Summit Point Church,
a Church in Independence, MO.
About
Our steadfast goal (at Summit Point) is to equip journeyers to wholeheartedly follow Jesus Christ by being his devoted disciples and sharing the expedition with others.
Our Goals
Goal
01
The Primary Goal of Summit Point Church is to obey the Lord Jesus’ final instructions before leaving His disciples encompassed in the Great Commission. Everything we do as His church flows from this Prime Objective.
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ESV
Goal
02
Jesus instructed His followers to “Make Disciples,” which is through the teaching of God’s word as He instructed, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This journey takes many forms; for the seeker, it might be exploring who Jesus said He is. But. for the new believer this might be growing in Bible knowledge. And, for the long-time Christians, it means growing in their daily walk and faith as they grow spiritually mature.
Colossians 3:15-17 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ESV
Goal
03
Our third goal is to develop the community of faith in a context of accountability and encouragement grounded in the Bible. Each person travels at different rates, yet our goal is to challenge and teach His people to grow in their faith. We accomplish this by doing life together in the community or, better understood, as a family.
1 Thessalonians 2:8, 11-12, So we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. NIV
Goal
04
Our Fourth goal is equally important and rooted again in the Great Commission, found in the single word “Go.” We see this directive as a duty to go across the street, into our community, and around the world, bringing Christ’s love into those darkened places, through ministry to the hurting and broken. This is embodied in the service we are called to do, growing followers of Jesus.
1 Peter 2:1-5 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. NASB
Pastor Charles and Tammy Beeghley came to Summit Point (Blue Summit Baptist Church) in 2014 to revitalize the church of 25 people. While Charles grew up in Sacramento, CA. Tammy is a native of the Kanas City area. The couple met when Charles was an EMT for MAST ambulance, and Tammy worked in the ER at St. Luke's Hospital. They were married three months after the first date in December of 1988.
Together, they have three grown children. Sarah (Brad Davis) is a Social Worker at KUMC. Brad (Haley Beeghley) is a Police Officer in the KC Metro, and their youngest son, Ryan, helps with the church's video productions. Sarah and Brad recently added to the pastor's family their first grand-daughter.
Charles has a BA in Christian Education and in Biblical Studies from Midwestern Baptist College. A Master of Theological Studies with an emphasis in Church Revitalization, and an M.Div with an emphasis in Urban Ministry from MBTS. He is currently a Doctoral student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a focus on the integration of Justice-Involved individuals in the church body.
Charles and Tammy have served in Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Kansas, as well as in Missouri. Tammy has been in health care, working as a Community Health Worker for a number of years. Pastor Charles has worked in various hospitals over the years, and, most recently, was the Prison Release Specialist at City Union Mission, where he was also the Assistant Administrator.
Tammy serves the Summit Point family as the Executive Director and Women's Ministry Director. She oversees the housing ministry. Many of the church members call Cahrles and Tammy "Mom and Dad" because of their loving care for the flock.
Lead Pastor
The Summit Point Story
In the urban core of Jackson County lies a section of the city that is sandwiched between Kansas City on the West and Independence on the East. This area is known as the inner-city, and the home of Blue Summit, an unincorporated community, known by many as “Dogpatch.”
In 1925 residents of Blue Summit formed a church, across from the Start School. This growing church, named Blue Summit Baptist Church continued to grow for a number of decades, meeting the needs of the community. The church facility underwent several additions as the congregation grew.
Everything changed in the 1980s when the Kansas City school district rezoned and implemented the new Magnet School plan. When Blue Summit residents learned that their children would be bused into the city, many sold their property and moved to eastern Jackson County. This had a devastating effect on the community and the church.
Within a couple of years, the church size shrank significantly, and the neighborhood became rougher, as the “Dogpatch” nickname became a reality of increased crime and violence. But the church held on as a beacon of light in the darkness. Their food pantry helped many people for more than a decade.
In 2017 the church was nearly dead, and under the leadership of Pastor Charles Beeghley, they made a couple of strategic changes. The first was a slight change in the name to Summit Point Church as a DBA. Blue Summit still exists, and we look forward to celebrating our 100th birthday in 2025.
The church sought the heart of God and as they prayed, God began to reshape the church’s body into what it is today. Today we are made up of people who are justice-involved (prison release), former homeless, addicts, and people who struggle with the hard life. We still seek to be a beacon of hope and light in the darkness.
During COVID, the church continued to meet every week. In 2021, when many churches were closing, we merged with Carlisle Baptist Church in Independence. On Easter Sunday of that year, we launched our Sterling Campus as the primary location for church activities.
However, SPC provides housing in four facilities including two houses as well as the church buildings for church members. We are working to make the old Blue Summit Baptist building into a prison release program where we hope to bring individuals from prison back into the community. We truly live out the Great Commission alongside Jesus' words in Matthew 25:34-40.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ ESV