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  • resort-ministry
  1. About us
  2. Our work
  3. Resort Mission

Resort Mission

If you are interested in serving as a Resort Mission Chaplain, please click here.

ICS has been sending out Chaplains to work in holiday destinations since 1844 when the Interlaken seasonal chaplaincy was founded!

Opportunities for Resort Mission ebb and flow - it is fair to say that, at present, our work is rather more limited in scope that it has been, but it is still very healthy and - by the grace of God - we will keep looking for new opportunities in the future as resources allow.  We are blessed to have a very committed and growing team of volunteer chaplains, many of whom are in active parish ministry, who personally invest time, energy and finances to serve for two or more weeks, often together with family and other team members. 

Over the past 175+ years, mission has been undertaken in a variety of resorts and countries around Europe, responding to changing circumstances and patterns of tourism.  Sometimes, we have worked in partnership with other organisations, most recently (until 2019) with the Union Lido resort in Cavallino (near Venice).  We provided a team of chaplains each summer for around 30 years here.  The difficulty in working in this sort of partnership is, of course, that decisions can be made unilaterally to change policies, and new management at the resort had already chosen to stop offering both English and German chaplaincies to their guests before the pandemic, which would have prevented any work there in 2020 anyway.

Another good partnership which reached its end a few years back, was with the Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland.  We had enjoyed some excellent years serving the young people from around the world together with their leaders and the staff and volunteers at the centre and, on the ground, our work was greatly valued.  Our chaplains there were also able to reach out to tourists and residents in the village.  A third partnership, in a very different setting again to both Kandersteg and Cavallino, was with Thomson Young at Heart holidays, where many ICS chaplains worked as part of their teams with their older guests in various mediterranean resorts.  When this partnership was terminated in 2006 due to a company policy change, some of the team became founder members of the ICS Resort Mission in Ibiza, which was work done in conjunction with the permanent chaplaincy on the island.  This Ibiza work has had a few years 'sabbatical' but is certainly not off the radar.  Many will also remember the campsite-based chaplaincies that ICS based in many French resorts, especially in Brittany, the west coast and the south-west.  Changing holiday patterns and campsite security policies eventually made this type of chaplaincy unviable, but again - should circumstances change - we would consider new opportunities.

Our most recent new work has been in partnership with the permanent island chaplaincy on Corfu. Two good years of pioneer mission here waits to be built upon this summer if circumstances permit.

And we remain fully committed to our 'spiritual homeland' of Switzerland where we have our two church buildings: in Zermatt (since 1870) and Wengen (since 1928).  Winter and summer in these two special resorts, together with our original summer chaplaincy in Interlaken where we work in close partnership with the Tourist Office, the Swiss Reformed Church and the Roman Catholic Church, give our chaplains the opportunity to reach out, through pastoral care and evangelistic conversations, to hundreds of people every year from around the world.  Thank you for your interest in and support for our work, both through prayer and financial giving.

And if you are going to be visiting any of these places, you will discover that our Chaplains are friendly and approachable, hosting meet-ups and services every week.  We’d be delighted to connect with you and hear about your holiday highlights and we love meeting new people while they are holidaying, working or living in these resort areas of Switzerland and Greece.

To find out more about our resorts, please use the links below. Resort Mission currently takes place in the following destinations:

Corfu Resort Mission

Corfu Resort Mission

Summer resort mission in the Gouvia region, Kassiopi and Messonghi Read more

Published: 11th May, 2018

Updated: 24th May, 2022

Author:

Grindelwald

Grindelwald

Summer resort mission (served from Interlaken) Read more

Published: 31st July, 2018

Updated: 21st June, 2022

Author: Maggie Winham

Interlaken

Interlaken

Summer resort mission - but with a special service for Christmas Read more

Published: 31st July, 2018

Updated: 21st June, 2022

Author: Maggie Winham

Mürren

Mürren

Christmas resort mission in the village, and pastoral care offered summer and winter seasons by our chaplains in Wengen. Read more

Published: 30th August, 2018

Updated: 24th May, 2022

Author: Maggie Winham

Wengen

Wengen

Winter and Summer resort mission at St. Bernard's Church Read more

Published: 31st July, 2018

Updated: 21st June, 2022

Author: Maggie Winham

Zermatt

Zermatt

Winter and Summer resort mission at St. Peter's Church Read more

Published: 31st July, 2018

Updated: 30th June, 2022

Author: Maggie Winham

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Showing 10 of 6

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  • What we do and why

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    ICS is an international Church of England mission agency to English-speakers who live, study, work or holiday abroad, in countries where English is not the main language. We do this by planting and growing international churches and by outreach to tourists through our seasonal chaplaincies.

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  • Pray For ICS

    Each day we focus on an aspect of our work and call on all those who support ICS to pray with us.

  • Permanent Mission

    Permanent Mission

  • Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

    Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

  • Donate

    Donate

    ICS is an Anglican mission agency, we plant and support churches in Europe, North Africa, the South Atlantic and South America. Our Mission and Ministry is in English and we are funded by donations from individuals, churches and trusts. Your donation will help us continue this work. Thank you!

  • Interlaken

    Interlaken

    Summer resort mission - but with a special service for Christmas

Our impact

ICS is a frontier agency, always looking for new challenges and opportunities. Read more

Published: 21st March, 2016

Updated: 25th March, 2022

Author:

Pray for Peace in Ukraine

Pray for Peace in Ukraine

Read more

Published: 24th February, 2022

Updated: 14th June, 2022

Author: Jeannette Spaanderman

Pilgrimage to the 7 churches of Asia, in Turkey’s Aegean Region

Pilgrimage to the 7 churches of Asia, in Turkey’s Aegean Region

Read more

Published: 7th June, 2022

Author: Jeannette Spaanderman

Vice Patron of ICS

Vice Patron of ICS

Read more

Published: 8th June, 2022

Updated: 13th June, 2022

Author: Jeannette Spaanderman

Pray for All Saints Amersfoort

Pray for All Saints Amersfoort

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Published: 9th June, 2022

Updated: 13th June, 2022

Author: Jeannette Spaanderman

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Intercontinental Church Society is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under number 3630342 and registered as a Charity number 1072584

Registered office Unit 11 Ensign Business Centre, Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV4 8JA

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