Got Questions?

We believe that every person at Summit Crossing has a task to fulfill for the kingdom of God.   That task does not need to be hampered by misinformation or skewed by previous church experience.   Church is made up of people.  People come with expectations and perceptions of either “ how things should be” or …dare we say it …”how it was done at my last church. ”  We recognize that things are done differently here.  We also recognize the authority of scripture and seek nothing short of unwavering commitment to scripture.  So from the beginning, we have strived to be a church without closed doors – a place where openness thrives.

Along the way, we have answered questions about anything from what we have had for breakfast, to how the Ecclesiology of the church was formed.   If you don’t find what you are looking for here, please ask your question to someone (preferably someone who might know)…then check back to see if you made the list!

Unanswered questions can lead to unmet expectations.  Unmet expectations always lead to hurt.

   What does it mean to be a Missional church?

A missional church is a community of God’s people who embrace the vision that they are, by their very nature, God’s missionary people living as a demonstration of what God plans to do in and for all of creation (specifically His Kingdom on earth) in Jesus Christ.

 

   What is the leadership structure of Summit Crossing?

Short Answer:  A Missional Church.

Longer Answer:
Ecclesiology is a big word meaning “study of church architecture”.   To best understand the “short answer”, it is beneficial to unpack some things that have become frequent in western culture as it relates to church structure.

Through the years, many different models (structures) have been put in place along varying denominational lines.  These models have the common goal of bringing order and vitality to the church. One model has become more predominant and is discussed here as a point of reference.

Models of Leadership

Pastoral (traditional)	Missional (Summit)
Expectation that an ordained pastor must be present at every meeting and event or else it is not validated or important.	Ministry staff/elders operate as coaches and mentors within a system that is not dependent on them to validate the importance and function of every group by being present.
Ordained ministry staff functions to give attention to and take care of people in the church by being present for people as they are needed (if care and attention are given by people other than ordained clergy, it may be more appropriate and effective but is deemed “second class”).	Ordained clergy equip and release the multiple ministries of the people of God throughout the church.
Pastor provides solutions with CEO like structure for management.	Pastor asks questions that cultivate an environment that engages the imagination, creativity, and gifts of God’s people in order to discern solutions.
“Professional Christians”	“Pastoring” must be a part of the mix, but not the sum total.
Viewed almost as Celebrity and must be a “home run hitter.”
Conflict suppressor or ‘fixer’	Conflict facilitator
Function as the manager, maintainer or resource agent of a series of centralized ministries focused in and around the building that everyone must support.  Always be seen as the champion and primary support agent for everyone’s specific ministry.	Create an environment that releases and nourishes the missional imagination of all people through diverse ministries and missional teams that affect their various communities, the city and world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Recovery” expert (to make church like it used to be) and primary caregiver to body and the “playmaker” for ministry to happen	Shifts the duty of pastor(s) from doing ministry for Christians to training Christians to do the ministry for the body and community.

Adapted from The Missional Leader

   How do you become an elder?

To become an elder one must already be a faithful member serving in the church for one year.  According to Scripture (Acts 20:28), it is the Holy Spirit that selects the elders, not the church or other elders.  1 Timothy 3:1 teaches that one should become an elder because of an internal calling from God and expressly not because of external compulsion (1 Peter 5:2).   After responding to the internal call the man should speak with an elder about this calling.  Biblical criteria from 1 Timothy 3, Titus and 1 Peter 5 must qualify the man for further testing.

Next the nomination must be brought before all the elders for a unanimous decision that he is called of God and qualified to be brought through a slow process of testing (1 Timothy 3:10 and 1 Timothy 5:22).  This requires the following: a set curriculum to be completed related to biblical eldership, the ability to articulate major teachings of the Bible in both oral and written form, an investigation of his family condition, work relationships, standing in the community and other things.

