At Summit’s Georgia conference, students spend 12 days atop Lookout Mountain, taking in miles of lush forests and breathtaking sunsets. Immersed in God’s magnificent handiwork, they experience nature’s beauty all around them.
For Sy Clark, his understanding of beauty in creation transformed his approach to ministry.
Since eighth grade, Sy has played bass guitar on his church’s worship team. Even before Summit, his worship ministry opened doors for meaningful conversations with people and helped him build Christ-centered relationships with other young men.
“I feel like I connect with God through music,” explains Sy.
But even though Sy already had a heart and talent for worship ministry, Summit equipped him to be even more effective in his leadership.
Sy explains that his greatest takeaway from his Summit experience was Megan Almon’s talk about the importance of beauty in God’s creation. Reflecting on his approach to worship ministry before Summit, Sy realized that exhaustion and burnout sometimes led him to accept misplayed chords or settle for “meeting basic expectations” as a worship leader. But through Almon’s lecture, Sy felt inspired by the fact that God created him with the ability to produce truly beautiful music.
“She helped me realize that the Lord has given people like me the gift of creativity. And that encouraged me to strive for excellence when I lead worship. I don’t just want to play songs. I want to play songs in a way that glorifies God,” says Sy.
And Sy’s experience in his small group enhanced his understanding and appreciation of beauty. As his group watched the sun set on Lookout Mountain, Sy says, “We talked about moments we’ve seen God reveal himself through creation, and that inspired me to consider how God’s beauty could influence the way I live.”
Sy is excited to return to his church as a worship leader with this renewed mindset.
He plans to play beautiful, inspiring music that touches hearts and reflects Christ’s love.
“My experience at Summit has really been made possible by the donors,” says Sy. “I’m so grateful that they’ve given me an opportunity to grow in my appreciation of God’s creation and the gifts he’s given me.”