For Steven Hay, PY Summer Camp was once a place where his own faith was strengthened. Decades later, he’s watching that same camp shape his son’s heart, and bring the impact home to a small country church.

Known by Jesus, not just noticed

For Steven Hay, following Jesus began with a shift in what it meant to be known.

Growing up on a dairy farm and attending Finley Presbyterian Church, Steven says he “always went along to church” and was “privileged to have a good youth group.” But as a teenager, his heart was set on something else.

“I really wanted to chase the dream of being noticed,” he reflects. “I used to try and get my name in newspapers, do all these things so people would notice me… playing cricket and other sports.”

But at 16, something changed.

“I came to realise that really the most important thing for me was to be known by Jesus. Not to have people know me, but actually be known by Jesus and actually knowing him as my Lord and Saviour.”

That realisation, that Jesus “is so dedicated to knowing me that he would die for my sins and rise again so I could have life”, reshaped his ambitions. It was the beginning of a steady journey of discipleship through youth group, church, and camps, eventually leading him into ministry.

Today, Steven serves as minister at Grenfell Presbyterian Church, a small country town of around 2,000 people. And years after his own first PYNSW camp, the impact of PYNSW is still being felt, now in the life of his son.

From intimidation to belonging

Steven first attended a PY Summer Camp in the late 1990s. Encouraged by his youth minister, he and two other “country boys” travelled to Sydney for camp. Walking into Scots College was overwhelming. “There were three of us country boys… and there were just heaps of other people from all over the place,” he says. “It really was intimidating.”

But that wasn’t the lasting impression.

“I got to hear God’s word explained and applied, sing songs, enjoy time in small groups, and enjoy activities together… although there wasn’t many of us, I felt really welcomed.”

What began as a daunting step into the unknown became a place of deep encouragement. Steven kept going back. Eventually, a whole busload of youth from Finley and surrounding towns made the trip together. Later, as a leader, he helped bring others along.

Although PYNSW camps were one-off in nature, they never felt like once-per-year events. Instead, they became woven into the rhythm of his teenage discipleship. A place where his faith was deepened, lasting friendships were formed, and the breadth of the wider church family came into view.

Sending his own son along

Fast forward to 2025.

Back in country NSW, Steven and his wife faced a familiar but fresh challenge: raising Christian teenagers in a small town.

“There’s not many Christians here in Grenfell,” he explains. “Our son doesn’t have a lot of Christian mates ‘cause there’s not a lot of Christians around here.” Their son Ben, in Year 8, is one of only a couple of Christian boys at the local high school. 

When Steven’s wife heard someone “give PY Summer Camp a big plug” at KYCK in 2025, and with Steven’s own positive memories in mind, they asked Ben and his friend if they’d like to go.

“They said, ‘Yeah, we’d love to go along.’”

For Steven, the reasons were clear. “I wanted to send him to a camp where there are a whole bunch of other Christians so he can get there and have his eyes broadened to think, ‘Yeah, there’s more Christians than just me.’”

PY Summer Camp would remind him that he’s not alone. “There’s all these other Christians who want to take following Jesus seriously.”

An added help in deciding to send Ben to camp was the bus that PYNSW organised to pick up youth from Grenfell and the surrounding towns, just like when Steven was heading to camp himself. 

The fruit that came home

The clearest evidence of camp’s impact came quickly after Ben got home.

“One of the first questions Ben asked when he came home was, ‘How can I serve at church?’”

For a parent and pastor, that question was gold.

“That’s fantastic,” Steven says. “To come home with an attitude of how can I use the gifts that God’s given me to encourage and build up the church.”

Ben also spoke about being challenged to think about “how he can fish for people in everyday life” and was “really challenged and encouraged” by the Bible talks.

For Steven, this is exactly why the effort is worth it.

“It might cost a bit of money to go to camp and the timing might not be ideal. But I think it is well worth the money. It’s well worth the time. It’s well worth the effort.”

In regional areas especially, the encouragement is profoundly impactful. “It’s easy to feel alone and outnumbered in the country,” he says. “I think PY Summer Camp reminds youth they’re not on their own. God’s with them, their family’s with them, and they have a whole bigger church family too.”

Ultimately, Steven sees PYNSW as a partner in the long game of discipleship.

“As youth become teenagers, it’s great to have other voices speaking the good news of Jesus into their lives. I really appreciate when other people are saying what we are saying at home, but they’re hearing it from other people.

“I think ultimately the task of discipleship falls to parents. But PYNSW through PY Summer Camp comes alongside and partners with parents to help do that.”

Because in the end, the greatest measure of camp isn’t the memories made, but the disciples formed.