Elise Bell shares why she’s passionate about giving back to the next generation.
Do you remember the movie “Pay it Forward” from 2000? It told the story of a young boy who came up with a goodwill movement known as “pay it forward” for his school project. The recipient of a favour did a favour for three others rather than paying it back. The movie traced the ripple effect these acts of kindness created.
The ‘pay it forward’ movement didn’t stop with the movie, however; it resonated with people around the world and became a global phenomenon. Millions of people were inspired to perform random acts of kindness for total strangers—paying for petrol for the car behind, buying coffees for others, giving extra groceries to those in need. The list goes on and on. And now there’s even an international ‘Pay it Forward Day’ every year (on 28th April) with the hope of making the world a better place.
While this is a wonderful movement to be a part of, there’s something of much greater value to be ‘paid forward’, with the potential to not only make the world a better place now but also to impact eternity—the gospel of Jesus Christ!
20-Year-old Elise Bell knows all about the impact of paying the gospel message forward to the next generation on CRU Holiday Camps. She experienced it firsthand as a camper, then as a leader and now as a member of staff. She recently sat down with us and shared how CRU Camps impacted her life and how she wants to give back to those who follow.
“I didn’t grow up with any Christian exposure at home. We didn’t go to church or anything. But I got invited to come on a CRU Camp with my cousin. We had so much fun on camp that I kept coming back.”
Elise attended Sailing Adventure numerous times during high school. “It was here that I really heard and understood what the gospel was for the first time. Seeing how the leaders’ faith impacted their day-to-day lives and their giving up of their time to be on camp was very powerful. I did a lot of growing and reflecting throughout the year, but camp was definitely a key deciding factor for me coming to faith in Jesus.”
When she was asked to come back as a leader, that was something she definitely wanted to do. “I knew the impact that my leaders had on me when I was a camper. I wanted the opportunity to have that same impact on others.
“Camping ministry is so unique. You get to build relationships with kids whom you’ve never met before in a really short amount of time. Many of them have never heard of Jesus before. You have the opportunity to share the gospel with them in a way they’ll understand and that’s applicable to their lives.
“One of the best things about leading on CRU Camps, apart from telling kids the gospel, is the deep kingdom friendships you make. You always come away from the end of camp with new friends. Being able to share your faith and grow alongside each other is really valuable.”
After a year going through the Summit Traineeship in 2024, Elise knew she still wanted to be involved with CRU and, in God’s perfect timing, He presented an opportunity for her to join the staff as the CRU Camps Administrator in 2025.
“Ministry is something I am passionate about, especially camping ministry. The timing of this worked really well and I wanted to be a part of it, even if it wasn’t face-to-face on camps.”
Elise’s role involves preparing volunteer leaders to attend CRU Camps—managing their Working With Children Checks and reference checks as well as helping organise camp logistics. “It’s quite different being behind the scenes, but it’s been great to see how every person’s role works together for the greater good of sharing the gospel with kids on camps. I think that’s a really special thing we do.
Working alongside other Christians has also been really beneficial for my own faith. I’ve learned so much from my colleagues. It’s cool that we’re all in this mission together.”
If you, or someone you know, would be interested in paying it forward by leading on CRU Holiday Camps, visit crucamps.com.au/volunteer or email crucamps@cru.edu.au for more information.