The Week We Didn’t Go Camping: Tales from the Legendary Camp-Not-Camp Extravaganza!

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Ah, summer—the season of sun, fun, and avoiding mosquitoes at all costs. But for a group of adventurous souls, this summer was anything but ordinary. Picture this: a week-long escapade filled with nerf wars, inflatable obstacle courses, and enough laughter to power a small city. Welcome to the unforgettable world of Camp-Not-Camp!

We love all the camps we’ve been to over the last decade, but regardless of how amazing they are, we always end up losing touch with a number of young people over summer who don’t feel comfortable at them. So, this year we designed something specifically for the young people we have. Camping with their friends at homes and in gardens, and a week of mad activities!

Attack on Area 51 Nerf War: Storming the Unstoppable Fun Fortress

Our brave campers kicked off the week with an “Attack on Area 51” nerf war, proving once and for all that foam darts and tactical manoeuvres are the keys to intergalactic success. Clad in their most out-of-this-world attire, participants faced off in a battle for the ages. The aliens may have had their defences up, but our fearless warriors had laughter on their side. Huge thanks to Gloddaeth Church for allowing up to completely redecorate for the event!

Cinema Night: Where Popcorn Dreams Come True

What’s a summer event without a cinematic masterpiece? Camp-Not-Camp transformed into a makeshift cinema, complete with blankets, pillows, and enough popcorn to fill a swimming pool. From classic blockbusters to heart-warming animations – in the guise of Lego Batman! – Our campers revelled in a night of big-screen bliss, complete with hot-dogs and popcorn.

Scavenger Hunt Extravaganza: Unlocking the Secrets of the Town

In the spirit of exploration, our campers embarked on a town-wide scavenger hunt. Armed with clues, maps, and the burning desire to outwit the competition, they scoured every nook and cranny. With six local businesses in on the action, the hunt was a quest for treasure, hidden in plain sight. Who knew that the local department store, Clares, held the key to victory?

John Bright School Hall Spectacle: Bouncy Castles, Obstacle Courses, and Surf Simulators, Oh My!

The grand finale unfolded in the Ysgol John Bright main hall, where an 80ft inflatable obstacle course, a towering slide, bouncy castles, sumo suits, and a surf simulator turned the space into a playground of epic proportions. It was a battleground of laughter, triumph, and good-natured chaos. The only requirement for entry? A heart ready for adventure.

Feasts Fit for Champions: Breakfasts, Subs, and Shared Stories

No adventure is complete without hearty sustenance, and the camp-not-camp crew knew how to refuel in style. Zoom breakfasts, in-person feasts, and a monumental Subway platter kept everyone energized and ready for the next escapade. Because when you’re conquering obstacle courses and storming imaginary alien bases, you need fuel that packs a punch.

Sharing the Gospel with a Side of Laughter

In the midst of the uproarious festivities, there were moments of reflection and inspiration. The camp-not-camp experience wasn’t just about conquering inflatable behemoths—it was also an opportunity to share the gospel in unique and meaningful ways. Korey from Colwyn Youth for Christ brought the message home on the last day, reminding everyone that joy, faith, and adventure can go hand in hand, so why not give Jesus a chance?

In the end, Camp-Not-Camp wasn’t just an event—it was a week-long journey into the heart of community, laughter, and shared experiences. As the summer sun dipped below the horizon, our intrepid campers walked away with memories that will last a lifetime. Until next year, when we once again trade the quiet of the campfire for the roar of the inflatable obstacle course. Camp-Not-Camp, you were a wild ride, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way!

 

Summer at Llandudno Youth for Christ

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We kicked summer off with most epic event. It was ‘Party Bingo’ night but trust me when I say it was nothing like your usual game. We pulled out all the stops – there were people busting moves on the dance floor like they were in a music video, and others diving headfirst into some intense games. And let’s not forget about the fancy dress theme – this time we decided to go all out and come dressed as the 90-year-old version of ourselves. Picture this: canes, wrinkly skin, and those crazy oversized glasses that look like they came straight from the future. It was hilarious! The whole night was filled with laughter, good vibes, and a healthy dose of friendly competition. Seriously though, what a great way to start summer.

