WA Winter Conference 2024

Welcome

Winter Conference is Power to Change’s annual conference in the university break, gathering students from around Western Australia. 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 Courage, becoming more like the person God designed us to be. Conference features teaching from our keynote speaker (Dr Grant Bickerton), practical training, journey groups and fun activities with others.

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 WA Winter Conference!

When:  Monday, 1st July – Friday, 5th July, 2024
Where: Busselton Baptist Camping Centre, 206 Caves Road, Busselton. 
Cost:  $370
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, 18th June, 2024.
Instagram: Click here!  

Meet the Speaker

Dr Grant Bickerton (PhD Psychology) is a counselling psychologist with 15 years experience as a missionary in Australia and overseas. Grant’s research involves the psychological and spiritual variables that reduce work stress and promote well-being among Christians. 

Familiar with Middle Eastern and South East Asian culture, Grant is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society, and loves helping people understand more of how the Bible applies to their whole of life. 

Married to Kathryn, they have raised three university-aged children (Ben, Jessie and Matthew). Together they love cycling, exploring their home city of Melbourne, and a good, fun, competitive quiz night!

What to Expect

Worship: There will be daily  opportunity to come together to worship God through music. A playlist will be sent out so you can get familiar with songs we will sing to. You could even listen to it and worship on the drive to Conference!

Time Alone with God (Quiet Time): While we will have plenty of time to learn together, we also desire you to have time alone to read the Bible, engage with God, and process anything you may be learning.

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.

Some of the training relates to learning how to talk to people about Jesus, how to disciple other students or be part of leading a Christian movement at your campus!

Teaching: Dr Grant Bickerton, our keynote speaker, will be providing our main talks during sessions. Grant will be teaching us from the Bible, helping us think about how to live a life fully yielded to Christ, growing in spiritual depth, and allowing faith to overcome fear. 

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. 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 desire 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: Connect with people from your own campus and region. Campus time is important to us because it encourages us to continue pursuing God and community even when conference is over.

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)
• Bible and journal (if you have one)
• Medicare card (if you have one)
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Bedding (sheets, sleeping bag/blanket, pillow)
• Umbrella
  
  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 $370. This covers five days of accommodation, meals, materials, and much more.

$100 discount is available for International Students.

There is a special referral bonus of $70 for both you (as referrer) and anyone you additionally invite along to the Winter Conference, e.g. if Tom invites Pamela, and Pamela signs up to join Winter Conference, then both Tom and Pamela receive $70 discount from their registration cost. There is no limit to number of referral bonuses you can claim. 

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. Part-time costs can be negotiated. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more info.

Venue & Transport

The venue for WA Winter Conference is the Busselton Baptist Camping Centre @ 206 Caves Rd, Siesta Park (Busselton)

Transport

Registration provides options for transport. 

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 Western Australia – 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 Western Australia, the majority of participants. If you know others in the young adult space, who would be happy connecting with Power to Change in Busselton for a week, then absolutely we would love for them to  join us.

We even build a $70 Referral Bonus into the Conference, allowing $70 discount BOTH for you and any friends you have invited along (and who choose to say ‘yes’ to attending). 

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-Christian.s’ 

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 connect with those in your bunkhouse, in your Training Group, and through a host of other activities. Flexi 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, Camp Busselton, is an absolutely gorgeous location on our planet, that has hosted successful camps and conferences over many years. Camp Busselton is right next to the the Indian Ocean, with breathtaking sunset views that would even make clouds blush. 

Breakfast, morning snacks, lunch, afternoon snacks, dinner and supper will all be catered for by Power to Change. 

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. We hope we have landed on an affordable Conference! The cost of $370 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 able to select your preferred payment method. If you choose to pay by bank transfer or cash you will need to arrange it through the Power to Change leader you know best, or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more info.

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 $$ 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

Please check out our Insta / Facebook for updates on Winter Conference, and Power to Change WA activities more broadly.

For any Conference questions, be encouraged to contact:

John Mayne [Winter Conference Design Team Leader] at 0402 656 915 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Laina Wyrick [Winter Conference Design Team] on 0452 609 274 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Katie Dean [Winter Conference Design Team] on 0474 502 995