<p>11 August 2016 | Pembrey, Wales [Victor Hulbert] Peter-Bo Bohsen likes to have fun. That fun is infectious and has been spreading across Pathfinder Camporees and camps in Serbia, Norway, Denmark, the UK and Poland this summer. Taking on a new role in the Trans-European Division as Pathfinder director he comes to the camps bringing a high level of expertise in Pathfindering, pioneering, and making Christianity real and practical for a new generation of children and youth.</p>
NewsAugust 11, 2016
11 August 2016 | Pembrey, Wales [Victor Hulbert] Peter-Bo Bohsen likes to have fun. That fun is infectious and has been spreading across Pathfinder Camporees and camps in Serbia, Norway, Denmark, the UK and Poland this summer. Taking on a new role in the Trans-European Division as Pathfinder director he comes to the camps bringing a high level of expertise in Pathfindering, pioneering, and making Christianity real and practical for a new generation of children and youth.
Peter-Bo leading worship in SerbiaIn Serbia he was the devotional speaker for their camporee, while admiring their pioneering skills, building all sorts of machines and structures just using wooden poles and rope lashings. In Denmark he joined with the four National Pathfinder directors of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden for a Nordic camporee that brought together 800 youth from the Scandinavian countries plus a group of 14 from the Netherlands. In Wales he took the 800 campers at the British Union Conference camporee back to Reformation days in a late evening game where they had to smuggle Bibles through various obstacles to share the gospel.
Pioneering structure at the Serbian camporeeWhy does he do it? “I do get a lot of ideas, and I do get them working. My idea is that I can share them with others and they can get even better ideas,” he says. “By making Pathfindering more interesting then we can get more youngsters start to be Pathfinders, hopefully bringing them closer to God.”
Titus is a leader in training at the Gatwick High Fliers clubTitus understands that principle. He has been a Pathfinder for as long as he can remember, attending camporees on a local, national and international level. He is now moving into a leadership role within his local club. “It’s not just that you get to socialise with people, it’s the messages each camp has,” he explains. He then recites a list of the themes from the last five camporees. He enjoys all the activities and fun, but brings home with him the simple, Christ-centred messages from the worships.
Campmaster, Nathan Stickland, emphasises the theme of anchored in Christ.That is important too for Nathan Stickland, camp master and the force behind the BUC camporee. He loves all the activities but agrees with Titus that it is ultimately about coming together for the worship times. Linking the theme to some old anchors that had been dredged up onto the beach he focused the whole camp on being ‘anchored in Christ’. That seems to have worked for all the campers and staff.
Bohsen’s dream, as explained in a tedNEWS video report from the BUC camporee, is to develop the skills of Pathfinders across Europe and to use their expertise to build up each other’s Pathfindering programme – in essence, making Europe smaller.
Peter-Bo Bohsen, TED Pathfinder director“It’s a joy working with young people,” Bohsen states. “It’s also a joy giving them a chance, giving them something to work with, and then see how the small things you give them can work out into much bigger things.” But he concludes back with his favourite motto. “I think it is important to have fun as a Pathfinder, also as a Pathfinder leader, because if you are having fun you share it with the kids and they actually learn more.” He smiles when challenged on the fun concept. “This is good fun. This is Christian fun – and by having a fun time we are bringing kids to God. [tedNEWS]
tedNEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, director; Esti Pujic, editor
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