That’s not all though. We have a whole raft of summer events this year. This starts with a week of ‘Camp-Not-Camp’, and if you’re wondering what that is, then we all hang out together for a week filled with amazing events, but we camp at home, in gardens, with friends.

So, what’s on that week? First up on our list is a legendary Nerf war, where we’ll battle it out in with foam darts and tactical strategies. But before indulging in the chaos, we’ll kickstart that day with breakfast on Zoom, connecting virtually to share a meal and catch up on each other’s lives. To explore our town in a unique way, we’ve also planned an exhilarating round town scavenger hunt (after another breakfast of course, in person this time) that will take us to hidden gems and secret spots, providing endless excitement along the way. As dusk settles, we’ll transform into movie buffs for a cinema night, accompanied by popcorn and laughter.

The last day will be the big one! We’re putting on a fun-filled day with inflatables at Ysgol John Bright. We’ll start off by challenging each other on an exhilarating 60ft inflatable obstacle course. It will be hilarious watching everyone try to make their way through the inflated tunnels, climbing walls, and slides. After that, we’ll strap ourselves into sumo suits and get ready for some belly-bumping action. To “cool down”, we’ll then hop onto a surf simulator where we will test our balance and agility while riding imaginary waves. And what’s a day of adventure without delicious food? We’re going to indulge in a Subway platter packed with mouth-watering sandwiches and sides that will recharge us for more fun-filled activities. Korey from Colwyn Youth for Christ will join us to give a gospel message and share one of his favourite American youth group ball games, ‘GaGa Ball.’!

Of course, no summer is complete without a sizzling BBQ party filled with deliciously charred burgers and mouth-watering grilled veggies to satisfy our taste buds. We’re also going to run a full-on games party mid-summer, and a ‘late nighter’ project that will run until midnight.

We hope this Summer will create lifelong memories for so many young people! We know that a lot of them won’t be able to go on holiday this year, and can’t manage the usual camps either, so we’re going to do everything we can to show them they’re loved.

Please be praying for us! It’s a lot to juggle (and, let’s be honest, there’s a lot that could go wrong!) and we hope that these projects will help young people grow into a closer-knit community, and one that will draw nearer to Jesus.

What to help support what we do? Consider giving to keep this work going and growing! 🙂 Thank you.

Free training: Becoming a “youth friendly” church.

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Free training night: Monday, 17th April, 6-8pm. Becoming a “youth friendly” church.

Thinking proactively about becoming a youth-friendly church is an important step for any congregation that wants to engage with more generations. This free training will provide valuable insights and practical tips on how to create a welcoming environment for young people.

The event will cover topics such as understanding the needs and interests of young people, creating engaging programs, building long-lasting relationships, and developing effective communication. Participants will also have the opportunity to network with other churches and share their own experiences and ideas.

By attending this training event, churches can learn how to better connect with young people in their community and create a space where they feel valued and supported. This can lead to increased participation in worship, stronger relationships between generations, and a more vibrant and dynamic congregation overall.

There are eight spaces left, so please let us know at llandudnoyfc@gmail.com if you’d like to come.

All the best!

Tim & the Youth for Christ team

Check in on our three weekly projects…

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Alongside our many events, one-offs, and schools work, we have three super-regular projects at Llandudno Youth for Christ, Recess, Redefine and Show Up & Write. Let me give you a quick update!

Recess

Recess is our weekly group in school at Ysgol John Bright. It’s is probably our longest standing project. It was running at lunch times before our director Tim took over over 12 years ago!

Every year Recess reinvents itself a little, depending on what’s happening in the school timetable and when young people are around. However, it has always been a regular place for young people to hear about Jesus for the first time.

