Wow! There is not a day that goes by that God doesn’t amaze me with His direction and provision for my life.

As you may know, my heart has been very heavy this week as to where The Summit would meet with much colder weather approaching. You guys have been incredibly committed to meet outdoors, but I knew we must find a place where we could be safe and comfortable as we continued to build our new building and reach people for Christ.

I awoke this morning asking God to show me where that place was and asked Him to do it in a way that there would be no doubt. HOLY SMOKE! He did that in a huge way!

I am proud to announce that the Summit Church will now be meeting at “Big Mama’s Karaoke Cafe” on Sundays @ 10 AM until our new Impact Center is complete! Their facilities offer us all the amenities that we value and they have plenty of room for our nursery/preschool and Summit Kidz ministries!

I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Norbert Stovall, who has vowed to partner with the Summit in anyway possible. He has committed to donate lighting, sound and video equipment and supplies for our new building and wants to partner financially to help us complete the center.

His heart was so overwhelmed with our meeting today, that he and his wife Debbie, who don’t have a church home, were eager and excited to join us Sunday morning! I love “God Encounters” and “God Meetings”. I love to meet new friends and I especially love when someone has a personal revival right in front of my eyes.

The Karaoke Cafe’ will allow us to continue to show our community that “There’s More” and will give us a great home to grow as we build. I can’t wait to see you Sunday @ 10 AM. Spread the word!

Be Happy!

Pastor Bryan
www.TheSummitLive.tv

The Summit Church of Seymour TN

This was 1 year ago! Are you still where God wants you to be? Are we still this passionate?

Be Blessed!

How does a church grow from 100 to thousands in just a few years (Acts 2 Church, Jerusalem; Elevation, NC; New Spring, SC; The Village, TX and there are more)?

Does it study the more than 10,000 books that have been written about church growth? Do the pastors just mirror or duplicate what these other leaders have done? Maybe the leadership needs to attend the myriad of catalyst events, church growth conferences & seminars? Or maybe it is just the luck of the straw or the much more superior abilities and talents that the other great leaders possess and it just can’t be manufactured or duplicated. Maybe Scott Hodge, Perry Noble, Steven Furtick, Matt Candler, and others are much more cool than other pastors. Or they have a website after their own name (another Brian McKnight got mine). Maybe they had more money, more advertising, more people, more talent, more resources, better breaks, bigger buildings, deeper networks, talented staff, right times, right friends, or were just plain lucky.

Or maybe they share the same qualities and practiced the same simple principles that we see God use for revival since the dawn of time?!?

I believe experienced revival has these common elements. It doesn’t matter how much money and time you spend on conferences, coaching networks, assessments, mentoring programs, buildings, campaigns or advertisement. If you don’t possess or do what is listed below, you will NOT experience a God anointed revival. Each pastor I listed above will have their own unique experiences, but these biblical experiences are the short list of the necessary elements for revival.

1. The Leadership MUST confess their sin! In Nehemiah 9 we have a beautiful picture of revival. We see in this tribute and Praise to God that the number 1 problem the people recognized was sin among their leaders, Nehemiah 9:2. Pastors, if we don’t get a handle on who we are, in and out of God, we will NEVER experience revival. It is time for pastors to repent so revival can come!
2. The Leadership MUST pray! Prayer is God’s direct line for knowing and doing His will. It is necessary for everything from confession to direction. The apostles did nothing but pray as they prepared for the day of Pentecost. God honors the prayer of His leaders.
3. The Leadership MUST fast! As the people repented, we see they also fasted, Nehemiah 9:1. Fasting was a spiritual discipline that appears to get God’s attention! Every single time we see God do remarkable things in the midst of His people it is proceeded by the leadership fasting. Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Elijah, David, Samuel, JESUS, the Apostles, Paul and many, many more. Pastors, if fasting isn’t a regular part of your Christians character, you will never experience community changing revival!
4. The Leadership MUST read God’s Word! This seems like a discipline that should have to go unmentioned. But quite frankly, this is overlooked and ignored more than any other activity that pastors should be doing. In the busyness of our routines we often take for granted the need to get into God’s word for own spiritual health. Nehemiah 9:3 says they needed it so bad they got into it for 3 straight hours…standing up!
5. The Leadership MUST want revival! Nehemiah 9:3 shows how bad they really wanted revival! Whatever it takes!! They ripped their clothes, they threw themselves to the ground, they repented, prayed and STOOD as the Word of God was read for 3 hours. WHATEVER it takes! It doesn’t matter how long you hang out with great leaders if you are NOT willing to do whatever it takes to experience revival, you will not experience it!
6. The Leadership MUST worship! It is so tempting to manufacture our own environment that we can actually program worship out of our lives. I have always said that what happens on Sunday is just a reflection of what has happened throughout the week. If we replace true anointed worship with events and concerts we will get what we create…an event. But if we come before the Father with intentional worship and praise we will get an eternal element we could never manufacture…God’s favor! Nehemiah 9:3
7. The Leadership MUST be bold! Nehemiah wasn’t worried about who the biggest contributors were in the assembly. He wasn’t worried about what his colleagues would think. He didn’t play politics in the church and he absolutely knew he didn’t have a second to waste. If revival was going to happen, he had to get up and tell it like it was. Pastors, if you are such a wimp that you are more concerned about who you will offend rather than who will go to hell, you will never experience revival.

