Due to difficulties with internet access and mainly time, my effort to do a daily post on my activities with Summit Church wasn't so successful towards the end. However, the end of the second and into the third week began to form a pattern of not so much doing new things everyday, but rather continuing and following through on some of the things that I'd already become involved in. It was really good to do this as I was able to see and experience the progress made and get a clearer picture of the effect of certain ministries. For example, working on the Evangelism Survey from beginning to agree on appropriate questions, to issuing the survey, then processing some of the results and analysing them. Another situation was the two men, one of whom was new to the country, and meeting with them a few times to beging building a relationship and helping them integrate into the church, witnessing the beginnings of discipleship.
During the last week, I was able to sit down with each Pastor to discuss their individual role and hear their insights about church life and organisation. I learned so much from these conversations, but I'm glad I recorded them all so that I can go back to them when I get home because they totalled about six hours altogether.
I always find it difficult to write conclusions as I want to try and keep it concise, without missing out anything important. I experienced so much in such a short time with Summit, even as a family being part of the congregation for a short time we learned about a different church experience than we're used to. The most important aspect to remember for me is how welcome we were made to feel in the church family, whether that was for me amongst the staff or when we were part of church activities as a family. I was particularly impressed by the committment and unity of the staff team. In a church of now more than 400 people, the team know every family individually between them. So when it comes to staff meetings on a Tuesday, most needs of the congregation are represented, acknowledge, and if necessary, acted on and prayed for. Prayer was also a significant and impressive part of the entire work of the staff. It's very common that after a phone call or a visit, some of the team are called together to pray about a situation, or even if there's something that comes up in someone's work we would gather to pray about it. You really got a sense that God was an integral part and member of the whole team. There was also a sense of love and respect for each member of staff and congregation where there is a strong emphasis on and effort put into caring for eachother, but also the same is true in terms of correcting and accountability as well. I couldn't end this conclusion without saying something about my supervisor, Outreach & Integration Pastor Matt Campbell. We shared so much in conversation together, lots of hilarity and some great times. It was a pleasure to work with him and also spend time with his wife Rose and young children Ethan and Anna. I'm so grateful to him for taking me under his wing and opening his work life to me for a short time. I really hope we will keep in touch stay friends, and maybe one day he will step onto his ancestor's soil. Though before he does, I'll need to educate him a bit, especially linguistically and get his Pakistan sounding Scottish accent sorted out. He can't arrive in glasgow and say Heelo, My name is Meeester Cambool from Scootland!!! I have much work to do.
I've never been one for goodbyes and always get a bit sad when I have to leave somewhere, but the love and care I and we felt at Summit, the way the work, together with the wonderful people we spent time with over the month, all made it extrememly difficult to leave. I was so touched by the experience we shared in there, that I couldn't prevent a few tears rolling down as we took off, almost as if I've absorbed a bit of Canada or the Canadian into me. I would say it almost felt like I was leaving home, not a foreign land.
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