A MISSION AND MINISTRY TRAINEESHIP THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
02 You... and Summit. A great match.
04 Summit - Equipping the next generation
06 About CRU: Stepping up to meet kids where they’re at since 1930
08 Summit adventures
10 Be equipped with ministry qualifications
12 Get qualified in Outdoor Recreation
14 Build friendships that last a lifetime
16 A day in the life of a Summit trainee
18 Shape your future with Summit
20 What’s your next step?
I’ve seen myself grow exponentially both in my faith and as a person, and I can see the way that God is working in my life and those around me.
– MEI
You... and Summit A GREAT MATCH
You:
A sparkling love of adventure. Positive energy that’s infectious. A strong desire to serve the Lord and do something meaningful.
Summit:
Spend your days in God’s stunning creation. Share the gospel with young people. Get trained in Outdoor Ed and Christian ministry. Be part of a warm, committed community. And... get paid!
KEEN TO GO ON A JOURNEY OF PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THOUSANDS OF CAMPERS?
You’ll get that... but so much more with a Summit traineeship over one or two years.
I find myself constantly telling people how awesome and amazing my job is. Telling them that I spent the day rock climbing or abseiling, telling kids about the gospel. Definitely bragging rights in this job.
– MIKE
It’s pushed me as a person. It’s a really incredible experience. And I’ve grown in areas that I didn’t think I would.
– LETICIA
EQUIPPING THE NEXT GENERATION Summit
80% of adult Christians say they made their commitment to Christ before the age of 18, but today, only around 5% of young people in Australia regularly attend church.
CRU’s heart is to share Jesus with the next generation. If they won’t come to us, we need to go to them!
Our mission is to harness the power of camping ministry to further the gospel.
Since 1988, CRU Educational Camps has been partnering with schools in NSW and the ACT to run educationally exceptional camps that meet specific curriculum outcomes. Summit trainees also have the opportunity to lead on CRU Holiday Camps and Day Camps.
As a Summit trainee you’ll serve as a leader on camps while gaining qualifications and sharing your faith.
STEPPING UP TO
MEET KIDS WHERE THEY’RE AT
1930 About CRU
SINCE
When the Reverend Dr Howard Guinness founded The Crusader Union of Australia (CRU®) over 90 years ago, his vision was to see young Christians established in their faith and being taught the Bible boldly and faithfully. CRU school groups and camp ministries were, and still are, a key way of achieving this.
By God’s grace, CRU’s staff and volunteer leaders now reach over 2,200 children and teenagers with the good news of Jesus every week across NSW, the ACT and WA, running 200 school CRU Groups each week and 200 camps each year!
As a Summit trainee, you’ll be part of the next generation learning to meet young people where they’re at, and telling them the good news of Jesus.
CRU today
CRU is a Bible-based, interdenominational Christian youth organisation whose vision 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.
The Summit Program began in 1990 as The Ian Holt Memorial Fellowship Program, honouring the late Dr Ian Holt who played a key role in CRU for almost six decades. Since then, over 300 people have been trained through Summit and shared the gospel with hundreds of thousands of young people. Will you be part of the Summit team?
Do you share the CRU values?
You’re a young person seeking to live a faithful, intentional and relational Christian life, and serve God in relevant, energy-filled, quality ministries. You want to make a genuine difference and reach the next generation for Christ.
I learned so much about myself in my Summit years, far more than I would have if I’d gone straight to uni, or got another job, or done another gap year.
– HELEN
ADVENTURES Summit
No two weeks at Summit are ever the same. One day you may be paddling waterways and exploring new parts of the country, the next week you can be descending from new heights while you abseil, or bushwalking through God’s wonderful creation.
As a Summit trainee, you can expect to be trained in the following activities:
Archery BMX
Abseiling
Kayaking
Sailing
Rock climbing
Orienteering
Laser tag
Initiative courses
Bushwalking
Canoeing
Crate climbing
Don’t worry if you’re not a ‘natural’ with heights or water. We cater for every background and phobia.
Let Summit take you on new adventures
One of the unique aspects of Summit is the opportunity that it provides for trainees to learn new experiences and go to new places. Throughout Summit, training programs are integrated with journeys all throughout NSW that give trainees the opportunity to have fun whilst learning, growing and reflecting in a new part of God’s beautiful creation.
