Worship in the dark

Discover how your support is making it possible for families to sing together … even when the lights go out

It’s definitely not easy being a young family in today’s culture. The pressures are manifold, whether they be financial, social or emotional, and loneliness – statistics tell us – is an epidemic.

And yet God’s vision for the church, and SU Australia’s heart for children, young people and families, is for all believers to know the love of God and the support of Christian community.

Perhaps there are few better examples of this being lived out in our time than SU Australia family camps, havens for families of all shapes, sizes and compositions to come together, to hear from God’s word, and to build strong communities.

The sort of communities that are like lights on a hill, or, as you’ll see below, a light in a dark cave.

When SU Australia Ministry coordinator Ali heard about family camps already taking place in areas like NSW and Tasmania, she was inspired to revive the model in the ACT.

“We’re very isolated in our culture, and families can be very insular. I think coming together and doing life together for a little while as a family, and kids getting to see other families of different shapes and sizes that also love Jesus … I think that’s very important,” says Ali.

And so, earlier this year a group of families and couples, a cook, a speaker, and a generous volunteer embarked on the first family camp in the ACT in over three decades.

“It was really encouraging to spend time sharing lives with others rather than just doing it on your own, really encouraging to be part of a community,” reflects Team Leader Ali, who is herself a widowed mum of six.

Community happened naturally within the first moments of arriving at camp, with families helping each other set up tents, and children of all ages breaking into a spontaneous game of cricket. This community continued to solidify through talks from experienced children’s ministry speaker, Libby, on the topic of “ New Beginnings”, group discussions and activities, testimonies from group members, and lots of fun.

Young and old mingled and offered encouragement, with adults supporting children outside their direct family, and children from different families encouraging one another. While not without its challenges – bringing together children from as young as 3 and as old as 14 in a single space – all agreed the experience was entirely worthwhile.

“Family camp was an amazing, adventure-filled time of families being real, working together, sharing about Jesus together and doing life with other families,” one camper said.

A highlight, Ali reflects, was a trip to Wombeyan Caves. The group entered on a guided tour, but at a certain point the lights in the cave went off. While the tour guide went off to see what the problem was and the group was left alone in the dark.

“We were just stuck there trying to kill time and trying to keep everybody calm,” recalls Ali. “And we just started singing worship songs together in the cave, and it was beautiful. And everyone really got into it.”

In a dark world, light is what we all need. Spaces like family camp allow families to encourage one another and find renewed strength for the journey. Your support is a light too, making ministries like this possible. To find out more about family camps in your area visit