17 Years of Equipping Youth to Stand Firm

“I have attended the youth summit for at least five years now. Each year I am blown away by how God is at work! The sessions and breakouts that I attended applied directly to me! The conference brought to light how I can live more on fire for God and live more fully for him!” – 18 year old

We are so thankful for all the volunteers, sponsors, speakers, and attendees who made our 17th annual Christian Youth Summit an impactful event. It is such an encouragement to see hundreds of youth gathered, willing to spend their weekend growing stronger in their faith. Many parents, youth pastors, and ministry leaders also participated and learned along with the students. The Summit was held April 26-27, 2024 with nearly 700 attending from over 100 different churches in the Pacific Northwest. Of the roughly 500 students who attended, 41% were in public schools, 23% in private schools, and 36% home-schooled. Each and 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.

Encouraging Feedback from Teens

Handing out feedback forms at the end of the event and asking for online feedback following the conference gives us a glimpse of how the Summit impacts students. It also helps us understand more about the questions teens are wrestling with. One 15-year-old wrote, “The summit really convicted me in my faith…I am glad I went because I feel closer to God than I have been in a while and feel called to continue in this way. I have also learned how to gently but truthfully argue the case for Christ!” Many teens expressed uncertainty about how to defend their faith and appreciated getting better equipped in this area. One teen commented, “I love being able to defend my faith and these talks help me do that.” Roughly 97% of attendees said they were excited to commit more areas of their lives to God and/or more confident in sharing their faith with others. Many attend each year who are skeptics and this year almost 12% expressed making a commitment to Christ. Even though this event is geared towards Christian teens, it is important to understand just how many wrestle with important faith questions. This year, about 33% said that coming into the event, they “really struggle with doubts and questions.” We loved seeing so many youth pastors and leaders attend the Summit and dialogue with their youth to help them grow in faith. One youth leader commented, “I brought a group of leaders and youth that have never heard that our faith is based on a solid foundation with strong evidence to back it up. They all walked away with renewed strength and commitment. They are planning on attending next year.”

For more testimonies see below.

Speakers Delivered Empowering Talks

“…this conference was an incredible shared experience of getting a taste of apologetics and how to ‘have an answer for the hope that we have.’ I am so grateful to have shared this time with my kids!” – Parent

Dr. Sean McDowell (Biola University) and Stephen Williams (Prepare the Way) delivered powerful keynote talks on critical topics such as “What’s a Worldview and Why Should I Care?”, “Evidence for the New Testament,” “Using Technology Wisely,” and “If God, Why Evil?” We have had terrific feedback on the general sessions. One student said this, “[Sean’s talk on If God Why Evil] helped me understand questions I had and gave me ways to also explain it to others.” Many students gave feedback that the Summit increased their confidence in the Bible: “It blows me away how many more manuscripts there are for the Bible than I thought.” Many also commented that they gained a deeper understanding of the worldview battle: “[Stephen’s worldview talk]  helped me realize the different worldviews someone could come from and how to engage with such.” The breakout session speakers tackled a variety of relevant topics, including archaeology, science and Christianity, suicide prevention, healthy identity, and living as a Godly man. These breakouts provided a more casual atmosphere where attendees could engage in dialogue with speakers.  The Master of Ceremonies, Bryon Mengle of KNLR, has been with the Summit for many years now and does a terrific job of keeping the atmosphere fun with prizes and games.

Teens Were Trained to Serve as Small Group Leaders

One unique aspect of the Summit is that the majority of youth sit in small groups with 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 30 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

A youth-led worship band worked hard leading up to the Summit and did a wonderful job of leading the crowd in worship. The musicians ranged in age from 15 to 18, represented 7 different churches, and included some pastors’ kids. We love seeing the next generation gather from across denominational lines and all praise God together.

Pray for Those Who Attended

As we described above, 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 get plugged into Biblical Christian community, 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 17 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 Faith Christian Center staff who made the 17th Christian Youth Summit possible. We are inspired by the youth who are hungry to be equipped and the parents and youth leaders who attend so they can engage in dialogue with the 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; Faith Christian Center; Eastmont Church and School; Community Bible Church Sunriver; Bend Community Church/House Church Network; Epikos Church; Father’s House/Buy a Tree-Change a Life; Crosswalk Ministries; Classical Conversations; Pregnancy Resource Centers of Central Oregon; Northwest Baptist Convention; Northwest Baptist Foundation;
Brian’s Cabinets; Midstate Fertilizer; Tennant Developments; Friesen Foundation; Dan Cardot Bend Premier Realtor; Bend Family Dentistry; Kevista Coffee; Oregon Right to Life; 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.

