Summit is only a couple weeks away, so I wanted to step away from the different events for a moment to cover an essential, but often overlooked, aspect of Summit I personally always looked forward to.
The T-Shirt
I looked forward to the new design each year not only because it was a new shirt, but also because these shirts tell a story. They are a reminder of what happened at Summit, and they are also excellent conversation starters, especially at the school I am attending-Lancaster Bible College.
(This may only be because they host a conference called Summit here, but that is neither here nor there.)
The point is, these shirts get people asking questions, and those questions open the door for fantastic conversations about Summit, AWANA, Church, and, ultimately, Jesus. Now, stay with me, because I know when I was in high school the thought of witnessing filled me with terror. Even though I am now in Bible College, it still does sometimes.
God will work through us to reach people anyway. He will work in spite of us, despite us, and do remarkable things. Sure, it is easier if we are willing, but our stubbornness cannot hold the Creator of the Universe back. God did this very thing my freshman year, at my very first Summit, and it was extraordinary how He had prepared us for that moment.
As I have mentioned, my Journey group was from Western New York, and that year (way back in 2014-I know I’m ancient) was the final year Summit was going to be held in Chicago. Some of the leaders and students flew out, but a large group of us took the train. That was a magical experience-honestly Hogwarts Express level of fun. Cows were blocking the tracks, leading to a 2 hour delay; we played cards in the dining car until 1 a.m. with six of us squished into a booth meant for four and “gambling” with goldfish and animal crackers.
When our train finally arrived, we had to run to make it to choir rehearsal-yes, at that time Summit still had a choir who performed during the opening ceremony-in Hebrew, nonetheless. Overall, Summit was a blast. My group did not win anything as a whole, but two of the seniors won their divisions in Fine Arts. We had so much fun, and this continued as we sat in the train station waiting for our return home. It was scheduled to leave around ten or eleven p.m. so we had a ton of time to kill. We wandered the train station for a while, got some disappointing food, and made our way back to the terminal.
Eventually, we found ourselves sitting on a circle on the floor next to some vendor booths. Two of the boys brought their guitars, and we just started having a little worship session, singing some of the songs we learned in choir as well as our favorite worship tunes. We were also all wearing our Summit 2014 shirts, as you do, which clearly displayed a biblical theme.
This was when the vendor of the booth behind us came over and started asking us questions. They were all over the place; Christianity, Jesus, the Bible, what happens to babies who die before being able to accept Jesus (Age of Innocence is what I believe this is called), is there grace for people who die without ever knowing Jesus existed-they were never ending and unpredictable.
We were six high schoolers, fresh from Summit and on a spiritual high. Many of us were shaking the entire time from both fear and excitement (and probably a lack of sleep, if I am being honest). Eventually, her questions got far too complex for our theological knowledge and understanding, so I ran to get my dad-a pastor for over twenty years who just happened to be there for the return journey (see what I did there) because we needed another adult. He came over and talked with her for a long time. She eventually had to leave-for dinner, a meeting, I can’t remember-but we made sure to pray with her as a group before she left.
I remember rolling on the floor, high on adrenaline and in sheer awe of what God can do. My friends were laughing, hugging, grinning. None of us could believe this. It was not just the sheer fact that the woman had approached us, or that we were able to be a witness in her life. No, what astounded us was how perfectly God had arranged everything.
The Journey book for Summit that year—It was on worldviews.
All of this woman’s questions centered on various aspects of worldviews. We were able to fill this need in her life because God had prepared us for it through Summit. We had Bible verses, definitions, and theologies memorized word perfect for Quizzing. We were introduced to a host of worldviews in that book-some of which actually came up.
It has been almost five years since then-yet I remain in shock over how God orchestrated that encounter. What were the odds the woman would still be there so late in the evening? That her stall would be in the waiting area of the train station? That we would plop ourselves down, in our Summit shirts, to sing worship songs? That she would notice and have the courage to approach us? There are so many little details most would say were up to chance, a rolling of the metaphorical dice.
I know better. God was active and using us that night.
I don’t know what happened to that woman, or what impact our witness made. We never saw her again after she left that night. Desperate to leave one final message for her, we pulled out Doctor Who post-it notes I had in my bag and scribbled some encouraging thoughts on it, and stuck it to a marble pillar next to her booth. I don’t know if she ever got it, but if someone else picked it up I am praying it had a positive impact on them that drew them closer to God.
Do not underestimate how God can use something as simple as a t-shirt to accomplish His plans.
So when I say these shirts are powerful, I truly mean it. Do not underestimate how God can use something as simple as a t-shirt to accomplish His plans.
Do any of you have similar stories? Share them to my email, summitjourneyalumni@gmail.com, or in the comments below! I love reading your stories, and they are a great form of encouragement for us all as a body of believers.
Soli Deo Gloria!
