connecting you in prayer and action with Scripture Union
March – May 2016
dition:
Inside this e
Engaging communities and changing lives SU sports ministry
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Online mission LightLive comes up trumps
Leading the way Raising up young leaders
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Contents 3 4
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Welcome from National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith Get out and get sporty See how SU’s sports ministry is engaging communities and changing lives
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Get out and get sporty
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Connecting You is the supporter and prayer magazine of Scripture Union England and Wales produced four times a year, bringing together news, features and comments from key volunteers and staff. We aim to keep you in touch with what God is doing through the work you support. Connecting You magazine is also available online at: www.scriptureunion.org.uk/ connectingyou. If you have a story for Connecting You, or a suggestion on how we could improve our service to you, please contact the editor at the address to the right.
Young leaders Today’s young people are the leaders of the future. Find out about the exciting ways we’re investing in them and their ministry Online mission Read about how LightLive helped to resource a Kenyan Sunday School A common heart We remember those who have made a huge difference to the SU story, and look to God to raise up future servants
Young leaders
Published by Scripture Union 207–209 Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 2EB.
connecting you in prayer and action with Scripture Union
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Inside this editio
Engaging communities and changing lives SU sports ministry
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March – May 2016
Online mission LightLive comes up trumps
Leading the way Raising up young leaders
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Contents | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Be a sport
Welcome to the Spring 2016 edition of Connecting You.
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’m delighted that this issue we’re looking in depth at Scripture Union’s sports ministry. It’s an area of our work that has experienced explosive growth over the last decade or Tim Hastie-Smith so – and it feels like we’ve only just got going! There is so much potential for more in the years to come. Of course, reaching children and young people with sport is nothing new to SU. Sports and team games are ‘hardwired’ into many of our most beloved holidays and missions. Many of us will remember being joined on camps by college rugby players or Cambridge or Oxford Blues oarsmen who easily drew crowds with their skill and enthusiasm. But over the last few years, sports ministry has come alive in a new way in England and Wales as visionary members of our teams have worked tirelessly to rediscover how sports can help us connect with a new generation of unreached children and young people. Here I want to pay tribute to Richard Witham, our new Head of Sports Ministry; Ian Marsh, chair of the PSALMS local mission partner in Stroud; and Bob Milton working in Widnes – but I could mention many others. What they’ve all caught hold of is the power of sport to build bridges for the gospel.
and kids will join in. Sport has a power to reach those kinds of kids who might not be so comfortable around stories, crafts and indoor activities that are more commonly associated with Sunday school and other forms of children’s ministry. Of course I’m thinking of boys in particular here, but that’s a generalisation – many girls prefer outdoor sports, too. Sport can even be successful in drawing in whole families. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard stories of how dads who would never darken the doors of a church can be found gladly helping out on the sidelines of a church kickabout. Finally, sport is also a really natural way to raise up leaders – another recurring theme in this edition of Connecting You. Yes, it’s great that sports ministry is once again rising to the top of our agenda. It complements schools ministry perfectly, and may even in some ways be a more effective way to reach this generation of young people. I’m sure SU founder Josiah Spiers would approve: it really is the essence of going where the kids are.
Tim Hastie-Smith National Director, Scripture Union
Sport is a language you hear spoken wherever you go in the world. Having been in both Cameroon and Zimbabwe recently, I’m reminded that wherever you go on earth, start passing a ball around Welcome | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Get out and get sporty
How can churches today connect with more children and young people with no church background? Our new National Sports Ministry offers an exciting and effective solution – and, thanks to your generous support, it’s just launched!
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othing brings people together quite in the way that sport can, as Bob Milton can testify. Bob leads Scripture Union’s One-Two Sports Ministry in Widnes, and over the past few years has pioneered new ways of engaging communities and transforming lives by helping churches to develop sports ministries.
