Pilots Information

Pilots at Greenacres Congregational Church meet on a Tuesday evening.

v Deckhands (4-7 year olds) from 6-7pm.

v Adventurers (7-11 year olds) from 7-8.30pm.

Captain: David Fowler

Leaders: Debby Chappell, Neville Daniels, Lola Berry, Christine Aitken, Neil Chappell

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Cadbury’s World Trip

Greenacres Pilots Company will be taking part in the Cadbury’s World Trip, organised at the end of June by the national Pilots leaders. Greenacres will be taking a coach full of excited youngsters to join the 3500 other Pilots from all over the country. It promises to be a brilliant day – look out for the full report coming soon!

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Pilots Sunday

On the third Sunday in November, Greenacres Pilots Company once again led our morning service. Deckhands helped with the children’s address and sang two songs, and Adventurers wrote some prayers and performed a short drama. Despite the nerve-racking experience that is involved in taking a service, all the Pilots did really well. Here’s to next year!

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Pilots News

On the Weekend of Saturday 30^th September/Sunday 1^st October 2000 Greenacres Pilots Company played host to around 80 children, young people and leaders from all over the North-West. They came for a regional activity day, which included craft making, puzzle solving, game playing and fun worship. They had a great time and really enjoyed themselves.

About half of the group stayed overnight, sleeping on our hard Church floors! They helped take part in our Sunday morning service and were greatly appreciated by all our Church Members. They taught a couple of new songs, presented some drama, and were very well behaved – a commendation for each of the churches that sent youngsters.

On the Saturday evening the children enjoyed a quiz, before buying out the contents of the Tuck Shop ready for their midnight feasts! On the Sunday afternoon they played a number of games before returning exhausted to their homes – well, the leaders went home exhausted! The children can’t wait for the next one!

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A few facts about Pilots

– Pilots is a Christian Organisation for children and young people from the age of 4. It is based in churches but every child is welcome.

– Pilots is ecumenical, sponsored by the United Reformed Church and the Congregational Federation.

– Pilots is non-uniformed. Pilots wear a badge and work for year badges through a programme of exciting activities and projects called crests and seals.

– Pilots was born out of a great historical 'story' which is so exciting every child wants to hear about it. It's because of this story that Pilots has such a great tradition of affiliation with the world church. This is one of the aspects that make it unique.

– Pilots is supported by the Pilots Development Officer, a Management Group and a Publications Group who are constantly working on new material.

– All Pilots leaders and provincial Pilots Officers have the opportunity for regular training, self-assessment and support.

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How it all began

John Williams was a missionary and with his wife Mary went out to the islands in the South Pacific to take the Christian message. They had a very interesting time and their mission was fraught with danger. John was eventually murdered. In 1936 the London Missionary Society invited children all over the country to save their ship halfpennies and contribute to buying a ship in John's memory so that his work could continue. Several ships were bought in this way and PILOTS came into being.

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