“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…foundational theological truths 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.

• 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.

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 and time to play in Seattle 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.

Details...

Eligibility. Compass – Student Leadership Development is accepting applications from those graduating from high school in the spring of 2010. The program can accommodate up to 7 male and 7 female participants. Also see Application, below.

Leadership. A fun, spiritually solid guy and girl director will provide leadership and mentoring, and plan awesome special events throughout the summer.

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!

Email Andy Sonneland, Executive Director, to request an application: andy@clearwaterlodge.org. Application deadline:  Friday, May 14, 2010.  Notification of acceptance will be made as applications are received and reviewed.

Student Testimonials. Click here to hear what others are saying.