Learning to lead

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James Carroll is the Director of CRU Educational Camps. He’s a committed Christian, on fire for God, and managing a team of godly young leaders with integrity and grace… but he wasn’t always like that. sounded like heaps of fun and a cool chance to hang out with his friends. But what James didn’t know was that his friend who invited him on camp, Tim, had a motive beyond just having an enjoyable week together.

“The packing list said to bring a Bible on the CRU Camp, but we didn’t own one at home. So, I went out and bought a Bible! And I started to read it for the first time on camp,” James recalls. “Years later, Tim referenced the fact that he and another one of my friends, John, had been praying for me and trying to get me along to Christian stuff for ages,” James explains. “I had learned about Jesus and the gospel story all through school, but that camp was the transition from something I knew to something I believed." In fact, it wasn’t until a CRU Holiday Camp when James was in Year 11 that he decided to give his life to Jesus. He didn’t grow up in a Christian family, and though he attended a church school the message had never really sunk in. “We'd go to church on Christmas morning because that was the done thing. But then we wouldn't touch church at any other point in the year,” James says of his family. James initially wanted to go on the CRU Holiday Camp, Adrenaline Rush, because he thought it

Pictured: James on Adrenaline Rush (far left)

As so often happens when people become Christians, God turned James’ life around completely, and within a few short years James was considering a career that he never would have thought of before coming to faith: joining the Summit staff team at CRU.

Initially James moved to Newcastle to study IT, and later transferred to Business Marketing and Management. But in the summer, James worked as a casual for CRU and he was volunteering on five or six CRU Camps every year.

Then, James remembers, “Someone said to me, hey, you realise that what you're volunteering to do a few weeks a year, you can do as a full-time job? I was so excited.”

message from CRU and clear guidance from CRU that our relationship with God matters more than anything. And if you're going to lead well, you need to be anchored in the Scriptures.”

Nate McElveney, CRU's Director of Ministries, also had a significant role in developing James as a leader. James reflects, "One of the first things I did when I joined Summit was a session called ‘Characteristics of Good Leaders’, and it centred around integrity.”

“CRU instilled in me a high value of integrity and character more than skills. And I think that's one thing that has flowed on to what we do now. 12 years later, we look to hire people based on character more than

Our relationship with God matters more than anything. And if you're going to lead well, you need to be anchored in the Scriptures. “ “

In 2009, James joined CRU’s training and ministry program, the Summit Fellowship Program (now known as the Summit Program), and since then he has progressed through a number of roles to where he is now - leading the program.

It’s been a big couple of decades for James – from not even following Jesus, to now working full-time in a ministry leadership role!

Thankfully, along the way, James has had a number of opportunities to deepen his understanding of Christian leadership and prepare him for his important role. He attended January Leadership Camp, now known as CrossTrain, in Year 12 and notes this as an important step in owning and committing to his faith and helping others understand the gospel.

He’s also had many role models to look up to. He mentions Rob Warner and Dev Blair, directors on camps he led on, as influential in his walk with Christ and his understanding of leadership.

James also looks up to Gary Hill, CRU’s Executive Director, as a great teacher of Christian leadership. “At the start of every year, Gary always talks about how Christian leaders first need to be in the word and be led by God. There was, right from the get-go, a clear skills. And we've turned away some really skilled people because we weren’t certain that their character was where it needed to be.”

James is convinced that becoming a good leader isn’t something that happens overnight – it took him time to develop the character he needs for his role, and he knows that he is still growing in character every day.

Thankfully, he’s also certain that the Summit Program helps people flourish in leadership. “Summit is so important. Yes, it teaches skills but it also develops people and instils in them a passion for ministry. It instils in them a reliance on God. Summit develops their character in a way that people don't naturally do themselves. You can develop character in a bunch of ways but I think doing that in community and serving together is a massively effective way of developing the type of leaders that the Church needs."

Know someone who would love to get equipped for ministry, share Jesus on camps, and grow in godly character?

Tell them about the Summit Program! Applications are now open: www.summitprogram.com.au