Summit Ministries

"Summit opened my eyes to so many things. I am passionate about changing the world and can't wait to see how God will work!" - Elya
"Summit gave me the information to back up my faith, and my convictions, now I can stand up for Christ and never back down." -Amy
"Summit not only gave me a better understanding of my faith, but practical ways to stand up and talk about it. Definitely a life-changing time!" -Rachel
"Summit has significantly changed how I view the world and has taught me so much about who God is and how I can better serve Him" -Olivia
"Summit has helped me better understand the world and appreciate worldviews. I look forward to future years." -Kameko
"Metanarrative: Small idea, big implications." -Jonathan
"I feel like more of a man..."
"Everything that I've read in the application is exactly what I've experienced, and more. Even the friend part, in just two weeks, I've gained friends for a lifetime." -Labonne

Leadership=influence+change. This was Dr. Jeff Myers seemingly simple equation for leadership which he brought up in his first session titled Breakthrough Leadership. The first point that hit me was the idea that leadership isn't about whether you can speak well or coerce people to follow you, but whether you have something worth following or not. Dr. Myers then outlined four areas of life which we must 'breakthrough' in to be an influential leader. The first area was strategic vision. That is, we need to see the world as God sees it and see His vision for a certain area of life. The first step in this is to notice the problem, whether it be in our own street, in our city, or across the globe. We need to sense the urgency of the problem, anticipate involvement to solve the problem, and finally (and most importantly) we need to commit to action. Just knowing about a problem is never enough to solve it. This strategic vision leads us to strategic mission, which is knowing where we fit in God's plan to fulfill that plan. This is about taking the risk of going into the field that God has called us into to, where we will most be able to carry out the mission. Closely tied to strategic mission, and something that stems from it, is strategic motivation which is something that comes from doing the very thing that God has created us to do. Dr. Myers summed strategic mission and motivation with this question, "What can you not not do?" The final point in this outline of breakthrough leadership is strategic plan which is organizing our life around God's plan. The thing I found unique about these four breakthroughs is the idea that they feed off each other, that if you excel at one of these areas the others can build off of it.
The other two topics that Dr. Myers addressed were the current state of marriage, family, and society and then the Biblical view of those topics, and the topic of masculinity (the ladies had a separate lecture on femininity at the same time). The biggest idea that stood out to me through both of these talks was the sad state of masculinity in the world and especially America today. Dr. Myers definitely challenged me as to the real standard of masculinity and how I should be living and thinking as a young man in today's culture.
Other helpful quotes Dr. Myers used in his sessions:
"Leadership: a willingness to rise to the bottom" (Dr. Glen Schultz)
"You can't have a new beginning [to a situation], but you can start today to have a new ending" (Dr. Jeff Myers) -Gerrit

Today in Summit, we heard from one of the foremost leaders in the reliability of Scripture, Dr. Gary Habermas. He taught us ways that we can engage culture by showing people in it that the Bible is true. We do so with five main ways to prove ancient works in general: eyewitness, early, embarrassment theory, enemy attestation, and number of supporting texts. We also heard from a very inspiring speaker named J.R. Kerr. He helped to show us how we can bridge the gap between our secular and sacred worlds. One can glorify God in almost anything he or she does. Someone can sell chocolate and glorify God. It's great to realize that we can make a difference not only just in the big things we do, but specifically in the little things that we do. I would also like to acknowledge Jeremy Williams, AKA "Tiger" for his awesomeness at being my suitemate. -Alex

What defines a culture? What does a society's culture say about their worldview? These are a couple of the questions we wrestled with this evening at Summit. Tonight we had the opportunity to apply some of the ideas we've been discussing this past week. We took a look at a few common objects we find in our society - a cell phone, a piece of gum, a computer, Styrofoam plates etc - to see what they say about America's culture. What we discovered, for better or for worse, is that America's culture provides a self-centered, individualistic view of the world. As Christians, if we are going to be able to make an impact on our culture, we can't afford to ignore our society's outlook on life. As Ben Williams, our Summit East Director emphasized - we must be willing to understand our culture, critique its negative aspects and create a better culture.
Though our society isn't the best it's ever been, it does allow for a variety of opportunities to effectively engage the culture. Let's engage the culture by being in the world but not of the world. (John 17:15, 18) -Nathaniel

Christianity is not a religion, is it a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

Eight days has passed and let me tell you, my brain is about to explode. Although it feels like an overload of information, I can proudly say that this day has been an experience. The day started off with Kevin McCullough. He taught economic policies from a biblical stand point. Although at age 17 it may be hard to comprehend the depth of his lecture, there are many points that I do grasp. I was so surprised with the policies that the government is proposing to our nation. His ideas about regulating taxes are quite simple, less tax=more money for the rich=more created jobs=more people paying taxes=more money for the government. He also talked about marriage which is an interesting subject. The main idea I took in was that the institution of marriage is a statement about God. As a Christian, it is very important to remember that with marriage comes a relationship with God and your spouse.

