HIGHLIGHTS ON THE JOURNEY

Scripture Union NZ (SUNZ) has been running camps on Ponui Island in the Hauraki Gulf since 1932, facilitated and supported by the wonderful Chamberlin family. From that time, camps have developed from a boys-only camp each summer to multiple co-ed camps each year, catering for all ages. The activities available to campers have also developed as new resources and facilities have been added and the campsite on Ponui has grown into a multi-use site, used year-round by schools, churches and families, as well as each summer by SUNZ. Ponui is a special place, as anyone who has ever been there will tell you–often campers return year after year, and many even return beyond their school years as leaders or attend family camp or the adult Bible study camp. Many refer to Ponui as their spiritual home–a place where they get their yearly recharge and break from the reality of their daily lives to reconnect with God. SUCAMPS on Ponui have continued to develop in recent years with the development of a spring Ponui camp–Ponui Extreme (now

called Going Deeper) and in April 2019 we held our first autumn camp on the island with our first-ever Fishing Camp. This boys-only camp is obviously focused around fishing in various forms–from kayak fishing to boat- and land-based fishing off the beach or point–but its main emphasis is youth development. It’s about teaching not just fishing skills, but life skills too. Campers had to cook for themselves and plan their own overnight expedition. They had various masterclasses to gain new skills and experiences. They even had a survival challenge of swimming from the edge of the bay back into shore whilst wearing a life jacket. Interspersed throughout the camp were six sessions called ‘For Reel?’. We took up the fishing theme in a wordplay on ‘real’, and asked the questions: ‘is God for reel?’ and ‘if you believe He is, is your faith for reel?’ Despite all of the fishing and many different activities over the course of the camp, these teaching sessions were seen as a highlight by many of the campers. Before camp, all but a couple of campers had no interest in the Christian faith or were struggling with it. The week was a significant opportunity

BY ANDY BANKS Northern Youth Consultant, SUNZ HIGHLIGHTS ON THE JOURNEY

to explore, for the first time for some, the big questions of life and faith in a safe environment where the boys could be honest, challenge their current thinking and learn from each other. After camp, we heard from a parent about the change in a boy who, before camp, had not been interested at all in God. Since camp her son had been "exploring God . . . and we have been attending church (together), which is a massive step." Within Scripture Union internationally, camps are often referred to as highlights on the journey. Young people arrive at camps at various stages of their spiritual journey–some, like the boy who attended the fishing camp, have no spiritual interest at all and others are sold-out followers of Jesus. But for each one, the camp is a highlight, a significant point on their journey. It’s a place where they discover, afresh or for the first time, a God who loves them. They get a glimpse of the Kingdom of God in action by spending a week with leaders who share their faith and their lives in equal measure. Living out the words

FOR EACH ONE, THE CAMP IS A HIGHLIGHT, A SIGNIFICANT POINT ON THEIR JOURNEY. IT’S A PLACE WHERE THEY DISCOVER, AFRESH OR FOR THE FIRST TIME, A GOD WHO LOVES THEM. "

of 1 Thessalonians 2:8, those leaders take up the call to share not only the Gospel of God but also their lives as well and it’s a call that is motivated by love. It’s a privilege to walk the journey of faith with young people and year by year see God use SUCAMPS to create highlights on that journey. These camps are significant milestones that build on one another as young people get to know Jesus, grow as lifelong disciples and go on to influence their world.