What Are the Five Signs?
We know that a flourishing faith comes from a strong foundation. We also know that putting faith into practice in community strengthens your foundation. Studies show that over 70 percent of teens leave the church after graduating high school.
Summit president Dr. Jeff Myers shares, “When I graduated high school, I also graduated from church.”
The stats also show that of your teen’s peers, only 1 percent hold to a biblical worldview.
Yet after teens attend Summit, we see that 94 percent of our students hold to a biblical worldview!
We have continued to study the students after one year, five years, and ten years; and what we find is that even after ten years, 85 percent of these students maintain a biblical worldview.
We have hope for Gen Z and want to see them mobilized to transform a broken world!
This is why we have compiled the Five Signs resource to help parents like you identify positive signs of a strong faith and help disciple your kids at home. The five signs are not an exhaustive list, but indicators of a thriving faith. We use an easy-to-understand format to discuss the five signs of a flourishing and faithful teen. Our videos, which feature Summit faculty instructing from our deep vault of resources, will equip and encourage you and help strengthen your child’s worldview.
The five signs to identify are:
- They enjoy having conversations about their faith.
- They have a humble and teachable spirit.
- They have a hunger to learn God’s Word.
- They have a heart to worship and glorify God.
- They surround themselves with others who are passionate about their faith.
First Sign: They Enjoy Having Conversations About Their Faith
“It is so fun to be in a classroom with hundreds of likeminded people who are around the same age as you. We are able to dive into deep conversations with each other about the day’s lessons without having to worry about what others think of you. Coming to Summit is an experience I will never forget, and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity.” –Ellie Adams, 2022
In our current cultural climate, religion is often relegated to matters of private and personal preference. But teens who have a flourishing faith don’t keep their faith private. Having a biblical worldview means that you live it out each and every day, moment by moment, for others to see. A lived-out faith means having conversations with others about the biblical worldview.
Dr. Myers offers this insight on ways to faithfully engage culture through conversations:
“I think we need to be thinking about ideas as viruses. If we are not aware of the ideas out there standing against a Christian worldview, then we are actually, perhaps, at greater risk of falling victim to them than if we take time to really study them carefully and then respond intelligently from a Christian worldview, which is our approach at Summit. I know that sounds controversial, but we’re finding that if you don’t do that, you can really be setting up kids for failure. If all you’re doing is telling the same Bible stories over and over again, those kids will end up in the 70 percent who walk away. You have to say, ‘Here are the worldviews out there in the world; here’s what people say. What’s going on in music? Here’s what’s going on in movies and in your philosophy class; and here is how we respond intelligently and compassionately as Christians.'”
Engaging with your teen and inspiring them to share their faith and speak the truth with a basic knowledge of other worldviews is crucial for a vibrant biblical faith.
Summit Discipleship Key
Facilitating and encouraging meaningful conversations about faith with teens works best when you speak the truth in the context of relationships. Deep relationships create a bond of trust through which truth can more easily flow and thrive (1 Chronicles 12:32; Proverbs 1:5).
Video Resources: Build A Stronger Biblical Worldview
Second Sign: They Have a Humble and Teachable Spirit
“My time at Summit has given me a lot to think about and live out in my Christian walk…One of the most important things is to ask questions about someone’s beliefs in order for them to state why they believe what they do. Questions help make a point without explicitly stating it. This way, we can recognize someone’s bad thinking for the purpose of guiding them to the truth, while remaining gracious and compassionate.” –David Bowler, 2022
In this world, our teens will encounter plenty of debate and discussion. The key for parents is to approach each question honestly, engage with their doubts, and encourage their teens to courageously doubt their doubts and follow the truth where it leads.
In Understanding the Faith, Dr. Jeff Myers writes, “Dealing with doubt is part of what it means to mature in the faith. It takes courage to doubt. But here’s a hugely important key: rather than just give up, you should be specific about what bothers you, and you should father the will to look for answers. Learn to doubt your doubts so they will not overpower everything else in your life.”
Help your teen move toward the truth by encouraging genuine questions they may have and by creating places that foster healthy discussions. This means we also need to model a humble and teachable spirit, showing our teens that even if we don’t have all the answers, we are willing to pursue the truth.
Every believer experiences doubt at some level. An unhelpful response to doubt in your teen is to shut down questions and conversations. Instead, create a space where they can share their concerns and questions and encourage them to grow in humility. Why not use that space to find the answers together with your teen? If you demonstrate that you are not afraid of doubt and model humility yourself, you will help stimulate a teachable spirit in your teen.
Summit Discipleship Key
We see in the Bible that even very godly people have doubts (John the Baptist, Peter, Thomas, and more). The important thing is not avoiding or denying doubt or concerns but approaching them with a humble and teachable spirit, while always pursuing the truth (John 8:32; Ephesians 4:2).
Video Resources: Engage in Honest Conversations
- Starting Conversations with Questions
- A Message for Parents of High School Graduates
- How can we change to be more like Christ?
Third Sign: They Have a Hunger to Learn God’s Word
“My greatest takeaway was how the gospel requires the entire Bible (canonically); and from that, you can understand all other aspects of life through the story of Creation, the Fall, redemption, and restoration, learning how to be a Christian in the world and not of the world.” –Leila McHargue, 2023
Flourishing teens love God with all of their hearts, souls, and minds, as Jesus calls us to in Matthew 22:37.
They seek to know his thoughts and values and follow his way of life. We ought to think God’s thoughts after him and turn our hearts toward what he says. The best theology is more than an academic discipline; it is a way of loving, knowing, and cherishing God. Good theology is an act of worship as much as it is an act of learning.
Good theology also reminds people of what the true story of reality is. It talks about where we came from, where we are, and where things will end. Being ignorant of this story means being unaware of the whole point of life itself! This story is explained in the Bible, God’s Word.