One church he works closely with is St Paul’s, located in a deprived neighbourhood in the centre of Widnes. Two years ago, only a couple of children were regularly attending Bob Milton Sunday services. Then, with Bob’s help, church volunteers launched a table tennis session on a Sunday afternoon, and invited all the children in the neighbourhood to come along. It’s all very informal and casual – there are no leagues 4 24951 Connecting You MAM AW.indd 4
or divisions, and no obligation to be there every week. Immediately after the session, there just happens to be a church service, but there is absolutely no pressure for any of the children and young people to attend. They can stay on, or go home, as they choose. The extraordinary thing is that 90 per cent of them do choose to stay on and attend church. By Christmas 2015, the number of young people and children coming along to St Paul’s on a Sunday had increased tenfold to around 30 a week and made up over half of the congregation. Most of them were aged 10–15, the very age group that many churches struggle to attract, and had no church background. Eleven-year-old Mark has been coming along to the sessions since they started. With a passion for rugby, football and wrestling, and a bright smile and big personality, Mark and Bob rapidly struck
Get out and get sporty | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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up a friendship. Often Mark would stay on for church. As he got to know Bob better, he would ask lots of questions about spiritual things. Eventually Mark decided to invite Jesus to be his Lord. He and his family now attend St Paul’s regularly. He brings his mates along to a midweek sports club that Bob also runs, and many of them have started coming to church too. Bob says, ‘Mark is not ashamed to admit in front of his friends about his faith in Jesus. We still talk about sport and play it each week, but he has also realised the significance of Jesus Christ and the part in which he has played in his life to date.’ Bob’s ministry is one of a number of similar Scripture Union sports ministries in different parts of the country. Such has been their success that we are eager to help churches across the UK to replicate
“Mark is not ashamed to admit in front of his friends about his faith in Jesus.” it so that thousands more people can find out about God’s love through playing sport with local Christians. Last year, we shared this vision and asked for your help in raising funds. You responded so generously that we are now ready to launch the new initiative – a National Sports Ministry. This will develop new local sports initiatives and network existing sports ministries to enhance their own mission activities. But those sports ministries will also now use their experience to train and support churches in their area
Get out and get sporty | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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‘But such differences aren’t obvious when you’re all having fun casually kicking a ball round a football pitch, or playing a game of volleyball or Pétanque. Friendships are forged on the common ground of a shared interest in sport, in a neutral “third space”. Once someone knows and trusts you, it is easier for you to talk about your faith and invite them to your church and more natural for them to accept. It’s an approach to develop their own local sports mission using the facilities available to them – recreation grounds, sports halls or Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs). The National Sports Ministry will be facilitated by former North West Regional Team leader, Richard Witham. He says, ‘We know from recent research that we’ve done that children Richard Witham are as interested as ever in talking about and exploring faith. But if they don’t come from a family with a church background, which is more and more the case these days, then often the whole concept of church is unknown and perhaps a bit daunting. It can all be a bit “them” and “us”.
“We urgently need to get out of our church buildings and through sport join in with our local communities.” that worked well for St Paul when he visited Athens – he found the common ground with people he didn’t know – and it works just as well today.’ Rev Tim Hastie-Smith, SU’s National Director, comments, ‘We urgently need to get out of our church buildings and through sport join in with our local communities. Then we will be able to offer hope, build meaningful relationships and share God’s good news.’
Help thousands more young people like Mark to come to faith! We’re stepping out in faith to launch this pioneering new sports ministry – but for it to be grown and sustained, we need to raise additional funds. If you’d like to support mission activity like this, or to find out more about SU sports, please visit
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Get out and get sporty | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers: Week beginning February 28 Sunday 28
Thank God that young people like Mark have come to faith as a result of the network of local SU-linked sports ministries including One-Two Sports Ministry in Widnes. Pray that the faith of those young people continues to grow and flourish.
Monday 29
Thank God for providing the resources to launch the pioneering new National Sports Ministry, and for Richard Witham who is coordinating it. Pray that God will be glorified through this new work.
Tuesday March 1
Ask for God to bless and equip Richard for the work that lies ahead of him, such as bringing together the local sports ministries as a network, and forging relationships with churches who want to start their own local sports ministries.
Wednesday 2
Ask for God to bless and equip those leading the local sports ministries as they enter the next stage of their existence, to become regional hubs of excellence and support and equip churches to follow in their footsteps.
Thursday 3
Ask God to prompt people in churches across the country to get involved in developing their own sports ministry with support from SU.
Friday 4
Pray that those new local church sports ministries will be richly blessed – for relationships to be built with more young people, that they might see that Jesus is real and relevant, and that many come to follow him.
Saturday 5
Ask God to provide the additional resources needed for this new ministry to take root and be sustained.
Get out and get sporty | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers – week beginning March 6 Sunday 6
Wednesday 9
Margaret Lilley, South West Team Leader, writes, ‘One day I went into a shoe shop … the assistant looked at me closely for a moment and then asked if I did assemblies at schools. It turns out she was a pupil at one of the primary schools I visited some eight years ago and she could recall what I said. We rarely get to know the impact we have on people’s lives, but it is lovely when God gives a little opportunity for us to see.’ Thank God for all those who have been influenced by our ministry.
Please pray that all those involved with the two Easter camps run by SU in the Republic of Ireland – team, speakers and young people – will meet with God in a real and life-changing way.
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Friday 11
Today and next Monday, Helen Franklin, Development Worker in Wales, is involved in training churches to become more effective at including in worship people of all ages and those who aren’t normally in church. Pray that this will encourage churches to reach out.
Local mission partner, Christians & Sheffield Schools is, with others, organising the ‘Joined Up’ conference tomorrow aimed at children’s, youth and schools workers and volunteers. Pray that this will reinvigorate many in the churches.
Thursday 10 Please pray that as regional teams and local mission partners gather over the next two days they will be inspired, refreshed and equipped.
