About Spence

Spence is the Small Groups Pastor at the Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC. Wonder what that involves? Too much to put here, but he loves it! God continues to burden Spence with the desire to see the people of the Summit, and of RDU, truly and lastingly transformed by the power of the gospel in its application to their lives.

He has published articles and small group studies for multiple organizations (LifeWay, Outreach Magazine, Right Now.org, Christianity Today, and more) and regularly trains and consults for churches in discipleship methods and models. If you are interested in learning more about that, you can contact him at sshelton@summitrdu.com.

Spence received a B.S. in business administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MDiv in Christian Ethics from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. After UNC, Spence worked in sales management before heading into the world of theological study. His cubicle years will always be fondly remembered and drawn upon countless times for teaching illustrations.

Spence is married to one of the top ten women in human history, his wife Courtney. They have two sons: Ezekiel and Benjamin, known around the house as Zeke and Ben. They are awesome.

Influences on Spence & the Summit’s small group ministry (no order):

• Creating Community by Andy Stanley
• Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• The Mark of a Christian by Francis Schaeffer
  
• Why Small Groups by C.J. Mahaney
• Leading Life-Changing small groups by Bill Donahue
• Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life by Donald Whitney
• Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever