I spent last week at a youth camp, Institute 2010: God’s All Stars, which is a ministry of the Conference Council on Youth Ministry of the Kansas East Annual Conference. This post is part of a series reflecting on the week and making applications for the local church.
On the first day, I realized that Institute is a clique. There are insider language, traditions, games, jokes and expectations. My first response was negative, do high school students really need another clique? As the week continued I realized a significant difference in the clique that is Institute and others which exist in the world:
Institute is a clique where everyone is in.
If you are present at the camp, you are in. You can be part of the exclusive group, learn the traditions, language, games, jokes and expectations. Everyone is accepted into the clique.
What about your local church? Is there there insiders and outsiders? How do the common words and practices of your local church seem to those who are new? Is everyone in?
Rev. Andrew Conard 
2 replies on “Institute: The Clique Where Everyone is In (1 of 5)”
YES YES YES! I love Institute! It is the one place I have lived where the typical social boundaries are challenged and examined and ultimately cast away. Children of God can be exactly who they are called to be–and are in a safe place to express their individuality. I’m so glad you got to go!
I wish there was an adult camp like Institute where we could safely take off our masks and receive God’s overflowing acceptance of who we are, deep inside, even the dark and hurt parts.
[…] lives, church. Tagged: acceptance, camp, church, confessional, institutional. Leave a Comment I reflected about acceptance at camp and in the church several days ago. My friend, Ben Simpson, clarified for me a distinction in acceptance through sharing the […]