Capernwray Harbour Bible School
Encyclopedia
Capernwray Harbour Bible School is an evangelical
Christian
post-secondary institution located on Thetis Island
, British Columbia
, Canada
.
The school was established by a Capernwray Hall
alumni, Charles Fordham, in 1979. The school offers a unique mix of indoor and outdoor classes, hosting about 140 students each year from up to 20 countries. Over the summer recess period, over 4,000 participants are usually hosted for predominantly Christian-oriented holiday courses.
The primary purpose and ministry of Capernwray is Christian education. Its goal is to offer students training in Bible study
, evangelical outreach, leadership development
, community living, and personal discovery through discipleship. According to school founder Charles Fordham, the mission of Capernwray is the "training of men and women to be equipped for full-time Christian service, regardless of their occupation," following the ideas expounded by Major W. Ian Thomas
.
to begin operations for a Bible School on the site, signed a lease to purchase, and opened the school with an inaugural class of 77 students. Current School buildings and facilities include a gym
nasium, lecture hall
, outdoor amphitheatre, climbing tower
, several kilometres of trails, and accommodations for 150.
The Statement of Faith also declares that once one has truly assumed the Christian life, "Christ can then do the work in us as the Father then did the work in Him, and we let all God loose in the world; not, then just the sky, but God Himself is the limit!"
Utltimately, according to the Statement of Faith, "Jesus Christ established the fact that our spiritual union with him, as he was in spiritual union with the Father, is the true and ultimate basis of all evangelism, missions and Church planting."
. As Thomas wrote, "If there is any situation from which you are not prepared to step back, in recognition of the total adequacy of Christ who is in you, then you are out of the will of God."
. Essential to the Capernwray approach are the creation of journals, (ungraded summaries of lecture principles), and study projects, presentations which ensure a thorough study of the Bible and the ability to impart teachings to others.
and recreational programs are offered to students in the initial autumn weekends of Bible School. These Venture Program activities are designed to enhance fellowship and establish and deepen relationships between the new students. The programs are conducted at a variety of regional recreational areas
and ecological preserves
, such as Carmanah Walbran Park, and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
.
, Buddhist
, and Sikh
temples, and Muslim
mosque
s to better acquaint themselves with these religions for future activities.
s, First Nations reserves
, youth drop-in centres, seniors facilities, and those with needs beyond themselves. Additionally, students lead monthly church services in a medium security prison in nearby Nanaimo. Spring break outreach programs have included ministries to Seattle USA, Mexico, Japan, India, Philippines, Israel, and Italy.
Capernwray hosts a variety of intramural sports
, including soccer, basketball
, floor hockey, and volleyball
. Students have opportunities to participate in other outdoor adventures such as climbing wall
activities, ropes course
challenges, biking and mountain hiking. Students are also encouraged to organize individual team games in their free time.
Students attending the Bible School must agree to refrain from using tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs. A limited curfew is enforced on campus. Students are required to attend church service
on a weekly basis.
The Holiday Bible Weeks are attended by families and individuals who are intent on sharing a Christian vacation experience. Christ-centred devotionals
and talks from lecturers of international stature round out a program that includes several outdoor activity options each day. According to Program Director Charles Fordham, these sessions "combine wholesome summer vacation activities with Bible teaching devoted to deeper spiritual learning and practice."
The Holiday Bible Weeks outdoor recreational activities include ocean kayaking, waterskiing, Gulf Islands
boat tours, trail hiking
, trout fishing
, and beachcombing
. Team events such as ropes course
challenges and beach volleyball
are available to participants of all ages, from preschool to adult. Capernwray hosts a varied selection of facilities to support these activities. These include a fully equipped gym
nasium, five kilometres of beach and forest trails, 32 stations on two challenge courses, and a 14-metre climbing wall
/rappelling tower.
The devotional services are conducted in several meeting areas, which include the gymnasium, the lecture hall, and an outdoor amphitheatre.
program takes advantage of many of the same facilities, but is geared toward youth aged 10 to 18. The outdoor education
process focusses on problem solving
, communication skills
, leadership
, community, and teambuilding. In a typical group, participants are given an orientation session, then guided in various challenging and novel activities by several experienced outdoor education
instructors, who have each spent on an average over five years teaching the program. Typical of such programs, the instructor establishes clear limits, expectations, and guidelines for the experience.
The Capernwray outdoor education experience deliberately confronts learners with unfamiliar scenarios and settings. According to Chris Fordham, the Conference/Outdoor Education Coordinator and a 12-year veteran of the facility, "Individuals are encouraged to step out of their 'comfort zone
' in a safe environment to engage in experiences that will change their perspective in real life contexts." In addition to its youth offerings, the centre provides professional development programs geared toward corporate teams desiring to gain an edge by discovering the deeper values of team work, problem solving and true leadership.
Individually, and as teams, participants gain a level of 'competent mastery' which is believed to enhance self-confidence
and self-esteem
.
