Some come just on Sabbath morning; some stay for the entire event. Some whisk in and out on a whim; others bring the RV or trailer and join a small city. Whatever your experience with the annual conference camp meeting, these gatherings have, for many Adventists, become a summertime staple, an annual family reunion of sorts. Camp meeting is an interesting mixture of the faithful and not-so-faithful who find a common bond in their shared Adventist heritage. Some attend workshops; some volunteer at the snack shop or information booth. More often than not, you'll find groups of families and friends sharing haystack meals around folding-chair circles. Your local pastor may be leading out in a children's program or pounding an evening security beat. Camp meetings have a little something for nearly everyone. They are often the annual anchor point in building local conference community and sense of church vision. They are where we all gather to remember from whence we have come and to reflect on where we ought to be going. Here's just a glimpse of the 2014 Northwest camp meeting experience.
It gets crowded under the colorful tent at the Alaska Interior Camp Meeting held at Harding Lake near Fairbanks.
Karen and Ray Thornton (pictured in front with Lora and Greg Thornton) have given leadership in the kitchen at the Palmer, Alaska, campgrounds for the past seven years.
Elizabeth Talbot presents a featured message at the Idaho Camp Meeting held at Gem State Academy in Caldwell.
Montana young adults rally to a Habitat for Humanity project during the annual camp meeting gathering.
As the Friday evening program draws near, campers begin gathering at the main pavilion at the Oregon Camp Meeting in Gladstone.
A long walk through the parking lot brings one of the Oregon Camp Meeting tents in sight.
If you build it, they will come. They did indeed, at the Upper Columbia Camp Meeting in Spangle, Washington.
The dedicated come ready to learn, ready to be inspired, as Bruce Koch leads a workshop at Washington Camp Meeting in Auburn.
Packing in the gluten for another year of vegetarian cookery, many find a stop at the local ABC a necessity.
On the edge of their seats, Washington Conference kids are ready for a good story.
How long have you been coming to camp meeting? Sisters Elsie Payne, 97, and Elva Payne, 99, have been coming to Oregon Camp Meeting since 1951.
At the main pavilion in Gladstone, Ore., some choose indoor seating, while others prefer the outdoor breeze.
Children's groups form lengthening shadows outdoors during Upper Columbia's gathering in Spangle, Wash.
Al Reimche, Oregon Conference president, participates in a "Thank You" video shared with those in attendance in Gladstone.
Upper Columbia Conference Pathfinders Michael Gilbert, Allyson and Ashley Graybill help with parking on Sabbath, a traditional Pathfinder service to camp meeting.
Evening attendees at Auburn Adventist Academy stream towards the campus rotunda.
Camp meeting attendees keep up with the latest from the daily Washington Camp Meeting newsletter "Accent."
Like camp meetings all across the Northwest, friends and family at the Montana gathering, form a circle of folding chairs for lunch.
