At 5pm on Sunday 13th March, a coach returned to Amblecote Christian Centre from the Cefn Lea Centre in Mid Wales. It was the end of another Youth Weekend Away; a short retreat in which the young people in our Church family spend time building relationships with each other and exploring the Christian faith. The weekend was surely a different experience for each person who attended – I am going to try to retell at least some of the experience, what we got up to and of course what The Lord got up to also.
One of the most fun moments of the weekend was one in which two teams of us were running around a sports hall, shooting each other with Nerf bullets, which was how Saturday began. Accompanied with team building games which included the youth attempting the make the most convincing human model of a vacuum cleaner (you only have to imagine) and Archery, activities provided a great opportunity for us to get to know one another.
However the weekend was not just comprised of fun and games, but also of time spent in seminars or sessions where we had a chance to worship God whether by singing or playing instruments as part of our Youth Band, and to explore our positions as people with regards to Christianity. One of the main themes for the weekend was a ‘reality check’, by which we could analyze ourselves and our faith. One particular session finished with us breaking up into groups based upon our greatest struggle in our Christian walks. I joined a group looking at the continuation of sin after becoming a Christian, and others included one for those who wanted to share Jesus with those around them but felt too different and one for those longing to be part of a perfect Christian community; the hope of all this being that we could progress in the future if we properly understood our struggles in the present.
This theme ran throughout the whole weekend and one of its most profound manifestations was when the room was sectioned off into a dark area and a light area and we were asked to decide whether we felt that we were living in the light room, or in the dark room – with regards to our revelation of the gospel. This metaphor led to some great discussions around our faith, works and how we felt time was often spent between both places in our lives. The weekend undoubtedly left many with questions and ‘food for thought’, which will likely be explored at our youth groups and ‘Rise’ meetings.
I am sure everyone will agree that this year’s weekend was memorable and impacting and that we will all be looking forward to Mission week this summer which will pose similar opportunities, both for fun and to spend time with God. If you are a young person, or at least feel like one at heart, it would be great if you could join us!
Written by Tom Packer