Saturday 12 Tuesday 8 Pray for the finance team in the busy period heading up to the year-end, that they will be able to prioritise their time and that all will go smoothly. 8
Thank God for the many children who have heard about Jesus at fun-packed and friendly X:site events and for the dedication of the teams that enable them to happen. Pray for events in Carlisle and Wyre as they meet today.
Prayers – week beginning March 6 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers – week beginning March 13 Sunday 13
Wednesday 16
Former SU staff worker Colin Stephenson works with local mission partner Kerygma Community Outreach who visit schools with their bus to take Assemblies and RE lessons. Pray that as they visit Blackshaw Moor First School tomorrow, children will respond to what they hear.
Over the next few days many staff, local mission partners and churches will be running Easter presentations. In a world where the basic stories of the Christian faith are increasingly unknown, pray for the children who attend, that they discover the true reason for the Easter celebrations.
Monday 14 Pray for Terry Williams, SU International Children’s Ministries Consultant, who will be helping to facilitate a Writers’ Workshop in Guatemala from 14–18 March. This is an initiative of the Global Children’s Forum, creating resources to serve the challenging needs of families.
Tuesday 15 Local mission partner PSALMS, and volunteers, are running a prayer spaces workshop for the year nine pupils in a secondary school in the Stroud area today. They will be giving them the opportunity to reflect on their world and their communities and how God is present. Pray that this will help them think in new ways about how they see God and the world.
Thursday 17 Mustard Tree, SU’s local mission partner in Morpeth, give thanks for new chaplain Nick who started in January and ask us to pray that he will settle in and build good relationships in the school.
Friday 18 Pray for the Council as it meets today and tomorrow. Ask God to give members guidance as they look for future direction and discuss specific areas of SU’s ministry.
Saturday 19 Bridgebuilder, SU’s local mission partner in Milton Keynes, give thanks for four retreat days enabling young people to look at compassion and caring, and for Hope MK, which saw 150 young people from local churches and youth groups involved in 14 social action projects across the town. Prayers – week beginning March 13 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers – week beginning March 20 Sunday 20
Wednesday 23
Steve and Judy Hutchinson give thanks for the new leadership team running the three Lagger Camps and ask for prayer for the new leaders, that God will provide all that they need – campers, team, Bible inspiration and safety – everything that makes the Lagger camps so great.
Today’s Board, preceded by a review of regional working, residential activities and international relationships, will be approving the annual objectives and budgets presented by the Leadership Team. Pray for wisdom in all decision making.
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Monday 21 Today the Chairs and National Directors of Scripture Union Movements in Britain and Ireland will be meeting in Belfast with members of the SU International team and Oksana Khimich of Ukraine to review the way they work together. Pray that God will use this to further the work in the FSR.
Tuesday 22 Thank God for enabling us to launch Guardians of Ancora, our free-of-charge digital game for children that’s a lot of fun and helps them explore the Bible and pray. Children all over the world are beginning to enjoy the adventure, and the first language version, German, will be launched around Easter, in partnership with SU Germany and Bible Society Germany.
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Our publishing admin team work hard to ensure we deliver our ministry resources effectively and on time. Please pray that they will adjust quickly to some recent staffing changes.
Friday 25 Pray for some exciting new evangelistic materials and initiatives under development, that relationships with food banks, hospitals and youth groups may continue to grow so that as many children as possible get to hear about the love of God.
Saturday 26 Pray that the special Easter activities organised by our local mission partner Contagious will enable the local community to think seriously about Jesus. The activities start today with the Family Easter Egg Hunt around Alnwick churches and continue with holiday activities for young people next week.
Prayers – week beginning March 20 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers – week beginning March 27 Sunday 27
Wednesday 30
This Easter Sunday, as we rejoice in the news of the resurrection, pray that all those using Light and Bible reading guides will discover again the life and power of the risen Lord.
Pray for Margaret Lilley and Matt Godfrey who are set to visit the Western Cape Region of SU South Africa. They will help train volunteers and write programmes prior to a trip in June when 16 team members will be helping at 1 boys’ camp and 3 holiday clubs.
Thursday 31 Pray that God will be at work in the lives of all those who attend SU holidays over the Easter period; GW Tracks (5–9 April), Kestrels (26 March–2 April), and the Family Bible Holiday (30 April–2 May).
Monday 28 Nepal is facing an unofficial blockade from India after the approval of the new constitution in Nepal. This has caused severe scarcity in essential commodities such as food items, petrol, diesel and cooking gas, and is having an effect on Christian work. Please pray that this problem will be solved and that the work of SU will not be hindered.
Friday 1 Please pray for our new X:site events Wigan and Clitheroe as they prepare to launch after Easter. Pray for the new teams, for the children and parents, and that Jesus will be made known through all the teaching and activities.
