“Come,
follow me…”
You’ve said “Yes” to Jesus; to experience life with
the One who knows you best. But where does He want to lead you in
the years ahead? There may never be a better time to ask that question
than as you prepare to start college.
Jesus won’t hand you a road map to your future, but if you’ll
look, He’ll set you in the right direction. And the best place
to look is to the heart of Jesus: Know what breaks it…what brings
Him joy…His longing for those who don’t yet know Him…His
passion for justice…an unending source of love and mercy.
Compass is designed to allow the mind and heart of Jesus to touch
your own. And as they do, your road will begin to come into focus.
You won’t finish the summer with all the answers, but you will
be asking the right questions to discover the eternal, Kingdom purpose
to which God has called you in the coming years.
Compass Goals:
There are three key goals that guide the Compass program:
• Attain a basic, theological understanding of the
Christian faith.
Do you wish you had a better handle on what you believe? Each morning
during the first three weeks, you’ll dive into what you need
to know as a well-grounded follower of Jesus: the “big picture”
story of the Bible…a study of Paul’s letter to the Romans
as a theological foundation of the Christian faith…and a look
at the lives of key Christian heroes over the centuries. You’ll
be guided by seriously smart – and seriously fun! – Whitworth
University professors Dr.
Jerry Sittser, Dr.
Adam Neder and Dr.
Scott Starbuck.
• Expand your heart for our broken world and its need for Christ.
Are you ready to be a little uncomfortable? Because some of what we’ll
see and hear this summer will tear at your heart. We’ll bring
the world home through testimony and video, and we’ll go straight
into a world you’ve likely never experienced before –
the urban heart of Vancouver B.C. with YWAM’s
Mission Adventure program. It’ll be nine days living and
serving together in an eclectic neighborhood of great cultural diversity,
poverty, homelessness and broken lives; an urban setting that desperately
needs people to live out what it really means to follow Jesus. Click
here for more information on Urban Mission Adventures.
• Be inspired to identify and pursue God’s
calling in your life.
You’ll meet some incredible people; fully-alive believers who
are laying it on the line for the sake of Jesus Christ. Some get paid
for it; others have found God’s calling outside of full-time
ministry. Some are living lives of high adventure for the cause of
Christ; others live seemingly ordinary lives disguising a significant,
eternal impact for God’s Kingdom. You’ll get to know some
creative leaders who are using new methods here at home to engage
a culture that has dismissed the Gospel. And you’ll meet those
who have left home to be the hands, feet and words of Jesus to others
far across the world. But in the end, you’ll want what they’ve
got – a clear calling and a life purpose to make a difference
for Jesus Christ.
Other Cool Stuff:
Those are the three big goals, but there are other aspects to
the program that you’ll love, as well.
Christian Community.
For starters, you’ll live in a Christian community of up to
18 new high school grads for an entire summer. That means sharing
the entire Compass experience with some high-quality, fun people.
Theology classes, area field trips, late-night discussions, free time
on the dock, daily worship, special events, meals together, Service
Crew, the Vancouver Mission Adventures trip and so much more will
fill your summer. Not only that, but we’ve added-in some exceptionally-fun,
community-building experiences like five-day guys-and-girls backpacking
trips in the North Cascades and a Sunday afternoon Mariner’s
game during a Seattle weekend together.
But this isn’t a one-time deal. Through the reunion weekend
next winter, summer staff opportunities in subsequent summers, and
connections with Spalding staff, Compass will provide ongoing opportunities
to keep the conversation alive and friendships growing toward Christ
throughout your college years.
Camp Spalding.
Yes, you can have it all (at least this summer). Not only are you
in for a life-changing summer with Compass, but you’ll get to
experience the best of “classic” Camp Spalding! You’ll
be right in the action during Junior
High I camp, either serving as a cabin counselor or plugging into
a program area for the week. Later in the summer, you’ll get
to serve behind-the-scenes, helping camp run and look great as the
Compass team rolls up its sleeves for Service Crew during Senior High
II and Family Camp.
College Prep.
You’ll be heading off to college within a few days or weeks
after the end of the program. We’ll send you off ready to fly!
Near the end of our summer together, we’ll take a few days to
look at how to make a smooth, successful transition into college –
spiritually, intellectually and practically. And we’ll bring
in the guy who wrote the book about it (literally). Nick Herberger,
of Live Your
Journey, will take us through his book, The Freshmen 40, to make
your first year of college be the best year possible!
Mentoring Partners.
We’re with you for the long-run. That includes pairing you up
with a fun, older adult for your freshmen year to cheer you on, encourage
you and challenge you to be all that God created you to become. You’ll
do some light reading between meetings, then get together every two
or three weeks to discuss the book and check-in and talk about life.
Your mentor will become a trusted, helpful friend as you continue
to clarify God’s calling on your life.
The Details…
Eligibility. Compass – Student Leadership Development
is accepting applications from those graduating from high school in
the spring of 2008. The program can accommodate up to 8 male and 8
female participants. Also see Application, below.
Leadership. Compass directors are David Sittser and
Sarah Butler, both graduates of Whitworth University and veteran Spalding
summer staff members. Read their bios here.
Schedule. You can take a look at the weekly summer
schedule here.
Cost. As you might guess, the cost of the Compass
program is pretty steep: van rental, hotels, instructors, backpacking,
mission trip, staff, room and board for the summer…it all adds
up. However, there will be no charge to participants. That’s
right! A few families so believe in the potential of this program
that they’ve provided 100% of the funding for up to 16 students
to participate at no cost!
Application. If you’re actively involved in
Christian fellowship, have a Christian leader in your life who can
speak to your spiritual maturity, are a solid student, and truly want
to follow Christ’s leading in the years ahead, we’d love
to have you apply! You may request a Compass application by
e-mailing Andy Sonneland at: andy@clearwaterlodge.org.
Application deadline: Friday, March 14, 2008. Notification of acceptance
will be made by Friday, March 21. |