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What We Believe

At The Summit, our beliefs are rooted in the Gospel and shape our mission to glorify God, make disciples, and live sent.

The Summit Church

We are a gospel-centered, sending church located in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. These basic beliefs represent what we hold to be essential elements of biblical teaching.

Gospel

We believe that the gospel is the central truth of the Bible, the foundation of our faith, and the fuel for the Christian life. The gospel is the good news that while we were dead in our sin, God sent his son Jesus to live a perfect life on our behalf, die a substitutionary death to pay the penalty for our sin, and rise again from the grave to offer us new life in his Spirit.

Acts 2:22–2:39; Galatians 3:13; 1 Corinthians 15:3–15: 1 Corinthians 8; 2 Corinthians 5:21

God

We believe that God is the Creator of everything and that he exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 64:8; Matthew 3:16–17, Matthew 28:19; John 16:7–15; Hebrews 1:2–3

Scripture

We believe the Bible to be God’s Word, a true and fully accurate account of God’s love for us. Its purpose is to teach us how to have a relationship with him, worship him, and bring him glory.

Psalm 19:7–10; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Peter 1:19–21

Humanity

We believe that God created us in his image to worship him and give him glory. This is true of both men and women, who are equal and complementary partners in God's mission and reflect his beauty, goodness, and creativity.

Genesis 1:26–27, Genesis 2:18; Isaiah 43:7; Psalm 96:9; Matthew 4:10; Galatians 3:28; 1 Timothy 2:11–15

One in Christ: The Role of Women in Ministry

Sin and Salvation

We believe that sin has kept us from knowing God and worshiping him but that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, was physically resurrected, and now offers a restored relationship with God as a free gift to all who believe in him.

John 3:16; Acts 2:22–39; Romans 3:21–24

Church

We believe that the church is the body of Christ on earth and a movement of disciple-making disciples. As such, every believer should be identified with a local church for the purpose of mutual encouragement, spiritual growth, and accountability.

1 Corinthians 12:12–31; Ephesians 4:11–16; Colossians 1:18–20, Colossians 3:12–25; 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 10:24–25

Discipleship

We believe that all disciples should continually grow as (1) worshipers, knowing, loving, and obeying God above all else; (2) family members, committed to our aspiring multiethnic family; (3) servants, gladly giving of themselves for the good of others; (4) stewards, managing God’s gifts for God’s purposes; and (5) witnesses, proclaiming Christ in word and deed.

Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 4:19, Matthew 12:46–48, Matthew 28:18–20; Philippians 2:5–7; 1 Peter 4:10

Baptism

We believe that baptism by immersion is a church ordinance that represents a person’s first public act of confession, repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

Matthew 3:6, Matthew 13–17; Acts 2:38-41, Acts 22:16; Romans 6:4–11; 1 Peter 3:21

Read more about Baptism

Deacons and Elders

We believe that Jesus ordained two distinct offices within the local church: (1) Deacons are a group of qualified men and women who serve the church in practical ways, often by caring for church members with physical needs; (2) Elders—also called “pastors” or “overseers”—are a group of qualified men who bear a special responsibility to preach the Word and protect the church from false teaching.

Romans 16:1; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:6–9; 1 Peter 5:1–5

Read more about Deacon and Elders

Mission

We believe that God cares about the needs of all people and that the church, as Christ’s body, is to show his love and care for others. Every member of the church is sent out by Jesus as a minister of the gospel, declaring the love of Christ with our lips and demonstrating the love of Christ with our lives—not only in our communities but also to the farthest and most unreached places of the world.

Isaiah 49:6; Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 10:13–15; 1 Timothy 2:3–4