This Is Not Normal

photo credit: Brett Seay

Yesterday afternoon marked the launch of the eighth campus of the Summit Church. Summit Blue Ridge kicked off with two services, a huge army of volunteers, and over 600 people in attendance.

As I wandered through the parking lot, the auditorium, the back hallways, the volunteer headquarters, and beyond, I was – once again – humbled by what I saw.

You see, Blue Ridge prepped for launch over the course of just a few weeks. Rather than our traditional incubation period where the core team comes together for a few months’ worth of weekly worship, Blue Ridge’s first corporate worship gathering was yesterday’s 3:30 service. Rather than a group of volunteers who had been fully trained and meticulously placed, Blue Ridge utilized passionate, committed, flexible people who showed up to get the job done and serve their little hearts out.

Fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants model of launching a campus? Maybe. But maybe it’s also the sign of a God who delights in doing something so huge that there’s no way we can take credit for it. From Bowe & Derrick (the guys leading the campus) to Alex (our campus admin) to every single part-time staffer, intern, volunteer, and attendee, there’s not a single one of them who had the audacity to say, “We got this.”

On the contrary: it was lots of sleepless nights, anxious days, and the very real realization that we could fall flat on our faces.

But instead, we fell on our knees to thank a God who does the impossible, a God who specializes in the details, and a God who cares more about our neighbors in Raleigh than we do.

Summit, let me remind you that this is not normal. What we’re seeing isn’t explainable. 600 people don’t just show up to do church on a Sunday afternoon. 115 volunteers don’t just manifest to serve in Summit Kids, First Impressions, and Production. Dozens of first time guests don’t just wander in. There’s a work of the Holy Spirit that we must be aware of, and we dare not take for granted.

This is not our movement. This is God’s movement, and for some strange reason he’s allowing us to join in. We can’t waste it. We can’t ignore it. But we can and certainly should celebrate it.

So as you read this, would you join me in thanking God for what he is doing, the people he is drawing, the leaders he is raising? Would you pray with me for our Blue Ridge leadership team, that they would rest well going into week number two? And best of all…would you watch for those other “not normal” areas in your life, and join God where he’s already working?