Theology beer camp?

Yes, you read that right.

If you were following me on social media at all this past week and weekend you saw I travelled to St. Paul, MN, to partake of my first Theology Beer Camp. If you are unfamiliar with this event, it is advertised as a safe place for people of varying journeys and places in their personal understanding of Christianity, especially those who either feel discomfort within Evangelicalism or have removed themselves from it. For many, it is a place to ask big questions, question big things, and interact within very deep conversations about church and faith, and how to process what it all means. And yes, it is also an Oktoberfest environment with a lot of types of beer to try. Participants even get their own beer stein to take home. If you want to look into it more, as well as the one who developed the idea, Tripp Fuller, you can check it out here: https://www.theologybeercamp2025.com/

I wasn’t sure what to expect and to be honest, didn’t know what I got myself into on the first night.

While the first day was very heady, as I took in a pre-event discussing ‘Queerness, Fugitivity, and Sanctuary,’ the first evening was much more like…camp. That evening immediately brought back some feelings associated with old big and loud youth rallies I was part of, and felt like I might be the odd one out on this event. But the next day brought some clarity. I realised there was a huge therapeutic piece to what happened at this event. While I knew there would be plenty of people that had worked in the church before, were hurt in their experience, were pushed out because of their thoughts and questions, and a large group not sure of where they fit in next, somehow I did not factor in the need for a safe place to heal. This was it. So the conversations were deep, I met many authors, asked some big questions of my own, but I also learned from those that truly felt like the ‘other’ in every place they went, even as they loved and followed Jesus.

As you know, the place of the ‘other’ in our setting is an important topic to me. So, there was plenty of resonance with the stories and moments shared, even if I was not entirely in the same place as many present. It brought to mind my ‘big 3’ that I have not mentioned in some time. I now use these 3 words as a kind of assessment and reflection tool for people in a variety of settings. In fact, I use this in my own life whenever I am discerning a significant move or decision. By Sunday I realised I was seeing all 3 in action through this event.

Purpose

Many of the conversations were centred on place and meaning in the world of faith. When a traumatic event happens or questions larger than your setting hit you, you enter a time of crisis. Often that crisis is based on what my reason is for doing what I do. I ask purpose questions all the time and I encourage other people to do the same. When we are part of a larger group or movement and it feels like we either have negative friction or a sense of distancing, we may not have the same purpose in mind. It happens a lot. The question of a mutual purpose is scary, but necessary.

Joy

Am I part of something that speaks to my heart? Do I do things that help me share joy in my setting? If our part in the system does not speak to what I desire to bring to the group, it is a joy killer. People will let their joy die for the sake of creating a false sense of comfort in all kinds of situations. Some at ‘beer camp’ expressed stories of a slow internal death to soul because they were trying to uphold a role that was not true to who they were. I could relate, and many of you can probably think of a time where this happened to you.

Care

In the past I have called care as what it feels like to be loved. There is a reciprocity of action and response that happens when we are in a relationship that is caring, and it encourages us to move with confidence. It hurts to hear story after story of people who did not feel care. There can be a sense of abandonment and betrayal to continuing a work and being involved with people who do not have your best interests in mind. We all need a space where we can share where we didn’t feel the care we needed to do well, and express lament when we didn’t give the care we meant to.

It was an enlightening experience for me. Theology Beer Camp went deep and provided a space for fun and encouragement at the same time. The place for big and scary questions is not often created, even when we say we want it to happen. Most importantly, I appreciated the attention to acknowledging hurt and displacement within community. These are important things the church must continue to learn from, to help all of us do better.

I am always thankful for a gathering that creates within me the need to ‘digest’ long after I leave. This one did so, in its own unique way.