JULY ADVENTURE MAGAZINE 2024 by Scripture Union New Zealand

EDITORIAL

Kia ora koutou,

Did you know Scripture Union New Zealand’s first camp was held in 1931? It took place at Browns Bay and six boys attended. It was run in the summer under the oversight of the ‘world-famous-in-New-Zealand’ Doc Martin and was a great success.

That means, we have run camps here in Aotearoa, New Zealand for 93 years now. And over that time, thousands of young people have been to SUNZ camps.

Over the years, the styles and places of camps have changed enormously and we now run adventure-based camps with all sorts of activities. Biking, tramping, rafting, skiing, crafting or drama—anything goes on a Scripture Union camp!

But in spite of all the changes, one thing has remained the same—we want to see the temporary community of camps have a long-term impact on the faith of the children and young people who attend. We want to see each generation of children and young people discover Jesus and become lifelong disciples who serve the world around them.

We take these words from Psalm 145:4 very seriously.

Mā tētahi whakatupuranga e whakamoemiti āu mahi, tae noa atu ki tētahi whakatupuranga; e kōrero hoki āu mahi nunui.

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.

This intergenerational connection is at the heart of our camping ministry and we have been blessed to see it at work in all those involved in our camps over the years.

This issue of the Adventure takes a look at SUNZ’s camping ministry. Read and enjoy it! And as you read, please be praying that the work of the Kingdom will be continuing in the new generation of campers who are attending the camps.

Ngā mihi nui,

HILARY HAGUE National Director Scripture Union New Zealand

THE

arc OF SCRIPTURE

NATALIE DUCHESNE | SUNZ National Youth Camps Leader

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘arc’? Perhaps your mind draws you to narratives you heard earlier in life around Noah’s ark—the ark itself and the arc of the rainbow as promise of peace and faithfulness from God. Maybe your mind thinks of the word ‘arch’ and the archway in a striking expression of architecture nearby. Perhaps mathematical formulas may come to mind (again, I say ‘perhaps’).

Arc is becoming an increasingly familiar concept to our youth campers and leaders alike as we jump into God’s word considering the bigger picture—the arc of Scripture. Caitlin Janes (North Island Camps Facilitator), Jayden Meads (South Island Camps Facilitator) and I are coming up for air from writing the year’s Bible engagement resources for

camps across Aotearoa for 2024, and I’ll tell you now, it’s all about the arc!

As we open the Bible on camp, we do so in the SUNZ way—in prayer, to deepen our relationship, while drawing on our communities, protecting the integrity of Scripture and opening it for life. These are five guiding principles we believe help us approach Scripture holistically. The arc particularly helps us with protecting the integrity of Scripture, and I would also reason that it helps us open in for life too. I’ll level with you, the way my brain works, I could probably link it to all five, but let’s explore the two latter concepts for now.

When we talk about the arc of Scripture, we are talking about God’s big story. Wherever we find ourselves, from Genesis to Revelation, we understand it in light of the bigger picture.

This doesn’t just help make sense of what we’re

reading, but it means that we too are drawn into the narrative! This is lifechanging for our rangatahi. If you can open Scripture and find yourself in there, in practical, applicable and healing ways, suddenly the Word of God is no longer an irrelevant text, but a text that is dynamic and, in fact, a paraphrase of Paul’s in Hebrews chapter 4 that I’m particularly drawn to ... ʻthe living word of God.ʼ ALIVE and living alongside us for a lifetime.

We’re now approaching youth camps acknowledging five movements of the arc, which looks somewhat like this (while remaining nimble to the topic we’re exploring):

1 God creates all things with unique purposes and calls them good (the beginning)

2 Separation from God and the lack of hope that follows (the fall)

3 Jesus came to earth as the hope of all the world (redemption)

4 We are called to contribute to God’s Kingdom here on earth (restoration)

5 Our hope isn't temporary—it extends past this life and into eternity (sabbath)

But wait, there’s more!

While doing this thinking, we’ve aligned this with the patterns we see on camp, particularly Tuckman’s stages of group development1 as we form, storm, normalise and perform within our camp communities. Another arc! The more you look, the more you see these patterns.

Campers come to camp… the group forms. A lot of energy is outputted from

IF YOU CAN OPEN SCRIPTURE AND FIND YOURSELF IN THERE, IN PRACTICAL, APPLICABLE AND HEALING WAYS, SUDDENLY THE WORD OF GOD IS NO LONGER AN IRRELEVANT TEXT

our leaders to set the scene for the week and establish positive culture and connection within the group as we agree on goals and begin to set ourselves up for the week ahead of us. Then trust is built, often when voicing opinions or testing dynamics and limits and while some campers may be pleasant, positive, and eager, others may be feeling anxious, suspicious, or insecure. This is the storming phase of people figuring each other out and when we see things not always going to plan in the tiredness or uncertainty of camp. Pushing through these feelings and ensuring that those on the margins are enveloped is crucial and brings a new harmony and depth to the group, which creates a new and healthier norm. From there we see the group go to new heights as they navigate their relationships with each other,

WE ARE CHAMPIONING THE ARC OF SCRIPTURE AND SHOWING OUR YOUTH CAMPERS HOW THEY ARE ALL PART OF GOD’S BIG STORY

themselves, God, and the outdoors— performing.

