CRUview Spring 2023: The Taste & See Edition

Upcoming Events*

CRU Business Breakfast

Date: Thursday 19 October

Location: QVB Tea Room

Want to help us reduce costs, and receive CRUview by email instead? Let us know by scanning the QR code or emailing supporter@cru.edu.au

The CRU Business Breakfast is a wonderful opportunity to fellowship with other CRU supporters, see how God is transforming young lives through CRU, and hear first-hand accounts of kids growing in their faith – all while enjoying a tasty breakfast. This event is open to all supporters who’d like to come along and support the work of CRU. Visit cru.edu.au/cbb to RSVP!

CRU Wills Days

Dates & Locations:

Friday 27 October, Mona Vale & North Sydney

Saturday 28 October, Eastwood

Do you need to write your Will or update an existing Will? Why not sign up for a free 30 minute appointment with an experienced lawyer on one of our CRU Wills Days? In just three easy steps, you can complete your Will. Visit cru.edu.au/wills to book an appointment.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support of our end of financial year appeal which helped raise over $340,000 to install solar panels at CRU Lake Mac. We recently completed our first installation with 100kw of solar panels that are already helping to reduce energy costs – and we will be adding more solar panels in the coming months! Please join us in thanking God for His abundant provision.

*These events are correct at the time of writing. Prior to each event, please contact us at info@cru.edu.au to confirm the most current details.

The Big Picture

The Taste & See Edition

By Gary Hill, Executive Director

I recently read a fascinating book: Making Numbers Count. The two authors highlight the problems we have in comprehending large numbers. Take a billion for example. We know the word, and know the concept, but we just can’t readily grasp its size. If someone was to give you a billion dollars by giving you $50,000 per day, for example, do you realise how long it will take to get the billion? Give up? It will take 55 years!

So how can we, as finite humans, grasp the greatness of God? How can we measure His magnificence in all its enormity?

This is good news to share, and David invites others to enjoy God as well. “Taste and see that the LORD is good!” (v.8)

It’s in humility that we will best grasp the greatness of God.

CRU’s focus is to share this wonderful message with others so that they too will come to recognise how good God is, and will, in turn, share it with others. In doing so, we don’t shy away from challenges, as we recognise that difficult times often serve to humble us, so we acknowledge our reliance on God all the more. It’s in humility that we will best grasp the greatness of God.

In Psalm 34, David marvels at God’s proximity and His care. He sought God in prayer and God answered and delivered him (vv.4-6). Significantly, it was during a time of trouble that David found himself needing to rely upon God. In doing so, he gets a glimpse of God’s deliverance (vv.4-7), provision (vv.8-10), interest (vv.15-16), compassion (vv.17-18), and power (vv.19-22).

This CRUview invites you to taste and see God’s goodness as you read of lives that have been changed by His Spirit as He brought people to trust in Jesus. We see His good work as people are progressively transformed to reflect Jesus more and more.

May God receive all the glory!

O Revealed The Summit Experience

What if you found a community where you could grow in your faith and share Jesus with young people, all while getting paid? Harry Grant found his community when he joined Summit, CRU’s camps-based ministry training program, in early 2022.

When he finished Year 12 in 2021, Harry was looking for a next step where he could take a break from studying and build up his savings.

As a trainee, Harry leads on a large number of CRU Educational Camps where he puts his outdoor recreation training into action to run abseiling, rock climbing, sailing and plenty more activities for school students.

He also has opportunities to share Jesus with them, which Harry describes as a “big point of difference that CRU offers compared to other camp programs.”

Each day on camp, the Summit trainees strive to build intentional relationships with every camper. Harry says, “It’s the heart of the organisation, from the very top, that we get alongside the campers and take a genuine interest in them. And when we do that, the kids see that we care.”

“They start to feel comfortable, gain confidence and have a great camp experience. We all have different strengths, but we all do our best to show God’s love to each kid on camp,” he continues.

Harry has seen God’s goodness at work in these students’ lives countless times since joining Summit. On one camp, a boy in Harry’s small group was a relaxed, easy-going kid who didn’t take anything too seriously. Harry spent quality time with him and the other boys in his group throughout camp, chatting about Jesus and life, while having plenty of fun. By the end of the week, Harry witnessed an incredible

transformation. “I remember chatting with him on the last day and he shared that he decided to trust in Jesus for the first time,” says Harry. “I got his teacher and we prayed together with this boy. When we finished praying, I looked at him and he had tears coming down his face. His teacher was so encouraged, and I was knocked off my feet seeing the joy of the Holy Spirit in this young boy!”

