CRU View Autumn

A Newsletter To The Friends And Supporters Of Crusaders

Autumn 2016

CRUview Our Biggest Summer Ever!

CRU Holiday Camps reach new heights Summer 2015/16 was CRU Camps’ biggest summer ever! We had 1,113 campers attended across 28 camps.

Plus we had 367 amazing volunteers leading, directing and speaking on camps and sharing their lives with these campers. More than the number though, we were blessed with such a great season with many encouraging stories and moments.

the week, God had worked in her heart through the talks and chats with her leaders and she realised the amazing free gift of grace Jesus has for her and she decided to be on His team. She wrote to her leader after camp, “You have been great fun and I thank you for helping me going through tough times because now with your help I am ready to become a Christian.’’

On Triple S Camp, Sophie was really thinking about the talks and discussion groups through the whole week and struggling with the idea of grace and the truth of the Bible. Towards the end of

Campers also grew in their faith and understanding of Christ. On Survivor Junior Camp, Adam said “It made my faith stronger and made me more confident to stand up that I believe in Christ.’’

We are also really thankful to God for His sustaining of the CRU Camps’ team through this long and successful season.

Autumn camps are now underway and the winter camp season is now open with bookings coming in already for the nine study camps, plus the amazing snow and activity camps that are perfect for the season and thoroughly enjoyed by campers! We’re also very excited about the introduction of a brand new performing arts camp… CRU Create!

Exciting times are ahead so please continue to pray for our camps and all future camp attendees!

CRU School Ministry empowers teachers, chaplains and students Our Schools Ministry team has been busy visiting schools regularly to help students grow in their faith and be a witness in their school community.

A key aim in this is establishing and supporting vibrant CRU groups, which includes not only regular visitation but also training leaders, writing and sharing resources, running regional events to connect and encourage Christians in schools, and praying for ministry in the 186 schools we are involved with - over 180 CRU groups meeting each week!

Our team travels throughout Sydney as well as to the Central Coast, Newcastle, Scone, Wollongong, Nowra,

Blue Mountains, Bathurst, Orange and Canberra. The team gives Bible talks at the CRU group and/or school chapel and manages around 1000 vists a year. The team is also extremely passionate about empowering and equipping teachers and chaplains. In May we will run a special “Teachers and Chaplains Professional Development Day” with inspirational input, ideas and great networking opportunities.

At Crusaders, we are passionate about leadership development and nurturing the next generation – through our Associates Scheme, we have four associates on staff who are training in preaching, theology and ministry.

By building ongoing relationships with high school students through school visits, school events and on camps, they help disciple these students through the high school years, encouraging them to follow Jesus and grow in Him. Associates visit high school Christian groups, chapel services and CRU events, and lead on both Summit and Holiday Camps.

Our Schools Ministry team staff speak to audiences of over 122,000 students. Please pray that they will continue to help ministry in schools grow for the extension of God’s kingdom and His glory.

CRU Reach (NSW and ACT)

186 Our Schools Ministry team staff speak to audiences of over 122,000 students

CRU Summit Camps training young adults for life With thousands of campers reached with the Good News on Summit Camps each year, it’s easy to highlight and celebrate what God is doing through the Summit Team.

However, it’s worth also acknowledging the work He does in the Summit Team. We serve a God who not only uses people for His purposes, but also equips us and makes us more Christlike in the process.

We’re incredibly thankful to God for the wonderful staff He brings to the Summit team each year, notably the dozens of quality applicants we get for the Fellowship Program.

We’re thankful for the way each one of these young adults grows through the Bible, Ministry and Outdoor Recreation training they receive. And we rejoice in the way that their Christlikeness is evident to campers and teachers alike.

What the teachers and campers are saying about the Summit staff The staff were all lovely and had a real interest in a good relationship with us.

Also constructive, very honest/helpful.

– (Tahila, Student at PLC) In the first seconds of getting off the bus, they were already all with us and already mingling. It felt like they actually wanted to be there with us. They all learned our names so quickly and were so interested in us. I loved that all the leaders were still young and related so well, whereas if they were older I wouldn’t have listened as much. – (Mikaela, Student at William Carey)

Staff were outstanding. Excellent ability to take care of the needs of the boys and be aware of who they are. Thanks for a great camp. It’s one of the best I have ever been on. – (Jackson, Teacher at Newington) Really impressed with the amount of times the staff went out of their way to connect. They were really approachable and joked around with the kids.

Communicated well with staff (teachers) to keep us involved and informed.

– (Erin, Michelle and Michael, Teachers at St Phil’s Gosford)

Is joining the Summit Team possibly for you?

Visit our site for more info – we'd love to have you! crusaders.edu.au/getinvolved/career/join-the-summit-team

CRU Business Luncheon shines!

We’re deeply grateful for 330 supporters who took part in our annual Crusader Business Lunch on March 18. Hosted at NSW Parliament House with the Premier of NSW, the Hon. Mike Baird MP as guest speaker, the event saw $601,400 invested to help thousands more kids have life-changing experiences on CRU Holiday Camps, Summit Educational Camps and in-school programs.

CRU WA Launched!

Thank you! Our ministry to WA kids is gaining momentum.