---

More Testimonies from the 2024 Summit

They are coming in daily, but here is a sampling:

Testimonies from Teens

“I have attended the youth summit for at least five years now. Each year I am blown away by how God is at work! The sessions and breakouts that I attended applied directly to me! The conference brought to light how I can live more on fire for God and live more fully for him!” – 18-year-old

“I love tackling big questions, learning to better equip myself and stand for the truth that is the Word of God.” – Teen

“The summit really convicted me in my faith, showing me what God’s plan for me was. I am glad I went because I feel closer to God than I have been in a while and feel called to continue in this way. I have also learned how to gently but truthfully argue the case for Christ!” – 15-year-old

“It helped me gain more evidence for God and the Bible.” – 13-year-old

“I love being able to defend my faith and these talks help me do that.” – Teen

“These talks really opened my eyes to the truth that is extremely important to my faith.” – Teen

“These talks gave me a point of view I never thought about, and a way to share with others.” – Teen

“I have struggled with the question If God Why Evil and it is now way clearer!” – Teen

“These talks were every impactful and gave me reasons to defend my faith and understand questions I had.” – Teen

“These talks equipped me to be prepared to answer questions and engage in dialogue with non-believers.” – Teen

“These talks spoke to areas I am regularly questioned in.” – Teen

“Even as a longtime believer, it is very encouraging to learn more evidence for my faith. Very applicable.” – 18-year-old

“[These talks] gave me a clearer understanding of complicated topics.” – 15-year-old

“If God Why Evil puts evil in perspective and prepares me for how to respond to questions.” – 18-year-old

“That gospel message God used as one of the most impactful gospel messages ever shared and I have grown up in a great church.” – Teen

“If God Why Evil just rocked me and encouraged me to really thank God for my salvation.” – Teen

“I love being reminded of all the evidence there is for Christianity.” – Teen

“You did great. This is the most fun I’ve had in awhile.” – Teen

“Gave me good arguments for defending, building, and backing my faith.” – Teen

“[Sean’s If God Why Evil talk] answered one of the most difficult questions that my dad has been struggling with for years.”

“I love seeing evidence and I have struggled with unbelieving people around me…” – Teen

“I saw a ton of proof, and that stood out to me.” – 12-year-old

“I didn’t know how much evidence there was to Christianity.” – 13-year-old

“I liked the youth-led worship and the altar call because I really felt more connected to the worship time.” – 15-year-old

Testimonies from Youth Leaders & Adults

“Helped me answer tough questions and feel more confident.” – Dad

“It was a twofold benefit for me; volunteering at the Summit helped me push past my own fear and was a great chance to step out of my comfort zone. Plus all the information I heard from the speakers will help bolster my own faith when I come in contact with different viewpoints and worldviews.” – Adult Volunteer

“I love…having all these kids fighting for their Savior…counter to culture.” – Volunteer

“Science has been a spiritual block for me in my early 20s so I loved learning more.” – Adult

“[The conference] was very uplifting, renewed my faith in today’s youth.” – 70+

The summit and things like just reinforce my desire to make disciples and mentor the next generation. I also get excited to see the value of intellect come back to the church.

“… all those young people at a serious spiritual learning event like this sure gives me hope for the future of the world. So many youth events in churches are centered around entertaining teenagers. It’s hard to find serious teaching for them. Thank you so very much for putting on this event.” – Adult

“Most of my leaders have never heard the term apologetics.” – Youth Pastor

“The youth-led worship band was incredible. I told the lead gal how much I appreciated that she actually “led” people in worship as opposed to being up there performing or going wild with vocal stylings. Her way of leading really allowed people to focus on the words of truth they were singing and to worshipping, as opposed to feeling like they were watching a concert. So good.” – 44-year-old

“I brought a group of leaders and youth that have never heard that our faith is based on a solid foundation with strong evidence to back it up. They all walked away with renewed strength and commitment. They are planning on attending next year.” – Youth Pastor

“…this conference was an incredible shared experience of getting a taste of apologetics and how to ‘have an answer for the hope that we have.’ I am so grateful to have shared this time with my kids!” – Parent

“We sang meaningful songs with heart, and it’s great for the teenagers in attendance to see other young people worshiping and leading in worship.” – Parent

More Testimonies on Specific Speaking Topics

“Using Technology Wisely is such a vital topic in this day and Sean did such a fantastic job navigating it in a biblical sense. Thank you, Sean!”

