18 Years of Equipping Youth to Stand Firm

“I am so glad I came. Not only did listening to all the speakers introduce new astounding thoughts to me, but it also further strengthened what I already believed. I cannot wait to get home and start applying what I have learned.” – Teen

We are so thankful for all the volunteers, sponsors, ministries, speakers, and attendees who made our 18th annual Christian Youth Summit an impactful event! What a joy to be surrounded by hundreds of youth willing to spend their weekend growing stronger in their faith. Parents, youth pastors, and ministry leaders also participated and learned along with the students. According to our feedback forms, roughly 96% of attendees said they were excited to commit more areas of their lives to God and/or more confident in sharing their faith with others after attending the conference. We always encourage skeptics to attend and this year we were thrilled that many students expressed making a commitment to Christ.  The Summit was held April 11-12, 2025 with over 400 attending from over 90 different churches in the Pacific Northwest. Of the roughly 350 students who attended, 48% were in public schools, 17% in private schools, and 35% homeschooled. Each and every year, it is so clear to us that the younger generation is in the thick of a worldview battle and that they are eager for more resources and support to help them stand firm. 

Encouraging Feedback from Teens

We get a glimpse of how the Summit impacts students by handing out feedback forms at the end of the event and asking for online feedback following the conference. Although it takes many hours to sift through the feedback, this process is so valuable. It helps us understand more about the questions students wrestle with and which talks resonate. One trend this year was an increase in how many students expressed appreciation for a safe place to process doubts and questions. In a culture where deconstruction is going viral on platforms like TikTok, it was refreshing to hear students express that they can deal with doubts in a healthy and Biblical way. One student wrote, “[Kasey’s talk] helped me realize that doubt is a part of life and that I am not the only one to doubt and I can come closer to God through doubt.” Many attendees, both students and adults, also expressed uncertainty about how to defend or share their faith and appreciated getting better equipped in this area. One teen commented, “I was always afraid to tell people about Jesus because I felt like I wouldn’t know what to say, so the [Tactics] talk was very helpful and now I’m not so scared.” Teens also communicated a consistent willingness to engage with tough questions. One teen shared, “I really appreciate this conference because I gained so much knowledge and now I want to go out and study and learn more.” We also loved seeing so many parents, youth pastors and leaders attend the Summit and engage with their youth to help them grow in faith. One parent commented, “I loved the way Kasey related with the students in a very down to earth way. He brought up incredibly important points about our culture and the trend these days to find identity in how we feel rather than in who God says we are when we put our faith in Christ. ‘Finding Purpose in an Age of Anxiety’ is a really important talk and I hope that many Christians can hear him present it.” Attendees enjoyed the ministry fair where they were able to interact with Gospel-centered non-profits from around the Pacific Northwest.

To read more testimonies from students, youth leaders, and parents, see the Testimony section at the end of this blog.

Speakers Delivered Empowering Talks 

“I just wanted to encourage you…the Christian Youth Summit was great again this year. I think that both Jonathan Noyes and Kasey Leander did great…the youth seemed engaged. It is pretty amazing to see so many young people come to listen and learn about their faith and why they believe for that length of time…be encouraged to press on and to God be the glory!” – Parent

Kasey Leander (Summit Ministries) and Jonathan Noyes (Stand to Reason) delivered powerful keynote talks on critical topics such as “The Truth About Relativism,” “Finding Purpose in an Age of Anxiety,” “Tactics; Graciously Sharing Your Christian Convictions,” and “What Do I Do About Doubt.” We have had terrific feedback on the general sessions. One student said this, “Whenever I think about telling anyone about Christ, I have no clue what to say, so the talk about tactics was very good for me…” One parent commented, “[Kasey’s talk on sexual ethics] totally answers/responds to the issues of the day that my teens are facing.” Many students gave feedback that the Summit increased their confidence in the Bible: “[The archaeology talk] was really fun and insightful, learning about discoveries that support the Bible’s claims as truth.” The breakout session speakers tackled a variety of relevant topics, including Archaeology and the Bible, Science and Christianity, Sexual Ethics 101, What’s the Big Deal About Abortion? and Biblical Justice. These breakouts provided a more casual atmosphere where attendees could engage in dialogue with speakers. The Master of Ceremonies, Bryon Mengle of KNLR, has been with the Summit for about fifteen years now and does a terrific job of keeping the atmosphere fun with humor, prizes and games.

Teens Were Trained to Serve as Small Group Leaders

One unique aspect of the Summit is that the majority of youth sit in small groups with leaders who are trained prior to the Summit. Our leaders did an awesome job this year of engaging their groups in discussion, so that they could process the material and ask questions. We trained almost 40 leaders this year, and made a big push to involve young adults in leadership. Some youth groups attended together and the youth pastors or leaders led discussions. We are always thankful for pastors/leaders/teachers who attend with their youth.

