Teamwork makes the dream work in Katherine

Up to 20 primary-aged children enjoyed a week of sport, music, drama and learning about God’s love and forgiveness through the story of Joseph at Katherine Kids Games, from July 10 to 13. 

Whether it was participating in sport, listening to Bible stories, joining group discussions, or learning the memory verse in Kriol, every child was thoroughly engaged, says SU Australia Field Development Manager Northern Territory, Kylie. 

“The kids were so eager and ready for anything,” she says. 

Joining the local team of Christian leaders and SU staff were our interns from SU’s Camp Coolamatong, which proved a real hit. 

“The kids love having the Coolamatong interns there who build great connections through play, fun and encouragement,” Kylie says. 

SU Australia Remote Worker, Rachel Borneman helped adapt the program’s content into plain English (with Amy from the Coolamatong team). She also encouraged the use of Kriol Bible resources and brought kids from the local communities, along with those who were in Katherine.

One of Rachel’s highlights was showing the children ‘a Joseph rap’ in Kriol. 

“I hadn’t looked at the program before arriving, so I didn’t know we’d be looking at the Joseph story. But it worked out so well because we already had this resource. And seeing the [Coolamatong] team make time for the Kriol memory verse was a real blessing,” she says. 

Pastor Andrew from Heritage Christian Church was also a big support, helping to organise local churches to bring morning tea each day. 

For Kylie the program was made more special because of the challenges some team members faced coming into this year’s event. Yet despite these challenges, God provided all they needed. In particular she was grateful to the Coolamatong team who did an amazing job of running the program. 

“Without them, we would not have been able to run Kids Games this year. We didn’t have enough leaders to take it up locally. They saved the day and held the space that will allow us to grow this event in the coming years,” she says.

This speaks to SU Australia’s heart to deliver local ministries that impact young lives in local communities, supported by national teams that share your heart for the next generation.