new generationEngaging a
1 Our Mission
4 We are CRU
8 The impact of the last five years
12 Funding and Finances
2 Our Motivation
6 CRU encourages people to grow
10 Looking forward
13 Campsites
Our Mission
CRU’s mission is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the students of the independent schools of Australia, to nurture Christians, encourage church membership and train young Christians for a life of servant leadership.
Our Motivation
CRU seeks to bring glory to God. We will pursue this by:
Demonstrating care for the needs of the whole person — mentally, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
Micah 6:8; James 2:14-17
Proclaiming the gospel with boldness and cultural sensitivity, because its message is essential for the salvation of all men, women and children.
Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Encouraging people to live out the gospel faithfully in all areas of life.
1 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Peter 2:12
Recognising that spiritual growth and gospel fruit is only brought about by God working through His Holy Spirit in the lives of people.
John 15:5; Galatians 5:22-23
Encouraging prayerfulness, as it is essential in this process.
Ephesians 6:18-20; James 5:16
Nurturing and training young Christians in the paths of godliness and discipleship by grounding them in the Bible.
Hebrews 10:24-25; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Encouraging young Christians to grow in their fellowship with others and in using their spiritual gifts to build the church.
Romans 12:4-8; 1 Timothy 4:12
Displaying and encouraging boldness in leadership.
Joshua 1:6-9; 2 Timothy 1:7-8
We are CRU
To know CRU is to understand our heart, values, personality and distinctives. Here are 6 key statements that define who CRU is:
BIBLE BASEDBOLDNESS FAITHFUL INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS YOUNG PEOPLE SPIRITUALGROWTH INTENTIONALGROWTHINJESUS
THE NEXT GENERATION KNOWING JESUS HEART
PARTNER WITH SHARE JESUS WITH ENCOURAGEPURPOSEFUL PROVIDEINTENTIONAL EXPERIENCES
BUILD AUTHENTIC
THEY’RE AT RELATIONSHIPS RELATIONAL COMMUNITYNURTURING FORMATION TRANS REACH ENERGETIC RELEVANT FOCUS PROFESSIONAL
MEET KIDS WHERE
VALUES PERSONALITY
1 2 3
Our heart is to see the next generation knowing Jesus, therefore we value Bible-based boldness, which means our personality is faithful, so that we can best share Jesus with young people.
Our heart is to see the next generation knowing Jesus, therefore we value focus, which means our personality is professional, so that we can best partner with independent schools.
Our heart is to see the next generation knowing Jesus, therefore we value transformation, which means our personality is energetic, so that we can best provide intentional experiences.
4 5 6
Our heart is to see the next generation knowing Jesus, therefore we value reach, which means our personality is relevant, so that we can best meet kids where they’re at.
Our heart is to see the next generation knowing Jesus, therefore we value a nurturing community, which means our personality is relational, so that we can best build authentic relationships.
Our heart is to see the next generation knowing Jesus, therefore we value spiritual growth, which means our personality is intentional, so that we can best encourage purposeful growth in Jesus.
CRU encourages people to grow
We long to see people flourishing and enjoying life to the full.
Jesus indicated that His purpose was to bring this sort of life, as people came to know the love and grace of the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit.
To facilitate this, we look to engage in intentional experiences that stretch, provide opportunities for learning, and build community. Our focus on the development of young people fosters near-peer evangelism as students are trained, resourced and given opportunities to connect with others.
This doesn’t stop when students leave school. It is a joy to see whole churches invest in time together as they develop relationships at our campsites. We love seeing groups of people grow deeper in their love for God as they serve alongside one another and learn from the Bible. We treasure the involvement of over 1000 volunteers each year as they serve on our CRU Camps, or work behind the scenes in governance, administration and maintenance, and especially as they commit to prayer.
Our desire is particularly expressed in our commitment to staff. During their time with us, we seek to see them:
1
Grow in their relationship with God
3
Grow in their active support and encouragement of one another
“The Christian character and spiritual maturity of CRU’s staff was exceptional. They were amazing at connecting with and impacting the students. I cannot express deeply enough how impressed I am.”
— Teacher
Maitland Christian School
2
Grow in their skills and performance
4
See God at work in and through the part they play in CRU’s ministry
“Before this camp I struggled to find purpose and meaning, but after this camp my purpose to serve Jesus has been rekindled and set on fire.”
— Joshua Year 8 Camper
“I loved having young leaders who had the patience to answer questions and take time to guide me and be honest with me. I’m so grateful and excited to see where my life goes under God’s grace.”
— Freyjika Year 12 Camper
The impact of the last five years
When we developed plans for 2020-2024 we had no warning of the arrival of COVID-19 and the disruptions it would cause. Yet God remained in control and continued to provide for CRU.
