The Main House was gifted to the program as a place where young leaders could find God and be equipped for ministry. It is the training centre, student dorm, worship centre, and home base for the 8 months of Lifeteams School of Youth Outreach.
RENT THE MAIN HOUSE!
Do you have a small group weekend coming up? Need a facility to host a planning meeting? A family reunion? Or want to schedule a prayer retreat? Our Lifeteams main house facility is available to rent.
Our facility has beds to comfortably sleep 13 and cots to sleep 4 more. As part of your rental you’ll enjoy use of our new kitchen, dining area, living room, games & rec room, as well as trails and firepit on the 20-acre property nestled on Sumas Mountain.
The Lifeteams facility is located at 4055 Lakemount Road, Abbotsford BC.
Main house minimum rental fee (includes up to 5 people):
$200.00/night.
Each additional person beyond the first 5 is an extra $20/night.
Day only fee: $120.00
Note: Bedding and towels not provided.
PRAYER CABIN
Looking for a quiet space to connect with God?
Our prayer cabin is here for you. Located on our Lifehouse property just behind the mainhouse, the prayer cabin is a place to spend time alone with God. It can be booked for an afternoon of prayer or for a few of days if that’s what you’re in need of.
The cabin has been dedicated in it’s use to spiritual retreats and accommodates one to two people comfortably. It can sleep 2, in a sleeping loft (*please bring your own queen size bedding), and contains a small lounge area, a kitchenette with small fridge, and bathroom facilities.
While on retreat you are welcome to make use of the many trails on and around our 20 acre property which overlooks the Sumas prairie.
The Prayer Cabin is user maintained and user funded. We are committed to having the Prayer Cabin available free of charge so those with limited finances can still access the unique opportunity for rest and restoration. We ask that each user simply consider what they can afford to give, within their means, to help with the costs and upkeep of this special place. Donations over $50.00 are income tax receipt-able and can be left in the donation box at the cabin or done online through the “Donate” button at the bottom of this webpage.
To inquire about rentals please complete the form below. You will generally receive a confirmation within 48 hours (weekdays). Our offices are not open on the weekend so please plan ahead. Once you receive your confirmation, simply make your way to the Lifeteams house and find the prayer cabin tucked just behind. The door will be unlocked so walk right in. In the kitchenette, a sink, microwave, tea kettle, small fridge and limited utensils and plates are available to make your stay more comfortable. We would ask that you not bring your pet as it will make it impossible for those with allergies to be comfortable in the future.
Please note that we would ask you to be out of the cabin by 9:00 a.m. on the day you are leaving and arrive no sooner than 10:00 a.m. If you would like to leave later in the day, please book for that full day as well, to avoid overlap.
Since we desire to make the Prayer Cabin available to as many people as possible we would ask that you not book more than 4 consecutive days, or more than 6 days in a 30-day period.
May you find this place of solitude a welcome break in the busyness of life.
PLEASE NOTE: From November until April there is no running water in the prayer cabin.
CONVERSATION TRAIL
WHAT IS A
CONVERSATION TRAIL?
The Lifeteams Conversation Trail invites you and a friend into a unique relationship building experience. Nestled into the side of the mountain, participants discover the beauty of nature together, while sharing thoughts and ideas in a non-threatening, creative way. The pathway winds through 8 different stations providing a bit of a “treasure hunt” feel as you search together for the small wooden boxes that contain conversation prompts. The prompts each encourage awareness of the surrounding natural world, while inviting exploration of internal landscapes as well.
Before beginning down the trail, you and your trail buddy can choose from two levels of conversations based on what fits your relationship. Laminated prompt cards for both levels are tucked within a mail box on a post at each station.
Relationship Building Prompts: Exploring the thoughts and traits that are part of who we are. (Green prompts)
Faith Shaping Prompts: Exploring the experiences and ideas that have shaped us and are shaping our faith. (Blue prompts)
con·ver·sa·tion
/ˌkänvərˈsāSH(ə)n/
1. a talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which thoughts and ideas are exchanged.
WHERE IS THE TRAIL LOCATED?
The trail is part of the 20 acre property housing Lifeteams School of Youth Outreach, a program of Greater Vancouver Youth Unlimited. Lifeteams is located about 1 hour east of Vancouver BC, on the far east boundary of Abbotsford. Students live in a former retreat centre, set on the side of a mountain and overlooking the beautiful Fraser Valley below. Lifeteams School and Conversation trail rest on the traditional unceded territory of the Stό:lō Nation - the people of the river.
Using Google Maps, the Lifeteams property can be found through searching “Lifeteams Abbotsford”. Note: using iMap will land you in a field near the property. We would suggest the google route if you want to arrive at your destination.
At the top of the driveway, park your car in an available spot, and then walk back to the beginning of the parking area and look for a sign leading you onto the trail. You will find the entrance clearly marked. Trust that the trail will circle you back to the starting point, guiding you on your adventure together.
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?
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Use the booking calendar below to select the day you want to use the trail. Choose either morning, afternoon or evening and plan to arrive and leave within the allotted times.
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The trail is made to accommodate non-hikers as well as those who are regularly active. Participants do need to recognize that hill climbing, uneven ground and stepping over obstacles are part of the experience. Stations are spaced with fairly short distances between them, allowing for frequent rests along the way. We would strongly suggest that sandals might make the experience difficult and runners would be the minimum for footwear.
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A firepit is available when fire bans are not in effect if you would like to add this to either before or after your trail experience. Please book this through our contact form at the end of the page. We will contact you with information about making your fire time successful and safe.
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A simple walk through the entire trail can be completed in about 20 minutes with no stops - but the stops are actually the point! The amount of time you spend exploring the prompts and the setting will affect how long your experience will take. We would suggest that you put aside about 60 minutes for the full trail.
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The last station of the trail is a beautiful spot for a picnic. We would ask that you pack out all garbage with you, including biodegradable fruit and vegetable peels, so the trail continues to look beautiful for the next participants.
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Although we do our best to maintain the trail, the stinging nettle plant is native and prolific in the area. Staying on the trail is the best way to avoid the discomfort of getting “stung”.
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A “Mentor’s Guide” that includes further resources and information around each of the faith-building prompts is available below. A “sneak peek” of the conversation prompts for both levels of conversation is also available below.
If you enjoy the Conversation Trail experience, consider ordering your copy of “I’m Listening:A Small Group Curriculum for Developing Resilience in Young People”. This resource is filled with great conversation starters for building relationships with small groups or individuals.
*TEMPORARILY CLOSED*
Take a peek at the prompts which are provided on the trail:
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As adults we are often looking for ways of delivering “content” to young people - messages we want them to hear and adopt about themselves, their behaviour, their relationship to God, their future … This trail is not created as a content delivery tool - it is a relationship building opportunity. Each station provides another invitation to truly listen to things said and things unsaid; to patiently create space for thoughts to surface; to watch for places to affirm the image of God stamped on the youth in front of you.
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As an equal participant in the experience, you too will have the opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences giving the young person a view they may never have had of your heart and your story. Remember that your experience with God and life, when shared with helpful honesty and transparency, is more powerful than any packaged content that you could deliver. Trust the process of engagement and intentionally hold back from teaching. The number of your words shouldn’t overshadow the number of your conversation buddy’s words. Instead, engage as an equal participant who knows that the Lord doesn’t need our scripted sermons to plant seeds of truth.