Taking Selfies...Together: Confirmation Camp at Lake Tahoe

“Do you want to take a selfie together in the morning?”

It was late, more than an hour after lights-out time, and he whispered to me from across the room (that is to say, 5 feet away). I smiled, in spite of my exhaustion. I did not want him to get into trouble, but the significance of the request was not lost on me. Talking after lights-out could mean less pool time the next day. He knew that this was his last opportunity to ask, since I was leaving in the morning, and it was evidently important enough to take the risk. A selfie is when a person takes a picture of him or herself. Youth today are so self-sufficient (or alone?) that they do not need anybody else, not even to snap an awesome picture. The selfie has become a way for young people to tell their own story, on their own terms. I felt like he was inviting me into that story. My eyes got a little wet.

The Boys' Room

To be fair, this may have been due to the odor. We had 3 men and 4 teenage boys crammed into a room the size of a walk-in closet, and it was the sixth night of camp. That is where new smells are invented. Next door, there were 8 girls and 1 adult woman in a comparatively large room. The two pastors were living in luxury, sleeping on air mattresses in the large gathering room (through which everyone had to walk on midnight bathroom journeys). I could not hear them through the wall, but apparently at least two of the girls were talking in their sleep.

This young man was not talking in his sleep, though. He was voicing an important request. “It’s almost like having siblings,” he had said earlier that day when I asked what it feels like to be at camp. For an only child living with a single parent, there is great meaning to a selfie that is not alone. I did not want to disappoint him or shush him into silence. But I was leaving at 5:00 in the morning to make my flight from Reno, and that was a little early for selfies.

I had arrived two days earlier, and the drive up through the mountains from Reno was beautiful, especially the moment when I came over the 7,000-foot pass and gazed down on the Lake Tahoe basin. It was over 100 degrees in Reno, and I was not looking forward to leaving Lake Tahoe, where it had been in the mid-80s during the day and low 60s at night. The campers would soon be returning to the Sacramento area, where it was an even more oppressive 115 degrees. The drought was terrible, even at a paradise like Lake Tahoe, which was a shocking 7 feet below normal.

He voiced a melancholy “Oh…” when I whispered my departure time. But I assured him that I would send a copy of the picture from our kayaking adventure of the night before. It was the mystery trip, so called because the youth were not told in advance what it would be. It turned into a beautiful evening for kayaking. Our group of 18 plus 2 guides meandered along the coast of the lake until twilight fell. It was July 1, and the full moon rose low in the sky as we paddled back towards shore, just after sunset. It was also the night after the closest modern conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, believed by some to be the star that led the magi to Bethlehem in 2-3 BC. Even in twilight, with the full moon blazing off the lake, the conjunction shone forth through a light cloud cover.

The bulk of the group members were weaving back and forth, occasionally ramming into each other, and carrying on with some raucous chatter. My kayaking companion and I (they were 2-person kayaks) hung back with the other two men and one of the guides. It was a gorgeous evening, warm for that early in summer, and we were soaking in the beauty of it all, enjoying some idle conversation about life and the cosmos. Our guide offered to take the picture as the moon shone behind us. It wasn’t a selfie, but it would have to suffice.

 

This is not a Selfie

“We hope you will get to know more about God so that you can better get to know God.”

One of the pastors said this as she began a lesson on the Trinity. It was, after all, confirmation camp. Much of the daily schedule was devoted to program time, when the group studied and discussed Christian beliefs, the history of their tradition, and some of the particularities of the United Methodist Church. But the lessons were not geared toward indoctrination, but rather exploration. The pastors were intentionally inviting the young people into a relationship with God. Curiosity and engagement were valued over correct answers, so questions were welcomed at every turn. The material was presented in multiple formats, with tactile learning, particularly art, incorporated into every lesson. The lessons were framed by Wesley’s quadrilateral: scripture, tradition, experience, and reason. These were held in balance throughout the time at camp. They discussed and processed their experiences, applied tradition (especially the Social Policies of the UMC) to their lives, and dug into biblical texts.

The two pastors are longtime friends, and each has been serving in her respective congregation for more than a decade, unusually long tenures in the United Methodist Church. They both have considerable experience in camping ministry. They chose to conduct confirmation training in the camp setting because classes simply were not working. Students were frequently absent, and parents often wanted their children confirmed while assigning low priority to getting them to lessons or supporting them through the confirmation process. An 8-day camp allowed for uninterrupted study of key teachings, along with informal reflection time, in the context of a nurturing Christian community. Most importantly, the young people were away from the pressures and expectations of their home environment, so they had an opportunity to explore their own beliefs.

