Add retreat and reflection to your holiday in this Monday to Friday break led by LPO veterans Tom and Ruth Duncanson.
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.
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.
Half Term
25 May - 1 June
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.
Toddler-friendly week
3 June - 10 June
This holiday week, organised in conjunction with Pete, Christine and friends 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 friends organise some special on-site activities through the week, too.
Count Everyone In
3 June - 10 June
The ever-popular creative holiday is back, in partnership with our friends from Saltmine Theatre Company. This unique holiday brings together art, photography, writing and drama - plus beaches, restaurants, chateaux, wine and cheese!
Creative Week with Saltmine
17 June - 24 June
Kick-start your summer with everything from worship to water sports and beach party to Bible study.
Young Adults Holiday
24 June - 1 July
Our worship leaders this week are 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
19 August - 26 August
This holiday week offers the opportunity for some extra in-depth Bible study with insights into the book of Esther that have relevance to our own culture and current affairs. Moorlands College Principal Andy du Feu is our speaker.
Equipped - in partnership with Moorlands College
26 August - 2 September
A fun, relaxing, sociable holiday geared particularly for adults. French translation will be available again in 2024 to ensure a real international flavour.
The Anglo-French Houseparty
2 September - 9 September
A holiday in France playing board games with friendly people for a whole week.
Board Games Holiday
9 September - 16 September
Playing On In Extra Time
Our speakers for this final holiday week of the season are Ian and Ruth Coffey. They will be giving a special focus to the daily Bible studies for those who have retired or are about to retire.
- How can we make the most of the opportunities retirement offers?
- What are some of the challenges and risks?
What lessons can we share with others in the same boat?
The Bible teaching will emphasise finding and serving God in all seasons and circumstances. In addition we will hold a few open forums where guests will be invited to share their own stories of navigating life after work.
This is a unique opportunity to meet with people facing the same circumstances and enjoy a quiet, quality holiday together.
Of course, you don't have to be an over-60 to enjoy this holiday week: Ian and Ruth will ensure that their ministry is relevant to everyone.
Extra Time
16 September - 23 September
Speakers & worship leaders
Tom is now retired after 40 years in Baptist Ministry including 7 years as a Hospice Chaplain. Ruth, a registered nurse, retired after 18 Years as a school matron at a very large Secondary School. They now live in Eastbourne. Their experience is wide and varied. They have two children and seven grandchildren. When not involved with the family they have a fairly active social life!!
Tom has been a companion in the Northumbria Community for many years.
Jimmy is a Worship Leader, Poet, Husband, Singer/Songwriter, Speaker, Son, Brother, Artist, and Dad… though not necessarily in that order! He's been part of several worship bands playing various roles, facilitated and curated worship experiences from small lofts to big marquees, middle-sized churches to the Houses of Parliament. He has a passion for creatively expressing the full range of human emotion in a real and worshipful way. It's a privilege for Jimmy to be back serving at LPO.
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!
Theo and Katie are based in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, where they are involved in local mission. After spending a year touring with Youth For Christ's mission band, Katie and Theo now lead the worship and the youth work at their church. They have a heart to see the Church enter into God's presence through worship, and also to see young people transformed by the Gospel. Isaiah 6:3
Ruth is the Families Pastor at Woodlands Church in Bristol where she lives with her husband, 2 children and a crazy Cockerpoo called Cookie.
Ruth is also part of the speaking team for Parenting for Faith, and particularly enjoys seeing parents, churches and church leaders inspired, equipped and encouraged in their discipleship journey together - pursuing a life of faith, connection and relationship with Jesus.
We'll update you soon about the speaker for this week.
Ruth is the Families Pastor at Woodlands Church in Bristol where she lives with her husband, 2 children and a crazy Cockerpoo called Cookie.
Ruth is also part of the speaking team for Parenting for Faith, and particularly enjoys seeing parents, churches and church leaders inspired, equipped and encouraged in their discipleship journey together - pursuing a life of faith, connection and relationship with Jesus.
We'll update you soon about the speaker for this week.
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 and Ruth Stephenson are part of the leadership team at Rising Brook Church in Stafford. Dave is a minister and Ruth heads up the Children, Youth and Family department. Together they have worked with Spring Harvest in some capacity for the last 17 years and are excited to return to LPO for more worship and fun during Creative week. They can usually be spotted with their three children in tow; Morley (12), Erin (10) and Tilly (9).
Nick & Marjorie are the joint leaders of The Well Sheffield, a growing church with many young adults and students, and a track record in reaching the unchurched, raising young leaders and new church plants. They are passionate about worship and mission and discipleship to Jesus in current culture. They love investing in the next generation and drinking good coffee. They have a lively home with three teenagers, a border collie dog and students. In 2020 they published an award-winning book, 'The XYZ of Discipleship : Understanding and Reaching Generations Y & Z'
Evie Loose is a worship leader and songwriter from Eastbourne, UK. She has led worship as part of Bright City, the worship collective from St. Peter’s Brighton, and now she studies in Cardiff and leads worship at her local church. As a student herself, she is passionate about seeing young people truly know the joy and love found in Jesus.
Phil Knox is the head of mission to young adults at the Evangelical Alliance. He lives to see people come to know Jesus and Christians inspired and equipped to share their faith.
He has a passion for his generation, the local church, loves learning and has degrees in law and mission and evangelism.
Phil is married to Dani and they have two sons, Caleb and Jos.
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.
Andy serves as principal of Moorlands College, where he has worked for the past 12 years. He comes with plenty of experience of pastoral leadership, youth work, and opening up Scripture. Between Moorlands and three adopted children there is never a dull moment!
Jean is a Guernsey man serving as vicar of St Francis Church, Salisbury. Sue and Jean have 4 children who love making music together. Whenever possible, Jean enjoys riding his motorbike – and praying!
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.
Neil is pastor at Longheath Baptist Church, a small council estate church in Croydon. He married Abigail in 2022 and God gave them Nathaniel in 2023. Neil is a keen board gamer (he was the 7 Wonders Duel champion on his first visit to the Board Games Holiday) and a runner, and loves to share Jesus with people.
Rachel Retallick-Cheel is worship leader along with her husband Bob at St Boniface Church, Quinton. Founding member of worship collective MULTITUDE, she have also led worship at events for British Youth For Christ and Moorlands Bible College.
Ian and Ruth Coffey have been involved in Christian ministry for five decades and, in that time, have served in a variety of leadership roles from local church to national organisations. They spent the last fifteen years on the staff of Moorlands College until they retired in 2022. They continue to travel, teach, preach and write extensively They live in a small village in East Dorset.
Phil is an former animateur at Le Pas Opton! Currently he's Worship Director at All Saints Worcester, a Church of England resourcing church. Having trained at Moorlands College and the Worship Foundation, Phil is passionate about equipping and coaching local worship leaders and teams.