After Kevin had spoke, the greatly anticipated Ergan Caner spoke about the religion of Islam alongside the calling that we have in our heart. The main part of his message that spoke to me was the fact that he was disowned by his own father after he was saved. How he was saved is a great example of how young Christians should live their high school life evangelizing. It was the persistency of a fellow peer in high school which led him to Christ. As Christians we should never give up on anyone who may shut us down. Even though Caner did teach us about the religion of Islam his other topic was very influential to me. He spoke about how we as Christians should not run away from God's calling. God will call upon us to occupations or situations that we may not want to do however as Christians we should understanding the importance that God called US to do different things. We should pursue that kindle in our heart and make it a burning fire for the glory of God. Finally the one quote that I came away with was "Joy comes from God, happiness comes from circumstances." - Dr. Ergan Caner When I thought it was all said and done, Caner says this one last thing that I think will linger in my heart forever, Grace is when we receive that which we do NOT deserve. I do not deserve the love of Jesus Christ, but because he is a merciful God, I receive it. -Daniel

Today, I went rafting with Summit on the James River. It was a blast! The water was a little shallow but not so shallow that you hit bottom all the time. Also, because it has been nice and sunny for the whole week, the water was nice and warm. There were about 50 people there but I only hung out with only two people for the most part: Rebecca and Alex. Talking all day in the sun is nice....until you realize that the sun block isn't working to the fullest. Even those with sunscreen got major burns (me included). But, it was worth it! I had a great time!!! Thank you Summit!
Mike Haley came to speak yesterday on homosexuality. At first I was a little uncomfortable with the topic but as he talked I became more and more interested. I thought the most amazing part of his presentation was his testimony. In a nutshell, he is a former Christian turned homosexual turned back to Christian and now is talking nationwide about how homosexuality is NOT genetic and those who are already homosexual CAN break free.
I have enjoyed Summit immensely so far. Yes, I am tired and my brain feels like it's going to burst, but I wouldn't have chosen not to come. Not for the world.
-Daniel

Climbing Psychopathé
We spent about an hour,
Climbing up a hill,
So when we hit the top,
We could sit and chill.

That's when they told us the
Only way down,
Treacherous, jagged rocks,
Blocked our way to town.

Although the gazebo,
Was really fun,
We were drenched with sweat,
By the time we were done.

The choice was simple:
Slow or fast,
Whichever you chose,
You were sure to have a blast.

On the way were many sites to see,
Our legs were so excited
To finally be free,
Seeing God's creation,
Filled our hearts with glee,
Nowhere in the world we would rather be.

-Sean

Tonight's session was on homosexuality and how it is affecting our culture today. Mr. Mike Haley is a well known speaker on this topic, is currently working for Focus on the Family, and was our speaker tonight. This man shared his heart and testimony with us and it literally brought tears to my eyes. He openly told us that he had lived a life of homosexuality for 12 years. His story doesn't end there because of God's never ending love. God placed people in his life that showed him love and kindly brought him back to Christ.
Often we, as Christians, judge people in this lifestyle by saying that they are going to be condemned to hell. But we say this without realizing that God considers homosexuality the same as those who get drunk, or slander, or show greediness as it says in I Corinthians 6:9-11. He opened my eyes to the fact of how easily we get distracted by other's sins and begin to judge them, when we could look at ourselves and see problems just as great.
Haley continued to use many illustrations concerning how this lifestyle is becoming a more and more "normal" lifestyle for our country. He even showed a few video clips of children as young as 5 or 6 being taught that homosexuality is "normal." So not only are teens and adults being vulnerable to this issue, but our innocent kids are being taught that it is "okay" to be gay. Haley made us aware of this so that we would realize how much our culture is embracing this lifestyle. We, as Christians, were challenged to deal with this, but to approach it in a Christ-like way. We need to show our love towards homosexuals and through our love we need to point our way to the truth of Christ. We need to especially aware of our attitudes toward them. We need to not be forceful or angry as we love them, because this will end up nurturing them and put up a strong wall between you and them. We need to realize that we are loved by God, just as they are loved by God. So in turn, as their brothers and sisters we need to come along side them and embrace them with your love. Haley was able to show us the effect that homosexuality can have on a person, because he dealt with it himself. He also has been able to testify to how Christ can transform you from a homosexual lifestyle into a life of following Christ. To God be the Glory! ~Amy

