Please find below the notes from the Elder's Prayer this past Sunday.

This morning marks a momentous Sunday this summer in the life of our Church.

God has been kind to us. Pastor Bret and family began their sabbatical the 2nd week of May. Since then, we had two guest preachers and 8 that God raised from our own Church family. Two of them preached twice. One of us who didn’t to get to share God’s word this summer will so do later in the fall.

This worship service will be the last Sunday this Summer you get to hear from us disciplee’s, although this morning you are in for some solid teaching from a man I affectionately call, “Summit Woods’ Luke Skywalker” – He is our young Capranica. Someday, may the good Lord give us first row seats to praise and thank Him for the faithful labor of Dalton Vansell.

I want to thank you, my brothers and sisters, for faithfully listening to and encouraging each of these men over the years.

As brother Mike Hoffman said when he began his sermon, if you think any of us disciplee’s are good, praise God! To God be the glory! Wait till the man who discipled us takes the pulpit next Sunday. There will be more reasons to praise and thank God for.

I want you Church to know, that God has used us to be a blessing in the Capranica family’s life. The things that we take for granted such as dining with family day-in and day-out, was a luxury for them until this Sabbatical time.

I want to praise and thank God for Pastor Bret and family.

Bret began his discipleship of the ill-equipped lay elders, and it spread to other men who wanted to serve the Lord. And now, every ministry at Summit Woods is a pure Christ-Centered Discipleship.

We just call it with different names, Children’s Ministry, Grounded Student Ministries, Music Ministry, Ironmen, Titus 2 Women, Wednesday night Bible Study, Equipping Classes and Growth Groups. All exist to make and strengthen disciples of Christ Jesus.

By the purest grace of God, it started from the faithful teaching ministry of Pastor Bret. To God alone be all glory!

In honor of Bret’s faithful shepherding at Summit Woods, I’d like to lead us in prayer for those faithful shepherds who minister all across this great country, from poor rural counties to counties even known outside America.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your faithfulness to your life-giving words. We thank you for blessing the Church with apostles, prophets, evangelists, the shepherds and teachers through various centuries since Acts 2.

We pray that these men that you have graciously raised up would have a strong sense of God’s calling in their lives and may it be affirmed continually by your body.

I pray that there will be an increasingly deeper love for the Lord Jesus Christ and a devotion to the Holy Scriptures.

May they never lose a sincere Christlike love for the people of all kinds.

Please, God, may each of these men have a great relationship with their own spouses. We know their spouses and children make enormous sacrifice along with the faithful under-shepherds.

Please encourage and strengthen their souls when they are weak and needy. Please provide for the poor shepherds who are faithfully serving you.

I specifically remember those who are not reaping the fruit of their faithful labor yet. Please show them a glimpse of hope and help them to realize that their identity is not in their fruits but in Jesus Christ.

May the unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ continue to take deep roots in our culture as a result of the hard selfless work of these faithful shepherds.

Please bless them with good health and give them wisdom in decision making.

Please graciously protect them from unrestrained ego instead bless them with a sweet servant spirit.

Please surround each of these faithful shepherds with a corps of great Biblical advisors and mentors. Please raise more God-loving, unashamed, bold, doctrinally sound, faithful shepherds and send them out all over the country and all over the world.

We give you thanks for our own faithful shepherds, Bret Capranica, Brett Harris, Rob Stouffer, Mark Krystinyak, Adam Naler, this unworthy servant of yours and many others that you will be raising up from our midst. Please help us to be slaves and servants serving the Lord and His people till the end. May our lives and service be defined and marked by Christlike love, Biblical fidelity and loyal faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please bless Summit Woods membership to be flavorful salt and a bright little light leading people unto the true big Light, our Lord Jesus Christ.

We pray this in the matchless name of our Savior, Amen.