Summit Ministries

As a staff member of Summit Ministries for the past two years, I wanted to take a few minutes and post a blog here and offer a different perspective than the student perspective. I attended Summit as a student in the summer of 2006. I worked as a staff member last year and again this year. I have been utterly blessed by God in so many ways. To be with these students day after day is a blessing beyond comparison. To walk among them through days of intense learning and become good friends with the students is something I love.

Specifically this Liberty session, I have been thoroughly impressed with my small group. These guys are extraordinary guys. I almost have to coerce them to go to bed at night, not because they don't like the camp curfew but because they want to talk longer about the philosophical and theological issues presented during lectures and small group discussions. This is what I like to see! I want to see these students fired up about the ideas presented in lectures and discussions. I want to see them want to catch speakers after sessions to press more questions and dig for harder answers. I want to see my small group asking what books to read and how to learn. This is exactly what I have seen.

There have been several speakers I've seen the students really embrace. Ergun Caner was among the first. Caner is a former Muslim who has worked heavily with Islamic ideas (even in conjunction with Mormonism). His lectures were captivating and stole the student's attentions. I think it suffices to say that within a couple days of his lecture we have completely sold out of his books. Another amazing speaker was Gary Habermas. Habermas has written over 30 books and is a world renown expert on the resurrection of Christ. As Habermas talked about the textual and oral evidence for Christ's resurrection the eyes of the students opened. When they saw how the pillar of the Christian faith--the resurrection--can be defended scientifically and historically from a minimalist standpoint it gave the students even more of an assurance of their faith.

But, of course, Summit doesn't rely on a philosophy of all work and no play. Through sports, activities, and general free time I see daily the interactions and relationships the students embrace. This group of students clicks really well all around. I'm excited to see where it will go over the next couple days and how long these relationships will last.

-Randy