Written by John Choquette, Volunteer Writer

One of the many things that separates Christianity from other world religions is the idea of a
relational god. As the son of a Catholic father and Jewish mother, Jim was never taught to see
God this way. It wasn’t until he met Sharon that things begin to change.

As a child, Sharon often saw her mother pray. She understood who God was but didn’t recognize
that the type of Christianity we’re called to is about more than trying to do the right thing. It’s
about wanting to know God and submit to his will — desiring to live for him in every part of our
lives.

When they had children, Jim and Sharon realized what a responsibility this knowledge was. They
began looking for a church with a more fully developed children’s ministry, one that would
better meet their family’s spiritual needs. They came to the Summit Church.

“The first thing we noticed at Summit was the passion for the gospel,” Sharon said. “The
volunteers truly loved our children and wanted to see them grow in Christ.”

This led Jim and Sharon to take a more active role in children’s and youth ministry. They were
grateful to be in a church where children served alongside their parents at a young age — a
practice their children continued on their own. It was a turning point in Jim and Sharon’s faith
and an opportunity to apply what they believed to other areas of their lives.

Over time, Jim and Sharon’s understanding of generosity began to transform as well. At Summit,
they were blessed by stories of radical giving, such as the member who wanted to live off of 10
percent of her income and give 90 percent or the musician who sold his piano in order to increase
his giving, Jim and Sharon saw that generosity wasn’t a one-time decision but something to
practice every day.

“We realized we hadn’t been stretching in our giving,” Jim said. “Since we did that we’ve had
everything we’ve ever needed and then some.”

They committed to not just to grow in their desire to give but in the proportion of their
generosity.

“Everything we have belongs to God,” Jim said. “We can trust him to continue to be faithful as
we are faithful in giving back to him, both with our financial resources and time.”

Jim and Sharon have continued to be active in a number of Summit ministries over the years.
They freely give, desiring to live by Christ’s example and striving to know him more each day.

“The reward that comes from trusting God with all that he’s given us,” Sharon said. “It’s worth
the risk.”