That’s my list. We are daily praying for and expecting revival in east Tennessee. We all serve the same God and God wants to save people everywhere. He doesn’t reserve revival for the select (or elect) few. He simply honors and gives favor to those who follow HIS plan.

Be Happy!

Bryan

Trade as One – Just One

Something to think about

As we come down the home stretch to finishing the new Impact Center we have the several opportunities for you to let your God-given talents shine!

First, dry wall hangers and finishers! We still have over 350+ sheets of drywall that need to be hung. We wil not be hanging any ceiling, just walls. So come on out, grab a screw gun and start hangin’! If you have screw guns, scaffolding or stilts, you can bring those too!

Second, Elecricians and laborers! We still have 150+ hours of pulling circuits, connecting junction boxes and roughing in our electrical system. If you can pull wire, tie-in circuits or screw on wire nuts….we have a place for you!

BONUS OPPORTUNITY!!!

Calling ALL Plumbers! If you have experience with PEX and know how to rough-in plumbing to meet Knox Co. Code inspecions, tis is the ALL-TIME greatest volunteer opportunity for you. We still need to rough-in for 13 fixtures and finish connecting our waste. If this is what you have been looking for, please inquire within.

You guys are awesome! We will be working on the Extreme Makeover – Church Edition, Part 2 this Saturday (11/14/2009 & 11/21/2009) and we could use anyone who has the heart to change a community. Call 865-622-2022 or visit www.TheSumitLive.tv (if you receive a warning, the virus is gone, but the warning takes weeks to remove) for more info!

Be Happy!

Pastor Bryan

Hey Guys!

Just wanted to put out a quick reminder of the unofficial countdown!

The Summit’s new Impact Center is going to make a tremendous difference in the lives of many and it is going to dramatically increase our platform and the shear number people we can reach.

You can have a major part in making sure we accomplish this dream!

At this point we are racing the clock to make sure we get in this new state-of-the-art center before the weather gets too cold! We still have many things to do with one of the major tasks being electrical work. It is mostly pulling circuits and tying in junction boxes, but there are several and we need your help to make sure this gets done.

Who will make the sacrifice to be there tonight. Will it be you? Will you give 3-4 hours of your time to be God’s time tonight? tomorrow night? the next?

I know that everyone is sacrificing to help get this job done and I love and appreciate your labors of love. This building effort is for the Lord. We work late, we work hard, we work tired because we know this will honor our God and change the lives of many. There is no labor that is more honorable than this.

Thank you for your love! And I look forward to working beside you as we impact our community with the “More” that only God can offer!

BTW, if you have experience hanging/finishing drywall, pulling electrical wires, or roughing in the plumbing? We could use your passion to complete this huge task for the Lord! Just call 865-622-2022 or email info@TheSummitLive.tv and let us know you are in!

Pastor Bryan

Is it worth it? This may be a thought you have had when thinking about the amount of effort it takes to do what God asks of us. Or maybe you have thought this when it comes to going to church, doing something for someone other than yourself, or simply trying to do what’s right.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

No doubt, getting up and going to The Summit tomorrow morning will be an extreme act of sacrifice. It is going to be COLD in the morning so why not just stay home or go to a church that already has a nice comfortable auditorium? Why?

Simply because you have always wanted more.

• You have wanted more fulfillment in life.
• You have wanted to experience more supernatural God.
• You have wanted more in your walk with God.
• You have wanted to be a part of a grass roots movement that would make eternal differences in the lives of everyone it touches.
• You have wanted to quit taking the easy way and actually work for something more rewarding.

You have wanted to get up, move away from the couch and make a difference with what you did today. You are tired of the status quo, the mundane and the comfortable. You are ready for a change and you know deep in your heart that can only come as a result of sacrifice and work.

Tomorrow at The Summit will not be easy. Nothing that is worth anything ever is. But I guarantee it will be rewarding! We have heaters for the kids and coffee for the adults. We have hand warmers and chairs. We have a mission, a plan and most of all a vision.

You are a part of something great and I am incredibly blessed to worship and work with you. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow as we serve and make a difference! Are you ready?

Be Happy!

