I have cancelled the Diocesan trip to Taize this year as we failed to gain enough participants. I'm really disappointed but I've done all that I can do. For me as a salesman (my other profession) it's doubly weird as I've never had a 'product' before that is both SO FANTASTIC and that I can't shift.
I still passionately believe that young people who go will gain and grow SO much from the experience but I'm throwing in the towel for 2010.
Never say die though .... and 2011 is on the cards and the Bishop is coming too. I'm just looking on Wikepedia to see if there is anything I can learn from the Naval custom of press-ganging ;-)
On the subject of press-ganging, the technical term is called Impressment (http://bit.ly/a7S6Nz).
Also i wonder if there is a philosophical problem in using the concept of gangs to get young people into things when the world seems anti-gangs for young people... it doesn't make sense.
Totally gutted that you have had to cancel...
Thanks Ben,
Impressment would be fundamentally opposed to my 'voluntary participation' core value anyway but is at least a better term than press-gang :-)
Have you time for a coffee late July?
wow. what a long coffee break
Poo! Pick another week and I will actively encourage iour youngsters to come. Unfortunately this years and next years dates clash with Lighthouse in Burnham and ALL of our young people volunteer to help. XX