This pattern occurs at different speeds on each camp and can be seen in a myriad of ways, but how interesting to line that up with the arc of scripture—the beginning (form), the fall (storm), redemption (norm), restoration (perform)… and then after all that, we rest to do it all again! This is more obvious in some of our ‘journey’ programs, such as Wild Wāhine, or our E3 expeditions when we’re travelling as a group from a to b, but the subtle expressions of this on our other programmes are still evident.

We’re approaching August, and with it marks one year of being a new youth camps team! In February, we held a hui for the team to debrief summer camps and set ourselves up for the year. The place we’re drawn to do the most mahi in is around culture. How to inform, adapt and react to culture on camps in light of the cultural moment we find ourselves in at large.

In May, we held ‘GATHER North: Winter,’ our North Island youth camp leadership weekend, which was our first opportunity to walk through some of these concepts with our camp leaders around the North Island. While in the Pirongia ngāhere, we

explored the character of Jesus and the influence he had on culture on earth and the role Christ today. The weekend was riddled with ideas, input, and momentum around culture within our camping ministry.

The arc of scripture played a key part of unpacking these themes over the weekend and drew out observations as to when we experience Tuckman’s form, storm, norm, perform model on camps. We prioritise having partner organisations and churches along to these GATHER weekends as it is a natural way to live up to the mission of SUNZ and serve the church, but also gain the wider perspective when hearing the challenges felt by Christian camping ministries and youth ministries. Again, the arc was both helpful and evident!

As we continue to roll out the youth camps this year, we are championing the arc of scripture and showing our youth campers how they are all part of God’s big story.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

GOING DEEPER

28 SEP - 2 OCT

Pōnui Island, Y11 - Y13

MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE

29 SEP - 3 OCT Mt Ruapehu, Y11 - Y13

GAIN

29 SEP - 3 OCT

Marlborough Sounds, Y7 - Y13

CREATIVE EDGE

2-6 OCT

Wainuiomata, Y6 - Y8

PŌNUI SPRING ADVENTURE

3-7 OCT Pōnui Island Y7 - Y8

SEASON & ALIGHT

6-10 OCT Kaikōura, Y7 - Y13

SNOW BLAST

6-10 OCT Mt Ruapehu, Y7 - Y10

SUSTAIN

6-10 OCT Raglan, Y7 - Y10

OF A SUNZ CAMPER Day in the Life

CLANG! CLATTER! BANG! CLINK! I wake to the clashing sound of pots wielded as morning alarms by our leaders to get us up and ready for our first day at SUNZ camp. I stretch, yawn, and emerge from my cosy tent, breathing in the crisp morning air. I had slept under the stars, surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature. We pray together, ʻThe peace of Christ be with you. And also, with you.ʼ We read scripture and praise our God, praying for the world and our day. ʻYes! Yes! Yes! Amen.ʼ

Breakfast is prepared by our wonderful, volunteer cooks. Today's menu features Weetbix, cornflakes, toast, and porridge—the perfect fuel for a day of adventure. The hall fills with the chatter of excited campers.

With bellies full, we set off on an adventure—a hike through the lush forest heading down to the lake. As we near our destination the lake starts to appear in full glory. I felt at one with nature, my senses alive with the sights, sounds, and scents of the wilderness. We set off on our sail boats, some choose to kayak, and others paddle boarding.

Lunchtime smells of sizzling burgers waft through the air, making my stomach growl with anticipation. Lunch is a favourite time of the day. I join the hungry queue, chatting with other campers about our morning adventures. Some share tales of sailing far down the lake, while others gleefully confess about tipping the leaders out of their kayaks.

JAYDEN MEADS | SUNZ South Island Camps Facilitator

I grab my Bible ready to learn more about God. Today we are looking at the theme of hope. We open our Bibles to Genesis to find God saying, ‘It is Good!’ ʻYes! Yes! Yes! Amen.ʼ The camp leaders encourage us to find something in creation that represents hope. I hold up a simple stick with moss and a sapling peeking its way out generating new life. Creation restoring itself is where I see hope.

After a full day of activities, dinner time is very welcome. We scramble to stand on chairs to sing my favourite grace to the tune of the superman theme song; ʻThank you, Lord, for giving us food.ʼ We eat, laugh, and share tales of the day’s escapades and learning. It is moments like these that I cherish—the sense of community, the joy of simple pleasures with new friends.

