Connecting with the heart of God on Glenelg Beach
Connecting with the heart of God on Glenelg Beach
17 March 2022
The group that attended the divisional Summer Faith Beach Trail at Glenelg Beach, which ended at the ‘My Big Red Heart’ sculpture.
Collecting sand and shells, making sandcastles, using binoculars, walking the jetty, eating “sweet treats” and reflecting on Scripture were all part of a 90-minute spiritual retreat held at Glenelg Beach in Adelaide.
About 50 people from across Adelaide took part in the event earlier this month – called the Summer Faith Beach Trail – which was arranged and coordinated by South Australia/Northern Territory Divisional Adults Secretary Major Christine Waller, Divisional Children’s Secretary Deb Elliott and Divisional Events Coordinator Liv Hateley.
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Whyalla Corps Officer Major Patsy Shadbolt (left) and Tracy McMahon, from Port Augusta Corps, enjoy a “sweet treat” as part of the SA/NT Divisional Summer Faith Beach Trail.
Christine said participants, including Divisional Commanders Majors Lance and Anne Jeffrey, were given a Summer Faith Beach Trail bag containing a trail-guide booklet, binoculars, a pen, and a bottle to collect sand and shells. They were then “led” to various locations on the beach.
She said they were invited to reflect on something that attracted their attention, consider the accompanying Bible verse, pray, and generally “enjoy the moment for what it is, not what it means, not what lies ahead”.
The booklet took people to various spots along the beach and contained a range of spiritual questions and activities aimed at all ages for that location. One of the aims was to connect with God in nature.
The Summer Faith Beach Trail ended at the ‘My Big Red Heart’ sculpture, the work of Murray Bridge artist Jayd Van Der Meer, where people were encouraged to consider the verse from 1 Samuel 16:7 that suggests “man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart”.
Christine said the Summer Faith Beach Trail was part of a series of four seasonal retreats designed to “encourage the spiritual life of the division”. The first one was held last spring, an Advent retreat leading up to Christmas. The next event will be held in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens in autumn. Similar events have also been held in the Northern Territory.
Port Augusta trail
At the same time, about 300km away, corps folk from Port Augusta and Whyalla and the Port Augusta Red Shield Variety Store took part in their own Summer Faith Beach Trail, taking in landmarks and locations on the eastern foreshore of the Spencer Gulf.
Whyalla Corps Officer Major Patsy Shadbolt (left), Tracy McMahon, from Port Augusta Corps, and thrift shop volunteers Mel Norwood and Joyleen White pose for a picture at the Port Augusta’s new Tourism Selfie Sign at the end of their Summer Faith Beach Trail.
The Glenelg trail booklet was adapted for the Port Augusta locations, which Corps Officer Major Gaye Day said helped her group of seven feel as much a part of the overall activity as the people in Adelaide.
Gaye said the Port Augusta group took in the jetty pontoon, The Wharf Heritage Walk and the Swimmers Memorial Garden on Young Street in the shadows of the Joy Baluch Bridge.
She said a side story from the event was when her trail group was approached by some non-English speakers interested in what they were doing. Through gestures and some words, they managed to explain and discovered both groups shared the Christian faith, enhancing their ‘conversation’.
While the Glenelg group finished the trail at the red heart, the Port Augusta group finished at the new Tourism Selfie Sign on the foreshore.
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