This was the second bi-annual confirmation camp. The first camp two years previous was a magnificent success in terms of student engagement in the material and their unprecedented enthusiasm for the life and ministry of the church after confirmation. The recent confirmands have been initiating service projects, attending worship regularly, and helping to promote confirmation camp. Two of them were back at camp serving as CITs (counselors in training). The four CITs were juniors and seniors in high school, and their roles were to serve as small group leaders, lead many of the activities, and supervise the younger confirmation students throughout the camp experience.

When I asked the students what was the most challenging thing about the camp experience, they had two primary responses: separation from their technological devices and the struggles of living together in the camp environment. One camper even noted that these two go together. At camp, they are unable to escape the intensity of community living for the refuge of their phone, tablet, or computer. It is difficult living in cramped quarters, and they were unaccustomed to having to accommodate others. They got on each other’s nerves sometimes. They were forced to step around (or on) other people’s belongings. They emphasized the importance of being open and accepting above all else, but they were not always welcoming. They even said hurtful things to each other.

It was not some idyllic community. It was messy.

These young people were trying to find their place in the present community, explore their own identity, and determine whether or not they wanted to follow this Jesus guy. There was a strong sense that they were doing this on their own terms, without the constant expectations of parents and siblings.

They had, in essence, been asked to pose for various pictures throughout their life, and now they were being encouraged to take a selfie. They could tell their own story, on their own terms. The question was, who do you want in your selfie? Members of your church community? Adult mentors from camp? Will Jesus be in your selfie?

Thunder rolled in the distance as we walked down to the lake. The weather gave us a merciful 30-minute window, so we hustled down the wide sandy beach to the shallow water. “Who is first?” one of the pastors asked. She sported a Hawaiian shirt, ready to get soaked. One of the three splashed forward. He was, after all, the one who had first asked, thus initiating the conversation that required several phone calls to parents and guardians. He had, in effect, asked the question of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36: “Look, here is [Lake Tahoe]! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” So began the conversation that led us to the water’s edge to welcome 3 new young people into the baptized fellowship of believers. It was not planned. It was not on the schedule. But if it was to be on their own terms, why not here? Why not this community? Why not this water? Two of the three even had parents present at camp as adult chaperones.

 

Gathering for Baptism in Lake Tahoe

And so, by the confirmands’ own request after much consideration, words that have been passed down through sacred scripture and Christian tradition were spoken, and they were immersed three times in the cool waters of Lake Tahoe. The Christian community bore witness and laid hands on them as we proclaimed each of them, “Child of God!”

Their hands were a little wet to take selfies, but I suspect they will include this when they tell their story, nonetheless.

I am blessed to have been part of their community and part of their stories. They laid hands on me and prayed for me on my last night. That was very meaningful. Now when I tell my own story, they are a part of it, selfies or not.

This post reflects on a portion of a study conducted as part of the Confirmation Project. Learn more about this exciting project, which includes 5 denominations HERE!

It Is Well With My Soul: Camp All Saints

“Remember, this is for Jesus.”

I paused to consider this declaration. I suppose it is true, I thought, in some eschatological sense. Still, the declaration was a little jarring. The campers were getting antsy. Was the staff member just saying it to keep them quiet, or was there actually some truth in it?

All Saints Chapel

We were inside the beautiful white chapel at Camp All Saints, just north of Dallas, Texas. The chapel was gorgeous: a church building, in actuality, that had been relocated to the camp instead of being torn down. It stood like a sentinel on top of a hill in the center of camp. The camp sprawled in all directions, hugging the shoreline of Lake Texoma, which was a staggering 20 feet above normal levels after a series of torrential rains hit northern Texas in May and June. The boating dock had floated away, the archery range was relocated to higher ground, and the low ropes course was under water, but camp was on amidst the chaos! Inside the chapel, there was no sign of this chaos or the general chaos you might expect to find at summer camp, and the near-100 degree heat was shut outside, as well. It was practically orderly, I thought with a chuckle. “Shhhhh!” Okay, now it was orderly.

64 summer campers, many of them elementary age, were arranged like a choir in front of condenser microphones, and the college-age summer staff members were desperately trying to keep them under control, focused, and on beat. This was no easy task. We had already traipsed through the sticky heat to the campfire ring – not to have s’mores or even to light a campfire, mind you, but rather to gather in neat concentric circles around the unlit fire pit so that the staff could get video of us cheerfully singing (“No zombie faces!”). Then we marched back to the chapel building to record the audio.

We were on take 4.

The song was “It Is Well,” and the campers were only singing verse 2 and the chorus. The recording would be blended with campers from the other weeks of camp singing the other 3 verses, thus the need for order and precision. Exasperation and frustration were apparent. How long was this going to take? How long could the campers stand in one place? Could they still sing pretty when they were so antsy? It all felt a little canned to me. Everything had to be just so. Was it really for Jesus, as the staff member had assured the campers?

