Why Yosemite Summit?
Membership Level› Guest
Author/Source: Karl Bastian
Topic: Yosemite Summit
Why did Pastor Karl start his UN-Conference called Yosemite Summit for men in children's ministry?
Yosemite Summit was born out of the realization that pastors don’t always need another idea or product – the best thing for their ministry is to make sure their walk with God is all that it can be.
In the summer of 2006 I reached a low point in my soul completely drained by the busyness and activity of ministry. My soul and marriage were suffering – though for a time no one knew it, hardly even me.
When I finally reached the place of giving up and letting go of ministry and surrendering to the reality of what I had become in my pursuit of serving God – neglecting to be pursing knowing God – I found myself in a place I had never been before. Completely broken. In that time of surrender and healing my pastor preached a sermon on Recreation – which I had always defined as “play” or “fun” – but that he defined as RE-creation.
He asked what we had built into our life to RE-create us. I sat there dumbfounded. He asked what refreshes and refills us. You see, I thought recreation meant what I enjoyed, and I enjoy few things more than ministry, but ministry doesn’t refresh and refill me, or re-create me. It is draining and exhausting and depleting. As I reflected over my recent busy ministry schedule – of teaching, training, recruiting, administrating, traveling, and organizing – I realized that I had not built anything into my life that truly re-created me. Right there in the pew spark of a dream was formed as I thought, “If I could go spend several days hiking in Yosemite with some other guys, now that would be re-creating.” I had to some work to do before I was ready to head to Yosemite, but God continued to build and affirm that dream until in the spring of 2007 I took the step of faith to create Yosemite Summit. God answered prayer and called eight other guys to join me. It truly was a week of re-creating my soul.
I now do it every year inviting other pastors to join me. Perhaps God is calling you too; to step away from the busyness of ministry and spend a week with Him. No work, no ministry, no giving – just soaking in Him in the majesty of His awesome creation.
The fellowship is great. The setting awe inspiring. And the impact is life changing.
I have now taken over a dozen groups of men – over 50 pastors – on Summits. Why don’t you consider joining me next year?
Why don’t you join me?
