Looking for something to do over the Easter holidays? Why not join us for our annual Easter Conference? It runs from Friday 2nd to Tuesday 6th April 2010. The Young People’s Houseparty for those 16+ is in Bushmills. All the Conference meetings will be held in Portrush Presbyterian Church.
This is the 60th anniversary of CEF in Ireland, hence the theme is “The past, the Present…the Future?” Mr Roger Carswell will be teaching from God’s Word and Harry and Wendy Robinson from our International Headquarters will report on the work of CEF worldwide. There will also be times to focus on what God is doing throughout Europe and, in particular, Macedonia. Seminars on offer include “Spiritual values in a secular world” and “I’m down! How do I get up?” For the full programme of event look under the Camps tab and Easter Conference.
We’ve introduced a new event “Meltdown!” every evening to give you the chance to chill out and chat with other young people over some supper, praise God together and hear from some of our missionaries.
It costs £85/€95 for thse in full-time employment or £70/€80 for those in education or unemployed.
Contact us for full details. Or if you’re interested in going, print off the Application Form, complete it and return it to the address given.
So why not come along and join us for a great weekend – you will be seriously challenged! Are you up for it??
Angie
“10:10” was the name given to a youth outreach held in Banbridge from 11th – 15th November 2009. The local Baptist Church had asked the Youth Challenge team to run an outreach for them, and after a lot of debate the name “10:10” was chosen. The name was based on John 10:10, where the Lord Jesus Christ spells out the choice between following the thief (Satan) who wants to steal, kill and destroy, or the Lord Jesus Himself, who offers life to the full.
Marcus and Chris headed up the outreach and challenged young people in the area about their need to come in faith to the Lord Jesus to experience the new life only He can give. In the lead-up to the event there were many opportunities to speak to young people in four schools in the area. Around 2,000 were contacted through assemblies, RE classes and Scripture Union groups. Each evening the Gospel message was presented through music, testimonies and Bible talks, while there was also the chance to chat informally about important things. Testimonies from Chris Killen, who was saved from a life of drugs, and Michael Halliday of Glentoran Football Club, really grasped the attention of the young people. After a slow start on Wednesday 
attendance grew throughout the week, and on the weekend nights the hall was packed, with over 100 attending on Sunday evening. A number of young people were left thinking seriously about their response to the Gospel. Please pray that the Lord will continue to speak to them.
Writing about London is hard! This is my millionth draft of this blog! See, what happened to me personally in London this summer can’t be written down, or even worded. God answered my prayers this year in London. Perhaps I wish I hadn’t prayed what I did. On the first day of the trip we split up into the 3 teams that were going out to reach the children, to pray, and when it came to my turn I asked God to break my heart into a million pieces for the people of East London, and not happy enough with wrecking my own heart and head, I prayed the same for the rest of my team. God answers prayer!
Each team was running three 5-Day Clubs® a day in different areas. My team was in Walthamstow, and the whole London Team was sleeping in Walthamstow Central Baptist. Our first club of the day was in a great children’s play park, the type you see on TV but not in real life. They are all over Walthamstow! My favourite day of that Club was probably the second day. We turned up after a good first day, expectant of another good day, but no children came. So we waited and played a few games but still no children. The park was packed with children but none were willing (or allowed) to come to the Club. So the team sat down and prayed for the area. We wept for the children and I played my guitar and sang a song over the area. The song was “God of This City” by Belfast band Bluetree. The song goes like this:
Our second club was in another play park inside a park… if you get me… and it was like the McDonalds of 5-Day Clubs. Children came, played, listened, left, and as one child left another sat down and did the same thing! It was hard enough to teach there, but we were well accepted by everyone and many parents came and videoed us playing with and teaching their children from God’s Word. It was an amazing site to see. We even had a summer scheme come join us one day and all the children sat down and heard God’s Word.
Our third club was in a park, beside a play park (London is full of parks) and it was great. The numbers were few each day, but God spoke through us all and into these children’s lives. On one of the days we got to do another club to the summer scheme that was going on, and that meant our team did four clubs that day. In the politically correct culture we live in, it is hard not to offend someone, so my advice to Stephen going into this club where we had many restrictions was that Jesus wasn’t worried about getting invited back so why should we!!
