Adventure Magazine July 2023

FINDING SHELTER IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS INSIDE

GATHER CAMP LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

BIBLE ENGAGEMENT ON CAMP

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

EDITORIAL

Kia ora tātou.

I’ve been remembering our very first Wild Wāhine pilgrimage in the Kauaeranga Valley. The intrepid group of 12 trampers started out enthusiastically, but as they tramped through the bush, the rain poured down. They made it all the way up to Pinnacles Hut, where to their dismay, the DoC warden advised them of a severe weather watch and to immediately turn around or risk being trapped. He did not even let the wet, cold trampers inside the hut for a hot drink.

It could have been a very discouraging moment. But it wasn’t. Those campers took it upon themselves to pray. And God answered. It turned out that the hut warden’s wife grew up reading Scripture Union Bible notes and she was so pleased and excited to help. She invited the girls to stay in the comfort of their home to dry out by the fire and warm up with hot soup.

The theme of this Adventure is ‘finding shelter in the great outdoors’ and while we hope for planned shelter for our campers, that is clearly not always the case as this Wild Wāhine story proved.

When we hope and pray for Scripture Union campers to find shelter in the

great outdoors, we mean that we want our campers to learn about how God is their shelter through their experiences in the outdoors on camp. Our prayer is that the words of Psalm 91:1-2 will come true for our campers.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.”

Ko te tangata kei te wāhi ngaro o te Runga Rawa tōna kāinga, ka noho ia I raro I te taumarumarutanga o te Kaha Rawa. Ka kīia e ahau a Ihowā, “Ko ia tōku piringa, tōku pā, tōku Atua, ka whakawhirinaki ahau ki a ia.”

Of course, we know that finding shelter in God is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit. So, as you read this Adventure, please be praying for the children and young people here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and especially for those on our camps. Pray that the words from Psalm 91 will become true for them.

Ngā mihi nui

HILARY HAGUE National Director Scripture Union New Zealand

OFFSET VERSION - Portrait

GOLDILOCKS and the Three Bears

Iwant to use the well-known story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to talk about the relationship of the 3 B’s to Scripture Union camps. The 3 B’s being BELONG, BELIEVE and BECOME, as steps for people’s faith journeys which is a popular concept in Christian circles today. As for Goldilocks, there was just one of each thing she tried that was ‘just right,’ however, there is much debate about which of the 3 B’s comes first and even what each of the 3 B’s look like. In this article, I do not want to focus on any of those topics, I just want to show how our SUNZ camps can be a place where all three of the B’s can be found and, hopefully, they are found in

NEVILLE BARTLEY | SUNZ Youth Team Leader

'just right’ ways for the campers.

LET US LOOK AT

Belong,

which I know we all agree to want a sense of belonging in our lives. For the young people who attend our camps, finding a place to belong and finding a group to belong to is particularly important to them. So, can our temporary camp communities fulfil this desire to belong? I think they can, and I know that many of you reading this article know that it was true for your own experience when at an SUNZ camp. We work hard at creating a shortterm community that is a safe place, where people feel cared for, loved, and understood. You know that people feel as if they belong when they make comments like ‘I wish I didn’t have to go home,’ or ‘I can’t wait until the next camp.’ Many of you reading this also recall that some of the friendships you made on an SU camp have continued for the rest of your life. So, I think we can honestly say that our camps enable the

NEXT IS Believe,

and I am not going to go into all the different nuances of what it means to believe. Instead, I am going to talk about providing the opportunity to believe. On

campers the chance to belong.

our SUNZ camps our team encourage campers to know and believe there is a God who created everything—including them. We use the great outdoors to help campers connect with creation and then through that connection believe in the Creator. We work hard at creating opportunities to engage with Scripture so that campers can believe in a God who wants to have an intimate relationship with them. We also want our Bible engagement to offer campers the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and their Saviour. Finally, through Bible engagement and through the community that we create on our camps, we hope and pray that the campers will believe and know they are chosen by God, loved, cared for, and forgiven. We totally understand that each

...FINDING A PLACE TO BELONG AND FINDING A GROUP TO BELONG TO IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO [THE YOUNG PEOPLE]

WE WORK HARD AT CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH SCRIPTURE SO THAT CAMPERS CAN BELIEVE IN A GOD WHO WANTS TO HAVE AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM

camper is in on their own faith journey, and we create a safe environment where they can strengthen and grow their belief.

FINALLY, Become,

which I know from some recent conversations is an area that seems to bring up a lot of discussion. I, however, think that for us when it comes to camp, we have several areas of becoming that we target in our camps. Firstly, we hope that every young person who comes on an SUNZ camp will have the opportunity to become a follower of Christ or reaffirm their commitment to Christ. Then, we hope that those who call themselves followers of Christ will have the opportunity to become more like Christ on camp, and they will take away things to do daily that will enable them to become more like Christ each day. Our aim is that through attending our camps they will become people who care for creation and care for other people. Finally, I hope that the community they

PEOPLE

encounter on our camps encourages them to become a regular participant in a community of Christ followers.