Sunrise Activities by the Lake

I thought back to that morning. We had been singing the exact same song in that very chapel, but there were no microphones, choir director, or frustrated shushing. There is a worship service every morning at Camp All Saints. Priests wearing stoles over their camp scrubs lead the liturgy and preside over the sacrament (complete with the little tinkly bells). But the singing…oh, the singing! It carried me away that morning. It was the fourth day of camp, and campers were really getting to know the songs. Besides that, I was starting to feel like part of the community, and I was getting to know many of the campers and the staff. I had kayaked with some of them on the lake early that morning, the water, smooth as glass, reflecting the sunrise. We were literally paddling among the treetops (due to the high water). I had also played some games, shared in meals, and had great conversations with many of them. There is something holy about worshiping with a community in which you feel welcome and loved. “It Is Well” gave me goosebumps that morning. That was for Jesus, I thought. Was this?

“We should have recorded that,” lamented the priest sitting next to me. We were in agreement: this structured recording session simply wasn’t the same. Verse 2 over and over again: “Though Satan should buffet…” Satan has been buffeting long enough. Can’t we move on to verse 3? No, that’s for next week.

And then I felt the connection – not just the connection with my fellow Christians in that space but connection with the campers of the previous week who sang verse 1 and with the campers in the next two weeks who would sing verses 3 and 4. We were continuing a song already in progress, and others would not only pick up where we left off but also join us in the chorus. It was an offering, an offering that connected us through time and space with other believers. It was an offering lifted up with other believers for the sake of the church, the body of Christ. He’s right, I thought.

“…and hath shed his own blood for my soul.”

I looked around at the campers. Did they get it? Did they have a theological breakthrough like mine? Probably not, I mused. But they were connected, nonetheless. That staff member, whether he was simply trying to get one more good take out of them or he really believed it, offered a theological interpretation.

I thought back to my conversations with campers earlier that day. Christian faith and teachings were present in all parts of camp life, they told me. Sure, the day was framed by morning prayer before breakfast, morning worship in the chapel, deans time (a more formal Christian education time with the visiting clergy), and the service of Compline each night in the cabins, but it was more than that, the campers told me. Even the games and activities were about God. Kayaking? High ropes? Cliff jumping into the flooded lake? All became Christian activities at Camp All Saints, according to the campers.

How do I describe the experience at All Saints for those who were not there? I have to put it in a can, too. We start here, in 1500 words or less. Their video project will surely do the experience more justice, and I can’t wait to see it. Last year’s was great (check it out here!), but this year’s will be much more meaningful because I was a part of it. We were connected to campers in other weeks, as well as to the whole diocese, to which the video was primarily directed. But we were also connected to the whole church. The campers sent video greetings to the national assembly, which was currently underway in Salt Lake City (check it out!). They were, in fact, praying for their church as they elected their first African-American presiding bishop that Saturday.

 “Shhhh!” Silence slowly fell as the staff member with the headphones nodded in confirmation: “We’ve got it!” There was an outbreak of applause and cheering. Then they broke into a new song, almost spontaneously. It was like their bonds had burst, so great was their enthusiasm. They sang their hearts out to their camp favorites. Some danced by the altar, while one boy beat out the rhythm on a church pew and another started breakdancing in the aisle. Song after song, their energy and enthusiasm poured out. The priests and staff members could only smile and join in or frantically try to document this outpouring of the Spirit with pictures and videos. But these will never do it justice. You had to be there. To experience it for yourself. To see and hear the campers joyfully singing, “You are alive in us, nothing can take your place. You are all we need, your love has set us free!” They looked free. They looked caught up in the Spirit.

There are multiple forces at work at Camp All Saints. Some are forces of structure and order, passed down in unbroken succession in the Episcopal tradition. But there is freedom within this structure, maybe even freedom that grates against the structure itself. Above all is the sense of community and belonging, carefully nurtured through shared experiences and intentional models of forgiveness and reconciliation when there is conflict.

Gathering for Worship in All Saints Chapel

“What is the most important thing for these campers to take home with them?” I asked the staff. “You are loved,” one replied. The campers probably will not remember the names of all the saints they talked about during deans time, but they will remember that they are loved. They will remember that they are a valued part of a believing community. They may even make the connection that the community extends far beyond the boundaries of their camp experience, more than we can say for many of our churches' Sunday morning worshipers.

