At Spring half term we work with our partners YFC to create a full-on, action-packed family holiday! The team will be led by speaker Neil O'Boyle who heads up YFC in the UK. Specialist teams will lead youth, children's and all-age activities.
Feature Weeks
Every week is a holiday week at Le Pas Opton. Check out these options to add something special to your holiday, from a spiritual retreat to a gathering of Board gamers.
Straight after half term comes a week that welcomes pre-schoolers and their parents. Maybe some Grandparents too! The weather's not too hot, the prices more accessible and the whole area a little less busy than in high season.
This week is run in association with our friends at Care for the Family and we welcome their Faith in the Family networker Gareth Hillier as our speaker. More details below.
Toddler-friendly week
6 June - 13 June
This holiday week, organised in conjunction with Pete, Christine and Janneke from Count Everyone In, includes daily special worship sessions and activities for adults with learning disabilities. Count Everyone In guests have their own sessions each morning and join other guests for the evening meeting from 6-7pm. Pete, Christine and Janneke organise some special on-site activities through the week, too.
Count Everyone In
6 June - 13 June
Don't worry, this isn't Boot Camp - unless you're after a kick start to your fitness campaign! With rugby chaplain Martin Lewis as our speaker, triathlon coach Forest Paget as our programme manager and keen surfer Pete James leading the worship there will certainly be a theme to the week. But as to whether you join in any activities - that's entirely up to you!
Fitness Holiday
13 June - 20 June
The ever-popular creative holiday is back, in partnership with our friends from Saltmine. This unique holiday brings together art, photography, writing and drama - plus beaches, restaurants, chateaux, wine and cheese!
Creative Week
20 June - 27 June
Kick-start your summer with everything from worship to water sports and beach party to Bible study.
Young Adults Holiday
27 June - 4 July
This week our speaker is Rachel Jordan-Wolf from Hope Together. Rachel's looking forward to working with our worship leaders, members of the award-winning IDMC Gospel Soul Choir. They will be offering Gospel singing workshops and the week will include a highlight Gospel worship concert.
Guests young and old will have the chance to learn up close from highly experienced Gospel musicians and singers. Join the workshops and you'll also be able to join the concert choir at the weekend when more musicians will fly out from the UK to climax this special week.
Gospel Choir Holiday
22 August - 29 August
A fun, relaxing, sociable holiday geared particularly for adults. In 2022 for the first time we will be welcoming French guests, giving this holiday a real international flavour!
Houseparty
5 September - 12 September
A holiday in France playing board games with friendly people for a whole week.
Board Games Holiday
12 September - 19 September
A holiday week for motorcyclists to enjoy exploring the Vendée together.
Bikers holiday
19 September - 26 September
In conjunction with the publishers of Every Day with Jesus, we're offering the chance to add retreat and reflection to your holiday.
Retreat holiday with Dr Micha Jazz
22 May - 27 May
Speakers & worship leaders
Neil O'Boyle![Neil O Boyle]()
Neil is National Director of British Youth for Christ. He is passionate about evangelism and has a wealth of experience in visionary leadership and team building, innovation and communication, as well as knowledge and understanding of missiology, culture and religious diversity.
And if all that sounds a bit confusing, you can be sure Neil's a great communicator who builds natural rapport with young and old alike!
Damian Herbert![Damian Herbert]()
Damian is a Growing Younger Facilitators for the Church of England in Birmingham. He previously worked for Riverside Church as Worship Minister, and has much experience ministering to little people through BIG Ministries. He's a graduate of London School of Theology.
Gareth Hillier![Gareth Hillier 4 amended]()
Gareth, often known as Gaz, is the Faith in the Family Networker at Care for the Family. He is a church leader with a passion for equipping churches and parents to build and inspire faith in the home as well as reach and impact the communities around them. Gaz is a passionate, sport-loving Welshman married to Lois and they have two young children. As a family they love to travel and go on adventures – the next one will be in France in June!
Luke Bacon![Luke Bacon]()
Luke is a London based singer, songwriter and worship leader. His journey has seen him live in five countries, spending many years in Botswana before settling in the UK in his teens. As well as writing and performing his own music, Luke is passionate about leading worship and has been involved in leading at churches, events and festivals across the UK and Europe.
Gareth Hillier![Gareth Hillier 4 amended]()
Gareth, often known as Gaz, is the Faith in the Family Networker at Care for the Family. He is a church leader with a passion for equipping churches and parents to build and inspire faith in the home as well as reach and impact the communities around them. Gaz is a passionate, sport-loving Welshman married to Lois and they have two young children. As a family they love to travel and go on adventures – the next one will be in France in June!
Luke Bacon![Luke Bacon]()
Luke is a London based singer, songwriter and worship leader. His journey has seen him live in five countries, spending many years in Botswana before settling in the UK in his teens. As well as writing and performing his own music, Luke is passionate about leading worship and has been involved in leading at churches, events and festivals across the UK and Europe.
