Trends in Christian Camping

1) Declining Loyalties: People are starting to leave their traditional camps and shop around for a new one or a camp that is more of what they want. I suppose that this generation is starting to question traditions that had been a part of their growing, but now they have families of their own, so they want to make sure that they are getting the best that people have to offer.

2) Better Business: Camps are starting to do a better job in the business aspect of running a camp. A couple decades ago they weren't very business savvy, but now they are hiring marketing specialists that connect with potential clients on a more personal level.

3) Extreme Market Segmentation: The market for camps, and really for everything now, has become extremely wide and varied. There are a lot more groups, ethnic or otherwise, in the market, and most of them want things a certain way, so camps have to figure out how to cater to everyone's desires at basically the same time.

4) Tentative Exemptions: I know that Hidden Acres is a non-profit organization and is thus tax exempt. But some people (government folks) don't really like that because they're trying to come up with more revenue for themselves.

5) Technological Advances: There has been an explosion in technological advances so much so that now people sometimes don't even think to look for things anywhere other than the internet. So camps are having to learn how computers work and how to keep a website up to date. If you combine all that with new business methods of traveling around and advertising, you need to look for different kinds of people with unique skill sets like a big personality, a people person, and someone who can handle technology.

6) Compromised Values: The culture is always changing, and a worldview that many people hold right now is Post-Modernism. People think that there is no such thing as absolute truth and that everything is relative and truth is what you decide it is. With this mentality in people it is difficult to stay relevant and know how to minister effectively to people while not compromising the Gospel.

I think that in order to deal with the values being compromised in our culture the first move is to become informed about what is going on and what exactly people are thinking about truth and church and God. I read an incredible book by Timothy Keller recently called The Reason for God. In it he talks about different arguments that people are using against Christianity, and Timothy then takes those arguments and shows how they are actually proof for God. He addresses post-modernism and the relativistic society that we live in. Since this issue is a matter of the heart there isn't a lot more that we can do other than know and present the truth in a gracious way other than, the way Lee Brice puts it, "Never lets your praying knees get lazy." God does Crazy things when we ask Him. For some reason He chooses to listen to His children when they implore Him with a humble and contrite heart. Praise God!!!