The Christian Adventure Centre Newsletter
Well, it’s already partway through another season here at The Christian Adventure Centre, Viney Hill. Staff and Instructors alike were straining at the bit to get to grips with the groups coming in; some groups who are old friends and are revisiting (welcome back!) and some that are going to be here for the first time (welcome!).
Once again staff spent the last month of 2005 and the beginning of 2006 doing all the necessary maintenance jobs around the Centre. Sue and Malvina have painted and cleaned everything in sight, and after a quick trip to Ikea, the lounge in the house was spruced up with rugs and new curtains, giving it a real cosy feel for groups staying in the house accommodation.
All this work was continued during our second Annual Works Weekend held on the 10-12 February. Once again staff were overwhelmed by the amount of hard work that was put in by the volunteers who joined with us to get the Centre ready for another year of activity. Groups will now be challenged even more by the new initiative games that were set up, and the preparation that was done for the extension to the low ropes course. The Archery range was erected, new paths were laid, the cellar floor was re-laid and the timber boarding around the camping centre was painted. Whew! It’s a wonder we had time to eat the fantastic food prepared for us by Brian and Sheila!! This year the rain also managed to stay away until Sunday lunchtime, perfect!
NEW STAFF MEMBER!!
One major new development here at the Centre this year, is the appointment of a new full time Centre Instructor. Steve Bedford was welcomed onto the staff team in February and has already made a huge difference to all of us (although nobody dares go into the stores anymore for fear of upsetting his ‘system’!). Steve has moved up from Devon to join the Centre, and has a very (very!) long history of youth work. He has proved to be a great asset to the staff team and the groups who visit.
STAFF TRAINING
Our staff dedication to providing highly qualified instruction for our visiting groups continues this year. Over coming weeks Ali, Steve, Tony Williams, Julie Williams and Alyn English (one of our freelance instructors) are all going to be completing an OTC mountain biking course. Then Steve, Jon Holden (another of our freelancers), Tony Williams and Tony Hawker-Bond will be attending a canoeing course.
Ali Thompson recently attended a chain saw course (she was the only girl!) and can now be seen around the site wearing full protective gear and wielding a huge chainsaw; suddenly everyone is being really polite to her!
STAFF THOUGHTS
Staff recently had cause to contemplate on what we have to offer the groups that visit us, and how we can make a difference in their lives. The conclusions we came to were quite interesting so we thought it would be helpful to share them with you.
We feel that we are not just a staff team, but are actually a ‘community’; a feeling that goes beyond just being part of a team, to being an alive and committed community of honest Christians enabling the groups that visit us to encounter God at their own pace, to provide the opportunity for challenge and growth within a safe and controlled environment, to provide acceptance and an atmosphere for building the confidence of young people and their leaders, and to provide support and encouragement for those leaders.
Part of the spiritual side of the work we do is found through the way we do the job, how we communicate with people and the focus we have. We aim to look after our visitors administratively as efficiently and effectively as possible. Our ethos and ‘being’ are very important and is driven by who and what we are in God. This ‘being’ can provide a God influence in itself, but we also try to be available to share God and pray with visitors and with each other when the need and opportunity arises.
We try to show God in the way we treat people before during and after their visits here, the way we expect groups to treat each other and generally providing a place and atmosphere that would facilitate a group’s spiritual programme, or even provide a different atmosphere than the norm for those non-Christian groups that visit us. We hope that we build positive ‘history’ and good memories for our visitors, and maybe even a landmark moment in their spiritual journey.
On a more practical/educational point of view, we are able to provide facilities for groups to use to challenge themselves and develop a sense of confidence in themselves and their abilities. Our hope is that our activities produce team building and a positive impact individually on the lives of the young people doing them.
We hope sharing this gives you an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the community of people that work here at The Christian Adventure Centre. What we can do to impact the lives of the children, young people and adults who visit us is really important to all of us, and to our freelance instructors. We hope that all those of you that come here will find it a positive and life affirming experience!
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING GROUPS WHO WILL BE JOINING US OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS!
May
House
3–5 Mendip Outdoors
5-7 Clevedon Baptist Youth
8-12 Monmouth Diocese
17-19 Furniture Recycling
19-21 Worcester Diocese
22-26 Seers Green School
26-29 Cotswold Suzuki Group
30-2 June Llandaff Diocese
Campsite
3-5 Mendip Outdoors
5-7 Charlton Kings Youth
8-10 Swindon College
10-12 Weymouth College
12-14 Redland Parish Church
15-19 Severnbanks School
22-26 Powell School
26-29 Cotswold Suzuki Group
30 May-2 June Llandaff Diocese
June
House
2-4 Doors (Adult special needs)
5-9 Roose School
12-16 Shrubberies School
16-18 Yatton Youth
19-23 Lakeside School
23-25 The Rock
26-30 Colerne School
30-2 July St Lukes Youth
Campsite
2-4 Corsham Lads and Girls Brigade
8-10 Swindon College
9-11 St Mary’s, Wotton
12-14 Swindon College
16-18 Oxford Friends
23-25 St Andrews Churchdown
30-2 July St James’
July
House
3-4 Bettridge School
5-7 Bishops Child School
7-9 G2G
10-14 River School
14-16 Gloucester Diocese
18-20 Copland School
21-23 Tewksbury Abbey
26-28 Furniture Recycling
Campsite
5-7 Dolphin School
7-9 Christ the King
10-14 Balcarras School
14-16 St Peters Winchcombe
17-21 Berkeley College
22-28 Newton Abbot Methodist
29-5 August Boys & Girls Brigade, Berkshire
This article was posted at 09:04 on 27th April 2006
