The Best Amplify Ever!

The 15th annual Amplify Creative Arts Camp was held once again at Silverstream Retreat Centre in Upper Hutt (Wellington), from Tuesday 9th of January through to Sunday 14th. But it seems there was something about Amplify 2024 that was different to previous years. Jules Badger went for a visit (photos by Kevin David, Georgia Eilering, Tepaea Renata and Faith Tottle).

‘All Amplify Creative Arts Camps are special, but for some reason there was a truly unique vibe at camp this year,’ reports Major Mat Badger, one of the camp directors.

First-time camper and leader Lieutenant Ben Cola, (Cambridge Corps) says, ‘Amplify is hands down the best youth camp I have been to here in New Zealand, and I’ll definitely be back with my youth next year!’

Amplifying Amplify

There was the usual amazing range of creative streams for young people to choose from: dance, filmmaking, music performance, cultural performance, drama/acting, sports, art, brass, gospel choir, hospo-barista, songwriting, DIY, discipleship, activity-based learning, photography/reels, creative production, upcycling, a young adult’s stream, as well as other activities including the Quiz, the Big Game (with a fresh twist this year), Explorers Café (complete with great coffee and copious amounts of boardgames to choose from) and the non-stop basketball that made up the background beat of camp.

Amplify 2024 also sported the stellar line up of quality guest speakers that campers have come to expect: Captain Faye Molen (Manurewa Corps), Lieutenant Ben Willis (Thames Corps, who also led the sports stream alongside Lieutenant Jesse Willis) and New Zealand artist Maryanne Shearman (New Plymouth Corps), who also led the art stream. Each speaker brought a challenging message, with a changing lineup of musicians responsible for leading worship.

‘At night church, I got to witness my young people from Cambridge responding so freely to God,’ says Ben. ‘I’m so motivated as an officer just seeing the hunger our young people have for more of God in their lives. There were times during the week when I wasn’t needed as a leader because our young people stepped up and ministered to each other. If someone responded to the message by going forward for prayer on their own, the boys would go and surround him and pray for him. That’s been my personal highlight—seeing God move so powerfully in this Amplify space.’

Building on success

Another feature of Amplify was the daily small groups. Major Jeannine Serevi (Central Division) reflects on leading her group: ‘I loved how God set things up this year. So many in the group had connections, so right from the get-go there was no awkwardness, and we were able to go quite deep very quickly. I was impacted personally by the commitment to work on things as the group prepared to go home, which included setting up a group chat to stay in touch and keep each other accountable.’

Saturday night saw the never-before-attempted but hugely successful ‘mash-up’ of the old school exhibition nights, acoustic nights and the festival which was launched last year. Key youth leader for Christchurch City Corps Beaven Turner says, ‘Everyone brought their A-game and the performances were so varied and amazing and it was good to celebrate what young people are good at—see their gifts and talents—being able to also hang out and laugh and cheer and dance, well it was the best “final night” of camp I’ve ever attended.’

The faithfulness of God

‘As a planning team we’d prayed, believed and expected that God was going to move in an amazing way, and that’s what happened,’ says Mat.

Lieutenant Ben Willis (Thames Corps) agreed and said during his message at the final session on Sunday morning, ‘My heart is overflowing with thankfulness and gratitude to God this morning because I have seen first-hand the wonderful work God has done in so many lives this week. And we shouldn’t be surprised because it’s what we’ve come to expect from God, but I am still absolutely in awe.’

Beaven adds, ‘Every year it feels like there is a completely new iteration of the Amplify story, and I just love the community that never fails to form at Amplify when you bring young people from all over the country together—all from different walks of life and all wanting more of God.’

Brand new Territorial Youth and Children’s Secretary Lieutenant Alana LePine said as camp concluded, ‘I’m celebrating that God is so faithful. He’s done some amazing work, and I am leaving here so excited and hopeful and expectant about the future of The Salvation Army. We have so many young people absolutely on fire and sold out for Jesus and ready to take on the world. It doesn’t get any better than that!’

Focus on the future

As Major Mat Badger steps into a new season as a corps officer, God gave him a very specific challenge to take with him. ‘God reminded me this week of the priority I must make to listen to emerging generations. As adults and leaders, we make the mistake of thinking we know it all, but we don’t. The world our young people are growing up in is far more complex than the one we grew up in. We need to be very serious and intentional about listening carefully to our young people as they work to reach their generation. So what does it look like to trust and release young people into ministry at a local level? That’s the challenge for me (and for all of us) as we come to the dawn of 2024.’

Amplify: the campers speak!