Looking back on the past 16 months, Harry has been amazed at how God has been moving in his own life. He tells us, “I can see the sum of the theological training, camp leading experience, other people’s investment in me and the privilege of telling kids about Jesus on camp. When I add these things up, I can see how much further I am now in my walk with God and I

Each month, Dan invests time with Harry to check in on his work and personal life. Harry is able to share his learnings and challenges, and they pray and encourage each other. “After a catch up I often think, wow, that was a big encouragement to me in my faith or that’s something I can learn from,” reflects Dan.

“I love seeing my mentees growing,” he continues. “I think it’s really cool to see how different Harry is now to just a few months ago – and I give God thanks for that and how He is transforming all of our trainees.”

When asked why he would recommend the Summit Program, Dan shares: “You're doing the work, being out in the ministry, you're not just sitting in a classroom

praise the Lord for that. There’s probably nothing more worthwhile that I could be doing with my time!”

He continues, “It’s so valuable having friends across generations investing in you, from senior staff to the other trainees who are around my age – and especially my mentor, Dan.”

Dan Shaw, Harry’s mentor, has worked with CRU for 10 years. Dan has served in a number of roles over the years: as a trainee, Outdoor Leader, Activity Resource Coordinator, Camp Coordinator and currently as a Summit Staffing Coordinator.

“Mentoring is one of my favourite parts of the job,” Dan shares. “The fact that we both love Christ and work in the same environment to share Him with kids and we are intent on growing in our faith – that is the bedrock that makes mentoring special and valuable.”

Do you know someone who has a passion to see kids come to know Jesus?

learning. You learn, you apply and you get paid to do that. And you have great structures put around you to grow and support you. You come out the other side with great friendships and many experiences where you’ve ‘tasted and seen God’s goodness’ in young people’s lives and yourself.”

Let them know about Summit – CRU’s camps-based ministry training program. Applications are now open for a January 2024 start. Find out more at www.summitprogram.com.au

You come out the other side with great friendships and many experiences where you've ‘tasted and seen God’s goodness’ in young people’s lives and yourself.

O Growth

Lachlan and Ash Bunn have attended CRU Holiday Camps over many years and in various ways. Ash tagged along with her parents as a child, they both attended as campers in high school, and served as leaders, camp mechanics and directors. In fact, it was at Dirt Action, a dirt bike camp for high schoolers, where they first met! Now married with children, they are still committed to serving God through camp ministry.

In a season of navigating two young children, work, house renovations and more, most would consider life too busy for directing CRU Camps. Yet the Bunns are so convinced of the value and ministry of CRU that they continue to take two weeks out of their annual leave each year to serve as directors on dirt bike camps.

“Camp is a chance to do life with young people in an environment that’s so unique. It creates a new family

for a week, and people are willing to be vulnerable with strangers in a way that is so incredible,” shares Lachlan. “You see people coming to faith for the first time, people being encouraged in their faith, and people really starting to reconnect with the Lord through these camps.”

It has also been a joy for the Bunns to see their children join them on CRU Camps. Their 10-year-old daughter, Loren, looks forward to them every year and their youngest, Jed, just attended his second dirt bike camp at the ripe old age of 12 months!

Both Lachlan and Ash believe serving on CRU Camps has helped them grow in their personal faith and recognise God’s goodness. “As much as it’s giving and serving, you also learn so much from these kids and your leadership team. It’s encouraging to see God work in others,” shares Ash.

Lachlan adds, “It’s just so exciting to see the long-term fruit. You don’t always get to see it on a single CRU Camp, but if you stick around for long enough, it’s cool to watch that picture all come together.”

A few years ago, Lachlan and Ash decided to attend a free CRU Wills Day. As a newly-married couple, they recognised that it was something they had on their “todo list,” yet had put it off due to the expenses involved with hiring a lawyer. Lachlan explains, “It kept getting pushed down the to-do list because you hope that it’s not something you’re going to need anytime soon. But why wait? Put the thought into it early.”

to their children, Lachlan and Ash also chose to invest in CRU’s ministry. “I think you can still provide for your kids and give something small to ministry or something else that is important to you,” shares Lachlan. “CRU Camps run because people are generous and we want to support that because CRU is such a big part of our lives. We’re also in a different financial position now, so we might be able to go back and prayerfully think about how generous we could be in that.”

