Twenty-five keen cadets recently spent a week of their summer holidays on camp in Canterbury, growing and developing in their roles as junior leaders, aged 15-18, at rallies across New Zealand.
NZ Rally CEO Tony Foster says the week focused on building Christian character, with workshops on spiritual growth as a follower of Jesus alongside practical opportunities to serve.
“Emma Robinson (from Rutland Street Church in Christchurch) introduced her book Jesus Time (left picture above) and talked about cultivating a regular quiet time in the Word. Rob Morton and Sarah Chalmers (both from NZ Rally) led workshop sessions on ‘How to interpret the Bible’, ‘Prayer’, ‘Communication’ and spiritual gifts, ‘How has God wired us’.
“We also facilitated opportunities to express servant-heartedness. The kids had the opportunity to serve by helping out at the Blackberry Patch (a respite for kids in Hororata) with maintenence and baking, and at a retirement home in Darfield by visiting residents.
Cadets also served the wider group at camp, learned how to unpack and pack up the NZ Rally trailer, visited nearby Castle Hill, and more. “One of the highlights for me was in the evenings during our reflection time, when we’d ask, ‘does anyone have any questions about the workshops?’ It was cool to hear how the group was working through what they’d learnt and asking deep questions.”
“As leaders we loved seeing the relationships and friendships building throughout the week, and we’re hoping and praying they go past just being at camp—these young people are the future leaders of our movement. We were so impressed by the willingness to help—even if it wasn’t their team on duty, we always had young people coming up wanting to help with dishes or clean up—what an encouragement to see.”
Churches involved included The Orchard Church in Te Puke, Greeton Bible Church in Tauranga, Te Awamutu Bible Chapel, Rongotea Bible Chapel, Church Street Bible Chapel in Timaru, Glentunnel Chapel in Canterbury, and Rutland Street Church in Christchurch.
If you’d like to find out more about how a rally might help you nurture and grow young leaders, contact NZ Rally CEO Tony Foster: www.nzrally.org.nz
