We often get confused as a Christian gap year, but we’re not…and if that’s your perspective, we get you – it's easy to misunderstand what Summit is!
So, to help clear things up, here are some things that make Summit different from a Christian gap year:
Summit is a paid, full-time job. You don’t need to fundraise or find sponsors – we pay you!
When you join Summit, you sign up to a 2-year program* where you grow in your faith and share Jesus with young people on camps. You can also stay on after two years to further your training and work in more senior roles.
During your time in the program, you’ll work towards gaining qualifications in outdoor education and ministry. These include a Cert II in Outdoor Recreation, Cert III in Outdoor Leadership, and a Cert IV in Ministry & Theology.
But that's not all!
Summit is a community where you can grow in your faith that’s more than just a job. It’s a program where you’ll learn skills in leadership and ministry while sharing Jesus on camp.
By the end of the program, our hope is that you’ll feel confident in your faith and be able to share many stories of how lives have been transformed for Christ, just like Tom’s story below.
“I was leading on a really fun camp, however, very few campers were Christian and there was a very low level of understanding of the gospel. This was the case with all the kids in my discussion group except one – Gabe^.
I first met Gabe on day two of camp when I heard a ukulele being played quietly around the corner. When I checked who it was, he was just chilling and chatting to a friend. I had a great conversation with the two of them about camp so far and Gabe revealed that he loved sailing and had first sailed on a CRU Holiday Camp over the summer.
Gabe was a Christian and across the week showed his extraordinary love for his faith by praying for other campers and giving super insightful answers in discussion groups.
I found out later in another conversation with Gabe that he hadn't grown up in a Christian household but had indicated a decision to follow Jesus for the first time on his CRU school camp the year before. In fact, his parents were extremely against his decision and wouldn't let him go to church.
Despite these circumstances he still loved Jesus and said that his life was empty before knowing Him. For me this was so encouraging to see God working in the most difficult of circumstances.”
Tom’s story is just one example of God working powerfully through the camping ministry that happens on Summit. For more encouraging stories from Summit trainees and to hear about how the two-year ministry training program has grown them, head to our blog or check out our FAQs.
*There is a possible exit point after one year, but the full two-year program is designed to maximise your growth, impact and the qualifications you are working towards.
^Name changed for privacy reasons.