Be equipped
WITH MINISTRY QUALIFICATIONS
Grow in ministry skills
After two years with Summit you’ll receive a Cert IV in Ministry and Theology, a great basis for ongoing ministry in churches, youth programs, and pastoral work. You will also gain invaluable general children’s and youth ministry skills as you regularly work with kids and youth.
Training isn’t just in
a classroom.
At Summit, you’ll learn by doing as well. You’ll lead Christian Discovery groups and share the gospel with approximately 5,000 students on camp every year.
Grow in your own spiritual life
At CRU we long to see lives changed. We are intentional in encouraging your purposeful growth in Jesus. Our heart is to care for the whole person – mentally, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. We want Summit trainees to be people who are transformed to be more and more like Jesus.
They teach you to look past just the basic Bible answer, but actually to interact with the kid, and know what they’re going through.
– LETICIA
Coming out of high school, the Bible training re-sparked my interest in the Bible, looking at passages more deeply.
– SIMON
What you’ll gain from studying a Cert IV Ministry and Theology
Grow in a range of ministry skills that will be useful for the rest of your life. Some of the modules you’ll study include:
Bible Studies (Growth Groups): Gain skills for faithful interpretation of Scripture and how to prepare and lead a group discussion.
Apologetics: Explore and compare significant questions, themes and issues for application in an evangelistic environment.
Biblical Theology: Explore how to read and understand the Bible as a whole by seeing how the different sections of the Bible fit together in God’s big plan for salvation.
Preparing a Bible Talk for Kids and Youth: Communicate theological information for an audience of primary or high school students.
Life-Long Ministry Mindset: Consider and apply a ‘ministry mindset’ within a Christian community.
Faith and Life: Explore theological issues relating to life and contemporary society.
Graduates of the Cert IV in Ministry and Theology can receive credit transfer and advanced standing in courses run by Australian colleges of Theology.
IN OUTDOOR RECREATION Get qualified
Love the great outdoors? Summit training will award you a Certificate II and III in Outdoor Recreation, equipping you to run intentional, creative outdoor activities.
CRU has been a trusted camping provider for 90+ years and continues to demonstrate best-practice programs and compliance. CRU Training (RTO 90717) has issued hundreds of qualifications in Outdoor Recreation and trained thousands of people in First Aid since it began in 2001. We do not subcontract training to other providers and all our courses are structured to allow students a positive and rewarding training experience. All CRU Training staff have extensive knowledge of their subject area, as well as practical hands-on experience, and strong facilitation skills.
A Cert III in Outdoor Recreation provides a pathway to work for any type of organisation that delivers outdoor recreation activities including commercial, not-for-profit and government organisations.
During your two year traineeship you’ll also achieve formal Outdoor Recreation Qualifications including Senior First Aid and CPR, and your Bronze Medallion.
I can’t recommend this program enough. It’s something that can equip you for a lifetime.
– BROOKE
The community at CRU is a blessing. Having the constant Christian influence in your life at work keeps you going and spurs you on to be consistent in your quiet time and in prayer.
– CAITLIN
THAT LAST A LIFETIME Build friendships
CRU values relationships.
Relationships on camp
The deep connections and authentic friendships you can make on camp are something that makes camping ministry very special. Helping you to build genuine connection with the people that you are ministering to is a huge priority for Summit.
Relationships on team
Developing genuine, long-term relationships in the Summit leadership team is also a priority. Working, playing and praying together with other like-minded Christians means you share key experiences, have fun and make memories. Most importantly, you will grow one another in your faith, and build relationships that will continue to support you in ministry for years to come.
Trainees are supported by the CRU senior staff team. You’ll have a ministry mentor who is there to care for and prayerfully support you through the program.
OF A SUMMIT TRAINEE A day in the life
A Summit traineeship gives you hands-on experience leading and directing CRU Educational Camps and Holiday Camps, with around 65 days on camp and 55 days in training each year.
Summit trainees lead on 30 to 35 camps a year and meet thousands of campers. Almost every week, you’ll have opportunities to provide unique and transformational experiences for young people.
Camp Program:
7:00 Rise
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Christian Discovery
10:30 Morning Tea
11:00 Activity Session
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Activity Session
3:00 Afternoon Tea
3:30 Activity Session
5:00 Free Time
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Singing
7:15 Wide Game
8:30 Reflection Time
9:00 Bed
Every day on camp is spent with campers from rise to bed time, using every opportunity to build relationships with them and share the gospel.
