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FAITH SUSTAINABILITY AFTER A WEEKLONG EXPERIENCE AT A YOUTH CAMP A THESIS-PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GORDON-CON WELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY SAMUEL H. YEAGER MAY 2021 Copyright ©2021 by Samul H. Yeager. All Rights Reserved To Mom & Dad forraising me in the faith and support in my education. CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....00....eeseeeseesesceececesceceseeseseeeesneeceseceseessseseevseeeseneeseseessenecseveseersenessseessesesseress vi ABSTRACT... ce eeeeceseececescecesneececeecsseecsevsesevseseesenessseecsesesevsessseseeseesesssseeseceesessesessseeseseeseesatess ix Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION: THE PROBLEM ANDITS SETTING .....0 ee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeersenerseees 1 2. THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR FAITH SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH ....... 30 3. LITERATURE REVIEW .....00.. ee ceesssseseeceseseesceececesesesesevseersesersesesseeseseaesersesenseeterensarees 62 4. PROJECT DESIGN ...0..... ee ceeeseeseseeeeseeececesceeeseseeseseeseseeseseseesseseesessegesessesssesesereteeerenees 114 5. PROJECT OUTCOMES... esesesesesseseeecceecesesessesesseseceeseeesessesgeseseeseseeseseesnseseesesees 126 6. PROJECT VARIABLES, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONG................ 174 Appendix A. CHRISTIAN BELIEFS: COMPARED RESULTS... eeeesseesseseeceeeseeeseeeetesenteseeseeees 180 B. CHRISTIAN BELIEFS: PAIRED T-TEST... eeeeeseseeseeeceeseeeeseceeeeeenseeeseeeetereneenees 185 C. SEEKS JUSTICE (FAIR TREATMENT) OF ALL PEOPLE: COMPARED RESULTS osscseescsesscosescosscoeeseseceesscoseecosescsersesssesersessssssscsesesessesseseseseseesessseersesersessegeseaeseterseseeersseas 186 D. SEEKS JUSTICE (FAIR TREATMENT) OF ALL PEOPLE: PAIRED T-TEST ......... 190 E. SHARES ABOUT GOD’S JUSTICE (SALVATION) FOR ALL: COMPARED RESULTS 0.0. eee ceseeeeeeececeseeececencecesceeescseesceseseesesceesssvscsevscsevsecevseevsesessevsesevseeerseserseeess 191 F. SHARES ABOUT GOD’S JUSTICE (SALVATION) FOR ALL: PAIRED T-TEST...194 G. PRACTICING ELEMENTS OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: COMPARED iv . PRACTICING ELEMENTS OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: PAIRED T-TEST seseaceseeseeseeseescesesceseseecuseseeesescesessecacuseesessesseesesaessessessesaeessssseseseesasesesceeeseaeseuseseesacuseseesersesense 198 PRACTICING ELEMENTS OF PERSONAL FAITH: COMPARED RESULTS ........ 199 PRACTICING ELEMENTS OF PERSONAL FAITH: PAIRED T-TEST ...............0+ 201 . OVERALL: PAIRED T-TEST ..000. eee eeececeeceeceeeseeeeseeeseesssessssensesesseeeseseseeseseeseseas 202 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......00.....ssceseeseseeseseeececesessse ssecceeesseeeesceceesrsescsesceeesseessgeeseeeesscessessescseesecesseesesgs 203 seseececesceseesecacuseeceesesaesecaesseesessesaeeseesecaeseeseseaeeseseseaesceseseeseseseuseseseserseseaesceseseacaguseuseseessessesaaeees 208 FIGURES 1. Previous Camp Decision .............ccccccscscsssessessseseceeseceseesceeseesceeseneeseeeeseesesseseeseesesssenseesseas 127 2. Life Change Which Occurred After a Previous Camp .............s:cssessssssesssesceeseeeseesseseeensess 128 3. Changes Continued After Camp.............ccccsscssscseseseseseseseceeseeesersseeseeessesseeseessesssensteasesssees 129 4. Factors Which Contributed to Continuation of Changes ..............:.sccssessesceeseeesesereseeeneees 129 5. What Follow-up Occurred to Continue Changes ..............::ccssessssseseessessenseeseenseseesesseees 130 6. What Follow-up You Wish Had Occurted...............cccccsssssssesssesesseseeeseeseeeseeeeseseeesseensesenens 131 7. Choice Made at this Cann ...............sccsscsssscesecseseescesecseseseceeseeserssesseeceeseseseessessneenseasesssees 132 8. What Changes are Expected to OcCCUD............:csscsssesesesseeeseesseseeeneestesnsensessseneessesensensessesees 133 9. Expectation to Maintain Changes.............:ccccssscscsssssseeceeseceeseeesersseeseeeseesnseneeseesneenseseensess 134 10. What Follow-up is Expected .............ccccecscscsssesssseseseseesseeseeseeseteseeseesonsessessesseeesesssesseessees 135 11. Apostles’ Creed 00... .cceccesscessessecesecesesseceseceeseseceeseseseeseeseseeeseeeeeseeesaesenssaeeseessesasessenseas 139 12. Apostles’ Creed ..........cceccesscescessecesecsseseeceseseeseseceeseseseesnesececeeseeeeeseeeseesasssseeaseessesaeeasenseas 141 13. Apostles’ Creed ..........ceccesccessessesesecesesssceseceeseseceeseseseeseeseceeeseneseeseeseesssssaseseessesesessenseas 142 14. Apostles’ Creed .0........ceccesccessessessecesesseceseceeseseceeseceeeseeesececeeseneeeseeseeeasesseesseeanesaeeaseenseas 