WHAT! NO NIGHT SERVICE!!!

I am beside myself right now....My jaw about hit the floor....My "are you serious" reflex is still going over and over in my head! Above you see some pics from Jr. High Camp just a week and a half ago. Well, this was a NIGHT service where God was moving, kids were giving their hearts and lives over the the Lord to serve in ministry, etc. 

So here's my rant....we did not go to kids' camp this year which makes me really sad because I absolutely love camps and know that God does amazing things in kids' lives. But we just didn't have kids this year that were able to go either financially or because their parents just don't understand the value of it spiritually. Anyways, camp has always been a couple of hours away but this year they changed it to a camp which is 9 miles from our house. So tonight I decided to go out and check out the night service at the new location. I arrived...saw 20 or so kids walking around about 6:45 PM...made my way to the chapel where they were having what I thought was pre-service activities. I asked what time service started thinking maybe it was 7:30 PM and then all of a sudden everyone got up and left. I was confused. I followed an adult out and asked what time evening service started and he said there was no evening service. What? Can you say that again please? Surely I had misunderstood...so I asked again. No, I heard right. After picking my jaw up off the ground I asked when service was. He said from 10-11:30 AM. Well, yeah, that's morning service. That's what time it's always been. But he said that was the only service this year. Really?! I have been to a LOT of camp meetings in my life and I know that there is something completely different about morning service and evening service. Not that God can't move in the morning as well, but the kids are simply not as receptive and lunch doesn't wait so you HAVE to end at a specific time. What about lingering around the alter as God works on these kids' hearts? I am still in complete shock! 

As I was processing this new found "system" I asked the gentleman what they did from 7 PM on. He said they had free time until 9:30 PM and then came in for some worship and late night activities for an hour. Really....2 1/2 hours of free time when they could be in service hearing the Word of God and worshipping Him. Hhhmmmm. That doesn't sound like a very good trade off to me?! I am seriously going to look into other kids' camps for us to attend next year besides our districts. I know that the leadership I'm sure has their reasons, but I simply cannot believe that the tradeoff is worth whatever they feel they are gaining. There are two large churches in the area that both put on their own camps and I will be checking into them for next year. Wow, I'm seriously in shock!