Super Summer equips students to follow Jesus; continue to give him their “yes”

Tristan Smith, a student from First Baptist Clifton, returned for his second year of Super Summer more confident in his decision to follow Jesus. 

“Last year was actually the year that I gave my life to Jesus,” said Smith. “I got baptized before, but I just did it because everybody else [was] doing it. So I never really, fully understood. But the first year [of Super Summer], after worship and everything, I really felt him talk to me because worship is like my biggest way that I could talk to him and hear him talk to me, and then I just grabbed a hold of his hand [for the first time] Thursday night.”

Super Summer is a leadership training and development camp for Texas Baptists youth. With the theme, “Follow Me,” students attended school and breakout sessions, participated in recreation activities, spent time in worship, and heard from Lance Shumake, teaching pastor at Crosspoint Community Church in Rockwall, to learn about what it means to “deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23) on June 16-20.  

Nick Gainey, worship minister at Crosspoint Community Church in Rockwall, led students in worship throughout the week. 

Smith said he learned that “following Jesus includes sacrifices.”

“Sometimes we may not like [what God is calling us to], but it's what's best for us, even if it doesn't give us positive changes straight away. It will still be better for us in life later on,” said Smith. 

He said remembering this truth will give him more discipline to “do things in life that may be hard for me to choose.” 

Setting the pace for following Jesus 

When she came to Super Summer for the first time as a red schooler, Sophia Ritzmann, a student from FBC Clifton, just wanted to be spiritually fed, but with each year she returns, she learns “the importance in also feeding others.” 

“There are so many people out in my school, in my church, in my community, that have not been [spiritually] fed, and they're searching for [fulfillment in] other things; they are searching in the bad actions that you hear about, and the sin that you hear about. They're trying to find something that feeds them. But ultimately, they all come up still hungry,” said Ritzmann. 

She said what keeps her coming back to Super Summer is receiving the reminder that she is called to share the Good News with those around her, just as much as she needs it herself. 

“Yes, I need to be fed, but I also need to feed and I need to show people the way, the truth and the life, and that is Jesus Christ,” said Ritzmann. “[I think] that's what he wants us to hear right now as a generation.” 

Ritzmann said Super Summer is special because each year, the speakers’ messages remind students of the call to “go back to your church and be a leader.” But this year, she appreciates that the theme, “Follow Me,” focuses on “our own relationship with him and tuning in and being so close to him so that no matter where we go, we can have our deep-rooted faith, and then in turn, spread that to others.”

She said the messages students get to hear throughout the week “really fill your soul” with encouragement. 

“[The messages] send you back to your church [feeling] like, ‘Okay, I'm not alone in this. I'm not the only person out here who has a heart that desires God,’” said Ritzmann. “It's a great week of encouragement.” 

Chloe Grammer, a student from First Baptist Church Garland, said she also keeps coming back to Super Summer because the speakers are “really motivational for stepping outside of our comfort zone, really pushing us to engage with the people around us in a way that I don't get from any other camp.” 

She said this year’s theme, “Follow Me,” has been particularly impactful for her as “two years ago at Super Summer, I felt called to missions.”

"It's been really amazing this year, feeling a little more solid in that [calling]... [and] expecting God to speak to me this year,” said Grammer. “Something that [has] stuck with me is the theme 'Follow Me,’ [to] leave everything behind… do whatever it takes, because it's worth it.”

She said khaki school’s, the group for students who graduated high school this year, theme “NASCAR: Set the Pace” drove the point home for her. 

“The main thing is that we're the leaders this year. We're the examples. Everyone's looking up to us,” said Grammer. 

“I can apply [the theme] to my life because, when I go back home, I don't have to be influenced by the people around me. I can be an influencer. I can shine the light for Jesus and people will see that and pick up on that and join into that,” said Grammer. “As long as we're bold and we actually are willing to set the pace… anyone can be a leader if they have a purpose to serve.” 

Understanding science and faith

Over the week, students had the opportunity to attend 24 unique breakout sessions on topics including finding community in college, the importance of worship, Christian advocacy, missions, discerning a call to ministry and more.

Wednesday afternoon, khaki school student Cole Gillikin, from First Baptist Church Texas City, attended a breakout session titled “Fusion: Faith and Science” led by Adam Broussard, Ph.D. in Astrophysics, who is a senior engineer in research and development at Raytheon Intelligence and Space. He is also a former Super Summer team leader. The session taught attendees how to "strengthen your faith against contrary ideas,” and how to be the connection between the Christian community and the scientific community. 

“Intersecting our faith with science creates something that's new and good, and just like nuclear fusion, it provides an enormous burst of energy,” said Broussard. “It allows us to reach out to people and to make connections to people that we never would otherwise… Even for the scientific community, the primary way of showing Christ to unbelievers is through unusual caring and kindness, and by being a sincere part of their lives.”

Gillikin learned that “by understanding one [science or Christianity], you're able to understand the other a lot better.”