In Christian Discovery, you have the privilege to participate in singing, games, memory verse challenges, skits and Bible talks. And to top it all off, you get to sit with around 10 campers in a discussion group, answering questions and explaining why YOU love following Jesus.
Summit takes students out of the indoor classroom and into the great outdoors, to try a whole variety of new experiences.
Most camps go for three days. Every day on camp is spent with campers, intentionally creating life-changing experiences outside of their everyday world of school, home and technology.
Summit takes students into the great outdoors where you’ll engage them with activities that spark adventure, explore creativity and build community. In Christian Discovery, you’ll meet campers where they are at. You’ll participate in Bible talks, singing, games, skits and memory verse challenges, plus build authentic relationships with campers in small discussion groups as you share why you follow Jesus.
Summit locations
CRU Educational Camps are primarily based at our two campsites, CRU Galston Gorge, just 15 minutes from Hornsby in Sydney, and CRU Lake Mac, an hour’s drive north at Lake Macquarie. These two sites have direct access to hectares of private bushland and walking tracks as well as lakefront facilities at Lake Mac for kayaking, canoeing, sailing, dragon boating and more. When you’re not leading camps, you’ll mostly be based at the CRU Educational Camps office in Galston. Summit also runs camps at other non-CRU campsites around NSW and the ACT.
WITH SUMMIT Shape your future
The skills you’ll learn at Summit are invaluable for all sorts of career paths, including teaching, church ministry, outdoor education and more.
The character qualities you’ll develop at Summit, including resilience, problem solving, teamwork and leadership will stay with you for life.
The ministry experience of serving and sharing your faith will be valuable now and in the future, no matter where God leads you.
From Summit trainee to primary teaching
“At Summit I realised that God had gifted me with skills to teach. Also, I had a love for children and a desire to see them flourish, so I became a teacher.
Summit helped me to know how to get alongside my students, to bring the gospel into my conversations and how to answer their questions. It’s also helped with classroom management!
Getting to write devotions at Summit taught me to read the Bible well. At uni, I helped lead small groups and faculty groups and these days, I lead the leaders of Bible studies at my church.
A highlight of Summit was being a part of a group that was all on the same mission. As a teenager fresh out of school, I truly treasured having older people looking out for me who knew what they were doing.”
Helen Lovell was a Summit trainee from 2015-16, and now teaches Year 2 at an independent school.
Making an impact through social work
“Relating to kids on camp who had come from a background of trauma had an effect on me. I could see the impact you can have on a person’s life through building a relationship and rapport, so I started studying social work straight after Summit.
On placement during my degree, I’ve facilitated groups and presented a few sessions on things like stress management. I attribute a lot of the great feedback from supervisors to my CRU training in getting comfortable being up front.
Summit also taught me how to be interested in other people’s lives and to be praying for other people. It also taught me resilience, and the value of community and how that can help you in the throes of daily life.”
Simon Shead worked as a Summit trainee from 2016-17. He is now finishing a social work degree and sits on the committee of Our Place Christian Communities, which seeks to house people with disabilities.
A pathway to ministry
“I recommend Summit to so many people! It helped me work on my people skills and how to build relationships. Working in a diverse team and learning skills to run discussion groups or activities was helpful and I always have a back pocket full of games to pull out!
My favourite days were sailing, and training days, hanging out with the team. Abseiling in the Blue Mountains pushed me out of my comfort zone and there were times when I was knackered on camp, but Summit forces you to rely on God a lot more.
There are a lot of options after school and Summit was the best because you get to learn on the job, you get paid on the job, but you get so many experiences that you can do. You have opportunities to grow and make friends—that I still have to this day. Just do Summit!”
Nathan Gray worked as a Summit trainee from 2012-15 and is now a youth minister in Arncliffe.
For more examples of where Summit can take you, head to our website at summitprogram.com.au
BECAUSE WE LOVED YOU SO MUCH, WE WERE DELIGHTED TO SHARE WITH YOU NOT ONLY THE GOSPEL OF GOD BUT OUR LIVES AS WELL.
1 THESSALONIANS 2:8
1. Fill in an application. Tell us about yourself, your future plans and your faith and experience. You’ll need a referee from your local church.
2. Be invited for an interview. Interviews for suitable candidates take place from April to June for the July intake, and from September to December for the January intake.
3. Come and experience a camp. Joining us on camp is the best way to see what Summit can offer you. The next stage for progressing applicants is the option of joining us on a camp either in April - June or September - December.
