Alpharetta church creates challenging ropes course

There is no chapel on the 23 acres owned by St. James United Methodist Church in Alpharetta — and no plans to build one right now.

But church leaders hope that the ropes course they have created in the woods here will be a faith- and trust-building inspiration to groups who are interested in team building and developing leadership skills.

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St. James United Methodist Church

Church leaders hope the ropes course will be a faith- and trust-building inspiration to groups who are interested in team building and developing leadership skills.

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Every one of the 11 elements of the St. James “Care Now” ropes course is focused around developing a team approach to solving how to get through the course, said Larry Salter, director of church operations.

With elements that have quirky names like “Acid River” and “Spider’s Web,” Salter sees the ropes course as especially good for youth groups, although it can be used for corporate team building as well.

“We think it breaks down some of the formality and they get to experience different things. It’s back to nature and solving problems,” he said.

While most of the obstacles of the ropes course are not high off the ground, they all pose different challenges. For instance, the objective of the element called Spider’s Web is to move the entire group through the web opening so that each person goes through a distinct opening without touching the web. An element called “Islands” moves a one person at a time through a series of platforms seven feet apart — the participants get a six foot and 4 foot piece of wood to help them cross the platforms.

The largest element on the course is a 12-foot wall that participants have to figure out how to get over.

The course can be customized for specific group needs, and facilitators are provided. “You describe your group, and the things you want to accomplish, and we put a program together,” Salter said. Cost is $25 for a half day and $30 for full day. For information, call Salter at the church at 678-762-1543, Ext. 209, or e-mail lsalter@stjamesumc.org

— Rebecca Rakoczy, for the Journal-Constitution