News

Article

Miracle.Com – NEC Adventurer Camporee Attracts Hundreds of Adventurers

Miracle.Com – NEC Adventurer Camporee Attracts Hundreds of Adventurers

Dr Mandela Thyoka | Doncaster Doves Adventurer Club

The return of the face-to-face North England Conference (NEC) Adventurer Camporee since the hiatus of the lockdown years was a miracle. However, the greatest miracle during this three-day event was the record number of participants – 22 clubs represented by over 600 participants – enjoying the perfect daytime sunny weather within the iconic attraction of Stanborough Park, situated on parkland in Garston on the outskirts of Watford. It was indeed a weekend of fun and adventure in the outdoors. Adventurers of all ages engaged in interactive worship, awards and outdoor activities, and the weekend provided an excellent opportunity for fun, enjoyment, and great memories.

Miracles

The Adventurer Clubs made up for the lost time in experiencing the outdoor environment from Friday, 26 to Monday, 29 May 2023. The theme of this year's camporee was miracle.com, taken out of the book of John, chapters 1 to 8 which were the focus for the Adventurer Bible Experience in 2023. The first chapters present Jesus as God, a miracle worker, with most of Jesus' miracles recorded in the first eleven chapters. Interestingly, the domain www.miracle.com, on which they based the camporee theme, is not connected to an online service like a website or email hosting but is registered for future use.

Camporee

Adventurer Camporee is a camping experience of three or four days, equipping and training Adventurers to camp in outdoor areas. They use tents for sleeping outdoors, and clubs in designated camping sites prepare meals. Clubs receive scores on several areas such as attendance records, timekeeping, administration folder with crucial risk assessment and planning, and overall laying and pitching of the tents. In this year's camporee, several clubs achieved the gold award for assessment, ensuring they meet high standards.

A camporee is excellent for camping and participating in activities that build courage, confidence, character, and leadership while having fun! A camporee is many things – camping fun for children, tent pitching, campfires, games, field events, the ripple of wind-blown flags in the morning sun and the patter of rain on tents at night.

Special Guests

The main speakers for the camporee were Pastor EL Natufe from Western Canada and Bkay Kheswa from the NEC. In his commitment messages, Pastor Natufe took the Adventurers on a journey presenting Jesus as the Light which gives life to men, enabling men to be obedient to God. The same object lessons were emphasised through Bkay's kid's corner using visual aids.

The most notable guests were a group of more than ten Master Guides from Kenya, who attended the camporee as apprentices to learn more about our camporee experience. They brought an international flavour to the camporee.

Lastly, a popular workshop on Robotics and Innovation, taken by Elder Robert Henry from the Florida Conference, USA, was a resounding success, subscribed to the limit by eager Adventurers who learned the art of programming.

A surprise cameo appearance from Pastor Ron Whitehead allowed the promotion of next year's 'Believe the Promise' International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, USA, to be held from 5-11 August 2024.

Sunday Fair

On Sunday, the South England Conference held a parallel community fair within the grounds of Stanborough Park, which provided an escape for the children to engage in additional activities such as face painting, rides and other activities.

Adventurers – the most prominent winners

The biggest winners were the Adventurers, who once again experienced the absolute joy of outdoor camping. You could see the smiles on their faces when they received their reward for their hard work during the camporee award ceremony on the last day. Each took home their awards, a unique camporee t-shirt and a patch. Next year's NEC Adventurer Camporee will occur from 26-29 July 2024.