We totally understand that we can create opportunities for our campers to belong, believe and become but at the end of the day it is their personal choice to engage or not. Our job is to make sure they can engage in all three of the B’s and that, just like for Goldilocks, at the end of camp they will be able to say it was ‘just right’.

Please pray for our SUNZ camps ministry and particularly all the wonderful volunteers who enable us to run these camps and provide the opportunities for young people to engage in Belonging, Believing and Becoming.

Belong Beli eve Become

OUR AIM IS THAT THROUGH ATTENDING OUR CAMPS THEY WILL BECOME PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR CREATION AND CARE FOR OTHER

P o n u i I s l a n d

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CAMPERS & LEADERS SAY...

Looking back at my journey with God, summer camps as a child and youth weekends away as a teenager were a great place for me to get to know Jesus and grow in my faith —Laura

...have heard great things about Pōnui Junior and been encouraged to join Hannah

I went to a few SUPAKidZ camps as a kid and loved them! My parents were camp mum and dad one year and my sister has been a leader. I have been thinking of going back as a leader —Michaela

Two non-Christian friends told me about their experiences attending SU camps and how great it was for them

—Crystal

I grew up going to SU camps. Camps were a valuable and instrumental part of my faith journey. Of course, they were also tons of fun! —Hannah

I have made so many lifelong friends [on SUNZ camps] and fond memories that will last forever...I want to help the next generation to experience camp as an amazing place where they grow as a person and in their faith while having fun at the same time

—Matthew

I love the camp culture and community in SUNZ camps and the opportunity of sharing and growing in faith that this space creates —Kirsty

I’m 19 and I love Jesus! Lucy

Bible study and Christian music —Ubong

I love God, adventure and the outdoors —SiobhAN

I attended Pōnui Junior as a teenager and it was incredibly formational for my own faith...I would love to use [my] skills to serve and give back to an organisation that has been so important for my own personal faith journey

—Lydia

I’d love to help on a SUNZ camp to help others experience the outdoors and grow to know Jesus

—Caleb

Our family loves the outdoors, adventure and serving God. This will be a great opportunity to introduce our children to SU camps...it will allow us to serve and share our faith —Warwick

SUNZ camp Extend was a place to discover more things about who I am now and who I want to become in the future with the direction of the Holy Spirit. It has been tons of fun and the perfect way to lean into God and enjoy his beautiful creation in Aotearoa. I have loved the diverse campers and leaders and getting to connect with so many new people.

SUNZ camper

CAMP JOKES

WHY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GO CAMPING ON THE 1ST OF APRIL ALWAYS TIRED?

Because they all have recently finished a 31-day March

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU GET COLD WHILE CAMPING?

Stand in the corner of the tent. It’s usually around 90 degrees WHY COULDN'T THE BIKE EVER GO CAMPING?

Because it was two tired

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE CAMPER WHO BROKE HIS LEFT ARM? Well, he's all right now

WHERE DO ALL THE CAMPERS KEEP THEIR MONEY? In a riverbank

WHY CAN'T YOU RUN THROUGH THE CAMPSITES?

You can only 'ran', because it's past tents

WHAT WOULD YOU CALL A CAMPER THAT HAS NO BODY OR NOSE? Nobody knows

WHAT DID THE CAMPERS SAY WHEN THE GUIDES ASKED THEM HOW THEY ENJOYED THE CAMPFIRE?

They all gave it glowing reviews

WHY WERE THE CAMP LEADERS WEARING SUNGLASSES?

That's because their campers were way too bright for them

WHAT KIND OF WARM DRINK HELPS EVERY CAMPER RELAX WHEN THEY'RE OUT CAMPING IN THE WOODS? Camp-omile tea

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A HAPPY CAMPER? Content

BIBLE

ENGAGEMENT

Caitlin Janes has completed a 6-week assessment and report on Bible Engagement in SUNZ camps as part of her Venn Foundation project.

Iwas recently involved in taking a small group of senior high school girls to Wild Wāhine camp on Pōnui Island for a weekend of tramping, camping, and learning bush skills. The activities of the weekend—cooking over fires, learning to navigate with a map and compass, making art and composing chants, to name a few—were all taken in stride by our enthusiastic, resilient campers. We witnessed a beautiful community form amongst campers and leaders. It was a truly joyful weekend.

Bible engagement time went hand-inhand with spaces of prayer; one session involved campers sitting quietly in the bush for 25 minutes of listening to God. Each leader on camp shared a short story connecting the Road to Emmaus story with God’s work in their own lives. Campers sat around the campfires, learning from one another by sharing different perspectives. We explored this Bible passage

about the resurrected Jesus one week after we had celebrated Easter in our own communities; encouraging campers to think about this journey considering the bigger picture of what they had heard at Easter time. We thought about how the passage might shape how we engage with our community on camp, and our communities back home.

The campers created beautiful, thoughtful sculptures using available natural materials from the Pōnui bush, leaving them scattered along a trail as a reminder that God is doing wonderful things on our journey.

