Schoolies 2017: Clever ways church groups are using celebrations to spread their message

THESE young people blend in seamlessly with the rest of the wasted school leavers on the Gold Coast, but they have a different reason for being there.

AT FIRST glance the partying teens, holding banners aloft on the streets of Surfers Paradise, look just like any of the thousands of Schoolies who descend every year to the Gold Coast.

“Jesus doesn’t dog the boys”, says one such home spun sign.

But there’s something different about these placard bearing adults to be. And it’s not that they’re toolies — although there are plenty of them on the Gold Coast this year.

These people are more interested in worship than getting wasted. Enterprising church groups have descended on Schoolies with a mission to turn teens to God. And, seemingly, banners that wouldn’t look out of place at a protest rally are the way to do it.

Other signs seen during Schoolies included, “Ain’t no high than the most High” and the simple but classic “Jesus loves you”.

Youth for Christ Australia (YFC) is one of the organisations behind the signs. An evangelical non-denominational religious group, it calls itself a “movement of people unified by a common heart for Jesus and for young people”.

The Jesus banners were out in force on the Gold Coast. Picture: AAP/David Clark

David Ridley, YFC’s National Missions Director, said young people who are part of its church meet for a nightly service in Surfers during Schoolies and then many of them head of with their signs.

It was evangelical, he agreed, “but we’re not bashing people with a bible”.

Mr Ridley said they invited people to “experience the love of Jesus”.

“These (placards) are not just catchphrases. Everybody who has created these placards has had a genuine experience of the love of God and want to share it around.”

Earlier this year, YFC presented its “schoolies report” where it described how it used the celebrations as an outreach opportunity.

“Romans 2:4 say that it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance, so this is the approach we took. We had signs that said things like ‘free healing’ or ‘Jesus loves you’ and these would attract young people,” said Queensland State Director, Caleb Bowles.

“We would then engage with them and offer to pray for them. Through this, many young people experienced the love of God.”

Youth for Christ Australia are big proponents of the banners bringing people closer to God theory. Picture AAP/David Clark

Not that the crowd was always easily won over. “The response we had was sometimes challenging as the name of Jesus can cause people to respond negatively. But even some of those who started out mocking us encountered God and were asking to know more by the end of the week,”

Nevertheless, said Mr Bowles, “we saw many truly miraculous God moments.”

Various manifestations of the church have long had been involved in Schoolies.

The Red Frogs, for instance, were once again out in force on the Gold Coast, coaxing people out of gutters with the promise of lollies. The organisation was founded by the Pentecostal Citipointe Church based close by in Brisbane.

However, God wasn’t on the side of 19 toolies, non-school leavers trying to gain access to Schoolies, who were arrested. Many were in possession of illegally purchased wristbands.

The 19 toolies were among 41 people arrested at Schoolies, said Queensland Police.

And you too. Picture AAP/David Clark

The majority of offences related to drug possession.

The event’s organisers say they are well aware Facebook is being used as a “black market” for Schoolies selling official wristbands in an attempt to make some quick cash.

Schoolies advisory group chair Mark Reaburn told reporters on Monday “we are not fooled in terms of working out what kids try to do — some kids try and crash the party”.

He says second-hand wristbands, which are superglued and stapled on, will be randomly checked when entering the event precinct, particularly on those who look older.

“There are some big, big boys and they’ve allegedly left school a couple of days beforehand and they’ve got a full beard. It doesn’t quite cut the mustard in terms of ‘I’m a schoolie’,” Mr Reaburn said.

The Red Frogs volunteers are backed by a Pentecostal church. Picture: Regi Varghese

Gold Coast Inspector Bruce Kuhn added police will not hesitate to act against anyone found with drugs, with drug-detection dogs already deployed on the streets and around the event.

Meanwhile, police have stopped 24,000 MDMA (ecstasy) pills from potentially making it to Surfers Paradise after a million dollar drug bust in North Brisbane on Sunday.