How we came to be
The ARC renewal community evolved from the Catholic Charismatic renewal movement over 30 years ago. We began in 1978 as a family summer camp at Ampleforth college in North Yorkshire and became known as campers renewal. The school provided us with wonderful facilities until 1984 when the gathering moved to Ushaw college in County Durham. We remained here, as an offshoot of the Northern Conference until 1991.
In 1992 we were unable to find a site large enough with all the usual amenities and facilities, however that wasn’t going to stop the campers! At the last minute arrangements were made with one of the members to use farm barns, buildings and a hen house in Halifax, to allow us to meet together before finding more luxurious facilities again the next year.
In 1993 Campers Renewal moved to Topcliffe in North Yorkshire where we remained for the next seven years and then to Colomendy in North Wales where we met for 6 years.
In 2007 we moved back to North Yorkshire to our current venue at Bewerley Park outdoor education center. It was here that we felt God was calling us to something deeper and different than before. We were becoming a community and so we changed our name and became the ARC renewal community. We have facilities for both camping and indoor accommodation. Here we continue to love, learn, grow, minister and worship together, mirroring the same experience as campers renewal when it was first conceived.
Through God’s grace we continue to develop and are becoming a community that loves, learns and worships together, ministering to one another, growing in our faith and using our talents empowered by the love of God.
The ARC renewal community is a small group of people from diverse backgrounds who meet together to praise God.
The community began as a Charismatic renewal conference over 30 years ago and has subsequently developed into a community of around 250 people, at least half of whom are under the age of 18.
Currently we gather together once a year at Bewerley Park Outdoor education center in North Yorkshire, to pray, worship, socialize and support one another on our faith journey. The week includes an organised program for the under 18’s, many opportunities for private prayer and communal worship, the opportunity to get to know one another on a deeper level.
When we meet we are largely self supporting and the week comes together as we use our talents and gifts to benefit each other. As we serve and encourage one another, pray and worship together, our faith is strengthened and our friendships deepen and we become a mirror of Christ for one another.
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