Pastor Bryan McKnight

The Summit has moved to a new and different season in the life of our church. We launch on October 5, 2008 at The King’s Academy and continued there for 1 year. We started with a launch tem of about 19 and had 167 on our first Sunday. We  saw and experienced some incredible things this past year. 73 people made a decision to step into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 41 took that a step farther and followed Jesus in baptism by immersion. Now, we are experiencing Church Redefined. This was our official first week to gather and disperse. We have moved to a new building that isn’t finished. So we decided to have a short devotion and then scatter into our community and serve outside our walls on Sundays until our building is complete. Here is a recap of our first Sunday:

• Our attendance was good Sunday. We still have first-time guests each week. Our attendance has dropped about 25%. We knew this would happen. This time will definitely separate those who have the vision from those who don’t.
• This is very uncomfortable for me. Warm fussy feelings don’t happen when you just live God’s word out in the community. I like corporate worship with spirit-moving songs and bone-chilling messages.
• It’s hard to ignore the suffering of others when you are standing in their living room.
• The incredible dedication from the families at The Summit is inspiring. This is NOT comfortable church. This is uncertain, hard-working, soul-stretching, heart-stirring, comfort-zone exploding church. To stay committed takes an incredible buy-in to our vision. Thank you Summit Church!
• Cars honk at us in the parking lot when they drive by.
• For those who don’t go to a church because we meet between a bar and a massage parlor (they aren’t even open when we meet), this will make you feel vindicated. We had 2 drunks come see what was happening. It was easy enough to keep our kids safe and we got to witness to these two broken people.
• We had teams go to Kroger & Food City to collect food for a local food pantry (about $1000 worth of groceries collected in less than 2 hours). There are a lot of un-churched people shopping on Sundays; We had a team serve an elderly couple by cleaning-up their yard; one team helped a widow move out of her foreclosed home and gave her hope as they prayed with her in her new place and they helped her fill out paperwork for a Habitat for Humanity home. We had another team help a couple with car work and yet another team work at the building.
• These were the right things to do, but it felt wierd. It’s not church the way our culture has defined it. It is hard to live for others and not just myself.
• We still have an over-whelming amount of work to do at the building and we still need the financial resources to finish it. I can’t wait to see what God has planned for those two challenges.

This is an exciting time. New challenges, opportunities and thrills await s each week. God’s story is being written for S Knox/Seymour and I m thrilled to be a part of it. Pics will be available soon.

Be Happy!

Bryan

Following is a Facebook blog written by a teenager who’s family is an awesome blessing, both to The Summit and all those who know them. I always thought Kaitlyn was an awesome young woman, but when I read this, I was absolutely blown away by her heart and by what she had to share. So, I wanted to share it with everyone! Be humbled as you read.

“Today we had lifetime wellness. We were in the gym. Class is over and we all head to the locker room. I walk in and see my bags open and all of my things thrown across the floor. The light bulb instantly flicked on in my mind and I realized someone had probably stolen something. I look through my bags and find that my ipod, camera, and wallet are gone.

My first reaction: shock. I did not come to school expecting my stuff to get stolen. Next reaction: shock combined with anger. Why in the world would anybody be so inconsiderate as to go through my things and invade my privacy like that! Almost everyone in our class had their stuff gone through! A few of us immediately rushed to the principal’s office and told what happened. We got names of who we are almost positive did it.

After leaving the office, I thought about how mad and upset I was and I felt guilty. I’m the guilty one for caring so much about material things. I realized that it shouldn’t matter. It’s just stuff, so why do I care about it so much. I realized that this happened, probably to teach me a lesson that I shouldn’t care so much about material things. When I go to heaven, I won’t have those things anyways so why worry about them now. I’m trying to look at this as a chance to gain something instead of being mad.

So I encourage you to look for good in a situation even when it seems like there’s absolutely no good in it at all. I also encourage you to, in a sense, let go of your material things. Don’t let them clutter your life. Don’t focus on them instead of what this life is really about- serving Christ.” – Kaitlyn Ramirez

How Awesome is that!

Bryan

This is it! History will be written and a new era of church will happen this Sunday @ 10 AM at The Summit Church!

The Summit has moved to its new location and we can’t wait to do “ekklesia” (called out assembly).

This Sunday we will meet outside so dress warm. We will still do community so coffee, biscuits and chatter will still be the norm. Our Kidz will still rock the house, so make sure you bring your kids and your neighbor’s kids so they can experience God in a mind-blowing way. We will still worship. The experience may be shorter but still very authentic. We will still honor God through our giving and our tithe will be seen through the new impact center. We will still communicate God’ message, although more brief, it will still be a message to help shape our lives.

But that is where the similiarities end. This Sunday we will meet representatives from Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries (KARM); Smoky Mountains Area Rescue Ministries (SMARM); Christians Reaching Out to Serve Seymour (CROSS); Habitat for Humanity; and Second Harvest Food Bank. They will share how we can redefine church and change the way our community thinks about God and His people. We will also provide information and share exactly how we are going to serve outside our walls.

After that we will have an open house of our new facility and give everyone the cahnce to walk through and see what God is doing and where we are going. You will also have the chance to sign-up for FIVEtimesFIVE and let us know how you will give your five hour per week for the next five weeks (2 Corinthians 5:5).

This is a great opportunity to make the difference you have always wanted to make. This is the chance to see God’s face and experience the more we have longed for. This is the time to shine in our Christian faith and make an explosive dent in hell as we wake our community up to the love of Christ!

See you Sunday!

Bryan