Showing our teens that “the Word of God is alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12) and has authority over our lives is pivotal. But more than this, we need to show our teens that God’s Word is a light for us, showing us what a meaningful and purposefilled life looks like (Psalm 119:105). Share with your child that the Bible is not just words to be read but also shows what a thriving life looks like for us to live out here and now. Young adults who feel hopeless or purposeless can find the meaning they desire as they understand the true narrative of reality, a narrative in which they can play a valuable part.
Summit Discipleship Key
We are curious beings, hungry for answers and ultimate meaning. We know that this world does not satisfy our deepest desires, which can only be fulfilled in God and his Word. God “set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and the eternal God has revealed himself in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Video Resources: Learn and Live Out God’s Word
Fourth Sign: They Have a Heart to Worship and Glorify God
“At Summit, not only did I learn so much and become involved with a Christian community unlike any I’ve ever been a part of, but I also started to see God’s purposes and work in my life to make me into the person he wants me to be. I had struggled before Summit in knowing where to go and what to do with the gifts God gave me. I feel that as I go home, I have encouragement and a game plan to proclaim Christ and to work hard to change the world for him.” –Kade Sharp, 2023
A strong foundation for a flourishing faith in our teens includes worship with their head (truth), heart (relationship), and hands (practical living). Teenagers need to understand how to think well and Christianly. They need genuine relationships with those who share the same worldview. And they need good habits and rhythms to live out what it looks like to be a Christ-follower in their day-to-day lives.
We know that everything we do, even the most mundane things, is to be done “for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). This starts with understanding that each and every person is an image-bearer of God with inherent value. Not only that, each person is also loved by God, even if they don’t feel it every moment. God is with us and for us and cares for us. He showcased this amazing love by dying for us, even while we were in rebellion against him. Teens who truly embrace and understand these foundational truths cannot help but respond with worship to God!
As Dr. Myers says in Understanding the Faith,
The only proper response to the scriptural understanding of God is worship.
We bow down in humble awe and reverence to the perfect, utterly trustworthy, only wise, self-existent, personal, completely unselfish, great, good God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Teens who prioritize worshiping and glorifying this loving and holy God are moving with the grain of reality toward a thriving faith.
Summit Discipleship Key
A holistic approach to the faith–including head, heart, and hands– leads to worshiping and glorifying God. The foundation of a worshiping Christian is built upon knowing the truth, being in genuine and honest relationships, and living practically in community (Proverbs 27:17; John 14:6).
Video Resources: Make Space to Worship God in Community
Fifth Sign: They Surround Themselves With Others Who Are Passionate About Their Faith
“God is moving in a powerful way in this generation, and I’m thankful and humbled I get to be a part of that movement. I also developed such close bonds with my fellow sisters in Christ. I feel like my life has been changed for the better. I have my priorities straight, and I am eternally grateful to Summit!” –Katelyn Wahl, 2022
There’s an old saying you’ve probably heard: we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. While that may be a slight exaggeration, there certainly is some truth in that statement. We naturally absorb the thoughts, words, and behaviors of those with whom we spend the most time. This means it is incredibly important to consider our teens’ circle of peers and mentors. Jesus recognized the importance of friendship with his chosen disciples as they experienced life together, even calling them friends (John 15:15).
The Bible also warns of bad friends and how they negatively influence us. Paul says, “‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Healthy friendships are crucial for teenagers as they grow. Friends are there for us when things are difficult to pray with and support us, to celebrate with us, to challenge and hold us accountable.
We see thriving friendships in the biblical narrative with friends like David and Jonathan or in books like The Lord of the Rings with friends like Frodo Baggins and loyal Samwise Gamgee.
As Dr. Myers says in Understanding the Faith, “God seeks abundance, and we experience the best of God’s abundance in our with-ness—our being with others.”
Seeing others who are passionate about their faith is contagious. Like standing too close to a flame, the passion for God can sometimes spread to those nearby. Encourage your teens to grow close with companions and mentors who take their faith seriously and can join together in being swept up in the truth and worship of God.
Summit Discipleship Key
Healthy friends who are passionate about their faith are so important for young Christians. Just as bad company can corrupt those around them, so can good company encourage and inspire a vibrant faith (1 Corinthians 15:33; 1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Video Resources: Build Life-Giving Relationships
Take Action
If your kids aren’t displaying all five signs of a strong biblical worldview, please don’t lose hope. You’re not alone in this journey. It’s a fact that only about 1 percent of Gen Z currently embrace a biblical worldview. However, there is a beacon of hope shining through. Summit Ministries is dedicated to working with thousands of teens just like yours every year, and we have a powerful solution to offer: our Student Conferences.
These five signs represent the core of what every parent desires for their teenager. They reflect the solid foundation you’ve laid for them. Imagine the profound impact you could have on your child’s future faith journey by taking one simple step before they leave home–sending them to a life-changing Student Conference this summer.
More about Summit’s Student Conferences
At our Summit Conferences, your teens will engage with other peers their age as they discuss and share their faith. They will learn from speakers who are experts in theology, apologetics, and worldview formation. They will worship together and praise God as they learn about a biblical worldview. They will better understand the true story of reality as told in God’s Word and hunger for its truth. Finally, they will surround themselves with like-minded young Christians who take their faith seriously and want to see the world transformed for Jesus. Summit’s Conferences create spaces for your teen to develop these five signs of a flourishing faith.
At Summit Ministries, we partner with you to help your teen thrive in their faith. So, why not consider moving heaven and earth to give your child the opportunity to own their faith in these transformative ways? Join us in making a difference in your teenager’s life and setting them on a path to a strong and enduring faith.
Explore dates and locations on our website.
Visit summit.org/students today.