Hi, Glen Hope this reaches you in time. It's no secret. I have heard one horror story after another from young adults who had youth camp experiences that went something like this: DYD brings in "youth evangelist" who wears everyone down for 3 nights. On night 4, there is an altar call for Spirit baptism to which many respond. The prayer methods used to bring people through to this experience include mimicking gibberish syllables, having a group of others scream at you in tongues, and keeping you at the altars until your physical strength is gone and the choice seems to be Spirit baptism or death. The upshot of all of this is that some kids go home without having the experience feeling like second rate citizens. Those who do receive are often perplexed by why their more godly friends did not. All in all, lots of kids are traumatized by the highly stylized, pressure-cooker environment that focuses on body counts instead of empowerment for mission. This finding was a total surprise in my interview research. While the sentiment may only be from one group of kids, I have heard similar stories time and time again. At least some of the adult resistance to Pentecostal doctrine I've located in my studies is actually rooted in adolescent trauma, not in theology. Application: the DYD needs to guard youth camp with her/his life. It is a spiritually forming experience for young Pentecostals, not just a youth event. E -----Original Message----- From: Glen Davis Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 1:23 PM To: Creps, Earl Subject: Youth camp Earl, You mentioned once that there's something that youth pastors consistenly do wrong at youth camp that has apparently scarred an entire generation of emerging leaders. I'm speaking briefly at a youth camp tomorrow. Are you willing to let me in on the secret? God bless, Glen