Rites of Passage Experiences (ROPES)

Constructing Christian transitions for the Body of Christ through the seasons of life.

In the old African societies every important transition from one season of life to the next was marked with a Rite of Passage that enabled people to let go of the old, and hold onto the new. These rites played a vital role in the health of the society as clear markers were given each member on their role and responsibility in society.

The ROPES ministry was started at Chapel when it was realized that the absence of clear transition points was partly responsible for the lack of belonging and alienation that so many youth feel from the church. Africa is a young continent, with possibly 75% of its population under the age of 30 years. Youth therefore makeup an essential part of the church, and are the key to its future. Enabling them to find their place and location in the community of faith is thus crucial.

ROPES began through the attempt to transition Sunday School children (at the age of puberty), into the youth group as young men and women who are actively involved in the church and understand what their place is, people with a sense of belonging.

 In the old African traditions a puberty rite of passage consisted of 3 parts

• Separation : where the initiates were set apart from normal communal life and taken off into the forest or wild, marking that they were a special group.
• Instruction : During their time away they would receive extensive teaching on the ways of adults as opposed to the way of a child. They would also discuss their new responsibilities and privileges as they transitioned from childhood into adulthood.
• Rite : Thereafter they would go thru a once in a lifetime rite that involved taking great risk, and displaying great courage. Among some tribes the men were circumcised without anesthesia, yet expected not to flinch. Others like the Maasai were required to kill a lion with a spear. Women in these tribes also had their various rites to transition one from a girl into a woman.
• Celebration and re-incorporation into the society : After the rite the initiates were welcomed back into society with much festivity and joy.  They re-entered with new responsibilities and were expected to tailor their behavior according to the new place they now held, not as an individual, but as an age-group that had gone through the rite together. In this way they expressed their corporate solidarity and responsibility, acting as a peer group with positive pressure.

The first ROPES camp for our prepubescents was held in December 1997, with six young men taking part. Now it has become an annual event that the initiates look forward to. The shape it has taken is:

• Crossroads : A year-long class for the 12/13 year olds where they discuss matters pertaining to sexuality and growing up, responsibility and Christian faith, peer pressure and behavior.
• Parents Class : Where the parents construct a transition event, and discuss together what privileges and responsibilities they will give their child.
• ROPES Camp : At the end of the year the initiates go away into the bush for 5 days (boys and girls separate). This camp is a chance for final instruction before the event.
• Transition event : Collectively constructed by the parents and performed in their presence (or in the presence of the child's mentor).
• Celebration : 2 or 3 weeks after the rite the families and extended family members gather together for a big party. Each parent then publicly welcomes their child into adulthood.
• Re-incorporation : The initiates are introduced to the church the following Sunday, honored as part of the adult community of faith, and given a charge.

The ministry has now grown, and the 5 chapels now run their own ROPES independent of Tanari, who used to run it before. Tanari now runs the ROPES Royale class, which is aimed at teens transitioning into adulthood.

ROPES 2006

Expectations

This event is significant for both teen and parent; we therefore have been holding monthly parents meetings which are mandatory for every parent intending for their child to participate in the ROPES event. The meetings have facilitated discussions on matters concerning the growing children and the upcoming teen years. We have been facilitating these meetings every second Saturday at the tent from 9am to 12 noon at the Nairobi Chapel tent on Ngong Road next to Impala club.

We believe that parents play a pivotal role in the success of these rites, as they are the primary authority figures in the life of the young person’s life. We therefore kindly request that the parents participate in the rights in the following ways:

• Attendance and punctuality at the parents meeting. There are few left and for those who were unaware we would like to warmly welcome you.
• Take responsibility for preparation and follow up of the candidates.
• Be the primary mentors of the youth but also identify alternative mentors as needs be.
• Undertake to cover the cost. The estimated cost for this years camp is Ksh.15,000. Deadline for payment is the last parents’ meeting on the 11th of Nov 2006
• Identify a team from among you to construct, plan, and facilitate the family celebrations.
• All parents to be present for the camp – fathers are required to attend from the second last day of the boys’ camp; mothers will be required from the second last day of the girls’ camp while fathers will be needed on the final day of departure. Details of this involvement will be discussed at the parents meeting.
• Facilitate for at least three encouragement letters from the candidates significant extended family and key relationships for presentation at camp at the specified time. Do this discretely to make this a surprise.
• Please check out the camp requirements below.

The teen
For the teen to be eligible for the camp they need to have attended at least 80% of the Sunday classes. We also encourage that the teens do physical exercise in preparation for the ROPES event.

Camp requirements

The following are the requirements for the ROPES camp.

• We encourage that you fill and sign the health statement form
• Do your best to encourage your child to do lots physical exercises to keep fit. Its also important for them to start getting used to drinking lots of water
• The letters of encouragement from you and 3 other significant people ( to them) should be ready by the November meeting. They should be handed over to the camp coordinator, Pastor Richard Chogo
• Parents need to sign the Parental release form
• Here is a list of things to come with for the camp
  • Cup, spoon and bowl
  • Fleece jacket and warm sweater
  • A pair of jeans and warm trouser
  • Linen socks and wool socks
  • Extra shoes ( preferably sports)
  • 3 Non-cotton tops
  • 3 T-shirts
  • Personal toiletries
  • Sun glasses
  • Torch and batteries
  • Water bottle
  • Track suit
  • Wind pants and jogging pants
  • Wool hats and wool gloves
  • Rain parka ( hooded)

There are also some optional items that can be carried by those who have them otherwise we are making arrangements to hire them for your child. This items include

• a back pack
• mountain boots
• sleeping bag
• sleeping pad

In case of any questions or queries, do not hesitate to contact the Camp Coordinator, Pastor Richard Chogo using our office contacts