More than likely, the campers will be dissuaded from breakdancing in the aisles or dancing around the altar when they return to their home congregations. One of the priests lamented the disconnect between camp and congregation, especially in a traditionally conservative area like the Diocese of Dallas. But there is something powerful happening at Camp All Saints, and the Holy Spirit is active in the midst of it. If there is a disconnect, church leadership can work hard to “bridge the gap,” as one priest suggested. Campers are believing that they are loved, that they are valued members of the Christian community. The young people actually think that faith has relevance to their lives. They do not sit bored and disengaged but rather stand and sing with passion and assurance:

“It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

This post reflects on a portion of a study conducted as part of the Confirmation Project. Learn more about this exciting project, which includes 5 denominations HERE!

Like a Zipline through a Sanctuary

I was on my third (and last) pair of footwear. My hiking shoes were sopping wet from the deluge I was caught in the day before. My running shoes were dripping with muddy water from my ill-advised trail run through the mud puddles that morning (they would eventually travel home, still wet, in a plastic bag). I was in sandals this time. They dry quickly and are easy to hose off. It had rained every day so far, and the rain would continue off and on all week. Everything was wet. A thunderstorm knocked the power out on the first night. Another had rolled through the previous night, and a light rain persisted most of the morning. Now, however, the rain had mercifully given way to some rays of afternoon sun, which were shining in diagonal beams through the tree canopy.

Lutherlyn Amphitheater

I looked around. The benches were vacant, but the amphitheater could easily seat a couple hundred people. It was set into a hillside, and a creek was babbling happily nearby. The sunbeams shone on the stone altar and the rough-cut wooden cross at the front of the worship area. I was in a holy place.

“Holy,” the 8^th grade boy had replied. I had asked him to describe his camp experience in one word or phrase. Holy. His answer came to mind as I sat in that place of worship. He had not wanted to come to camp and he did not particularly believe in God, he told me, but his parents wanted him to get confirmed. In three short days, he had gone from unbelief to believing in God, and he was actually excited to learn more. A 10^th grade girl pulled me aside to tell me about her renewed interest in faith. She said that she always believed in a God “out there,” but she was finally getting to understand this “Jesus thing”: that God is relatable and accessible. A 10^th grade boy wearing a pirate “iPatch” (he had made the Macintosh logo on it) said that he never really fit in at home or at school. “Here, though, I can be myself. And I fit in.”

It was the first week of summer camp at Camp Lutherlyn, and 64 confirmation students from 10 different Lutheran churches in western Pennsylvania were there, along with their pastors. Some of the students were there because pastors or parents compelled them to come, but most were excited to be at camp. They spent a significant portion of each day (3-4 hours) with the pastors in confirmation lessons focused on the 10 commandments, Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, sacraments, and Lutheran heritage. The rest of the day was spent with Lutherlyn staff members in various activities.

If I was wet and muddy as I sat in that amphitheater, it was nothing compared to some of the campers. It would seem that rain at camp provides more opportunity than crisis. Campers took the opportunity to make spectacular splashes in mud puddles. They ran and slid on their butts across the wet playing fields. The weather also provided perfect mud-whomping conditions. Mud-whomping is a Lutherlyn favorite that involves sliding, rolling, and slithering in particularly greasy mud, as well as splattering this mud on fellow campers.

But what makes camp holy? Surely, not the mud. There is mud wherever there is rain. And yet…there is something about the mud at camp that must be different from the mud at home. After all, most young people would be inside on a rainy day at home, probably interacting with some electronic gadget. The campers admitted as much, when I asked them. But there were no cell phones or video games at Lutherlyn. They described their distance from these things as “being free” from them. Being free? They didn’t miss them? “No,” one boy said, “I am happier without them.”

What makes camp holy? Surely, it wasn’t the confirmation lessons. After all, the young people had confirmation classes back home, many of them one hour every week. And yet…there is something different about the confirmation classes at camp. Two 10^th grade boys, who appeared largely disengaged from a lesson that I sat in on, approached one of the pastors and asked if they could talk with him. They asked him how he came to believe. And he shared his faith story with them.

Wor-arr-ship

What makes camp holy? Surely, it’s not the games and skits. The entirety of Wednesday night at Lutherlyn was pirate-themed, from dinner all the way through evening wor-arr-ship and campfi-arr. The staff got really into it, and that got some of the campers into it.  On the surface, this appeared to me more hokey than holy. During the pirate-themed games after din-arr, I noticed a group of girls that was opting out of the games to sit down in the (wet) grass. They waved to me and called me over. I wondered if they thought the games were lame and were talking about that, but they were not. They were discussing faith. They were reflecting on their confirmation lessons and some things they had talked about with their counselor. And they invited me to join them. “Are you, like, really religious?” one asked me. And we talked. They were trying to figure out if they really believed or not.

