My Summit Story
Brianna Quenzer, 2015 Summit Alum
Brianna Quenzer, 2015 Summit Alum
I didn't expect to go to Summit. I had considered it, but to my shame, didn't see it as necessary. So I was quite surprised when my parents sat my younger brother, sister, and I down, and told us that they were sending us to Summit this Summer. They told us they believed it would be very beneficial for us, especially because of everything we as Christians are now facing in America. Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled. I had spent a year at an intense leadership & discipleship school, and then worked for that same school. I really believed that I did not need to go to Summit. My pride had gotten the best of me.
When I arrived at Summit, I really didn't know what to expect. I had heard bits and pieces about the program and knew that it was a “worldview” training, but my expectations for it were very, very low. “They are just going to be talking about everything I already know, for two weeks straight.” I thought to myself on several different occasions. However, my pride was about to be crushed.
On orientation night, Dr. Jeff Myers asked us while going over the “What we Expect of You” section, to humble ourselves and allow ourselves to hear what each of the speakers were going to be saying over the next two weeks. This penetrated in me, as my pride was crushed by the power of Jesus. I found myself asking the Lord to help me to be willing to learn, willing to ponder, and willing to praise over the next few weeks. How faithful I found Him to be.
Dr. Myers asked one other question that Sunday night in the Summit classroom that would stick with me past graduation day. “Do you want an ordinary life, or and extra-ordinary life?” He asked. “That’s a question you have to answer for yourself.” He continued. I was taken aback. Something I had found since returning home from the discipleship school I attend, was that it was much harder than I had expected to live the extra-ordinary life that Christ has called us to, as His followers. To live “in the world but not of it”, seemed like an easy enough command to follow, and yet, it really was a hard thing to live out. This question called me out of my acceptance of an “ordinary life” that seemed “good enough”, and opened my eyes to see that I needed to make a decision to allow the Lord to truly live in and through me, or if I was going to abandon the hard, simply because it was so, and just live ordinary.
The first Monday morning I remember turning to the guy next to me after the first two sessions, and saying “I am really excited for this! This is going to be really good!” I have to say, I was totally blown away and inspired beyond compare by those first two sessions. David Knopp’s Foundations course encouraged me by proving that Summit had a focus on not just feeding us intellectually for two weeks, but desired for it to be so much deeper by feeding and nurturing our souls. John Stonestreet, with his talk about ideas and how every idea has a consequence, whether for good or for bad, was a phenomenal way to whet our appetite and make us ready to receive more.
The remainder of the time is history. Though there were many challenges and it was definitely not the easiest two weeks of my life, it was inspiring. With every session, I found myself humbled by how much I don’t know and compelled to live in a way that shines the love and truth of Jesus into the world around me. The time at Summit left me feeling as though someone stuffed my head with so much information that I was scared I would never retain, and excited knowing that the Lord, through the Summit program, had armed me with valuable truth, incredible resources, and a group of teachers that I will forever see as my mentors. Most of all, I am so thankful for the way the Lord worked in my life through this program. Though it was very intense and busy, it was such a sweet time with the Lord. Like I said, it was humbling and challenging, but it was also such a refreshing and sweet time of growing deeper in Him.
Now that Summit is over for me, I couldn't be more thankful to my parents for sending me. It was another aspect of discipleship and leadership that I didn't even realize I needed. It armed me in a different way than I had ever been prepared in before.
So, I would like to give a huge shout out to Summit for a job well done! Thank you to all the speakers of Summit Colorado, Session 1, 2015 and the staff that works year round to make Summit a possibility. Also I would like to thank all the Summer staff, thank you for giving your Summer to serve, love, and care for the students coming through. Keep loving Jesus and knowing Him more!
