FAQ

frequently asked questions

Who or What is Summit Manor? Summit Manor  was founded to allow me to develop projects centered around Creativity and Spiritual Gifts.

What do you do exactly? Much of my work is based around teaching. But this teaching can take many forms. Interactive Seminars. Speeches and Sermons. Retreats. Workshops. Professional or private mentoring and coaching. In addition, we offer consultancies. We believe that creativity and spiritual gifts are powerful tools for practical use. Our teaching helps people discover and activate those gifts. If you want more details, check out our "What we do." section. 

How can individuals benefit from a study of Spiritual Gifts? Most Christians want to find and do God's will. But how to find God's will for our lives? One powerful way is know what spiritual gifts he has given you. The bible teaches that God has given each of us spiritual gifts - powerful, enabling gifts that are designed for use. If we know what gifts he has given us, it is a powerful indicator of what he expects of us. I believe that discovering what our gifts are can be a life-changing event, energizing our personal ministries and lives.

How can ministries benefit from focusing more on Spiritual Gifts? Two ways. First, a church or other ministry whose membership understands it's own particular mix of gifts is a membership with direction, purpose and excitement. Secondly, a church who is examining it's own purpose would do well to look at the mix of people and their gifts that God has graced that church with. It may just be that God has given you this particular mix of people for a reason.

How long are your seminars? That depends. We have done anything from half day overview studies, to full-day workshops, to multi-day in-depth seminars and retreats.

Sounds like work. It is. But we also have a lot of fun. We play games. Try new things. Get to know people. Get silly. Get serious. Get honest. People in churches and businesses find themselves leaving these studies
energized and feeling closer to each other. More importantly, they are equipped to do their, and God's work more effectively, with a greater sense of mission.

What's this Video Engineering stuff about? For nearly 20 years I have designed some of the most sophisticated broadcast and video production facilities anywhere. It is exciting, cutting-edge, creative work, and I am fortunate enough to be work with in one of the finest systems integrators in the country - Diversified Systems.  Variety of experiences is a key to creativity, and both sides of my work feed and help each other.

Tell me how business benefits from Creativity.  That's easy. Today's business is driven by new ideas. New ideas develop new products and
services, change the way we do customer service, help us overcome problems, help us get and hang on to superior personnel, A business that can develop and harness creativity thrives. One that cannot, languishes. If you have any doubts, consider this - the fastest growing segment of in-house training for business and industry over the past 10 years has been... Creativity.

And Ministries? The church that does church the same way we always did it will find itself stalled and stale. Making the eternal message new and exciting is the key to dealing with the "competition" in the world. They church used to be the center of creativity in the world. If we are to be effective in the 21st century, we will have to regain that spirit of creativity.

And individuals? Each of us was meant to be creative. When we realize that, and build a life that recognizes and applies our in-born creativity, we are happier, have more fun, and are much, much more effective.

But can you really teach creativity? I believe creativity is a skill each of us can learn, not some mysterious talent that only a few have. We can help teach people and organizations how to develop those skills and put them to work. It's not rocket science. But it does have to be taught.

Do you answer e-mails? Yes, I work hard to answer every e-mail personally and fairly quickly. So if I can be of service, e-mail me.

- Tom Atkins