I share this story to illustrate the incredible opportunities camps provide for young people to come to know more of God as He reveals himself through Scripture and creation. So, the question then stands, how can we best take hold of the opportunity we have in front of us as we lead Bible engagement on camp? Bible engagement is primarily to serve campers, but how do we present this well when our young people are so varied in age, faith background and engagement style? How do we create Bible engagement

content that volunteer leaders can capably and passionately present? Are we able to confidently prescribe a ‘best practice’ way of facilitating Bible engagement when activities, size, age range and location vary so widely from camp to camp?

While Bible engagement on camp may hold these complexities, opportunities abound to outwork simple Bible study principles on camp in unique ways.

BIBLE ENGAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE SOAKED IN PRAYER, just as our full way of being on camp is soaked in prayer. On camp, we have opportunities for different voices to share in prayer, from the campers through to the cooks. We start and end our days together as a community in prayer, and there is time for campers to spend solitary time in creation with the Creator. As camp leaders, we should be thinking about our unique opportunities to engage with scripture prayerfully on camp.

WE ENGAGE WITH THE BIBLE TO MEET WITH GOD. Bible engagement on camp, then, should always have a relational focus. Camps provide a unique platform to explore scripture not just in one hour-long slot but woven throughout the day. From morning quiet times through to debriefing the day’s activities, we should be mindful of the ways in which God might be drawing near to campers in Scripture, and asking good questions that orient their thinking in this way. This is effective when leaders can model this way of engaging with scripture to campers. The stories we share are hugely powerful.

SCRIPTURE IS EFFECTIVE READ IN COMMUNITY. Camps can be spaces where voices are listened to and valued when unpacking God’s Word together. We might do that by creating safe small group spaces in which leaders and campers can all learn from one another through discussion, or by highlighting different local testimonies from the unique spaces in which our camps are located.

BIBLE ENGAGEMENT ON CAMP IS MOST MEANINGFUL WHEN SCRIPTURE IS WITHIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LARGER NARRATIVE OF SCRIPTURE, understanding there are passages written for a particular people, at a particular time for a particular purpose. We serve our campers well when leaders can shed light on this context effectively.

And lastly, THE IMPACT OF BIBLE ENGAGEMENT SHOULD REACH WELL BEYOND CAMP! God is working through Bible engagement to transform campers for the good of their homes, churches, and communities. We should encourage campers to imaginatively consider the implications of the work God is doing in them for their everyday lives and remind them that God wants to meet with them outside of camp, too.

God works in wonderful ways on our camps, and we have the joy-filled role of partnering with Him as we lead Bible engagement in these spaces. May we continue to take that opportunity seriously, remaining confident that God is graciously using our humble efforts to advance His kingdom in the lives of our campers.

When I chose to be a follower of Jesus at the age of 10 (I'm now 57!), it was at a Scripture Union camp in South Africa. This was a 5-day adventure in the great outdoors, sheltering in tents. Our SUPAkidz camps in Aotearoa New Zealand are now in campgrounds with more physical shelters. The camps are closer to a city, and campers sleep in cabins. This does not imply that we have taken the ‘great outdoors’ out of children’s camping, rather, we are confident that our campers feel secure in their comfortable shelters and can be more intentional in our SUPAkidz camp programme about getting children outside to revel in the outdoors and to appreciate our Great Creator.

For children who are glued to screens for much of their day, getting up and out into the outdoors is an excellent and necessary way to enjoy new experiences, to clear their brain and to see the creation their God has made. At SUNZ, we firmly believe it brings positivity and enjoyment of life, strengthening our SUPAkidz campers to face life’s challenges.

So, rain or shine, light or dark we plan safe and fun activities in the outdoors. These include night games, stargazing, exploring the native bush, playing wide games, and racing boats made from all-natural materials down the local stream.

At the halfway point of camp, we allow for supervised free time at a beach or explore a longer bush walk to allow space for

ANDREW RAMSBOTTOM | SUNZ Children & Families Consultant

campers

and leaders to enjoy and relax in the outdoors. During these activities, our camp leaders will gently point out things of wonder for campers to spend time to observe and be amazed by. The best and most fruitful outdoor activity—if it’s not raining or too cold— is the scheduled five minutes of quiet reflection after our daily Bible exploration time. We ask campers to sit away from close friends and take some time to observe their surroundings and listen for God to speak. We give them a few guidelines as to what God speaking may sound or look like. This is a time for our creator God to speak into the individual lives of all at camp as they look and listen for Him in the great outdoors.

“It is a joy to see children’s faith grow as they ask questions about God and the Bible and to see leaders’ faith grow as they respond. This is why we run SUPAkidz camps.” Paraphrased from Andrew’s December 2022 prayer letter. Please contact SUNZ if you would like to support Andrew in his ministry.

pātai ngā (questions)

Is there a biblical character you’d choose as a mentor or spiritual advisor?

FOR NATALIE DUCHESNE & JAYDEN MEADS

J: Goats Pass is worth the hike up the rivers. Punakaiki Beach Camp is amazing, the scenery is incredible.

