Greenville | This was Reese Lee’s last year at Super Summer. After graduating up to “gray school,” she’s entering college this fall and won’t be able to return as a student. This year’s gray school had 10 members and all of them have been attending Super Summer together since red school, when they were entering eighth grade. (Each school has its own color, ending with gray seniors.) Returning to Greenville University in Metro East, the IBSA-led week for student development was on familiar territory for the leaders, but new ground for some of the teenagers.
Lee said her group has grown close over the six years and it was always fun to see each other and reconnect. As a member of a smaller youth group at Woodland Baptist Church in Peoria, she knew how valuable the relationships were. “It was encouraging to meet people my age that also want to follow Jesus.”
Students gather to practice praise music together.
Back in Greenville
Every year, Super Summer offers dozens of students from across the state an opportunity to experience God and grow their faith. After five years across state lines, the event returned home to the original host, Greenville University. Super Summer moved to Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri starting in 2021 because of complications related to Covid.
“We are thankful for the hospitality and partnership Hannibal-LaGrange showed in hosting Super Summer for five years,” said IBSA Leadership Development Director Michael Awbrey. “At the same time, we were excited to return to Greenville University. For many who have long been involved in Super Summer, it felt like a home coming.”
Greenville is closer to many IBSA churches, making it more accessible. This year there were 214 participants including faculty, 162 were students. There were nine professions of faith and 24 students expressed callings to missions or ministry.
Percussion session for Blue School students.
Impact for Reese and others
Lindsay Wineinger has spent the last 11 years pouring into students like Reese. Three years ago, she became the Super Summer director. While she said it’s been fun, it’s also given her a chance to develop the event to meet current student needs.
“We’re seeing a hunger that the kids want to learn,” Wineinger explained. “We go in with these expectations that these kids want answers to hard questions. Some of these heavy topics aren’t taught in church—like how to respond to different lifestyles, how to approach dating, single vs. married life, how to become a godly woman. These are topics that adults struggle with.
“With our younger kids we’re still teaching them how to study the Bible, how to pray, but these older kids are hungry. They want to know, “When I walk in a room, what makes me different as a believer and how will people know?’”
That type of teaching has had a strong impact on Reese’s faith. In her early years, she learned practical applications to her Christian walk and how to apply it when she’s not at Super Summer. This year, “the biggest thing was that the purpose and meaning in my life is not the job I’ll get, degree I’ll earn, or my future family,” she said. “It’s knowing God and following him.”
Students take time to pray.
The goal of Super Summer isn’t for students to walk away with a “mountain top” experience, Wineinger said, but to truly experience God and hear what he’s doing in their lives. Each student took a spiritual gift assessment to learn how and where they could best serve the kingdom.
In the past, guest speakers were scheduled for the whole week. “This year we really wanted to highlight that each of us have different spiritual gifts,” Wineinger said. “We had our school deans—(adult) deans are the lead of each grade level—do our speaking. It really helped keep our students engaged and challenged. It also challenged them on a different level.”
Challenges and growth continue even though Super Summer is over. Although, students don’t have to go through it alone. They have their dean’s email address and can always reach out.
Reese is living out what she was told by her dean—“throne before phone.” Before she touches her phone in the morning she spends time with God. The devotional time changes her mindset, and she has more conversations with God during her day.
Worship at Super Summer 2026.
Wineinger is already working on Super Summer 2027. “After debriefing we asked, how can we get more people to come? What we landed on was, as long as we’re doing what God called us to do, it will grow. We’re going to keep the gospel integrity and pour into the kids we have, and they’re going to leave knowing they’re loved.”
Even though 18-year-old Reese’s chapter as a student has ended, she’d like to come back as a leader one day. She encourages students that haven’t attended to consider going. “It’s so valuable to a godly life,” she said. “You learn so much that following God is a delight, not a burden.”