News

YA Ningaloo buzz

There has been quite a buzz around SU over the last months with the announcement of our first ever Young Adults Ningaloo camp in November 2020. The experience will guide young adults on choose-your-own-adventure style activities such as snorkelling, sand boarding, hiking, kayaking or just hanging in the Lounge while sipping on coffee frappés, all the while being mentored and discipled by older adult leaders. The program is open to both Christian and non-Christian young adults, who will all have the opportunity to hear about faith, share their stories and ask questions during the dedicated small-group time in the evenings. At SU, we have a passion for holistic discipleship of our young adults which meets their need for community, relationships and Christ-focused living.

We often get asked and it is remarked that SU doesn’t seem to have anything for young adults who are not ready to lead yet (faith, maturity, character) after they ‘grow out of’ SU camps. You can become a leader and attend training and LEAD camps with SU, but there is nothing for those still questioning their faith and purpose. It is also an area that churches have varying levels of ministry and effectiveness in. Young adult age is certainly one where people leave the church and often faith in significant numbers. SU has long had a heart for developing further camping and other opportunities for young adults beyond training and leading on existing high school camps.

For those young adults who have finished their camp journey with SU and not gone on to leadership, this is another chance for them to be in Christian community with others mentoring them and sharing faith in action and word. It would be so great for them to be in relationship with Jesus as they journey through what is such an exuberant and amazing time of life, with so many decisions that shape us.

As we prayed and reflected during the COVID time, to see where God might be leading and where opportunities were, we felt this whole area of young adult ministry, discipleship and young leader encouragement and growth was one we were being led into. We saw an opportunity to launch a young adults camp as a stepping-stone towards a bigger vision and hope to see it expand into a fuller young adults ministry in the near future. Please pray with us as we continue to navigate this space!

by Bea Wickham