It’s remarkable how quickly a place and its people can change you. After just 12 days at Summit, you may reflect and think, “I’m different now.” At Summit, many experience a taste of heaven—a glimpse of what life can be like when we view the world through God’s lens of love, truth, and grace. It’s no wonder the Summit student conference is often described as a “glimpse of heaven on earth.” But what makes it feel that way?
At Summit, you’ve been invited to see the world through God’s lens—a lens to see people as valuable and life as worth living. This is the beautiful truth of the Christian worldview, where we hear Jesus’ words: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”1 You’ve been invited not merely into a set of ideas but into a complete life transformation. This is not unique to Summit—it is uniquely found in Jesus. Jesus teaches us to “seek first the kingdom,”2 and to pray, “May your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”3 Many have prayed these words over Summit, and God has responded with his anointing. But this taste of heaven isn’t reserved for Summit alone. It’s an invitation to experience and cultivate the kingdom of heaven wherever you go.
The goal of this article is to offer you practical rhythms—community, learning, and silence and solitude—to help you bring heaven on earth into your everyday life. These rhythms aren’t about replicating your Summit experience but about experiencing Jesus and his kingdom wherever he sends you.
What is a Rhythm?
A rhythm is a regular, repeated movement. In our lives, rhythms are not just activities but intentional, consistent practices that shape who we are. By intentionally cultivating rhythms, we can remain aware of God’s work in and around us. While many rhythms can draw us closer to God, let’s focus on three: community, learning, and silence and solitude.
The Rhythm of Community
God created us for community. In fact, studies show that healthy human connection is crucial for flourishing.4 Community—especially the body of Christ—shapes, nourishes, and encourages us. Cultivating community means intentionally developing relationships and investing time in them. This could look different depending on your context, but focusing on these three categories will help strengthen community:
- Be consistent in church involvement: Commit to attending and getting involved in a Bible-believing church regularly.
- Seek a mentor: Meet with a mentor monthly to gain wisdom and support. A gift of the Summit community is our faculty members who enter into life with you. Seek out this type of wisdom at home.
- Deepen friendships: Go beyond surface-level relationships. Be vulnerable, share struggles and dreams, and support each other in Christ. If you experienced authentic friendship at Summit, that undoubtedly allowed you to see a glimpse of heaven. Think about what you were doing that made these relationships special—a good conversation over a meal, playing volleyball together, sharing your honest thoughts in small groups, and listening to others do the same. Think about creating those points of connection with others back home, and then take action on it.
Community is not just about being around people—it’s about developing relationships that nourish, encourage, and challenge us in our walk with Jesus.
Deep relationships don’t just happen—they require initiative, consistency, and care.
If you don’t have these relationships yet, don’t stop looking and praying for them. You may need to challenge yourself to find a new circle of friends or search for a church, a small group, or a mentor. Building these relationships takes time, so staying patient and consistent is essential. Remember, God is raising up his kingdom everywhere, including where you are.
The Rhythm of Learning
You certainly experienced this rhythm at Summit, sitting through nearly 60 hours of lectures. Learning requires discipline, but it leads to feeling fully alive. Mindfully cultivate the rhythm of learning by engaging with what is good, true, and beautiful each week. This learning isn’t just for the sake of knowledge—it’s for the sake of relationship with God and the life he is inviting you into.
- Start with Scripture: Start by reading Scripture a little each day. You might read a whole chapter, or you might meditate on a single verse and memorize it.
- Engage with books and podcasts: Educate yourself in ways that help you grow closer to God and enrich your understanding of the world. Listen to a podcast on your commute, on a run, or while cooking a meal. Set aside 15 minutes to read in the morning or evening. You will start to ignite with the passion of learning.
- Learn from others: Whether younger or older, those around us can always teach us something. Ask people their stories and how they view the world.
- Learn to ask questions: Asking good questions deepens relationships and our understanding.
- Reflect: Pay attention to what lessons you are learning so they can take root and continue to form you. It’s been said that we do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.
Adopting an attitude of curiosity invites us into the kingdom here on earth because God wants to share his wisdom with us if we are humble enough to listen.
As we develop a learning mindset, we discover God has wonders for us in every aspect of life.
The Rhythm of Silence and Solitude
In a busy, interconnected, and overstimulated culture, we often feel distant from God simply because we can’t sit still long enough to listen. Being still and silent amidst daily noise and distractions is essential for hearing God’s voice. The rhythm of silence and solitude creates space for God to speak to us and draw attention to the kingdom. We are often so tired because we are always working hard to figure things out rather than learning how to cease striving.5 We cease striving when we listen to the words of Jesus, who says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”6 Here are a few practical ways to include the rhythm of silence and solitude in your life:
- Set aside time for solitude daily or weekly: Turn off your phone or use grayscale mode7 to reduce distractions, and create quiet moments in your day. If this is not a part of your life, starting small is okay. Even 10 minutes of pause can help our minds and hearts. Solitude is time to nourish our souls.8 Much in today’s world goes against this, yet likely, this is one of the key reasons you experienced a glimpse of heaven at Summit.
- Cultivate prayer: Talk to Jesus throughout your day, even if brief. Prayer invites you to experience God’s presence in the here and now, and it’s a crucial part of experiencing heaven on earth.
- Make space to rest: Silence helps us hear God, reflect on our lives, allow our hearts to be healed, and experience the wholeness Jesus wants for us. God’s invitation to us is one of rest—rest for our souls.
In a fast-paced world, silence and solitude offer healing and clarity, helping us see God’s kingdom at work around us and inside us.
Living with Jesus: The Core of the Kingdom
Ultimately, cultivating the kingdom of heaven in our lives is about knowing Jesus more deeply. The rhythms mentioned above help us live in relationship with him, learn from him, and find joy in living out his kingdom on earth. The rhythms are not the answer; Summit is not the answer; he is. When we focus on him, he transforms us, and we begin to experience glimpses of heaven in our everyday lives—just like you did at Summit.
The key takeaway: Jesus is the center of it all.
Glimpses of Heaven Everywhere
The Summit experience is a launching pad for a life that reflects heaven on earth. As young adults, the challenge is to continue bringing the kingdom with you, whether at school, work, or with friends. God’s kingdom is at hand, and we are invited to participate in it—that is the taste you got at Summit. Pay attention to the glimpses of heaven present in the world. Whether through the people you meet, the beauty in creation, or the small moments of grace, the kingdom of heaven is coming here now. Yes, we sometimes fail, but God’s mercy guides us. Especially in failure, we experience his grace, which is the true foundation of the kingdom. By living with Jesus, embracing community, learning, and finding silence and solitude, we can participate in bringing heaven to earth.
Summit is a launching pad—a taste of heaven on earth. So go and bring the kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, believing that God is doing far more than we can ask or imagine.9
By Katie Bergford
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