75 young people and their leaders from across the province, including a full bus load of 45 from the Diocese of New Westminster, gathered at Sorrento Centre on the Family Day long weekend for Keep Calm and Wait. This new event was visioned and organized by a partnership of our Diocesan Youth Movement (DYM) alongside Sorrento Centre and the British Columbia and Anglican Youth Movement (BCYAYM)
The intention of the event was to be a retreat for young people: to give those in the middle of school, work or exams a chance to take a breath in amongst the beauty of Sorrento Centre in the winter. A whole range of options were offered as to what a ‘retreat’ might be and participants were invited to spend their time reflecting on powerful talks on vocation by Sorrento Centre director Christopher Lind, or to gather to play board games with old and new friends, or to spend time doing homework or revision. The weekend was grounded in times of prayer, worship and fellowship together.
One of the exciting elements of the weekend were workshops and activities organized by young people. There were sessions on how to get more involved in local churches and the wider Anglican Communion, and how to manage time and prioritize effectively. In the afternoons, young people organized ‘creative spaces’ where participants could paint, write or play improvisation games. A successful ‘Winter Olympics’ was held across the snowy fields at Sorrento!
Keep Calm and Wait represents the first of several events this year for young people being implemented as partnerships between dioceses and provincial organisations. The next is a Spring Break leadership camp for teens in Victoria from March 17th – 23rd, followed by the Young Sojourners work weekend at Sorrento Centre from May 17th – 20th.
Images: Top and Homepage, the participants with leaders at Keep Calm and Wait 2013. Below, The Winter Olympics Long Jump.
PHOTOS: LIz Barr and Vitoria Monteiro