Jason Gaston

I’ve read the books, I’ve heard pastors talk back and forth about it, and read blog after blog on it, but last night I got to experience it firsthand; Staying faithful to the mission God is giving you, and watch Him work.

Two years ago, God gave our Student Ministry team a vision and mission here in Raleigh-Durham; to raise up a generation of young men and women who are passionate worshippers of Christ and will take the gospel to the world. We’ve got the vision and will do whatever it takes to make it come to fruition.

Along the way in the journey to getting our student ministry set up to carry out this mission, we’ve hit a few roadblocks, but we kept on moving forward with what God was calling us to do. Last night at Elevate, we began to get a taste of what God is up to here in the lives of students.

• Record breaking numbers:: Last night was the HIGHEST attendance we’ve had in the history of Elevate. In fact, we had more students show up last night than we did for our Fall Retreat last year.
• First Time Guest:: Our students are seeing that Elevate is more than a social gathering Christian Ghetto. They are seeing it as an opportunity to bring their friends to come and hear the gospel proclaimed…and we are seeing fruit come from that!
• Salvation:: Each week, we are seeing lives literally changed in front of us. Last night we had 3 students confess Jesus as Lord and begin trusting Christ. Last month we had a high school student who was about as far gone as you can imagine come to LIFE IN CHRIST!
• Small Groups:: More students were plugged into small groups last night, and that’s a major win on any given day on any given level. We currently have, at a minimum, 40+ more students plugged into small groups now than we did in August.

Pray fervently, fast often, believe in what God is calling you to, and hold on tight cause we’re just getting started. Summit Church, I’m all in. Will you join me?

“Raise the Bar,” is something that has been drilled into my head since I began doing Student Ministry a few years back. The book that Dr. Alvin Reid wrote on that very issue instilled that passion within me, and working here at The Summit Church has only furthered my desire for a generation of students to be raised up and sent out. We can’t do that if all we are doing is pizza blasts and game nights. We are in the midst of seeing that taking place right now, right here at The Summit, and I am amped.

Here at The Summit, we believe that God has put a vision in our hearts to plant 1,000 churches over the next 40 years. That’s a big task, and it requires a group of people who will carry that out. The question I have continually put in front of our staff and our students is this “Where will the leaders, pastors, and planters of those churches come from?” The answer is simple: The current middle and high school generation that we have in our ministries RIGHT NOW. They are key players in that move of God, and they must begin to see themselves as just that!

Even now, this week, we have our very first small group that is being planted out of another small group that is being led by one of our high school students. God is raising up a generation of young men and women in Raleigh-Durham who refuse to be complacent in their walks with King Jesus and are ready to be unleashed to lead.

The seeds of the gospel are being planted, watered, and are starting to bear fruit for the kingdom. Will you continue to raise the bar of student ministry? I pray that you will see a move of God in and through your students. He wants and desires to use them. Will you free them up to be about the mission of God?