Summit Ministries

I first learned of the Summit from Jeff Myers. His description was something like this: "It is a conference where high school and college students come for two weeks during the summer, sit in class for 6-7 hours a day, and hear lectures on worldviews, apologetics, philosophy, and cultural issues."  I immediately responded: "Who comes to this thing?"

Well, for another summer, I have met those who come. Students who (even many who forced to come by their parents) within just a few sessions embrace the challenge of learning how to see and engage their world. What we put these students through defies many contemporary ideas about youth ministry: "entertain them" or "keep the teaching to a minimum" or "put everything on the bottom shelf."

Frankly, these contemporary ideas are foolish at best and dangerous at worst. The students we meet at the Summit have been waiting to be challenged.  They want to know how their faith connects to the real issues in the world, and how their lives can make a difference. Many are tired of the games, the entertainment, and the lack of depth.  Others had no idea what they were missing, but once they get it - they are hooked.

But beyond what the students want, we have to consider what the students need. Why is it that so many students abandon or disconnect from their faith once they leave home? Why is that so many years in youth group, church, and Christian schooling gets left behind within a few weeks or months for students all over America?  Students face a battle for their hearts and minds, and most are completely unaware of what postmodernism, deconstruction, humanism, moral relativism, radical feminism, theological liberalism, or anti-metanarrative revisionism even is, much less how to deal with it.  

Neal Postman wrote in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death that entertainment has made us silly. Not every form of entertainment per se, but once entertainment becomes the primary means of any and all communication then the important is swallowed in the trivial.  Entertainment is addictive, make us care about things that do not matter, while distracting us from things that do matter. Sure, Christian entertainment may have less cussing, sex, and violence in it.  But that is not the primary issue. Postman is right. Entertainment has made us a silly culture. I would add that our addiction to Christian entertainment has replaced any real sense of true discipleship, has distracted a generation of youth ministries, and has failed a generation of students.  In short, Christian entertainment has made us silly Christians.

I am so encouraged when I see students wanting more.  That is a big reason why I love the Summit.  Tomorrow, I will be back in Colorado for Session 3. Friday, the family and I will head to Summit Virginia. It will be good to see a few more of these students. If you know of any others that might like to join us this summer, there is still room to fit them in.

P.S. The addition of our Virginia Summit necessitated that we buy a bus to transport our staff from Ohio to Virginia to Tennessee.  On Sunday, the motor completely died on that bus!  We have found another and it should be up and running in 2 weeks. Many things have been complicated by this little fiasco (and it was a $10k expense we were not expecting too!), but all staff and students were not put in danger by it so we are thankful.  

Please pray that we can get the bus up and running soon and that it will make it through the rest of the summer!