A notable aspect of the Capernwray outdoor education program is its flexibility, allowing for customization of schedules according to specific needs and goals of schools or groups. Examples of this are programs designed for those with learning disabilities or physical disabilities
, and special needs
students.
Director
Charles Fordham
Conference Coordinator
Chris Fordham
Assistant Director, Resident Lecturer
Lawrence Jensen
Bible School Administrator
Christine Wichert
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
post-secondary institution located on Thetis Island
Thetis Island
Thetis Island is an island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the Gulf Islands. The island was named in 1851 after HMS Thetis, a 36-gun Royal Navy frigate commanded by Captain Augustus Leopold Kuper . The ship was named after the Nereid Thetis from Greek mythology...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The school was established by a Capernwray Hall
Capernwray Hall
Capernwray Hall is a former country house situated 3 miles ENE of Carnforth, Lancashire, England, and is currently used as a Christian bible school and holiday centre. The house has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building...
alumni, Charles Fordham, in 1979. The school offers a unique mix of indoor and outdoor classes, hosting about 140 students each year from up to 20 countries. Over the summer recess period, over 4,000 participants are usually hosted for predominantly Christian-oriented holiday courses.
The primary purpose and ministry of Capernwray is Christian education. Its goal is to offer students training in Bible study
Bible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
, evangelical outreach, leadership development
Leadership development
Leadership development refers to any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization. These activities have ranged from MBA style programs offered at university business schools to action learning, high-ropes courses and executive retreats.- Developing...
, community living, and personal discovery through discipleship. According to school founder Charles Fordham, the mission of Capernwray is the "training of men and women to be equipped for full-time Christian service, regardless of their occupation," following the ideas expounded by Major W. Ian Thomas
Major W. Ian Thomas
W. Ian Thomas was a Christian evangelical writer, theological teacher and founder of the Torchbearers bible schools.- Early life :...
.
History
The site of Capernwray Harbour Bible School was first settled by Henry Severn in 1886. Despite the school being named for a Capernwray Harbour, it is in fact located on the shores of Preedy Harbour. Severn built a log cabin on the property; the subsequent owner, H. Burchell, added Preedy Hall, one of the largest buildings on the Gulf Islands at the time, and home to a store, a chapel, and a ballroom. In 1924 the property was sold to Hans Hunter, who built the Main Hall in 1926 after a devastating fire. In 1979, Charles and Marlene Fordham formed a Board of DirectorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
to begin operations for a Bible School on the site, signed a lease to purchase, and opened the school with an inaugural class of 77 students. Current School buildings and facilities include a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, lecture hall
Lecture hall
A lecture hall is a large room used for instruction, typically at a college or university. Unlike a traditional classroom with a capacity from one to four dozen, the capacity of lecture halls is typically measured in the hundreds...
, outdoor amphitheatre, climbing tower
Climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
, several kilometres of trails, and accommodations for 150.
Mission statement
Statement of Faith
The Capernwray Statement of Faith asserts that God created man in such a way that the presence of God as Creator within a man as creature is imperative to his humanity, and that we as men can do nothing without him. Furthermore, according to the "Regenerative Purpose of God", Christ "rose again from the dead to live his life in us."The Statement of Faith also declares that once one has truly assumed the Christian life, "Christ can then do the work in us as the Father then did the work in Him, and we let all God loose in the world; not, then just the sky, but God Himself is the limit!"
Utltimately, according to the Statement of Faith, "Jesus Christ established the fact that our spiritual union with him, as he was in spiritual union with the Father, is the true and ultimate basis of all evangelism, missions and Church planting."
Programs
One of the principal ideas forwarded by Major Thomas, "simplicity in Christ", is emphasized in the curriculum at Capernwray. Students are encouraged engage in discipleship to enable personal discovery, eschewing academic merit in Bible studyBible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
. As Thomas wrote, "If there is any situation from which you are not prepared to step back, in recognition of the total adequacy of Christ who is in you, then you are out of the will of God."
Curriculum
The Capernwray Bible School curriculum covers about seventy-five percent of all of the Biblical booksBooks of the Bible
The Books of the Bible are listed differently in the canons of Judaism and the Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Slavonic Orthodox, Georgian, Armenian Apostolic, Syriac and Ethiopian churches, although there is substantial overlap. A table comparing the canons of some of these traditions...
. Essential to the Capernwray approach are the creation of journals, (ungraded summaries of lecture principles), and study projects, presentations which ensure a thorough study of the Bible and the ability to impart teachings to others.
Venture Program
A variety of campingCamping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
and recreational programs are offered to students in the initial autumn weekends of Bible School. These Venture Program activities are designed to enhance fellowship and establish and deepen relationships between the new students. The programs are conducted at a variety of regional recreational areas
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
and ecological preserves
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, such as Carmanah Walbran Park, and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a Canadian national park reserve in British Columbia made up of three separate regions: Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands, and the West Coast Trail. The entire park encompasses 511 km² of land and ocean. The park is characterized by rugged coasts and...
.
