tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-369451802024-02-22T12:43:39.973-05:00Reach | Equip | SENDJason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-41236172960642261382011-03-28T14:00:00.003-04:002011-03-28T14:01:20.700-04:00At Another PlaceWe've moved on over to a new location.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.jasongaston.com/">www.jasongaston.com</a><br />
OR<br />
<a href="http://www.jasonleegaston.wordpress.com/">www.jasonleegaston.wordpress.com</a>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-442153378734068952011-02-17T09:14:00.000-05:002011-02-17T09:14:10.239-05:00The Nexus ProjectNext weekend, we open up the doors of our church for a conference called <a href="http://www.summitrdu.com/nexus"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Nexus Project.</span></a> Nexus is a conference for Middle and High School students, that is aimed at reaching students with the gospel and equipping them to live out God's mission. A few thoughts for my Student Pastor friends regarding conferences:<br />
<br />
1. First off, if you are still interested in coming, we may be able to squeeze you in. If cost is an issue, let us know and we'll work with you. Shoot us an <a href="mailto:susan@summitrdu.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">email</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">.</span><br />
<br />
2. I know there's a big push that is going away from Retreats/Conferences for students, and in many churches it's the right thing for them to do. I believe however, that God has strategically placed <a href="http://www.summitrdu.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Summit Church</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> i</span>n RDU, and we'll do whatever we can to partner with local churches in reaching students for the gospel. Nexus exists not just as an in-house retreat, but also as a resource for churches.<br />
<br />
3.<b> Make it more of a conference than a Slumber Party:</b> Ever been to a retreat with another church, and felt like you walked into their Student Ministry slumber party? Been there. Done that. It's awkward. We do everything we can from our scheduling of the conference to the bussing of students back and forth from a hotel, to make it feel like a conference.<br />
<br />
4. Give them their money's worth: There's no question that some of these things can be expensive with bringing in good speakers, worship leaders and breakout session teachers. So...don't settle on "good." Give them something GREAT. Don't just bank on your t-shirt to be the selling point for next year.Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-43993827623467087732011-01-19T04:41:00.000-05:002011-01-19T04:41:44.778-05:00Are You InterestedI am in London this week at a meeting with over 100 other Student Pastors and Missionaries from all over the globe, talking about mobilizing students for global missions. I posted about this on my previous post, but if you are interested in bringing a group to SE Asia with us this upcoming summer, let me know. We'd love to serve you and your Student Ministry. It's going to be a phenomenal trip. Shoot me an <a href="mailto:jgaston@summitrdu.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">email</span></a> and we can talk!Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-38818648693417120652011-01-11T15:02:00.002-05:002011-01-11T15:15:47.956-05:00A Few Things For YouStudent Pastors, this post is for you! One of my passions is to be a good resource for you (as many of you are to me!) With that in mind, here are a few things I'd love to share with you:<br />
<br />
<b>Mobilizing Students for Global Missions</b>: I have had the privilege of investing my life over the past 5 years into a nation in S.E. Asia, and have been charged by the IMB to mobilize students to join in the movement of God taking place across this country this summer. All of that to say....I'd love to help you get your students overseas this summer, to this country with me. All the details are taken care of, all you gotta do is sign up and train your students (and pay...) <a href="mailto:susan@summitrdu.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Email me</span></a> for more information.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.summitrdu.com/nexus"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Nexus Project:</span></b></a> Nexus is a conference we do here at The Summit annually for MIddle and High School students all over NC, VA and SC. We've got great speakers lined up (Clayton King and J.D. Greear to name a few) and would love to serve your student ministry. Let us know if you have any questions.<br />
<br />
<b>Mentoring</b>: My good friend, Dr. Alvin Reid, is doing some mentoring all around the Southeast this semester. He's passionate about investing in the lives of men, and not just talking "student ministry strategies." Your time spent with him is incredibly beneficial, and I highly recommend getting connected to one of his day long mentoring sessions. The next on is January 14th. For more info, check it <a href="http://alvinreid.com/archives/1562"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">.</span>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-48252681008983860092011-01-05T09:19:00.000-05:002011-01-05T09:19:51.277-05:00We Are Hiring<b><u>We have an opening here on our team at Summit,</u></b> and you just may be the person to fill it. We are looking for someone to be our Creative Director for Summit Students and Summit Kids. Everything from video production to graphic design. You'll have an amazing opportunity to work with our Productions/Creative Department here at The Summit and be a part of a team of people working together to reach RDU with the truth of the gospel.<br />
<br />
<b>The Position in a Nutshell:</b><br />
<br />
