Almost half of Australian high school students aren’t sure what they want to pursue after school. This definitely wasn’t the case for Caitlin Randall, second-year Summit Program trainee. It only took one CRU® Educational Camp to convince her that the Summit traineeship was where she was meant to be.
Six years ago, Caitlin’s friends were nagging her to attend their church youth group. Admittedly, she started visiting the youth group to “just keep them quiet" and stop them annoying her, but after attending for a couple of months, she loved going to youth, was won over by Jesus, and made the decision to follow Him!
A few years later, Caitlin had her first encounter with CRU. Her school had organised a Year 11 CRU Educational Camp where the students learnt study skills to equip them for their final years of school. At this camp, she experienced genuine care from her camp leaders, Bonnie and Brooke, and saw how the team interacted with the campers.
Caitlin was impacted by the Summit team’s passion and intentionality displayed on camp. She reflects, “They weren’t just focused on running activities, running the meal, or sorting out logistics. They took the time to make conversation, met you where you’re at, and answered any questions. They wanted to listen, help you grow, and spur you on, regardless if you believed in Jesus.”
On this same camp, Caitlin heard about the Summit Program and was confident that it was what she wanted to do after high school. She recalls, “I had multiple conversations with Brooke over camp about what the Summit Program looked like and what it involved, and I especially loved the outdoor recreation side of things.”
“I knew I wanted to go to Bible college, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to sit through lecture after lecture. Summit was a way I could still get a ministry qualification, and also get practical training and teach kids about Jesus.”
Caitlin left camp with more than just new study skills – she left with her heart set on Summit!
She was so keen to join that she had submitted her application six months before the official intake. Finally, at the end of 2020, Caitlin received a job offer on the day after her birthday. She shares, “I cried when I found out I got the job because it felt like such a big blessing. For two years, I was so passionate about wanting to do this job because I could just see myself growing and learning heaps. It gave me peace knowing that I would be able to teach kids about Jesus in an environment that I love.”
Caitlin has loved her first year of the program. As expected, she found the outdoor recreation components and training really fun and exciting. However, Caitlin found the ministry training sessions a bit overwhelming at the start. She shares, “I came from a non-Christian family and had only been a Christian for about five years. I felt so inadequate because it seemed like everyone else were from Christian homes, had done other Bible training, or other programs.”
“I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to do this ministry training. I’m now more equipped and more confident in what I believe and can now tell kids about who Jesus is and actually have the Bible as my authority.”
Though initially difficult, Caitlin can now recognise the growth and fruit that has come from her experience. “I have grown so much in my knowledge and my faith. I actually love ministry training now and look forward to it! I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to do this ministry training. I’m now more equipped and more confident in what I believe and can now tell kids about who Jesus is and actually have the Bible as my authority.”
Caitlin is also thankful for the community and fellowship that she’s been able to experience. “The training days are super enjoyable and fun. The trainers just want to see you grow, and you get to bond with the team and build strong relationships. And after a day at camp, it’s super fun to chill out with the team and have good chats about God, where we’re at, and encourage and pray for each other.”
She continues, “The community at CRU® is a blessing. Having the constant Christian influence in your life at work keeps you going and spurs you on to be consistent in your quiet time and in prayer.”
COVID restrictions meant that school camps weren’t able to run for a portion of 2021, so now that camps are back, Caitlin is keen to get back onto them and make the most of the opportunity.
“You get given so many opportunities on camp to tie your Christian faith into activities like sailing or abseiling, into discussion groups, and mealtimes. There are so many opportunities that you get given, and you just have to jump at them because these kids might not ever hear about Jesus again.”
And it seems that Caitlin isn’t the only one happy about the return of camps. The response from campers and teachers has been extremely positive. She says, “The kids and teachers are so keen, and parents are willing to send their kids on camp, even with COVID around. Camps give kids the opportunity to burn off energy and can give teachers a bit of a breather after a tough year. Thousands of kids missed that opportunity last year, so we’re keen to give them great camp experiences this year.”
Now in her second year at Summit, Caitlin prays that God will use her for His glory at CRU. Just like the leaders who impacted Caitlin on her school camp in Year 11, she now hopes to be like salt and light to other campers and point them to Jesus with love and humility.
“Back then, the leaders had such an impact on my life. Now I want to be able to do that for others and show them how good God is. You don’t need much time to have an impact on someone’s life when Jesus is in the middle of it and God’s working.”