NATALIE: John the Baptist. I respect him eating locusts (insects - sustainable meat!). He experienced wilderness in rugged ways. I'm intrigued by the ways he lived differently to norms and his connection to creation.

JAYDEN: Moses. He demonstrated deep love for God and others, humility in his approach to God and his own abilities, and was passionate to serve God, and His chosen people.

Do you have a special Bible passage or song?

N: I love 'The Road to Emmaus' as a rich example of manaakitanga; being hospitable in spirit and in home. It's also an example of pilgrimage, walking with intention and purpose - something we apply on our camps.

J: Song, ‘The Goodness of God’ by Jenn Johnson.

Inside tips on the best campsite in Aotearoa New Zealand?

N: I appreciate DOC huts more than I can put to words. Love Waikawau Bay Conservation Campsite.

Do you have a secret snack stash... what’s in there?

N: Dried mango! Roasted chickpeas! Baked pea crisps! Green apples and peanut butter!

J: Haribo Gummy Bears, dried mango slices, Whittaker's chocolate berry forest and Pringles chips!

Tell me about finding shelter outdoors.

N: I have a habit of scanning my surroundings for natural shelter —a hollowed-out log, a complex root system, or overhanging rock/cave. Would it be pleasant to sleep in there overnight? Likely not. But it’s a great way to develop your imagination and observation skills, and good practice if you do get stuck outdoors overnight.

J: A tutor at Ara liked leaving for hikes early afternoon. We thought he just loved sleeping in but turns out he loved hiking and navigating in the dark. On one hike into Deception Valley, we went up the wrong river. Our tutor knew but allowed us to figure it out ourselves and find our way back to the hut.

| North and South Island Camp Facilitators for Scripture Union

Finding Shelter Togeter

I don’t know about you and your church, but for mine our yearly church camp is one of the highlights of our year. It doesn’t really matter where we go or what we do, the point is that we’re all together.

Church camps are such a natural and more relaxed way for all the generations to connect and grow together. On camp, the limitations of our normal church programmes and services are removed and there is the opportunity for all to experiment with worshipping and learning together in new ways.

Some churches deliberately choose to not have a separate children’s programme at their camps. This forces them to rethink how their teaching, worship and other activities are organised in a more intergenerational manner. The outcome is new and deeper connections with others with whom they may not usually interact.

As church members are exposed to different ways of doing things in the relaxed environment of camp, they become more welcoming and engaged in some of these intergenerational activities when they return to their weekly services and other programmes.

This edition of the WAY2GO magazine will look at two ideas you could use when it comes to gathering all together at church camp.

Liz Eichler Children and Families Team Leader, SUNZ

Human Bingo

WHAT TO DO:

• Ahead of time run off enough copies for one each (you will need pens too).

• Explain that the aim of the game is to write a different name in each square.

• People need to ask questions to find the person that goes in the square. Model this by reading out one of the squares and asking what the question is, e.g.: loves to sleep in (Do you love to sleep in?)

125 2

is left-handed loves polar bears or fantails does not drink coffee has run a marathon loves to sleep in loves to read books always carries cash is a twin or triplet has a pet knows the first line of the periodic table has never played Minecraft has been snowboarding reads the newspaper wears contact lenses cuts their own hair speaks two or more languages has played a sport hates spiders plays a musical instrument

• People can complete the sheet by themselves or work in pairs. Parents may decide to help their younger children, older children could help those less mobile, more proficient readers could help those not so, etc.

rides a bicycle to work or school can count to ten in Te Reo Maori

likes watching cricket

loves Hokey Pokey ice cream

is the oldest or is an only child has broken a bone

90

9

• You can choose to finish the game when the first person has completed their sheet or let everyone finish.

• After the game, you could discuss any surprises you uncovered.

115 5

Moving In

WHAT YOU NEED:

• A3 paper with or without floor plans of a house on it

• Lots of magazines

• Scissors

• Felt pens

WHAT TO DO:

• Split up into groups 4 or 5 with a range of ages

• Either design the floor plan of a house they will share together or use one you provide

• Look through magazines and cut out what they want to furnish their house with

• After a certain amount of time announce that they are going to have to move in with another family. Two groups work together to join their houses.

DEBRIEF:

• If you designed your own floorplan, what did you notice as a group as you did this?

• What about when it came to furnishing your house? Who did you notice doing what?

• How did you feel when you heard you had to move into someone else’s house?

• How did you make decisions about what to keep and what you had to leave behind?

• Was there any conflict? How was it resolved?

• How did you work together to make the best of a demanding situation?

• Were any voices heard more than others? Less than others?

• How can you take this learning and apply it to your church situation?

Steps

Has talk of an Intergen Camp started you thinking intergenerationally about your church? What this could look like for you can be as varied as we have churches.

Late last year a group of children’s ministry enthusiasts gathered in Mathesons Bay to develop new intergenerational resources to offer the church of Aotearoa New Zealand. The result was Intergenerational Steps. (There is also a podcast to come. Watch this space).