Ash adds, “Money is tight for a lot of people, but we’re trusting God by leaving this gift and trusting that He will provide throughout our lives in the next 40, 50, or 60 years. Whenever this Will comes into play, we’d love

So, when the Bunns heard about the free CRU Wills Days, they were grateful for the opportunity to ensure their children are cared for and build a legacy that helps others come to know the Lord.

“I think there’s probably two big reasons why Wills are important. Firstly, as parents, you want to know what’s going to happen to your kids,” Lachlan explains. “The other is if you’re in a position that you’ve been blessed by God, it’s important to be a faithful steward of that blessing. It’s important to know how you can pass that blessing on once you're gone.”

Ash describes CRU’s Wills Day as an easy and stressfree experience: “The process was explained clearly and the lawyer was lovely. It was comforting to go through it feeling relaxed, rather than overwhelmed.” While the easy option would be to leave everything

Have you thought about creating a Will?

Why not sign up for a free appointment with an experienced lawyer on one of our CRU Wills Days? In just three easy steps, you can complete your Will!

for our gift to go back into something that would help grow the Kingdom.”

We give great thanks to God for brothers and sisters, like Lachlan and Ash, who share in our mission to make Jesus known. Please join us in giving thanks for these faithful servants of the gospel!

Appointments available:

Friday 27 October – Mona Vale & North Sydney

Saturday 28 October – Eastwood

To find out more or to book an appointment visit www.cru.edu.au/wills.

God always provides and pulls it together. It’s a big comfort knowing God is in control and will make things happen if He wants to.

CRU Blast A Decade of

These winter holidays marked the 10th year of CRU Blast, CRU’s longest running Day Camp. The camp takes place annually in July at Richard Johnson Anglican School and Oakhurst Anglican Church. Each year, a team of around 40 leaders run activities and Christian Discovery sessions for 80-100 campers in Kindergarten to Year 6. We give God great thanks for the lives that have been impacted for the sake of the gospel in these past 10 years!

Let’s hear how three key camp leaders have “tasted and seen God’s goodness” through CRU Blast since the very first camp back in 2014.

Stewart Rowe, Teacher

Stewart works in the secondary school at Richard Johnson as the Director of Service Learning / Ministry. While overseeing Christian Ministry at the school, each year, he coordinates the school’s involvement in the Day Camp – including rallying together a huge team of secondary student leaders. Stewart has been on every camp since 2014!

How did CRU Blast start?

CRU Blast was the initiative of the then Principal, Paul Cockrem. He saw the potential for CRU Blast as a weeklong camp for students during the school holidays where they have fun, while learning about Jesus. CRU provides the camp ministry expertise, and Richard Johnson provides the facilities and people resource. Our other partner, Oakhurst Anglican Church, has also provided tremendous support over the years.

Why has CRU Blast continued running year after year?

The partnership between the school, church and CRU has had such a positive impact for both primary and secondary students. There has not been a question about whether CRU Blast would run the next year! The primary students have a great week as campers, hearing the gospel presented in a different environment, and forming positive relationships with each other and leaders. The secondary students serve as junior leaders, developing their leadership skills, sharing their faith with campers, and learning from the CRU leaders and other senior leaders. I am constantly encouraged seeing the secondary students grow as young leaders and living out their faith throughout the week!

What is your main role on camp?

My main role on camp is to recruit, support and encourage the junior leaders. We see 25-35 secondary students in Year 9 – 12 lead on camp each year, under the guidance of CRU leaders and other senior leaders, many of whom are Richard Johnson alumni. They see the faithful Christian witness of those leaders

and are encouraged to emulate them as they serve Jesus. Camp is also a great stepping stone for them to become more involved in Christian Ministry at school, such as running lunchtime groups, Chapel and participating in mission opportunities.

A highlight for me is seeing my students grow in their ability to share the good news of the gospel in small groups. It is also wonderful to see students return as adult leaders after they finish school.

How have you witnessed God’s goodness through camp?

God’s goodness has been so evident throughout the past 10 years. It’s a blessing to have so many keen secondary student leaders be involved year after year. It has been a wonderful partnership with both CRU and Oakhurst Anglican Church, with a real unity and a willingness to serve together.

