Youth Workers Outdoors: meeting God outdoors and how we enable young people to do the same

Nature is full of the Creator’s fingerprints. The outdoors is such a rich and inspiring environment for exploring and going deeper in faith. This is an opportunity to gather as people who work with young people – to encounter God in creation and through outdoor activities – and to learn together about enabling young people to do likewise. 

We will stay in a renovated eighteenth-century hunting lodge at the heart of the Kilmalieu estate but will spend most of our time outside in the surrounding hills, along the rocky coastline and exploring ancient woodland. This is a ‘learning community’. As such, we will be sharing stories, questions, ideas and experiences with one another; trading visions, hopes and dreams; reflecting, worshipping and praying together – by the sea, on a hillside, under the stars, round the fire-pit … 

This learning community is offered in partnership with Scripture Union Scotland, Youth Work Journeys and Rural Ministries.  It is available at a subsidised price. If you are willing to share a room, this will enable us to make this generous offer available to more people, but there is no pressure to do so. If you have no need of subsidy, please choose an unsubsidised option.

This gathering is fully catered, starting with dinner after arrival on Monday and ending with breakfast before you leave on Thursday. Food at Kilmalieu is home-made and consistently praised for its quality.

Accommodation is in a mixture of comfortable single, twin and family bedrooms. Some rooms have en-suite facilities, while others have shared toilet and shower facilities available. During our stay, as well as the wonderful environment around us, we will have access to the chapel, sports hall, art room, games room, gym and a secluded bothy!

Our time together will be facilitated by Shula Bayton, Paul Beautyman and Steve Aisthorpe. Shula is an experienced all-round outdoor instructor, based at Scripture Union Scotland’s Allt na Criche centre, near Aviemore. Paul has been a Christian youth worker and trainer for 26 years and runs the training and mentoring programme, ‘Youth Work Journeys. Steve is Centre Director at Kilmalieu, an experienced retreat leader, accredited coach and author of various books, including Rewilding the Church. All three are passionate about helping young people engage with the Creator in and through nature.