Reflections on the value of youth ministry
Many of us cherish the fond memories of fun and excitement we enjoyed in our younger days, serving and being served within youth-focused Christian organisations. Our CEO, David recently reflected on how important the ministry of CRU (The Crusader Union of Australia) was to him personally as he grew up in suburban Sydney.
“I attended CRU camps, school groups and Saturday clubs as a kid, but the real growth for me came about when I became a leader – It taught me that the Christian life involves service and sacrifice.” David warmly remembers biking, sailing, and canoeing at CRU Lake Macquarie, and teaching younger kids about who God is and his deep love for them while at camp in canvas tents and wooden huts!
A group sing-a-long in the 1980s
Camping with the original canvas tents
“The adventurous stuff was a lot of fun, but there was always plenty of time for getting into the Bible and talking about Jesus – I was inspired to see so many kids on the journey to their own personal faith in Jesus. The most important thing we did as leaders was to build relationships so that the kids could ask us their questions. We were like older brothers to them.”
More recently, David has been delighted in seeing CRU further develop their Lake Macquarie site into one which can serve even more young Christians. The redevelopment project encompassed new conference meeting rooms, accommodation, facilities and activities to ensure that this long-standing ministry will continue to provide the opportunities that David enjoyed as an emerging leader.
BFS have assisted CRU with a loan to cover the gap between costs and generous donations from supporters. Using the off-set loan feature has provided the flexibility CRU values as a non-profit organisation reliant on supporters.
It is BFS’s privilege to partner with CRU who have shared the gospel with young Australians for generations. Our prayer is that they would continue to do so for many more.