Summit Ministries

I sit here in the lobby of the beloved Summit hotel and initially, given that this is only the second night, I feared that I would not have much to blog about. However, having anticipated this moment all evening I have realized that after a mere 48 hours, lives have been changed.

I have been asked to do the impossible... share about my experience here at Summit in a few paragraphs. That's like asking the sun to rise in the west, or expecting Wile E. Coyote to actually catch Road Runner. However, I will give it a valiant effort and hope for the best!

How can I thank the Lord for all He has done for me? There are no words, He is so good! I believe that He has worked these past two weeks for His glory, honor, and praise.

To all the parents out there, I would like to encourage you by saying that you will be very glad that you sent your children here to Summit. As I watch my fellow students grow, I cannot wait to hear about the great things they do in their futures.

My experience with Summit Ministries thus far has surpassed any expectations I could have previously had. The Summit is one of those places where you can be honest about who you are and where you are in your spiritual development. For example, one of the first things we were told when we got here was that no question is out of the question, everything is free game.

Hi Friends, Another beautiful day at Summit is winding down, and the students are hopefully falling deep into a restful sleep. Today started out similar to most days here--the students went to some awesome sessions. Dr. Noebel kicked off the morning talking about the Bible (always a good thing to talk about).

This morning at Summit started a little differently than the previous mornings. Something along the lines of: "Good Morning, it is 5:15 a.m. if you are planning on climbing Pikes Peak meet in the lobby at 5:40, if you are going White-water rafting meet at the picnic tables at 5:45. If you are not planning on doing either you can disregard this message and go back to bed." Most of the students, including myself, pulled ourselves out of bed so we could start our day of adventure activities. . .

As an upcoming college freshman with 12 years of Christian education under my belt, I figured I needed some help in the area of defending my faith at a public college that will present issues I've never dealt with before. That, combined with a family tradition of attending Summit the summer before freshman year got me here right now.

Life at the Summit today began with fellowship in the dining hall over a delicious meal of biscuits and gravy. Doc began the morning of learning with Bible hour where we discussed important reasons to study the Bible. After a short break, Eric Smith lectured about on the moral compass and how it impacts our lives.

Today radio show host Hugh Hewitt gave us enough reading material to keep us busy for the next sixteen weeks, according to Dr. Noeble's book-a-week policy. The authors ranged from scientists to philosophers to Winston Churchill. He also gave us a number of tips in the vein of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

I have no alarm. None. My cell phone now lives in the upper left desk drawer in my room. Thus my 6:30 rise and shine time is entirely dependent on the good will, and good memory of my roomie: Hannah. Thank goodness for her this morning! I swear, 6:30 comes earlier every morning!

Summit is one of the greatest place on earth! Why, you might ask. Well, as a second time student, I'd like to answer that question or at least why I personally believe that statement.

My day at the Summit has been amazing, and truly a wonderful experience, one that I will never forget. The speakers here are so wise and I have really been blessed by their words and encouragements toward the students. I have been sooooooo overwhelmed, I can't even believe it is just the first day.

Here we are, once again at the start of a new session. This will be our first full session of 2008, with 180 students arriving from all over the world. One of the guys in my small group is from Indonesia! I'm looking forward to hearing more about his country and the stories of how God has been at work in the lives of my 180 new friends.

I am 19 years old and I'll be a sophomore in college this fall. I'm writing this blog to tell you a little bit about how God has been working through my life during my time at Summit Ministries. Before I do that, I'm going to give you a little background information about myself. I grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ when I was seven. I have always seen Christ's love in and around my life. I have always strived to grow in Him and to become the person He wants me to be. I have also strived to be an example of Christ's love and compassion, not only for my sisters but also for others around me. I have traveled extensively for a person my age; it is one of my passions.

Well, it is Wednesday night. Normally the majority of us would have been attending our youth activities tonight. But for the 100 or so of us who have had the privilege of attending Summit, these past few weeks have been anything but "normal." Right now as I sit here, students are gathered in the classroom for an auction (the students buying certain things the staff has to offer) with the proceeds going toward Bibles for Sudan.

It is late Tuesday night, at 10:35 pm, and everyone is just hanging out before they all have to go to bed. Today was a great day, and in fact, two of my favorite speakers (Mr. Kevin Bywater, and Dr. Frank Beckwith) lectured today on a variety of interesting topics. However, tonight I will not be writing about the day's activities. Instead, I will explain why I came back to the Summit for a second time.

t is late Monday night (or early Tuesday morning) and it is hard to believe that we are already this far into week two. The time has flown by with this amazing group of students. Being on Night Watch, I have a lot of time to reflect on the happenings of the day.

Leaving for white water rafting at 5:45 a.m. was extremely early, but worth it. We went for a two hour bus ride and watched the staff sleep on the bus after they stayed up all night for night watch duty. When we arrived it was really cold and I couldn't believe that we were going to white water raft in 46 degree water.

It is 10:26 PM and everyone is heading for bed. We are all very tired, but looking back, I am sure that everyone would agree that today was a day of relaxation, fellowship, and of course, learning.

It was hard to believe waking up this morning, it was already Friday! Five incredible days have flown by and today was no exception. Breakfast was scrumptious, as usual, followed by a trip to the local coffee shop. Dr. Noebel began the day's lectures with his entertaining and informative wisdom as we further delved into why we as Christians should study the Bible. Following, we had the amazing opportunity to hear from Hugh Hewitt, talk-radio host, as he equipped us to be influential leaders in our generation.

When waking up among the Colorado Rockies it is easy to become inspired and to realize the Lord's creative power. This would be the theme of the day. Another great lecture by Dr. Noebel on scripture and Christian Leadership preceded a class by Todd Cothran on the archeological evidence that supports the bible. This was an insightful class concerning the developing field of archeology which serves primarily to bolster the Christian faith rather than to destroy it as many believe. This overview of scriptural reliability is certainly useful to any young Christian preparing to enter college.

I am currently sitting cross-legged on the floor in the classroom of Summit ministries. It's an hour before bedtime. Even at this hour what I observe and hear feeds my soul! Piano accompanied by soft guitar is joined by the hum of deep conversations. I see small groups still discussing life's greatest questions and our glorious God who answers those questions. Hope rises strongly within me because of the young people that I am around at the Summit. After years of losing my hope for the future of America and thus our world, my experience at the Summit is causing hope to rise strongly within me. These young people will affect our country; they will affect our world.

Blissful sleep is once again disturbed by a crashing banging on my door, but I am not sad because so begins the second day of classes here at Summit. My day starts with a trek to the showers, for they have dispersed the stinkier gender throughout the classroom. Making the beds and hiding the dirty laundry can be something of a trick, and we have not yet had to do a redo on room cleaning!

As Summer Staff, I find myself in a position much envied by the students from Session 1--I am still at Summit, while they are now at home. The beginning of a new session brings with it an excitement and enthusiasm as I look forward to meeting new people and making new friends. It also begets feelings of sadness and weariness as my newest friends have all just left, and the students into whose lives I have poured myself and my energy are gone. I guess this is the story of life--memories of the past and hopes for the future.

Waking up to the smell of the rocky mountain breeze, and the sound of birds chirping was the start to a wonderful God given day. So, as I began my morning, it was off to a head start with the wonderful morning meal of pancakes and fresh maple syrup. I felt ready to go and energized for the interesting day of learning ahead of me.