This year, 11 of our young people headed off to Dreaming the Impossible (DTI), accompanied by an incredible team of leaders. We joined forces once again with Yeovil Vineyard, camping together and growing our wider Vineyard family to around 20 young people.
What began as a few days away quickly became something much deeper: a space where friendships grew, faith was stretched, questions were welcomed and young people were given room to encounter God for themselves. And God met them there.
From the very first day, we noticed something significant. There was a real spiritual hunger among the young people, an openness to ask questions, to worship, to pray, to receive from the Holy Spirit and to explore what it means to follow Jesus.
By the end of day one, three of our young people had made the brave and significant decision to either commit or recommit their lives to Jesus. That was just the beginning.
Across the week we saw young people worshipping with freedom, responding to the Holy
Spirit, praying boldly for one another and stepping into their prophetic voice. Some experienced powerful encounters with God. Others found healing, encouragement or simply the courage to wrestle honestly with doubts and difficult questions.
Of course, DTI wasn't all seminars and serious conversations! There were foam parties, bandeoke, inflatables, sports, plenty of laughter and a whole host of seminars covering everything from science and faith to navigating life as a Christian young person.
The accessibility team also did an amazing job of ensuring that neurodiverse young people could participate in ways that worked for them, a wonderful reminder that everyone should have the opportunity to encounter God and find their place within the community.
And behind all of this was an incredible team. A huge thank you to Grace and Gerald, who served our young people from morning until night, preparing four meals a day, catering thoughtfully for allergies and making sure every young person was cared for.
Their practical service was an enormous expression of love. Thank you also to Joe and Fi, who invested deeply in the young people, encouraging friendships, providing pastoral support and challenging them to step further into worship, prayer and ministry.
So, as we look towards the new academic year, we don't want to simply look back at DTI as a great week away. We want to build on it. Pray for those who have made commitments to Jesus. Pray for those who are wrestling with questions.
Pray for those discovering their gifts and learning to hear the Holy Spirit. Pray for courage, protection and deeper faith. And pray for the parents and families walking alongside them through the wonderfully challenging adventure of raising teenagers.
Because God is doing something in this generation. And perhaps the most exciting thing about DTI is that it doesn't feel like the end of our youth year. It feels like the beginning of something.
Now we get to see what happens next. Let's keep dreaming the impossible with them.
Looking ahead to DTI 2027
If this year's DTI has left you thinking, looking ahead to next summer! “I wish I'd known about this sooner!” , we're already.
We would love to see even more of our young people experience DTI in 2027. Full booking information will be shared in the first week of September, including details of how to book directly through DTI and how to join our church payment plan.
We're particularly keen to make DTI as accessible as possible. If you choose to book through our church payment plan, we'll secure the early-bird price for you and spread the cost over 11 months, giving families the lowest available price while making the payments more manageable.
We also have a bursary available for families who would benefit from additional financial support, so please don't let finances be the reason your young person misses out. More information about how to apply will be shared alongside the booking details.