Many young people don’t have a ‘safe place’ where they can let their guard down and feel accepted without judgment.

Remedying this issue is at the heart of SU QLD’s camping ministry, which provides a range of fun, safe camps where young people can experience joy and love within a community.

It’s this love that Claire* saw transform her grandson after six days on SU QLD’s Summer UberTweak camp last year.

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For some, camping evokes images of the great outdoors and high-octane adventures and competition. But that’s not for everyone.

For those with a more artistic bent, there’s a great alternative…

This year marks the 40th anniversary of SU QLD’s longest standing camp – SMADD Camp – which stands for Song, Music, Art, Drama, Dance.

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Graduating from high school is a pivotal moment in the life of a young person. It’s a milestone that should be celebrated – but in a safe and positive environment, with no regrets.

It’s this very idea that saw 74-year old SU QLD supporter, Elaine Baston, put aside savings from her pension each month to help pay the way for one young person to attend SU-Schoolies on the Sunshine Coast.

When SU QLD’s Supporter Care team told her she had saved enough to send not one, but two school leavers, she was overjoyed. (more…)

Celebrating the end of your schooling life in a week of wild celebrations on Queensland’s glitter strip – Surfers Paradise – is hardly anything out of the ordinary. Being inspired to make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people while celebrating this milestone, that’s different.

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The half-time siren has sounded on a successful start to the year for SU QLD’s burgeoning Sports Ministry.

As the team gears up for an exciting second half, let’s catch up on some of the early highlights with SU QLD Sports Ministry Coordinator, Jeff Howard. (more…)

Your support continues to ignite a lifelong passion for God’s word among thousands of young people across Queensland.

From the beach missions of the 1860s on the cold, overcast shores of Wales to today’s Surf Camps along Queensland’s tropical coastline, the mission of bringing the Good News to children and young people continues – thanks to you.

For 20-year old Brisbane local, Campbell Walker, an invitation to an SU QLD Surf Camp in 2012 transformed him from a self-professed ‘Sunday Christian’, who kept his faith a secret, to a young man who is no longer ashamed and helping others to feel the same.

“Growing up I didn’t mind going to church, but it was more something I did to tick off my list of things to do and to make mum and dad happy,” Campbell says. (more…)

At just three years of age a healthy, happy Jamil suffered a grand mal seizure and was rushed to hospital. Six months later, he was diagnosed with epilepsy.

After Jamil started school, he would be further diagnosed with a range of complex learning disorders.

The news hit Jamil’s parents Frank and Veronica hard, particularly as they watched their son struggle with basic reading and writing.

Despite the multiple diagnoses, Jamil has been blessed with a loving family and a charming personality, which has helped him settle in and make friends at school.

While glad that his son had school friends, Frank’s prayer was for his son to find Christian friends too, particularly after hearing Jamil use some eyebrow-raising language at home.
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Thousands of high school graduates recently descended on the Gold Coast in what has become an annual pilgrimage of sorts for Year 12s across the state. They were there to celebrate the end of their schooling lives.

For parents, Schoolies is an event that evokes a range of emotions, which often includes fear and trepidation.

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Chaplain, Lisa Henderson, volunteered as an SU-Schoolies leader on the Sunshine Coast in 2015… and it blew her away.

“It didn’t matter who you were, or where you came from. There was just a sense that everyone is friends. They’re all celebrating being together and finishing school,” recalls Lisa.

When Lisa returned to Mabel Park State High School in Brisbane’s Logan district this year, she was keen to share her experience with her students.

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High school senior, Jakob Friske, knew very little of SU-Schoolies before he arrived on day one at the Sunshine Coast, ready to experience the unknown.

One week later, he described it as “one of the best weeks of my life”.

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