It might have been a chilly Canberra weekend, but that didn’t stop 26 campers from grades 7 – 12 meeting together at LEAD camp for a formative time of learning how to lead like Jesus, and putting it into practice. 

The theme “Listen up” required campers to focus on what God says about purpose and service. Fun camp activities were combined with teaching sessions and a variety of elective workshops around relevant topics, like facilitating group Bible discussions, sharing your testimony and including those with disability, all with the aim of learning how to lead and serve better.

“A key part of it is we then apply those ministry skills,” says Camp Director Sophie Valastro. 

“So this year, we had campers running a kids’ church program at a local church [Fusion City Church] who were partnering with us, and students were given the opportunity to sign up as Junior Leaders on upcoming SU Australia camps.”

LEAD camp has incredible longevity, having now run for 30 years. LEAD stands for Leadership, Encouragement and Development camp, and it’s easy to see why it’s kept going for so long. Every new generation needs leaders equipped to love and serve those who follow them. 

“We want to make sure that the next generation [of leaders] has a chance to be seen, to practice, to grow and to have mentors along the way,” says Sophie. 

“We’re excited to put the SU values into practice as we equip and empower them to creatively lead in their local context, whatever that is. Or maybe they want to start something new.  We just want to put them in the room together so they can start thinking that way, however that might look in the future.”

In addition to learning how to serve others, campers and leaders were encouraged to purposely build one another up during their time on camp.

“One of the highlights from camp was we did Warm and Fuzzies… everyone got an envelope with their name on it, and was told, ‘Over the weekend, write some encouragement for someone, whether it’s a Bible verse or something you see in them or can encourage them with,” says Sophie. 

The campers took on the task with zeal. 

“In their free time, they would just have their heads down, writing out five notes to different people to encourage them … They really loved that aspect of it. And so everyone got to take home this envelope with some encouraging things in it.” 

Another form of camper to camper support was achieved through sharing. 

“At a meal time each year group shared ‘what’s the challenge of being a Christian at school? How have I seen God move in school, church, family or youth…?’ 

“Every single camper got up and shared something, and they found it encouraging to hear from each other …we all actually have the same struggles …” says Sophie. 

Prayer was also a key focus of the camp. Campers and leaders alike were asked to pick a school in the region to pray for from a map on the wall, to see how God would work there in the future. 

At the end of the camp, feedback was also extremely positive, the only complaint: “Make it longer!”

If you’d like to nominate a young believer with leadership potential to participate in LEAD 2026, please click HERE