What makes camp holy? I contemplated this as I sat in the amphitheater with the sun peeking through the trees. I looked to my right and saw a group of campers walking up the trail as a staff member helped them identify edible plants and spoke with them about creation stewardship. Then a group of campers rode down the muddy trail on mountain bikes. One of them was wearing white shorts, and I said a silent prayer for his mother as the flying mud neatly decorated his backside. Then there was silence, and I was alone with my thoughts on holiness. How was I going to describe this camp? It seemed a weighty proposition.

It wasn’t complete silence, not really. The creek was still babbling, and the breeze was rustling the leaves. I sat in peace and in stillness. It was beautiful. Then a loud voice from behind the trees to my right interrupted the stillness: “ALL CLEAR?” An answering shout came from far to my left: “ALL CLEAR!” Then came a distinct “Woo-hoo!” followed by a progressively louder z-z-zz-zz-zzz-Z-ZZ-ZZZ-ZZZ. The zipline passed right over the altar, and I saw the young lady fly by the rough-cut cross. I smiled. I was not alone.

I was sharing this experience with other people. Together, we were interacting with each other and the word of God. It was not the mud, the lessons, the games, or even the vibrant worship services. It was the presence of God active in Christian community. These other things were just the mediums, the means of grace.

Church leaders in the Northwest and Southwest Pennsylvania Synods of the ELCA are evidently having discussions about the value of camp, especially after their most recent synod assembly. The pastors at Confirmation Camp were overtly supportive of camp, but they shared that some of their colleagues are either indifferent or openly antagonistic to the camp model. Has camp outlived its usefulness? Is it just a money pit that pays no dividends in faith and church membership? These discussions are often done in the abstract, away from the place, away from the stories. I lived the stories with some of the campers at Lutherlyn this week. It is a place where God is present and active. It is a place where it is safe to doubt and question, a place where faith is discussed with peers and mentors. It is a place of inclusion for those who have been outsiders. It is a place where God interrupts your heavy burdens and self-absorbed thoughts with a reminder that you are not alone: “I am with you!” God shows up at camp, like a zipline through a sanctuary.

Maybe we could sum it up in the words that Lutherlyn uses: “Lifechanging adventures in faith.” That certainly seems appropriate for describing the things I witnessed and experienced. But if I had to describe it in one word, I think I would stick with the 8^th grader in the midst of his conversion experience:

HOLY.

This post reflects on a portion of a study conducted as part of the Confirmation Project. Learn more about this exciting project, which includes 5 denominations HERE!

Reading the Bible at Camp

Summer camp staff across the nation are beginning another great summer of serving people of all ages! More than 11 million people will attend camp across the country this summer, most of them children and youth. While nearly all of the summer camps share the common elements of community living, away from home, in an outdoor recreational setting, camps that are intentionally Christian in their identity focus the camp model through a Christian lens. The basic form of Christian camping oftentimes looks remarkably similar to non-Christian camps. Critics sometimes remark that these so-called Christian camps are simply secular camps with a spiritual gloss. They do the same games and activities but sprinkle in a little Bible study and an occasional sing-along that they label worship. A few camps compartmentalize their religious programming from the rest of the schedule in a way that might validate this criticism, but the Christian camps that I have attended do a much better job incorporating faith language and practices into all aspects of camp life. Indeed, last fall's survey of more than 300 Christian camps shows that 92% of directors agree or strongly agree, "Faith formation/practices should be incorporated into all aspects of camp life" (see previous post).

Christian camp staff members are not simply asked to lead their campers from one activity to another or make sure everyone is having fun. They are asked to live their faith in all that they do at camp and help the campers interpret their experiences with faith language. This is a skill that becomes a way of life at camp. It is a skill because an interpretive guide has to be immersed in faith language and practices. It takes practice. A camp staff member who does not regularly pray, read the Bible, or worship will find Christian interpretation challenging. But immersion in the daily rhythm of Christian community at camp makes the counselor's task as interpretive guide as natural as breathing. We all stand in awe at the wonder of the starry night sky. Some say, "Wow!" The interpretive guide, almost without thinking, quotes Psalm 19: "The heavens are telling the glory of God!"

The Bible can be incredibly intimidating to camp staff members. They have heard so many things about the Bible's reliability and what parts are more important than others. Besides that, the Bible is HUGE! Are they supposed to know the whole thing? I sometimes find summer staff members (who are usually 19 or 20) who have read the entire Bible. They are great resources to their fellow staff members and their campers, but the majority of summer staffers have come nowhere near reading the Bible cover to cover. And that's okay. What is not okay is saying things like, "It's not that big of a deal to know the Bible." Actually, it is important. Knowing the Bible does not mean knowing every word of it. Knowing the Bible means understanding that there is wisdom there and seeking it, like the treasure buried in the field or the pearl of great value (Matthew 13:44-46). The same passages can teach us in new ways and even surprise us each time we go to them. We read the Bible because we seek to know the one who is revealed in its pages.