<ul><li>Creative Director for Summit Students/Summit Kids</li>
<li>Working under the umbrella of Summit Production Department</li>
<li>Internship (not full time) </li>
</ul><br />
If you are interested, shoot us an <a href="mailto:susan@summitrdu.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">email. </span></a>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-63661892947500399522010-12-23T09:33:00.001-05:002010-12-23T09:36:01.692-05:00Not Growing As A Leader?Ever been in one of those seasons where you just felt like (as a leader) you were not growing in your leadership? Ever feel like there are times where you are filling up on great books, going to great conferences, spending quality time before the Lord, and yet still not growing as a leader? Yeah...me to. Allow me to offer a few things that have helped me in that process. <i>(I know many of you are going to look at this list and say...But there's more than just these things!! Of course there is...it's a blog post.)</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li><b>Evaluate:</b> Maybe you have a cloudy goal that needs redefined. Maybe that goal that you are setting needs to stretch your faith more than it does. Perhaps you are spreading yourself too thin (doing too many things decent, and nothing great!) </li>
<li><b>Oil The Wheels Where They Stick:</b> Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission once said that phrase in a letter to a secretary of the mission. What in the world does that mean? Ever heard the phrase "Vision leaks?" If we are not constantly <i>leaking the vision</i> of where God is leading our ministries, the wheels begin to stick (or rust) and the vehicle becomes more difficult to move forward. To quote Bill Hybels "<i>Never underestimate how often vision needs to be rekindled for your people.</i>" The church is the vehicle, and moving the vehicle forward is to advance His kingdom and mission. God gives us the vision to make it happen. Don't allow it to rust the wheels.</li>
<li><b>Do Something!</b> Often times, it's the <i>idea</i> of being a leader that is sexy. Far too often, we get caught up in the dream of doing great things for God that we never actually do anything. Yep, that's right....many of us live in our own world where we convince ourselves that we are actually doing something. We tweet it, we blog it, we talk about it at conferences and in our networks, and we can even fudge with it on our numbers a bit if we really wanted. <u>But are we actually doing it!?!?!?</u> No cause has ever advanced with the leader on the sideline. Do you know why? <b><u>Because when the leader sits on the sideline in complacency and laziness, God replaces him. </u></b></li>
</ol><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Your Thoughts?</span> </b></div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-44758007584155183172010-12-16T12:13:00.000-05:002010-12-16T12:13:24.920-05:00Re:Mix Resource AvailableThis past semester, we did a 5 week sermon series titled <i><b>Re:Mix</b></i>. The premise of the series was to take the old bible stories we've all heard growing up, and put them in light of the gospel. In essence, it was a series on <i>Preaching Christ from the Old Testament.</i><br />
<br />
This resource is now available for purchase at $10. What's included in the package?<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Bumper Video for the series</li>
<li>Multiple JPEG's (Series Graphic, Lower Thirds Graphic and/or Full Screen Slides Graphic)</li>
<li>Outlines for teaching </li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div>We'd love to help be resource for you. To purchase, please email <a href="mailto:susan@summitrdu.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Susan</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">. </span></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-69375762066994783252010-12-09T14:58:00.000-05:002010-12-09T14:58:04.012-05:00What Are You Waiting For?<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>"The Church is God's Plan A to redeem the world. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>And God has no Plan B.</i>"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>So...what are we waiting for? We are his tool, his game plan to redeem the world to himself. Reject passivity, reject your "I don't care" attitude and get off the sidelines. The Kingdom advances through the church.<br />
<br />
Student Pastors,<br />
<br />
<ul><li>How do you see your ministry being used by God in His mission?</li>
<li>Do you even see your ministry as a place where you are on the frontlines, fighting from salvation for the salvation of those who do not yet believe on middle and high school campuses in your cities? </li>
</ul><div><br />
</div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-31462947611912295802010-12-09T13:09:00.000-05:002010-12-09T13:09:59.642-05:00Giving to the Mission<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17461724" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/17461724">Summit Giving Info</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/summitrdu">The Summit Church</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-32199078277338362232010-12-06T09:50:00.000-05:002010-12-06T09:50:46.552-05:00What Kind of Leader are You?Several months ago, I read a great book titled<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Who-Last-Dave-Kraft/dp/1433513188"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Leaders Who Last</span></a></i> by Dave Kraft. I highly recommend it for any of my friends out there in ministry. Read this thought from him on different types of leader out there. <b>Which one are you? </b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Leader 1:</b> Self Satisfied. They think they know enough, and they don't need any investment in their life. They are not hungry for more for God, they could care less about growing more and they are are content.<br />