Over the last twelve months, however, Recess went through its biggest reinvention yet! We now meet after school rather than during lunchtime, and rather than meeting in a classroom, hidden down a corridor somewhere, we meet in both the library and the main school hall. This has given us great opportunities to do larger events, as well as things like alter the seating to fit the theme and to add games like 4-square which wouldn’t fit in a small room.

In September, off the back of some assemblies we have an almost entirely new group of young people. So, every Wednesday after school between 10 and 20 of us meet to have fun and to connect with each other about big topics.

What we do at Recess is help young people explore big issues around life, the world, faith, God, community – and their relationships in these things. Our job really is to help them talk and to help them think. This creates an environment where they feel safe to consider different points of view and share their own without fear of ridicule. This also means that we can talk really honestly and clearly about our faith in Jesus.

We’ve taken this group on some trips, some have connected to deeper groups, and some of them have also joined our Saturday Café young volunteer team. These are brilliant young people, and we thank God every day that we get this opportunity to journey with them and support them at school

Redefine

Redefine is another one of our long-standing projects. We meet once a fortnight with a small group of 15-20 young people who would either call themselves a Christian or at least be open to learning more about Jesus. This is a broad discipleship group where we aim to help young people take responsibility for their own faith. We share with them not just what the Bible says but how to read it for themselves.

We have a great team of volunteers who lead small groups and games and help young people really connect with each other and with the theme for the day. I say ‘theme’ but we’ve actually been reading the book of Galatians for almost two years now. There’s so much in it to unpack, and the young people love that we’re getting really deep into the Bible and answering questions that maybe they’ve not asked anyone before.

Thinking about team, every one of them are gifted at sitting down one to one or in small groups of young people and helping them feel comfortable, safe, and secure. We are so fortunate to have these amazing volunteers at Youth for Christ.

Redefine is our first group to move into the new venue in The Garage and so far, it has been absolutely brilliant!

Show Up and Write

Show Up and Write is a project we started in lockdown as an online support group for creative writers. It now continues to meet once a fortnight online using Zoom, with a small group of young budding novelists.

Run by three published authors and headed up by Katie – poet, writer, and editor extraordinaire – it has been one of the most innovative and encouraging projects we’ve run. One of the most amazing things about Show Up and Write is it’s highly targeted, because we’re serving in a way that meets a very specific need.

Jesus is called the Word, God created the world by speaking words, and we believe that God loves creative writing. Show Up and Write is a chance to celebrate creativity and have a lot of fun with storytelling. We love it!

Want to get involved?

Do any of these projects take your fancy? We’re always looking for new volunteers to support young people where they are at. Please do get in touch: llandudndoyfc@gmail.com

 

 

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Why do young people leave church?

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It’s an important question, right? Why do young people leave our churches and youth groups when we invest so much into their care? It’s tragic when a young person feels they can no longer pursue their faith, when they’re already connected with other Christians. So, what are the main reasons this happens?
This has been such an important question to me for a long time, so I decided to find people who left church when they were teenagers and hear their stories.

So, for the last two-and-a-half years I’ve been speaking to ‘ex-Christian youth’. These are people who chose to leave their churches and youth groups while they were still young people. I asked them to share their stories and tell me what the key factors in their decisions were.

Some of their responses I’d expected. Many, for instance, gave me some variation of ‘it was boring and irrelevant’. However, others really took me by surprise, such as ‘your love came with too many caveats.’ That’s quite bold, right?

Now, not all young people have these same experiences of course, and many young people grow up loving their churches without any of these experiences. However, it’s still really important for us to listen and to hear what these ‘ex-Christian youth’ have said, and then think together what we could do to help all young people feel like church is a home.

I’d like to share a summary of what was said with the Church.

So, on the 4th Feb, from 9-11am, in The Garage Youth Centre, New Street, Llandudno, LL30 1NL, I’ll be presenting some of these findings and leading a conversation about what we could do.

