JACKSON, Tenn. — June 25, 2018 — Union University is hosting Summit Student Conferences on its Jackson campus this summer for the first time.
Summit Student Conferences are designed to train up the next generation to champion a biblical worldview, said Roy Faletti, national director of partner development for Summit Ministries.
“Our emphasis is truth plus relationship,” Faletti said. “It’s not about getting a bunch of knowledge to win an argument; it’s about learning to ask good questions that get people to think.”
The Summit Conferences will include two separate two-week conferences on Union’s campus. Students age 16 to 25 will hear from experts from across the country on a variety of cultural topics.
Ryan Sinni, a 2018 Union University graduate, attended a Summit Conference at another institution before his freshman year at Union. This summer, he will be working as a small group leader for the conferences on Union’s campus. He said the Summit Conference equipped him to navigate cultural issues from a biblical perspective.
“For me, Summit wasn’t just about thinking rightly; it was about loving rightly as well,” he said. “It’s not just important to have the right answers. It’s also important to communicate those answers in a loving way.”
Sinni said Summit taught him to have intellectual hospitality – to hear different viewpoints while remaining firm in his Christian convictions.
Dan Griffin, Union’s vice president for enrollment management, said he hopes the partnership with Summit Ministries will continue beyond this year, and he is excited about the opportunities the partnership provides Union.
“We’re excited about the quality of student Summit brings to our campus,” Griffin said. “These students are serious about their faith and serious about discipleship and apologetics.”
Griffin said the partnership will also put Union faculty members in front of excellent students, allowing the students to get a taste of what Union provides. Incoming freshmen who attend the conference will be eligible for a $2,500 scholarship to Union, renewable each year for four years.
Faletti said the partnership with Union is ideal because the campus is central for many students in the Southeast and the missions of Union and Summit Ministries align well.
“We are always looking to partner with institutions who are sound, who are Christian in more than just name,” Faletti said.
Summit Ministries will also host an open house July 10 on Union’s campus to share more information about the conferences with churches, schools and families in the area. Registration for the open house can be found online. More information about Summit Ministries is available on their website.