This guide is for those who are already exploring the benefits of an intergenerational journey within their faith communities and are wanting to be more intentional.

This document assumes that, as a church community, you have already done research and thinking around intergenerational ministry. Please contact Liz Eichler, liz.e@sunz.org.nz, for a digital copy.

* People are connecting and building relationships across generations.

* The Body of Christ is serving, sharing and learning together.

* Everyone has the opportunity to give and receive, and we honour the knowledge in the room.

* We use language that is inclusive and easy to understand.

* We welcome all. We are generous in how we include everyone, especially newcomers.

* We respect the traditions of our church as we explore practical ways to include the whole community in the faith practices of our church, i.e. How will we share communion as a community?

* Remember that there will be something for everyone, but not everything will be for everyone.

“Every age has gifts we need and every age has needs we gift.”

Rich Melheim

5

1. YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

These guiding principles reflect an Intergenerational Faith Community:

If you are currently exploring the ‘why’ of intergenerational ministry, please contact us here at Scripture Union. We would love to chat.

When E3 began in 2012 it was a collection of youth who we either convinced or “voluntold” that they were going away on a fun adventure to explore, equip and empower them using our cornerstones of faith formation, creation/conservation care and leadership development as the drivers of growth. We took them into remote and wilderness areas of Aotearoa New Zealand.

They loved it!

So, now, after 10 years of annual E3 expeditions, we have planned more wild adventures for intrepid young people to grow their faith in the great outdoors. There are four 11-day E3’s all starting early December in Canterbury, Otago, Central North Island and—new for 2023— Bay of Islands. We have also planned an inaugural E3 Young Adults expedition (for ages 19-25) in early February.

E3 is a partnership between Adventure Specialties Trust, A Rocha Aotearoa

NZ and SUNZ. Each organization holds Christian faith at its core and contributes their expertise and ministry to each expedition. Faithful financial support has come primarily from The Longview Trust—to whom we are humbled and grateful for funding E3 from the beginning. Each E3 costs on average $22K and we have managed to keep the

cost at $500 per participant for the entire 11 days— about one and a half weeks.

Several years ago, we seized on an opportunity to take E3 to another level by committing intentional time to shaping the content used in the field. This is a combination of our cornerstones and taking current and potential future instructors on a training retreat. This happens annually and is very fruitful in sharing stories and up-skilling our instructor teams. We have embraced StrengthsFinder assessments as tools to help our instructors model effective leadership and empower the participants as they face the expedition challenges.

This December, we are excited to embrace the Advent season on our E3 expeditions. We will challenge our youth to reflect on hope, peace, joy, and love and apply these themes to their leadership, conservation care and faith formation.

Does this challenge you? Will you consider going on an E3 expedition? Will you consider sponsoring an E3 participant or encouraging someone to give it a go?

E3 is challenging and life changing. You can find out more on our SUNZ website https://www.sunz.org.nz/youth/e3/. Registrations will open on 9th August.

PAUL HUMPHREYS

| SUNZ National Leadership Facilitator

CAMP LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

NATALIE DUCHESNE

(North

Island Camps Facilitator)

The first time I was part of a camps leadership weekend was in December 2019. I remember it in a blur if I am honest. We gathered on Pōnui Island for a leadership weekend that the Pōnui camps crew have faithfully put on for a few years. It was the first time I got a sense of our camp leader culture at large. The next year, with the vision to equip our spring and summer camps, we started another North Island leadership weekend. Despite the curveballs and limitations of Covid, we pulled off an exciting gathering. The people who came were energetic, enthusiastic, and hungry for more. This was promising for future gatherings.

In 2021 we facilitated a new weekend for Team Leaders who organise our camps across Aotearoa. To facilitate a specialised retreat to upskill and support them was vital to both leader and camp

development – this is a retreat we now host every second year. In 2022 we added another weekend for leaders in the lead up to winter, increasing it to three North Island camp leadership weekends a year with around 40-60 young adults attending each one. We introduced an optional skills training workshop at our May 2022 gathering. Braving torrential rain, hail, and extreme wind, we upskilled twelve people in the Pirongia bush to ensure a commitment to safety on our camps. We also started partnering with churches and offer places on these weekends to upskill other leaders for their own church camps.

The annual South Island leadership weekend has also grown in numbers over the past few years, and we are considering another event later in the year. How humbling to see the growth and excitement building for this expression of leadership development!

JAYDEN MEADS

(South

Island Camps Facilitator)

It was 2015, and I had just finished high school. Grandma was living in Geraldine at the time. One Sunday morning Ben Necklen attended her church sharing about the SUNZ E3 Wilderness Expeditions. She thought this experience would make an amazing Christmas present for me. She nailed it, as E3 opened me to the world of the outdoors and the start of an incredible career journey.

