Sheridan Raston grew up in Sydney and started with CRU as a Summit Fellow back in 1996. She moved west to Perth in 2003 and later became the first CRU West staff member.
Today, Sheri serves on the CRU West Committee and takes a moment to reflect on God’s faithfulness from coast to coast
1. How did you come to faith?
It was actually through faithful Scripture and Sunday School teachers who shared the love of Jesus with me. At that time, my family were not believers and I remember loving God and embracing the teacher telling me that I could become one of His children. I didn’t fully grasp the gospel until later doing confirmation classes as a teenager.
2. What were your first connections to CRU?
CRU helped me so much when I was struggling as a Christian in a hostile school. The staff who visited and those I met on CRU Camps supported and encouraged me greatly. I remember first meeting Gary Hill when I was still at school.
3. How was your time as a Summit trainee?
I learnt a lot at Summit. So many practical skills. I learnt what it really meant to be tired! How to love kids through God’s grace. I learnt of my weakness but also the joy of sowing the seeds of the gospel and the importance of relying on God in prayer both for the salvation of the kids and also to sustain us. I also clearly remember directing my first camp—Gary came as a leader to support me for the whole week!
4. You then moved across to WA— How long did you serve at CRU West?
I moved to Perth in 2003 and was immediately confronted by the lack of a strong biblical heritage. The kids I taught knew so little about Jesus. CRU supporters like Pete Smith and Michelle Underwood were instrumental in getting CRU West off the ground. I came on as the first staff member. I felt like God had put me there for that moment. It was an incredible joy and privilege.
5. How have you seen Jesus working through CRU West in the youth of WA?
I’ve been amazed at how God has worked— kids have come to faith and found community especially those who are in small or isolated churches from places like the north west of WA. Kids have been challenged to be witnesses and make a stand for Jesus at school. Watching kids become leaders and seeing them mature over the years is so encouraging. For example, there was a group of young high school boys who did not want to be on our CrossTrain camp but were taken under the wing of an older leader. By the end of camp they had started a Bible study and prayer group that has continued online. I love that Christian kids are now entering the Christian Unions at Uni with so many more skills and a much deeper knowledge and maturity in the gospel. It has also been so wonderful to watch the community of supporters grow!
6. How has God worked in your family, and your ministries through CRU over the years?
My family have so loved being part of the community of CRU West. The kids loved visiting camps when they were too small to attend and so enjoyed meeting the bigger, older Christian leaders and kids. They have also benefitted from attending the camps—meeting kids from all over Perth and WA and learning so much about Jesus. They have been encouraged to invite friends and share the gospel with them. My kids have also benefitted from learning to lead groups at their schools. CRU has supported them and encouraged them in their faith.
7. What is your current involvement with CRU?
I serve on the CRU West Committee and am still passionate about this ministry. I’m thankful to Ed Surrey and the team who are so faithful and hard working. I also lead on CrossTrain each year. Its exhausting but I love it!
8. What are you most thankful for about Gary and his leadership of CRU?
I have known Gary for around 30 years and I have never seen his character waiver. God has made him a faithful, wise, diligent servant of Jesus, and he loves people well. I am very thankful for Gary’s skilled leadership of CRU. He is so generous, kind and always has time for everyone.
“Kids have been challenged to be witnesses and make a stand for Jesus at school.”