From A Mountain Climbing Accident to The Power of Vulnerability

I was born into the tribal culture of the indigenous Native American people. My parents taught me the indigenous plants, how to catch a wild horse, and the value of Creation Care. My grandparents immigrated 100 years ago from the Netherlands to the Navajo Reservation. They were beloved cross-cultural bridges to the Navajo and Zuni […]

Belonging to the Body: Beyond Sunday

Written by Evan Clulee   John Swinton said, “To be included you just need to be present. To belong you need to be missed.” (From Inclusion to Belonging. Pg 184, line 6). I agree with John, and it is a powerful and important distinction. This speaks volumes to me. Being missed by the community, or […]

Courageous Love

2 Timothy 1:7 “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” It’s one of my favourite verses at the moment. It’s definitely been one of my battle Bible verses this year. We have such an incredible and generous God who gives us His love. We don’t need to earn it, He just gives […]

Four Decades of National Camps!

There have been so many incredible stories and highlights from National Camps over the years. We only could fit a very few highlights and wonderful stories in this timeline. 1980’s Baptism is always a highlight of National Camp One reflected on the first camp at Matamata “I have many moving memories, but the one which […]

Auckland CFFD Camp – Building Friendships and Community

It’s been three years since the last National Camp was in Matamata and last year, we had to cancel Auckland CFFD Camp. So, with much anticipation as the committee began planning for the 2023 camp at Carey Park, there was also much prayer for it to go ahead. With all the work involved in preparing […]

CBM Kids Connect Camp

Being an Archaeologist for a Day Kids Connect camp looked a little different this year with a change of location and a change of format. After 13 years of using the local scout camp for a weekend, we found ourselves in the position of having to choose between no camp at all or a day […]

Hebron Disability Services

Praise God for His goodness and faithfulness to Hebron Disablity Service. Praise God for the passion, compassion and faithfulness of all staff and volunteers in the ministry. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do […]

Elevate Family Camps

Elevate Family Camps are a Christ-centred weekend of family, fun and fellowship for families affected by disabilities. This year’s theme for both camps in Nelson and Auckland was “Running on Empty”. With the past few years that we’ve had, we could probably all relate to this year’s theme. But for families affected by disabilities, things can […]

Volunteer Spotlight: Kayla

My name is Kayla. I go to Connect Baptist in Auckland. I attend the youth group there and I am learning Te Reo with some other people from my church. I first heard about Elevate camps from my friend Julia, who asked me if I wanted to come to the first Elevate Family Camp. I’ve […]

Donation Request for Camps 2023

We hope you enjoy the July 2023 issue of The Encourager. Because this year we will be celebrating 40 years of National Camps, we’ve showcased the impact this event has had on people over that time. We’ve also highlighted other camps that we run or that are affiliated with Elevate. Our camps bless both campers […]