Summerfield Church - Fishtown

A few words from Pastor Dan...

Hi!

I'm glad you've found our website. And if you haven't already, I hope you'll find your way to one of the many awesome things God is doing here at Summerfield.

As you can see from the photo above, I don't look like most people's traditional thoughts of a pastor's appearance. I once described myself as more Jerry Garcia than Jerry Falwell. Sometimes folks think I take Jesus's words, "take no thought for what you will wear" a little too literally!

However, I love this photo because it says a lot about how I view our church. We're not meant to be people who are holed up inside a building, but rather people who are out in the world living for our God.

What you can't see from the picture, but which happened right before it was taken, is that someone helped me pull the line and hoist the sail up. It reminds me that my job is to help people do what God has called them to do, just as here I was helped to do what the captain called me to do.

At the same time I was hoisting this sail, other people were doing other jobs, and some were simply sitting back and enjoying the whole experience. This reminds me that we are all different, that we all have ministries we are called to do, and that we don't all need to do the same thing the same way. It also reminds me that sometimes we can get too caught up in the busyness of life, and we need to know when it's time to simply enjoy worshiping God and being in God's presence.

As that grand old historical document The Westminster Catechism says, humanity's true purpose is to glorify God, and enjoy God forever.

I hope you'll join us at Summerfield, where we believe in serving God, serving others, and growing together.

In the ministry of Jesus,
Pastor Dan

p.s. Here's one of my favorite quotes:
"I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist...But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out." - John Wesley in "Thoughts about Methodism"