“I loved how much I learned about evidence in for the New Testament.”

“[Stephen’s worldview talk]  helped me realize the different worldviews someone could come from and how to engage with such.” – 15-year-old

The application of the Gospel into all the nooks and crannies of our lives is so critical. Finding ways to get this into the parts of our lives like the council we give to others dealing with self harm or the unique male and female sessions gets the gospel into the deeper parts of our lives.

“Sean’s talks on Evidence for the New Testament and If God Why Evil are the two most commonly challenging topics that I’m faced with, so they were very helpful.”

“I was greatly encouraged to see the next generation taking these matters discussed seriously. Impressed that we had attendees from Florida & Tennessee. Sean McDowell & Titus Kennedy are always great resources and I appreciate their approach to their respective subjects.”

“Evidence for the New Testament cleared up some questions I had.”

“[Sean’s talk on If God Why Evil] helped me understand questions I had and gave me ways to also explain it to others.”

“It blows me away how many more manuscripts there are for the Bible than I thought.”

“I had been struggling with technology a lot recently and Sean’s talk really hit home.”

“I liked Stephen’s worldview talk because it’s important to understand your own worldview and other’s in order to know how to make a case for Christ.” – Teen

“I really liked the breakdown of the worldview questions in Stephen’s talk.”

“Mark Schaufler’s talk [A Proactive Approach to Suicide Prevention] (for leaders and parents) will help me to talk to youth about this topic.”

“I liked Jean Thorson’s talk because a lot of people fall into peer pressure…and don’t even realize why. She explained it very well.”

“I got so much from [Jean Thorson’s female only] talk  that I can apply to my life.”

“Titus Kennedy’s talk on archaeology helped me understand that the bible is true.”

“I liked Roy Swart’s science talk – great way to break down questions.”

“Even though I’ve heard talks about a worldview before, Stephen’s talk was a good reminder of what exactly a worldview is and why it matters.” – Teen

“I liked how [Roy Swart’s science talk] showed ways to solve a problem when peple think the Bible is flawed.”

“Titus Kennedy’s talk answered so many doubts for me.” – Teen

“Makyra Williamson (Abortion 101 talk) knew what she was talking about and didn’t miss a beat.”

“Mark Schaufler has notable experience with the topic [suicide prevention] and it was very well presented.”

“TJ’s [male only] talk gave me tools on how to be pure.”

“I love how archaeology backs up the Bible every time.”

“Archaology is so fascinating to me.”

“I appreciated being reminded of all the evidence that exists for the Scriptures’ historical accuracy.”

“Sean is so engaging and easy to listen to. He keeps you drawn in with his interesting and funny stories. The evidence he shared for the New Testament’s reliability made sense and is very compelling.” – Adult

“[Jean Thorson, Identity Talk]  brought together real tools and ideas that the church needs right now.”

“I went to TJ Auten’s talk. Super, super good. The issue of pornography and sexual purity is such a massive issue that needs to be talked about more, so I really appreciated him making it possible to have a safe place to open up about this difficult topic.”

“Titus Kennedy and I always am interested to learn the intersection of faith and science. Archeology is solid proof of biblical events and people groups.”

“My kids loved this presentation [Titus Kennedy] as well; it kind of blew their minds.”

“I attended Abortion 101 and it was very insightful and helped me defend my opinion on abortion.”

“A great testimony of his hands-on learning via archaeological endeavors. I really appreciate having a real archaeologist present the facts of their findings.”

“The suicide prevention class was excellent!”

“Roy was engaging and thorough on exposing the presuppositions most scientists have and how Christians often have presuppositional issues as well.”

“Stephen’s opening session about worldview was excellent. The two teenagers we brought to the conference both told us that it was their favorite general session presentation.”

“I also really enjoyed the MC; he was funny and kept things rolling very well.”