Experiences from Summit

During the summer break between semesters, many students of Oklahoma Christian University work as interns with businesses and churches, volunteer at summer camps, study abroad, travel, or attend summer classes.  All students who do not yet have summer plans are highly encouraged to attend a conference with Summit Ministries, as all students are eligible for a considerable scholarship to cover costs.

This conference, hosted in Manitou Springs, Colorado, is broken up into sessions, which are each twelve days long, running from May through August. The goal is to dig deeply into the “whys” behind the truth of the Christian faith, how that impacts your daily walk, and how it forms your life’s purpose. Oklahoma Christian offers a full scholarship, covering all meal, housing, and conference costs, leaving students to cover the cost of travel to the event. Students may apply through a link and answer a small questionnaire to be considered for this scholarship (Summit 2026 scholarship link). As the scholarship for Summit 2026 opened up, the Talon interviewed two students about their experience attending the session. Marissa Powell is a senior majoring in accounting who also has started her master’s degree at Oklahoma Christian as well. Linsey Christian is a senior majoring in Nursing. They both received the scholarship and attended the conference in the summer of 2024.

What initially drew you to attend the conference?

“At first, I was really hesitant, like it just wasn’t something it seemed like I would do. To go for two weeks with a bunch of strangers, [me] being very introverted… I was a sophomore, so I was still kind of unfamiliar with people, but just with some random encounters, one by Buddy Lambert, who was very involved with Summit. He ended up overhearing me and a friend talking about it in the Brew, and he came and sat down… He talked passionately about it… I had a couple of other girls from my club going, and so I was like, ‘Might as well try something new,’” Powell said.

What were some of your expectations going into it?

“Honestly, Summit blew away every expectation that I had. I was a little nervous because I went with people that I didn’t know extremely well. However, I made some of my lifelong friends from it and I now live with the two girls that came with me! The conference completely opened my eyes to why I believe in Christianity and how to combat the ways that the world tries to disprove our faith. Summit taught me that God and His word are able to withstand any argument presented against it because it is the objective truth of the world,” Christian said.

“Really, even going into it, I didn’t know too much about what it was. I knew that I was wanting to learn more. I’ve been to big conferences like the Passion conference, and I was always interested in learning, but this was a different level of depth and substance and learning how our faith fits into the world,” Powell said.

How would you describe the overall atmosphere of the conference on the way and when you got there?

“Well, we drove all the way up to Colorado, so it was a lot of… excitement, you know? Not really knowing what to expect, but getting there, everyone was just so eager to be there. All the camp counselors were super eager to reach out. Really just seeing the excitement of everyone else made me excited and that I was there for a good thing, even though I had no idea [what to expect,]” Powell said.

Do you remember some of the main themes or topics they discussed at the conference?

“Another thing that was extremely exciting about the conference was the fact that there are various speakers that visit the conference that are very prominent in the world of apologetics. A very unique aspect of Summit is that there is always a Q&A time with each speaker where attendees are allowed to ask questions in which no topic is off limits and the speaker will answer to the best of their ability. This allows for a safe space for young Christians to inquire about things that might be considered taboo and get real and genuine answers without judgement. Many amazing discussions came from this time and it was amazing that we were able to have access to people that had made huge movements in the apologetics world,” Christian said.

After the conference, how did it influence you in your faith, culture, or worldview?

“I think at certain points I would just be sitting there at my desk amazed at how much I wanted to learn, and I was like, ‘I wish every class was like this. Where I’m on the edge of my seat, wanting to learn, where I’m staying up until 9pm learning about communism.’ It’d never been that interesting to me before, and just how our faith does affect and touch every aspect of our lives, and it can guide us in every aspect of our lives,” Powell said.

“It really ignited that flame of curiosity and that there’s so much more to learn than just what you learn in Sunday school. Everything that we have in our lives and that surrounds us is applicable to our faith and we should have it and should be informed about that… It also just opened up how much more I needed to learn to be well informed to defend my faith,” Powell said.

Did you form any meaningful connections with other students while attending or people that you met there?

“I went with a couple girls in my club, and everyone I went with I didn’t know very well. I, like, knew their names but not much about them. Now they’re my roommates. So we started a friendship there. And then just some other people, like, I didn’t even know their names, and we went to school together. Now, we’re very close friends. There’s a big bonding factor there,” Powell said.

Any additional comments you would mention in a conversation about the conference?

“The lessons and the classes are amazing, but that’s not all there is. Like we go and play volleyball, and honestly, that was some of my favorite memories. Playing speed out in this beautiful park in Colorado and just absolutely dominating. But doing that, having meals outside, surrounded by mountains and beautiful weather, it was just like every aspect of it was enjoyable,” Powell said.

What would you say to students who are considering going?

“My biggest piece of advice to give about Summit is to just go. To go even if you might be nervous or if it seems like it will be out of your comfort zone because it is an opportunity that you don’t get at any other time in your life. The cost for a summit session is upwards of $2000 and through [Oklahoma Christian] you are able to go completely free because there are people that believe in it. It would be such a shame to pass on an opportunity that allows for 2 weeks of uninterrupted learning about God in one of the most beautiful places in fellowship with others. I’ve made friends from this experience that I hope to hold onto for a very long time and I wish that everybody else would be able to experience that,” Christian said.