A year or two later I bumped into Paul Humphreys at Cashmere Presbyterian. We got chatting and from that day on, I was fully involved with SUNZ as a

camp leader and attended SILT (South Island Leader Training). At the time of volunteering on camps I was studying a Bachelor of Sustainability and Outdoor Education at Ara Institute of Canterbury. I am grateful that I had the opportunities to apply the skills from the degree I studied on camps and the skills I learnt from SUNZ camps and SILT to my degree. In turn, my SUNZ experience helped me achieve my final degree. I valued the intuition of the masterminds behind SUNZ camps and SILT to meet me where I was at and be able to upskill and learn in a safe, supportive environment where I could give things a go. And now, in my role as the South Island Camp Facilitator, I am loving the challenge and opportunity to provide support for others to grow in leadership.

OUR VISION FOR FUTURE CAMP LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Our SU camp leaders are a unique and exciting group of individuals. They are instinctively drawn to our programmes, demonstrating a passionate commitment to shaping the faith of young people in the context of creation. These young people are tactile, relational, and energetic. So, what does it look like from here to be continually investing in this growing group of leaders?

We have reached a pivotal moment in this programme and have recently renamed our North and South Island leadership training to GATHER North and GATHER South. This is in response to

a broader kaupapa than just ‘training,’ and to focus on three threads we see as essential to shape and stitch together these camp leader training weekends.

Space is curated for camp leaders to further develop leadership skills in the outdoor youth sector

Opportunity for leaders to connect and collaborate

Priority on investing in spiritual health

what we have done the past few years

what our leaders are asking for

what we have identified as a need

We invite you on our journey, whether that be in camp leadership, to join us on the different expressions of a GATHER weekend, to share this opportunity with people you know, or to take part in shaping what this training programme could look like in the future.

Interested in being a camp leader? Visit sunz.org.nz/youth/get-involved-as-acamp-leader/. Want to help or find out more? Email natalie.d@sunz.org.nz or jayden.m@sunz.org.nz.

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ENGAGE APP

BIBLE READING GUIDE

ENGAGE DAILY BIBLE READING APP IS A NEW WAY TO ENGAGE WITH GOD THROUGH SCRIPTURE. NEW AUDIO BIBLE READINGS, ALONG WITH DISCUSSION QUESTIONS YOU CAN FOLLOW WITH ON-SCREEN, ARE RELEASED EVERY DAY. A YOUNG KIWI READS THE SCRIPTURE TO YOU, AND AT THE END OF EACH READING THEY ASK YOU A FEW THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS AND THEY FINISH WITH A PRAYER. YOU CAN LISTEN AS A GROUP OR BY YOURSELF, AND CAN LINK TO A FACEBOOK PAGE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE QUESTIONS.

ENGAGE DAILY BIBLE READING APP IS A NEW WAY TO ENGAGE WITH GOD THROUGH SCRIPTURE. NEW AUDIO BIBLE READINGS, ALONG WITH DISCUSSION QUESTIONS YOU CAN FOLLOW WITH ON-SCREEN, ARE RELEASED EVERY DAY. A YOUNG KIWI READS THE SCRIPTURE TO YOU, AND AT THE END OF EACH READING THEY ASK YOU A FEW THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS AND THEY FINISH WITH A PRAYER. YOU CAN LISTEN AS A GROUP OR BY YOURSELF, AND CAN LINK TO A FACEBOOK PAGE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE QUESTIONS.

AVAI L AB L E IN ENGLISH AND TE REO MĀORI O N

KO TE TANGATA KEI

TE WĀHI NGARO O TE RUNGA

RAWA TŌNA KĀINGA, KA NOHO IA I RARO

I TE TAUMARUMARUTANGA O

TE KAHA RAWA. KA KĪIA E AHAU A IHOWĀ:

''Ko ia to-ku piringa, to-ku pa-, to-ku Atua, ka whakawhirinaki ahau ki a ia.''

NGĀ WAIATA (PAIPERA TAPU)

THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL FIND REST IN THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY. THIS I DECLARE ABOUT THE LORD: ''He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.''

PSALM 91.1-2 (NLT)

Light

ELI SAVILL | Youth Consultant—Waikato & Bay of Plenty

for the path

How often do we find ourselves questioning who we are? I mean, really questioning our worth or value? Today, where time is money and everything has a value, it is easy to ask ourselves how much value we bring to this world.

For many, this can be quite daunting and bring us down, especially when times are tough. Quite often, we will fall into the pit repeating the negative stories we tell ourselves, leaving us to question our own abilities and worth. These thoughts can be dark paths that lead us to despair. However, the Lord has given us a light to lead us out of these pits, His WORD. When I find myself on such dark paths, I recall a Bible passage learned as a child, Psalm 139:1-18.

‘You have searched me, Lord, and you know me

…my going out and my lying down …and you lay your hand upon me. …For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made …when I awake, I am still with you.’ (NIV)

This beautiful poem reminds me of my value in the eyes of the Lord and how He sees me. I remember the opening call of

David for God to search his heart, which is such a bold request knowing his story. This gives me courage because I know when I ask God to do the same, He will see His Son in my place.