In many ways, it does not matter all that much what the summer Bible study theme is. It is wonderful that there is curriculum for helping guide the campers through scriptures, but the curriculum is not as big of a deal as knowing the Bible. You get to know the Bible by opening it and interacting with it. You get to know the Bible by sharing in its wisdom and mysteries with others. When campers see their counselor open the Bible, and together they have a discussion about how particular Bible passages apply to their daily lives, they get to know the Bible. It does not matter if they remember the 3 main points from the Bible study curriculum. It matters that they open the Bible and interact with it.

The true curriculum of camp does not come packaged in a 3-ring binder. The curriculum of camp is in the interaction. The most important times that campers interact with the Bible at camp are when they are not in Bible study. The most important times are on the hike to the overlook or gazing at the starry sky or gathered around the campfire or right after an argument with some cabin mates. The teachable moments are the important times, and these are the times when the camp staff members serve as interpretive guides, connecting what is happening with the story of God's people found in the Bible.

Each staff member has favorite Bible passages, and they always share these with their campers because the campers can see that they are meaningful. There are others that are camp standards. These are key Bible passages that every camp staff member should know. Some are foundational for the Christian faith and others are particularly relevant for the camp environment. The 10 Bible passages that I believe every camp staff member should get to know deeply for their role as interpretive guide at camp are:

Jake's Top 10 Bible Camp Passages

Genesis 1: the orderly creation, the image of God, and the day of rest

Genesis 2: humans from the dirt, God's breath, importance of human relationship

Psalm 139: God's intimate care for each person

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: the value of human relationship

Luke 15: the lost coin, lost sheep, and lost brother

John 1:1-34: the Word becomes flesh, John the Baptist points the way

John 13:1-35: Jesus washes the disciples' feet, the commandment to love each other

Romans 8:18-39: creation waits, Spirit intercedes, NOTHING separates from love of God

Romans 12: body of Christ, marks of Christian discipleship

1 Corinthians 12: Church as body of Christ, every member is important

As honorable mentions, I'll throw in the creation psalms: Psalm 8, 19, and 104.

Interact with these passages (along with your personal favorites). Get to know them. Use them to relate what is happening at camp with the story of God's people and God's love for the world. Part of knowing the Bible is knowing that we are a part of this amazing story. Bringing the words of God to bear on the teachable moments reminds us that we are caught up in this story. The Bible does not contain dead words on a page but rather the Word of God. This word is not dead but rather is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). Christian living at camp is transformative because it is not compartmentalized (such as Sunday v. the rest of the week OR Bible study v. the rest of the camp day) but, rather, is integrated. Everything that we are, our lives, are caught up in the movement and activity of God. That is the sort of Christian living that can make a difference in this world, and it is something the church desperately needs to relearn. Camp is one of the primary places where this can happen.

The Religious Landscape Study: The Unsurprising News, the Bad News, and the Opportunities

The Pew Research Center has come out with its new report on the Religious Landscape Study. The full report is worth a read: check it out! Now, let the teeth-gnashing commence!

It seems that many people want to immediately characterize the study in black and white terms: is it good news or bad news? Or maybe it’s not-so-bad news? I will take a stand on at least one of these: it is NOT good news. Some may say, “It’s not as bad as we feared!” Some Evangelicals may be saying, “We’re not doing as badly as everyone else!” But this is not good news. Thankfully, we know that the good news comes from somewhere other than social science research. This report is descriptive not prescriptive. It is left to us – as theologians, church leaders, and concerned Christians – to decide what to do about it.

Burying our heads in the sand is tempting, but it is not an appropriate response for a church that is called to go out into the world (Acts 1:8). Neither is it appropriate to dismiss the data or shake our heads unbelievingly, since every indication is that this study provides valid, reliable data. This is a nationally representative study that can be applied to (almost) the entire U.S. population with a very low margin of error (+/- 0.6%). This study will be talked about for many years to come, and church policies will be shaped, in part, because of the data in this study. Don’t ignore it!

The UNSURPRISING NEWS

The news out of this study is not good, and I would not even go with the optimistic “not-so-bad.” However, I would call this news unsurprising. Many studies have shown that the percentage of people in America claiming to be “Christian” is declining. This is across the board and includes every major Christian group. Roman Catholicism and Mainline Protestant denominations are declining rapidly (each dropping a little more than 3% in their share of the total U.S. population since 2007), while Evangelical Protestant denominations are declining more slowly (losing about 1% of their share of the U.S. population since 2007).

