Connecting You – Spring 2018

Connecting

you

Spring 2018

IN THIS EDITION

Lucy discovered God was real A Right Royal Celebration

Children that love Jesus love to share him too!

Talking God with a digital generation www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Contents 3

A new starting point – and a new kind of church?

Welcome from our National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith.

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‘I had to unlearn everything I thought I knew about God.’

18-year-old Lucy Cottee didn’t go to church. But through SU events she was able to find out that God was real.

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A Right Royal Celebration

In December, it was an honour to welcome Her Majesty the Queen to our Jubilee Thanksgiving Service.

Children that love Jesus love to share him too!

Your support enabled a group of children who think Jesus is amazing to help their friends discover him for themselves.

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Talking God with a digital generation

Thanks to your support, we’re looking into how digital content can make a real difference in mission – both to help children explore Jesus for themselves and to support those reaching out to them with the good news.

you have a story for Connecting You, or a suggestion on how we could improve our service to you, please contact the editor: eddien@scriptureunion.org.uk

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Connecting You is Scripture Union’s supporter and prayer magazine, keeping you up-to-date with what God is doing through the work you support.

For general enquiries Tel: 01908 856000 Fax: 01908 856111 Email: info@scriptureunion.org.uk www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Connecting You magazine is also available online at: www.scriptureunion.org.uk/connectingyou. If

Published by Scripture Union, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF

www.scriptureunion.org.uk © Scripture Union 2017 Registered Charity 213422 Limited Company 39828 Registered in England and Wales

A new starting point – and a new kind of church?

Welcome to the spring edition of Connecting You.

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable (Matthew 13:34).

In 2009, evangelist Timothy Keller wrote The Reasons for God, a book of apologetics for articulate nonChristians. In 2017, he published a brand new book, Making Sense of God, on exactly the same subject.

There may not even be one they can get to. Or their parents may not want them to attend. So how do we walk with them on the path towards faith? One possibility is to use the internet – more of that on page 22.

Why? Because he found he’d assumed too much knowledge of the Christian faith amongst his readers.

The Word of God is eternal and unchanging. Not so the world with which we’re sharing it. Our challenge is to find the most relevant ways and means to present the life-changing message of Jesus – and to be prepared for the church of the future to look very different to the church of the past.

And we’re finding that’s true of most children and young people who aren’t in church – they don’t know even the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

So we start with key biblical concepts and with how Jesus can change lives, as well as re-living Bible stories that demonstrate those concepts and life-changes in action. Jesus often used parables and principles so that his followers could better comprehend his message.

And is it realistic to expect children and young people from nonChristian families to join our church just as it is now, or even where it is now? They may not like church.

Are you ready for that challenge?

Will you join us on the journey?

Tim Hastie-Smith National Director

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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‘I had to unlearn everything I thought I knew about God.’ 18-year-old Lucy Cottee was one of the 95% of children and young people who didn’t go to church. But through Scripture Union, she found out that God was real.

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‘I used to think that the Bible was just a bunch of fairy tales.

But in 2016 when someone close to me passed away, it LUCY hit me hard. I needed COTTEE to know if there was more to life than just living and dying.

‘I didn’t tell anyone this. Then out of the blue a friend rang me and said that if I needed someone to turn to, I should come to her church youth group. I hadn’t even known she was a Christian! So I started attending – not every week, just when I needed a bit of a boost.

‘Then the youth group invited me to join them as a volunteer helper on SOLID, a new SU weekend in Essex.

I’d never experienced anything like it, being surrounded by Christians – they seemed to have life figured out. I envied their faith – I felt lonely, didn’t like myself much and didn’t feel my life had a purpose. I asked lots

“I needed to know if there was more to life than just living and dying.” of questions about Christianity, and found I needed to unlearn everything I thought I knew about God. ‘One afternoon, some children came up to me and, assuming I was a Christian, asked me to pray for them.

So I did. It felt like I was speaking to my younger self, because I had been through what they were going through and had had the same worries.

‘The break at SOLID was amazing, but I wondered if I could find God in ordinary everyday life too.

‘So back home the following weekend, I went with the youth club to pray for people on the streets.

