“On the Way” was the title given to the Kid’s Club second camp which lasted for four days over a long (and thankfully sunny) Bank Holiday weekend at the beginning of May. The venue was a pilgrim’s hostel complete with a multipurpose hall next door, all set in beautiful countryside. Our aims, as we embarked on this adventure reflect those of the Club, run fortnightly on Fridays; namely to give the 14 kids that come along plenty of healthy fun whilst building relationships and acceptance amongst them (no mean feat, seeing that they came from 7 different schools!)
Throughout the outdoor activities and workshops focussed on Christian values, we aimed to encourage personal thought and reflection together with the confidence to express themselves in a group situation. Last, but not least, we also attempted to stimulate a growing interest in the environment around them.
The theme of being “On the Way” was touched on throughout the programme, from outdoor pursuits such as Treasure Hunts, Searches, and Hill Walking to creative fun with handicrafts, making personalized caps and water bottles. In the hands on workshops we explored relevant situations and questions related to goals and decision-taking through drama, debates, games and scientific experiments, in order to provoke thought on what does and doesn’t help us find the right way through life, outlining reference points for good decisions and for guiding them when they feel “lost”.
Seasoned with barbecues, football matches, night time “fun” sessions full of laughter (and minimal sleep!), the positive atmosphere created led to a last night “Talent Show” in which all the children prepared sketched, songs, jokes or other “performances” demonstrating not only an amazing diversity of real talent but, more importantly, a sense of mutual support and trust which was a definite highlight.
After lunch on Sunday, each one set out “on the way” home, compass in hand, full of the fun they had had and – not unlike the pilgrims who passed through the hostel – exhausted but extremely satisfied.
Our prayer is that find “The Way”, – and that God continue to lead them, and us, as we continue the clubs, seeking to bring His truth and Light in to their lives. We await the fruit from the seed sown.