After this lengthy process, the candidate will be considered for eldership only if all elders agree on the nomination.  This nomination is then brought before the church for further scrutiny of any reason this should not take place.  If there are any valid reasons not to proceed, the nomination is canceled.  If the nominee is approved then he is brought before the church to be commissioned as an elder with his family to receive the laying on of hands (2 Timothy 1:6, 1 Timothy 5:22).  At this time, these men are not paid to lead in the church, though this may change if the need arises.

   How are church leaders held accountable?

There are several levels of accountability provided for elders.  The first level is a vertical one with God Himself.   If there is no accountability starting here, then no one can intervene and force a holy lifestyle.  Second, working outwardly, an elder is accountable to his wife, as no one knows him better or is more closely involved in his life.  She is first and foremost to be actively engaged in speaking truth in love to him about the state of his heart and walk before the Lord.
Thirdly, an elder must be held accountable to the other elders. The elders are in close relationships of accountability with each other due to the nature of their role as well as desire to maintain a walk worthy of the Lord (Col 1:10).  Elders are also accountable to the local church body as they are constantly interacting with individual members to varying degrees.  Any concerns should be addressed per the prescription in 1 Timothy 5:19.  Lastly, the elders as a collective body maintain a local and long distance relationship with other similarly minded churches.  The leaders of these churches are regularly spoken with and share the need and desire of mutual accountability for the universal Church.  In this way, we provide a corporate body of accountability for the local Church via this symbiotic relationship.  Additionally, each elder is required to have an accountability partner actively walking through life with them.

Were an elder to need disciplining for a grievous sin we would follow the Biblical directives (1 Timothy 5:19-21).

   Do Elders Serve on a Rotational Basis (Terms)?

Short Answer:  No

Longer Answer:
We find no basis for this in scripture.  However, we do honor requests for a “season of rest” for individual elders.  We have had occasion where a prompting of the Holy Spirit will lead an individual elder to request such a season or the eldership team to request such a season of an individual.  A season of rest is not “stepping down” from eldership – it is “stepping out” of the day to day demands of overseeing the body of Christ at Summit Crossing.

Terms (e.g. Three years) lead to turnover.  Turnover leads to discontinuity and can lead to oversights causing missions to be hampered as new leaders ramp up and catch up.  We have high expectation of those called into eldership.  Namely, that they are obediently following the call God has placed on their life.   That means simply, that they have committed to giving their lives to the church.

   What are the biblical functions of elders?

Elders at Summit Crossing meet at least once a week.  Most of what they fulfill will not be seen but is consistent with biblical mandates.  They are to “rule” over the church (1 Timothy 5:17).  This is to be done in a plurality (by many) rather than a single man.  This protects the church and the elders.  This manifests itself in such activities as follows:   setting staff salaries, hiring and letting go of paid ministry servants, annual elder performance reviews, budget line items (after initial consult from finance team), real estate acquisitions including rental purchase or sale of property or facility, doctrine for the church to be adopted or altered, the approval or discipline of elders and church members, any general oversight of any particular ministry of Summit, oversight of gross budget or any general written proposal drafted by any elder can be brought before all the elders.

Elders are responsible for managing (1 Timothy 3:5) the church and shepherding the flock (1 Peter 5:2) as well as praying for the church both individually and corporately.  Oversight of the church is formally charged to the elders (Acts 20:28) and they are to give an account (a sobering thought) of the flock to the Lord (Hebrews 13:17).   They are to be living examples for the flock according to Hebrews 13:7.  They also teach (1 Timothy 3:2), provide doctrinal instruction (Titus 1:9) and are to be involved in discipline per Matthew 18:15-17.  Lastly, those who are sick are to ask the elders to pray for them (James 5:13-15).

   Why don’t you have business meetings?

Short Answer:  We don’t like them.

Longer Answer:
OK, seriously.  The model of our church is different from traditional church models, almost without exception.  Sunday morning is no different.  The emphasis of Sunday morning is to invite people into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  That does not mean “seeker driven” or even “seeker sensitive”, it simply means that Sunday morning is meant to advance the kingdom of God.   Therefore, it is not appropriate (in most cases) to discuss church business on Sunday mornings.  This leaves the avenue of a specially called “business meeting” for some other time.  While we have (and will continue) to have such meetings as needs arise, they are not the norm.