I prayed for a homeless woman who felt that she had done too many bad things for God to accept her. Then

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God gave me a picture of a bottle with a piece of paper inside, on which was written all the wrongs we’ve ever done. The bottle was thrown into the sea and drifted away. I felt God saying he wanted both of us to know that he can forgive even the worst things we’ve done.

‘A week later, I went with the youth group on another SU holiday – this time to Soul Survivor. Now I was ready to make a commitment and, on the first night, I gave my life to Jesus.

‘Being a Christian has turned my life upside down. I’m no longer lonely because I know God’s always there for me – I can speak to him whenever I want, wherever I am.

I used to feel very insecure, but now I feel confident.

FOR YOU

You can find out more about our potentially life-changing holidays on our website: www.su.org.uk/holidays

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“I know that my non-Christian friends are intrigued by Jesus too!”

‘And I want to tell all my friends what Jesus has done for me.

Every day I post Bible verses and Christian songs on Facebook. From their feedback, I know that my non-Christian friends are intrigued

by Jesus too! Even my parents and younger brother have started coming to church with me, to find answers to their own questions about God. ‘Following Jesus is the most amazing adventure and I can’t wait to see where he takes me next!’

HELP US

The SU Holiday Fund helps children who can’t afford to go away to have the experience of a lifetime. A gift today will ensure even more children benefit: www.su.org.uk/donate

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Week beginning Feb 25

Prayers

Please pray about SU holidays taking place this year.

Sunday 25

Give thanks to God for changing the lives of Lucy and many other children and young people who came on SU holidays during 2017. Pray that he surrounds them with people who can help them find out more about him.

Monday 26

With the first SU holidays for 2018 about to start, please pray that many more children and young people who don’t know God at all are able to come on an SU holiday and discover him for themselves.

Tuesday 27

Please pray for all the amazing volunteers who give up their time to be holiday leaders and introduce children and young people to Jesus.

Wednesday 28

Give thanks to God for all those who give financially to SU – without their generosity, our holidays simply

couldn’t take place, and children and young people like Lucy would miss out on experiencing God for themselves.

Thursday 1

Please pray that more churches will invite non-Christian children and young people from their communities to come on an SU holiday in 2018 and discover the God who so loves them.

Friday 2

Paul told Timothy, ‘Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young’. Praise God for giving new young Christians like Lucy the boldness to tell their friends and families about him.

Saturday 3

Give thanks to God that, even before young people like Lucy become Christians, he is able to use them in building his kingdom.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

week beginning MAR 4

Sunday 4

Pray for the SU International Global team meeting in Athens, 5–15 March.

This is the first for Monika Kuschmierz as International Director. Our National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith, will be attending. Ask God to guide the discussions and decision making.

Monday 5

This week, in two primary academies, our local mission partner Christian Schools Work Hastings are hosting the interactive mobile classroom Key to Life to help children to explore the life of Jesus. Pray that children will be engaged and will want to discover more. Pray too for plans to have the GSUS Live exhibition in secondary schools in June.

locations encouraging and inspiring local churches to reach out to children and young people outside the church. Pray that many churches will grow in vision and confidence.

Thursday 8

Many assemblies, lessons and church-based activities for schools will be organised by staff and local mission partners, all designed to help children and young people understand the message of Easter.

Please pray that these will help them to see the love of Jesus.

Friday 9

Tuesday 6

The BOOST 2018 conference on identity and belonging, which takes place today, is run by the South East Partnership, a group of organisations, including Scripture Union, working with children and young people. Please pray that the topics and issues will be dealt with sensitively, compassionately and with godly wisdom.

Wednesday 7 THE

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This week the North West team are running the 95 Tour across the region. They will be in several different

Saturday 10

Please pray for Jo Morley, Head of Mission Event Operations, and her team.

Pray for wisdom as they plan the holiday and missions programme.

Thank God for the faithful ministry over many decades of former members of SU staff who are now advanced in years. Thank God for the Josiah Spiers Benevolent Fund which provides practical support and encouragement.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers

week beginning MAR 11

Sunday 11

Today SU worker Steve Hutchinson is leading a family service in Chipping Norton; pray that all ages will hear God speaking to them through his Word, and will enjoy worshipping together. Pray for him too as he trains the Children’s Ministry Team at Hillview Church in Gloucester on Thursday.