God has always provided just the right number of leaders for each camp, and the primary students always enjoy a fantastic week. Each camp has seen campers keen to learn more about following Jesus and become involved in the weekly CRU Groups that run in the primary school.

Nikita Kumar, Director

Nikita’s CRU Camp journey started in high school when she led on the first CRU Blast camp as a junior leader. She has since served as a leader and speaker on a number of CRU Holiday Camps, and this year, directed CRU Blast.

What were your highlights of camp as a junior leader?

I loved getting to know the campers, especially the girls and boys in my small group. During the week, it was encouraging to see them slowly opening up, being curious and trying new things that seemed scary at first, like abseiling. I was humbled seeing God at work in their lives. The leadership team felt like a family from the start – we were having fun and serving God, it can’t get much better than that!

Why did you continue to lead on camp after school?

After leading on a few camps during high school, I discovered a passion for camp ministry – the unique aspect of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in a

fun, fresh environment alongside other like-minded people. So, even after finishing school, I knew I wanted to continue contributing to this kingdom-building mission. It’s wonderful to see young people learning more about Christ, especially the ones who start the week a little more closed off. Then, at the end of a day, those campers can’t stop excitedly telling their parents about the awesome time they’ve had! I was also grateful for the leaders who invested in me when I was a student. They modelled Christian leadership to me and now I get to pass that on to the new generation.

How did camp help you to grow in your faith as a leader?

Learning to explain the gospel to campers in a way that relates to them is not easy, so camp really helped me to grow in that, and as I unpacked it more with them, I also gained a better understanding of the Bible and my own faith. Camp also challenged me to consider how I was reflecting Christ through my words and actions. When I look back now, I’m amazed at how God used ministries like camp to strengthen my faith and trust in Him.

How have you witnessed God’s goodness through camp?

I have been so encouraged seeing kids who were campers in my first few years of leading now being leaders themselves. It’s phenomenal to see how God has been transforming them during these past 10 years and to have served alongside them this year – that is the fruit! I have seen God’s goodness at work in each of them, not only the growth in their faith, but also their confidence and heart for the next generation. I praise God for continuing to use CRU Blast as a place to draw young people to Himself and equipping them to help others on that journey.

Any encouraging stories from camp?

We had a camper who didn’t want to engage in any of the activities on camp - she didn’t want to participate in any of the games, talks or discussion groups. The leaders were finding it really challenging, but they persevered and constantly made an effort to try and get her involved. By the end of camp, she had decided to follow Jesus but was trying to work out how to be fearless and bold at home. She was wrestling with how she would share the news with her parents and how she would ask them about attending a local youth group. It was amazing to see God at work throughout camp, not only in this camper’s life but also in the perseverance of the leaders.

Why did you decide to volunteer as a junior leader in high school?

I really enjoyed CRU Blast as a camper, so I always wanted to go back and lead. As I got closer to the age where I could lead, I became more eager to serve the Lord and see younger kids learn about the good news of Jesus Christ.

I have loved getting to know and grow with the campers, and the other leaders. It has been really encouraging to see the campers understand more about what the Bible is and why Jesus matters to them. I've also loved seeing those who, like me, are not the most outgoing in large social situations enjoy the camp and come back each year.

How has being a junior leader helped you grow as a Christian leader?

Why do you continue to support CRU and its ministry?

I love CRU’s ministry and getting to serve on camp each year. It gives me the opportunity to serve and meet a new bunch of kids that I open the Bible with every year – some may never hear about Jesus again. Serving alongside friends as leaders and serving God for His Kingdom is an awesome way to spend a week in the holidays!

Hilton Naidu, Junior Leader

Hilton first attended CRU Blast as a camper when he was in Year 2. When he reached high school, he was sad to no longer be a camper, but thrilled to continue being involved with camp as a junior leader. This year, aged 16 and in Year 11, Hilton served on camp in the skit team, ran laser tag and assisted with running a small group.

What did you love about CRU Blast as a camper?

As a kid, I found social interactions daunting, but CRU Blast was a place where I felt welcome and involved. I loved getting to know the leaders and enjoyed the activities we did, especially laser tag. I also loved the fun Christian Discovery time and learning about Jesus in a different way. And who can forget the food? I loved that!

