An Interview with Oscar on Mission

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From his first Leadership Conference in 2023 to serving on Stockton SUFM and the Country Music Festival mission in Tamworth, Oscar has found a community that keeps drawing him back. We sat down with him to hear about the journey — the near-miss that almost kept him away from LC, the mentors who shaped how he leads, and what keeps him coming back to mission year after year.

About Your LC Experience

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you first got involved with Leadership Conference? What drew you to it and what year did you first attend?

To begin I was attending the youth group of my local church, Maitland Baptist Church, in 2022 as a 17 year old and junior leader helping to run games at youth and setup and packup. I was invited to come to Leadership Conference by a youth leader and mentor of mine at the time. I was not sure if I’d enjoy it or get anything but I signed up and organised travel to get there with my youth group.

But I hit a roadblock — I needed to go in for major surgery to have a tumour removed, and a few weeks after signing up for Leadership Conference I got a call to say there was an open spot for my surgery the week of Leadership Conference. So I cancelled my ticket for Leadership Conference.

But the next year I was invited again by a few friends who had gone, and they convinced me to go, so I got a ride with one of my youth leaders who was already going and finally made it to Leadership Conference 2023.

What did you expect LC to be before you arrived — and how did the reality surprise you?

Previously I had been to large conferences like Kyck, where you really only get to know the people you come with and maybe a few others. But I was surprised by the loving closeness of the community and people at Leadership Conference — the way everyone went out of their way to meet each other and become everyone’s friend. By the end of the week I had spoken to everyone and made many long-life friends from just a week.

Was there a specific moment, session, or conversation at LC that shifted something in you — something that changed how you thought about leadership, faith, or serving others?

One of the most life-changing, eye-opening moments at LC was experiencing Testimony Night for the first time on the Thursday night back in 2023, my first conference. It’s an amazing night of true honesty, raw emotion and the powerful ways God has moved in others’ lives. We turn the lights down, sit around in a circle, and people get up and give testimonies of God moving in their life. Some can be very raw and emotional — there is usually a lot of tears and hugs.

I had never experienced a night like that, so full of God’s grace and mercy in others’ lives coupled with their true stories of suffering. It was an emotional culture shock — it opened my eyes to how hard it is to live in the world we’re in, and how truly we need God’s love and mercy in our lives.

How has LC shaped the way you lead and serve today? Are there things you learned there that you find yourself drawing on regularly?

LC has had a huge effect on my leading and serving, drawing from the conversations with the leaders who came before me and their experiences that they shared. One of the people I learnt a lot from was Jasmine Mollison (formerly Jasmine Ruigrok) — she taught me so much. She led from a position of kindness and service to her team, not from a position of power or being up the front. She helped teach me to get alongside others and lead from amongst the team rather than from the front, and the power of delegation and asking for help rather than pushing on trying to do it yourself.

I draw often on the examples of the other more experienced leaders from LC — from Jasmine, Dave and many others. Skills like delegation, humility in leadership, and serving with a kind heart.

About Your Missions Journey

How did you first get involved with Stockton SUFM? Was there a connection between your LC experience and your decision to serve on beach mission?

I first got involved because I was invited by my best friend Caleb, who was already going along with a whole heap of our mutual friends, some of which I made at LC. I decided to serve on Stockton SUFM as a way to spend my holidays doing something that would have a positive effect on others as well as let me have fun with my friends — I think the combination of the two always makes for an amazing experience on mission, friends serving the Lord and his kingdom together.

What does a typical day or week look like on Stockton SUFM?

I was on security, so we would wake up first, packup our bedding, then get right into setup, and as others woke up they’d find their way outside to get everything done. We’d then break to have breakfast all together at tables — an intentional meal time to get to know each other and prepare for the day. Then we’d break off into our groups to prepare for the kids to arrive.

Once the kids arrived we’d play a few games like soccer or outdoor jenga and connect four as we waited for a few more kids. Next we’d gather under the tent in the shade for a few fun worship songs with plenty of actions, then a talk from one of the leaders, followed by group discussions, then games as their parents arrived for pickup. We’d pack everything away, and by then it was about 1pm.

We’d have lunch, and the rest of the afternoon was for the volunteers to hang out, build friendships and enjoy time together. Then dinner, and the day would be over.

Serving on both LC and beach missions takes real commitment. What keeps you coming back year after year?

I keep coming back partly because I love the mission — the ability to influence others in a positive way and make an impact in their lives. But also the great community I serve alongside. No matter which mission, conference or camp I serve on that SU runs, I know I’ll be a part of an amazing team all serving together to further God’s kingdom. Every camp I go on I make new friends and reconnect with old ones.

About the Upcoming Mission Season

You’re heading back to mission in January 2027 — what are you most looking forward to this season? What is God stirring in you as you prepare?

I actually am not heading back to Stockton SUFM, as I’m unable to get it off work, but I will be going back to the Country Music Festival mission for the third time in Tamworth in January, so I’ll tell you about that.

I’m looking forward to stepping up this year — rather than doing security/setup and having a small role in running the kids club, I’d like to be involved in the prep and actual overseeing of the kids club that we run. Helping facilitate the background work so the volunteers can have an easy structure to follow, so they can put their efforts into bonding with the kids and doing activities with them.

What would you say to a young person who is considering serving on a beach mission for the first time but isn’t sure if they’re ready?

I would say this to anyone about any mission or camp they are considering serving on but isn’t sure that they’re ready.

Something I heard when I first started serving in youth ministry that encouraged me was “God equips the called, not calls the equipped.” It’s an idea we see all through the Bible — God calling unlikely people to serve his grand purposes and equipping them to do so along the way, rather than calling someone who seems capable. We see this with David and Goliath, Moses in Egypt, and others.

If God is calling you to it, he will provide the what, when, where, who, why. You just need to trust him and he will set you up for success. So just do it and see where it takes you, following God the whole way.

Is there something specific you’d love the SU NSW community to be praying for as mission season approaches — for Stockton, for the teams, or for the families you’ll be reaching?

I’d love if they prayed for:

• All the volunteers across SU who make camps and missions happen
• The Stockton team to grow, and for more volunteers to come on team, as I know they’re struggling for numbers
• The directors of Stockton beach mission, Lily and Connor Trappel, as they continue prep and organising a team amongst battles with council approvals
• The Country Music directors as they begin prep soon for the cafe and kids club set for later January
• All the families reached by SUFM and SU camps, that the seeds planted will grow into strong faith

Final Question: If you could say one thing to a young person sitting in their first year at Leadership Conference right now — someone who has no idea yet where God might take them — what would you say to them?

Get stuck in, get involved. No one is going to judge you for trying something new, getting up the front, praying. This is the most supportive, kind and Godly group of people. This is the safest place to try something new, with no judgement and a lot of support from your peers and fellow leaders.

Try everything, leave nothing behind, and talk to and make as many friends as possible — you won’t ever regret it. Conference is what you make it, and if you decide to have fun, learn lots, and make new friends, it’ll be the best week of your year. It always has been for me.

Want to find out more about SUFM missions?