Adventist summer camps are a time of spiritual growth and fun with friends, and Australia’s summer camps were no different. Throughout January and December, each conference held week-long camps for kids, tweens and teens, filled with engaging activities and programs designed to draw young people closer to Jesus.
Each camp featured a variety of activities such as water sports, mountain biking, rock climbing, high ropes courses, archery and more. Equally important to the activities, campers were blessed by worship teams and speakers who shared messages based around a central theme. As North NSW Youth director Ashley Smith said, “Every element of camp, from morning devotionals to evening worship, is designed to help young people encounter God. The staff are committed to creating an environment where campers can explore and deepen their faith.”
Camps are a powerful experience, as kids can connect with peers from across their conference as well as be mentored by volunteer staff, drawing closer to each other and Jesus as they learn they are not alone in their spiritual journeys.
Summer camps are also a place where many young people make the important decision to follow Christ. Naomi Janmaat, the Victorian Conference communications coordinator, said, “We can confidently say that these camps are transformative. They provide young people with the space to make life-changing decisions about their future and their faith. Whether they’ve been part of the church community for years or are attending for the first time, summer camps have consistently proven to be a time of profound spiritual growth and connection.”
Across Australia, more than 1900 kids and teens attended camp. Nearly half requested Bible studies, 900 altogether, and 735 requested baptism. These numbers are a testament to all the organisers and volunteers, as well as to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. As Shanna Duke, NNSW youth department assistant said, after praying with 10 campers who had made the decision for baptism, “Moments like these make all the preparation worth it.”
Victoria
2025 was a special year for the Victorian Conference as they celebrated their 100th anniversary of Adventist summer camps. The first camp occurred in 1925 at Yarra Doon (near Warburton), with only 20 campers attending, and was in fact the first Adventist summer camp in Australia.
This year, VicYouth summer camps had more than 200 attendees across three sessions, with speakers Michaela Truscott, Natasha Su’a and Daniel Matteo sharing messages on what it means to be “Forever Young” and how God makes “everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In Victoria alone, 138 requested Bible studies and 123 confirmed their desire for baptism.
As Ms Janmaat said, “It’s inspiring to see the culture that has developed over the last century through the dedication of our staff, the strength of our programs and the relationships built at camp.”
Each year Adventist teens ranging from ages 14-18 attend summer camp. While this may be viewed as just another event in a busy calendar to many church members, it’s the highlight of the year for all teens who attend!
At summer camp teens find a sense of community, friendship, confidence and a new-found love for God! I’ve been going to summer camp for two years now and each year I come back ready to share God and His wonders to others. This is not an outlying experience as many teens find themselves participating in church and committing themselves to God after being at summer camp.
During camp, we do at least two activities a day: one is always centred around God and relates to the spiritual theme of the camp, and the other is one picked when the teen signs up. Plus, the staff put on a wonderful nightly worship with music and games, and a sermon that never fails to capture the attention of everyone in the room!
Not only that but the upbeat worships and fun, God-centred activities draw in teens of different religions to the church. At this recent camp two of my friends gave their lives to God and got baptised on the Sabbath! They did this because summer camp 2024 had set their hearts on fire for God, and led to their decision to start Bible studies!
Summer camp is a big reason as to why many teens still attend church instead of getting swept up in worldly things. It’s impacted the lives of lots of people around Australia!
So this year, will you encourage your teens to join summer camp next year?
Lily Fernandes is 16 years old and attends New Hope Church, Sydney, NSW.
Ashley Jankiewicz is an assistant editor for Adventist Record.