Camp has really helped me develop my ability to explain the gospel to campers in a way that they can understand. It has also improved my ability to work cohesively as part of a team, especially when we are leading other people – like Chapel at school. I’ve grown in my ability to show Christian values through the way I act when serving others, which stems from the foundations that were built when I was a camper. I have also gained many skills that I’ll be able to use beyond school.

What is a favourite memory from camp?

My favourite memory as a camper was laser tag. It was fun to do it with friends and the leaders made it an amazing experience. I remember looking forward to it year after year! And now as a leader, I am excited to see the kids enjoying it as much as I did when I was their age and being able to give them the same experience that my leaders did.

CRU Teachers’ Conference 2023

In May, CRU’s biennial Teachers’ Conferences, held in New South Wales and Western Australia, provided a wonderful opportunity for teachers and chaplains to be spurred on in their faith and ministry. The events saw over 180 faithful teachers and chaplains representing schools from five states.

Attendees at the NSW Conference gathered together to be refreshed and inspired by the theme: ‘Prayer – Inspiring a new generation,’ which focused on encouraging them to see prayer grow in their lunchtime CRU Groups and school communities.

With Bible readings from Matthew 7 and John 15, and a talk from Rev. Simon Flinders on ‘The Privilege of Prayer,’ listeners were reminded of our reliance on God, the immense gift it is to be able to approach Him in prayer, and the peace and delight we ought to feel as we pray to our sovereign Father.

Attendees also chose from a number of interactive workshops and electives covering various topics relating to prayer, the pressures on young people, and fresh ideas for CRU Groups and chapels in schools.

The CRU West Teachers’ Conference saw 70 teachers and chaplains from all around Western Australia eager to be encouraged to serve God in their role at school and inspired to grow their students for eternity. The Bible reading was from 1 Corinthians 15 and the keynote was delivered by Dr Rory Shiner. The day included electives such as making chapel engaging, tackling tricky questions, the A-Z of starting and running a CRU Group and more.

We thank God for His goodness and powerful work that He is doing through many faithful teachers and

chaplains in schools across Australia. We pray that the conferences inspired them, their students, and their school communities to grow in prayer and find great joy knowing that God loves to hear them!

Here’s some lovely feedback we received from the CRU Teachers’ Conferences:

“It was really encouraging to hear all that God is doing in other schools because so often we can get easily caught up in what is happening in our day-to-day. It was great to have the time to have my perspective broadened and reset to see the work of so many faithful people in the building of God's Kingdom in so many schools!” – Emily Braga, William Clarke College, NSW

“I cannot thank you enough for the attention to detail, the professionalism, and the warmth from all staff. It is a pleasure to attend a conference where you feel appreciated and valued and can also grow and learn in a meaningful and practical manner.” – Jennie White, Scots All Saints College Bathurst, NSW

“Thanks for an engaging, encouraging and resourcerich day! We’re always feeling pushed for time and your resource equipping is such a blessing!” – Beck Gough, St Michael’s Collegiate, TAS

“A highlight was meeting, praying and connecting with other teachers and chaplains in the think tanks. Overall, the day refocused and re-energised me for the task of teaching and ministering to students.” – Cale Van Asselt, Methodist Ladies’ College, WA

CRU® Ministry & Property Updates

We are thankful for the great work God is doing through CRU. Stay up to date with everything that is happening in our various ministries and properties.

God put Tim* in my discussion group where we spent time reading stories about Jesus. He hung back afterwards, ignoring morning tea. After a few questions and a little bit of talking, Tim told me very eagerly, “These Bible stories are really cool and I want to have my own Bible to read the stories. I also want to become a Christian.” We chatted more about what Jesus did for us, and I asked Tim if he understood and if he wanted time to think about it. Without hesitation he replied, “No, I really want to be a Christian and follow Jesus.” We prayed together and when I told Tim that I could give him a Bible of his own, he exploded with joy! I am so grateful to God for working in 9-year-old Tim, who asked Jesus to be his saviour and who received his first Bible with open hands and an open heart.

Sophie, CRU Educational Camp leader

GALSTON GORGE

• Praise God for His provision that despite some challenges around staffing availability, particularly on weekends, we have been able to meet the staffing needs of the site during a busy season with our committed team.

• Give thanks for God’s provision of new team members who have been a fantastic addition. We welcome them to the team and look forward to getting to know them even better.

