POST FALLS - There's no circus atmosphere under this tent.

Only fiery messages from preachers across the country pouring forth living water from the Bible for a dry and thirsty land.

Welcome to the Living Water Camp Meeting at Post Falls Baptist Church.

In its 13th year along busy Spokane Street, the open-air worship carries on an old-style church tradition that's now rare in the Northwest and even getting scattered in the Bible Belt.

"In the origin of the nation in the 1700s, people would leave their homes and farmland to come to actually camp out to center on the reality that God has given us land, strength and prosperity," said Bill Hohenstreet, the church's pastor. "They may have lasted two weeks or even a month.

"They're one of the spiritual pillars of activity that had a major influence on the foundation and formation of the nation."

Services were held at the church throughout this week with meals provided.

Hohenstreet said he believes camp meetings are not as common today because of the "drifting of our society."

"We've gone from being centered spiritually to focusing on the acquisition of things, entertainment and recreation," he said. "When our society departs from practicing scripture, we go the way of the world and that's contrary to God."

But the Post Falls camp meeting is far from deflating.

Hohenstreet said it has grown every year, and the tent has had to be expanded multiple times.

Some people are less intimidated by entering a tent than a church building, he said.

"There's a liberty there that you don't find with buildings," he said.

Services don't end at specific times because, attendees say, God's work never rests. One service didn't end until 11 p.m.

"A bunch of people came to know the Lord for the first time," Billie Jo Hughes said. "We had tears of joy."

This was Hughes' first camp meeting, and she said it was amazing.

"Your soul gets fed all week rather than only on Sunday and Wednesday," she said.

Preachers raise their voices over messages of the Bible and spiritual victories. They often get an equally loud "Amen!" from attendees in return.

Hughes believes the tone is needed.

"God is trying to get a point across to us," she said.

Betty Borley has attended all 13 years and is thankful the church is keeping a tradition alive.

"This is what the early church did," she said. "We need to go God's way and not the world's way."

Kristi Mattson said it's important that families come together to seek the Holy Spirit because recent catastrophic events are scriptural.

"The Bible talks about diverse earthquakes," she said. "Those things are right in line with scripture."

The camp meeting is not just a Baptist event. Historically, several denominations held tent-style worship.

About 140 churches are invited to the Post Falls gathering and last year 32 different churches were represented. People from throughout the region come, and some of them camp at the church during the week.

Hohenstreet said revival and evangelism may happen under the tent, but that's not the focus.

"There may be people who get their spiritual zeal rekindled, but the focus is on the Lord, what He has accomplished and to give Him praise," he said. "If you drink of his water, you'll never thirst. It's refreshing."