OUR STORY
In the spring of 2024, Ashlee Burrell and Jen Jefferson approached Summit Cherrydale’s pastoral staff with a question: Can we start a group for young adults who are out of college and in the work force, seeking to build community with likeminded believers in similar stages of life?
Our staff’s response: Absolutely. We’re behind you.
They recruited our worship leader, Carissa Bowser, to lead worship, and then about fifteen to twenty young adults showed up, eager to see what this group had to offer. Blown away by the amount of people gathered at the first meeting, it was clear that there was a need for community to be met.
Since then, The Meeting Place has continued to grow as a space where people can meet with God and enjoy Him in community.
Who we are:
We seek to provide a place for young adults post-grad to mid thirties to meet, gather, be encouraged, refreshed, and challenged in their faith through the local church and like-minded community.
Disclaimer: we are open to singles, young married couples, and young married couples with kids! We are not a singles group. Community is crucial to the Christian walk of faith for everyone.
What to expect:
Expect to meet great people, enjoy wonderful company, and spend time together growing in our knowledge of God, leading to a deeper desire for God and a greater capacity to love others.
We meet every 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 6:30 p.m. at various locations, with a very informal hangout on the 4th Friday.
Every 1st Friday involves teaching (based in The Sermon on the Mount through all of 2026), discussion groups, and intentional fellowship.
Every 3rd Friday involves food, some sort of group event (i.e.: trivia, group games, etc.), and simply enjoying each other’s company.
Contact: Will | willeaker@summitupstate.org
LEAD TEAM
Will Eaker
Will is a resident at Summit Cherrydale through the Upstate Church Collective and is the Director/Teaching Lead for The Meeting Place. He is passionate about serving and discipling college students and young adults and has a background in student ministry through OneLife Institute. He cares deeply about people, loves being active and playing sports, and is an avid coffee lover. He has a deep sense of adventure and loves helping people build community and find belonging.
Allie Travis
Allie volunteers as our Media Coordinator. She loves so many things about life in Greenville, especially her community, having family close, the Swamp Rabbit Trail, lots of coffee, and the way it always feels like home. She’s passionate about international missions and the vulnerable child, specifically in East Africa after living in Kenya with Naomi’s Village and being involved in foster care in the U.S. As a marketing professional, it’s a gift to use her skills to serve the church and The Meeting Place in this capacity of social media!
Caleb & Dale Johson
Caleb and Dale volunteer as our Event/Fellowship Night Coordinators for The Meeting Place. They both come from up north; Caleb is from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and Dale is from Pennsylvania. While they miss the snow, they are incredibly thankful for the community at Summit and in the Upstate. They are passionate about hosting and creating spaces where people can find rest, connection, and can feel genuinely loved. You can usually find them around good food or board games with friends!