Yahtzee!! Summit Young Pros will be hosting a Game Night on Friday night February 5. We will be playing all of the classic board games of the past, as well as some new ones. Come join us for the fun, the food, the games, and compete for bragging rights.

When:: Friday February 5, 2010. 7:00pm.

Where:: Summit Church Brier Creek Campus in Suite 111

Let me start by saying there are a few spots left. If you want to go let me know and get your money ($125 which includes everything) in!

Time :: We are going to meet in the church parking lot (in front of the offices) at 5:30pm sharp! This will give us time to load the U-haul and hit the road. I am anticipating being back before lunch on Sunday; approximately around 12:30pm.

What to Bring :: We are going to stop on the way up to eat dinner. This will be something quick, probably a fast food joint so have money for that if you plan to eat. Linens, towels, and blankets are provided by the lodge. You will need all toiletries and make sure to have appropriate clothing for chilly weather and hiking. Feel free to bring any board/card games you want to; we will have downtime in the evenings. Also, make sure to bring a Bible and journal.

Schedule :: Friday night will mostly be spent with travel and just hanging out. Saturday morning we will have a designated quiet time accompanied by some discussion groups. Late morning and afternoon will be spent at 3 different spots along the Blue Ridge Parkway. That evening we will have an actual time for worship and bonfire (hopefully). Sunday morning will again be discussion groups and then pack up and head out!

If you have any questions make sure to shoot me an email, thanks!
Andrew Hopper

Hey I just wanted to give you an extra nudge to go with the Young Pros on our fall retreat. Weekends away are an awesome chance to get to know some people that you don’t really run into in your regular routine. They are also a great way to get your mind off all that is going on and focus on the Gospel ad community. So basically, YOU SHOULD GO TO FALL REtREAT!!!

Here are the specs…

Dates: Oct 2nd-4th (we will be leaving after 5pm on that Friday with the
possibility of an early group leaving around lunch)

Cost: $125 (This includes everything: cabin rentals, gas, van rentals, and
all meals OTHER than a fast food dinner on the road Friday Night)

Accommodations: We are staying in Glendale Springs, NC @ the Mountain View
Lodge. Check it out! http://www.mtnviewlodge.com

The money for the trip is due on Thursday Night September 17th, you can get
it to me then but I WOULD PREFER to have it before that. You can drop it by
the church offices anytime. This trip is going to be awesome and will
provide a great chance for you to connect with other Young Pros outside of
the normal routine. Let me know if you have any questions, Thanks!

Andrew Hopper, Young Pros Pastor

We are going to use the next couple weeks on this blog to recap what we have been going through on Thursday Night. In Preparation for the Fall we are looking at our church’s mission statement in Loving God, Each Other, and Our World. Here is a snap shot from the message on Love God…

Hosea 6:1-6
“There is such beauty in the Gospel in the grace displayed. That here Israel is slain for their transgression and the punishment was horrific. But God would not leave them too it! He would revive them again in later allowing them to return to the land foreshadowing the one who would act in Israel’s stead. That is Jesus coming as the one who would truly walk with God. We, through his death and resurrection to new life, become able to be God lovers in the way that we were intended to be. The disobedient son (the nation of Israel) sinned while the obedient eternal son, being Jesus, made the atonement through his perfect life and sinless death on the cross (the resurrection is a fulfillment of Scripture from Hosea 6:2 (1 Corinthians 15:4); Hosea 13:14 is cited in 1 Corinthians 15:15 to be talking about more than just the actual nation of Israel). Literally we are seeing the nation of Israel coming to itself, and understanding that their sin is great. God has broken them down but he will raise them up. But this passage also speaks to the ultimate raising up which comes through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ….making atonement for our sin!”

Andrew Hopper: Young Pros Pastor

Here is an excerpt from my manuscript for Thursday Night. There is a place in the message where we see from Psalm 24 that God created the earth and therefore is owner of it. God as creator is often a sticking point for non Christians. They believe, perhaps, that the universe is eternal. Here is some apologetic work on the subject…

“See I don’t want this in any way to get twisted. I believe that God created the world because the Bible tells me that he did. That is why I believe, but in showing myself to be credible I may be inclined to go a different route. If God created the universe then it had a definite beginning. This is problematic for many naturalist who would rather have it that the universe has just always been.

Hubble: In 1929 Edward Hubble made a pretty startling discovery. Not only is the universe expanding all the time, but it is expanding at the same rate in all directions. Now this is interesting because of its implications. If the universe is expanding in all directions than 1000 years ago the galaxies would have been closer together than they are right now. And 2000 years ago they would have been closer together than they were 1000 years ago. All of this eventually goes back to a point of singularity. The point is that there was an event that started the universe, not the galaxy where there was already time and space in which the galaxy started, but the actual universe had a starting point.
2nd Law of Thermo Dynamics: In a closed system, processes always tend towards a state of equilibrium. Basically temperature always evens out, its why when you step into your bath you know that it wont be frozen solid at one end and boiling hot at the other. The universe is a closed system meaning there is nothing outside to infuse energy into it. So given enough time the universe would reach a state of equilibrium. This is known as the heat death of the universe. Now if this will eventually happen at some point in the future then it shows that the universe must have begun at some point. Because without a beginning, heat death would have taken place an infinity ago.