Martin Lewis![Martin Lewis]()
Martin is Chaplain at Guinness Pro 14 club Cardiff Rugby having played 400 first class games for Bridgend, Penarth and Abertillery. The 6ft 7in gentle giant loves to get alongside sports people whether they are Christians or not and shares with energy and passion from God's word.
Chris Offley![Chris Offley]()
Chris is a strength and conditioning coach for Worcester Warriors, a professional rugby team based in the West Midlands and has a huge love for all things sport, fitness and worship! He has lead worship across Birmingham and Cardiff Vineyard for 4 years and has a heart for seeing others encounter Jesus through worship.
Rachael Orrell![Rachael Orrell]()
Rachael is CEO of Saltmine Theatre Company. She has also been a speaker at Spring Harvest for many years. Passionate about the Bible, creative communication and building God's church, she's been a regular favourite at LPO for many years.
Dave Stephenson![Dave Stephenson]()
Dave leads one of the congregations of Rising Brook Church in Stafford – the church led by regular Spring Harvest speaker Martin Young. He studied music and worship at Nexus Academy and music production at Staffordshire University.
Katie McLean![Katie Mc Lean]()
Katie is part of the Fusion team working with churches to help students find hope in Jesus and home in the local church. It was at university that Katie learned what it meant to follow Jesus, and she wants to see a generation of students invited to do the same. She loves it when students are bold in their faith and churches are creative in reaching students.
Emma Pickersgill![Emma Pickersgill]()
Emma is passionate about training, equipping and investing in student ministry for the sake of the Kingdom. She's excited to see students discover the transformative love of Jesus and step further into their calling. Based in Liverpool, Emma works with churches to disciple, mentor and equip students for mission. When she’s not working you’ll find her making cocktails, being reunited with the family dog, in coffee shops with friends, or playing board games.
TBC![Blank Person]()
We'll update you soon about the worship leader for this week.
Rachel Jordan-Wolf![Rachel Jordan1 300x300]()
Rachel is Chief Executive of Hope Together, a catalyst bringing churches together to transform their communities. She was previously an advisor on evangelism to the Archbishop of Canterbury. She has a PhD in church history, and has worked amongst prostitutes and drug addicts in Amsterdam’s red light district.
Courtney Hoilett![Courtney Hoilett]()
Courtney is a "veteran" member of IDMC Gospel choir whose first worship-leading visit to LPO was way back around 2009!
Teressa Edwards![Teressa Edwards]()
Teressa works in PR and marketing and has sung both professionally and for fun all her life. She's worked for several years with John Fisher BEM on the entire suite of services related to IDMC Gospel Choir. She also finds time to be a presenter for liferadio.uk.
IDMC![Gospel week 4]()
IDMC includes up to 25 members from various Christian backgrounds plus a small group of professional musicians. They have amassed nine albums including one recorded at Le Pas Opton in 2012.
The choir were finalists in BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year in 2018 when they also won Premier Radio’s Gospel Choir of the Year and an Urban Music Award for Best Gospel Act 2018.
Lisa Holmes![Lisa Holmes]()
Lisa is a Baptist Minister with over 25 years experience. She has recently joined the National Team of the Baptist Union of Scotland prioritising caring for ministers & encouraging spiritual formation & discipleship. She’s also part of the Spring Harvest Planning Group & a member of the EA Council. She is married to Mike with 2 young adult children, loves music, the outdoors and drinking coffee.
TBC![Blank Person]()
We'll update you soon about the speaker for this week.
Chris Sinkinson![Chris sinkinson]()
When he’s not lecturing at Moorlands College or doing an archaeological dig in Gallilee, Dr Chris Sinkinson may be found playing board games.
He has written various books and articles, and also speaks at churches and events and on radio, around the UK and beyond.
Bob & Rachel Retallick-Cheel![Retallick Cheel]()
Bob and Rachel Retallick-Cheel are worship leaders at St Boniface Church, Quinton. Founding members of worship collective MULTITUDE, they have also led worship at events for British Youth For Christ and Moorlands Bible College.
Mike & Sandy Fitton![Mike and Sandy Fitton bikers]()
Mike is UK National Chairman of the Christian Motorcyclists Association. He and Sandy travel across the UK and beyond, often by motorbike of course, speaking at bikers gatherings and churches.
Matt Brooksbank![Matt Brooksbank]()
Matt is a worship leader from Scarborough, North Yorkshire and regularly leads worship at Ebenezer Baptist Church and Hope Whitby. Along with his wife Emily, they run Re-fuel worship ministry and lead a young adults group at their local church.
Micha Jazz![Micha Jazz]()
Micha is Guardian of St. Cuthbert's Oratory, a home of prayer, reflection and retreat. A qualified spiritual director, spiritual coach and retreat leader, he is the writer of the popular daily Bible reading notes Every Day with Jesus.
“Over the past few years my wife Jayne and I have enabled many people to find new rhythms, greater depth and fresh life in their relationship with God” says Micha. “We’re excited and looking forward to sharing with guests at Le Pas Opton in its unique holiday environment.”