If you’re interested in coming along (spaces are limited), please email llandudnoyfc@gmail.com.

Feel free to share this with pastors, elders, youth workers, parents, volunteers… whoever you feel might be interested.

All the best!

 

We built a new youth centre!

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We’ve only gone and done it! We have built an amazing youth centre right slap bang in the middle of Llandudno.

We’ve always had a space. From 2009-2014 that was Reverb Youth Bar on Madoc St. It was brilliant, it was cool, it was state-of-the-art, it was like a Costa Coffee, but just for teenagers – but it was ultimately too small, too expensive, and with only one year lease extensions, ultimately too short term.

So, we packed up and moved to Ty Llywelyn Community Centre. This was a completely different beast, and a beast it was… it was enormous! it had multiple rooms, a couple of halls, an office, storage space, and even an outside football court. It was also right on the doorstep of Ysgol John Bright. We enjoyed six happy years there, but it also wasn’t perfect. We had to share the space with many other users, so it wasn’t really “ours”. This meant that every event and every project that we wanted to run needed a lot more set up in order to put our own stamp on it. It was hard work running projects when you knew that you were going to be there for hours beforehand and afterwards, just to make it work. So, during COVID we began our search for a new space.

At this point we want to give a big shout-out to Gloddaeth Church and the Presbyterian Church of Wales. They have made it possible for us to create a brand new, bespoke youth centre. We have taken over the halls adjacent to Gloddaeth Church. This used to be a mechanic’s garage, and once upon a time it was Llandudno’s firehouse, when the fire engines of the day were horse and cart. Our office now is in the old hayloft!

So, what is it and what have we done?

For the last ten months we have worked incredibly hard to make a professional-quality space for young people. It has a small stage with guitars and a sound system. It has three different seating bars, including one attached to a kitchen with hot chocolate machines. It has a large screen TV with computer games. There’s a pool table, table football, arcade machines, and the best hanging chair you’ve ever seen! There are bookcases full of boardgames, trolleys full of art supplies, and in case they weren’t sure – a giant neon sign that says “You Are Welcome.”

Upstairs we have built an office, a small group area, and a place for team to hang out. We’re now in the process of converting the second large upstairs room into a mixture of storage and creative space, including hot-desk homework zones.

We’ve worked really hard to make sure it doesn’t look like just another run-down hall. Everything has been finished very well, using high quality materials that should last for years.

To be perfectly honest, it’s not totally finished yet. We’ve just replaced all the lights and we have begun to have some pilot youth groups to test it, but it’s still going to take a few more months before we’re satisfied that it’s totally ready to roll.

Check out these photos cataloguing some of the journey – and scroll down to see the ‘nearly finished’ product!

Let’s just say this has been a huge undertaking and we are so grateful for all the support we’ve had. We’ve had incredible volunteers and donors supporting this work – that said, now the hard work really begins.

As I hope you can tell, we have tried to do this right. We want to provide young people with the best resource we possibly can. We don’t want to create just another hall with peeling paint, and some broken down games. We want young people to feel so blessed by this space!

Earlier in the year I travelled to London to visit some of the best youth centres in the UK. I was blown away by what I learned. There is so much opportunity for us to do this well!

So, here’s my direct appeal: Please consider becoming one of our monthly donors. To create and run this centre well and seize the opportunity with both hands, we really do need to raise another £350 a month. Could you become one of our monthly partners? If 35 more people were to give £10 a month (a cup of coffee a week!), then we’d be there! Could you help us out?

Also, linked to this, is a slightly cheekier direct appeal to churches. Please consider making Youth for Christ one of your missionary giving partners. We want Youth for Christ to be fully invested in by the local community. We are very grateful for the support we get from local churches, but like many of these organisations most of our support comes from very few sources. Help us spread the load by becoming part of this journey. At your next eldership meeting, consider asking the question whether your church could budget some financial support for Youth for Christ to help us connect young people of Jesus in this area. That would be amazing!

