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.

SCHOOLS MINISTRY

• Although this past year has meant that many students could not meet in person in their CRU Group, praise God that many groups have continued to meet online. The CRU Schools Ministry team took the opportunity to create resources for the groups to use in their online meetings, including a 5-week series on Romans 8, a 6-week series on 1 John, an 8-week series on 1 Peter and a Christmas talk. We received lots of encouraging feedback about how helpful these resources were and how much the students could grow in their love for Jesus through them!

• Give thanks for the two online Inter-CRU events held in recent months. These events encouraged students from CRU Groups in NSW, ACT & WA to keep living for Jesus at school.

• Praise God for the Schools Ministry Associates and the opportunities they have had to encourage secondary school students on camps and in schools.

HOLIDAY CAMPS

• Pray for the Holiday Camps staff as a number of new team members learn their roles. Pray that they’ll find their feet quickly and are able to effectively work to support the great CRU volunteers who serve on camps.

• Thank God for the huge interest we had in our summer camps! Several camps were fully booked by the end of October. Please pray that this interest in CRU Camps will continue to be strong as opportunities for domestic and overseas holidays increase in 2022.

• Thank God for the directors who work tirelessly to run excellent camps. Pray for them as they prepare camps and teams each season and pray that they’ll grow in their relationships with God as they enable leaders and campers to do likewise.

DAY CAMPS

• Pray for the Day Camps staff as we hope to run more camps in 2022 after so many affected seasons in 2021. Pray that schools and churches will be excited to have camps back if the opportunity arises, and that parents will be eager to book their children onto camp after a year or two off.

• Thank God for our volunteers. It is so encouraging to work with so many great student leaders as well as church workers, teachers, chaplains and other adult volunteers. Pray that God will sustain and grow them in their ministry with CRU and in the ministry they do in other contexts.

• As schools and churches review their calendars in light of COVID, pray for new opportunities for new camps to reach new communities with the good news of Jesus through Day Camps.

GALSTON GORGE

• Praise God for His provision during December and the start of January. As the site welcomed back kids and youth on CRU Camps, it has been wonderful to serve the campers and see them enjoying many outdoor activities.

• Give thanks that guest groups continue to contact us and book in their school and church camps. Despite a slower start than usual in Term 1, we are seeing more bookings this year. Please pray that we would manage guest groups well as they navigate the ever-changing COVID situation.

• The newly installed audio visual upgrades to the site have been put to the test, and it was great to see the systems being used to share the good news of Jesus again.

LAKE MAC

• Give thanks that the site has seen many improvements and upgrades this year, including the turfing and landscaping of the bivouac camping area in the 100 Acres, and the completion of the ​Undercroft Meeting Room. The room is now protected from the weather and has been fitted out with carpet and AV, creating a great new activity and meeting space seating 300 people.

• Praise God that campers were able to enjoy our expanded activities onsite this summer. A ski boat was purchased to allow for water skiing, wakeboarding and tubing, and the challenge course area was built and landscaped​. We are excited to see more campers growing in confidence as they experience these activities on upcoming camps.

• Please pray that God will provide suitable staff to join the Lake Mac team. Due to the COVID lockdown and having to pause site operations, some staff have found other employment. We need to employ and train more staff for the year ahead. The Lord has blessed us with an amazing facility, and we are looking forward to serving and sharing the good news of Jesus with many guests.

EDUCATIONAL CAMPS

• We thank God that we were able to run day programs in Term 4 as restrictions eased. We ended up running programs for 26 different school grades, for over 1,300 students, in just 4 weeks. It was a joy to have kids back at our sites again after such a long period of lockdown!

• Praise God for the schools that continue to book their Educational Camps (previously called Summit Camps) with us. We are set to run our biggest-ever Term 1 with 46 camps and around 4,425 campers, however, we aware that the evolving COVID situation may impact this. Please pray for the team and for schools as we navigate the year ahead. We are very thankful for the way that God uses the Educational Camps team to touch the lives of the next generation.

• We are incredibly thankful for our new intake of Summit Program trainees for 2022. Praise God for His provision, and please be praying for them as they are trained and equipped during January, ready to begin leading on camps in February.

CRU WEST

• Praise God for the partnership dinner held in November. We thank God for the chance to rejoice about what the Lord has done in WA over the past year and partner together in prayer and support for the year ahead.

• A fifth camp started in WA this summer with 67 campers. This brings the total number of campers to over 270 over the last six months, more than double the year before.

• Student Josh* wanted to start a CRU Group in his school, even though he was leaving a term later! Thank God for many students like Josh wanting to make Jesus known at school.

*Name changed for privacy reasons.