CRUWest, our new ministry in WA, is growing fast since the first-ever Study Camp was held for 36 campers last September. There are now lunchtime groups meeting in eight schools as well as leadership training events taking place.

An official launch event took place on March 21 at Perth’s Wesley college. Your prayers and support have helped make it possible, and we look forward to keeping you updated on how God grows this work.

You Helped Luke Have A Life-Changing Experience Luke has just been on his fifth Holiday Camp with CRU, and his Christian faith has grown so much thanks to the consistently great experiences that donors and friends like you help provide. Luke shares…

“When I went to the first CRU Camp, I just went for the fun because I heard there were

Nerf guns and I thought it would be cool. So I went along and they had Bible talks but I kind of sat there zoning out a little bit.

“On my second CRU Camp, [in] the Bible talks I thought, ‘Hey this is actually quite interesting’, and by the time I reached my fourth CRU Camp, I was thinking –

‘Hey, I actually want to become a Christian now’.

One of the leaders had a massive talk with me and I decided to become a Christian… so he prayed for me.’

Now Luke says, “I hope I will grow my faith exponentially.”

Thank you for being part of giving thousands of kids like Luke the opportunity to have a life-changing experience!

CRU Dates For The Diary Teachers and Chaplains Professional Development Day Friday 13 May 2016. Ryde Anglican Centre.

Volunteers Training Day Saturday 28 May 2016. Moore College.

Business Breakfast For Young Professionals Wednesday 21 September 2016. The Tea Room, QVB.

CRU Properties Thousands of campers enjoy coming each year to our Galston and Lake Macquarie properties, and our site teams have been working hard to welcome them and to maintain the sites. Cabin exteriors and meeting rooms at Galston have been transformed with a new coat of paint and gardens have been refreshed with amazing new plants. Everything is to preserve our buildings and sites for the future and to enhance the natural beauty of bush and lake.

Regular arborist reviews have enabled us to remove any hazardous trees as part of our commitment to guest safety.

To keep us well prepared for fire there has been a huge amount of work to clear undergrowth, cut back shrubs and make sure we have good clearance in our fire protection zones.

We are really excited that in April the new Crate Stack activity at Galston will be installed providing more fun and challenge for the many school groups and holiday campers, and we look forward to

the addition of a Gagaball Pit which is certain to become a favourite free-time activity.

Our Lake Macquarie site is getting ready for its transformation. Plans are being drawn up, consultants engaged and meetings with Lake Macquarie City Council have been positive. We are so thankful to God for His leading us in this path and we would value your prayers for a favourable and timely review and passing of our development application.

CRU Community Hatched Mikaela & Philip Heard A girl, Olivia Billie

Tiff & Frank Leonarder A boy, Nathan Daniel

Sarah & Darran Holder A girl, Amelia Ellen

Katherine & Matthew Lockeridge A boy, Max James

24th February

7th March

22nd February

20th February

Libby & Mike Brewer A girl, Eliana Hope

Ashleigh & James Maiden A boy, Ezekiel Titus

Sascha & Stephen Garner A son, Alexander Jules Ernest

17th January

16th February

14th March

Hitched

Home Joyce Pullen 22nd December

Alan Potter 8th February

Richard Bosanquet 6th March

Rod West 25th January

Jean Knight 9th March

Lauren Burn & Grant van der Merwe 2nd April

Teachers on the move Steve Deuble has moved from being the chaplain at Norwest Christian College to be the Executive Pastor at Rivergum Community Church.

The Big Picture I became a Christian on a Crusader Camp in 1978. As I led on camps over subsequent years, I received invaluable training that equipped me for ministry not just with Crusaders but in my church, university and workplace. Over three and a half decades later, I still remember it as some of the best training I ever received.

In 2016, a quarter of Crusader staff are trainees. Hundreds of volunteers are trained each year for their role on camps and leading school groups. Training camps and day programs resource junior leaders to serve their communities. As I watch the progress of those involved, I marvel and thank God for all He is doing in equipping young men and women to reach a new generation. It’s no surprise that those in other states are asking Crusaders to oversee their training also.

The Crusader Union of Australia PO Box 590, Eastwood NSW 2122 Ph (02) 9874 8933 www.crusaders.edu.au ABN: 90 213 359 332

The Bible calls parents to train their children in the way of the Lord (Prov.

22:6). Christians are to train themselves in godliness (I Tim. 4:7), particularly as they come under the authority of the Word (II Tim. 3:16). Paul noted how he was trained as a Pharisee (Acts 22:3).

Training is suggested in the Gospels as being entrusted to those who are faithful (II Tim. 2:2), and older women were to train those who were younger (Titus 2:4).

But there are not a lot of other specific references to training.

Instead Scripture refers more commonly to discipleship and modelling. This involved not so much a formal program but an investment of time into relationship and to allow observation. Such an approach would

allow Paul to repeatedly instruct the church to imitate him, as he imitated Christ.

Crusaders’ training reflects this, with strong models of discipleship underpinning more formal elements.

Many come away with a recognised qualification, but all receive a platform for Christian living. Thanks to all who have invested in this. Please encourage others to get involved!

Gary Hill, Executive Director

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