(aka a big tent, 2,500 men and the Gospel!)
“Amazing, life-changing, spectacular… Just some of the words our young people have used to describe their experiences of CVM’s The Gathering, a men’s Christian festival in a field near Swindon that we took them to last month.
On Friday 21st June, with the prayerful support of our staff team and financial support from local churches, residents, ex-residents and staff set out on an adventure to ‘The Gathering’. This was the second year we have been to The Gathering and after seeing some amazing things happen last year, we were expectant to see God at work in the lives of the young people that were going, including 3 new residents who have no Christian background at all but have become curious about Christianity through living at the YMCA.
The event included lots of activities beginning with a 7am 5km run, then axe throwing, laser tag, quad biking, zorb football and other entertainment through the day and into the evening. During the morning and evening meetings powerful testimonies were shared and our young people really related to those speaking. For our young people to know that they are not alone in the hard experiences they have suffered is just wonderful.
The weekend wasn’t without challenge and bad health threatened to spoil things but we really felt God’s presence and faithfulness with us. Thank you so much to all who have supported both financially and prayerfully, we were so blessed to all return on Sunday evening truly transformed.”
-Written by Tim Wells, Health and Activities Coordinator
