fall semester.

Grace and Peace,
Nick

Well, we just passed the exit 4 Summerville, SC so we will b there shortly. Thanks again 2 every1. Corey and Nic 4 picking us up and being so gratious 2 help us w our luggage and smelly selves. We all need 2 shower, and get some good "home" food. Look 4ward 2 updating u on future missions and Peru partnerships
May 09 Peru Team
Summit Nation

In a little bit we will be heading back to the states. I know everyone will be happy to be back in the US, though I think that you may hear about some of Summit Nation returning sooner than expected to Peru.

This trip has been amazing! To see the students grow and interact and give the gospel unashamedly has been an inspiration. The lives that were changed, and the hearts that have become compassionate will be transformed forever.

This group has grown closer together and God has used them to bring His good news to the town of Huarochiri, and the surrounding villages (by their influence). The students have matured in life, and as well in Christ and will be looking forward for opportunities to share their faith and walk as Christ did throughout their lives.

Christie, Michael, and I will be leaving for the airport in 15 mins, and the rest of the group will meet me at the airport later on this evening around 9pm or so. Christie and Michael flew in on a different air service than everyone else, and their flight is a bit earlier, thus the division. In the future this is something that we will most likely not allow, but this time it was great that we did because God was able to change lives through them, and late sometimes to us, is perfect timing to God.

Thanks again to everyone who gave, who prayed, and who sent us off to do the work of the Lord. We look forward to partnering with you in the future, and ask for your continued prayers for the people and lives that have been transformed by the good news of Christ.

One last thing I'll leave you with is: There was this man in another village that we spoke with and he told the students there in the school that we were "...bringing a message of faith, hope, and love, and that this message will answer so many problems for us, because we have no priest, and they say that with Jesus you need no priest". And to that we say: "...where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek" Hebrews 6:20

Thank you again, and we will see you soon!

Peru Team
Summit Nation