Equally unsurprising is that younger Americans are less likely to be religious than older Americans. Of those born in the 1980s and 1990s (“Millennials”), only about 57% consider themselves Christian, compared with nearly 80% of those born in the 1940s and 1950s (older “Baby Boomers”). More than 1/3 of Millennials claim “no religious affiliation.”

The only religious group that continues its steep growth is the group claiming no religious affiliation, the notorious “NONES,” which now make up nearly 23% of the total population (up from 16% in 2007). This growth is tremendous and represents a major cultural shift that Charles Taylor describes in his compelling definition of the word “secular.” He refers to the new secularity not as the absence of religion but rather as a reality in which being religious is seen as one option among others. In other words, people no longer feel the need to affiliate with a religion. It is telling that only 1/3 of those claiming no religious affiliation claim to be “atheist” or “agnostic.” The remaining 2/3 (16% of the total U.S. population!) just claim “nothing in particular.” Religion is either not on their radar, or it is an a la carte option that they have passed by.

The NOT EUROPE NEWS

Many people want to make the European comparison, claiming that the U.S. is on track to become as secular as Europe. Full stop. We can compare individual trends to Europe, and we can probably gain some insight into the religiosity of the “nones” from Europe, but it is foolish to claim that American religiosity is going to look like Europe in a few decades. We are also foolish to paint all of Europe with one brush, as religion looks very different across the various cultures of Europe. Some countries still have state-run, tax-supported churches. There is little room for broad comparison. Christianity is declining in terms of numbers, but more than 70% of Americans still claim to be Christian. Don’t call us a “Christian nation,” but don’t call us Europe, either.

The NOT-SO-BAD NEWS

A decline in total numbers of Christians is not necessarily bad news. These numbers almost certainly indicate that people feel more comfortable about being honest about their religious convictions. They do not feel obligated to claim a religion. As Christians, we are concerned about discipleship. We want people to follow Jesus, not to simply say they are Christian. Those who attend religious services once a year or less and do not participate in religious practices are religiously inactive. It is probably okay that these people have stopped claiming to be Christian – it shows a growing understanding that people are not Christian simply by virtue of their parents taking them to church as children. Christians are called to live differently than other people. If the numbers in this survey indicate the slow demise of a social Christianity, that is not-so-bad news.

If people are becoming more honest about not being Christian, maybe the church can start being more honest about what it means to be Christian.

The BAD NEWS

I think there is a lot of bad news in this survey, but I will highlight two points. First, declining numbers of Christians means less money. Every indication is that this trend will continue, and Christian institutions have already tightened their belts a lot. Churches, camps, and other ministries are closing. Less money means that many faithful Christians will continue being concerned about self-preservation, which is a decidedly un-Christian thing to focus on (see, for example, the entire Bible, but especially that bit about Jesus). As more money is spent on preserving the status-quo, less is spent on mission and ministry. Less money for the poor. Less money for victims of violence, oppression, and natural disasters. This is bad news, and it is something to mourn.

Second, Christianity in America is changing demographically in a very concerning direction. While all Christian groups are declining, the Mainline and Catholicism are declining most rapidly. This means that a far greater percentage of American Christians are part of Evangelical denominations. Evangelicals now make up 55% of Protestants and 36% of all Christians in America. They comprise the largest broad religious group in the United States, just ahead of the “Nones.” I am not here to bash Evangelicalism. There are some incredibly faithful expressions of Christianity in the Evangelical traditions, and Mainliners like me can learn a great deal from our Evangelical brothers and sisters. The reason I am referring to this as “bad news” has to do with rhetoric. The gospel of Jesus Christ becomes obscured behind a cloud of anti-homosexual, anti-science rhetoric, and this problem is compounded with the political discourse. Evangelicals have always been vocal (hence, the name), but their growing share of the Christian public is causing Christianity as a whole to be painted with an ultra-conservative brush that is not only unpalatable to the majority of Millennials, but it is also simply not the gospel. It is bad news when the good news is obscured. It is bad news when people think they know what Christianity is about based on hateful rhetoric and then refuse to even listen to the good news.

OPPORTUNITIES

My initial thoughts about this study are that Christians have an opportunity to redefine what it means to be Christian in America. If Americans are becoming more honest about their religious beliefs and are less inclined to be part of the institutional church merely for social or utilitarian reasons, we have an opportunity to share an authentic expression of Christianity that involves loving enemies, helping the poor, seeking justice for the oppressed, and bringing good news to the hopeless. The study shows pretty clearly that people care less and less about denominational boundaries. We have the opportunity to stop emphasizing how we are different and focus more on how we are the same.