A full understanding of the Ecclesiology of Summit Crossing will help to understand why business meetings will be the exception.  We believe that Christ is the head of the church.  As the head, He calls elders to rise up and step out to lead the local church.   The elders are responsible to God for how they oversee the church and will give account one day for their performance.   This does not mean that the elders do not seek counsel and wisdom from individuals or even groups of individuals within the body.   However, it does mean that decisions are made by God, discerned by the elders and then acted upon.

Certain decisions do require a different approach for a variety of reasons.  One such reason is due to our By-Laws as a corporation.   The By-Laws state any decision exceeding $20,000 (presently) for the purchase of real property must be voted on by the church.   This will require a business meeting.  Typically, such a meeting will be held directly after the last morning service on Sunday morning.  Other situations may present themselves and also require a meeting for either discussion or decision.

   Why don’t I ever hear about committee meetings?

Short Answer:  We don’t have committees.

Longer Answer:
For many of us, the word “committee” brings on cold sweats and flashbacks to various experiences we have had with church committees.   Rather than having a standing list of committees, we establish teams as needs arise. These teams vary in form and function as they typically are not “one-size-fits-all.”  Instead of searching for people with a pulse to fill a seat on a committee, we pray through the membership of the team and approach those individuals.  Some of these teams will have standing leader and members (core team).   These individuals will be recognized leaders and have giftedness in relation to the function of the team.  Such teams will add members to the team for specific tasks.  Once the task is accomplished, the team will revert back to it’s core membership until called upon once more.

Examples:  Personnel Team, Stewardship Team

   How are hiring decisions made?

Short Answer:
Ministerial positions differ from “jobs”.  Ministerial positions are filled as God raises leaders, which are confirmed by the elders.  Jobs are filled through a more traditional process – job announcement, applications, interviews, etc.

Longer Answer:
As a missional church, a church where every member is a missionary for God in their circle of influence, people will be called and rise to differing levels of service.   The call God places on the life of a ministerial position is quite different than the call placed on the life of someone fulfilling a task - as needed as that task may be.  For this reason, we believe a ministerial position is best filled as God confirms within the hearts of the church leadership (elders and staff) an individual for service. Quite simply, God raises people up to fulfill his mission.   Although such people may come from outside our body, we believe that God will raise up individuals from within the body that evidence a giftedness for the area of ministry and a willingness to pursue that ministry at all costs.

As in any organization, there are roles that need to be performed to maintain the health and function of the church - jobs.  Such positions will not be ministerial in nature, but are no less important to the organization.  These positions are filled through a more traditional process involving a job announcement, applications and interviews (both oral and written).  Typically, a team of individuals (Personnel Team – see “Why don’t I ever hear about committee meetings?”) will be called to oversee and perform this process.  There are standing members of the team to bring consistency and continuity to the process and there are individuals called for specific experience and expertise in the specific situation at hand.  This team is utilized as needs arise.

   How do I voice my opinion/disagreement properly?

We encourage anyone with a question to approach the individual in question first.  We have found that unasked questions can quickly morph into assumptions…those assumptions to conclusions.  Most often, the assumptions are incorrect and lead to incorrect conclusions.  All of which could have been avoided by asking a question.

If the issue deals more with the leadership of the church, then we request that a person first examine the church leadership model we find in scripture.  Challenge your perceptions and filters that experience has brought to your life.  We believe strongly that we are faithful to how God commanded His church to operate in scripture – both directly and indirectly.

If, after such an examination, you still feel the eldership to be inconsistent with scripture, then request a meeting audience with the elders to discuss the situation.   Such a meeting will openly address all matters at hand and discuss the biblical principles involved.  If the disagreement is not resolved from such an open discussion(s), then one of two things will happen:

1)  On relatively minor issues, the member will be asked if they can submit to the leadership and operate within the structure without being divisive.

2)  On matters of more significant disagreement, members will be encouraged to find a church home where they can submit and serve with a clear conscience.