The last rays of the sun beams through the trees. The air is electric with excitement as we get ready to play a crazy game. ʻToday's mission is Capture the Flag!ʼ one of our leaders’ shouts. Campers take off in all directions and the game soon ends in a sprint to a cool pond hidden away in the trees. Music and laughter fill the air. The leaders show us new ways to jump in, making the biggest splashes I have ever seen.

We pray and reflect on our day together, ʻThe Peace of Christ be with you… and also, with you.ʼ We give thanks to God for our day that started with hope, filled with joy, and ends with peace. For a moment there is silence. I hear a tui chirping as it feeds from the harakeke. ʻThank you, God, for a fun day on the lake” a camper says out loud. ʻThank you, God, for being our Hope” another camper says. ʻGod is with us in the light of day. God is with us in the dark of night. We are God’s forgiven; God is with us. Amen.ʼ

Now in the dark, as I snuggle into my sleeping bag, I feel grateful for this day in the great outdoors—a day filled with adventure, friendship, and learning about God. I pray that more people find hope in God.

OF SUNZ CAMP LEADERS DEVELOPMENT

Scripture Union camps are possible because of the generosity and dedication of a group of absolute legends—our camp leaders! Many of our leaders have been on long journeys with the SUNZ camping ministry. Our camps and campers are so blessed by the fruits of our leaders’ growth as they take hold of new opportunities and step up to new challenges. We are stoked to be able to celebrate the leadership journeys of a handful of our wonderful leaders, each of whom have stepped up in big ways to become integral parts of SUNZ camps.

PATRICK SANJOSE

Patrick is a committed member of the Pōnui Junior and Sustain leadership teams, and he is now gearing up to co-team lead Sustain with Amy Coates in October. Throughout Patrick’s leadership journey, he has had the opportunity to serve in all sorts of ways; small group leading, planning activities, helping with musical worship, instructing boating sessions.

Since being involved in SUNZ as a leader, Patrick has grown in confidence and met many people, both leaders and campers, who have encouraged him in his faith. Camps remain significant highlights of Patrick’s years, and he has particularly

enjoyed seeing former campers of his stepping up into leadership alongside him. We appreciate Patrick’s willingness to get stuck in, and his fun and inclusive nature.

MATSON KYTE

Matson first started leading in 2017 on Wild Wanaka (now Aspire) and immediately fell in love with the SUNZ experience of exploring faith with youth while out in creation. He has been a committed and valued leader (and now team leader), ever since and continues to find camps to be incredibly fulfilling experiences of service and connection with people from many walks of life.

CAITLIN JANES | SUNZ North Island Camps Facilitator

In his time leading on SUNZ camps, Matson has become passionate about learning how to best serve the teams he works with, leading through a Jesus-centred lens. He has taken hold of opportunities to step out of his comfort zone and has grown hugely in confidence as a result. The leadership skills and experiences he has gained on SUNZ camps have served him well in everyday life, whether in youth and young adults ministry at church, or stepping into leadership positions within his context of post-graduate study.

AILIS ASGHAR

Ailis has journeyed with SUNZ from being a camper on Pōnui Senior in high school, through to now gearing up to team lead Going Deeper on Pōnui Island at the end of September! She remembers seeing God work in huge ways in her time as a camper, which drew her into a desire to be involved with camps as a leader.

Throughout her journey with SUNZ, Ailis has been surrounded by people who have encouraged her in faith formation and leadership. She is hugely passionate about camps and their significance and has a deep desire to be involved in camping ministry into the future. We really value all the energy Ailis brings to SUNZ camping ministry, her

desire for input into her own growth as a leader and the generosity and fun she brings to our teams.

CHARIS ALLISON

Charis was first involved in camps as a camper on junior snow camps, drawn in by the incredible sense of community she experienced. As she came back to snow camps yearly and experienced other camps, she looked forward to one day being a leader herself, hoping to one day embody the same sense of fun and community she saw within the leadership teams she looked up to.

Since stepping up into leadership, Charis has seen herself grow in confidence, thoughtfulness, and practical facilitation skills. She has grown in her ability to connect with others, spark discussions and get people thinking more deeply, all of which has permeated outside of camps into her everyday life. She credits SUNZ camps with helping her faith to come alive in the outdoors, which has hugely influenced her decision to study outdoor education at university. We are so blessed to have Charis in our leadership community.

Charis is our Light for the Path writer in this issue, on pages 24-25.

It is the third day of camp. After a great day in the outdoors yesterday, everyone is fizzing for more, but the weather report isn’t looking good. You are going to have to pull out those activities you have saved for such an occasion but it’s looking like a long day. Thirty minutes after you announced you won’t be going up the mountain, the campers are already restless. People have become so comfortable with each other, which is a strange blend of unity and such low walls that jokes are going a little too far or comments are alarmingly pointed. Sibling dynamics are surfacing that mean they feel safe at camp, but kindness isn’t always the priority. You remember the leadership meeting that morning and the acknowledgment that today will require some crowd control, but surely there must be another way! As you look around at these dynamics your mind begins to whirl.

