Relationships are the ultimate reality of the universe and the relationality of God is the basis for understanding all human issues because we were made in the image of our creator who is a relational being. RIP’d 4 Life will make all of its decisions based on the relational well-being of its participants. If it’s not good for the relationship, then we don’t do it. Giving as a way of life. Human b
eings are prone to excess. As a dominant cultural force, consumerism and materialism threaten the human soul and ultimately lead to the destruction of the earth and personal dissatisfaction. At RIP’d 4 Life we exist to give. We are endeavor to give and not take. We exist for the sake of others. We aim to serve in the manner of Christ. All of our participants are challenged to think, act and live outside of oneself. We believe the secret to living is giving. Life in community. Communitas is a Latin word that denotes an intense community spirit where feelings of equality, solidarity and togetherness are present. RIP’d 4 Life Camp experiences aspire to create a true spirit of community. Campers and counselors sleep in the same quarters, eat the same food, and participate in all activities together. There are no persons of privilege and no second class citizens. We are a community that practices embraces a common purpose in Jesus Christ. Experiential Learning. Experience is life’s best teacher. Young men are taught many things in theory, but rarely implement those lessons in the context of real life. Experiential learning occurs when human beings are placed in real life situations that demand a response. In order to promote experiential learning, RIP’d 4 Life will create age appropriate activities where experiential learning can occur. There is no set curriculum or content, participants discover what needs to be discovered and those learning experiences are not soon forgotten. Holistic Holiness. Holiness is about having right relationships and pursuing “wholeness.” The “inner man” seeking a right relationship with God is the basis for right relations with others. Once a right relationship is established with God, right relationships can be developed with others, the world we live in and our own bodies. RIP’d 4 Life is interested in the “whole” person (Mind, body and soul) and our activities will reflect the whole being of a person. Jesus not masculinity. Definitions of manhood are wide and varied. Instead of using gender stereotypes and cultural values to inform young men about what they should become, we default to Jesus. We have no indication from scripture that Jesus came to earth for the purpose of modeling manhood. As such, we do not say he is the perfect male, we say he is the perfect human being and his perfect life saves us from ourselves making it possible to be transformed into the image of God. Therefore, we resist narrow definitions of what a man is (e.g., the stronger s*x, dominant, etc.). We do not say things like “Man-up,” “Grow-up,” “Be a man,” etc. As a community, we endeavor to be transformed into the likeness of Christ and this requires the embodiment of virtues such as humility, courage, justice, mercy and forgiveness. Our main objective is to seek godliness and the masculine thing will take care of itself. That is not to say traditionally masculine things do not happen at our camps & retreats (sporting competitions, brotherhood, etc.), it is to say our perspective on those things is different and what we do is filtered through the lens of Christ-likeness.
