We camp/retreat leaders naturally maintain a focus on the people we currently serve and the ministry we provide. The powerful impact we have stems in part from the settings of natural beauty where we serve. It’s important, therefore, to step out of these settings on a regular basis to explore society ‘beyond the border’. How do you see the landscape changing? Major shifts are occurring. How can we be co-creators with God in bringing the kingdom of love in fresh ways to new circumstances? The next few Camp/Retreat Memos will address trends that significantly impact us. What might the implications be for visioning and planning the future of your ministry? CHANGING TIMES: SEEKER SOCIETY 1. In Western society, the link between church involvement and faith in God can no longer be assumed. Currently, many persons don’t see church involvement as essential to living out their faith. Seventy million people not involved in faith communities believe in God, and most pray. 2. In the 1950s and for many decades prior to that, the U.S. government, families, and churches passed on shared values. This is much less the case today. 3. Many of today’s Seekers consider religion and spiritual life to be important. Many of us who grew up in a churched culture are far too skeptical of this. We assume that the only people serious about God and faith are those involved in a faith community or church. We need to realize that huge numbers of individuals are indeed sincerely seeking God. What can we do to be more relevant to them in their spiritual journey? 4. Most church leaders are steeped in churched understandings. We know the language and we feel comfortable with our worship styles and emphases. Many seekers did not grow up in a churched culture and they do not take for granted or automatically adopt traditional worship styles/forms. 5. Are these persons simply busy or distracted by the pursuit of comfort or lives that are too full? Would they otherwise be in our congregations? If we impress upon them that their distractions are unimportant and empty, will they then join us? Such a conclusion fails to take into account more fundamental issues. This lack of involvement goes far deeper. 6. In a real way, many seekers have a different focus and a different primary question based on their life experience and spiritual yearning than the focus and question the church has traditionally emphasized. We can berate them for this or try to listen, understand, and respond in faith. Following are some brief ‘broad stroke’ examples to consider and study . . . The primary symbol of the Christian faith in the Western church has traditionally been the cross. The cross expresses an extremely important aspect of the Christian faith. This emphasis frequently gains expression in phrases like, “Christ died for our sins.” This theological theme encourages people to recognize their sinfulness and separation from God. A poignant example appears on popular pamphlets that show a person on one side of an impassable canyon (our sinfulness) and God (salvation) on the other side. The only way to get across is the bridge created by Jesus’ death for us. Those who believe and have faith in Christ and his sacrifice can be reunited with God. In this way, we are saved by faith. Priority is given to reminding each individual that the eternal destiny of the individual soul is linked to God’s saving grace and our personal acceptance of it. Heaven/the afterlife is normally held up as more important than our earthly existence. Separation between the physical and spiritual, with the physical being inferior to the spiritual, gained popularity within this framework. Fall/redemption theology has historically been the main theme of most congregations. This is so true that unchurched folks often conclude that this is the totality of our belief in and understanding of God. In addition, some have been damaged by unloving actions and interpretations wrongly based on what truly remains an important theological understanding. According to books like Reaching a New Generation by Alan Roxburgh (InterVarsity Press), How to Reach Secular People by George G. Hunter Jr. (Abingdon Press), and In Search of the Unchurched by Alan Klaas (Alban Institute Publication), the U.S. is currently experiencing a major renewal of interest in the spiritual and religious dimensions of life. But people often find the church irrelevant to that journey. The questions they are asking are different from those they perceive churches to be emphasizing. Seekers are not so centered on, “What must I do to be saved?” Rather, “How can I actually experience God now and make life more meaningful?” They want to experience God in the present, not simply talk about God. Emmanuel, God with us amidst the whole community of life, aptly describes their yearning. A primary faith symbol for many Seekers is the poignant picture of the earth taken from outer space. What’s behind this symbol? Does it mean, as some might negatively assume, that Seekers worship the earth itself? No. Very few believe this. Rather, it indicates their deep understanding that God created the universe which is interconnected and sacred. God is not completely removed and inaccessible to the creation, but present among us. We live in a time when human behavior and lifestyles threaten the existence of the planet and, in turn, our own existence with it. This generation understands how intimately tied we are with the whole creation brought forth by God. The salvation of God’s beloved community of creation, as a whole, includes more than the human soul. This understanding is biblical. Seekers believe John’s Gospel message, “All things came into being through (God)” (John 1:3). If this is true, then every creature is a voice of God and should be protected and appreciated. Seekers sense the truth in Paul’s reflection, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God . . . in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:19-21). Many seekers long for a faith community and fellowship. They are more likely to be bored with the church than antagonistic toward us. Many have visited congregations to seek a spiritual community. But they have failed to experience the language, rhythms, music, and themes that suggested that these faith communities were in touch with their lives. Sadly, many have stopped visiting. We mustn’t wait for people to come to us. We must go out to them–now. Theological themes Seekers consider relevant to their lives are part of our scriptural tradition. Unfortunately, they may not know this, since these themes are under-emphasized. We must embrace the full spectrum of our theological heritage, especially the elements that speak to the hearts and needs of the people we serve today. We must go to them in new ways, for they will not automatically seek us. QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT 1. Based on the shift from a Churched society to a Seeker society, what new visions or ways of doing things do you see for camp/retreat ministry that will touch lives? How might camp/retreat experiences be especially meaningful to Seekers? 2. How can we creatively expand our focus to help people “experience God” through every aspect of our camp/retreat operations? Maintenance Food service Office & administration Hospitality/public relations Planned experiences/activities Facilities and grounds Health care/risk management 3. How can camp/retreat leaders partner in new ways with local churches to connect with and incorporate Seekers into our faith communities? If many Seekers do not currently attend local congregations, how will we touch them if our system of registration is focused on mailings to local churches/members? 4. Since many staff today may not have grown up in a Churched culture, what steps might help prepare/support them to be involved in a ministry of Christian faith formation and helping others grow closer to God?

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