In the middle of a long semester, it can be difficult to see the progress being made. Growth is often slow, quiet, and incremental—like the steady carving of a river through stone. But recently, the students at OneLife eXplore (OLX) experienced a “mountaintop moment” that brought everything into focus: The SOAR Capstone.
Defining the SOAR Event
The SOAR presentation serves as the pinnacle of the OLX year. It is a formal individual and group capstone where students present their business accomplishments and their personal future trajectory to a room of business and ministry leaders. This year, the campus was a flurry of activity as students engaged in dry runs, classroom setup, and final preparations to welcome mentors, teachers, and family members.
For the students, it was a daunting task. For the observers, it was a privilege. Hearing the condensed versions of their years laid out through a lens of trust and dependence was a powerful reminder of God’s provision.
The Gift of Perspective
Far too often, we move through seasons of life without stopping to piece together the themes of God’s work. As one of our leaders reflected this week, we typically don’t recognize the special things God is doing while we are in the “thick” of the growth.
The SOAR event provides the gift of perspective. It allows our OLX students and staff to look back and realize, “Wow, we started down there, and now we’re up here?” This mountaintop moment allows us to see the broader picture all at once. It’s a moment of re-creation and new orientation that informs the very next steps of their journey.
Rooted in Community
While much of the week was spent on “Personal and Small Business Unit” prep, the foundation remained rooted in the concept of community. We were honored to have Pastor Jarred Boyd join us to conclude our monthly discipleship series, specifically focusing on how we live and grow together.
This emphasis on community was visible during the SOAR presentations themselves. Students didn’t just celebrate their own wins; they celebrated the collective growth of their peers. It was an encouraging time to hear how the Lord has used their lives for His honor and glory over the past eight months.
From the Mountaintop to the Valley
As the presentations concluded and the students began looking towards graduation, there was a palpable sense of accomplishment. They have made it through the “long haul” of the second semester and are now preparing for their upcoming cultural and service immersion in Utah.
However, we know that life is not lived on the mountaintops. Real life—and real leadership—is lived in the valleys. The purpose of a mountaintop moment like SOAR is not to stay there, but to give us the clarity, hope, and trust needed to descend back into the valley with confidence.
We are incredibly proud of each of our students and the courageous journeys they have been on this year. As they head out west and then into graduation, we pray they carry this “mountaintop clarity” with them, always asking, “What’s next, Father?”