Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

What do you expect from a campmeeting? I don't mean generically "good preaching", but what kind? Do you expect to be retold over and over about keeping standards, avoiding the charismatic church down the street and obey your pastor kind of preaching? Or something that motivates you to have faith more, pray more, have a burdon for souls more? Something that let's your light shine through the fruit of the Spirit? Something that encourages and activates being used in the gifts?

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

I find most, and the ones I mostly enjoy, are faith building.

The local church is where your bread is buttered...and sometimes burnt to a crisp. That's where that should happen. It's hard to imagine leaving a camp meeting or district conference with questions as where your pastor stands...although some take the platform for that purpose. But simply put, if I had a preference, it would be an atmosphere of uplifting and faith building.

Some will like that I admit this, but sometimes it is also used to circle the wagons. :)

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

:thumbsup

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

Expect, or desire?

I expect the first, but desire the latter. :)

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

In this day it seems that there's a lot of wagon circling. Also, the same names are used over and over again. This kind of says to me that in many places there is a certain level of fear among the district leadership who just want something "safe" and predictable.

I know my own UPC experience was/is atypical so I won't rant; but I always heard that camps and conferences were the place to go for "life changing" experiences. Invariably I always left those places feeling sort of "let down" all the time, at least when it came to the "life changing" evening services. I usually really got into the Bible teaching and often wondered why the whole schedule wasn't done to accommodate that.

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

bad sound...loud music...a speaker screaming even louder...but reconnecting with old friends is always fun.

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

I echo your feelings here. I hope my intent is not misinterpreted when I say that I really find some great nuggets of wisdom and things that had not occurred to me when I attend a "day" service. Of course that could be said about a forum as well. ;)

I think our realization is that, although these meetings are intended or "advertised" to be "life changing," we don't get what we expect. I wonder if that is a fault of our own as an attendee. When we go expecting something out of a preacher or speaker, we undermine our own responsibility as a responder. I think we could say that every service that we attend could be a life changer, if we are not only receptive to our expectations, but also to what God intended for us. I can say on more than one occasion that a service has been a life changer and had nothing to do with who or what was preached.

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

Hot weather, bad food, dirt and tons of hair pins.

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

You could get that mane trimmed back a bit during the summer there, Bono, and you wouldn't need all the pins.

:thumbsup

Re: Camp Meetings. What do you expect out of them?
 

I've only been to a few UPC camp meetings and a few ALJC camp meetings.

Some have teaching during the day and I've heard some good stuff there. I particularly remember William Parent, Karl Smith, Lester MacGruder. One I remember with bad memories is a pastor from Ohio who took up his "Bible teaching" time to condemns television. He basically gave his message in 5 minutes and then took 55 more minutes to keep repeating it. Evening services are more of a "pep rally" with certain preachers who are on the "star" circuit.