• Praise God that the DA for the COLA and BMX briefing and storage shed has been approved. Pray over the building works that will commence soon.

CRU LAKE MAC

• Construction of the 2nd Climbing Tower is nearing completion with testing of the new zipline about to commence.

• We are very thankful for the generosity of donors for our EOFY appeal allowing us to raise funds to install solar panels at Lake Mac. The installation and commissioning is almost complete.

• Planning for Stage 2 of the Lake Mac redevelopment is now underway. The positive uptake of the new facilities in Stage 1 has allowed us to begin this planning phase.

• We are thankful to God for the almost 20,000 campers who have attended camps at Lake Mac and heard the gospel preached in this financial year.

CRU WEST

• CRU West held its first Teachers’ Conference in May. We give thanks for the 70 teachers and chaplains who gathered together for a day of training, networking and encouragement.

• School Camps have started in Western Australia, with seven running this year so far. One camper wrote: “The talks helped me realise how much Jesus loves me so much and I should love others because of that.”

• Praise God for the ongoing strengthening of our partnerships with local schools. One school has asked that their CRU Group be advertised in the school newsletter, and they have asked us to run a leadership day for their Year 11 group!

EDUCATIONAL CAMPS

• Thank God for the opportunity the team had to focus on training during the quieter period in the winter months. The Summit trainees were trained in theology, apologetics, leadership and outdoor education. It is exciting to see this training further equip the Summit team to run camps and provide them with the skills to introduce kids to Jesus.

• We’re very thankful to God for His provision of three enthusiastic new mid-year Summit trainees who joined the team in July. Praise God for His provision and for the way that He has already been using them and will continue to be at work in and through them as they share the gospel on camps.

• Praise God for the ministry that He has been doing through the CRU Educational Camps team. At the end of Term 2, we had handed out over 650 Bibles to campers who wanted to read the Bible for themselves, and we had over 380 campers indicate to us that they made a decision to follow Jesus. We’re thankful that God is using camps to grow His Kingdom!

SCHOOLS MINISTRY

• Praise God that there are many new CRU Groups that have started this year. In NSW and the ACT, there are more than 5,700 students meeting each week to be encouraged to live for Jesus at school and help others to do the same. Every group is such a blessing to see, so we continue praying that God will produce much fruit in each young person through CRU Groups.

• CrossTrain Camp 2023 was incredible with 46 students being equipped to serve Jesus in their schools. Highlights included the fantastic Bible talks from 1 Timothy by our speaker Jasper de Keizer and the “Ultimate CRU Group Workshop” in which the senior students planned and ran a CRU Group for the junior students.

• CRU Teachers’ Conference 2023 was a wonderful day to gather with teachers and chaplains from across the country (from as far as WA, TAS and VIC) to be encouraged and spurred on from God’s Word, connect together over some great food, and be further equipped for ministry in schools.

HOLIDAY CAMPS

• Thank God for a big winter season! We had over 900 campers on residential camps on the east coast including more than 500 study campers, as well as almost 300 leaders overall. Pray for those who were connected with churches that they’ll continue to attend for the rest of their lives!

• Although we were excited for a great winter season, the overall number of study campers has been declining in recent years. Pray for wisdom in how best to encourage Year 12 students to attend camps during this key decision making time in their lives.

• Pray for the planning of some big new summer camps at CRU Lake Mac. Pray for the Sail Mania, Sailing Adventure and Summer CRU teams as they all look to add extra camps to see more campers coming to Lake Mac to hear the good news of Jesus.

DAY CAMPS

• It was really exciting to run the 10th year of CRU Blast with Richard Johnson Anglican School and Oakhurst Anglican Church in the winter holidays. We saw over 90 K-6 campers, 25 9-11 junior leaders and 11 adult leaders on camp for a week of learning about Jesus and fun activities. Praise God for the work of Stewart Rowe from RJ who has been on every camp!

• Pray for the upcoming CRU Ignite camp with Marsfield Community Church. This is our first camp in partnership together. Thank God for the leaders from the church who are already committed to this camp and pray for many campers to sign up and be connected with the church after camp.

• Thank God for our first camp with Castle Hill Baptist Church over the winter holidays. It was the biggest ever Day Camp with over 120 campers and 40 leaders! Thank God for Emma Deane who ran the camp and for the connections between CRU and churches. Pray that the campers who were connected with the church will keep attending with their families.