<br />
<b>Leader 2:</b> Hungry, but hungry for themselves. They want to climb the ladder of success for the sole purpose of personal gain. They have no intention of reproducing anything in the lives of other people. They live on the island of SELF.<br />
<br />
<b>Leader 3:</b> God-hungry leaders who are dissatisfied with the status-quo (Latin for "the mess we're in). They want to move on in their lives, move out in faith, move up to their true God-given potential, and want to leave a godly footprint in the lives of other people. <u><i>They are influencers of the Kingdom. </i></u>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-18686339640135586152010-11-30T09:17:00.002-05:002010-11-30T09:22:54.780-05:00Friendship Continued...So this past weekend at <a href="http://www.summitrdu.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Summit</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">,</span> I had the honor of teaching our congregation on what Biblical Friendship looks like. Today on the blog, I wanted to continue the theme with this great video I found online yesterday. Thanks for really bringing home the point fellas.<br />
<br />
Nothing like a bromance.<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9esB5HXbe9o?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9esB5HXbe9o?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="300"></embed></object>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-13854195705116647482010-11-29T11:18:00.000-05:002010-11-29T11:18:13.352-05:00Authentic EncounterEver asked yourself if one of your students has had an authentic encounter with Christ? Here are four things that I tend to observe:<br />
<br />
1. Realization of what Salvation is. Trusting Christ...not self. (Do they get and understand this?)<br />
2. Worship, or the offering of their life back to God through Jesus!<br />
3. Discipleship, or becoming more and more like Jesus. (Are they growing or staying on the sidelines?)<br />
4. Mission, or advancing the mission of God in redeeming others. (Are they desiring to reach people with the gospel? Are they advancing God's kingdom?)<br />
<br />
Really, it all boils down to this; after trusting Christ, <b><u>being passive is never a trait of a believer.</u></b> We must be aggressive in our worship of King Jesus, in our own discipleship and our desire to reach people.Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-8012687389783883042010-11-18T10:11:00.000-05:002010-11-18T10:11:53.871-05:00Planning a SeriesWe're still trying to nail down our process for planning a series here at Elevate. Our process right now is pretty simple, asking ourselves a few very purposeful questions. We attempt to spend some time fleshing out each question and putting meat on the bones! If you and your team have any insight/advice, we'll gladly take them!<br />
<br />
<ul><li>What is the main Biblical push/idea for the series?</li>
<li>How many weeks will we carry this out? (We try and keep them no longer than 5 weeks)</li>
<li>What specific life change/gospel understanding do we expect to see <i><u>from each message</u></i>?</li>
<li>What will we do creatively to promote this and pull it off? (Title, Videos, Environment, Set Design, etc..) Think through how we make use of the 5 senses</li>
<li>What text can we use to drive the worship that lines up with the sermon, and are there any songs that help drive home our main point?</li>
</ul>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-86740299164414033872010-11-11T09:02:00.002-05:002010-11-11T09:53:42.847-05:00Are You Baptizing?My new friend Brian gave a great resource on his blog the other day about baptizing. Brian and his church do a great job of reaching students for the kingdom and getting them baptized. Here are some of the questions he posted on his<a href="http://brianmills247.blogspot.com/2010/11/key-to-seeing-students-baptized-weekly.html"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">blog about baptism</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>Question to ask:</i></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>1. Do you have a follow up plan?</i></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>2. What kind of accountability do you have for your self and your staff to be sure everyone is accomplishing the plan.</i></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>3. Are you baptizing weekly/monthly? If not why?</i></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>4. Are people bring lost friends with them to church? if not why?</i></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Side note: <i>If you are an SBC Student Pastor, you should know that if you baptized more than 33 students last year, you were in the top 100 churches in your network. </i></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm convinced that with the teenage population in America being the highest its ever been in our history, there is no greater hour and need to reach students with the gospel.</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> A <a href="http://www.bradcooper.us/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">good buddy</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span>of mine, and I believe one of the great Student Pastors in America, said that <b><i>"They Replicate what We Celebrate." </i></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Baptism is just that; Celebrating the fact that people are coming to faith in Christ. </span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What are you celebrating? Are you seeing students come to Christ? Do you have a plan for follow up with baptism AND discipleship? In the words of Darrin Patrick, <u><i>it's time for men (and student pastors!) to stop fondling our video game controllers</i> </u> and begin working hard to advance the kingdom. </span></div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-61535378590169784102010-11-10T20:02:00.001-05:002010-11-10T20:07:15.860-05:00The Verdict Is In....And the Gaston family is having.......