What gifts or skills do you have to offer today? Will your focus be on including those campers still on the margins? Will you provide some high energy and positivity during the activities? Are you facilitating the Bible engagement content today and have some creativity to add to engage people for longer or for more points in the day? Are you keen to challenge the campers and their ability to hike for a few hours despite the rain?

Take a moment to think where you would fit best on a day like this and what you could offer to your team.

NATALIE DUCHESNE | SUNZ National Youth Camps Leader

This is one of a handful of imaginative readings written to correlate to each day of a five-day camp that we read at the start of five respective workshops at ‘GATHER North: Winter’ held at Pirongia in May. The exercise was designed to bring people into a deeper awareness of the movements of a camp and the ways a group of campers operate during different moments of a camp.

We are part way through a year of focusing on understanding and influencing culture throughout our time together at the five GATHER Youth Camp leadership development weekends of 2024. In the room in May we had first time leaders, partnership organisations, returning leaders, SUNZ staff from across different ministries, and team leaders of our winter camps. With such diverse experience, and the Pirongia ngā here to explore, the conversation was rich!

We’re looking forward to the next set of weekends, ‘GATHER South: Spring’ near Dunedin, and ‘GATHER North: Spring’ in the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park to keep the momentum going!

Grace Tennent

camp KiDs church

CONNECTION

As the Kids and Families lead at a local church, I want our children to have the best opportunities to come to know Jesus and to begin a lifelong walk of discipleship with Him. I am always looking for opportunities to strengthen our ministry, and SU camps provide a distinct experience for our children beyond what we can offer at the local church level.

For the last couple of years, we have taken a group of children to the SUPAkidz camp in Auckland. We have also taken members of our team, including youth, as leaders. These camps have helped our children grow in faith and in friendships with one another. They have developed relationships between our leaders and children and have been a great source of training and experience for our leaders. We have also asked church members to pray for a specific child each day on camp. It has been great to involve the whole church across the generations in supporting our children in prayer.

Another exciting development is the continuing love for the camp experience which has seen those who have grown too old for SUPAkidz graduate onto the Pōnui Spring Adventure intermediate

camp. It is great to be able to promote an annual camp opportunity for our children and young people. Camps have become a real highlight of our kids and youth programmes, with children and youth encouraging one another to go as they share stories of their experiences from previous years.

Most excitingly, our children have invited their non-church friends to come along to camp and some of these friends have subsequently started to attend our church and bring their parents along with them. The culture of inviting friends to church and to camp is something we can all learn from and be inspired by our children who naturally share the love of Jesus with those around them.

The impact of camps on our church has been amazing. We have experienced growth in our kids and youth ministry both numerically and in terms of the depth of faith. Growth in our team, growth in our evangelism as we encourage the children and youth to invite friends, and growth intergenerationally as adult members pray for the children and youth.

Thank you, SUNZ, for providing these camps!

SARAH VIGERS | Kids & Families Lead, Glendowie Presbyterian Church

Welcome! Check out our ideas! Pull it out! & pass it around

There are many journeys we will take in our lives—to school, to the supermarket, on holiday... Have you ever wondered about our whole lives being a journey and what the actual destination is? As Christians, we may find ourselves with differing destinations, or at least differing language for what is the same journey. My point is to think about not getting stuck, not thinking you have arrived, but to consider where you are heading and the journey that is involved.

I am reminded of a song I grew up singing ‘The Servant Song,’ and these words in particular:

We are pilgrims on a journey We are travellers on the road We are here to help each other Walk the mile and bear the load.

(Richard Gillard, 1977)

Who are you journeying with? Who is keeping you company? And most importantly, who is journeying with the children and families in your church? Children take journeys every day and with them are their friends, family, teachers, sports coaches, and many others.

In this edition of the WAY2GO magazine, we will look at ideas for the journey, and for building relationships while on the journey.

Liz Eichler

Children and Families Team Leader, SUNZ

JOINING CHILDREN ON THEIR

SpiritualJourney

In Luke 24 we join Jesus on a journey with his friends, though they did not realise who he was at first. As Jesus journeys along the Road to Emmaus, he gives us a picture of how we may join children (and anyone) on their spiritual journey.

SOMETIMES IT TAKES AN OUTSIDER TO SHOW JESUS TO

CHILDREN (VS 15-24) Jesus appeared to the two disciples as an outsider. They did not recognise him for who he was. Often in our work with children it takes an outsider (not a stranger but someone they may only have known for a brief time or who they know outside of their family) to introduce them to Jesus.

USE SCRIPTURE TO SHOW JESUS TO CHILDREN

(VS 2527) Jesus used Scripture to show himself to them. If we are working with children, we need to not only be familiar with Scripture, but to internalise it. When you read the Bible for yourself don’t just read it to hear God speaking but read it also to become a part of the story of God in the life of his people.

