During the past decade, Summit of Peace has experienced a 45 percent increase in membership and now has 643 baptized members. The church offers two Sunday services, Sunday School, five weekly Bible studies, and a variety of programs including choirs, hand bell choir, junior and senior youth activities, Vacation Bible School (VBS), Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), Lutheran Women's Mission League (LWML), senior adult activities, Stephen Ministry outreach, church campouts and more.

In addition to Senior Pastor William N. Allshouse, the congregation enjoys the leadership and support of recent seminary graduate Pastor Brad Hopfensperger who was installed as Associate Pastor in July 2006.

"Our growth and impact on the community is proof of the power of the Spirit working through the laity," says Pastor Allshouse, who has led Summit of Peace for 16 years. "We've been blessed with a wonderful building and a great location, but the true testament of the Lord's work is evidenced in the lives of our people - people who live in the Word. When you walk in the doors of Summit of Peace, you can't help but feel the welcoming, dynamic power of faith in action."

"This all began with a leap of faith back in the fall of 1984," said Roland Pretzer, one of the church's founding members. "Leaders of the LCMS Rocky Mountain District Office held a task force meeting with the pastor and members of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Northglenn to determine our interest in establishing a mission church in the Summit Grove neighborhood of Thornton. The area was growing fast and about 15 families from Gethsemane lived north of 120th Avenue at the time." After surveys and data collection indicated that the area would support a new Lutheran congregation, Gethsemane agreed to shepherd the new mission church, and the fifteen members became the nucleus of the new congregation.

Space at Tarver Elementary School was leased for the new Summit Grove Lutheran Church, and Pastor Edwin Keiper was called out of retirement and hired as the first pastor. The first service was held on October 6, 1985, with 68 in attendance.

The following year, the LCMS District Office approved the congregation's proposed constitution which included the new name of Summit of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church. The church became an official LCMS congregation and planned its charter Sunday for April 27, 1986. The charter was signed by 57 confirmed members and 46 baptized children were present for the signing.

Three acres of land were purchased on 136th Avenue next to Horizon High School in 1987. That same year, Pastor Keiper moved to Wisconsin and Pastor Kenneth Aschenbrenner was installed as the new pastor on August 30th. Aschenbrenner served as pastor for two years until he joined the Air Force as a chaplain. Summit of Peace was without a permanent pastor until the installation of Pastor Allshouse on May 20, 1990.

Shortly after Pastor Allshouse's arrival, the church broke ground on a new church building on 136th Avenue on July 20, 1990. Construction actually began the following April and the new building was dedicated on October 27, 1991.

True to its mission heritage, the congregation then spent several years evaluating the rapid residential growth planned in the area and its future needs. Beginning in 1995, it was obvious that the church needed to expand its facilities to accommodate a growing congregation and community. Although it had a substantial mortgage on its building and had been advised against acquiring new debt, the congregation unanimously voted to begin another building campaign.

At a campaign pledge dinner attended by 113 of the church's 117 families, every family present pledged to support the building campaign. The congregation committed more than $500,000 above and beyond their normal offerings. The $1.5 million project soon was underway. "This church is evidence of the Lord's hand at work in the lives of our members," says Senior Pastor Allshouse. "We simply needed to step forward in faith and God, as always, provided beyond measure."

Two additional acres were purchased behind the church for future expansion. Later this land was swapped with a local builder for street front acreage next door to the church. An education wing that included a large Fellowship Hall and multiple classrooms, storage rooms, and restrooms was added to the rear of the original church building. The congregation then moved its services into the new Fellowship Hall to accommodate an extensive remodeling of the original church. Almost everything was made larger. New side extensions nearly doubled the size of the sanctuary. The altar area was enlarged and redesigned for more flexible use. An entry foyer, new church offices and an enlarged narthex provided space for a growing congregation.
This year, the members of Summit of Peace completed the purchase and installation of 12 new stained glass windows for the sanctuary. Half of the windows depict the six days of creation and the other half depict parables told by Jesus. These new windows will be dedicated as part of the church's 20th anniversary celebration.

When asked about the next 20 years, Pastor Allshouse says that Summit of Peace is committed to "the continued celebration of God's love and mercy for everyone He brings into our midst. The Lord gets the credit for our prosperity and as long as we continue to seek the will of God, Summit of Peace will be here to serve the community for years to come."