CRU Profiles

CRU ® would like to acknowledge a few of the many people who serve and support the work of our ministries, so that more kids come to know and love Jesus.

Corey manages a refrigerated transport company in North West Sydney and attends Rouse Hill Anglican Church.

The book of Romans had a big impact on Corey in his early days of faith. A favourite verse being 5:8 “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” (CSB).

Corey first heard of CRU when his children attended camps during their school years and were impacted greatly. One of his sons led on a study camp in winter, and described his experience as one of the most rewarding things he has ever done.

From contact with CRU staff at church and conversations with other CRU supporters, Corey and his wife, Carla, were asked to host a table at the CRU Business Lunch several years ago and they have attended them ever since. They find the testimonies from students shared at the lunches are enough alone to understand how impactful CRU is on the next generation coming through.

“The youth of today are needing to hear the great news of the gospel as much as ever. While we still have the freedom to be able to spread this great news of Jesus amongst our kids in schools and on camps then we simply have to.”

We thank God for Corey’s partnership with CRU and his desire to see kids come to know God’s grace through Jesus.

Wendy is the Assistant Chaplain and Pastoral Care Coordinator for the Junior School at Broughton Anglican College in the south-western outskirts of Sydney. Wendy first heard about CRU when at Bible College. CRU had supported the Senior School for a while and started supporting the Junior School as their Chaplaincy program developed.

Wendy finds CRU’s prayer support for her ministry with kids invaluable. “I can send a prayer need through and it is faithfully prayed for. Our kids love CRU visits each term and the FIT training program. I love watching their eyes expand in joy and confidence in the good news.”

Wendy believes in the great value of teaching kids about Jesus at school. She sees this massive field ripe for harvest, but help is needed to do the reaping. So, Wendy is thankful that CRU provides programs and workers to assist, equip and support them to do this.

“I greatly value this CRU team and their enthusiasm and passion for kids to know Jesus. They spur me on to keep going to bring more into the Kingdom of God.”

We thank God for Wendy and her commitment to helping kids come to know and love Jesus at school.

During the week, Nathan serves as CEO of Christian Media & Arts Australia (CMAA) which accelerates the reach and influence of Christians in the media and the arts. He also serves on CRU’s Board which he feels is a great privilege.

Like so many reading this, Nathan first heard of CRU when he stayed in the A-frame cabins at Lake Mac (and bumped his head) on a school camp in the 80s. Nathan then became deeply involved in the Brightwaters Holiday Camp. He started leading on Brightwaters from 1990 after school, then joined the board of Brightwaters, got married and he and Jenny became house parents on that camp with three kids.

These days, Nathan is still part of the boat crew ‘suffering’ (not!) for Jesus each summer, autumn and sometimes spring, driving ski boats and teaching people to walk on water! His eldest child, Mitchell, now serves as speaker on some CRU Camps and his daughter (who has been on camp from the age of one and who is now 22) also leads on Brightwaters and drives boats too.

Nathan often says that camps are some of the most incredible gospel opportunities. “Environments that foster Christ-like community are rarer than ever. And, as the latest Barna global research makes clear, this next generation is the ‘open generation’. They are open to experiences of God’s love and long for community. Hello CRU!”

We thank God for Nathan, for his longtime involvement with camps, and for the work God is doing through the CRU Board.

COREY MATTHEWS

WENDY PHILPOTT

NATHAN BROWN

HITCHED

• Heather Seidl & Joshua McLeod - 8 July 2023

Community

HATCHED

• Sarah & Darran Holder - a boy, Micah John, born 11 April 2023

• Tiff & Frank Leonarder – a girl, Hannah Leonarder, born April 2023

• Tess & Matt Smith - a girl, Lucy Smith born 23 June 2023

• Louise & Dave Warner – a girl, Lara Warner, born 18 July 2023

TEACHERS ON THE MOVE

• Fiona Isaacs commenced as the school chaplain at Tara Anglican School for Girls in Term 2 this year.

• Jon Humphries is moving from the chaplain role at Ravenswood School for Girls to be the ordained minister at St Matthew’s Uniting Church, Baulkham Hills.

• David Hayman has retired as chaplain from Southern Highland Christian School.

Keep us posted

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• Get paid to teach kids about Jesus!