Ten years ago a YP came to me and was interested in bringing his youth group to our camp. He asked me one question: "Will you allow my students to smoke?" He told me he runs an outreach to the unchurched students and many of them smoke. Many camps turned him down because, "Smoking is bad for you." I told him Yes, we have a defined area and that would be the only place to smoke. Anywhere else is a fire hazard.
He was at that church for the next two years. We both took a lot of trash from pastors and people about smoking at a "Christian camp", "what's next allowing kids to have sex..." One pastor threatened to discontinue the church's giving to us if we continue this practice. He threatened to take us to presbytery! Which means COMMITTEES. I took it to the board and they agreed with the pastor that we should not allow smoking, especially if it is now illegal for a minor to even possess it. This was not a health issue, but a cosmetic one. Christians don't smoke.
I had to ban smoking and inadvertently smokers from the camp.
That was a sad day and it broke my spirit. Eric left the church and became a missionary in Albania.
What's going to happen. Will the emerging church ban organ players?
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