september at summit

It’s hard to believe that it has been an entire month at Summit International School of Ministry. 

We moved here the last weekend of August and were welcomed with open arms. It felt like the staff, the church, and all the people here are waiting specifically for us, that’s how attentive and kind they are. Most people identified us as “the family with 3 kids”. Patrick is one of 7 students in the Sabbatical Program. {Summit Sabbatical is an 8-month individualized Summit experience, tailored to a select number of adult learners who choose to take this brief season to engage their minds, skills, and energy toward God’s purpose in their lives.}

We settled into a 2 bedroom apartment here on campus with a balcony and a breathtaking view. I’ve got an upgrade on my prayer closet for sure ;) There are so many acres of land that the kids are running around all day long. After finishing homeschooling, they get on their bikes, scooters, and rollerblades and join the rest of the kiddos on the block for days filled with childhood. There is a small community of families here on campus whom we’ve had the great pleasure to get to know.

Every day, we have breakfast at 7 am, lunch at 12 pm, and dinner at 5:15 pm.

Here’s a little bit of Patrick's experience:

First week, although I felt completely welcomed, it was hard to transition into school mode. After a life revolving around a full-time job in plumbing, ministry planning, organizing, and serving - it was hard to calm my mind and focus solely on the Word and soak into the presence of God. The second week, I found myself overwhelmed with all the new changes and new community. That week, one of the Sabbatical students passed away on campus. It really shook all of us. That morning, we spent in the Chapel worshiping and hours later David was with the Lord. This was an immediate reminder that life is so short and I am so privileged for the opportunity to invest these months in growing in the Lord.

During the third and fourth weeks, I fully dived in. The classes became more familiar, students more like family, and the campus more like home.

Every day, from 11 am - 1230 pm we spend time with the whole student body at the Chapel - where we worship the Lord and hear a message from speakers. This is also an opportunity for students to take part in leading worship.

Prior to Chapel, every day my classes start at 8 am and end around 3 pm.

Monday - Wednesday: Spiritual Formation, Ministry Training & Essentials and Old Testament Survey.

Tuesday & Wednesday: Defending the Faith

Thursday: Old Testament & Christian Theology, Sabbatical Mentorship

Friday: Od Testament & Christian Theology

|| Something I’ve learned in class:

- OT sets the course for our understanding of God and His relation to His children, it's not only beneficial but needful for our spiritual development and growth.

- God is redemptive in nature, from the beginning God gives chance and hope for humanity after man fails.

*The presence of hardships does not indicate the absence of God.

*The presence of hardships does not indicate the inactivity of God.

*The presence of hardships does not indicate the inability of God.

-Grace: God’s riches at Christ's expense: it's unmerited, undeserved, kindness, and favor of God.

Understanding of His grace makes me fall deeper and deeper in love with God. He wins my heart by overwhelming me with His grace.

(I will go more in-depth on the studies in a future email)

I was also blessed to get a small scholarship that covered a little bit of my tuition and in exchange, I participate in the “Give Back” Program in which I help serve after dinner on Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays in the dining hall. This is a great opportunity for students to learn how to serve hands-on. Since I wanted the full experience also, I volunteered to help in this way too.

One of the things I have observed that has truly been so amazing is watching students spend time with the Lord all around the campus. Although there is so much homework and reading for classes, students are intentional about finding time to spend with the Lord one on one. Not only that, every Tuesday evening the guys gather in one of their dorms for prayer. Initiated by one of the senior students, I have the honor to join them every Tuesday and watch as the Lord moves in the young hearts and is molding a spiritually healthy generation of men. There is truly hope for America because the generation arising is in love with the Lord, seeking His face, and is being fed solid doctrine.

It has been a great joy to enjoy the time, unlimited time, one-on-one with the Lord. He has been teaching me, molding me, and speaking to me.

Although we came for a sabbatical, and life looks different, the Lord is giving us opportunities to serve those around us. Some students are trying to find themselves and it's so beautiful to point them to Jesus and share our journey and the way the Lord has been faithful all of our days.

Tuesday is a very special day of the week for our family. We joined a connect group and gather with other people from the Times Square Church - Summit Campus to spend time in word and fellowship. It is truly an edifying time. A time when we talk about Jesus and all that He did and is doing in our lives.

On Wednesdays and Sundays, we have the great pleasure of attending the Worldwide Prayer Meeting & Sunday services at the TSC here on campus. It has been a time of refreshing, resting, being in the Lord's presence, and Godly fellowship.

We feel we are in the center of God’s will and can’t thank the Lord enough for leading us! Thank you for seeing the calling upon our lives and investing in our present journey. We pray for you. We bless your families, ministries, and businesses - may you see the Lord’s favor in every area of your life.

We can only say thank you but we pray the Lord will reward you for your faithfulness in sowing into our lives.

We look forward to sharing the way the Lord continues to lead us.