You are helping girls Flourish

At Flourish Camp, there is no shortage of opportunities for girls –and women– to experience God’s growth

A curious part of the work we do at SU Australia is that it isn’t only young people who are being encouraged. God’s love has an exponential, overflowing effect, and your support of our ministries to children, young people and families means that people of all ages are receiving the joy of being part of God’s big story.

Perhaps this is not surprising, as Jesus himself told us to look to the little children and to become like them in our faith (Matthew 18:3: Matthew 19:14). When Samantha, a relatively new adult believer, took up the call to serve at Flourish camp for teen girls, she didn’t know how much she would receive back.

Samantha began leading on Flourish after Kate, the friend who first brought her to the Lord, asked her along. “If I knew about camps like this [earlier] I would have gone. We didn’t know about them when I was growing up,” reflects Samantha.

“It was my first ever camp and I’d never done anything like it before. I loved it and thought this is what I want to do, to see young women connect with who they are and what they are called to. It really opened my eyes.”

When Samantha shared her testimony around the campfire, girls instantly connected with it.
Samantha’s own journey to faith began with…a haircut. She was working at Just Cuts when Kate, the Team Leader at Flourish, walked in and they struck up a conversation, ending with Kate inviting her to church.

On the second occasion, Samantha attended a service where she gave her life to Jesus. Given her love of working with children, it seemed a natural next step for Kate to ask her to lead at Flourish. But what perhaps neither woman expected was just how much Samantha herself would grow, and …flourish… through her involvement with the camp.

After a discussion of the book of Esther with the girls in her cabin, Samantha was deeply moved. “I came out of that conversation with them and I cried… They have so much depth and this has impacted me so much.”

For Samantha, seeing the girls learn to stand on the foundation of their faith early in life is vital.

“It’s important as we are raising the next generation. We want them to stand up and know their identity in Christ. It’s so important for them to know that their identity in God is all that matters.”

Sam’s hopes and prayers for the girls’ continual growth are firmly rooted in God, who enables all our good works to flourish.

“I just hope the girls walk away with a view of who Jesus is, or a different view of who they thought he was. I hope it challenges them to ask questions, to seek, to ask, to knock and he will open the door.”