Covered in the Dust of Jesus: How Following Him Transforms Everything
Have you ever joined a community—maybe a gym, book club, or nonprofit—only to find yourself wondering what makes it truly meaningful? What separates a gathering of like-minded people from a movement that changes lives? As I reflect on our church community, the answer becomes crystal clear: Jesus is what makes us different.
More Than Just Another Community
You can find all kinds of communities today—gyms, clubs, nonprofits, book groups. Each offers something valuable: health, connection, purpose, growth. But here's the difference in the church community: the church is built around a Person, not a program.
Jesus doesn't just make you stronger, He makes you new. He doesn't just connect people around hobbies, He unites hearts around hope. He doesn't just inform the mind, He transforms the soul.
This transformation is at the heart of our mission at The Summit Church: helping people Follow Jesus. Find Life. It's not just a catchy phrase—it's the foundation of everything we do.
What Does It Mean to "Follow Jesus"?
Following Jesus means more than just believing what He said—it means living how He lived. As 1 John 2:6 reminds us, "Those who claim to belong to him must live just as Jesus did."
I first grasped this truth in the fall of 2002 during a rain-soaked retreat. Sitting in a muddy field, I heard something that changed my understanding forever: Jesus was a first-century rabbi, and in that culture, following a teacher meant something profound.
Students didn't simply attend lectures; they followed their teachers everywhere. They watched how their masters interacted with people, asked questions over meals, and learned not just what their rabbi taught, but how he lived.
The roads were dusty, and those following a rabbi would often be covered in that dust. A blessing emerged: "May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi." Not because they wanted the person to be dirty, but because they knew that you got dusty from proximity. Someone close enough to be covered in dust is beginning to see what it means to live as Jesus lived.
How We're Following Jesus Together
At The Summit, we express this following through what we call The 5 Practices:
Praying
Prayer remains central to everything we do—497 prayers offered, 285 visits to hospitals, care homes, and rehabs. We're launching Abide Worship and Prayer nights because we believe in the power of praying together.
Growing
Our church attendance is up 10%, with 45% more adults in groups and 30 baptisms this year. We're investing in the next generation because we know that teens who attend church regularly show significantly lower rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
Giving
Your generosity continues to fuel our mission. When you give to The Summit, your gifts are treated with the utmost care by trusted individuals following strict procedures. Every dollar matters in our work to help people follow Jesus.
Serving
36% of our church family serves regularly, with many more joining one-off opportunities like our Summit Lunch, Thanksgiving outreach, and Mobile Food Pantry. Service isn't just what we do—it's who we are.
Inviting
Nearly 700 new people have visited The Summit this year. This matters because according to LifeWay Research, 80% of non-churchgoers say they would attend if someone invited them. Who have you invited lately?
Finding Life by Loving Like Jesus
When we truly follow Jesus, we find life—and that life overflows in love for others. As Jeremiah 29:7 instructs us: "Work for the well-being of the city where I have sent you to and pray to the Lord for this. For if it is well with the city you live in, it will be well with you."
People sometimes tell me, "You guys sure do think a lot about people who aren't at your church." YES! That's the whole point! Christians have always been known for caring for those around them.
During the plagues of the first and second centuries, entire cities were devastated. People fled their homes, abandoning the sick and even family members. But Christians responded differently—they stayed and cared for the sick and dying.
Have you ever wondered why so many hospitals were started by Christians? Why so many colleges have deep Christian roots? It's because Christians have always prioritized the betterment of people and society.
That's why we say as often as possible: "We are a church FOR our community."
Just this past Thursday, our church became a "pay nothing" grocery store for those in need. Our staff and volunteers didn't do this because they were bored—they did it because this is what it means to be people who find life, to be part of a church who loves like Jesus.
Putting It Into Practice
As we move forward together, I invite you to consider how you can more fully follow Jesus and find life:
Get dusty – Position yourself close enough to Jesus through prayer, Scripture, and community that His way of living rubs off on you.
Live out the 5 Practices – Find ways to pray, grow, give, serve, and invite as expressions of your faith journey.
Love your community – Remember that "people aren't a project; people are our passion." Look for practical ways to show Christ's love to those around you.
Extend invitations – Since 80% of non-churchgoers would attend if invited, who might God be prompting you to invite?
At the end of the day, it all comes back to this: People matter to God, so they matter to us. Every person is made in the image of God. Every person is worthy of our time, our prayers, our love.
We want to be the kind of church where people who were nothing like Jesus liked Jesus—and He liked them back. It's a privilege to worship alongside you, to serve alongside you as we do everything in our power to ensure that every person in our community has an opportunity to Follow Jesus and find life.