Saturday 2
Tuesday 29 Pray for the schools ministry of our local mission partner Graceworks as they host prayer spaces in five secondary schools in Havering. Ask for open hearts, good conversations and for fruit to come from those experiences.
Dan Harris will be helping Lianne Smith with Explore Together at Spring Harvest until 5 April and Margaret Lilley will be heading up the 5–7s programme until 10 April. Pray that all team members will have enthusiasm, build good relationships and communicate clearly.
Prayers – week beginning March 27 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Big increase in young leaders gives churches a hopeful future With many young people falling away from faith in their teens, you may sometimes wonder who will lead the church of tomorrow. But God is at work, and Scripture Union has seen a huge surge in the number of young people wanting to serve him. Thanks to your support, we are able to give them that opportunity.
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cripture Union has a long history of investing in young Christians and helping them to develop leadership skills. Those skills are of real value to the church not only in the future but also the present; children relate best to young leaders, are inspired by them and want to follow in their footsteps. So we are delighted that over a thousand young people have been in touch with us in the last year, wanting to help lead holidays and missions and serve in other ways. It is truly inspiring how God is moving in their hearts and lives – and we’re eager to support them in that calling!
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Our missions, such as Perranporth, and our holidays including Training in Action, Make the Difference, Kazoo and Impact, provide the opportunity for young people to become junior leaders. We partner them with a team of more experienced senior leaders who guide and mentor them, and also take care of the administration such as health and safety and safeguarding. This leaves the junior leaders free to focus on trying out their skills in leading worship, prayer, teaching and pastoral care for the children. This practical approach really works – and can lead them to their ultimate vocation, as Matt Godfrey discovered.
Big increase in young leaders... | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Twenty-one-year-old Matt, from Didcot in Oxfordshire, used to go on Scripture Union’s Step Out holiday as a child. He says, ‘I really looked up to the junior leaders – they inspired me Matt Godfrey because they helped me to understand that having faith in God was a really normal thing. So I was very excited when I was invited to become a junior leader myself! I loved the prospect of helping children develop in their faith, to pass my faith on. And the more I shared and lived out my faith, the more it grew.’ Ahead of a holiday or mission, the junior and senior leaders meet to write a spiritual plan and organise activities including
prayer, small groups and worship. Most of this is done by the junior leaders who work to a themed framework, with the senior leaders offering advice and input where it’s needed.
“There were plenty of opportunities to try out new things. Sometimes it meant getting out of your comfort zone, but never beyond what the senior leaders knew you could handle.”
Big increase in young leaders... | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Greenway Community Church in Bristol. He’s also mentoring a couple of lads at the church youth club.
Once the holiday or mission is underway, all leaders meet in the morning for prayer and to plan for the day ahead. They meet again in the evening to review what went well and to talk through any issues that have arisen, with the senior leaders providing coaching and advice. During the day, the junior leaders work with the children. Matt recalls, ‘There were plenty of opportunities to try out new things. Sometimes it meant getting out of your comfort zone, but never beyond what the senior leaders knew you could handle, and of course they were always there to support you. That support was truly invaluable.’
What has he enjoyed most about his journey? ‘Meeting and working with Christians who are really passionate about what they do. And, at the church where I’m working, watching how the children are developing their faith over time, and how that in turn has a positive impact on the community. And I can look back on my own life and see how I’ve developed too.’ And what are the most useful things that he has learned? ‘To love and accept people for who they are and where they’re at. And to never underestimate what God might do! If I’m obedient in what he’s called me to do, I now know that he will do the rest. It’s not about me – I’m just his servant. It’s all about him.’
Matt’s experiences as a junior leader on Step Out helped him to discover he had a gift for Bible teaching and leading prayer. So he volunteered for a year with Scripture Union, and took a distance learning course in theology. He then went to Moorlands Bible College where he’s now in his final year of an Applied Theology degree. Alongside this he’s doing a placement with Scripture Union’s South West team, and leading youth work and outreach at
To find out more about our holidays that help train and encourage junior leaders (Including Training in Action, Make the Difference, Kazoo and Impact), visit
www.scriptureunion.org.uk/holidays 14
Big increase in young leaders... | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers: Week beginning April 3 Sunday 3
Give thanks to God for all the wonderful volunteer leaders of holidays and missions down the years – for their wisdom and humble service, and their time and energy in mentoring and supporting the young leaders of tomorrow.
Monday 4
Praise God for all the young people who have come forward over the last year wanting to serve him through volunteering on Scripture Union holidays and missions, or in gap year placements.
Tuesday 5
Ask God to inspire more senior volunteer leaders to come forward to help on this year’s holidays and missions, so that the junior leaders have someone they can trust to help them rise to new challenges.
Wednesday 6
Pray for Matt Godfrey, and for other young Christian leaders like him. Ask for God’s blessing and protection on them, and that they will be continually strengthened and renewed for the work he has prepared for them.
