ANNUAL CAMP MEETING/ BETHEL ENCOUNTER
The quest for our spiritual growth cannot be emphasized. The second coming of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ is imminent; as such we should get ourselves ready and spotless to meet him. The book of Mark 6:30-32 recorded thus “Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them “come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” for there were many coming and going and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves”.
Looking at the busyness of life and its unavoidable challenges, one could say that stress has become one of the challenges we face even as Christians. That was what the disciples encountered such that they could not even have time to eat let alone refresh themselves spiritually. Even Jesus saw the need for retreat and spiritual refreshment and that is what we do as a community during our Bethel encounter.
Bethel encounter is an annual camping program that takes place every December. Prior to this program, a 21day fasting and prayers with other spiritual exercises are observed. The community goes as far as the Redemptorist Spirituality centre located at Agbara axis of Ogun State for this spiritual exercise. The venue is indeed a deserted area where members forgets the busy and stressful daily life and waits on the Lord for fresh outpouring. It used to be a weekend event which starts on Friday night and expires on Sunday morning with a Holy mass.
In Bethel Encounter, participants are expected to take stock of their lives for the year and discover the areas of amendments and improvements. Our anointing service as well as the declaration of the coming year’s theme and focus all takes place in the Bethel Encounter. Space will not permit us to record the testimonies and experiences of the previous years. But in all, we give God all the glory and ask you to be part of us both in this year’s Bethel Encounter and the subsequent ones. May God bless you as you keep the program with us in Jesus name. Amen