Youth-Led Worship

A youth-led worship band worked hard leading up to the Summit and did a wonderful job of leading the everyone in worship. The musicians represented 5 different churches. We love seeing the next generation gather from across denominational lines and all praise God together.

Pray for Those Who Attended

As we described above, our surveys reveal that a majority of teens who consider themselves Christian overwhelmingly struggle with doubts and questions, and need a safe place to process them. Please pray that those who attended would get plugged into Biblical Christian community, grow in faith, and be empowered to impact our culture for Christ. Pray that they would be confident in sharing the hope of Christ with those around them.

Expressing Our Thanks

Every year, it is hard to put our gratitude into words. We praise God for letting us steward this event for 18 years now and for faithfully blessing it each and every year, despite challenges and obstacles. We are so thankful for the sponsors, donors, speakers, volunteers and New Hope Church staff who made the 18th Christian Youth Summit possible. We are inspired by the youth who are hungry to be equipped and the parents and youth leaders who attend so they can engage in dialogue with the kids. Thank you for helping us continue the work of equipping the younger generation to stand firm in their faith so they can stand for truth in our culture.

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

New Hope Church; Community Bible Church Sunriver; Bend Community Church/House Church Network; Crosswalk Ministries; Classical Conversations; Pregnancy Resource Centers of Central Oregon; High Desert Baptist Association; Northwest Baptist Convention; Northwest Baptist Foundation;
Tennant Developments; Friesen Foundation; Midstate Fertilizer; Dan Cardot Bend Premier Realtor; Bend Family Dentistry; Kevista Coffee; Oregon Right to Life; X-Press Printing; Smart Solutions;

If you would like to support the work that the Lord has called us to, please donate now. We are particularly praying for more monthly donors.

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Testimonies from the 2025 Summit

Testimonies from Teens

“I am so glad I came. Not only did listening to all the speakers introduce new astounding thoughts to me, but it also further strengthened what I already believed. I cannot wait to get home and start applying what I have learned.”

“I am not afraid to tell people about Jesus anymore, and I feel stronger in my faith.” – 13-year-old

“I really appreciate this conference because I gained so much knowledge and now I want to go out and study and learn more.”

“I love the logical, reasoning side of Christianity and these sessions really got me thinking.”

“It opened my eyes to the ideas of relativism and other topics I really appreciate.”

“The talks were relatable and I can use them in my daily life.”

“The talks brought me a lot of insight and I left encouraged.”

“I just loved how deep the talks went and how I might be able to talk to someone else about it.”

“The keynote talks were very interesting and empowering for a life as a Christian.”

“I really liked this year’s speakers. The topics were great and they were engaging.”

“I think the speakers had a nice way of explaining things and had a good motivation.”

“I liked finding proof and evidence for truth.”

“Kasey and Jon inspired me.”

“They were all stellar talks.”

“I think that this really applied to my life experiences and future plans.”

“Great speakers! They were great at explaining!”

“The talks applied to my own life.”

“All the talks were amazing – all just really interesting and resonated with me.”

“The talks were very practical – they will help us engage with others effectively.”

“I feel like I’ve grown closer to God.” – 16-year-old

“I really loved the speakers this year” – 15-year-old

“My dad is not a Christian and I have been searching for a way to help him.”

“I enjoyed the worship! Thank you!”

“It meant a lot to me and the last part with Stephen’s prayer meant everything.”

Testimonies from Parents

“I love seeing students dig deeper into their faith. My kids learned so much at the Christian Youth Summit this year. It made them think about hard topics and they are still talking about the talks several days later.”

“I just wanted to encourage you…the Christian Youth Summit was great again this year. I think that both Jonathan Noyes and Kasey Leander did great…the youth seemed engaged. It is pretty amazing to see that many young people come to listen and learn about their faith and why they believe for that length of time…be encouraged to press on and to God be the glory!”

“[Kasey’s talk on doubt] gave me tools to have better dialogue on this topic.”

[Kasey’s talk on sexual ethics] totally answers/responds to the issues of the day that my teens are facing.” 

“Thanks for what you do. Keep going!”

“Thank you so much for this conference!”

