Our History
Out of a desire to support and to help church plants to flourish by relieving them of the administrative and operational burdens of ministry, the leaders of Summit Church in Southwest, Florida, established Equipt, Inc. in 2016. They felt that freedom from these responsibilities would allow church planters and missionaries to concentrate on their missions.
What began as a service to a single church planter at the time has now expanded to launch, equip, and support over 50 churches, mission groups, and missionaries. Through the years, the Equipt ministry has become a diverse community of like-minded partners with a vision of gospel saturation.
Our Beliefs
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There is one God who eternally exists in three equally divine persons – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the beginning and end of all things. He is the Creator of the universe and author of all life. All history moves toward Him and finds its culmination in His sovereign plan.
(Genesis 1; John 1:1; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15-23; Revelation 19:6)
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Jesus, the Son, was born of a virgin and came to earth because of God’s love for humanity. In living a fully human/fully divine life, He is both our example and victorious King. He inaugurated God’s kingdom on earth and died for the sins of His people. He conquered death and rose from the grave before ascending to the Father where He reigns with Him. He will return one day in power and glory. He is our Savior and Lord. He is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life.
(Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-18; Matthew 27:54; John 14:6-7; Colossians 1:15-23; 1 Timothy 1:15)
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The Holy Spirit is the fully active power of God at work in the world today. He was sent to comfort and to reveal Truth. He equips, enables, and empowers believers to live out the ordained purposes for their lives.
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Salvation is God’s gift of redemption for His Church. It is the free gift of grace received by faith alone in Jesus Christ to all who would repent of their sins and believe in his finished work on the cross. Salvation cannot be found outside of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
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Humanity is God’s crowning work in creation and has the primary purpose of glorifying God by representing him on earth and living in relationship with him and others. All persons are fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image and possess equal value and dignity regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender. In the beginning God made humans uniquely male and female, and continues to determine and distinguish gender at the moment of conception. God has given the covenant of marriage to humanity and has ordained it as a spiritual and physical union between one man and one woman, with sex beautifully and exclusively occurring within that union. All human beings are sinful at birth, but hope and restoration for humanity is found in the finished work of Jesus.
(Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:3)
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The gospel is the good news that God, our righteous King, because of his great love for us, sent Jesus, the Son, to live, die, and be raised in our place for the punishment of our sins, so that, through faith, we are reconciled to God in order that, by the Spirit, we might live as kingdom citizens in relationship with and in representation of Him.
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The Bible is wholly authentic, inspired, fully trustworthy, and without error in the original writings. There is nothing that can be added to it or taken from it. The Bible is the revealed word of God and is useful for teaching, encouraging, and correcting.
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The Church is God’s chosen instrument to bring His Gospel to every man, woman, and child. There is one Church of which Jesus Christ is the head. The Church is made up of every person who places their trust in the finished work of Jesus.
(Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 3; Ephesians 4:1-13)