Conferences and Temple Tours
Capernwray students engage in the yearly MissionsFest conference in Vancouver by filling conference administrative needs and by interacting with presenters from around the world to get a greater understanding of evangelical principles and issues. Additionally, students tour HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, and Sikh
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
temples, and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s to better acquaint themselves with these religions for future activities.
Outreach
Outreach programs for students involve visits to several elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, First Nations reserves
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
, youth drop-in centres, seniors facilities, and those with needs beyond themselves. Additionally, students lead monthly church services in a medium security prison in nearby Nanaimo. Spring break outreach programs have included ministries to Seattle USA, Mexico, Japan, India, Philippines, Israel, and Italy.
Student life
Intramural sports
Intramural sports or intramurals are recreational sports organized within a set geographic area. The term derives from the Latin words intra muros meaning "within walls", and was used to indicate sports matches and contests that took place among teams from "within the walls" of an ancient city...
, including soccer, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, floor hockey, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. Students have opportunities to participate in other outdoor adventures such as climbing wall
Climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
activities, ropes course
Ropes course
A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or only a few feet above the ground...
challenges, biking and mountain hiking. Students are also encouraged to organize individual team games in their free time.
Students attending the Bible School must agree to refrain from using tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs. A limited curfew is enforced on campus. Students are required to attend church service
Church service
In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism. The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be...
on a weekly basis.
Conferences and Holiday Bible Weeks
Capernwray hosts several conferences throughout the year, including the Men's Conference, Ladies' Conference, and the Summer Breakaway for Youth. Retreats are offered for families, church groups, seniors groups, and for those wishing personal retreats.The Holiday Bible Weeks are attended by families and individuals who are intent on sharing a Christian vacation experience. Christ-centred devotionals
Bible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
and talks from lecturers of international stature round out a program that includes several outdoor activity options each day. According to Program Director Charles Fordham, these sessions "combine wholesome summer vacation activities with Bible teaching devoted to deeper spiritual learning and practice."
The Holiday Bible Weeks outdoor recreational activities include ocean kayaking, waterskiing, Gulf Islands
Gulf Islands
The Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia , between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada....
boat tours, trail hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, trout fishing
Recreational fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is fishing for pleasure or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is fishing for profit, or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival....
, and beachcombing
Beachcombing
Beachcombing and beachcomber are words with multiple, but related, meanings that have evolved over time.A beachcomber is someone who "combs" the beach, and the intertidal zone in general, looking for things of value, interest or utility....
. Team events such as ropes course
Ropes course
A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or only a few feet above the ground...
challenges and beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
are available to participants of all ages, from preschool to adult. Capernwray hosts a varied selection of facilities to support these activities. These include a fully equipped gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, five kilometres of beach and forest trails, 32 stations on two challenge courses, and a 14-metre climbing wall
Climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
/rappelling tower.
The devotional services are conducted in several meeting areas, which include the gymnasium, the lecture hall, and an outdoor amphitheatre.
Outdoor Education
The Capernwray outdoor educationOutdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
program takes advantage of many of the same facilities, but is geared toward youth aged 10 to 18. The outdoor education
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
process focusses on problem solving
Problem solving
Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
, communication skills
Communication skills training
Various types and forms of the Group Communication Skills Training are used all over the world for those who are trying to improve their communication skills. Thousands of books and articles devoted to these topics are published every year...
, leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
, community, and teambuilding. In a typical group, participants are given an orientation session, then guided in various challenging and novel activities by several experienced outdoor education
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
instructors, who have each spent on an average over five years teaching the program. Typical of such programs, the instructor establishes clear limits, expectations, and guidelines for the experience.
Comfort zone
The comfort zone is a behavioural state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviours to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk . A person's personality can be described by his or her comfort zones...
' in a safe environment to engage in experiences that will change their perspective in real life contexts." In addition to its youth offerings, the centre provides professional development programs geared toward corporate teams desiring to gain an edge by discovering the deeper values of team work, problem solving and true leadership.
Individually, and as teams, participants gain a level of 'competent mastery' which is believed to enhance self-confidence
Self-confidence
The socio-psychological concept of self-confidence relates to self-assuredness in one's personal judgment, ability, power, etc., sometimes manifested excessively.Being confident in yourself is infectious if you present yourself well, others will want to follow in your foot steps towards...
and self-esteem
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame: some would distinguish how 'the self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the...
.
A notable aspect of the Capernwray outdoor education program is its flexibility, allowing for customization of schedules according to specific needs and goals of schools or groups. Examples of this are programs designed for those with learning disabilities or physical disabilities
Physical disability
A physical disability is any impairment which limits the physical function of one or more limbs or fine or gross motor ability. Other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders and epilepsy....
, and special needs
Special needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
students.
Management
The Capernwray Bible Centre management consists of:Director
Charles Fordham
Conference Coordinator
Chris Fordham
Assistant Director, Resident Lecturer
Lawrence Jensen
Bible School Administrator
Christine Wichert