“Please pass on to Bryon Mengle that he did a great job…it is pretty amazing that he can make announcements fun and exciting. He helps set the mood for the whole event…”

Youth Leaders, Pastors and Young Adults

“I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about approaches to evangelism and how to navigate the struggle of anxiety.” – Youth Leader

“Both speakers were great! I appreciate their honesty about what the Christian life is like and their willingness to share their hearts.” – Young Adult

“The talks were practical, relatable, and equipped me with tools I can use in everyday life.” – Young Adult

“Loved how the keynote speakers brought a lot of info but made it easy to understand. Very relatable to current times we live in.” – Youth Leader

“The session on relativism and workshop on abortion were very relevant topics to teens.” – Parent

“I have more facts and interesting ideas on sharing my faith. Loved the archaeology breakout and keynote speakers.” – Youth Leader

“Tactics: How to Graciously Share Your Christian Convictions is such an important talk and every Christian needs to hear it! It’s so simple yet so powerful and a total game changer in how we interact with those in our lives who are not Christian.” – Youth Leader

“I truly loved it all. Me and my son were 1st timers and will definitely be returning next year!” – Parent

Testimonies About Jonathan Noyes’ Talks

“[The Tactics talk helped me] as a Christian teen who faces people that say Jesus is non-binary…woke, etc. I now have some tools in my back pocket.” – Teen

“I liked the talk on Tactics because I sometimes feel like a deer in headlights when someone asks me hard questions.” – Teen

“I love the way Jonathan made us all aware that when you believe in relativism, then there is really no right and wrong, no need for a Savior, no need for Jesus. I think this talk made students more aware that relativism is a huge issue in our culture. I also liked how he engaged the audience with questions.” – Parent

“It opened my eyes to the ideas of relativism and other topics I really appreciate.” – Teen

“The Truth About Relativism” helped me gain confidence to share my faith with the secular world.” – Youth Leader

“Whenever I think about telling anyone about Christ, I have no clue what to say, so the talk about tactics was very good for me…” – Teen

“I was always afraid to tell people about Jesus cause I felt like I wouldn’t know what to say, so this talk [Tactics] was very helpful and now I’m not so scared.” – 13-year-old

“I liked Tactics because it helped me with the right way to share the Word of God.” – Teen

“[The Tactics talk] was helpful to remember the burden of proof isn’t on me and that it’s good to ask questions.” – Teen

“I really enjoyed this and the tactics to know how to approach the secular perspective,” – Teen

“The relativism talk really made me think about what is true.”

“Tactics was very impactful.” – Teen

“Tactics gave scenarios for your daily life and how to react as a Christian.”

“Pursuing Justice gave such a  good explanation and deeper meaning to the topic.” – Teen

“I love the ‘Tactics’ talk – he made it fun and something I want to try.” – Teen

“I liked hearing the difference between objective and subjective truth.” – Teen

“I found the subjective and objective topics very interesting and just a real and true way to understand truth.”

“I will be attending college this fall and the keynote topics seem good to know.” – Teen

“[The keynote talks] dealt with very relevant topics, went deep, were easy to follow with clear and memorable points.” – Teen

“I was having a lot of trouble figuring out how to share the gospel without being judged and this talk really helped me.” – Teen

“Gave me much more confidence and less trepidation about starting conversations with people.” – Teen

“The [Tactics talk] was so inspiring!” – 12-year-old

“I needed more confidence sharing what I believe with others.” – Teen

“Jonathan’s talk on truth gave me has given me a new perspective on any claim that someone would put against me.”

Testimonies About Kasey Leander’s Talks

“I really enjoyed ‘Finding Purpose in an Age of Anxiety’ and ‘What Do I Do with Doubt’ because they really answered and related to my questions and to me.” – Teen

“Finding purpose in an age of anxiety opened my mind up a lot and I really understood what he was saying.” – Teen

“I liked the raw honesty of the reality of doubt and the scriptural examples to expect it.” – Teen

“What do I do with Doubt? was a really relevant topic because I have heard of so many youth struggling with doubts with no idea what to do. Many do not feel comfortable talking about doubts in church. Really important material.” – Parent

“I doubt a lot. [Kasey’s talk] was a good reminder to go to God to check my foundation.” – Teen

“Doubt is a very common problem people need to work through.” – Teen

“I loved the way Kasey related with the students in a very down to earth way. He brought up incredibly important points about our culture and the trend these days to find identity in how we feel rather than in who God says we are when we put our faith in Christ. “Finding Purpose in an Age of Anxiety” is a really important talk and I hope that many Christians can hear him present it.” – Parent

“[Kasey’s talks] were really inspiring and encouraging.”

“I just loved Kasey’s topics.”  – Teen

“[Kasey’s talks] really resonated with me because I suffer with anxiety.” – Teen

“I liked Kasey’s talk because it helped me understand how to deal with my doubt.”  – Teen

“I learned the best things to do with doubt are communicate with trusted people and pray.” – Teen

“I feel like the things Kasey discussed affected me personally.”