I also see how we cannot escape God even when we are alone. God is there with me knowing my next step, my every move. There is no escaping God. When David mentions making his bed in Sheol, it reminds me of Jonah in the belly of the whale down in the depths of the ocean crying out for God's rescue; God hears him and comes to his aid. Even in our darkest moments, the pitch black is illuminated by the presence of God.

I also see that He made us carefully and with precision. That even inside of the womb, God was there stitching our bodies together with care and making us with a purpose for this life.

So, when I find myself lost in the darkness, it is these verses that come to mind. These are the verses that I cling to, that light my path and bring me out of that dark space. Reading them out loud and allowing them to wash over me reminds me I was made by a God who loves and cares for me, a God who made me for a purpose and who has a plan for me.

Meet ELI

Eli, our writer for ‘Light for the Path’, is the SUNZ Youth Consultant for Waikato & Bay of Plenty. We asked him to introduce himself to you. Here’s what he had to say:

Kia Ora, my name is Eli Savill. I am married to Noelle Savill, and we have two little boys Ebenezer and Solomon. I am a true Waikato boy with deep roots in the area. I grew up attending Whitiora Bible Church, and as a young boy I chose to follow Christ. In my teenage years, my grandmother, Edna Lind, who lived with us, sparked a passion for serving Christ with her amazing stories of her time on the mission field in Africa.

I got involved in youth ministry under Malcolm Barrow, who had me running holiday programmes, rallies and helping with the youth group. This led me into running the youth group at Whitiora. At this time, I met Noelle, who I fell madly in love with, and after two years of long-distance dating, I moved to America for study at Moody Bible College where I got a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Ministry. While at Moody, I had a lot of opportunities to serve God. On graduation, Noelle & I returned to

New Zealand where we have run a camp, set up a community centre and helped lead youth groups. I am now working on a Bachelor of Counselling at Wintec, as I see a major need for mental health support in Aotearoa New Zealand.

My passion for serving in youth ministry is to see lifelong disciples of Christ fostered and grown. Discipleship has been a key part of my spiritual formation and finding my identity in Christ. I long for this to happen with our youth in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

This issue is in your mailbox towards the end of the JULY school holidays.

APRIL ĀPERIRA

CAMPS

Pōnui Fishing (16-21 April) was another huge success with 20 boys enjoying fishing, sports, archery, a Burma trail, an overnight survival challenge, games and “some of the best camp food ever... including fish n’ chips made with the catch of the day! The campers were challenged to discuss big questions of life and faith.

Wild Wāhine North (14-16 April) also on Pōnui Island for girls to invest in their spiritual journey by exploring faith in the great outdoors. Wild Wāhine South on Banks Peninsula (21-23 April).

ELI SAVILL

Youth Consultant for Waikato & BoP started with SUNZ in April.

BEYOND EXPERIENCE (BE)

A short but powerful weekend, 28-30 April, at El Rancho, Waikanae for 62 BE attendees and mentors. The group studied the encouragement of Romans 12 and got involved in planting natives

on the sand dunes. Kapiti Prayer Group visited on Saturday. So many volunteers helped make this weekend happen, we are so grateful. We now have 20 first year BE’ers, 16 second year BE’ers undertaking Stream Projects and 26 Kaiārahi/mentors in this programme.

MAY MEI

NLT

National Leadership Team met in Wellington 3-4 May to pray and plan.

AUCKLAND OFFICE MOVE

Our Auckland team stoically packed up and moved to temporary offices while the rented Rockfield Rd office will be repaired to be watertight and warmer. It’s been a good opportunity to sort and declutter. The ministry team juggled this with WAY2GO and other engagements. Annette attended a Wananga at Laidlaw College 26-27 May and worked with intermediates at Glendowie Presbyterian on 28 May.

LIZZIE MOORE

Lizzie has been speaking to groups around Otago-Southland; Mataura Presbyterian 28 May, Dunedin youth events 29-30 May. She is now on maternity leave.

Please check out the News and Stories section on our website www.sunz.org.nz for more information.

COMING UP | Save the date for our Zoom AGM at 7pm on Thursday 14 September. We will send you more details closer to the time.

WAY2GO STARTED IN MAY...

Our Children & Families (CHIFAM) team kicked off the 2023 WAY2GO programme on 20 May in both Tauranga & Nelson, then in Palmerston North 27 May. The theme is The Great Invitation, to consider how to make ‘God’s Good News’ known to children and families. The participants were enthusiastic and passionate about this ministry. See more here https:// www.sunz.org.nz/children-and-families/ way2go/way2go-2023/

JUNE HUNE

...CONTINUED IN JUNE

WAY2GO moved on to Whangārei & Dunedin 10 June, Wellington & Invercargill 17 June, Auckland 24 June with one more NI event in New Plymouth 22 July (last one in Christchurch on 19 August).

BOARD

The SUNZ Board met in Wellington 16-17 June, book-ended by Finance Committee meetings to approve FY22-23 accounts in preparation for Annual Review and AGM on 14 September.

