NSW QLD Winter Conference 2024

Welcome

Winter Conference is Power to Change's annual conference in the mid-year uni break, gathering students from around Queensland and New South Wales. It is a great opportunity to discover more about who Jesus is and how to live in relationship with God – all in the context of a great community. Our theme for 2024 will be Everlasting Joy. We will be exploring what it looks like to experience God's everlasting joy in all seasons of life, on the good days and in the hardest of times. Winter Conference features teaching, practical training, journey groups and fun activities with others (yes, this includes the annual NSW v QLD soccer game).

So whether you have been following Jesus for years, or are exploring Christian faith for the first time, we would love to have you at our QLD and NSW Winter Conference! 

When:  Monday, 8th July – Friday, 12th July, 2024
Where: Watson Park Convention Centre, Dakabin, QLD
Cost:  $500
Early Bird Rego Deadline: If you register and pay before May 10th 2024 you will receive a discount on your total rego cost
Registration and Payment Deadline: Friday June 14th, 2024 

What to Expect

Worship: There will be daily  opportunity to come together to worship God together in community.

Time Alone with God (Quiet Time): While we will have plenty of time to learn together, we also know just how important it is for you to have time alone to explore more about who Jesus is by reading the Bible, engaging with God, and processing anything you may be learning, so we have ensured there is time for this daily. 

Training: There will be opportunities to break into smaller groups to explore the Christian faith deeper, or receive practical training based on growing, sharing and multiplying your faith.

The trainings will equip you in skills and understanding with topics ranging from discovering who Jesus really is all the way to learning how to talk to people about Jesus, how to disciple other students or what it looks like to be part of leading a Christian movement at your campus!

Teaching: Each day we will be diving deeper into our Bible passage for the week - Isaiah 35. We have broken this chapter in Isaiah up into five parts so every day will have its own focus that will allow us to further grapple with and understand the theme of Everlasting Joy. We will have opportunities during the teachings to break off into smaller groups to discuss and learn from one another as we open the Word together. 

Free Time/Nightlife: We like to break up all that we are taking in with space to just relax and have fun. Beach time, sports, craft and other activities are what students typically find themselves doing during their free time. We have asked students what activities they would like this year and have included all of these in our schedule for you to enjoy! In the evenings, there will be time to play games, have a chat over supper, and go deeper with those you have been connecting with.

Mission: Power to Change desires the gospel to be made known not only on our university campuses in Australia, but throughout the whole world! With this in mind, we’ll get to hear about the places we can go over Summer to serve and engage people in conversations about Jesus.

Campus Time: Whether you are new to Power To Change, or have been around for years, this is a great opportunity for you to connect with other students on your campus who are also on this faith journey. 

International Community: Winter Conference is a place for both local Australian and International students to come together, connecting with Jesus and each other. There will be opportunities for our friends whose first language is not English to experience training and community alongside other international students.

There will also be a range of seminars you can attend and you will have the opportunity to be a part of a small journey group over the conference.

The best way to experience all of this and more is to come along and join us for Winter Conference!

What to Bring

Mandatory – Please bring the following items with you to Winter Conference:

• Clothes for cool/wet weather (including a warm jacket as it can get very cold at night)
• Toiletries 
• Towel 
• Bible and journal (if you have one)
• Medicare card (if you have one)
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Bedding (sheets, sleeping bag/blankets, pillow)
• Umbrella
• Waterbottle 
  
  Optional Items:
  
  
• Card or board games to play during free time
• Enclosed shoes if you would like to play outdoor sports during flexi time
• Snack food that you would like to eat in your dorm/share with your dorm mates 
• A powerboard or double adapter for all those electronic devices
• Money for your driver or the Winter Conference store

Registration & Payment

Conference Costs: 

The cost for Winter Conference is $500. This covers five days of accommodation, meals, materials, and much more.

If you register and pay before May 10th, you will receive the 'early bird discount'. 

If you would like to attend but finances are tight, please don’t hesitate to reach out, especially if you are a student exploring Christianity for the first time, or studying internationally.  Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more info.

Venue & Transport

The venue for the QLD and NSW Winter Conference is the Watson Park Convention Centre @ 337 Old Gympie Road, Dakabin, QLD 

Transport

Registration provides options for transport. 