<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16715176" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/16715176">The Announcement about Baby #2 Via Holt</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1379267">Jason Gaston</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-26212773959143457782010-11-02T09:27:00.000-04:002010-11-02T09:27:24.262-04:00Let's Pull This Off!<div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i>Guest Blogger: Laura Droege || Former Student in our Ministry and current UNC Student</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Over the past year, I have had the honor and blessing of being involved</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">with an orphanage in Central India. If you came to Elevate this summer, you</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">may have heard me tell you about this group and the time that I have been</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">able to spend working with them. In the two shorts trips that I was able to</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">spend in India, God has given me a passion for this ministry and the work</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that they are doing there. They have a vision of providing for 1,000 of</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">India's 23 million orphans a loving, safe, and God-centered home.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">But, they need our help. As they are now, they are completely out of room.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">At the moment they have 72 kids living at the orphanage and are turning</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">kids away regularly. A few years ago, God provided for them to buy land to</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">build a new campus on and now they are just waiting on Him to provide the</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">funds so they can build and move. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Will you help?</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>On November 12, from 6-9 at the Cole Mill Campus</b>, we will be hosting a</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Parent's Date Night with all proceeds going to their building projects. We</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">need your help watching the kids. The more volunteers that we have means</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the more families can bring their children and the more donations will be</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">given to this amazing organization. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">One of night spent with kids playing games, watching a movie and eating</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">pizza and you will help provide a home for a child in need in India, and</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">more importantly, provide a way for them to hear the Gospel and for God's</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">kingdom to expand throughout India. </div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><u>Can you help make their vision a reality?</u></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">E-mail me at <span style="color: #4500ff; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="mailto:lsdroege@gmail.com">lsdroege@gmail.com</a></span> if you are willing to help out.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Thanks!</div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-47392825652898583712010-10-28T18:41:00.003-04:002010-10-28T18:45:39.982-04:00Pack Insider<i>With all the hype going on here with the NC State v. Florida State game, thought I'd throw out some love to all the folks at Summit and beyond who like NC State. enjoy. </i><br />
<br />
This one is for all of my Wolfpack friends out there. I have a couple of great friends that started a website for a couple of years ago aimed at covering Basketball and Football. It's grown tremendously since the beginning stages, and now this thing is THUMPIN! They pride themselves on being a <i>Positive Voice for the Wolfpack Nation.</i>...and they do a great job with the product they are putting out. Top notch videos on recruits, post game notes, great write ups and interviews with players and coaches...they've got it all. I'm really proud of these guys.<br />
<br />
If you get some time, go check'em out over at <a href="http://www.packinsider.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">www.packinsider.com</span></a> // You won't be disappointed.Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-16588160159847448462010-10-28T15:56:00.000-04:002010-10-28T15:56:33.063-04:00Carson Strikes Again!<div style="text-align: center;">"Christian Leadership means ENCOURAGING, and if necessary, ENFORCING the way of the cross among the people of God."</div><div style="text-align: center;">-D.A. Carson</div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-64324921014866794542010-10-26T09:48:00.000-04:002010-10-26T09:48:18.688-04:00Review: The Aftertaste of Abandonment<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3_2xvOcM90545y8RighnRjjJWRJI6X4Vyq7kxQl2imyZDP05vz90yzhM1RG7U2sHb2ygW9aEfl_pM4Q1Z2iydcsrAXgqLh69BuEIvCiLrJ0bqpsrxVTfCcQXjRG8gcIXkR-M1g/s200/Blog-Album-Cover.jpg" width="200" /></div><br />
