November Entries
Hi, friends! Hope you had a beautiful November filled with lots of things to be grateful to the Lord for!
In this month's newsletter, we’d like to take some extra time to THANK YOU for your incredible support of our journey at SUMMIT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MINISTRY. Thank you to those of you who sow prayers into our life - we can’t stress enough how vividly we see God's move in our lives this season. He has provided in ways that are beyond our expectations and many of those provisions came through you. Thank you to those of you who follow our journey, share kind words of encouragement, and allow us to serve you even this season. And thank you to those of you who have stood with us financially. Leaving all income behind, while residing in America with 3 kids, could have been terrifying. But we trusted that if the Lord called us to this, He would provide for all of our needs. And He has done exactly that thus far through you, especially those of you who donate to our family monthly. We still have bills that consistently need to be paid and we have never lacked because of your generous donation. God is faithful to us through your obedience to Him.
Coming to Summit, we had the impression that everyone who comes here, putting two years of their life on hold (through the traditional program) is at the peak of their relationship with the Lord and is on fire for Him ready to conquer the world with the Gospel. To our surprise, we have found that, while there are many of the students who are exactly in that position, there are also those who are holding on by a thread to their faith. Those who have been through rough things in life and are having a hard time finding the Lord because they search for Him through the prism of their pain. This is where we have seen God open the doors for us to serve them one on one. As they look for their identity in the Lord and we build a relationship with them we can minister to their hearts with all that the Lord has brought us through. We can share our testimonies over a cup of tea and see how it stirs up their faith. It's incredible! On top of the solid doctrine that they receive in the school, the staff that is always available to serve them, and the relationships they build here - the Lord pursues their heart incredibly.
Again, thank you for supporting us to obey the Lord in what He calls us to.
As for the studies, we’d like to give you a little peek into the classes Patrick has and the things that stood out to him this month. Hope it blesses you.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION CLASS
Spiritual authority
How you honor authority will determine how God is going to use you in your life.
We live in a time when people want to throw all authority away.
In God's kingdom where we honor authority - this is the good news - those who walk under authority- will have authority - Matt. 8:5
Why do our prayers have such little authority? Because of the way we honor spiritual authority.
“How can I honor your authority when you disobey your authority” - devil looking at us and he's not moved (during prayer meetings we pray against demons to flee, we command them to go away and the devil says why should I honor or listen to you and your authority if you don’t honor your authority?
That's how the kingdom operates - by established leadership by God.
In God's kingdom when everything is in order, this is when God's glory will fall down.
God doesn’t move in our ability - He moves in our obedience to His Word.
Where His Word rules - His kingdom reigns!
MINISTRY TRAINING ESSENTIALS
To learn something new, sometimes you don't need the right answer as much as you need to ask the right questions.
I grew up in a Christian missionary family and was a Christian for many years. I went to church from a young age and heard many sermons. Therefore, a lot of things are familiar and biblical teaching is not foreign to me. But when I sit in a multicultural class with people with different experiences and a teacher who’s been a church planter and missionary for over 30 years, a completely new perspective of church and ministry opens up to me. Learning about the first church approach towards people and ministry and comparing it to our approach, makes me think and analyze and ask hard questions. Here are some questions that I’ve been asking myself thought out this specific class:
If revival is the normal state of Christianity, what does that look like from day to day? (Col 3:1)
“Go” model and “Come” models in the church. Do you have a Go model or a Come model?
What is the % in your church of this model?
How can leaders devalue others or how can a leader build value in others?
Our ministry understanding should be centered on how big our God is, not the skills and size of the church and programs we have.
Ministry essentials are NOT always about learning ministry mechanics and processes.
It’s about what He is doing not what we are doing. What are the values in our church? Music or worship? Planning meetings or prayer meetings? Events or serving people?
What does your church do, separate from a 2-hour service, to teach people throughout the week the value system of your ministry?
If we are looking for the heart of God, how do structural models matter in the grand scheme of things?
Reading Acts 1-4, what were the things the early church practiced? What are the differences between our churches today? Where do we focus most of our attention?
Often times we are concerned about where God will take us, not about what He needs to do in us before He takes us there.
I came to the realization that it's not about new things we come up with in our church but it's about perfecting the things Christ commanded His church from the beginning. Many times I think that new things excite people and bring change but in reality, do these things bring people closer to God and make them go on the streets and preach the good news? It’s simply coming to the point of Love for one another and care for people. Loving God together, growing together, serving together.
OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY
Proverbs:
To impart moral discernment & direction (1:3-5) and to develop mental clarity (1:2,6)
Proverbs deals with the most fundamental skill of all - practical righteousness before God in every area of life
Knowledge is knowing what to do, wisdom is knowing how to do what to do.
Three rules for rulers (31:1-9)
Leadership requires purifying of the heart and self-control
Sound judgment is found in sobriety
Justice is the true purpose of power
Isaiah:
The first 39 chapters are primarily filled with pronouncements of judgment against immoral and idolatrous people
While the last 27 chapters are primarily filled with incredible promises of future, hope, salvation, and restoration.
What Isaiah saw as the new thing God would do, we see as the old (fulfilled) thing God has done.
Individual believers do not need a new thing from God, but the fulfilled thing
Revivals are not God doing new things but renewed things
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
The origin & composition of man
man’s makeup - mankind was given a body (“God formed man of the dust of the ground…”)
mankind was given a spirit (“God…breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…)
mankind was given a soul (“…and man became a living being.”)
If you ever want to criticize or rebuke the church do so with a tear in your eye because you love her.
God’s image could adequately be expressed only through creating both genders.
Gods desire for a human temple is twofold - the Church & the Christians
Discussed topics like:
What does it mean to be a man/woman?!
The body & identity of Man
The spirit & soul of Man
A theology of Family
& many more
Lastly, here are some memories we created in the month of November
Nov 2 Tanya hosted a prayer chain with Grace Church women for healing. Lord answered many prayers!
Nov 4-6 Tanya attended the Summit Women’s Retreat
Nov 8 Patrick served with Summit Choir at Times Square Church
Nov 11- 12 Friends, Parents & family visited from NJ
Nov 19 Made new friends in PA
Nov 20 Grace Church Thanksgiving / Evangelism
Nov 21-22 Visited multiple families in NJ
Nov 23-27 Spent Thanksgiving with friends and family in Massachusetts. Patrick served at FGC Church
