A philosophical tension that camps experience is between separation vs. accommodation.
Ministry has different presuppositions, which is the view of a given situation, different core values, the foundations of beliefs that an individual or a group does not stray away from, and different ministry methods, the way a group or individual focuses their core values to meet their goals.
All of these areas link together leading to an appropriate ministry activity. An appropriate ministry activity is the working purpose that is a result of presuppositions, core values, and a ministry method. However, when a philosophical tension arises, the conflict between two parties presuppositions, it makes it difficult for the links to work.
When a camp looks at separation it tries to keep the incoming campers apart from the world and it's fads. One such issue would be allowing retreaters the use of their phones. It seems that in today's society cell phones are a distraction for people. Camps want to keep as many distractions from their retreaters as they can in order to allow a focus on God and His creation.
On the other hand many camps tend to allow retreaters to bring their technology as the camp offers the many comforts of home. This would be accommodation for the retreaters. Accommodation gives the retreaters comfort that they experience daily. However, this comfort may not give retreaters the attraction to God, but on worldly expectations.
I believe that an appropriate ministry activity in this situation would result in an outdoor setting allowing a separation from the normal, but also allowing the retreaters comfort in the buildings provided. The Lord will work according to His plan and I think camp needs to allow a separation from the world and make the guests feel comfortable about the separation.
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