Our final day of Compass Camp 2026 began with the last instalment in our series exploring the “I Am” sayings of Jesus. Silas Gulliford brought us to Jesus’ words in John 15: “I am the true vine.” It was a fitting way to draw our teaching series to a close, reminding us of the importance of remaining connected to Jesus and drawing our life and strength from him.

From there, we headed into Ambleside for a packed day of pirate-themed fun. After enjoying a picnic lunch, it was time for a particularly chaotic game of Crugger — non-stop cricket played with a rugby ball! There was plenty of running, throwing, batting and probably a fair amount of confusion, but it was a brilliant way to get everyone involved.

Next came Pirate Ambleside Monopoly, which took the teams around the town as they completed challenges and explored Ambleside from a pirate’s perspective. There was also some well-earned free time for shopping, giving everyone a chance to pick up a few souvenirs before heading back to camp.

That evening, Grasmere was transformed for our final Pirate Party. Everyone got into character with an impressive array of pirate costumes, and each tent had the challenge of performing a sea shanty about their time at Compass Camp.

The performances were a fantastic way to finish the week — creative, hilarious and, in some cases, surprisingly musical! One particular sea shanty performance stood out, staring Ulysses on accordion, and had everyone joining in and enjoying the moment. After a week of shared experiences, friendships, games and teaching, it was a brilliant celebration of everything that had made camp special.

To bring the evening to a close, Chris Gray gave an epilogue, drawing together the teaching from our series on the “I Am” sayings of Jesus. It was a fitting final reflection on the different ways Jesus reveals who he is and what it means for us to know and follow him.

And so, with songs sung, costumes worn, games played and the final teaching complete, our pirate adventure at Compass Camp came to an end. What a way to finish the week!

Check our photos from the day on Flickr and catch up on our talks so far on YouTube