Young lives changed at Kilbroney Camps
This summer 128 young people and 40 leaders from the diocese and beyond descended on the Kilbroney Centre for three life-changing and action packed weeks. Our Adventure Camps happen every year and each week is targeted at a different age group. This enables lots of young people to come along, have fun and respond to the Gospel.
At camps this year we explored what it meant to be human, thinking about how the ultimate expression of human flourishing is found in worshipping and serving our Lord and our Saviour - Jesus Christ.
Our Senior Camp kicked off on 26 July, with Mark Wells (Bible Society Northern Ireland) as our speaker. We were blessed with some excellent weather and a great group of 45 young people keen to learn how they can serve God in their everyday lives.
Our Junior Camp followed on 1 August, with speaker Kerry Connelly (Holy Trinity, Glencraig) as our speaker. We had a fantastic week with Kerry as our youngest group considered how we get to know God better through Bible reading and prayer. During this week we had 12 young campers deciding to follow Jesus. This was such an encouragement and a real boost for the team as they saw how God moves in the lives of young people.
Middle Camp began on 7 August with speaker Joel Martin (Orangefield Presbyterian). Joel was a former camper and camp leader, and it was a real joy to have him back as he taught the young people from the book of James. It was a hugely powerful and significant week for many as during our second evening the young people had an opportunity to respond to what they had heard shared by one of our leaders. During that night between 20 and25 young people received prayer and 5 young people committed their lives to Jesus.
All three weeks included activities delivered by LOGIC (Moira) and the Kilbroney Team. A huge thanks goes to Matt Peach and his team of instructors who enabled us to tackle the gorge, the paddlesports and archery. These activities were the perfect opportunity to connect with young people and spend time chatting through some of the things that they have been listening to and considering over the week.
Each year these camps provide stand out moments, with young people responding to the call of God on their lives. It’s a tremendous privilege to share in this ministry with such a committed team of leaders I don’t take it for granted. Each year these leaders come and give so much of themselves to these young people all for the sake of the Gospel.
If you, or your church has never been our Diocesan Camps I’d really encourage you to consider attending in 2025. They are the perfect springboard into a new season of ministry and the perfect recipe to light a fire in the lives of young people. Camps can inspire a tremendous growth in your own ministries in the local context.
Ultimately, we praise and thank the God who has been continually speaking through his Word, the God that is adding to his number each day and the God who never fails.
We can’t wait for next year!
Senior Camp: 25 July 2025
Junior Camp: 31 July 2025
Middle Camp: 6 August 2025
Josh Thornbury, Diocesan Youth Development Officer
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”. (Ephesians 1:3)