Today I have the privilege of giving all of you the heads up about a new album that is coming out soon. My good friend and co-worker Jonathan Edwards is releasing his Debut Album <a href="http://www.wearetheaftermath.com/">The Aftermath</a> on November 9th. After listening to the album over and over again, here are a few things that I think you need to know about it:<div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
<div><ul><li><b>It's Raw:</b> Jonathan doesn't beat around the bush. We've all tasted abandonment in some form or fashion (from a parent, a spouse, a boyfriend or girlfriend, and from some of your closest friends.) This album brings to the listener nothing but unhindered human emotion, and it is able to connect with everyone.</li>
<li><b>Melodically</b>: It'll make you want to drive down the road, singing at the top of your lungs, not caring if the person next to you at the stoplight is watching your or not. There are some albums that I'd be embarrassed to let the person at the stoplight know I was singing (You know what I'm talking about, all of you closet Bieber fans, Taylor Swift fans, etc..) Not this one. It's that good. </li>
<li><b>Musically,</b> Jonathan continues to surprise you with his talent in every song. Every track brings something new to the table.</li>
</ul>So, without any hesitation, I'll tell you this: BUY IT THE DAY IT COMES OUT. Here's the skinny on the album:</div><div><ol><li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">It's releases on November 9th 2010</span></b> on iTunes and Amazon.com</li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">CD Release Show:</span></b> November 19th, 2010 at 7pm <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2335+Presidential+Dr.+Durham,+NC+27703&sll=35.927824,-78.841753&sspn=0.008862,0.019119&g=2335+presidential+dr.+durham,+nc&ie=UTF8&ll=35.930239,-78.841796&spn=0.008861,0.019119&z=16&iwloc=A">here</a> with other artists such as Jess Ray and the Rag Tag Army, Jordan Sasser, and Daniel Renstrom</li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">You can keep up with free downloads and news about the album a</span></b>t <a href="http://www.WeAreTheAftermath.com/">www.WeAreTheAftermath.com</a> </li>
</ol></div></div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-74130727413431757802010-10-25T16:45:00.000-04:002010-10-25T16:45:00.232-04:00Our Church's Dream to Plant 1,000 ChurchesWe showed part of this video at Elevate on Sunday. Here's the video in it's entirety. I am so thankful to be a part of a church that has a dream to plant so many churches.<br />
<br><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15990843" width="400"></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/15990843">Church Planting Vision</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/summitrdu">The Summit Church</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-39271001238503649932010-10-25T10:41:00.000-04:002010-10-25T10:41:36.450-04:00Celebrating the Wins!Last night was our first All-Campus Elevate since we launched a multi-site strategy in our student ministry. We took the night to celebrate what God has done and is doing in our ministry. So many times we get too bogged down with continuing to cast vision, move students from A-->B and recruiting more leadership, that we often forget to reflect and give thanks to God for what He has done. So that is exactly what we did last night; <i>we reflected, gave thanks and asked God to do more</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Here are the wins we celebrated last night:</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Students are reaching their friends for Christ. </b><br />
<br />
<ul><li>225 First Time Guests have walked through our doors in 2010. </li>
<li>Updated Statistic: 59 students have been baptized as of March 10. </li>
<li>We've seen MANY come to faith through Elevate and our Small Groups. </li>
</ul><div><b>Students are Growing in Community</b></div><div><ul><li>They are serving together in small groups</li>
<li>They are digging deep in the Scriptures, bearing each other's burdens, and running the race together in small groups.</li>
<li>We are seeing students come to faith in Small Groups, which is a great sign that many of our groups are healthy and are not navel gazing! </li>
<li>High School Students are planting new small groups all over RDU</li>
</ul><div><b>Students are Reaching The Nations</b></div></div><div><ul><li>We have had students serve every summer in S.E. Asia with our church planters</li>
<li>We have students wanting to put off their first semester of college after graduating and go live with one of our church planters overseas</li>
<li>We have had many of our students be a part of encouraging and working alongside many of our North American Church Plants </li>
<li>Our students are loving and serving in their community. </li>
<li>We are raising up and sending out those who will lead the 1,000 churches that Summit wants to plant over the next 40 years. </li>
</ul><div>Needless to say...I love these students and what God is doing in their lives. </div></div><div><br />
</div><div>When the night was over, we gave students the opportunity to respond by writing down what they want to see God do in 2011 through Elevate and Small Groups. I'll be posting a few below, and many more via twitter in the days to come. </div><div><ul><li>I want to see 50 of my friends at school come to Elevate and get saved</li>
<li>I want to see 300 people at Elevate at our Brier Creek Campus and 150 at our Cole Mill Campus</li>
<li>I want to see God baptize 150 students in 2011 (via one of our leaders)</li>
<li>I want my small group to begin reaching out to the homeless in my city.</li>