“I liked how Kasey said we are supposed to find purpose in being made in the image of God and not within.” – Teen

“[Kasey’s talk on doubt] gave me tools to have better dialogue on this topic.” – Teen

“[Kasey’s talk on sexual ethics] totally answers/responds to the issues of the day that my teens are facing.” – Parent

“We are made in God’s image. And that fact can’t make an impression because we’re only thinking about ourselves.” – Teen

“I really liked Kasey’s teaching. I felt I connected with it.” – Teen

“The doubt talk was super encouraging.” – Teen

“I’m often unsure about how to begin finding my purpose besides praying in general so it gave me a lot to think about!” – Teen

“I have anxiety, listening to this helps me handle it.” – Teen

“The doubt lecture that Kasey gave was very insightful to me and I understand that I need God to get over my doubts and fears.” – 17-year-old

“I learned that when we doubt, don’t rely on your feelings. Rely on God.” – Teen

“I struggle with anxiety and doubts so Kasey’s talk really helped me.” – Teen

“I liked the talk about doubt because I really struggle with it and it answered a lot of questions.”

“I liked Kasey’s talk on Sexual Ethics because it stressed we are made for relationship and friendship.” – Adult Leader

“Kasey’s anxiety talk was relatable and applicable to what I am going through.” – 13-year-old

“I struggle with anxiety and I feel like that talk stuck with me.” – Teen

“Kasey’s [Sexual Ethics] talk – super applicable knowledge! Also loved how he got down to our level and viewed it through a relatable lens. I loved his engagement and openness as well as good examples.” – Teen

“Kasey’s [Sexual Ethics 101] talk brought truth to this topic. Tackled this tough subject with clarity.” – Youth Leader

“I struggle with anxiety and finding acceptance a lot, it was a comfort and insightful.” – Teen

“I have struggled with doubt my whole life and this talk was encouraging.” – Teen

“Helped me realize that doubt is a part of life and that I am not the only one to doubt and I can come closer to God through doubt.” – Teen

“Christian Sexual Ethics 101 – couldn’t have been done better.” – Youth Pastor

Testimonies About Roy Swart’s Talk

“Roy was really funny, and it was super fun learning from him! Thank you, Roy!” – Teen

“It was really interesting and I liked how Mr. Roy talked about science and the bible.” – Teen

“It was very in depth and informative while consistently relaying faith-based answers.” – Teen

“This topic is brought up a lot in school, so learning more about it was not only helpful but really interesting.” – Teen

“Roy is very engaging and it was really good to learn – he had a lot of good points.” – Teen

“We have been studying evolution in class and this really helps clear some things up. It will help me navigate it better.” – Teen

“It helped me strengthen my faith and foundation in science through Biblical principles.” -Leader

“Roy’s talk is a great one…he explains how science and the bible go together like cake and ice cream, rather than constantly conflicting. Love Roy and his ministry.” – Teen

“This subject is often brought up in school a lot and it was nice to hear from someone who is a scientist…” – 17-year-old

“Roy was funny and the facts and engineered things he showed were super cool. I got lots out of it and really enjoyed it.” – Teen

“[This talk] was fascinating!” – Teen

Testimonies About Mike Caba’s Talk

“I really enjoyed matching archaeology with the bible and how much everything matched up.” – Teen

“Archaeology’ was mind blowing.” – Teen

“I really love learning about the history of the bible and it’s one of my favorite subjects.  It’s great that we can support the bible with archaeology.”

“I liked seeing archaeology proof outside of the bible.”

“It was really fun and insightful, learning about discoveries that support the bible’s claims as truth.” – Teen

“He did such a great job! It was so inspiring!”

“Really cool to see proof of the bible in the real world.” – Teen

“It was really interesting to see all of the archaeological evidence for the bible.” – Teen

“I love the bible, history, and archaeology.” – Teen

Testimonies About Makyra Williamson’s Talk

“Showed us how unborn life is important.” – Teen

“It helped me understand really how important life is and how awful abortion really is and actually understand it.” – 11-year-old

“I got to learn how to start a conversation with those who do not believe and enlighten them in a loving way.” – Teen

“I really liked this one as it helped me better understand abortion and helped give am a clear opinion on the matter.” – Young Adult

“It was good and I liked how she defined her terms before talking about the subject.” – Teen

“It was SO GREAT!” – 12-year-old

“It gave me tools to understand the subject and fight for your belief.”

“This was interesting to learn. Makyra was confident in her teachings, firm in what she believes, and I am glad I listened.”

“Abortion; the speaker gave ethical and philosophical considerations which are great to have conversation with non-believers.” – Parent