12 Years of Equipping Youth to Stand Firm

We are so thankful for all the volunteers, sponsors, speakers and attendees who made our 12th annual Christian Youth Summit a success. It is such an encouragement to see hundreds of youth gathered, willing to spend their weekend asking tough questions and growing in faith. Many parents and ministry leaders also came and enjoyed the event. The Summit was held March 8-9th with almost 500 attendees from over 90 different churches in the Pacific Northwest. Of the students who attended about 56% were in public schools, 14% in private schools, and 30% home-schooled. Every year, it is so clear to us that the younger generation is in the thick of a worldview battle and that we need to come alongside them to help them stand firm.

Speakers Delivered Empowering Talks

Professor Mary Jo Sharp of Confident Christianity, Nathan Betts of RZIM, and Stephen Williams of Prepare the Way delivered powerful keynote talks on critical topics such as the uniqueness of the Christian God, the problem of evil, the reliability of the Bible, how to share your faith in an increasingly hostile culture, and others. The breakout session speakers did a terrific job of tackling a variety of relevant topics, providing a more casual atmosphere where attendees could engage in dialogue.  M.C. Bryon Mengle of KNLR has been with the Summit for many years now and always keeps the atmosphere fun with prizes and games.

Teens Were Trained to Serve as Table Leaders

One unique aspect of the Summit is that the majority of youth sit at tables with Table Leaders who are trained prior to the Summit. Our leaders did an awesome job this year of engaging their groups in discussion, so that they could process the material and ask questions. We trained over 40 Table Leaders this year. Some youth and school groups attended together and the youth pastors or leaders led discussions. We are always thankful for pastors/leaders/teachers who attend with their youth.

Youth-Led Worship

The teens were also given some time to reflect and worship. Michael Kuhlman from Redmond Community Church and Jon Vevia from Trinity Lutheran were instrumental in coordinating the youth-led worship bands with members from a variety of churches. The young people did a terrific job leading the attendees in worship – we love seeing the next generation come from across denominational lines and all praise God together.

Pray for Those Who Attended

Every year, our surveys reveal that even teens who consider themselves Christian overwhelmingly struggle with doubts and questions, and are thankful for a place to wrestle with them. Please pray that those who attended would grow in faith and be empowered to impact our culture for Christ. Pray that they would be confident in sharing the hope of Christ with those around them.

Expressing Our Thanks

Every year, it is hard to put our gratitude into words. We praise God for letting us steward this event for twelve years now and for faithfully blessing it each and every year, despite challenges and obstacles. We are so thankful for the sponsors, donors, speakers, volunteers and Trinity Lutheran staff (especially Jon Vevia and his team of Trinity Lutheran high school students) who have made the Christian Youth Summit possible. We are inspired by the youth who are hungry to be equipped and the parents who attend so they can engage in dialogue with their kids. Thank you for helping us continue the work of equipping the younger generation to stand firm in their faith so they can stand for truth in our culture.

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

High Desert Baptist Association; Trinity Lutheran Church and School;  Calvary Chapel SE Portland; Community Bible Church Sunriver; Bend Community Church/Organic Church Network; Oregon Right to Life;
Corban University; Western Seminary; Kairos MDiv Program;
Juan Young Trust; Brian’s Cabinets; Midstate Fertilizer; Tennant Developments; Friesen Foundation; Dan Cardot Bend Premier Realtor; Bend Family Dentistry;
X-Press Printing; Smart Solutions; Dynamic Arts Graphic Design;

If you would like to support the work that the Lord has called us to, please donate now. We are particularly praying for more monthly donors.