New Summit Presbyterian Church

"What can I do?" Maybe you're asking that question as you start 2010. You could be asking because you have free time and are ready to help. You could be asking because you're confused and New Summit hasn't done a good job of communicating. You could be asking because you wonder if you are valuable and part of God's plan. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons for asking! Usually my weekly email focuses on a particular theme, but this week I want to attempt an answer to the question, "What can I do?"

First, the big answer:

Connect with God: seek and follow Jesus. Be honest, authentic and transparent. Get help, ask questions, worship, and pray. Everything in the spiritual life starts with God's movement in your life and your spiritual searching and hunger.

Love God and Others: follow Jesus and explore Christian community. Try different groups and group settings. Raise expectations for your own spiritual journey, but give yourself and others plenty of grace, as you will be traveling with flawed people. You'll be inspired and challenged. Practice the disciplines of the spirit: read, pray, meditate, be accountable, Take the next step. Always take the next step!

Serve God and Others: use your gifts, talents and abilities. Serve your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and enemies. Serve one of the programs and ministries of the church. Serve because often service IS the next step in your spiritual journey, and following Jesus means taking the next step.

Share your Faith: learn to tell the story of God's love in your life, and then tell the story!

Ok, that's the big answer, but I think a lot of people have something else in mind when they ask the question. So, let me be a bit more specific, and then a bit more specific!

Come to Worship services and take New Summit 101 (Wednesday nights with "Discover the Bible" OR March 7) if you haven't done so. Be baptized (March 28) and join New Summit (March 28).

Join the Covenant of Scripture Reading and Accountability. Join a small group or a class, or start one. Take New Summit 201 (March 9) if you haven't done so.

Check out this email, our bulletin or website. Find a service opportunity, and sign up. If you don't know who to contact, contact me ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 816-591-2059). Take New Summit 301 (March 16) if you haven't done so.

Pray for everyone you know who has no faith, is searching, or is not connected with a church in a meaningful way. Ask God to help you share your faith in a meaningful, respectful, non-confronting and inviting way. Take New Summit 401 (April 21) if you haven't done so.

More specific? Ok:

We need volunteers to serve the children on Sunday mornings at both services. You can serve as a "helper" with nothing more than a love for kids.

We need volunteers to chaperon the youth group to the "Acquire the Fire" conference February 19-20

We need 3-5 volunteers to help with the Personnel team in 2010. 4 meetings, about 3 hours each meeting. You will need to be approved by our elders.

Our Finance Team is looking for someone who is excited about helping communicate year-round stewardship.

Our Prayer Team needs help with preparation of a summer retreat and a devotion book to be used during my sabbatical.

We could start another Financial Peace University right now and have people interested if we had a facilitator.

I am teaching a "Conflict in the Church" workshop for the Kansas City metro area March 12-13 and will need help with setup, food, etc.

I am teaching a "Healthy Congregations" workshop for the Kansas City metro area April 9-10 and will need help with setup, food, etc.

We need a meal coordinator to be contacted when there is an emergency necessitating delivery of meals, for instance to someone who just lost a loved one.

We need people who will volunteer to make meals when meals are needed.

We are always looking for more volunteers for our Worship team.

We are always looking for more volunteers for our Tech Team- training available. This is the group with the "power" on Sunday mornings!

There are always jobs around the church that need to be done- gardening, painting, fix-up, etc. Ask, and we will provide the work.

Our Prayer Team is always looking for new members.

Our 7^th through 12^th grade students need adult volunteers for Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m.

The Fellowship Team can always use more volunteers to help with set-up and clean-up on Sunday morning.

We are always happy to have you volunteer as an usher or greeter.

We always need people willing to stand by the welcome center to, well, welcome people!

Start a small group with your neighbors and friends.

Host a garage sale and donate the proceeds to the Haitian Health Foundation with your friends, family and neighbors.

Participate in the Ebay garage sale that Robyn Fate is organizing- more information will be coming!

Serve at Grace United once each month with our Mission Team.

Volunteer at Lee's Summit Social Services.

Volunteer at Hope House- this does require a two-day training.

Think of someone you miss at New Summit, and call them.

Adopt one of our missionary families.

Help create a new ministry to recognize and encourage our volunteers.

Volunteer to help with the upcoming meals for the police department.

Bottom line? God has loved us and done great things to bring us together as his children and as a community of faith. God has done and is doing great things through our community of faith. Lives have been and will be changed as God works through New Summit. We are always searching for ways to join God in his mission. In order to fulfill that mission we all need to participate.

What can you do? I love the Bible's answer to that question in 1 Corinthians 12:27, "You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." It is January- time to get the body some exercise!

In Christ's Love,

Pastor Dave