Thursday 7
As we extend our holidays and missions programme to meet the increase in demand, ask for God’s blessing on all the young people attending, and pray that they may develop a deep-rooted lifelong faith.
Friday 8
Give thanks to God for all the volunteers and staff who make our holidays and missions possible. Pray for their protection and for God to bless them as they serve him this year.
Saturday 9
Pray for those young people serving with Scripture Union. Thank God for the skills he has given them, and pray that he will enrich them with wisdom and experience that they can use in serving him.
Big increase in young leaders... | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers – week beginning April 10 Sunday 10
Wednesday 13
Please pray for the SU team in Siberia as they prepare for summer camps, asking for wisdom in using their time, and that they would know how best to develop links and partnerships across such a vast geographic area.
The Farne Churches Youth and Family Outreach (a new local mission partner based in Seahouses) are looking to recruit their first worker very soon. Please pray for the right person to be appointed and to make a big impact in this part of North Northumberland.
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Thursday 14 The Leadership Team meet today with a focus on grant requests, and a review of how SU uses the Bible. Next Thursday they will be spending a day off-site thinking and praying about strategic matters and direction. Ask God to help them think clearly and to see his way forward.
Friday 15
Mid Staffs Youth Net, a local mission partner, welcome Alison Way as Primary School Development Worker. Pray that Alison, who previously worked with another local mission partner in Keighley, will settle quickly and open up many new opportunities to tell children about Jesus.
Tuesday 12 Published resources are key mission tools. Pray for the publishing team as they consider how to increase the number of people SU helps through published content, at a time when church funds are short and time is tight. 16
Praise God for a successful first term for local mission partner, Archway, in Northamptonshire. The mums’ ‘Drop in’ for tea, toast and toys is growing slowly and has been well received; pray about plans to start a second.
Saturday 16 Today in Swansea, and next Saturday in Bala, Helen Franklin will be running training days for leaders of children’s and youth groups and churches. Pray that people will catch a vision of new things they could do to grow disciples and to reach those not currently involved in church.
Prayers – week beginning April 10 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers – week beginning April 17 Sunday 17
Thursday 21
SU in the Philippines ask us to pray for the new children’s devotional material on the book of Mark – that God will lead the writers, so that children will come to know Jesus through this material.
Karen Quinney is planning a new event, ‘In the Steps of John Bunyan’ that she hopes to offer to schools later this year. It will involve walking through Bedford looking at landmarks associated with John Bunyan and visiting the Bunyan Museum, and will include drama and crafts. Pray that the plans will come together and that it will lead to children thinking about God’s involvement in their lives.
Monday 18 The South West region work closely with South West Youth Ministries. Pray for the SWYM conference this week, asking that it will lead to many more ministry opportunities through this partnership.
Tuesday 19 Beverley Schools Christian Trust, a Local Misson Partner, ask us to pray for their Primary Schools Work and especially that their team of 21 volunteers will have renewed energy, vision and strength as they run weekly Bible clubs and prayer space activities.
Friday 22 The newly formed SU Kosova, along with a Christian publisher, is planning to publish Essential Jesus in Albanian next year. Pray that it will be a blessing to the Christian community and will help to make SU Kosova’s work better known.
Wednesday 20
Saturday 23
Pray that as Geoff Brown delivers some initial training for new Open the Book teams in North Shields, those who attend will be encouraged to see what can be achieved and that many children will discover the Bible as a result.
Leaders of mission teams and of a number of larger holiday clubs meet today to explore ministry expansion; pray that God will show them how they can help more children who know nothing of Jesus to grasp the message of his love.
Prayers – week beginning April 17 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers – week beginning April 24 Sunday 24
Wednesday 27
Local mission partner, IMPACT has been working in the Bedford area for 25 years. Today they have a celebration at St Andrews Church, Bedford. Join them in giving thanks for all that God has done and for the many children and young people who have been reached.
Jesper Risbjerg Kristensen is SU Denmark’s new volunteer ‘Bible inspirer’. He will visit youth groups to encourage them to read the Bible. Please pray that he will find joy in his new role and will be able to inspire others with the beauty and power of the Bible.
Monday 25 Being a Christian in school whether as a teacher or a pupil can be difficult. Following useful conversations last year, we continue to explore how best to provide support; pray that God will continue to guide. Pray for all Christians in schools.
Tuesday 26 As Geoff Brown, Development Worker in the North East, delivers the fifth training day on the York Enable Schools Work course, pray that students will increase their knowledge, improve their skills and become more effective in their ministry. 18
Thursday 28 Pray that more people would catch a vision for how they can creatively connect with a local school, especially secondary schools, in ways that will help pupils see something of the love of Jesus.