Monday 12

This evening the London Sport Hub brings together people interested in partnering with SU in mission to explore ways to reach the 95 through sport. Pray that this will lead to new partnerships and to many young people hearing of Jesus.

Tuesday 13

Easter Cracked in Taunton (yesterday and today) involves a live donkey and four churches, and covers a large part of Taunton serving five local primary schools. Pray for this and for all Easter activities taking place this week that the good news may come across clearly.

Wednesday 14

Please pray for the General Assembly of Scripture Union Portugal taking place on Saturday, asking God for wisdom in the election of the various boards for 2018–2020.

Pray for a new staff worker to be appointed to take responsibility for publishing.

Thursday 15

This term the SU North West team has been running many Diary of a Disciple workshops in schools. Pray for all the children who have been in these workshops that they may want to explore things further and that others will be encouraged to run the workshops with Year 5 children.

Friday 16

SU local mission partner York Schools and Youth Trust are leading Easterbased assemblies and lessons in over forty primary schools, and special Easter services in some of the secondary schools. Pray that the Christian faith will come alive in an engaging and accessible way.

Saturday 17

The SU Council meets today.

Give thanks for the service of Bishop Paul Butler and for Penny the appointment Boshoff of Penny Boshoff to succeed him as president. Pray for her as she steers today’s meeting; pray that the discussions will enhance the ministry.

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A Right Royal Celebration In December, it was an honour to welcome Her Majesty the Queen to the last event of our Jubilee Year – a Thanksgiving Service. Held at St Mary’s Church, Islington, close to where Josiah Spiers held the first meeting of what would become SU, the service included special guests, supporters and staff from around the world. We celebrated all that God has done in the lives of thousands of children through SU’s ministry and prayed for his continued blessing and guidance in the years to come.

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Guests included Katherine Jenkins and Baroness Floella Benjamin

The All Souls orchestra provided the music

The Artless Theatre Company entertained us with a potted history of SU

Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith wrote a new hymn for the occasion

St Mary’s School choir’s performance was truly heavenly!

In January, the service aired as a special episode of BBC Songs of Praise

Bishop Paul: Last reflections as SU president

Speaking at the Thanksgiving Service was Bishop Paul Butler’s last public engagement as SU president after six years in post. He reflects on his time...

‘It’s been an honour to serve as SU president as I’m passionate about sharing the good news with children and young people, and helping churches to do the same. The challenge now is how and where you do that, when church isn’t on the radar of most young people, and where they rely on the internet for answers to their questions.

‘I’m delighted that SU has rapidly embraced this new digital world.

The success of Guardians of Ancora has demonstrated that we’re doing the right thing. But I’m also pleased that we’ll continue to produce excellent resources, such as the Holiday Club packs and It’s Your Move.

‘I also welcome the increase in partnerships with other organisations. We’re all working to build God’s kingdom, and each organisation has its own strengths, so it makes logical and spiritual sense.

‘I’d like to thank the staff, volunteers and donors for their support and commitment to SU. I’d also like to thank those on SU’s Council for their passion and dedication. I’ve actually looked forward to every meeting! And with Penny Boshoff’s appointment as the next SU president, the movement will be in good hands.’

Bishop Paul volunteered for 30 years on SU’s Longbarn Camp, has contributed to our publications and was a staff member from 1987 to 1994, initially an Inner London Evangelist and then Head of Missions.

He became SU president in 2011.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

week beginning MAR 18

Sunday 18

Pray for our partnerships with local churches that the vision of reaching the 95 will be shared widely and that churches will respond. Pray especially for development worker Chris Eales as he speaks today at South Street Church in Braunton.

Monday 19

This week Mustard Tree Trust (local mission partner in Morpeth, Northumberland) are working with Youth for Christ and local churches to run sports activities in two middle schools. Pray that these activities will provide opportunities for pupils to explore the Christian faith as well as developing sports skills.

the schools and college in their area with whom they already have great links. Please pray for them as they introduce themselves to other schools.

Thursday 22

Please pray that excellent health and safety measures will be in place to support the safe work of volunteers, staff and guests at our events. Pray for those with the health and safety lead responsibility as they prepare risk assessments for the various activities at our holiday and mission events this year.

