Cornerstone Away Day 2023
April 19, 2023
Around 9am on Saturday 15th April 2023, over 300 members and friends of Cornerstone Church, drew up in cars and minibuses to Cumnor House School, Sussex for the long awaited, annual Cornerstone Church Away Day!
With the added factor of celebrating Cornerstone’s 20th Anniversary, the day had been meticulously planned to meet the needs and interests of all comers, whether young or old, fit or not-so-fit, and no-one was to be disappointed.
As with all Cornerstone events, food was a feature, starting with hot sausages on arrival; a glorious array of delicious home baked cakes mid-afternoon; hot dogs on departure and an endless supply of tea, coffee, and other beverages throughout the day.
The venue was a dream with sporting facilities galore, grassy places to sit, quaint school buildings to wander around, and a comfortable lounge area to chill in. Add a generous portion of good weather and we were all set!
In writing a short piece about the day, it is impossible to do justice to the wealth of activities on offer. But what follows I hope will give you a little flavour of the enjoyment that we all experienced.
The sport enthusiasts were not disappointed. Football, hockey, basketball and tennis were just a few of the things to try; and mention must be made too, of the less well-known Petanque, [similar to Boules].
No day out is complete without a Bouncy Castle, and this was the main attraction for the smaller children. However, an additional inflatable giant in the form of the ‘Ultimate Wipeout’ was a strong attraction for the more daring among us! Not for the faint hearted! But lots of fun, I’ve been assured.
There was so much else on offer for the kids to do too, such as the bold and beautiful spray-painted graffiti posters, jewellery, iced cookies, and their own hand made sketchbooks.
For those seeking cerebral inspiration, popular choices were the opportunity to discover truths about God from ancient Chinese characters; and instruction in translating, into Greek, the first verse of John’s gospel.
If you weren’t in the mood for academia, a gooey, fudgy Brownie-making masterclass was just the thing; or, if musically inclined, you could go along to a taster-lesson in playing the Ukelele.
The day began and ended with everyone congregating in the school ‘theatre’ for a mix of praise to God, a short Bible teaching and lots of laughter. The afternoon session included a video-reflection on the spiritual journey of the Church from its early days as ‘Fairfield Church’ to the point we have reached in Tiffin School today.
There were so many memorable moments during the day, but if I had to choose highlights, the first would inevitably be the wonderful guessing game ‘Floaty, Sinky’, a ridiculous but hilarious crowd-competition involving lots of fruit and veg and a huge tub of water; hosted, of course, by none other than Tom Sweatman!
The second would most certainly be the group of novice Ukelele players, strumming their hearts out to ‘Amazing Grace’
What a fitting end to a fabulous day!