Day Camps

The Winter school holidays are on us, and that means that Uniting Church Day Camps are in full swing this fortnight.

Across the state, children, youth and leaders of all ages will be gathering in churches, showgrounds, pony clubs and paddocks to meet with friends – new and old, learn and share about God’s love, while experiencing God’s great creation in the great outdoors. Across the camps children can expect fire pits, worship, sport, games, devotions, craft, cooking, gunyas, praying, rock climbing and a whole lot of Jesus!

Camps run for 3, 4 or 5 days across the 2 weeks, with children arriving by car or bus to the site each morning and returning home in the afternoon to enjoy their own bed at night. Alyce Sutton, coordinator of the Bundaberg Day Camp says, “A successful camp to me is where the kids, parents and volunteers all walk away at the end of the week with great memories of the fun we have had at camp”.

Redlands Coordinator Beth Nichols said 2025 “is our 49th consecutive year of Day Camping in the Redlands. Our Day Camp is five days, 8.30am-3.30pm at Karingal Scout Camp at Mt Cotton. We’re blessed to have a great group of adult volunteers and Leaders (apprentice, assistant Leaders, & team Leaders) many of whom attended as campers even in grade one. Day Camp is a wonderful way to reach out to children and their families with the message of Jesus.”

While the camps are designed as peak experiences for primary school children, they also provide a great training opportunity for leadership. Many campers return as young leaders and often go on to lead as adults also.

At the Samford and Pine Rivers Day Camps, an intentional leadership program called Fusion is offered to grade 7 and 8’s within the Camp program. For a day they learn the basics of leadership and then get to test their newly learned skills by preparing and leading activities and shadowing and learning from other leaders in small group settings during the week. The inclusion of this program helps prepare high school students to become small group and activity leaders at future camps and in their churches and communities.

This year at Samford, a group of three teens will be leading the Craft and Cooking activities, with another stepping up to be a Fusion director this year. They will be supported by adults, and we are so excited to see these young people grow, and take on opportunities to step into new roles, and use their gifts and skills in these ways.

Milly MacPherson, Samford and Pine Rivers Coordinator hopes “that day camp would be a fun time that teaches them about God’s love for them, as well as giving them an experience of a good Christian community. And that day camp would extend beyond 2 weeks in June/July and into local churches and people/programs that can continue the journey with the campers and families.” In the future Moreton Rivers hopes to do more to support churches after camp to help continue relationship with campers and families and help those without worshipping communities to integrate into local churches.

Day Camps are happening in these locations these holidays.

• Bremer Brisbane Presbytery – Corinda Pony Club
• Pine Rivers (Moreton Rivers) – Pine Rivers Uniting Church
• Samford (Moreton Rivers) – Samford Valley Community Church
• Redlands – Karingal Scout Camp, Mt Cotton
• Central Burnett – Mundubbera Showgrounds (including Gayndah and Eidsvold)
• Bundaberg – Wyper Park Scout Camp

Please be in prayer for all these camps, praying for:

• Good health for Campers, Leaders, Coordinators and Directors
• Registrations to meet budgets and processes to go smoothly
• Day Camp to grow, and reach more kids, and no barriers keeping families and leaders from participating
• New churches, leaders and families getting involved
• Enough leaders and volunteers to give a great experience and exceed minimum ratios
• Safe Camps, keeping incidents to a minimum
• The churches, Ministers, Pastors and Workers who give great support
• The right leaders to be in the right places at camp
• Families and children feeling loved, accepted and encouraged
• Camp to be an important and valuable step in the campers’ and leaders’ faith journey
• Campers to build relationship with leaders from local churches to encourage and follow up with them post camp

If you know of a Day Camp running that’s not listed here, would like to support a day camp, or talk about starting a Day camp, connect with Jess Pinkerton Jessica.pinkerton@ucaqld.com.au

Jess Pinkerton is part of the Mission Accompanying Team and will be visiting many Day Camps this year continuing to support, equip and encourage Uniting Churches Engaging Young People in mission, ministry and discipleship.

Images with permission from Bundaberg Day Camp at Wyper Park Scout Camp.