At first, walking along the semi-abandoned streets of downtown Lynchburg seemed like an exercise in futility. We had fretted over conversation starters and worried about how we would approach strangers and somehow start a meaningful conversation with them. After several fruitless deviations from the main street, we decided to step into a small restaurant. It was fairly empty, but we decided to take a seat and order some food. At a table near to us sat an elderly couple. When we were ordering, Rosa leaned over to me and told me, "I just feel like we're supposed to be here". Soon after that, the elderly gentleman called across the small dining area and asked me if I was in chorus (based on the t-shirt I was wearing). The man and his wife soon engaged us in a full conversation, which lead to some interesting revelations of the way they viewed the world. Professed Christian believers, the sweet lady suggested that I look into the field of child psychology for my college major, as I am currently undecided. Curious, I asked her why she suggested that, and the couple informed us that there was a great need for child psychology because the children nowadays are suffering from broken homes and poor parenting. We skipped around, talking about the media, the arts, and the church which they attend.
From there, we walked back along the main street until we came to an antique shop. Rosa had been intrigued by it on the bus ride there, so we stepped inside and began to look around. We were the only customers in the shop, and we browsed the random merchandise, listening to the loud radio that was playing Michael Jackson songs in solemn tribute. After a while, a man came to sit behind the counter and asked if he could assist us. Rosa began to talk to him and got on the subject of Michael Jackson and the debatable cause of his death. From there, the topic strayed to Heath Ledger, the media, and Gone with the Wind. By this time, the man's employee, who was roughly thirty, came over from sanding the wall to join our conversation. After they asked us a couple of questions and found out we were studying at Liberty, they quickly started on the topic of sects of the Christian faith. The older man assumed that both of us were Baptist (which we corrected by saying that Rosa is Pentecostal and I am Baptist), and he told us that he was Anglican and that his employee was Roman Catholic. Immediately, we found ourselves engaged in a discussion of the Christian sects. It was clear that the man and his employee had debated the supremacy of their churches before this, for both seemed to be pulling out old arguments. "We must have been right, because the Lord helped us blow your Armada right out of the water!" the Anglican kept saying to his employee. "Well, at least the founder of our church didn't behead his wives!" the Roman Catholic would respond. It was all in jest, because, as it turns out, the Anglican attends the same church as the Roman Catholic. We also discussed the restrictions that surround priesthood and whether or not it's a healthy thing for the church, bringing up the teachings of Paul that tell us to marry if we cannot handle not being married. We agreed that devoting one's life to God by not getting married was a respectable and even preferable choice for a priest, but if not getting married somehow led them to a life of sin, priesthood as it is now would not be the best option. We also touched on the liberalism and sometimes strange practices that are associated with Baptists and Pentecostals. The discussion also got more personal as we talked about how effective Christian counseling could be (for example, how effective marriage counseling can be coming from an unmarried priest). Both men shared testimony of the strength of the women in their lives (the Anglican's wife and the Catholic's mother), who were patient and enduring, attributing these characteristics to their closeness to the Lord. The debate was friendly and, at times, people would switch sides to defend certain views rather than an entire sect. It was interesting, because these men seemed to be informed Christians who studied, not only scripture, but Christian history. The Roman Catholic actually brought up the war between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, and told us about how Saint Patrick used the example of the clover to explain the nature of the Trinity. It was a great discussion that made us want to study more deeply the nature of the divisions between the sects that would divide Christians so deeply and violently, yet allow this Anglican to attend a Roman Catholic church without causing too much conflict in the way he worshipped, studied, or fellowshipped.
We feel that, overall, God placed us where he wanted us today. The conversations that we engaged in were not even led by us, but by those we were conversing with. They pulled the conversation towards religion, toward topics that revealed their worldview, and we happily followed. I was amazed at how easily some people are willing to tell you about their lives and beliefs, not to impose them on you, but simply to discuss them.

Rosa & Maria

Today, June 26, 2009 I was blessed by three knowledgeable speakers: Dr. KJ Turner, Mrs. Debbie Brezina, and Dr. Terry Moffit. Dr. KJ Turner, our first speaker, wanted to instill in us a strong foundation of biblical principles. He expounded upon many of the basic Christian principles such as Creation, The Fall, and Redemption. Being raised in a strong Christian environment, I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about the basic fundamentals. By expounding upon the fundamentals, he made me realize how much more there was to learn. I learned that the Bible is easily taken out of context. This made me want to change the way I read the Bible. Instead of reading a few verses at a time, I need to read complete passages, so I don't take God's Word out of context. The next speaker of the day, Mrs. Debbie Brezina, was energetic and passionate. Her fascination of history echoed in her talk on Winston Churchill. I learned that by looking at history we can find answers for the future. God has truly had His protection on our third speaker, Mr. Terry Moffit. He has faced death so many times, but keeps living and serving God. He talked to us about making a true difference in the world. By listening to these three speakers, I have gained a greater knowledge of Biblical principles, history, and how to make a difference. -Rebecca