Are you reevaluating aspects of your faith in an effort to (re)consider what you believe? This is the process of deconstruction, and many people of faith today are expressing their doubts, asking hard questions, and exploring how faith meets life in our journey on this earth. This book club is a safe space to express those uncertainties and to find others who are on a similar journey.
We will meet on Wednesday, June 24th @ 6:30 p.m. at CrossRoads, which is located at 708 N. Main St. We will have a light snack (provided) followed by a conversation over the content of Church Camp: Bad Skits, Cry Night, and How White Evangelicalism Betrayed a Generation by Cara Meredith. Here is a brief overview of the book:
"Roasted marshmallows, campfire stories, shaving cream battles--for some of us, Christian summer camp is where we felt most at home, where we could be the most authentic versions of ourselves. But for campers at white Evangelical church camps in particular, camp was also often the place to inherit a toxic image of God and of each other. From purity-motivated admonitions not to "make purple," to the emotional manipulation of "Cry Night," to the utter lack of diversity among campers and staff, the culture of white Evangelical camps has too often betrayed a generation.
"In Church Camp, longtime camp speaker Cara Meredith exposes the ways in which white Evangelical camps sold individualized versions of Jesus to impressionable youth. Campers were forced to "sit with their sin" so they could fully understand God's conditional love. Camp life emotionally coaxed campers into making a formative commitment to Christ (and therefore to white Evangelical subculture). Further, camps commodified the faith of these young people to bolster their own funding and power.
"Along the way, Meredith weaves in notable history of the camping movement, revivalism, and white Evangelicalism. She asks profound questions about who God is and what it means to be human. Following the progression of a typical week at camp, Church Camp weaves together Meredith's own story and the powerful stories of dozens of other former campers and camp staff members. Along the way, she invites us into the tension of accounting for our past while moving toward a better future.
"Whether you went to church camp or not, whether you loved camp or hated it, Church Camp will peel back the layers, hold the powerful accountable, and help you envision a more vibrant, loving, and inclusive faith."
Reading the book is not a requirement to attending or participating. In addition, the book club is open to people of any faith or no faith at all. You do not need to be a part of CrossRoads to attend this event. It is open to the public and anyone who would like to join with us.
For those that are unable to attend in person, we invite you to read the book with us. You can share your thoughts and questions with Patrick Wilson to be shared with the group at the book club meeting and/or set up a one-on-one time to visit about the book in person, over the phone, or through chat/text. We'd love your input on the book and how it challenges and shapes your faith journey.
