To Be Seen and Valued: Reflections on AAPI Heritage Month
It has been over 40 years since President Jimmy Carter signed the first commemoration of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month into existence, though many Americans have only recently become aware of it. This is not an indictment on my fellow Americans, but rather part of a pattern of erasure and silencing of AAPI folks that is deeply familiar to AAPI community members like me.
Playgrounds, Splash Pads, and Hikes -- Oh My!
At some point over the summer, you’ll likely be asking the question, “What should we do this week?”, and we’ve got you covered with some nearby outdoor fun!
We asked you (the experts!) on Instagram to share some of your favorite playgrounds, splash pads, and family hikes, and you came through in a big way.
We’ve compiled your ideas into a helpful map for you to pick and choose from for your next family outing (you could even make the choosing fun by blindfolding one of your kids and letting them choose, sort of like a game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey).
We hope you enjoy getting out and exploring these different central Florida playgrounds, splash pads, and hikes this summer!
Parent to Parent: Wisdom from the speaker series
Parent to Parent:
Wisdom from the speaker series
As summer approaches, the school year comes to an end, and families prepare for more time spent together at home, how can parents find a healthy balance making time for themselves?
In the summers of 2019 and 2021, we had the privilege of sitting down with some folks we admire to ask them about their journeys in parenting. Following these interviews, we shared as much of the wisdom and goodness as possible through in-person gatherings called “Parent to Parent: A speaker series.”
Meditations for Lent
As we enter this Lenten season, it’s my hope that we’ll lean into the wisdom of walking the labyrinth, of slowing down to connect with God. Lent is a season when we contemplate our need for him, honestly and intentionally, preparing our hearts to celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death at Easter. I’d like to invite you to enter the labyrinth with us over the next six weeks—or at least, a version of one.
I Shall Wear A Crown
"I shall wear a crown."
It was between wine-colored pews and the melodic homilies given by robe-draped choirs where I found Jesus.
Jesus—the one familiar with the sorrows of the parishioners and the beckoning call of a better tomorrow—was preached from pulpits and presented as not only an option, but a necessity for life.
For those of us with darker hues, Jesus was introduced as the great liberator and the one who shall present a crown on the heads of those who "made it over."
The Black church served and still serves as a haven for the unspoken burdens of those wandering through a majority culture. In these spaces, I was introduced to the words of Thomas Whitfield:
"When it's all over. I am going to put on my robe and tell the story of how I made it over."
Worthy of Our Love
When asked which of the commandments found in God’s Law is the greatest, Jesus responds with a simple prayer—a child’s prayer—that every Israelite would know:
Hear, O Israel:
The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:4–5
This prayer—named for its first word, “Shema!” (Listen!)—was given by Moses to the people of God as they left their former slavery in Egypt. It was intended to keep this truth constantly in mind: that God is the only god worthy of our love.
Covered in Dust: Thoughts for the New Year
There was a blessing commonly given to disciples in the day of Jesus: “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.” It is an image of walking so closely behind your teacher that the dust from the ancient Palestinian roads on which they travel ends up on you. It’s a blessing of position relative to the one you follow—because your position, relative to the one you follow, matters. As we head into a new year, with a God who makes all things now, may we be covered in the dust of our rabbi. And may that bring hope, joy and purpose to our days ahead.
Strengthening Communities: 2021 Christmas Eve Offering
We celebrate not just the work God is doing through these great organizations, but also the work he has done through individuals who call Summit home. Both organizations began with a story of God breaking the heart of a Summit partner in order to call them toward work for which he had uniquely prepared them.
Native American Heritage Month: A Perspective on Restorative Justice
“We have to understand that God is for all people…,” Niki Wilkerson said with furrowed eyebrows and an urgent tone. Niki is a social justice advocate, artist, 11-year partner of Summit Church, and is of Cherokee heritage.
Team 33rd: Updates and Moving Forward
Our obedience, in these everyday, mundane moments, builds our trust in him. And that trust deepens as we remember who he is and what he has already done for us. That trust brings us to a place where, even in the midst of hardship or uncertainty, we can see his kindness at work in the details.
Deuteronomy: The Book Not the Monkey
Our obedience, in these everyday, mundane moments, builds our trust in him. And that trust deepens as we remember who he is and what he has already done for us. That trust brings us to a place where, even in the midst of hardship or uncertainty, we can see his kindness at work in the details.
Stepping Into Opportunity
niceSERVE is one of my favorite things we do at Summit because it so beautifully blends two things I am passionate about—service and connection. Watching people make friends and form new relationships because they happened to sign up for the same project is one of the great joys of my job.
Connecting with God through Stories
When we read the Bible as a story with our emotions, imaginations, and senses engaged, we come away with so much more than just information! We are able to experience God in new ways. To help you get started, our children’s ministry team created a handy-dandy bookmark, with prompts your family can use to connect with any Bible story you read.
Building Hope
God has given me hope for Summit Orlando because I know young people who are thoughtful, insightful, passionate leaders, and we get to build this expression with them.
Running with Perseverance
I think there is something in the word “endurance” that we need to pay particular attention to. Our life, our walk with the Lord, and our calling as the Church are marathons, not sprints. It’s an enduring faith and one that plays out over time and season and setback and celebration.
Fun Over Time Creates Connection
This season in BCL—the place where families grow together—we are explore the six things our families need; six seemingly small things that make a BIG difference over time… like FUN! Fun over time creates connection. To help your family connect more deeply with God and with each other, we designed a special BINGO game you can play together!
Baptism: an Interview with Doris Herrero
In addition to teaching our baptism class for kids, she and her husband, Javier, have walked through baptism as parents with each of their three kids. The wisdom that has come out of their experiences is so rich, and I’m so excited to share Doris’ insights about guiding kids through faith decisions with you!
Don't Look Away
So what should you and I do? Don’t look away. Allow your heart to get involved with desiring justice and loving people well even when it costs and when it hurts. Allow yourself to be filled with holy discontent at injustices that harm people and creation. This goes for us as individuals and us collectively as the global Church.
The Summer Bucket List
If you’re anything like me, sometimes you look back and realize that you forgot (or more accurately, chose not) to dream—forgot (or chose not) to hope, seek joy, or even plan for moments of rest. But friends, dreaming is good. Even in the midst of strange, uncomfortable, and dark days, living with hope matters. I want to challenge you to consider one specific way to seek joy and plan for rest with your family this summer: I give you the SUMMER BUCKET LIST!
Grow Our Hearts: Prayers for the World
We are beginning a monthly element in our worship services that we are calling “prayers for the world.” This communal time of guided prayer during our worship services will be intentionally built to have us pray for the things that hit close to home for us as well as the things that hit close to the home of another—to pray for the daily bread of another even as I pray for my own.