It’s Alive! It’s Spectacular! It’s…

…Christmas at the Summit!*

More on that in a minute.  First, let me give you some lead in:

December 2001.  A young seminary student and his family are invited to a Christmas event by the wife’s brother and sister-in-law.  Said Christmas event is to take place at Homestead Heights Baptist Church* in Durham, a 45 minute drive from the seminary campus.

Family attends.  The first thing they notice is a mauve color scheme (retinas burning!), followed closely by a ginormous choir decked out in tuxedos and formal dresses (hello, high church!).  But then the lights go down and the music cranks up.  First impressions can be deceiving.

There’s a little wiry worship pastor shaking his groove thang as he directs the choir, looking more like a hyper penguin hopped up on steroids rather than a dignified musician, coming very close to losing his Southern Baptist status.

Big music.  Talented singers.  Kick-tail-and-take-no-prisoners band.

Fast forward two months.  Family continues to look for a church, invitations continue from Homestead.  Deny…delay…divert…that place is too far.  Involvement wouldn’t happen, community wouldn’t happen.

February 2002.  Seminary student is speaking at a student retreat in Boone.  Wife and kids attend Homestead again with brother and sister-in-law.  Wife makes an after-church phone call and lets husband know in no uncertain terms that they will attend the following Sunday.  Husband reluctantly agrees.  Goes the next Sunday.  Loves it.  Never looks back.

Fast forward a year.  Seminary student has led a small group of college kids and young professionals, found community, discovered a spiritual family.  He’s hired to take on a non-existent staff role.

You guessed it…that young seminary student grew up to be Connections Pastor and world-famous blogger (currently over six readers per day!), Danny Franks.

Here’s what I’m saying: Christmas at the Summit is without a doubt one of our biggest outreach efforts of the year.  Over the course of a few days we see hundreds of new people check out our campus for the first time.  And you can argue that there’s a better choir or band at some other church down the road or across the country, but believe me when I say that I will cut you.  They are just that good and I’m just that big a fan.

This Sunday at all of our campuses, you can get your frostbitten little hands on a stack of inviter cards for this year’s event.  Grab ’em.  Hand ’em out.  Make sure that everyone you know knows about this deal.  Who knows?  The next Connections Pastor might be in the crowd.

Ummm…on second thought, let’s not get too crazy in our outreach efforts.  My kids have become rather fond of eating.

Want to serve at Christmas at the Summit?  Sign up today!

*If Homestead Heights and the inside joke of this post’s title make no sense to you, welcome to the Summit.  Brush up on your history!