“A big issue that… I've seen is that a lot of Christians keep their faith and keep science separate, and they're not willing or don't really take the time to understand that they're really connected,” said Gillikin. “[After] taking in everything [Broussard] said, I think I'm a lot more prepared to talk with some people about that, and help explain how those two not only coexist, but [also] help each other.” 

Gillikin said, returning to Super Summer for the second time, he is “constantly being reassured” that “it has nothing to do with what I do” that God calls him to be a part of his kingdom work. 

“I think last year completely changed my perspective on how I serve God, and in a lot of ways, I would [serve] to become holy… But throughout last year and then continuing this year, I'm constantly being reassured in a sense that… because I'm [made] holy, I get to [serve God],” said Gillikin. “[It’s a reminder to be] in full surrender to him and continue to give him my ‘yes.’”

Trusting and treasuring Jesus above all

Wednesday evening, students gathered in Pilgrim Chapel for Rainbow, the nightly all-school worship service. Shumake shared a message on what it means to follow Jesus. 

Drawing from the story of “The Rich Young Ruler” in Matthew 19:16-22, he told students that “because you and I are prone to wander, we have a tendency to forget the goodness of God,” so some scripture is intended to give us a warning and turn our focus back to Him. 

“As you see instruction and encouragement and all these different things in the Bible that are our response, another part of that that you see in the Bible is, every now and then, there'll be a warning,” said Shumake. “You and I are prone to wander. We have a tendency to forget the goodness of God, and we take our eyes off of him. We want to look at something else or value something else, and so we have this tendency [to be] like a sheep that keeps wandering off and going astray. We're all like that, so we keep having to be reminded.” 

Shumake said this passage reminds us that following Jesus means trusting him alone. 

“The law was given to point out the fact that we're all law breakers, and we needed someone to keep the law for us and give us that righteousness, and that's what Jesus did… on the cross. And when we put our faith and trust in him, he exchanges [our sin]. He gives us his perfection, his righteousness, the fact that he kept the law perfectly, he gives that to us, and that's what makes us right with God,” said Shumake. 

Referencing Philippians 3:4-10, he explained that Paul found everything he was trying to accomplish was worthless compared to what Jesus had accomplished for him. Shumake challenged students: “Are you trusting Jesus and only Jesus right now?” 

“If you know, ‘There was a time in my life that I put my faith and trust in Jesus. I remember the moment,’ that's awesome… but what you're doing right now will bring you more assurance than even that,” said Shumake. “[Ask yourself], ‘Am I trusting him right now? I'm not trusting myself. I'm not just trying harder at this thing, I'm trusting him alone. That's where we find our assurance.” 

Shumake said this passage also reminds us that following Jesus means treasuring him above all. He said the story of “The Rich Young Ruler” is designed to warn us: “Don't miss your opportunity to follow him. Don't let anything get in the way of that.” 

“Anytime we trade what God has for us for something else… it's just as ridiculous [as the Rich Young Ruler] because it doesn't lead us where we want to go. It doesn't give us what it promises,” said Shumake. “But what Jesus promises is not a life that’s easy or problem free, but he promises a life that's blessed ten times, 100 times… so it's an act of faith. ‘Jesus, I trust you and I believe that you love me. And I believe that what you want for me is better than anything I can find on my own, so I will lay it down and I will take up what you want. I will follow you anywhere.”

Shumake concluded his message by encouraging students to respond to the way Jesus calls us to follow him. 

“I don't want you to miss it, but Jesus doesn't want you to miss it way more than I do because he loves you. He's asking you to trust him alone and to treasure him above all. How will you respond to that tonight?” said Shumake. 

“Take the chance” on Super Summer

This Super Summer was a first and last for Maddie Samford, a student from FBC Garland. She said she joined the church last year after coming from a “very broken church.” Inspired by FBC Garland’s “beautiful environment” to grow her relationship with the Lord, she wanted to “spend as much time as I could learning more about Christ with fellow students before going off to college.” 

She encouraged students who are considering it to “take the chance” on Super Summer. 

“You might feel like an outsider because of not having as much time [here] as everyone else, but.. it's such a welcoming environment and such a place that just immediately feels like home,” said Samford. “[So], even if you haven't been here for as many years as everyone else, if you're not a rainbow kid, or if this is your first year, just take the chance to be a better leader and be a better follower of Christ.”

Gillikin echoed this, encouraging students to “Go. [To say it] in one word.” 

“No matter what grade you're in… in every year, in every grade group, there's something you will gain,” said Gillikin. “God's presence is very present and capable in this place, and he's really able to change people's lives.” 

This year, 358 students attended Super Summer, representing 27 Texas Baptists churches, along with 104 adult volunteers. Thirty-eight students attended a breakout session for those discerning a call to ministry, led by Rusty Wheelington, professor of Christian Studies at Howard Payne University. 

To learn more about Super Summer, visit supersummer.com.