</ul><div>That's just a taste. </div></div><b></b>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-56350895432082641022010-10-04T11:12:00.002-04:002010-10-05T20:56:22.817-04:00Check It...Links Galore!Over the past several weeks, I have stumbled across some great resources and reconnected with some as well that I want to commend to you if you are in Student Ministry. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://theresurgence.com/2010/10/01/is-your-youth-group-accomplishing-anything">Interesting Thoughts on Discipleship in Student Ministry</a></span> by the guys over at the <a href="http://resurgence./">Resurgence.</a> I will say that I think that too many are overlooking the beauty of a large gathering for students. There is absolutely nothing wrong with events; as long as our goal is reaching and discipling students. I have mixed feelings about this article. Would love to hear your thoughts. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.leadershiprocks.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Leadership Rocks</span></a> is a great investment of your time for your students if you have the opportunity. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=rescuing+ambition&hl=en&prmd=ivs&resnum=3&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=7922370599322332368&ei=aeypTPmXGIOC8gaW052EDQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDwQ8wIwAA#ps-sellers"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Rescuing Ambition</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span>|| A GREAT read for everyone. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.smartevents.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Smart Events</span></a> is a great online planning center that is event driven. Our church and Student Ministry utilize <a href="http://www.planningcenteronline.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Planning Center Online</span></a> and we love them. The guys from PCO have put together Smart Events, so it is very similar in set up. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.actionmethod.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Action Method</span></a> || Anyone out there currently using this? Saw it on my buddy <a href="http://www.revolutionspeaks.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Matt's</span></a> blog the other day, and have been messing around with it a bit. Interested to hear if anyone is using it. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/txt.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Simply TXT</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span>|| Please, please please stop using email as your main communication with students. THEY DON'T CHECK IT ANYMORE!!! Use text (but use it with wisdom!) There are many programs out there right now that are similar, but I like the guys over at <a href="http://wwww.simplyyouthministry.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Simply Youth Ministry</span></a>, so I figured I'd give them a plug....as if they needed it from me. </li>
</ul><div><br />
</div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-19278858380215538422010-09-23T16:00:00.001-04:002010-09-23T16:00:59.967-04:00Mentoring NetworkThis is a call to all of our High School students here at The Summit Church. We'll be kicking off our Fall Mentoring Network here on Monday, October 11th for Student Ministry. Here's what you need to know:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>This is a 10 week, kick your tail, digging deep discipleship program. <b><u>It's not for everyone</u></b>. </li>
<li>You'll need to purchase your own copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Subversion-Allegiance-Christ-Rivals/dp/1433507021">Holy Subversion</a> by Trevin Wax. </li>
<li>You will be memorizing <i><u>chapters</u></i> of scripture during the 10 weeks.</li>
<li>You'll need to commit to all 10 meetings. </li>
<li>You will be funneled into outlets of leadership at Elevate. </li>
<li>You will have fun and leave stretched, challenged and ready to make disciples. </li>
<li>It will be some of the greatest 10 weeks of your life.</li>
</ul><div>Still interested? Contact <a href="mailto:susan@summitrdu.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Susan Michael</span></a></div><div><br />
</div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-34087176683398354852010-09-15T10:27:00.001-04:002010-09-15T10:28:43.759-04:00Elevate || Part 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>this is in no way an exhaustive post on Small Groups in our ministry. If you want more, let me know and I'll send you every document we have on training, implementing and strategy! </i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a Multi-Site Church, I get the question from Student Pastors constantly on how we structure and implement our ministry on a weekly basis. So for the next couple of posts, I will be talking about the programs we have put in place for reaching students in Raleigh-Durham. </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure this needs to be stated up front before I talk about our programming at Summit Student Ministry: </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Programs are tools to </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">reach</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> people</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every aspect of our programming is accomplishing a mission. It's strategic. Programming for the sake of programming just makes everyone busy. Programs with a goal move people into your mission! Always keep that in mind. </span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Small Groups || </span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every ministry builds itself on something. For some of you it's Sunday School, your Wednesday night program, or your corporate worship gathering for students. All of those can be great avenues for getting students plugged in. We build our ministry around small groups. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why? <i>Because we believe that discipleship happens best in community.</i> And in our structure, that happens best in Small Groups all over Raleigh-Durham.