AUSTRALIA—Sixteen teens from the Sydney congregation of the Philadelphia Church of God gathered at the Haddad residence on September 10-11 for a trivia and games night followed by a day of volleyball and swimming at Austinmer Beach.

The weekend started with a game of Bible trivia conducted by Preaching Elder John Macdonald. Mr. Macdonald read out questions on subjects including baptism, persecution and basic doctrine. Bonus points were awarded for teens who could annotate a specific verse, chapter and book of the Bible. Team “Pringles,” consisting of Zachary Hooper, Lauren Moore, Jordan Whiting and Emma Moore, accumulated the most points by the end of the game. Later that evening, Pictionary, Game of Life and Family Feud commenced.

“We got along so well,” 15-year-old Jacob Haddad said. “Just laughing and talking made the night so enjoyable.”

After an eventful evening, the boys spent the night at the Haddads’ place, and the teen girls spent the night at the Macdonald home.

The next morning at Austinmer Beach, the youths played beach volleyball accompanied by spring weather and an audience of local church members. Many had learned skills from instruction at Philadelphia Youth Camp.

Fourteen-year-old Britney Lorenz, who was one of a few being introduced to the sport for the first time, said, “Finally serving the ball over the net was a great achievement.”

After a quick break for breakfast, many cooled off in the water and spent time at a nearby rock pool.

Seventeen-year-old Emma Moore said, “I loved the exhilarating ocean/pool swim and run along the beach.”