Arriving at Seaview on the Friday evening, I didn’t really know what to expect, but from the reports I’d received from my friends I was assured it would be a good week. After a brief introduction to the week ahead and a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones, we went to bed to get a good night’s “sleep” to be nice an fresh for the first day of classes!
For me this was my first year at training week and throughout the week I undertook several classes. These included, “Counselling a child for salvation”, “Discipline”, “Teaching a memory verse”, “Urgency in the Gospel” and the very important “Teaching a Bible lesson”, but for me my favourite classes were on “The Roman Catholic child” and “What is the Gospel?”.
I have to minister the good news this summer.
Each morning I was involved in a short sketch or play at the start of the club. For the first week I was Franz Forscher, an explorer archaeologist uncovering treasure in Egypt. (The Bible lessons for the first week centred on the story of Joseph.) The second week I was an Indian warrior along with my Indian Chief, Tomahawk. These sketches were great fun and helped to get the children involved in the club. I also had the opportunity to do a memory verse and to lead two of the clubs. This was really scary, to teach and lead in German, but God was with me and really did give me the words to say.
It’s a great opportunity to get to know the children on the campsite because you’re living so close to them. Literally everywhere you go you’re guaranteed to meet one of the kids. For me, this was the best part of taking part in the work at Avenches. It was amazing how God built relationships with the children and the team, and how He was willing to use me with the children. The children (and some of the leaders as well) were fascinated by this strange, tall person who couldn’t speak their language properly.
This was my first year attending Scottish Camp and I had heard a lot of good reports about it. It was rated as the best ever CEF Camp and everybody who attended it had always the same great positive opinion on this sensational camp. I had previously attended various CEF Camps (Inters and Teen) and if Scottish Camp was as good as they were, it had high standards to reach. And boy, I certainty wasn’t disappointed – Scottish Camp reached those standards and soared way above them.
Every evening there was something different and fun to do. The social was so much fun and I won a few different games. I also got to wear my cool checked shirt and then I released I was the only fella wearing a shirt, but I was proud to be different and unique!!
On the final evening of Scottish camp there was a concert for the campers to participate in. Each dorm could make up their own little act and perform it in front of the rest of the camp. Our dorm jumped at the occasion and we performed ‘Hit me baby one more time’ by Britney Spears. It was so much fun, I loved it! We were slightly out of tune and high pitched in places but we still managed to win over the audience – it was brilliant! Other acts included:
On the Wednesday we got up early and went into Edinburgh and spent the day there. First of all we had an open air meeting in the middle of the city and campers volunteered to give out tracts to the public. It was my first time doing this and I loved it.
To see more photos of the course look under Training – Junior Training Course
Angie McKee’s morning Bible studies on Moses really spoke to me. “Moses spent his first 40 years thinking he was somebody. He spent his second 40 years learning he was nobody. He spent his third 40 years discovering what God can do with a nobody.” (D L Moody) It really struck me how God overcame Moses’ excuses and came up with a solution for them all. We also learnt about how God’s compassion and love for the lost has not diminished and He still is commanding His people to go and tell them of Him! We realised how we should only listen to God’s voice and follow in faith no matter how ludicrous the situation may seem to us.
This was my first experience of a training week and I can say that it was wonderful! The food was lovely and we really appreciated the ladies from Kilhorne Church of Ireland coming along to cook our dinner each evening, and just around the corner we could purchase “a big dorty chip”!! I learnt so much and I’m really looking forward to putting the lessons I learnt into practice by helping at a camp and in 5-Day Clubs®. It was great having the opportunity to meet other Christians my age from all over Northern Ireland with the same burden to reach children. It was brilliant craic, the fellowship was really encouraging for all and we all managed to survive the course despite the extreme lack of sleep! I hope to attend the SOTC next year, God willing. Please continue to pray for the work of CEF during this summer time through camp ministries, 5-Day clubs and Holiday Bible Clubs.