Friday 29 Guardians of Ancora continues to develop as new Bible Quests and other features are added. Pray that churches will see more clearly how they can use this to reach out with the good news of Jesus into their community. Pray for the steering group meeting today.
Saturday 30 This weekend Steve and Judy Hutchinson lead the Family Bible Holiday at Great Wood in Somerset; pray that families with children up to 11 years old will enjoy a fun-packed, ‘do-everything-all-together-in-families’ weekend including times with the Bible, woodcrafts, games, walks and even swimming in the open air pool.
Prayers – week beginning April 24 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers – week beginning May 1 Sunday 1
Thursday 5
SU in Taiwan give thanks for the successful production of the new digital Bible reading notes for adults. Please pray for the new editor, Jacqueline, who is taking charge of the editing and production of this project.
As the summer season rapidly approaches, pray for holiday and mission leaders preparing for their activities and for enough volunteers to sign up for the programme. Ask God to make this a memorable summer of mission when many will discover new life in Jesus.
Monday 2 Training others in schools work is a priority for the whole Development Worker (Schools) team; please pray that these staff members would know the best format, locations and timings for future schools work training events.
Tuesday 3 The Graduate Interns programme run by SU local mission partner, PSALMS, and linked to the New Wine Discipleship Year, has been exciting and fulfilling for the Interns and for PSALMS. Please pray that as they look to recruit for next year that God will lead them to the right people.
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Wednesday 4
Saturday 7
Thank God for the volunteers who run EPIC – a children’s event organised by ten churches across the Devon/Dorset border. Please pray that the junior team of teenagers will experience a growing sense of belonging and will mature as Christians.
Today Dan Harris, Development Worker in the East Region, is leading sessions on Explore Together and helping children encounter the Holy Spirit at the New Wine children’s workers training day. Pray that that those who attend will go away with a new vision for their work.
The South East Region are creating three new hubs to facilitate relationships with local mission partners and projects. Pray for Development Workers Ben Poch and Lianne Smith as they coordinate these, asking that the hubs will lead to a new sense of unity and purpose in making Jesus known.
Prayers – week beginning May 1 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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LightLive – taking the gospel to Kenya’s children Your support enables us to maintain and grow our LightLive website, and, more importantly, continue to provide high quality Bible-based teaching resources for free. In developing countries, where other resources are often unaffordable, LightLive can be a real lifeline for those involved in children’s ministry, as missionaries Matthew and Michelle Barrow found when they went to work in Kenya.
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atthew, a full-time children’s worker, and his wife Michelle had for some years been supporting a project for street children in Kenya. They felt God calling them to do more – so in 2012 they rented out their home and, with the support of their church, family and friends, went to Kenya to volunteer with the project for five years. They settled in a village outside the town of Nakuru in the centre of the country. Poverty here is extensive and employment opportunities few – many locals are casual agriculture labourers. Matthew and Michelle joined a small church, and volunteered to help with the children’s
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ministry. There are two groups – Matthew helps with the one for the older children aged 10+, and Michelle, who had run a Sunday school back in the UK, helps out with the group for younger children. ‘When I first arrived, this was more of a babysitting service and included toddlers as well,’ Michelle says. ‘But now they have a crèche for the toddlers, and we offer simple Bible teaching to the children who are aged between 3 and 10. One of the local ladies is my interpreter as this age group don’t speak much English.’ The language barrier was one challenge – another was the size of the class. Michelle
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says, ‘I was used to teaching 14 children at most at our church back home. But here, we get as many as 40 children on some Sundays! The families are Michelle & Matthew larger, and more of the population go to church. It does limit the kind of activities you can run.’ And presumably there are fewer resources available? ‘Yes. We hold our Sunday school in a local school building. You’re never quite sure, from one week to the next, which rooms you’ll be able to use, or whether there will be tables and chairs available. Because we’re out in the countryside, the floors are dusty and in many classrooms they also have potholes, which limits the kind of activities and games you can offer
to the children. The electricity supply is sporadic. There’s a blackboard, but when we first got here there were no other resources such as craft materials (although we’ve purchased some since). And no books – there wasn’t even a picture Bible.’
“I was used to teaching 14 children at most at our church back home. But here, we get as many as 40 children on some Sundays!” Michelle racked her brains – how could she offer engaging Bible lessons that would cost nothing, use few resources and work for a huge group? Back in the UK, she had used Scripture Union’s Light range of children’s resources in Sunday classes. But
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they would have been unaffordable to those in this rural community. ‘I’m mindful that we’re here short term and as helpers rather than leaders. So I didn’t want to start something that, when we left the country, the local Sunday School teachers couldn’t continue for lack of money – that wouldn’t be fair.’ Then she remembered that, alongside the printed Light resources, she had sometimes used the LightLive website, and that it was free to use. ‘To my delight,’ says Michelle, ‘I found that the internet connection in Kenya was good enough to let me access LightLive. Problem solved!
