What if you found a community where you could grow in your faith and share Jesus with young people, all while getting paid? Harry Grant found his community when he joined Summit, CRU’s camps-based ministry training program, in early 2022.
When he finished Year 12 in 2021, Harry was looking for a next step where he could take a break from studying and build up his savings.
As a trainee, Harry leads on a large number of CRU Educational Camps where he puts his outdoor recreation training into action to run abseiling, rock climbing, sailing and plenty more activities for school students.
He also has opportunities to share Jesus with them, which Harry describes as a “big point of difference that CRU offers compared to other camp programs.”
Each day on camp, the Summit trainees strive to build intentional relationships with every camper. Harry says, “It’s the heart of the organisation, from the very top, that we get alongside the campers and take a genuine interest in them. And when we do that, the kids see that we care.”
“You come out the other side with great friendships and many experiences where you’ve ‘tasted and seen God’s goodness’ in young people’s lives and yourself.”
“They start to feel comfortable, gain confidence and have a great camp experience. We all have different strengths, but we all do our best to show God’s love to each kid on camp,” he continues.
Harry has seen God’s goodness at work in these students’ lives countless times since joining Summit. On one camp, a boy in Harry’s small group was a relaxed, easy-going kid who didn’t take anything too seriously. Harry spent quality time with him and the other boys in his group throughout camp, chatting about Jesus and life, while having plenty of fun. By the end of the week, Harry witnessed an incredible transformation. “I remember chatting with him on the last day and he shared that he decided to trust in Jesus for the first time,” says Harry. “I got his teacher and we prayed together with this boy. When we finished praying, I looked at him and he had tears coming down his face. His teacher was so encouraged, and I was knocked off my feet seeing the joy of the Holy Spirit in this young boy!”
Looking back on the past 16 months, Harry has been amazed at how God has been moving in his own life. He tells us, “I can see the sum of the theological training, camp leading experience, other people’s investment in me and the privilege of telling kids about Jesus on camp. When I add these things up, I can see how much further I am now in my walk with God and I praise the Lord for that. There’s probably nothing more worthwhile that I could be doing with my time!”
He continues, “It’s so valuable having friends across generations investing in you, from senior staff to the other trainees who are around my age – and especially my mentor, Dan.”
Dan Shaw, Harry’s mentor, has worked with CRU for 10 years. Dan has served in a number of roles over the years: as a trainee, Outdoor Leader, Activity Resource Coordinator, Camp Coordinator and currently as a Summit Staffing Coordinator.
“Mentoring is one of my favourite parts of the job,” Dan shares. “The fact that we both love Christ and work in the same environment to share Him with kids and we are intent on growing in our faith – that is the bedrock that makes mentoring special and valuable.”
Each month, Dan invests time with Harry to check in on his work and personal life. Harry is able to share his learnings and challenges, and they pray and encourage each other. “After a catch up I often think, wow, that was a big encouragement to me in my faith or that’s something I can learn from,” reflects Dan.
“I love seeing my mentees growing,” he continues. “I think it’s really cool to see how different Harry is now to just a few months ago – and I give God thanks for that and how He is transforming all of our trainees.”
When asked why he would recommend the Summit Program, Dan shares: “You're doing the work, being out in the ministry, you're not just sitting in a classroom learning. You learn, you apply and you get paid to do that. And you have great structures put around you to grow and support you. You come out the other side with great friendships and many experiences where you’ve ‘tasted and seen God’s goodness’ in young people’s lives and yourself.”
