Show STANDARD-EXAMINE- ! J ' R SATURDAY AUGUST 4 1990 Worshippers find God in great outdoors lured” Labor Day family camping event The threc-dacamping experience can easily become an unbroken string of spontaneous activities creating a unique set of memories for every person attending all or part of the festivities An outdoor Sunday worship service time of 10:30 am and an 11:30 am water baptismal k service followed by a joint supper is held in the central meeting area of the Weber County Memorial Park campground site which is leased for the three days by the church Members their friends acquaintances and extended family members are then welcome to participate with the church family in celebrating God and his creation Campers find that the main rule is that there are no rules except the principles learned in Sunday School about mutual respect responsibility and sharing They may visit campsites of another family for a friendly game of cards or supper wander up to Causey Reseivoir to fish or take photographs of the wilds of By SUSAN BRAMLETTE Specul to the Standard Exarraner Virtually every family in the Western states has at least one person who is an as owed member of the “Rocky Mountain Church of God" This is the individual who can't seem to find spiritual sige edinificance inside fices and who experiences the presence of God through en- counters with natural phenomena such as waterfalls night sounds and rock faces Other family members who hase found a comfort zone with a creator who is also God of the sanctuary can't seem to relate to the concept of worshipping full time in the outdoors but still feel drawn to at least a yearly sojourn in the elements with the master architect of nature It is for these less hardy members of the family perhaps in concert with their “Sierra Club siblings” for which the modern Christian family camping program was designed It is not a new idea for human beings to have “gone camping on summer days” A short study of Leviticus 23 reveals the Old Testament prototv pe of the present day New Testament family campout “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees branches of palm trees the boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days You shall dwell in booths for seven days" Leviticus 23:40a (NKJV) New King James Ver-- i sion In Old Testament times it was clearly the intention of God for man to set aside “spaces" of rest time or Sabbaths for himself Some of these “spaces" W'ere memorial — man looking back to a miraculous act which God had done — and some were prophetic — man looking forward to a promised miracle which God would do Both kinds of spiritual activ ity arc essential to a balanced biblical and happy Christian life It is the variety of things that can be found to do outdoors which has caused the people of New Hope Foursquare Church in Ogden to stick for six years with the philosophy of an unstructured or “barely struc- - y man-mad- ‘ i ' j U ‘ pot-luc- Utah Spiritual leader of the church Pastor Robin Bramlette said “I don't know whether we'll stick with this Unstructured formula forever” adding “It would be a good opportunity for u's to hear strong Bible teaching and new direction from the Lord as a group out here in this peaceful 'set apart' environment" Adinia Chavez a church member and participant of the camping program knows first hand what the experience can do for a person “I find it easy to relax and meditate in the presence of God at family camp It meins a time of rest and also a tfrtte to get to know my brothers and sisters and to spend tiro vsith my children and husband” Lcsa Moore Vebor State College's girls' Volleyball team coach said “Tolttc church fam ily camps are ery important 1'vc been to lots them through the years? gro ing up in the Christian jChS :h At camp there abSuOTSidios no movies nothing iSUyaur Bible and you and Godprlrr society it's all 'go go gobuiSvJjen you're isolated yOiH$pi stoning You arc vuIncr no "jsee CAMP on Page 3 five-ye- Rick Tessean is baptized by Pastor Robin Bramlette Dave Gallegos and Randy Goodnight at the Weber County Memorial Park River ar |