“I found that the internet connection in Kenya was good enough to let me access LightLive. Problem solved!” long after we have gone, so that the children here can continue to learn more of God’s great love for them.’
‘There were lots of great ideas. Some I had to adapt to suit our circumstances – for example, I couldn’t talk about birthday or Christmas presents because the village children don’t even celebrate birthdays, let alone receive any gifts. But there were loads of ideas I could use, or adapt quite easily. LightLive has been a blessing – and it’s a blessing that will stay with this community
LightLive gives free access to great Bible-based resources. Can you help us keep it free? Because LightLive is web-based and free to use, churches all over the world, whatever their financial situation, have easy access to high quality resources to help bring the bible to life for their children and young people. For many, these sort of essential resources would be completely out of reach but LightLive changes that. Of course, LightLive isn’t free to run so if you would like to make a gift to help us keep it free to use, we would be very grateful. You can donate online at:
www.scriptureunion.org.uk/give or by calling our donations line on 01908 856052. Thank you! 22 24951 Connecting You MAM AW.indd 22
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Prayers – week beginning May 8 Sunday 8
Thursday 12
Pray that all those involved in preparing Bible reading guides, whether in print or digital form, will be inspired and able to help readers engage with the text in lifechanging ways.
Give thanks for the growing movement of hundreds of churches joining with Scripture Union, via our Light Party campaign to reclaim Halloween as a festival of light, putting Jesus at the centre of the festival.
Monday 9 Please pray for schools visiting the Müller House Museum in Bristol hearing about the life story of George Müller as part of Key Stage 2 RE curriculum. Give thanks for the office that Margaret Lilley has at Müller house and for the growing partnership between SU and Müllers.
Tuesday 10 In Canada, SU is adding Bubble Soccer to its Sports Ministry programme. Pray that God will use this to strengthen existing church partner relationships, and that he would open new doors with youth and young adults.
Wednesday 11 Holiday clubs still draw tens of thousands of children. Pray that God will refresh and inspire those who have led holiday clubs for many years, so that they will be as excited about Jesus as the children who will hear about him for the first time. This year’s SU holiday club material is based on Guardians of Ancora and looks at the stories of Jesus.
Friday 13 The Walk Kent, a residential holiday for children aged 8–10, takes place this weekend. The children come in groups with leaders from local churches. Pray that they will grow in faith and have a new revelation of the love of God in their lives.
Saturday 14 Steve Hutchinson is speaking at the prayer breakfast for children and youth workers in the Forest of Dean, focusing on Guardians of Ancora Holiday Club resources. Pray that many will be encouraged to use these resources and that more children will be introduced to the game.
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Prayers – week beginning May 15 Sunday 15
Thursday 19
In Zimbabwe, the economy deteriorates with each passing day. Virtually every institution is struggling and so local support for SU work has become a huge challenge. Please pray that God will provide.
The European International Sports coalition (of which SU England and Wales is a member) is meeting over the next four days exploring how best to equip churches through the ‘Ready Set Go’ resources. Pray that this strategic gathering will lead to many catching the vision for sport as a way of making Jesus known.
Monday 16 Please pray for young people who are leading Christian groups in their schools asking that they would be effective and that such groups would make a lasting impact. Please also pray that many young leaders will discover SchoolsLive and use it.
Tuesday 17 South West Youth Ministries are working on new camps that will enable young people to encounter Jesus through a range of activities – one will involve computer games and another cooking. Pray that the plans will come together and result in very profitable times when young people will meet God.
Friday 20 The SOLID Youth and Children’s festival takes place July 8–9. Please pray that the monthly planning meetings with partners Urban Saints, the Diocese of Chelmsford and local churches will be productive and will enable the event to be fun as well as helping children and young people grow in faith.
Saturday 21 North Devon X:site takes place this afternoon. Please pray that all the children who attend will be touched by the message of Jesus’ love and will make real steps of faith.
Wednesday 18 Today is the final planning day for Brinkburn Lifepath. Pray that the final details will come into place and will result in a great event for the children who come and in good relationships with school staff. 24
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Prayers – week beginning May 22 Sunday 22
Wednesday 25
SU Bulgaria has enthusiastic volunteers for a new mobile team who will visit small towns and churches to provide materials for Sunday school teachers and make them aware of how SU Bulgaria can help them. As yet there is no start date – pray that this will begin soon.
SU’s publishing ministry has had a massive impact over the years. Today, before the main Board meeting there will be a publishing review. Pray that God will guide the Board to creative solutions in what is an increasingly challenging environment for publishing.
Monday 23
Thursday 26
The South West region give thanks for the fruit from Go Wild 2015 and long to see more this year. Pray for the final planning for the holiday, which takes place in June, especially for practical details and for good contacts with children in the region.
SU’s local mission partner Future Vision in Sudbury, Suffolk, ask prayer for wisdom in knowing how to expand the successful chaplaincy in one school and for building relationships with the many new staff in local schools.
