Two Kinds of Students
President Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries in Colorado—a major inspiration behind our Think Well Conference—is quoted as saying this: "At Summit, we have two types of students—students who have unanswered questions ... and students who have unquestioned answers."
We couldn't have said it any better when it comes to the types of students at the Think Well Conference. This is why we welcome students who are at all spiritual maturity levels (so long as they are either professing Christians or are at least open to the claims of the Christian faith).
We think it's important for those who have doubts and questions to have a safe place to ask them, examine the options, and understand the answers that Christianity and the Bible provide. In addition, we want students to see how these answers have implications for every other area of life. In summary, we want students not to have a blind faith that they accept without thinking, but a real faith that they accept, embrace, and live by, because they've thought it through.
It's equally important that students who do know what they believe, and feel confident in it, to be aware of the conflicting views that the world will throw their way, sometimes in blatant form and other times in more subtle ways. One of the key factors in students walking away from their childhood faith is that they never really made their parents' beliefs their own. And so we think it's important for a student who has professed faith in Christ to come to Think Well and be asked questions like:
WHY do you believe what you believe? Is it just because your parents taught you that, or is there a reality, some objective evidence, behind that teaching?
HOW will you respond when that faith is tested or shaken by forces, from within or without (personal suffering or external circumstances)?
WHAT tools and guidance can you rely on when questions and doubts DO come (as they will)?
When people are in their teens and early 20s is the time when lifelong values, convictions, habits, thought patterns, and assumptions are being tried and set. These things are much harder to change later (and they also don't come without consequences, good or bad, that may last for the rest of a person's life).
Parents, sending your kid(s) to Think Well could be one of the (dare we say) best things you do to help them prepare for life when you aren't there by their side anymore. We encourage you to register your child, and if you have any questions, by all means, let us know.
Students, we encourage YOU to get your questions ready ... and your answers too!
We hope to see you in June!
