FAITH BASED ADVENTURE

Natalie Duchesne and Anna Squires are our North Island and South Island Camp Facilitators. Here they reflect on Scripture Union camps and the way they have worked with young people across Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Last year, when we entered this new season of life in a global pandemic, many predictions were being made. When considering camping ministry, we perceived it as going in one of two extremes – either people would become reclusive, reflecting the new norm being in lockdown, or they would react strongly against being cooped up and become more proactive to prioritise community. Thankfully, the latter eventuated, and teenagers and leaders alike have prioritised seeking connection in faithbased, adventurous contexts like the ones we offer. Something we really value about Scripture Union as a movement is its ability to adapt and meet the needs we’re seeing in our young people. The last year has proven busy in meeting demand, ensuring we’re listening intently to what God’s desire for flourishing community could look like, and accounting for the fragile nature of people in this season. Mental health is always on our radar as we seek to make a camp a safe space for those in our midst. In fact, we are consistently thinking tangibly about what a safe camp looks like physically, spiritually, emotionally … holistically. This means consciously considering how to ensure inclusive environments for the diversity of the people who attend and lead on our camps. We’re also ensuring we have the infrastructure in place for all the new initiatives we’re involved in, such as environmental camps (Sustain in Raglan) and weekend tramps for girls (Wild Wāhine in Coromandel Forest Park) as well as the growing demand for our pre-existing camps. In part, this looks like increasingly feeding into those who run and lead on our camps and we’ve increased the amount of training events and connection points to account for this. It’s humbling to be surrounded by such dedicated leaders. We can forget how unique these people are – our leaders are characteristically adventurous, passionate,

people-oriented and grounded in creation. To have such great people to collaborate with makes life very enjoyable. Another beautiful collaboration of people took place this year between SUNZ, Adventure Specialties Trust and A Rocha NZ – as we ran our E3 expeditions together. In December three groups of 12 school leavers headed into the wilderness for 12 days, in Canterbury, Otago and Central North Island. This extended period away from civilisation and technology created an opportunity that is not common!

Alongside ecology awareness, Bible engagement and learning new outdoor skills, some of the biggest growth we saw was in the way youth ‘do’ life. Setting up a tent in the rain at the end of a long day teaches you something about loving others well and caring for them when you don’t feel like it, and how important clear communication is! On these camps there’s been an overall theme of greater connection experienced by individuals in their personal growth as well as their development in a community. Aware of the popularity of our E3 programmes and the unique experience they offer, we’ve considered ways to facilitate more expeditionary-style camps. In the South Island, Gain camp explored the Marlborough Sounds and the Season camp in Kaikoura also had an overnight hike element. In the North Island, Wild Wāhine does a similar thing, with this year’s tramp journeying up to the Pinnacles Hut in Coromandel, exploring Scripture by means of a pilgrimage-type resource we developed. Theologian, Eugene Peterson, helpfully describes pilgrimage as “…the ancient practice of walking, usually with others, to a holy site while paying prayerful attention to everything that takes place within and without, soul and body, all the ways that are inherent in the Way, along with companions who are also on the Way.”[i]

Pilgrimage is a helpful way to rethink the possibility of camp and the different ways we can engage in faith-filled conversations. As we look to the future of camping ministry, our prayer is that we remain attentive to God’s action in the world and to our role in partnership with Christ.

[i] Eugene Peterson: The Way is Made By Walking.