500 students gathered for SHINE, a vibrant student event, coordinated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn Education Limited (CACGEL), bringing together high school students from across the Archdiocese. This was a day of celebrating high-school youth ministry, a day of faith, community and encounter. Along with the CACGEL Youth Ministry Officers, the Cana Creatives team animated the experience throughout the day, leading students through praise and worship, music and keynotes, creating an atmosphere that was energetic, joyful and deeply engaging.
Drawing on the Apostolic Action Plan theme “Grounded in Faith,” the keynote focused on a simple challenge: Thrive, Not Survive.
Across two sessions, Chris Van Der Wielen and Christopher Gilroy shared their personal stories of moving from simply surviving to discovering a life of faith that allows us to truly thrive.
Chris V. opened the session by inviting students to encourage someone else in the room. Students then shared three things about themselves before choosing any genre of music for Chris to play and sing back to them. Through music, humour and storytelling, Chris shared his own experience of growing up through difficult circumstances and learning to move from survival mode to trusting in Jesus.
Christopher then shared his own journey from a strict and dry experience of faith to discovering a joyful and personal relationship with Jesus. Using the image of a garden, he explored how our lives can flourish when they are watered by God’s grace through prayer. His story reflected a shift from seeing God as distant and disinterested to discovering that God desires a personal relationship with each of us.
The students responded with incredible energy and openness. They engaged deeply with the stories, participated enthusiastically throughout the session and entered fully into the time of prayer and reflection.
SHINE was ultimately an invitation for students not simply to get through life, but to discover the life Jesus offers – a life grounded in faith, nourished by prayer and alive in relationship with Him.