Canvas Chronicles

Eugene Estil will be ordained from 2pm this afternoon in the Big Tent we would love to see you there if you are able. So scoff your haystacks and see you at 2 as we celebrate Gods calling and leading in Eugene’s life.

In the Seventh-day Adventist Church, ordination is the public recognition that God has called and equipped a pastor for lifelong gospel ministry. It does not create the calling or confer superior spiritual status; rather, the church confirms that calling after years of service, examination, and evidence of character, theological soundness, pastoral competence, and fruitfulness. The process normally involves recommendation by conference leaders, approval by the conference executive committee, Australian conference presidents and the AUC. Ordination authorizes full pastoral functions throughout the worldwide church and expresses trust, accountability, unity, and mission.

There’s a family-friendly change at the 25+ Tent this year! In years gone by, parents would leave their children in the old and head off to enjoy the message. This year, a screen with live video and sound has been added to the old crèche area, so parents can stay with their precious little ones and enjoy the program at the same time.

And because parents can now stay with their children, we’ve discovered that attendants are no longer required. Funny how beautifully that worked out! So yes, the crèche is now a parent-supervised space—but let’s call it what it really is: quality family time, complete with toys, toddlers and a great message in the background.

Everyone wins!

Come and share lunch with ADRA as we build stronger relationships between local churches and ADRA’s mission. Hosted by Brenton Luchow, Church Engagement Officer with ADRA Australia, this gathering is for ADRA Champions, pastors and anyone keen to see how their church can grow its capacity to serve the community with ADRA’s support.

We’ll share some updates and introduce Mission Ready, the practical way your church can be equipped to serve locally.

Lunch will be provided for those attending. Grab a seat and be part of the conversation.
Monday 21 September, 12pm to 1pm
Women’s Ministries Tent, Big Camp South QLD

RSVP here so we can sort catering and dietary requirements:

Big Camp is a wonderful place to be inspired—but on Wednesday, 23 September, you can put that inspiration into action.

Meet at the LE Hall at 1:00 pm with your hat and water bottle, ready to join a team sharing small books door-to-door in the nearby community. Along the way, you may find opportunities to pray with people, invite them to Big Camp and leave life-changing literature in their homes.

Come and experience the joy of sharing your faith—and see what doors God may open.

Calling all younger and older mild mannered reporters, who are secretly wish to be Clark Kent or Lous Lane for the duration of Big Camp. I might not have supervillains or life ending conspiracy stories to cover, but we have one very exciting and action packed Big Camp 26′ to cover. Canvas Chronicles would love to publish stories from talented reporters who would like to share the excitement, joys and happenings of this convention with everyone. We would love to share:

• Devotional Thoughts
• Stories of how God is working at Camp
• Testimonies
• How workshops impacted you
• What it’s like to keep up with the president on a huge pushbike ride at sunrise
• The amazing deals you found at the ABC sidewalk sale.
• The things you look forward to the most at Big Camp
• The most amazing things you have learned from the workshops
• and the most amazing things you heard form the guest speaker in your divsion

Remember most people at camp are not in your division or workshop, so the only way most people at camp will learn of the awesome God experiences is if you tell them. And this newsletter is a perfect way to do that.

If you have heard of attachment theory, you may already know how deeply it can affect the way we connect with others. If you haven’t, this Big Camp workshop presented by the Association of Adventist Counsellors is a wonderful opportunity to discover why it matters.

Attachment theory can help us understand how our early experiences continue to shape our relationships and emotional wellbeing. More importantly, it can help us build healthier connections and thrive in life—regardless of our upbringing or where we have come from.

The workshop is for parents, caregivers, community workers, teachers, professionals and anyone who would like to strengthen their relationships or better understand the people in their lives.

Presenter Dr Lela Centinja-Lipohar is qualified in psychiatry (CMO) and psychotherapy (MMT), with more than 20 years of experience in psychiatry and mental health. Raised by loving Christian parents, she experienced the blessing of secure attachment in her own life. However, she also witnessed the devastating effects of domestic violence, substance use, family breakdown and insecure attachment among young people—some of whom were left living on the streets.

Wondering what would become of these young people led her into mental health, psychology, psychiatry and, more recently, further academic research into attachment theory.

Come and gain valuable insight into yourself, your relationships and the people you care for—because “the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.”

Sunday, 20 September
10:00–11:00 am
Literature Evangelists Hall

The new map page on the Big Camp SQ app now features a way to let the dispatcher know when you are waiting at the buggy stop. They have a big map in the office of all the buggy stops, and when you press the red button on the map page to let the dispatcher know they will send a buggy to you. (except for sabbath when the buggies are basically flat out on carpark duty, but most days through the week pressing I’m here will initiate a call to the closest buggy to come and collect you!

For those with mobility restrictions there is still a SMS number, although it’s changed this year, but it’s still SMS only..

• New SMS number: 0456762367

Being Jesus’ disciple comes with the challenge to make other disciples. It is the basis of our mission statement as a church, that we would “make disciples of Jesus Christ, who live as His loving witnesses.”

But where should we begin when many people apply the adage, ‘never talk about politics or religion’, to ensure harmonious relationships. Well, the BLESS acronym is an excellent tool to approach relationships where we see an opportunity to share God’s love. Begin with prayer, Listen with care, Eat together, Serve with love, and Share your story. Each step seems so easy in itself, and people won’t feel threatened by your approach if you take it slowly. These principles are Biblical, and will help us make a positive difference in the lives of others as we invite them on a journey of following Jesus.

BLESS – we want you to feel blessed as you come and participate in Big Camp 2026. Moreover, we want you to consider how you might ‘bless’ others in your disciple making journey. On behalf of the South Queensland Conference team, I’m glad you’re here at Big Camp 2026, and I know that you will be blessed as you worship and fellowship with people from around our Conference.

I want to thank all of our Conference staff for their prayerful planningto make our Camp Meeting a memorable one.

Welcome!
Brett Townend
President

Keep an eye out for the cute little News Bug—and it really is little—cruising around Big Camp! When you spot it, come and say hi. Behind the wheel is Pr Ben Turner or his wife Naomi Turner, gathering stories and snapshots for the Canvas Chronicles. They would love to hear about your Big Camp experience: why you came, what you’re enjoying most, or a highlight worth sharing.

If you can be first to spot the difference and SMS Ben on 0414 642 504 between the News Bug this year and last year, we will publish your name tomorrow!

Got a story the whole camp should hear? Just tell Pr Ben or his beautiful wife, Naomi.

Fancy winning one of the five $50 ABC vouchers? All you need to do is tune in to Big Camp Radio!

This year, Letitia Lewis returns—and she already has this and plenty of other fun competitions lined up throughout the week.

Listen to all the Big Tent programs, along with the familiar voices of Letitia and Percy, on 90.7 FM around the campground. You can also tap the Radio button in the Big Camp App and listen on your mobile phone wherever you are.

Tune in, keep up with everything happening around Big Camp, and you might just be one of our lucky winners!

This Sabbath morning, the main gates will close at 8 a.m. Police will redirect all traffic, so entry will be from Hughes Rd East only.

Please note: no parking on the grass along Old Gympie Road or Hughes Rd East. The local council will have parking inspectors issuing fines throughout the day.

Where to park: Use the ovals at Northpine School (end of Hughes Rd). Clear directions will be signposted, and friendly buggies will be on hand to ferry you to your destination.

Thanks for helping us keep Sabbath parking safe and stress-free!

See the graphic below for areas where parking is not allowed.