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A few thoughts: </b></span></div><div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>We make every effort to move students into small groups</u>. At every place you turn, you will hear us talking about small groups. At our weekly Worship gathering for students, we will constantly plug small groups. There will always be an outlet to get into one.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>We put a lot of time and energy into equipping our Small Group Leaders to shepherd well</u>. We realize that there are a few staff for the couple hundred students we've been given the privilege of shepherding. That means we must train our people well and set them free to do it! </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>We've actually seen many students trust and believe in Christ in our small groups.</u> It has become one of our biggest evangelistic arms of our ministry. The beautiful part? It's the students sharing the gospel with their friends, and not them completely relying on us to do it for them. (Equipping SAINTS to do the work of the ministry.) </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Students are leading...and planting</u>. At the Summit, we have a vision to plant 1,000 churches over the next 40 years. Those leaders/planters of those churches are in our student ministry right now. So, we are giving them the vision now. We want them to plant new small groups, literally take the reigns and run with it (under our leadership/direction and LOTS of training of course.) They are getting their feet wet right now in planting churches...and we love it. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Students Are Growing</u>. It's that simple. The word is being opened and God has been gracious to us in growing students into maturity in their faith...and that's the point. </span></li>
</ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever your outlet, use it well for the kingdom! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div><br />
</div>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36945180.post-73612133546892356062010-09-13T09:22:00.003-04:002010-09-13T09:26:53.866-04:00From Age to Age<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><i></i></i></span><br />
<i><i><div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;"><div style="display: inline !important;">Guest Blogger, Jonathan Welch, Multi-Site Worship Director</div></div></i></i><i></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Hey Summit!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">September 17</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">. Etch that date into your brain… or just mark your calendar. The Summit Worship team wants you to join us on September 17</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> as we host our first-ever </span><a href="http://www.summitrdu.com/cd"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">CD release concert!</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> SummitRDU Worship is releasing From Age to Age, a brand new batch of original worship tunes for us to sing in our weekly worship gatherings. That’s right… an entire album featuring 10 different songs written out of what God is doing here at the Summit Church. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">September 17</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> will be a special night of worship and celebration that you won’t want to miss! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.samsongs.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Sam Fisher</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">, one of Summit’s newest worship leaders, will showcase the songs of From Age to Age, share the stories behind the songs, and give you an opportunity to pick up your own copy before it’s released to the public on September 21st.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The Summit Worship team wants to bring you new music every year, but we need your help. The proceeds from album sales go directly towards funding future Summit Worship recording projects. We’re excited about this vision, but we need you to partner with us by inviting your friends and coming out to the CD Release Party to support this new record! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Here’s a few links to help you get excited about the CD release party…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">- a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://briercreek.summitrdu.com/briercreek/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Album_Preview__From_Age_to_Age.mp3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">sneak preview</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> of the new record</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">- the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136600473050147"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Facebook event invite</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> to share with friends</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">-<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_327966737"> </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.summitrdu.com/cd"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">RSVP for childcare</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> (two words for parents: date night!)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">For the latest updates, follow me (@welchjonathan) or Sam (@SamFisherJr) on Twitter. We look forward to seeing you on September 17</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">!</span></div></i></span></div></span>Jason Gastonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01363505847180503594noreply@blogger.com0