Karen, Alistair and Charles Washbourn
For some years we had talked about going to New Wine but had never booked. However, this year God had decided the Washbourn Family should be going to camp at New Wine – Central and South East at the Bath and West Showground at Shepton Mallet. What an amazing week.
How are we so certain that God wanted us to be there? We read an article in the April edition of Oxford Diocesian Magazine The Door and saw a competition to win a family ticket to the New Wine Summer Conference. We duly sent off an entry not expecting for one moment we would win!
Thank you to New Wine and The Door – as we did win tickets for a week and enjoyed every moment – well almost! Nicky Gummel described New Wine as being like a “foretaste of heaven” but was sure that Heaven would have better toilet and shower facilities. Actually, they weren’t quite as bad as friends had led us to expect, although the central ‘Shower Court’ caught us out, being one of the showground facilities for showering the cattle.
New Wine was fantastic, providing a much needed spiritual uplift with lots of good solid teaching, great children’s groups covering all ages, pastoral prayer, food court, marketplace (with bookstalls and many other offerings for shopaholics), and a medical service where advice and treatment is given followed by prayer.
On arrival we were welcomed by our village host who helped us find a place to pitch our tent and then offered us a very welcome hot drink. From the area outside our tent we had many moments drinking and eating whilst contemplating the wonderful scene and seeing God in creation.
Charles (our son aged 8) registered for Rock Solid and happily joined in all the varied activities during the week. The rock band and drama were highlights for him. The other youth sections were also completely rocking and a real inspiration for future growth.
There was plenty for those involved in church growth – A speaker’s wife had a vision to weigh babies at church during the week. The speaker could not see the reasoning or end game but trusted his wife and let go. The wife involved local health visitors and offered the church as a meeting place to weigh babies. With coffee provided, 90 mums regularly attend and a proportion go on to Alpha and become church members. There was a recurring theme of ‘Freedom of Control’ - communicate the vision, become trusting in execution and pray for positive outcomes.
After such a great week it was hard to leave, however, it was easier with the knowledge that we plan to return in 2011. Thanks again for such a memorable week.