I’m pumped for Spring Camp 2025.
We’re gathering rangatahi from across Nelson, Waimea, Marlborough and Māwhera for a long weekend of worship, workshops, games, kai and late-night kōrero. This year we’re leaning into hope and healing, giving God our real, messy lives and watching him weave restoration. We’ll open the punchy little book of Habakkuk with our speakers, Nathan Hughes and Kimberly Rea, getting radically honest with God about justice, pain, and what he’s doing in our world.
I sat down with our speakers recently to get to know them a bit more.
Kimberly: I love travelling overseas. I've travelled to 28 countries and spent time living in three different continents. I'm always dreaming about my next adventure. I am obsessed with cats. Like, super obsessed. My cat's name is Charlie and he is so adorable. If you show me a photo of your cat, we will be friends instantly.
I also love ice cream and have been known to eat ice cream for breakfast, just because I can.
Nathan: I like drinking coffee, a good flat white fuels most of my mornings. I’ve been to every continent except Antarctica. I have two teenage daughters who keep me grounded. I’m a primary school teacher. I was once a bus driver, and I spent two summers working for Greenpeace. My first job was at a retirement village. I got fired from that job.
Kimberly: I like everything about youth camps. I love the community and also the independence – you can roam free all weekend, but you’re still part of an amazing community. Late-night chats under the stars, worship with your mates, and crazy camp activities, all make it feel like a little village. Youth group camps are some of the highlights of life.
Nathan: I love the amazing sense of community that builds over a few days, strangers becoming whānau.
I’ll bring my herbal tea and slippers this time, ready for the evening chills.
Nathan: We’re going to be talking about justice, judgement, and radical honesty with God. We’ll be exploring Habakkuk, probably a book most of the youth haven’t read. It’s only three chapters and a bit of a mystery. It speaks to the tough realities of life, why the world is so broken, and what God is doing about it. We’ll wrestle with hard questions and learn how to pray real, honest prayers.
Kimberly: We'll be talking about restoration and God’s invitation to be restored ourselves but also participate in his restoration of the world. We’ll look at what that looks like in everyday life, at school, at home, and with our friends, and how being radically honest with God is not just okay, but welcomed by him.
Kimberly: I hope everyone leaves with a stronger sense of belonging, in their youth group and in the kingdom of God. I pray each person goes home away with a shift, even a small one, in their walk with God.
Nathan: It’s going to be amazing. There will be ridiculous amounts of fun, some incredible people, and I believe God wants to do deep work in our lives. Come expectant, come honest, and be ready for God to surprise you.
Spring Camp is happening next month – October 24-27 2025. Keen to come? Talk to your youth leader and sign up now!
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
I’m pumped for Spring Camp 2025.
We’re gathering rangatahi from across Nelson, Waimea, Marlborough and Māwhera for a long weekend of worship, workshops, games, kai and late-night kōrero. This year we’re leaning into hope and healing, giving God our real, messy lives and watching him weave restoration. We’ll open the punchy little book of Habakkuk with our speakers, Nathan Hughes and Kimberly Rea, getting radically honest with God about justice, pain, and what he’s doing in our world.
I sat down with our speakers recently to get to know them a bit more.
Kimberly: I love travelling overseas. I've travelled to 28 countries and spent time living in three different continents. I'm always dreaming about my next adventure. I am obsessed with cats. Like, super obsessed. My cat's name is Charlie and he is so adorable. If you show me a photo of your cat, we will be friends instantly.
I also love ice cream and have been known to eat ice cream for breakfast, just because I can.
Nathan: I like drinking coffee, a good flat white fuels most of my mornings. I’ve been to every continent except Antarctica. I have two teenage daughters who keep me grounded. I’m a primary school teacher. I was once a bus driver, and I spent two summers working for Greenpeace. My first job was at a retirement village. I got fired from that job.
Kimberly: I like everything about youth camps. I love the community and also the independence – you can roam free all weekend, but you’re still part of an amazing community. Late-night chats under the stars, worship with your mates, and crazy camp activities, all make it feel like a little village. Youth group camps are some of the highlights of life.
Nathan: I love the amazing sense of community that builds over a few days, strangers becoming whānau.
I’ll bring my herbal tea and slippers this time, ready for the evening chills.
Nathan: We’re going to be talking about justice, judgement, and radical honesty with God. We’ll be exploring Habakkuk, probably a book most of the youth haven’t read. It’s only three chapters and a bit of a mystery. It speaks to the tough realities of life, why the world is so broken, and what God is doing about it. We’ll wrestle with hard questions and learn how to pray real, honest prayers.
Kimberly: We'll be talking about restoration and God’s invitation to be restored ourselves but also participate in his restoration of the world. We’ll look at what that looks like in everyday life, at school, at home, and with our friends, and how being radically honest with God is not just okay, but welcomed by him.
Kimberly: I hope everyone leaves with a stronger sense of belonging, in their youth group and in the kingdom of God. I pray each person goes home away with a shift, even a small one, in their walk with God.
Nathan: It’s going to be amazing. There will be ridiculous amounts of fun, some incredible people, and I believe God wants to do deep work in our lives. Come expectant, come honest, and be ready for God to surprise you.
Spring Camp is happening next month – October 24-27 2025. Keen to come? Talk to your youth leader and sign up now!
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