Now – check out the photos!

 

 

Supporting Youth for Christ – You can now leave a legacy!

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When we make our wills, we want to be sure that our loved ones will be taken care of. We can also leave a special gift to support the many young people across Llandudno. By leaving a gift to Llandudno Youth for Christ, you will be helping us to provide for, support, and love young people with the message of Jesus well into the future. Leaving a will sounds frightening, but it doesn’t need to be. It might even be easier than you think!

To begin with – thank you for considering to leave a gift to Llandudno Youth for Christ. Leaving a gift will make a significant difference to young people in Llandudno for years to come. We’ve been around a while now and we’re here for the long game. We’d like to continue to support young people in Llandudno well into the future. Your gift will help us continue to resource our work. A gift of £20 for instance, could cover a whole week of assemblies in a local school. £150 could send a young person on a life-changing camp. £1000 could allow us to provide food for a youth project for a year. £5000 would pay many of our rents and rates for a year. Finally, £10,000 would pay for a full-time youth worker for six months. Every penny goes into resourcing our projects so young people can hear about Jesus.

There are many ways to give to Youth for Christ. You can donate directly though ‘give.net’ by clicking here. You can also use this to set up a monthly gift. You could contact us for a gift form, or standing order form. Or, you can now leave a legacy.

There are three common types of gift that you can leave to Llandudno Youth for Christ in your will:

  • A fixed amount. You might chose to leave a fixed sum of money to Llandudno Youth for Christ. This is known as a pecuniary gift. For example, this could be £100, £1000, or £10,000.
  • A share of your estate. You could chose to leave a percentage of your estate to Llandudno Youth for Christ. This could be any percentage you’re comfortable with, for example 5%, 15% or 30%. This is known as a residuary gift.
  • A specific item. You may like to leave a personal possession, piece of property, or specific investment.

You can find out more about how this is done by clicking here.

If you have any questions – please do reach out to us at llandudnoyfc@gmail.com

Thank you!

Come and see our new building – this week!

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Our monthly prayer gathering on Sunday will be held in our brand new space!
 
This is a great chance to see the rooms, look at the young people’s ideas, and pray together for young people across Llandudno.
 
We really hope you can make it – please do spread the word!
 
5-6pm, this Sunday (6th March).
The address is ‘The Garage’ New Street, Llandudno, LL30 2YF.
It’s the door right between the ‘Home Front Museum’ and ‘Gloddaeth Church’ down the small side street (New Street) connecting Chapel St. and Deganwy Ave.

We love our Bibles… that’s why they’re falling apart!

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This is our box of Bibles. They’re not all that old, only a few years, but they have been well used, as you can probably see! Most have been repaired, and several still have pages falling out.

Someone once told me that when they get to heaven they’d rather show Jesus a Bible that’s falling apart, than one which is pristine. The first one has obviously been read. I love that idea, so even though we mostly work with young people that have no connection to Christianity or churches whatsoever, we still get our Bibles out at every opportunity we can.

At the end of Luke’s gospel, in Chapter 24, we read about Jesus appearing to two disciples and sharing with them everything the scriptures said about himself (v.27). At the end of that story these two followers said:

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (v.34).

I love that! So we at Youth for Christ believe that there’s nothing wrong with the material. We don’t need to hide it until young people are ‘ready’ for it later. We’re charged to know it deeply, so we can teach it clearly, and bring young people’s hearts to life with it. Then God’s word will burn within them. We think that God’s word is living and active and every time we read it, something is made in us. So why wouldn’t we use it with young people – whether or not they’ve ever picked one up before?

The trick, however, is doing it well!

The more you know God’s voice, the more you can recognise it and help others to understand it. That’s what Eli did in 1 Sam. 3 right? He helped little Samuel hear God’s voice, recognise it for what it was, helped him respond to it – and then he got out of the way!