Friday 27 Tuesday 24 Lifepath Newton, organised by local mission partners Bridgebuilder in Milton Keynes and Impact in Bedford, takes place over the next three days in Olney. Pray that as children explore the life of John Newton they will see how God can change their lives too.
Last November Blackpool Schools and Youth Work, who recently became a local mission partner, celebrated 20 years of working in Blackpool schools. Thank God for all the work they have done and pray that God will continue to guide them into the future.
Saturday 28 Stream is a partnership of organisations working together to inspire schools workers from London and the South East. Please pray for them as they look to develop a roadshow of smaller events in various places with the aim of encouraging others who want to become involved in schools work. Prayers – week beginning May 22 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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A common heart Scripture Union is all about people – people with a passion for sharing the good news with the next generation – amazing volunteers, generous supporters and those who faithfully pray, all joined by a common heart to see Jesus made known. Over nearly 150 years, so many people have made such an impact to the work of Scripture Union, in so many different ways. Nigel was one of the people who helped Scripture Union to become what it is today and he particularly helped to pioneer and shape the International work. In 1976, he became Scripture Union’s International Director, following times of service to the gospel in Ghana (where he pioneered the work in schools) and a pivotal period as General Secretary of SU England and Wales. During his time as International Director, there was significant expansion in SU’s work around the world, ensuring that even more children and young people could engage with the Bible effectively and get to know Jesus better. Just one testament to the impact Nigel’s work had can be seen in two major International Conferences he oversaw during his service – in Harare in 1995, 58 countries were represented; by the De Bron conference in 1992 there were 92.
Nigel Sylvester
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igel Sylvester was just such a person – a godly man with an unswerving commitment to the work of the kingdom, and, in particular, a desire to see the good news shared with children and young people right across the world. As a long-term member of staff, Nigel made an immense contribution to SU’s mission. Sadly, Nigel passed away last November but we thank God for all he did during his lifetime to share Jesus and to help others do the same.
Good and faithful servants
Nigel represents one of many who have served God through SU and have heard the Master’s, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ We think of others who have passed away in the last few years such as Dai Lewis, whose amazing gift for storytelling and building relationships with children brought many to Christ, and Henry Warde, who encouraged evangelists to be themselves and pursue their calling in line with their gifts. We also think of Alan Martin
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who, as General Secretary in England and Wales, enabled far-reaching change in the way the movement worked and Paul Marsh who brought innovation to Bible reading and publishing. The trouble is that, like the writer to the Hebrews, ‘I do not have time to tell’; there are so many whom we remember with love, respect and admiration. In listing names, it is inevitable that we will leave many out and, of course, in a movement like Scripture Union, much of the work is done by those who are lesser known.
modelled Christian leadership for them. In this, he is not alone. New generations of leaders and workers in SU throughout the world have been inspired by the commitment of their predecessors, have learnt skills by being trusted, encouraged and mentored and have found their characters shaped by the examples they have seen.
A new generation
We remember people like Nigel not simply because of the impact that they made in their own day, but because of their enduring influence on and through those who followed them. In many ways, this has been the genius of Scripture Union. In Ghana today there are thriving SU groups in the majority of schools. Why? Because Nigel identified and encouraged a generation of competent, gifted and godly leaders and
Nigel (left) in 1960 As we see a new generation emerging (see page 12), let us pray that they may grow in faith and in service through examples like those of Nigel and others.
The Servant Queen Special schools edition
In 2016, the Queen celebrates her 90th birthday. When she became queen, she promised to serve her people, and she has done so for more than 60 years. But every year, in her Christmas message, she reveals that she also serves someone else – Jesus Christ. The Servant Queen is a beautifully presented 12-page booklet aimed at year 6 children that... • uses the Queen’s own words to draw out her trust in Jesus and open up questions about the Christian faith • features accompanying lesson plan and assembly outline • would be a great gift for schools from churches
Find out more at...
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on’s A Young Pers To Guide To Moving l Secondary Schoo
person about to Do you know a young hool? move to secondary sc questions going They’ve probably got e: round in their head lik me? Will anyone like to get there? How am I going ssons and What will the le ? teachers be like
If so, this is the right bo
ok for them!
moving to and friendly guide to advice, It’s Your Move is a fun of s lot er cov dis ’ll you ide ady secondary school. Ins alre e hav o wh ple peo of real together with stories made the move!
for churches to use This is a great resource with local schools to build relationships
ies) Move pack (10 cop gle edition It’s Your 6 888 It’s Your Move sin 27 844 1 978 ISBN 978 1 84427 887 9 ISBN Price £3.50 Price £20.00
ALSO AVAILABLE
IT’S YOUR CHURCH
Order from your local Christian bookshop | Order from Scripture Union: 01908 856006 | Order online www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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