If you are coming from NSW, you will need to select the Group Flight option in your registration. If you register and pay before May 10th, you will receive a discount on your flight cost. Your local missionary team will be organising your flights for you so please speak to them if you have any questions or concerns. 

If you can drive to Winter Conference and take others, that would be great! Please let us know on your registration. You will receive updates on your specific transport situation, in the week leading up to Conference. 

If you require a lift to Winter Conference, please make sure you note that in your registration, and a driver will be in touch with you prior to the event. (Please provide some fuel money for your driver.)

Our Conference Team will be working hard to ensure each participant is able to safely travel to Winter Conference.

FAQs

Why should I attend Winter Conference?

Power to Change’s Winter Conference is specifically designed to help you – as a student in Queensland and New South Wales – join with other students from your campus / region in living out Jesus’ teaching in everyday life. It is also an environment where you can join with others in exploring more about who Jesus is, and what Christianity faith is all about.

Winter Conference will help cultivate friendship with others on campus that we hope will continue throughout your time on campus. We will be discussing things relevant to the uni context, providing practical skills to help you follow Jesus not only for the rest of Semester, but for a lifetime.

You will slowly learn more about Power to Change, a movement desiring to help people connect with Jesus today, impact Australia tomorrow, and reach the nations for eternity. 

Who else will be at Winter Conference? Can I invite friends who have no connection with Power to Change?

Winter Conference is designed with a focus on uni students from NSW and QLD Australia. If you know others in the young adult space, maybe through your church or friendship circles, who would be happy connecting with Power to Change in Dakabin for a week, then absolutely we would love for them to  join us.

Should I attend Winter Conference even if I am not yet a Christian?

Absolutely, you are totally welcome to join us! In many ways we hope to be a ‘Christian group for non-Christians’ 

Winter Conference is for any young adults, regardless of their spiritual background, who are open to exploring Christian faith and discovering who Jesus is. If you are not a Christian, you won’t be ‘pushed’ into participating in activities you do not feel comfortable with, and there will always be alternative options available. 

Is it an issue if I don’t know anyone else going to Winter Conference?

There are plenty of opportunities to get to know others at Winter Conference. Come to think of it, Conference is especially designed for students who are seeking to make friends, and we work this into the schedule. 

You will be assigned as part of a Journey Group, to pray, process and reflect with a cohort of others. You will also get to connect with your roommates, in your Training Group, and through a host of other activities. Free Time and Nightlife are also spaces where you will get to meet new friends.

What do I need to bring?

You can find a list of what to bring with you to Winter Conference on the “What to Bring” tab.

What is the Accommodation / Site like?

The Winter Conference venue, Watson Park Convention Centre, is a great conference site that has hosted successful camps and conferences over many years. The accommodation is great, with plenty of areas for those free time sporting or fun activities.  

Breakfast, morning snacks, lunch, afternoon snacks, dinner and supper will all be catered for by the venue.

Who will I be rooming with?

You will be allocated a cabin with a few other people of the same gender (except in the case of families, married couples). During registration, you can indicate if there are people you would particularly like to room with, and we will do our best to have you bunk with them. However if you don’t have a particular preference, or don’t know anyone else at Winter Conference, you’ll be placed with people from your Campus / Region to help you engage with new friends.

Can you help me understand the Cost / Price?

We’re committed to organising a quality Winter Conference, as well as seeking to keep costs low. The cost of $500 covers food, accommodation, training and conference materials, equipment, activities, and more.

It is our hope that what you leave with, the memories involved in connecting with Jesus and others at Winter Conference, will be more than worth any material cost!

How do I pay?

When you register, you will be sent an email with the information to pay by bank transfer. Please ensure that you email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have not received that email within a few days of registering for conference.

I cannot afford Winter Conference, are there any discounts?

We know that Winter Conference can be expensive for some students, even when it is sound value for money.

We do not desire for money to impede students joining in for Winter Conference, so if you are unable to afford Conference, please contact the Power to Change worker you know best from your campus, to discover the subsidies / discounts available (or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

If your question isn’t answered here, please contact us.

Contact Us

For any Conference questions, be encouraged to contact:

Tiarne Gray [Winter Conference Design Team Leader] This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Keziah Laidlaw [Winter Conference Registration] This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.