143 15. Apostles’ Creed ..........ceccesccessessesesecesessecececeeseseceeseceeeseesececeeseneseeseeseesssssasesseeanesaseaseenseas 145 16, Seeks JUStice 0... eeeceeesesceececeeceeseeeceeecseecseeecseesssessesessesesseesseesseseseeseseesseessersneeearesees 147 17, Seeks JUStice 0... ceeeeeeescsceececeeceeeseeecseeeceeeeceeecsecsssesesessesesseesseessesessseseeseeessersnseesneseas 148 18. Seeks JUstice 2... eeeeeeeesceecsceeceseseeecseeeceeeecseeecseecsesesessesesseesseeessesseseeseseeseeessersneeearesegs 150 19. Shares about God’s Justice 2.0... seeesececeeeeceeeeeeeeseeeesececeeecsesesseseseceesenseseseesesseeeseessesees 152 20. Shares about God's JUStice 20... eseseseeeeseeeeeeeeceecseserseenceesecsesesseesseeesenseseseesesarentesesesees 153 21. Spiritual Growth Elements ..............:cccccsssssssseessceseessesseeseesseeseseeseseeseeerseeeeseeaneesseseeneees 156 22. Spiritual Growth Elements ..............:csccssscssssseesseeseeeseesseesersceesesnseeeseeseesaeeeseesneessesseensess 157 vi 23 . Spiritual Growth Elements in Use 24 . Spiritual Growth Elements in Use 25. 26 27 . Worship Attendance...............:00 28 - Attend Local Church...............+ 29 . Ministry to Youth Available ......... 30 . Attend Ministry to Youth.............. 31 . Employment Status of Ministry to Youth Lead er...........0:ccscccssssssseseescessseecessnsesssesesssneess 32 . Sunday School Available.............. 33 . sunday School Attendance........... 34 . Availability of Weekly Small Groups.............sccssessceseessceeseseeeeeceseeescenceseseneecsesenseeeeeeesees 35 . Attendance at Weekly Smal] Group. .............c:csccssessseseeeseeseneseesnsensescensesseceeeceeesneseeeeeesees 36 . Faith of Parent(s)/Guardian(s) ...... 37 . One or Both are Christians............ 38 . Faith of Siblings ................ccccccee 39 . Family Devotional Time Availability ................csccsccsssesscesseeseeeesesseescencessseeeecnesensceeeeeesees 40 . Christian Organization Available at School ..............sccscsscescesseseeeeeceseeceseneeceeeeeeceeseeesees 41 . Attendance of Christian Organization at School ..............sccsscessescesseseeeeesesssceeeeeeseeeeeesees 42 . Type of School ............ccccceeceeceees 43 . Involvement in Local Church ....... 44 . Elements Involved...............0:000000+ 45 . Support of Youth at Local Church vii 46. Rating of Youth at Local Church Suppott ................:ccssssessssesseeseessesseessesseeeesessessseneeeenees 172 vill ABSTRACT Camping is part of the Christian heritage going back to the Old Testament. Today many Christian camps offer weeklong experiences focused on teens, which have an impact upon their faith. However, how sustainable is that faith after camp? What ingredients help sustain a teen's faith? This thesis-project discovers faith sustainability of campers aftera weeklong experience at a youth camp and reveals elements that assist in sustaining a teen’s faith; multiple people of faith who support the teen, a faithful home environment, participation in Christian education, and practicing Christian disciplines. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION: THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING A 15-Year-Old Boy, His Faith, and a Week at Camp In June 1986, a 15-year-old male attended Music Camp at Twin Pines Camp, Conference, and Retreat Center (Twin Pines Camp). A goal of the camp was to perform a musical program Friday evening for the Senior High Camp, occurring during the same week. Another performance occurred Saturday morning for the public — mainly for parents and friends. The focus of the musical that year was on developing a missional view, taking care of those in need around the world physically and spiritually. Not only did the musical focus on those aspects, but so too the lessons. The teen learned more about living a Christian life during the week than any other time he could remember. The week had a spiritual impact upon him like nothing else before. Having attended Twin Pines Camp as a Junior High and Senior High camper since the summer of 1983, those weeks were enjoyable— memories created, fun had, and relationships strengthened or created. For some reason, though, they did not have the same impact as that 1986 week. The 15-year-old went on to be a summer camp counselor at Twin Pines Camp for six years. After college, he graduated from seminary with a focus in Christian Education and Youth Ministry, leading him to three youth pastor positions in local churches, a Program Director at a non-profit, and eventually that camp’s Assistant Director. The above is an account of his ministry vocation after the 1986 summer. However, what about his spiritual growth? Was it a faith that continued? Was it a faith that died out over the