Heidi Woodhouse, CRU Captain at Barker College, knows the answer.
David and Goliath, Noah and the Flood, Adam and Eve, The Cross of Christ…
All names and phrases which were once familiar to Aussie kids but are now drawing a blank.
Biblical literacy is on the decline, driven by the declining numbers of youth at church and Sunday School and a secular society that has branded Christianity irrelevant.
CRU is committed to teaching the Bible to school students. Currently, there are 230 CRU Groups meeting weekly with around 6,000 students studying the Bible and growing as disciples.
One of these CRU Groups is at Barker College, located in Hornsby NSW.
As part of the senior student leadership program, a female and male CRU Captain are appointed to work alongside the school Chaplaincy team to: lead the senior CRU Group; run small groups for each year group; and to act as a representative of Barker CRU when involved in wider school activities.
17-year-old, Year 12 student, Heidi Woodhouse, has been appointed as one of these CRU Captains for 2025. We caught up with Heidi to find out how God is at work through Barker CRU.
Heidi started at Barker College two years ago, when she was in Year 10, and found such a large school a bit overwhelming and isolating with over 300+ students in her year alone, many of whom aren’t Christian. She says of the CRU Group, “There are definitely challenges in being a Christian no matter where you are, but I’m very blessed to go to a school where Christianity is supported. I think the best thing about Barker CRU is the sense of community, where people are encouraged and loved. I also really appreciate the sense of unity in our CRU Group where students across year groups can come together under Christ.”
Meeting at lunch on Fridays, there are currently over 50 kids attending weekly from Years 7-12. Now in a leadership role, Heidi attends fortnightly meetings with the chaplaincy staff to discuss ideas, plan and pray for ministry in the school. “It has been fun planning our annual camp ‘CRU Kickstart’ with some of the other Year 12 students. We have also had great experiences giving Bible readings in assemblies, speaking at events and helping create outreach initiatives such as the ‘CRU Connect’ bracelet making day. It’s a very hands-on role.”
There are some challenges Heidi faces as a CRU Captain in Year 12. “Some specific struggles for me are managing my time and finding a balance between my role as CRU Captain and Year 12 study.”
But the joys of serving outweigh the challenges. “I want to serve God by helping foster an encouraging and welcoming community where students feel comfortable asking questions and learning more about Jesus” Heidi shares. “I think that as a CRU Captain it is important to serve both up front and behind the scenes, including other students and spurring on Christians at school.”
One such student is a friend of Heidi’s who is from a Greek Orthodox background. She started coming along to CRU because of her love of Christian community. She continues to attend each week, asking questions from a different perspective and discussing ideas she didn’t grow up with. Heidi has been really encouraged witnessing her journey, “It has been really cool to see her express a genuine love for the CRU community and an eagerness to keep coming along to CRU and learning about God. I was so encouraged too when she bought a Bible at a conference because she wanted to learn more about Jesus.”
Heidi has also grown personally. She shares, “CRU has helped me grow in faith by providing a place where I feel encouraged and supported. I’ve also really enjoyed leading the Year 9 small group on Wednesdays. It’s given me more confidence to share the gospel with others at school. Being CRU Captain has also developed my confidence in other aspects of my life such as helping lead the kids’ program at my church.”
We give thanks to God for Barker College’s committed Christian ethos, and for the Spirit’s work in Heidi’s life as she leads Barker College students to know their Bibles and love God this year.