So that’s why Jesus came to save us!

There’s one word that always comes up whenever Victoria’s Coolamatong Grade 4-6 Camp is mentioned: 

Community. 

For over a decade, upper primary-school-aged children from across the state have filled the grounds at Coolamatong with laughter as they gather for a week-long adventure to have fun and learn about Jesus. 

“We try to make everything about community,” team leader Leah Kynoch shares. 

“It’s not just about doing the activity and moving onto the next thing, but really investing in the time and conversations we get to have.” 

The fruit of this is often seen at the end of the day, where campers reflect on their favourite moments and even ask to pray with their leaders. 

For one child who arrived at camp with a lot of social anxiety, connecting well with his leaders helped him develop the confidence to make friends with other campers. 

“A couple days ago, I was contacted by his mum, and he’s keen to come back to camp again,” Leah smiled. 

Along with activities like canoeing, a low ropes course, and a fancy dress-up dinner, the campers also went on a quest through David’s journey in the Bible. 

The children discovered that God’s people throughout time have shared relatable and at times difficult experiences and feelings, yet God still loves and cares for them. 

Exploring the Bible in this way particularly helped the many children from non-Christian backgrounds make sense of Jesus. 

Leah recalls one camper exclaimed: 

“So that’s why Jesus came to save us!” 

None of this would be possible without your support. To help more children, young people and families have life-transforming experiences with Jesus, please visit su.org.au/donate