Evangelistic Activity Weekend positively impacts young people
28 July, 2009
Following recent reports in the press that Richard Dawkins’ foundation has donated to a 5-day retreat called ‘Camp Quest’, a secular alternative to Christian Camps with the tagline “beyond belief”, Youth for Christ is seeing many exciting things happen at Fort Rocky – its own outrageously fun activity weekend with a difference.
As an evangelistic activity weekend, Fort Rocky is exactly the kind of Christian residential that Camp Quest is seeking to provide a secular alternative for. Richard Dawkins says the aim of Camp Quest is to “encourage children to think for themselves, skeptically and rationally” [Times online article – June 28, 2009*]. Yet youth leaders who bring groups of young people to Fort Rocky have seen what brilliant fun it is and remark on the positive effect it has on their young people. In the 2008/9 season around 1500 young people attended the weekends.
Christine Smith from Leicester is a youth leader who regularly comes to Fort Rocky with a group of over 30 young people. Many are not Christians and do not attend church but in Christine’s experience, “Parents know fully that the weekend is a Christian one, where their children will hear a Christian message and no-one has ever said they didn’t want their children to go because of that.” Each weekend includes a Gospel talk and young people are given the opportunity to respond to the life-changing message of Jesus. The good news of Jesus is presented in a relevant way and recently a weekend saw over 100 respond – whether by becoming a Christian, wanting to know more or thinking about the message and asking questions.
Fort Rocky has a “massive impact on the young people who come” according to Christine. “Many come from broken homes and situations where things like alcohol really affect their families so the best part of Fort Rocky for me is seeing the kids getting on so well together and enjoying themselves, Christian and non-Christian kids” she says. One young boy who came from a broken home said openly at Fort Rocky that he wanted to lose his anger and be like the Christian young people he had met on the weekend.
Rather than brain-washing or discouraging thought, young people hear what Christians believe and are also encouraged to think about relevant issues such as poverty and injustice. This year, they learn about “Turn on the tap” – a project run by Samaritan’s purse which aims to give clean and healthy water to families in Africa. The young people are then given the chance to make a difference in the world by giving towards the project.
Pictures available on request.
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6591236.ece
Contact: Merisa MacInnes, 07817 304397 or Tim Adams, 07595 821998
Notes to Editors
YFC has 64 local centres throughout the UK, from Inverness down to the Isle of Wight, working with - and for - the local church to ensure that evangelism and youth work is relevant to local young people. Each month 300,000 young people hear and see people living out the gospel of Jesus Christ in their local areas. For more information go to: www.yfc.co.uk.
British Youth for Christ. Registered Charity No. 263446, SC039297
