Here’s a pic of the crew from the ‘07 Jr. High Summit. Marko and Eric Venable had to leave early and missed the pic, but everyone else is in there. Thanks to Andy for the shot!
Some highlights from the week:
- Spending time with friends. This was only my second year at the Summit, but these people all feel like family to me. I recently attended another gathering type event, and I had an ok time there. It wasn’t until I arrived at this gathering that I began to realize how drastically different the two gatherings are. The other one was more of a business gathering, a time for networking and conversation with a handful of friends. There were a lot of agendas at that gathering, and it was difficult to build new relationships with the people there. The Summit, on the other hand, felt like a family reunion. No agendas, no sales pitches, no posturing…just a safe, fun, passionate environment.
- Learning about the development of the teenage brain. We had some amazing guests with us who helped us process through our reading of “The Primal Teen”. We were specifically looking at adolescent brain development and the implications that modern findings might have on our approach to young teen ministry. It was a thought provoking conversation, and I am still processing a lot of it.
- Seeing a bear! For most people, this wouldn’t be a big deal…for me, it’s huge! I’m an animal fanatic. I’ve been backpacking all over Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Colorado…always with an eye open for my first bear sighting. Even though it was only for a second, I finally did see a black bear walking up the trail behind the lodge where we ate our meals. Thanks Alan!
- Speaking of food… The food this past week was unreal! We had an incredible chef, D’arcy, who prepared for us some of the most unusual and tasty dishes I’ve ever had. Hopefully one of the other Summit crew will post a menu from the week…because it was unreal. The chocolate soup (made from $40 a pound chocolate) was very rich and tasty, and I greatly enjoyed the juevos rancheros on our last morning there.
- Laughing. What could be more fun than a group of people who work with jr. high students? Some highlights include a trip to the local movies to see a zombie movie. One person thought we were going to see the sequel to a Sandra Bullock chick-flick, another person took the opportunity to sneak back into the theatre after a bathroom break and scare the crap out of several people. After the movie, we were treated to the final part of a massive police hunt (helicopter and all) right outside the theatre. On our last night at the Summit, we gathered together to play a board game. Nate Rice tried to explain the rules to us, but it was an uphill battle at best. I can’t tell you why it was so funny, but it was one of those times where I found myself laughing so hard that I was crying. It was a great night.
It was a great week. As Andy Jack said on his blog, it’s one of the few times and places where I feel totally normal. I love this group of people, and I love this time of learning and sharing. This is a week that I will look forward to all year long.
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Ahhh….I’m jealous. I’m going to the one in september? Are you thinking about going? I know it’s not the real thing…but I think it’ll still be good.
We need to get together. I want to hear all the details and whether or not you body slammed the ciy guy.
Hey Ken! Glad to hear that you’re going to the one in September…it should be awesome. I won’t be going to that one, but have heard from quite a few people who are. I’ll give you a call and let’s go do something.
And Johnny (the CIY guy) is a friend, so I didn’t body slam him. I did however put itching powder in his bed for the week.