We don’t whack young people around the head with the Bible, we don’t hammer away with mega-dense theological language, and we don’t expect them to behave like if they already know anything about it – but we do teach it. We love to open our Bible’s with young people – and we read it with them. We ask lots of questions, we talk, we share, we discuss, and we facilitate a conversation between them and God using the Bible. Our job after-all is to encourage young people to grow their own relationship with God – we can’t have that relationship for them.

I’ve not heard a young person complain yet!

So sure, we love the games, the stories, the silly talks, the nerf battles, and the lock-ins. But we’re never, ever, going to be shy about sharing God’s word with them.

That’s why our Bibles are falling apart!

We’re recruiting new volunteer team members at the moment. If you love God, love young people, and display a teachable spirit with a good sense of fun, then you could fit right in. If you would like an obligation-free chat, please do email us at llandudnoyfc@gmail.com.

Thank you!

BIG NEWS: We are on the move!

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Check out the video:

So, what’s the story?

 

Yup. You read that right! We’re on the move. Over the last thirteen years we have had two centres of operation. The first was the amazing Reverb Youth Bar on Madoc St. It was an absolutely stellar venue! State of the art, bespoke, cosy, fun, and we built some amazing memories there and did some truly wonderful gospel ministry.

Since 2015 we’ve been using Ty Llywelyn Community Centre. This was also brilliant! Huge spaces, lots of opportunities for new types of projects, and really easy to get to from Ysgol John Bright.

Both of these venues were amazing, but both had their drawbacks too. Reverb was awesome, but it was on a difficult street for late night youth work (so many conversations with upset neighbours!), and it was just too small. Ty Llywelyn fixed both of these problems, but because it wasn’t ‘our’ space, we couldn’t customise it to our work. This meant it took far too long to set up for and pack away everything we did.

Imagine then – what if we could have a building in the middle of town, close to all the action, big enough for a variety of projects, and ‘ours enough’ to deck out exactly the way we want. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

So, with great trust and openness from Gloddaeth Church and the Presbyterian Church of Wales, we’re excited to announce that are going to move into the building adjacent to theirs known as ‘The Garage’.

This is a two-story building which we are planning to turn into a fully functional, high-quality Youth Centre – something completely unique in North Wales. It has a large downstairs room with a kitchen and toilets, and two smaller rooms upstairs for an office and small group space.

Not only is this an ideal building and great location, but it puts us closer to the Christian community in town. Our projects have always felt a little distant from churches, so being able to be so close is a huge boon for us! We want to dial up our work across churches. We want to make a big deal of this in the years to come and work more clos with the local church scene. Your pastors have already heard from us this year, and soon you’ll be getting a pamphlet on how Youth for Christ could serve you better.

So, what are we going to do with this new space? Well, quite a lot. We will be repainting, refurbishing, and refurnishing. Bringing in some quality technology and facilities and trying to create a space that truly serves communities of young people. I say communities, because rather than just running big drop-in sessions, instead we are going to try and focus on deeper relationships with smaller and more intentional groups of young people. I think that’s going to have a much longer lasting impact!

We’re excited about this – but also a little scared. We want to be good stewards of all that God has given us, so we don’t want to have bitten off more than we can chew. However we believe God has clearly laid this path out before us, so we’re going to walk it.

We really need you’re help for this! We need you to pray, but we also need practical help. There is a lot of moving, painting, tiling, trips to the tip, more painting, wiring, cleaning, and more painting to do! Could you help us?

Finally, this is a long-term project so we’re looking for long term support. I want to ask you quite boldly, could you give a little to us each month? We’ve had some truly incredible one-off financial gifts which are going to help us do the work on the building, but what we need now is regular support. We need to know what money is coming in each month so we can plan our projects with wisdom and security. We really need to raise another £500 per month. That’s 50 people giving £10 each month – or a cup of coffee a week. Please consider, could you be one of these supporters?