GIVE CHILDREN SPACE TO EXPERIENCE JESUS

FOR THEMSELVES (VS 28) Jesus gave the two disciples the chance to think about what he had just shared with

them. We need to give children that opportunity. It may be asking them a question that they don’t have to answer out loud or asking them to draw or write something. It may be creating a space for silence as an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to show them Jesus as they sit and contemplate God and his word.

AIM TO HAVE CHILDREN’S HEARTS BURNING AS WE OPEN SCRIPTURE

WITH THEM (VS 32)Jesus must have opened Scripture in such an amazing way that the disciple’s hearts did burn. There are so many different methods of making the Bible come alive for children. Have you thought of trying something different when it comes to presenting Bible stories?

ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO SHARE THE REAL JESUS

WITH OTHERS (VS 33, 35) The disciples could not wait to get back and tell the others that they had not only seen Jesus but had spent time with him. Can you imagine children being so excited about Jesus that they just want to tell their family and friends about him?

Be encouraged, we all have a wonderful privilege and an awesome opportunity to walk alongside children as their guide to Jesus.

Relationships Building FOR THE JOURNEY

Journeys have a start and an end. What happens along the way is as important as reaching the destination. The same can be said of our children’s programmes. Good children’s programmes are important, but we can be so concerned with well run programmes that we fail to do the main thing – build relationships with the children. How do we do this?

• It takes time—plan and prepare, so that you have time to talk with the children.

• Small groups – good small group times are important.

• Authenticity – get to know their names, interests, birthdays, and other important events in their lives.

• We need to respect and value each child.

TOP 10 TIPS

1Get on their level physically so you can talk and listen face to face.

2Talk in language they will understand without being condescending.

3Find out about their daily lives and pray about these ‘ordinary’ things.

4 Show your respect for them and give them a sense of ownership by allowing them choices.

5 Ask genuine questions that require them to think rather than ‘closed’ questions with standard answers.

6 Encourage them to ask their own questions and help them discover the answers.

7 Be positive in what you say about them and encourage them to hope and dream.

8 Apologise to them when you do something wrong and try to make amends.

9Chat to them outside of group time—if possible, go to other things they’re involved in.

10Pray for them.

WAY2GO GREATEST HITS VOLUME 1

We’ve celebrated 20 years of WAY2GO Children’s Ministry training by producing a compendium of Bible Engagement resources from our WAY2GO magazines. From choosing the right Bible, to ideas for at home and at church, our hope and prayer is that you will enjoy using these resources and that the life and faith of those you journey with will be enriched. Watch out for Volume 2! $5

THE RESTORATION STATION

At The Restoration Station, children will be introduced to Jesus as the restorer. Using key stories from John’s Gospel, children will discover how Jesus is the master craftsman who heals and restores. Each day they will be given the opportunity to explore who Jesus is and respond in appropriate ways

MORE THAN A flash in the pan

NIGEL WINDER

| SUNZ Children & Families Consultant, Southland

SUNZ’ SUPAkidz camps for primaryaged children are a huge amount of work and fun at the same time. At times, we at Scripture Union have stopped to ask ourselves what difference in the long run can a four-to-five-day camp have in the lives of our young campers? Is camp just a flash in the pan?

As we have reflected on that question, we have been reminded that our mission is to work with churches which are hopefully not temporary communities. Our camps are an extension of and outworking of the church's ongoing mission. We are just another link in that chain. We hope that churches will send leaders and children with their non-church friends to be part of a faithstimulating experience that they will take back into their church faith communities. We are grateful for campers getting excited about the Bible and in turn getting their families more excited about their Bible engagement when they get home. We have seen leaders grow in their confidence and desire to serve more in their own churches. We have heard of kids whose families don’t go to church becoming a catalyst for them seeking out

a church to attend and belong to. Where churches have provided food, prayed, subsidized Bible reading material, along with leaders and campers, we see the community of camp grow well beyond just the campers and leaders present, and we see the lifespan of the camp community and its impact extend well beyond a few days.

Our fears of only having short-term impact have been alleviating by the number of campers returning each year and then eventually graduating into youth camps. Some campers have become leaders, and some leaders have continued their journey with SUNZ into our leadership development programmes like Beyond Experience and Exodus Prime.

From my own cooking experience, a flash in a pan has the potential to set other things on fire. May our camps continue to set faith on fire for all those directly and indirectly involved, and may they have an ongoing impact over a long period of time.

Exodus Prime is a camp for churches and schools to send young people between Years 10-13 to develop their leadership skills. The young people are nominated by their church, or their school and they attend a 5-day camp in January and then meet with a mentor once a month for the rest of the year.

This camp is a little different than our other SU camps where the camp runs on a 4-year cycle, so if a young person comes at Year 10, they will learn new things each year they attend. Each year, however, is also stand-alone so they will benefit from what they learn that year even if they are unable to attend other years.