SUPAKIDZ

Sadly, our new TOP SECRET camp at Whangaparaoa 3-7 July was cancelled due to very few campers signing on. The CHIFAM team will reassess planning and advertising for SUPAKidZ camps.

SU YOUTH CAMPS

Whakapapa Classic, Ruapehu 2-6 July

Season & Alight, Kaikōura 2-6 July

Ruapehu Adventure 9-13 July

Wakatipu Base, Queenstown 9-13 July

FAREWELL SYLVIA COULTER

On 23 July, SUNZ host an event at St Chads Meadowbank to celebrate Sylvia’s retirement after 20 years on staff. We have been so blessed by Sylvia’s faithful relationship building and network of supporters she has inspired to journey with Scripture Union.

ĀPŌPŌ

Andy Banks & Neville Bartley ran an Āpōpō workshop for Mt Albert Baptist Youth Group. The programme is being promoted directly to schools. Neville and Andy are now qualified Mental Health First Aid instructors .

JULY HŪRAE

NEW!

Holiday Programme for 5-11 year olds, based on the award-winning Diary of a Disciple: Luke’s Story, this introduces children to Jesus and invites them to consider his question: ‘Who do you say I am?’

Each day unpacks a little of Jesus’ story from Luke’s Gospel, beginning with the traditional Christmas narrative, moving on to explore some of Jesus’ teachings and miracles, leading up to and concluding with the Easter story.

Price $28.00

$2.00

Day book + Jotter books for the Holiday Programme and a Journal to encourage kids into Bible reading.

10 Pack for $8.50

Who is the Light? is a 20page booklet for children aged 5-8, presenting Jesus as the Light of the World and how those who follow him are called to be like light too.

Price $3.00

Jesus is the Light? is a poetic exploration of Jesus’ identity as the Light of the World aimed to engage children who may not be from a church background and is brought to life with beautiful illustrations & colouring pages.

S U N Z c a m p s

B u i l d i n g F a i t h !

B e f o r e C a m p

‘ I n e e d h e l p u n d e r s t a n d i n g h o w G o d ’ s w o r d s p e a k s t o m e . ’

A f t e r C a m p

‘ I r e a l l y e n j o y e d t h e w h o l e e x p e r i e n c e , b u t m y f a v o u r i t e h i g h l i g h t s w e r e h o w w e g o t t a u g h t t h a t G o d ’ s i n v i t a t i o n s p r e a d s w i d e r a n d w i d e r , o u r f a i t h d i g s d e e p e r a n d d e e p e r a n d t h e p o w e r o f G o d g r o w s s t r o n g e r a n d s t r o n g e r . ’

Y O U C A N H E L P T H I S T R A N S F O R M A T I O N !

Your donation will help campers and leaders grow through mountain top experiences, adventuring through challenges, discovering the community of Christ, building faith to ignite their passion for God J o i n u s a s a m o n t h l y d o n o r

Monthly gifts enables us to budget and maintain the continuity of our ministries,so we can help more young people to be impacted by the hope of the gospel. Set up a monthly donation online at sunz.org.nz/donate-adventure or by using the form overleaf.

Give a Gift

Give a Gift

Please consider giving a gift today – your donation will change the lives of children and young people as they ignite their faith and passion for God.

Please consider giving a gift today – your donation will change the lives of children and young people as they ignite their faith and passion for God.

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$500 $250 $100 $50 $30$

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Regular donation by automatic payment

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You can also set up a regular donation by automatic payment, either via your online banking or by visiting your bank. Please use SUNZ account number 02-0560-0036204-003 and quote ‘ADV0723’, plus your supporter number (if known) or surname and postcode in the reference.

You can also set up a regular donation by automatic payment, either via your online banking or by visiting your bank. Please use SUNZ account number 02-0560-0036204-003 and quote ‘ADV0723’, plus your supporter number (if known) or surname and postcode in the reference.

below and the amount $

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and frequency of your donation. Alternatively you can let us know by emailing accounts@sunz.org.nz

and frequency of your donation. Alternatively you can let us know by emailing accounts@sunz.org.nz

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Other ways to give

Other ways to give

You can also donate a one-off gift to Account 02-0560-0036204-00 quoting ‘ADV0723’, plus your supporter number (if known) or surname and postcode in the reference. If this is your first gift to SUNZ please email accounts@sunz.org.nz with the details of your donation – this enables us to thank you and send you a tax receipt. Or donate online at sunz.org.nz/donate-adventure or by calling 0508 423 836

You can also donate a one-off gift to Account 02-0560-0036204-00 quoting ‘ADV0723’, plus your supporter number (if known) or surname and postcode in the reference. If this is your first gift to SUNZ please email accounts@sunz.org.nz with the details of your donation – this enables us to thank you and send you a tax receipt. Or donate online at sunz.org.nz/donate-adventure or by calling 0508 423 836

Please post your completed form to Scripture Union New Zealand, PO Box 760, Wellington 6140

Please post your completed form to Scripture Union New Zealand, PO Box 760, Wellington 6140

Thank you!

Thank you!