So these aspects of science are showing us that the universe began to exist. It presents problems for an extreme naturalist because if the universe began, what caused it to begin. In other words, what is this thing that is outside of space and time in our universe that caused this universe to begin? Well I think the answer is told to us in Psalm 24 that God founded the earth and as a result the earth is his.”

Andrew Hopper, Young Pros Pastor

In light of the Caution series I want to encourage you again to think about your view of sin and how it relates to your view of God’s character. Thursday Night we talked extensively about the original lie of Satan. Basically Satan wanted Eve to believe that God was holding out on her something that was good. In his view God was not the loving father that sets boundaries for His children. Rather God is devious and knows exactly how great sin would be for them and therefore told them not to eat of the fruit.

I hope this is not oversimplified, but I think generally people tend to view God in one of these two ways. Either He is a loving father that sets boundaries for His children, or He is something else. For instance, if you believe that God’s restrictions are keeping you from fun and good things then God is not the loving Father mentioned above. Thus someone’s view of what is called sin is related to how they feel about the character of God. I think many times, however, people fail to draw out the necessary conclusions of their views on sin. So if you are in willful sin you are acknowledging that what God has for you is not best in your estimation. I think it is important then to realize what that communicates daily about God’s character and His intentions for you.

Andrew Hopper, Young Pros Pastor

Hey I just wanted to give you some positive insights I took from Bonhoeffer’s book, Life Together. Small Groups are a huge deal at the Summit because Christian community is a gift from God! Check it out…

First it is important to note that Bonhoeffer sees community as a delight rather than a duty. Many times the Christian community takes for granted and even dislikes its brotherhood aspect. But when viewed as a gift from God such attitudes should disappear. Another strong point is the emphasis on community throughout the day and week. Christians often have a point during the week designated for community rather than making it a habit or lifestyle. Along these same lines is his call to commune personally with God throughout the day. This sits opposed to having a quiet time and then heading on about the day like normal.

Also, Bonheoffer’s advice to quench sinful ambition is stellar. He believes that we must continually communicate the need in everyone’s life for more mercy and grace. In this way one cannot be lifted high in his own eyes because he is constantly aware of the sinfulness that plagues him. Finally his understanding of community and solidarity is important to many current small group structures. A small group is often presented as something that one needs for growth and connection. And it is true that small groups provide avenues to meet these needs. However, if one comes to a group expecting it to be a functional savior they will be disappointed. The community is not meant to take the place of Jesus in one’s life.

Andrew Hopper, Young Pros Pastor

I want to jump start our blog again by pushing our young pros to think about church planting. Last night was another forum for our church-planting center. I could not help but notice how many people there were of the young professional age. The center does attract young pros that seem to be a great fit into church planting. So if you are not involved in actively considering if God would have you be part of a plant, this post is for you.

Young Pros are in a unique position to go. For the most part they are extremely flexible. Many are single or newly married. An either situation the amount of things tying them down is limited. However, this is not the only reason that Young Pros should consider going. In general a Young Professional is eager to join in a solid vision. In other words, life has not settled for them in a way that some things are off limits. For example, joining in the vision of planting 1000 churches may be costly. It may require a move, a different job, or delayed advancement in a current job. But young people from the summit are answering the call in droves.

Let me encourage you to check out what is available as far as church planting from the summit. Could it be that God would have you go and be a part of His mission? If so I would love to hear about it. Shoot me an email any time.

Andrew Hopper, Young Pros Pastor

In finishing up our series on the value of Thursday Night, I hope you have been able to see a glimpse into the whole Young Professional ministry of the Summit Church. The ministry is more than a gathering but the gathering is central.

Thursday Nights are the hub of all that we do. It is through them that community connection begins and small groups are formed. Teaching and worship are major elements along with a constant push towards being on mission. Thursday Night is our chance, as a ministry, to gather people and involve them in many of these great things offered.

So to conclude the series, Thursday Night is valuable in that it not only gathers people for itself but also plugs them into all else the ministry offers. So as a final petition, check out what we are doing. Come and see for yourself. We hope that in having a good experience, and understanding the ministry’s importance, you will stick with us. Thanks!

Andrew Hopper, Young Pros Pastor

Thursday Nights are valuable in that they afford young pros the opportunity to participate in missions. Two trips a year are built into the young pro schedule; one domestic and one foreign. These trips are unique in that they are built for young pros to see and experience the mission field in hopes that they may cultivate a desire to go.

Young Pros by definition are in a special place in life. While often having an education and career they are not restricted by huge responsibilities at home. This combination allows them the chance to contemplate missions unhindered. We know this and therefore are intentional in the trips we put together for young pros. When you come to Thursday Night, missions will be put in front of you.