Friday 23

Pray for the schools focus group (Simon Barker, Bob Goody, Robin Gerrard and Lisa Jones) as it considers ideas and resources for sharing God’s good news with children and young people in schools.

Saturday 24

Tuesday 20

A primary camp run by SU in Peninsula Malaysia finishes today. It was designed to allow more children in the south of the country to experience the excitement and fun of learning about Jesus. Pray that as the event draws to a close, children will go away with good memories.

Local mission partner Thrive, working in Warwickshire, are today launching a youth leaders’ hub, inviting all those involved in youth work in their area to meet for breakfast. Pray that as they support and encourage one another they will gain fresh vision and new ideas.

Wednesday 21

Please join with new local mission partner Christians 4 Education (North Wales) as they praise God for 12

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Prayers

week beginning MAR 25

Sunday 25

This weekend, SU schools worker Geoff Brown is in Novosibirsk training SU volunteers. Pray that they will come away better equipped to share the good news of Jesus. From Tuesday to Thursday he will be helping to run an English-speaking holiday.

to reach children and young people in a new way together.

Pray for SU development worker Sam Fowler as he leads this.

Thursday 29

Today and tomorrow SU National Directors from England and Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, USA and Canada are meeting. Pray that they will find encouragement and new ways of working together.

Easter holidays start this weekend: Kestrels (31 March–7 April, leaders: Tore and Sarah Butlin), Bridleways and SU Bake Off 1 (2–6 April, Jo and Rachel Morley), GW Tracks (2–6 April, Nathan and Lucy Johnson), Come Dine with SU (6–8 April, Bex Jignasu).

Pray for fun times, good relationships and clear communication of the love of Jesus.

Tuesday 27

Friday 30

Monday 26

Children in Kosova and Albania are looking forward to playing Rojet nga Ankora (Guardians of Ancora in Albanian) at Easter. Please pray for Driton Krasniqi, heading up the work for SU Kosova, and the UK team and game developers as they get everything ready for a new language release.

Wednesday 28

Today the Southend Hub provides an opportunity to share the vision of The 95 Campaign with church leaders in the area and discuss initiatives

Pray for the Mission Innovation Team headed by Terry Clutterham asking God to give creativity. Pray especially for those in new roles; Esther CalvertJordan as Content Innovator developing new ideas for children and young people and Jill Warren as Innovation Team Assistant.

Saturday 31

SU development worker Jenni Whymark is involved in a family fun day celebrating new life at Easter in a park in Surbiton. This involves a farm, prayer spaces and Easter activities. Please pray that many will stop, explore and be stimulated to attend church tomorrow.

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Prayers Sunday 1 (Easter)

As we rejoice in the resurrection, give thanks with SU BĂŠnin for the wide range of activities they have run in the last three months including distribution of Bible notes; a training tour; an orientation course; and preparation for camps. Pray for a lasting impact.

Monday 2

The South East team are planning two schools weeks in London this autumn. Christian band LZ7 will visit schools and, at the end of the week, present concerts with a clear Christian message. Pray for a good response as the team begin discussions with schools.

Tuesday 3

Sports Life is a new initiative in the North West region using the pop-up mission model to take sport into the community as a way of engaging children and young people and sharing Jesus with them; Southport (tomorrow), Toxteth (Thursday) and Wirral (Friday). Pray that they will reach many.

Wednesday 4

week beginning APR 1

For the next three days, churches in Bristol are running children’s holiday clubs with the help of the Scripture Union team as part of HOPE Bristol 2018. Pray that the children will enjoy the activities and learn more about Jesus.

Thursday 5

SU local mission partner Fleet and Crookham Churches Together in Schools thank God for the continued growth of their secondary school clubs at Court Moor and Calthorpe Park schools. Please pray that the right person will be appointed as a new part-time member of staff.

Friday 6

Give thanks for those who every day are encouraged in their Christian lives through Scripture Union Bible reading guides. Pray for the writers, currently working on April to June 2019, that God will inspire them and give them wisdom as they bring the Bible to life.

Saturday 7

Local mission partner Future Vision in Sudbury, Suffolk give thanks for the welcome and positive relationships in the schools. Pray that as the Open the Book teams go into the schools the truth will take root in hearts and minds.