While, like many of our other camps, the young people become part of a temporary community while they are on camp, they also become part of our young leader’s community which means they become part of a community of past, present and future campers. This community is a place where we discuss leadership things, and where we share prayer requests for upcoming things. It is also a community where usually every two years, we have get-togethers during the year and do a day with some training, some fun and just an opportunity to catch up.

On the camp in January the community is a little different than your average camp community, because we expect these young leaders to step up and lead. They become part of the fabric of the running of the camp. Every morning and evening, part of their challenge is that each person has a go at presenting a Bible engagement time with their small groups. They then receive feedback from their peers and their mentor leaders. This is just one example of the expectations that we have of these young leaders.

Many of the people who are attending are going on to become youth pastors, missionaries, and leaders in other church ministries, as well as becoming leaders within their schools and sports teams. The family created at this camp goes beyond the four years or however many they spend with us. Many of the young leaders, when shifting because of university or jobs, reach out to others from the camp in the area they are shifting to for support. It really is a wonderful community to be part of. If your church has potential young leaders, you would like to see grow and develop their abilities then check out the website and get them nominated.

NEVILLE BARTLEY | SUNZ Youth Team Leader

WHAT SUNZ CAMPERS AND LEADERS HAVE TO SAY…

It means everything, meeting new people. It was so fun, and I can’t wait to come back to Extend!

SU Camp has allowed me to connect with others who love serving God and people who love to be in the snow. It has taught me about God’s predestined plan for us and how we can serve God with our gifts. It has been fun meeting others and listening to their lives and what is significant to them.

For me, camp means connecting with a wider group of people and making new friends while learning about God.

YOUTH

23/24

Camp is very fun. I’ve made heaps of new friends, and the leaders are great!

Team activities, challenges, learning about God and being in nature was good. The style of the core team, leaders support, and camp family is amazing and makes camp stable.

Very grateful for the opportunity to lead on camp with awesome leaders and campers. Super blessed, thank you guys.

Magic, making new friends and getting to know everybody and all the great leaders. I loved getting to know God better and understand the Bible more.

Teenagerseatalot demanding,andcampisphysicallysoplentyoffoodisanecessity!

I love camp because of all the new friends we make and memories that will last a lifetime. I love SU camps because small group talks feel like a safe space to open up, the food is always great, and we always have a lot of fun.

Camp means happiness! (and friends!)

Camp means that we can grow closer to God, and we can make new friends and experience new things.

Exhilarating and exhaustingbut super fun.

Where have you seen God this week? Camper answers: the feeling of belongingand gaining confidence.more

Thebestpartis makingfriendslifelong and spendingtimewith God.It’ssofun!

Bible stuff, skiing. It has made me more active and interested in the Bible. SU Camp has helped me communicate better with people.

One thing that opened a few conversations with campers was for leaders to share their faith stories. It really engages campers with that faith looks like in every day.

Snow camp was my first time at Ruapehu and my first time properly skiing. I loved it so much! Snow camp was also good in the sense that Bible engagement inspired me to go back to my life at home and put into place what I learned, like being humble and gentle especially.

Campis trulyvery fun and tiring.

Appreciated the caring nature of the camp’s leadership team. We were a team and ran camp together using our strengths.

I love becausecamp I am challenged to refresh my relationship with God.

wasExtend a great way to meet amazing people, make long-lasting memories and spend time doingawesome activities.

Light

CHARIS ALLISON | SUNZ Youth Camps Leader & Beyond Experience

for the path

Last year, I moved out of home and to a new city for my studies. It has been an epic journey, with lots of highs, and just as many lows. But one thing I have really come to appreciate are the relationships I worked so hard to build last year begin to bear fruit as I now reach halfway through my second year. With these deepening relationships, people have become increasingly curious about my Christian faith. Classmates at university repeatedly ask questions like, “What does it mean to be baptised,” “What is the difference between all the different churches,” and the most recent, “Do you think I’m going to hell?” These are big questions. I often feel unable to respond, scared to say the wrong thing and put them off completely!

However, it is such a delight to see this curiosity, to know they are thinking about these things, and they are sparked through my actions and distinct way I choose to live. Sometimes I would prefer God let me step out of the firing line of facing these tough questions. Surely someone else more knowledgeable and qualified can answer all their questions instead. Have you ever felt like this?

In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica (now the Old Town in Thessaloniki) praising and celebrating their faithfulness in persecution and challenging them to endure. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 says, “On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.”

In these times of not wanting to answer all these questions and feeling unqualified or scared, I am reminded of this passage. We have been ENTRUSTED with the gospel. God TRUSTS US with HIS word! It is a gift for us to even have the gospel, so what an honour that God would trust us to share it.

Knowing this has allowed me to answer questions with more certainty. I know that God would not trust me with this if he did not think I could not do it, nor will he ever leave me with no words to say! So be encouraged that God trusts you with this mission, that he has bestowed a great honour upon you. Step into this and let the light of your lives spark curiosity in others.

