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By Andrea Dujardin-Flexhaug
THE ARK Youth Centre in Penticton has survived a flood, and is back on dry
ground.
Although not quite on the scale of Noah’s Ark in the Bible, the mishap at Penticton First Baptist Church did cause a lot
of damage nonetheless. However, facility is back in fine form, after three
months of renovations and refurbishing.
Family pastor Clark Taylor explained that, in April, “there was a sewage backup – and it flooded both rooms, and out the doors.” The water had risen only a few inches in the centre’s two downstairs rooms of the church, but had seeped up the walls as well.
The venue reopened at the beginning of August – with an Open House held in mid-September, for parents and other guests to see
the new digs.
The Ark Youth Centre is unique in Penticton, in that any teenager – whether attending church or not – is welcome to come and hang out, with no strings attached.
“We’re here to build relationships with kids – whoever they are, whatever their background is,” said Taylor.
“It’s just pretty much open to whatever the kids want to do. There’s no format, there’s no teaching; there’s just games and fun.”
Middle school and high school students are invited to drop by, to just hang out
or to use the recreation equipment. There are several pool and ping pong
tables, air hockey, shuffleboard, Wii and Play Station 2, with some good
old-fashioned board games also part of the mix.
Trained and screened volunteers at the centre are usually church members; but others are welcome to
help out as well.
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One of the regular volunteers is 18 year old Dustin Livingstone, who said he
comes there to “help out, get to know the kids, build relationships with them.” One popular feature in the kitchen area is the extensive coffee cafe, where
Livingstone said the drinks are “just as good as Starbucks.”
Anywhere between 14 and 40 teens come to the centre on Friday nights, from 7:30
pm to 11 pm, including regular attendee Michael Foreman. “The interaction’s actually really great,” he said. “I find it fun to come here.”
For more information, or directions to the centre, go to Penticton First Baptist
Church’s website at www.fbcpenticton.com
October 2009
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