There’s no better way to see out the old year and ring in the new than with the saints in the sun at our annual Christmas Camp at Freshwater Creek Retreat. This year was no different. Through daily meetings and variety nights, the theme of ‘The Goodness of God’ shone through the talks and testimonies and campers were entertained by beautiful music and treated to barista quality coffee.  

The weather was fair throughout the week. By day, campers were spotted spending their days in fellowship at the beach, by the pool, riding bikes and enjoying long lunches together. Pickleball was the hit of the season, with a fresh court marked out on the basketball court and daily tutorials run for the newly initiated. Days of arduous training culminated in a round robin tournament played up at the Dickins Road tennis courts. By night, campers battled the persistent bugs* to play darts, ping-pong and tabletop games long into the night.

New Years Eve boasted an appropriately raucous variety night where young and old were dressed in their finest ‘Op Shop’ fare or as their favourite senior citizen. The kids were decked in suspenders and bow ties with plenty of white hair spray and some pretty convincing hunched backs. Lawn games, a wheelchair race and a parade to show off those cardigans and shawls meant plenty of laughs and some playful competition. Dinner was beef brisket cooked in a flavourful homemade gravy. Demands for seconds echoed throughout the camp.

For our late night supper, we were treated to a generous charcuterie spread with fresh fruit to spare and plenty of sweets. What’s better than heading to bed on the first of January with a tummy full of cheese and sugar? We had a Young Revivalists’ fundraiser BBQ, a volleyball tournament, met new friends, caught up with old, played Jeopardy, sang songs, prayed together and so much more. Our reminder for the New Year: shew forth God’s goodness through your testimony and let it be known to all around you. We are the city on a hill, a light in the darkness. In a world struggling to find hope, we can offer it.

If you’re interested in joining the fellowship at Freshwater Creek, get in touch to see about available caravans or find a site to pitch a tent. We’d love to see you there.

Here’s to 2025 and the wonderful ways we’ll continue to see God work in our lives.


*The two-tone nectar scarab beetle really thrived in the damp air and we saw numbers the likes of which we’ve never seen before. We can pray they’ll be a little less enthusiastic next year.