Meet CHARIS

Tena koutou e te whānau! Ko Tāmaki Makaurau tōku kainga, E noho nan au ki Ōtautahi ināianei. Ka mihi ahau ki te maunga Ruapehu. Ka mihi ahau ki te awa Whanganui. Ka mihi ahau ki te iwi o te rohe. Ko Allison tōku ingoa whānau, Ko Charis tōku ingoa.

Hello all! My name is Charis Allison, I grew up on the North Shore of Auckland but now find myself in the gorgeous wetland city of Christchurch. I moved to Christchurch at the beginning of 2023 to begin a Bachelor in Sustainability and Outdoor Education. Back home are my two wonderful parents, Neil, and Trish, and my two siblings, Tom (15) and Eve (12).

I first came across SUNZ at high school; a friend at church had told my mum about a ski camp her kids had been on and soon enough I was on one too! In the iconic SU Adventure Lodge at Mt Ruapehu, I met some of my now closest friends and became hooked on the SUNZ mission.

Over the rest of our high school years, this same core group of people kept

coming back and it was always such a delight to catch up at camp and see what journeys people had been on, and how their faith was developing. I then signed on for leadership opportunities such as Beyond Experience and Gather and am now looking forward to co-team leading the Wakatipu Base Camp in July!

I love seeking out the ways our world and people connect. From studying about interrelationships in various ecosystems, to simply meeting new friends, there is always something to learn, and something to connect over. I have been fascinated recently with how humans have connected to the land in the past, and how that might change going forward as the physical landscapes of our whenua are also changing.

Well, that’s me! I look forward to the next time our paths may cross at a SUNZ camp or event. Until then, you will find me on the snowy slopes of Canterbury and Otago this winter. See you out there!

OUT & ABOUT

HILARY HAGUE

APRIL PAENGA-WHĀWHĀ

Beth Coates, BE Admin moved back to Christchurch, joining Paul Humphreys and Jayden Meads in an office at Beckenham Methodist Church, 52 Martin Avenue. Beth capably managed the annual Beyond Experience weekend 4-7 April at Woodend attended by 63 BE’ers and their Kaiārahi.

Pōnui Fishing Camp 15-20 April was full of boys and fish and last-minute leaders and helpers. Andy Banks said he slept for 12 hours solid after camp after a wonderful week of challenges and fun with 20 campers.

Wild Wāhine North 20-22 April had 9 intrepid campers, and 4 brave leaders who tramped the Kauri Trail, Coromandel. These weekend expeditions are a physical and spiritual pilgrimage for girls to connect with God and each other.

SUNZ Youth Team enjoyed a hui to plan and pray over their ministry.

Please check out the News and Stories section on our website www.sunz.org.nz for more information. We’ve developed this section especially to keep you up to date with what’s happening at SUNZ.

Our Children & Families team kicked off the 2024 WAY2GO conference series on 4 May in Tauranga.

The theme is The Ripple Effect how children’s ministry has a ripple effect in churches and communities.

This was also on 18 May in Wellington and 25 May in both Dunedin & Whangārei.

SUNZ Youth held intense MHFA workshops on 7-8 May at Eden Community Church, Auckland and 14-15 May, Franklin Baptist Church, Pukekohe. Piper Clare started as SUNZ Youth Consultant for Wellington region. She will be doing this work one day per week alongside her admin work.

Annette Osborne was at SU International meetings 6-14 May.

GATHER North in Pirongia, 16-19 May for camp leadership training, where 26 people munched their way through 6 meals cooked by Donna Beech, Camps Admin. Favourites were macaroni cheese and nachos. Our young people are hungry for food and for God.

We farewelled Grace Tennent who completed her Venn Foundation placement with SUNZ. Natalie Duchesne, SUNZ National Youth Camps Leader said, “Grace caught the vision of SUNZ early on, and it’s been a pleasure to trust her with some of our branding and design work. Some of what she created were Wild Wāhine promotional material; design of karakia cards, posters, and resources; design of our camp Mental Health Critical Response cards; Design of a ‘liturgy for those who sleep in tents’ for use on camps; creation of an interactive banner of the GATHER logo; redesign of our camper booklet.”

MAY HARATUA

COMING UP

Save the date for our online AGM at 7pm on Tuesday 10 September. We will send you more details closer to the time.

At the end of May, both our Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and Waihōpai (Invercargill) offices relocated.

The SUNZ Auckland team loaded a moving truck for the big move from Penrose to Elim Christian Centre, Henderson. It was an enormous amount of work, and we are grateful to the volunteers who helped with time, muscles and donations to make this happen. Nigel Winder moved the SUNZ Invercargill office, with huge help from whānau and friends. He is now working from Rosedale Bible Church.

JUNE PIRIPIRI

Peilin Cheng, Fundraising Manager oversaw a major Staff Appeal for ministry staff needing more funding. These appeals were posted and emailed in early June.

