The power of (God’s) teamwork

With your support, volunteer leaders are growing in faith and fortitude

You may remember Peter and his wife Louise (super SUPA club volunteers) from our very first edition of our quarterly magazine, SU Life. 

Peter is also a long-serving director of Zone 40 camp. We caught up with him to discuss what makes a team tick in an adventure camp setting.

Can you tell us how you first discovered SU’s camping ministry?

I grew up in Sydney, and the youth pastor at my church was from Canberra. She started taking kids from my church to Wild Wee Jasper (WWJ).

I was a youth group leader, and she was saying, “Peter, come down and lead.” I said, “No, it doesn’t work with uni.” But then I got a job in Canberra. I thought, well, I don’t really have an excuse now, do I? I signed up and went along, and enjoyed it!

You have directed Zone 40 on and off since 2008. How did that develop?

I went along to Zone 40, the primary school version of WWJ, because I’d done a bit of abseiling. I became an abseiling co-leader. Then, about six months later, Katie [then ACT camps coordinator] came to me and said, “Peter, the directors from last year’s Zone 40 have finished up and moved on. Would you be interested in directing? ”Before I knew it, I was directing it!”

Directing a camp comes with a lot of responsibility. What’s the tightest timing you’ve ever had for camp?

For that camp I got my bus licence one week beforehand so I could drive the camp bus.

What makes a camp team work well?

Definitely a willingness to pitch in with whatever needs doing, as well as getting alongside the campers, chatting with them, being up for adventure, and you know, getting a bit messy.

It’s really a case of looking to see where the need is and thinking, Can I do that? Help wherever needed.

Why would you encourage someone to try leading? 

The same reasons why I believe camp is valuable: it’s that peak experience for Christian kids, and presents the gospel to non-Christians in a fun environment.

How has God been present with your team in the harder moments? 

We need to remember that we serve a God who created the heavens and the earth, and He is powerful enough to get to work, even through the small things that we manage to do. He will build his church. Therefore, we must pray and call on him that he would work through us. 

There are multiple ways you can volunteer on SU Camps or be part of our  ministries (and you don’t have to get a bus license to do so!) To find out how you can be involved visit: su.org.au/volunteer