We’re only a month into semester one, but already there’s been heaps going on with student ministries around Australia. Here’s a few of the highlights:
In Adelaide, ATSA (Adventist Tertiary Students Association) kicked off 2012 with their annual ATSA retreat at Ankara on the Murray River, held over the weekend of February 10 to 12. This has been a tradition for the past 4 years now, and like previous years, it was a great opportunity to learn more about God, chill out with friends and catch up before the Uni year started up again. Around 30 people attended over the weekend. Definite highlights were a games night in the hall on Saturday night, water sports on (and in) the Murray on Sunday, and of course the amazing cooking.
In Newcastle, NASA (Newcastle Adventist Students Association) also started the year strong, with a booth at Orientation Week, followed by social events over the weekend. NASA had seven student volunteers manning the booth over two days, and in that time 20 students signed up to NASA, not including a lot of Adventist students in the area. The NASA chaplain, Rick Hergenhan says, “People were interested in what we’re doing, developing friendships with other Christians and connecting with other societies.” On the Friday night, 19 people attended a NASA scavenger hunt around Newcastle, finishing with dinner and opening Sabbath at Bar Beach. Then, on Sunday, there was a water sports day at Lake Macquarie, with water skiing, wake boarding and loads of other fun activities.
In Sydney, ASOC (Adventist Students on Campus) also had a successful booth at Orientation Day (O-Day) at the University of Technology, Sydney. Volunteers from ASOC were able to register approximately 60 students up to their club on O-Day with another 30 people who were interested but not yet willing to pay the $5 fee. These students will be given the opportunity to receive Bible studies and participate in quality social occasions with other SDA students.