Despite the interruptions linked with the pandemic which impacted us between 2020 and 2023, we thank God that a number of the core goals which we had outlined were achieved and, in many aspects, exceeded.
to support Christian ministry in over 200 schools on the east coast. These included the following core goals:
Completing Stage 1 of the Lake Mac redevelopment in 2020, expanding site capacity from 120 to 380 persons, and seeing site usage grow from 10,600 camper nights in 2019 to 45,290 camper nights in 2024.
Deepening our equipping of young Christian leaders as we saw the number of full-time trainees grow from 30 in 2019 to 65 in 2024; and the number of school students attending our FIT and CrossTrain programs rise from 680 to 1082 in the same period.
Seeing the number of students attending CRU West holiday camps rise by 257% from 95pa to 339pa; and the number of West Australian schools supported increase from 20 to 37.
It’s been said that “numbers matter because people count”. Recording numbers helps us to assess our programs and resource usage, as we seek to wisely apply the assets that God has entrusted to us. These numbers reflect an investment in over 100,000 individuals each year.
We thank God that we have seen thousands of these students report a new faith in Christ and have seen many grow in their relationship with God as His Spirit has produced fruit in their lives.
Looking forward
Our ministry aims for 2025-2030
2030 will mark CRU’s centenary! The foundations that were faithfully laid in the 1930s provide the platform on which we continue to build as we seek to share God’s love with a new generation of school students. Under God we are working and praying for the following:
Growth of CRU Educational Camps
• Camper numbers to grow by 25% by December 2030 to reach 42,500 camper nights pa providing not just contact with school students but ministry opportunities for trainees
• This will be boosted by commencing the Lake Mac Stage 2 redevelopment and enabled by further growth in CRU’s traineeships
Rebuilding of CRU Holiday Camps
• Engagement with holiday camps was impacted by covid, postpandemic economic challenges and changes in the HSC
• By continued improvements in the camp experience, the reintroduction of dirtbike camps, and by refocused marketing we expect to see camper numbers grow by 15%, reaching 2,800 campers by 2030
Spread of CRU Day Camps
• Partnerships with churches and schools are to be developed in new areas on the east coast, providing opportunities for outreach and church engagement for younger campers and their families
• Targeted growth of 33% with the number of camps pa to increase to 16 and total campers pa to 850
Sustaining and diversifying of Schools Ministry
• The number of schools supported by CRU is to be maintained through this period, while we will seek to grow InterCRU and FIT events and CrossTrain.
• Adaptive engagement with schools will continue to take account of school locations, styles and connections to provide best possible assistance in each setting
Expansion of CRU West
• Our relatively young ministries in Western Australia have huge potential
• We are seeking a growth of 40% in the number of holiday campers, increasing the total number to 470, while also growing the number of schools supported by 50% to 54.
Funding and Finances
CRU stands in a distinctive financial position. Australia’s charities typically receive only around 30% of their total revenue from their own operations, instead relying primarily on government funding.1 In contrast, CRU generates around 80% of its revenue from our camps and campsites, with donations essential to make up the balance and drive ministry.
Donor support will continue to be vital. The significant Stage 1 Lake Macquarie redevelopment was largely resourced by donations and grants, but still required substantial borrowing. Our extensive Schools Ministry work doesn’t generate income and the restrictions linked with COVID prevented camp operation for a considerable period during 2020-2023. CRU will pursue further site development and also a prudent reduction in debt levels over the next decade.
1 Source: Australian Charities Report, 10th Edition, 2024, The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
Continued campsite refreshment and development is essential to maintain our sites as centres of activity and generators of revenue, so CRU will continue to encourage supporters to invest in this ministry. This can occur either directly or via our trust fund, The Howard Guinness Leadership Trust (HGLT).
The HGLT was established to help guard against mission drift by creating a sustainable long term funding base in order to attract, retain and develop faithful and effective CRU leaders for generations to come.
Continued campsite refreshment and development is essential to maintain our sites as centres of activity and generators of revenue.
Campsites
CRU’s campsites have been designed and developed to support CRU’s ministry. Cabins are comfortable, but our core focus is on gathering people together in dining and meeting rooms, free-play areas and activities which foster relationships and bring both fun and growth. Both sites demonstrate CRU’s commitment to responsible stewardship of resources. Solar panels, energy efficient lighting, recycling, water treatment, waste management and charging stations all contribute.
The CRU Galston Gorge redevelopment and expansion has established it as one of Sydney’s leading camp and conference centres with high levels of occupancy and strong return bookings as site users appreciate the condition and facilities of the site and the Christian hospitality provided by our site staff.
The completion of Stage 1 of CRU Lake Mac’s redevelopment and expansion has made it one of the premier sites in Australia. We plan further work in 2024-2030, including the replacement of the “classic” timber cabins with new ensuited facilities, completing the accommodation upgrade, along with further site developments. This will generate further site usage, achieving our goal of reaching an extra 20,000 campers annually, meaning an extra million campers attend over a 50 year period.
Both sites demonstrate CRU’s commitment to responsible stewardship of resources.
