I didn’t see the point of Christian holidays. This one changed my mind

What do you want from a holiday? Sunshine, beaches, great food and drink, quality time with friends and family. Memories that’ll last a lifetime. 

For me, that’s enough. I’d never really understood why people might opt for a specifically Christian holiday. Until now. 

First impressions 

Les Pas Opton (LPO) is a four-star campsite, just a few minutes’ drive from the charming town of Saint Gilles-Croiz-de-Vie, on the west coast of France. The venue is owned and run by Spring Harvest Holidays and was founded in 2003 to provide Brits with a great family break – and the added benefit of a Christian programme. 

The site hosts a small number of Dutch and French holidaymakers, but the majority are from the UK and everything on site is in English. 

Our family of four arrived on a warm Saturday evening in August. The ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe and the five-hour drive on near-empty toll roads were both straightforward. Check in was speedy, and my wife and I were both instantly struck by the friendly atmosphere. As we munched delicious pizza from the Vendee Vous Café that evening, I couldn’t help but notice a woman receiving prayer a few yards away.

Staff later informed me that “a lot” of prayer ministry and counselling takes place on site – often quietly and behind the scenes. I’m even told some church leaders escape here (without their congregations!) for times of personal spiritual refreshment. 

A holiday with Jesus

The following morning, I sat with hundreds of others in a hot marquee in the middle of the site, listening to remarkable testimonies of lives transformed by Jesus. Stories proliferate here – a young woman healed of a debilitating chronic illness, an infertile couple who fell pregnant and a non-believer who was dragged to LPO and became a Christian while there. There’s a morning and evening meeting each day and speakers and worship leaders vary throughout the summer. Our week featured Gavin and Anne Calver and Kees Kraayenoord. Gavin, who leads the Evangelical Alliance, was typically enthusiastic and energetic, full of stories of God working in the corridors of power. Anne’s pastoral sensitivity – pausing her sermon to pray for anyone who had arrived at LPO after a stressful season – was equally welcome.

If you’re picturing a large Christian conference on the scale of England’s Spring Harvest or New Wine, then think again. Even on peak weeks, the site doesn’t grow above 1,200 people. The vibe is less ‘massive summer Christian festival’ and more ‘large church weekend away’. LPO is big enough to offer the anonymity of a crowd but small enough to feel intimate. 

In speaking to other parents about LPO, the word that most often reoccurred was ‘safe’

The team have closely guarded the ‘holiday’ element of what’s on offer. That means there’s no pressure to attend meetings. Spring Harvest in the UK is held over four days at Butlin’s and features a spiritual programme so impressively action-packed that you may feel exhausted just reading it. But at LPO there are only two main meetings a day and they’re restricted (in theory) to one hour in the morning and 45 minutes in the evening. There are no seminars, sales pitches or calls to action. You’re on holiday – and organisers take that fact seriously. Aside from one talk which veered close to making me feel guilty for not evangelising enough, the atmosphere is refreshingly relaxed. 

There are, of course, similarities between Spring Harvest and Spring Harvest Holidays. They share an evangelical ethos and, perhaps most notably, a world-class children’s programme. Over dinner, my wife and I like to ask Evelyn, our five-year-old, what the favourite part of her day was. When on holiday, her answer is almost always either “ice cream” or “swimming”. But on night one, my wife and I were surprised and delighted to hear her answer “the kids’ work”. 

In speaking to other parents about LPO, the word that most often reoccurred was “safe”. There’s certainly a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. Many have unexpectedly made lifelong friends while on holiday there. I’m also told that parents of children with additional needs often choose LPO for their family holiday because they have greater confidence that their children won’t be bullied for being different.

There’s a more literal sense of safety too – evidenced by the way children of all ages are comfortable scooting and cycling their way around the small site. Of course, parents can’t completely switch off, especially around the pool. There’s no lifeguard on duty – which clearly delighted the teenagers who enjoyed blocking the flume – but parents of little ones should take the “watch your children” signs seriously.

Accommodation ranges from comfortable and well-equipped mobile homes (£570 per week) to the more cost-effective pitch your own tent (£380 per week). We stayed a week, but many opt for longer. 

Something for everyone

Of course, for LPO to work as a Christian holiday, it first has to work as a holiday, and one of its biggest advantages is the location. There’s plenty to enjoy off site. St Gilles is a ten-minute drive away and its bustling streets feature a delightful carousel for the kids, restaurants serving mussels by the bucket load and Limoncello-flavoured ice cream. The nearby sandy Grande Plage (Great Beach) seemed to stretch for miles. Coffee aficionados should head to Mates Café at the estuary of the River Vie for their skinny flat whites. 

The silent disco featured songs ranging from ‘YMCA’ to a techno version of Hillsong’s ‘Oceans’

Back at LPO, the evening entertainment was in full swing – our five-year-old loved the silent disco, where she took great joy in dancing to songs ranging from Frozen’s ‘Love is an open door’ to Maverick City’s ‘I thank God’. This was followed by ‘YMCA’. Oh, and a techno version of Hillsong’s ‘Oceans’. Obviously. 

LPO isn’t the cheapest way to holiday in France, and the campsite vibe (as opposed to hotel or Airbnb accommodation) won’t be for everyone. Nevertheless, the appeal of a Christian holiday was growing on me. We hadn’t sacrificed anything our family normally wants from a week in France. The kids were swimming, I was eating an irresponsible quantity of pastries and we’d spent afternoons on the beach. But the spiritual atmosphere definitely added a new dimension. 

Full circle 

On the final day, a celebratory street party was organised, featuring a barbeque, bouncy castle and balloons. 

As the kids bounced around, I struck up a conversation with Tobias, one of the teenagers who is spending his summer volunteering here. Tobias told me he and his family have been coming here for more than a decade – ever since he was little. His own Christian faith has matured as he’s grown up through the children’s programme. Now, having just finished his gap year with YWAM, he’s back at LPO again – but this time as an animateur (volunteer), who is tasked with not only bar work, setting up chairs and supervising the bouncy castle, but organising and leading the same children’s programme of worship songs and Bible stories that he’d so benefited from many years earlier. It was a beautiful full-circle moment for him. 

The volunteer programme is a wonderful training ground for a new generation of Christian leaders

Animateurs experience all the joys and challenges that come from living in a Christian community on site; they receive spiritual input and develop leadership skills. Speaking to Premier Christianity, Gavin Calver said all this makes the animateur programme “a wonderful training ground for a new generation of Christian leaders”. 

The spiritual benefits are mounting up. I’m enjoying corporate worship, my kids are learning about God. Meanwhile, the next generation of Christians like Tobias are having life-changing opportunities to grow in spiritual leadership. I later discover how the ground I’m standing on is being used to bless the fledgling evangelical Church in France. The region where LPO is situated is known as “zone blanche” (white zone) – a term used by some Christians to describe a geographical region with an almost total lack of evangelical presence. Spring Harvest Holidays say their mission is to “encourage the Church” in this part of the world. That means being creative in the use of their premises. One example is that, during the off-season, a local church uses LPO to hold its Sunday meetings. 

It turns out you don’t have to choose between a great family holiday and a spiritually enriching one. LPO hasn’t compromised on anything we’d want from a week in France: a great pool, beautiful beaches, good food and plenty for the kids to do. It simply adds something I hadn’t realised our holidays were missing: the opportunity for every member of the family to be spiritually refreshed. Put simply, it’s a holiday that’s good for your soul. 

Sam Hailes and his family were guests of Spring Harvest Holidays. Bookings for next year open from 21 October at springharvestholidays.com