Our Bible Reading Guides (July-September issue) were packed out with the help of Tim Walbran, who volunteers a day or two every quarter to get this done. We ply him with coffee, chocolate and a pie for lunch and so appreciate his happy help.

The SUNZ Board met in Wellington 7-8 June, with Finance Committee online meetings to approve FY23-24 accounts in preparation for Annual Review and AGM on 10 September.

Hilary Hague, National Director needed to be here, there and everywhere—dashing to Auckland, back to Wellington for the

Board meeting and down to Christchurch on 10 June.

Andy Banks led an Āpōpō workshop on 8 June at CYC leaders training weekend. WAY2GO continued 8 June in Christchurch, 15 June in Auckland and 22 June in Palmerston North, ending the 20th year of WAY2GO conferences. Our sincere thanks to nearly 50 volunteers who helped pull this off across the country.

Gwen Hague, Māori Strategic Adviser led online karakia and mihimihi workshops for staff.

The month ended with our new website going live. Enormous thanks to Ken Edgecombe who has been clicking on every page to proofread this for us. Ngā mihi nui ki a koe.

JULY HŌNGONGOI

Andy Banks ran a Mental Health Training Workshop on 9 July with Tōtara Springs camp leaders.

Then it’s into the July holiday camp season for 108 campers and 35 leaders. They’re all learning about Luke.

SUNZ Youth Camps

The temporary community of camps has a long-term impact on the faith of the children and young people who attend

Please consider giving a gift today to support the lifelong impact of camps! sunz.org.nz/donate

Give a Gift

Did you know 80% of our overall funding and 100% of our ministry staff’s funding comes from donations? Please consider giving a gift today – you can change the lives of children and young people as they ignite their faith and passion for God.

Did you know 80% of our overall funding and 100% of our ministry from donations? Please consider giving a gift today – you can change and young people as they discover Jesus and grow

I would like to donate

donation by automatic payment

You can also donate a one-off gift through your bank by dirct deposit to account number 02-0560-0036204-00 quoting ‘ADVmag’, 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

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 ‘ADV0724’, plus your supporter number (if known) or surname and postcode in the reference. below and the amount $ and frequency of your donation. Alternatively you can let us know by emailing accounts@sunz.org.nz

You can also set up a regular donation by automatic payment, either or by visiting your bank. Please use SUNZ account number 02-0560-0036204-003 ‘ADVmag’, plus your supporter number (if known) or surname and below and the amount $ and frequency donation. Alternatively you can let us know by emailing accounts@sunz.org.nz

We are no longer including reply paid envelopes with the Adventure as very few people use them and we want to be good stewards of our expenditure. We continue to receive donations by mail but please use your own envelope. Other ways to give are scanning the QR code, online or over the phone. Please post your completed form to Scripture Union NZ, PO Box 760, Wellington 6140

You can also donate a one-off gift through your bank by dirct deposit to account number 02-0560-0036204-00 quoting ‘ADV0724’, 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 through your bank by dirct deposit 02-0560-0036204-00 quoting ‘ADVmag’, plus your supporter number (if postcode in the reference. If this is your first gift to SUNZ please email with the details of your donation – this enables us to thank you and send Or donate online at sunz.org.nz/donate-adventure or by calling

Please post your completed form to

Please post your completed form to Scripture Union NZ, PO Box 760,

THREE:1

Ten Bible studies to help you discover more about your faith

T h i s b o o k i s t o e n c o u r a g e n e w

C h r i s t i a n s t o l e a r n m o r e a b o u t

t h e i r f a i t h , t o s t u d y a n d

u n d e r s t a n d t h e B i b l e . I t c a n b e

u s e d f o r s m a l l g r o u p s

o r s e l f - s t u d y

$ 1 0 . 0 0 + D E L I V E R Y

W h a t e v e r y t e e n a g e r n e e d s t o d e c i d e a b o u t J e s u s

$ 8 . 0 0 +

D E L I V E R Y

“ I ’ v e n e v e r r e a d s u c h c l e a r

m e s s a g i n g a b o u t w h a t i t m e a n s t o b e

a C h r i s t i a n a n d h o w t o t h i n k t h r o u g h

w h a t I b e l i e v e a n d w h y . I ’ v e a l w a y s

s h a r e d m y p a r e n t s ’ f a i t h , a n d t h a t ’ s

b e e n g r e a t , b u t t h i s b o o k h a s h e l p e d

m e c o n f i d e n t l y t a k e o w n e r s h i p o f m y

j o u r n e y I t f e e l s l i k e t h e a u t h o r r e a l l y

u n d e r s t a n d s t h e s t r u g g l e s a n d

t h o u g h t s o f t e e n s a n d h o w t o m a k e

c o m p l e x i d e a s e a s i l y

u n d e r s t a n d a b l e . ”

Teenager aged 14

S H O P N O W : W W W . S U N Z . O R G . N Z / R E S O U R C E S