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Youth ministries have continued to reach teens the same way for many years. An adult stands before the youth, reads a passage from the Bible and then tells the kids what it means and how they can apply it to their lives.
Scott Nieveen wants to approach youth ministry differently but with the same messages.
For the last three years, an idea brewed in his head. He wanted to create a place that wasn't common in the Midwest. He wanted it in a neutral location, apart from any particular church or school.
With the current popularity of coffeehouses among young people, Nieveen decided to create the Summit Coffeehouse.
"I just wanted to create a place where high school people could come, take a break from their week, talk about issues in their lives, talk about how a relationship with God would address them," he said.
"God is not locked into this old view that God just exists in the pews. God is out there willing to help."
Nieveen is no stranger to youth and youth ministry. He was the Campus Life director at Warsaw Community High School for several years and coached football and track in Warsaw the last five years.
"I got a church behind me to sponsor me. We rented the facilities and got some donations to help put stuff together," he said.
Summit meets every Sunday in the old Champs building on the corner of Market and Buffalo streets, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Nieveen is renting the building. Although it's called the Summit Coffeehouse, and the inside is decorated with couches, televisions, a large screen and a place for bands to perform, it's not actually a coffeehouse. Coffee isn't even served, though popcorn and soda are available. (The popcorn is free, the soda is 50 cents.) The high school kids gather for half an hour. The program for the night begins at 7 p.m. and may include skits, music or discussion. After the program ends at 7:45 p.m., teen-agers may stay and socialize until 8:30 p.m.
"As I get more staff and help, I'd like to keep it open more nights," Nieveen said. Summit now has two paid employees and eight volunteers, many from Grace College.
Summit kicked off Sept. 12. "We probably have five different schools coming to this - it's not just Warsaw," he said. There are usually 60 to 80 kids on coffeehouse nights.
"The whole thing that got me into youth ministry was when I was in high school," Nieveen said. "I had a guy listen to me, believe in me and I wanted to do the same for as many other kids as I could."
He said teens can't always talk to their parents about their problems. And kids need more perspective other than their friends.
Nieveen is 33 years old. When asked if the age difference between him and the teen-agers was an issue, he said, "I don't think the age thing is as important as the sincerity."
He said kids have too many adults in their life who say they are in for the long haul, but then leave after two or three years.
"I think kids want to know you're going to be there. You've got to show them in real tangible ways," he said.
He said he has no particular goal for Summit. But, he said, "as long as I'm in youth ministry, I want to be doing stuff that's really cutting-edge and where kids want to be.
"I'm not looking to be a peer friend of theirs, I'm looking to be an adult friend."
Most of the high school kids who attend Summit found out about it by word of mouth. Nieveen said he finds that to be the best way to reach teen-agers. Occasionally, they pass out a flier about when and where the group meets.