In a secular world, as Charles Taylor defines it, religion is optional. Less people are coming to church because they feel obligated, and this is not a bad thing. We have the chance to tell people why they should come. Why be a Christian? Why follow the way of Jesus? We may even find ourselves becoming evangelical about our faith.

What is Camp? Part V: Small Group Ministry

Christian camping is about ministry. Camps are places with intentional goals and desired outcomes, but it is important to recognize that ministry itself is the primary goal. Theologian and Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said, “Cheap grace means grace as doctrine, as principle, as system. It means forgiveness of sins as a general truth; it means God’s love as merely a Christian idea of God.”[1] He contrasts this with a beautiful and challenging vision of costly grace, which is marked by the call to follow Jesus. Camps are more concerned about ministering to the person than about conveying theological ideas. This important aspect of camp gets obscured from the view of visitors who see the silly skits and ridiculous games without seeing the small group discussions or the late-night cabin devotions. From a distance, camp seems gimmicky and raucous. Close up, it is revealed to be intentional and personal. Camping ministry leaders focus on meeting individuals where they are and accompanying them in their faith journeys. They deemphasize theological concepts and doctrines that are conveyed in didactic form.

The fall 2014 camp survey of 332 Mainline Protestant camps sheds light on the ministry priorities of

Christian camping. 90% of camps in the survey indicate that “individual faith formation” is “very” or “extremely important” to the camp philosophy, compared with only 38% indicating the same for “theological instruction” and 50% for “learning faith language and practices.” In a similar respect, 76% “moderately agree” or “strongly agree” with the statement, “Our camp exists to lead young people to Christ,” while only 64% indicate the same for, “It is important for our staff and campers to understand the theology and practices of our faith tradition.”

It is interesting to note that theology itself is not deemphasized as much as the “theological instruction.” Nearly 2/3 find it important for staff and campers to understand specific theology and practices, but it appears that this understanding is not conveyed in ways that the respondents consider “instruction.”

It is not that the “faith formation” at camp is devoid of theological content, though this is the dismissive argument that some church officials level at camping ministry. 91% of camps use a set Bible study curriculum for their small group Bible studies, which 90% of camps have at least daily. Substantive theological and biblical content is present at camp. But camping ministers are less concerned with theological ideas and more concerned with ministering to the individuals in their care. This is why the survey questions about formal instruction get far less agreement among camp professionals than an item like “Faith formation/practices should be incorporated into all aspects of camp life,” with which 92% of camps “moderately agree” or “strongly agree.” Faith is a way of life at camp, not a set of precepts to be memorized.

This overarching philosophy of camping ministry is lived out in the small group emphasis of camp. Camp is not a convention. Camp does not operate on an assembly-line mentality. Camp is personal. Camp is participatory. Camp does not focus on correcting faulty theology in order to memorize universal truths. Camp takes doubts and questions seriously, allowing space for individuals to wrestle with faith questions together.

When camp directors were asked about the importance of the large group and small group components of their ministry, the numbers were not even close. Only 16% “moderately agree” or “strongly agree” with, “The most important part of our camp day is large group games/activities.” In contrast, 79% “moderately agree” or “strongly agree” with, “The most important part of our camp day is the small group experience.”

The camp community centers on the unit group (or “cabin group”), which is generally a single-gendered group of 6-10 youth campers with 1-2 college-age summer staff members. These small groups sleep together, eat together, and do many (if not all) of their camp activities together. The unit group is the center of “fellowship/community building” at camp, which 99% of camp directors indicate is “very important” or “extremely important” (second in importance only to “participant safety”). These groups develop a high level of trust through shared activities and conversations over the course of a week or more (94% of camps have group building or challenge course activities weekly or more). This trust facilitates intimate conversations and honest faith discussions. The ultimate goal of this small group community is not dramatic conversion or indoctrination. The goal is fellowship. It is community for the sake of community. The goal is that all are welcome and included, especially those who have been excluded or devalued in other settings. In short, the goal is ministry.

Andrew Root argues, “Youth ministry has no task of locking young people down into some idea of faith. Rather, youth ministry seeks only to open free spaces where young people are affirmed and loved as persons, and through person-to-person encounter are asked to listen for the call of the living Christ.”[2]

Root then goes on to caution us that camp is too often held up as an ideal community that does not deal with the messiness of life but rather serves as a retreat from it. There are some important cautions in Root’s argument, but there are also some very real encounters in camp communities that defy casual dismissal. Camp as an ideal must be rejected, just as faith as an idea must be rejected.

The camp model is easy to critique from a distance. But on the ground, in the cabins, real ministry is happening. It is face-to-face. It is messy. And Christ is present there.

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[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003), 43.

[2] Andrew Root, Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker: A Theological Vision for Discipleship and Life Together (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2014), 181.