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Prayers

week beginning APR 8

Sunday 8

SU in the Netherlands praise God for 75 years of Bible reading guides, now in digital form as well as print.

Pray that God will guide the writers and that the material will be helpful to readers.

Monday 9

Please pray for project manager Amanda Dega and the team of Skripta (SU Serbia) as they launch ÄŒuvari Ankore (Guardians of Ancora in Serbia). Pray for Serbian-speaking children who may be encountering God, Jesus and the Bible for the first time as they play the app.

Tuesday 10

Local mission partner Archway work in Northamptonshire villages; pray for wisdom as they evaluate Sunday afternoon Pop-Up Praise. They are using the SU Explore Together material and give thanks that it’s been going well but they need to ensure that they are pitching it at the right level.

Wednesday 11

Local mission partner PSALMS, based in Painswick and Stroud, have started the Pulse Leadership Academy for Year 10 and above, focusing on leadership training, discipleship and mentoring, giving

opportunities to put into practice what they learn. Please pray that through this young people will grow into mature disciple makers.

Thursday 12

Pray for the Board as it meets today. Amongst other things they will be looking at a review of financial policies. Give thanks for the trustees who freely give their time and skills to oversee the governance of the movement.

Friday 13

Please pray for the Mission Innovation Team as they look for ways of reaching the 95 through printed and digital publications, that God will guide them to ideas that will touch the hearts of many children and young people and will transform lives.

Saturday 14

Local mission partner Lighthouse, in Crawley, ask us to pray for more volunteers for lunch clubs in local primary schools and for new mentoring programmes in secondary schools, that these will support young people and will show them how valuable and unique they are.

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Children that love Jesus love to share him too!

Thanks to your support, we were delighted to be able to give a Good News Fund grant to a project run by a group of children. The children in question think Jesus is amazing, and wanted to help their friends discover him for themselves!

Too often, we try to second-guess what children and young people think about matters of faith and church. But it’s worth listening to the views of children and young people because sometimes their ideas are better than ours!

That’s why the Diocese of Durham has set up a Children’s Council. It consists of 12 children, aged between 8 and 13, and they meet monthly. It’s one of only two Children’s Councils at Diocesan level anywhere in the country.

Sharon Pritchard, Children’s Ministry Adviser for Durham Diocese, oversees the project. She says, ‘We’ve asked the SHARON children for their views on PRITCHARD what makes a church childfriendly, how to be a disciple, and what servant leadership looks like. Then we got onto discussing sharing the gospel with other people.

The children were really keen – their attitude was “it’s fantastic knowing Jesus, and we want to tell our friends about him so that they can know him

too”. So we asked them to think how they’d like to go about doing that.

“it’s fantastic knowing Jesus, and we want to tell our friends about him.”

‘They weren’t short of ideas for outreach events! But we needed funds to put them into action and it’s hard to get funding for pilot projects like this one. So I was delighted to hear about Scripture Union’s Good News Fund – and even more delighted when they awarded us a grant!

‘We’ve called the project Mini Missionaries because all the events will be planned, organised and even evaluated by the children (with a bit of help and guidance from me).

‘Three of the Council members, Josh, Jack and Leo wanted to use sport as a way to tell their friends about Jesus. So for the first event, in March 2018, we’ve hired Durham’s Infinite Air extreme trampoline centre for a day. Each child on the Council will bring three non-Christian friends to the event. After enjoying the

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trampolines, they’ll share some food and have a talk about Jesus from a guest speaker. As their friends depart, we’ll give them invites to another event – perhaps at Durham Cathedral (which the children on the Council reckon is child-friendly)!

‘Council members Grace, Lara and Alice wanted to organise a weekend away, a dance evening and an afternoon tea. Harriet and Lily want to give away copies of SU’s Diary of a Disciple to classmates in school.

Thanks to the Good News Fund grant, they’ll be able to do all of these things.

We asked the Mini Missionaries why they love sharing their faith: ‘This new project will hopefully encourage young people to recognise who they really are and also what God and Jesus really mean to them and their families.’ Hannah

‘I think it will be great to have events we can bring our friends to and then they can find out more about God for themselves.’ Jack ‘Church means sharing my faith and belief with my friends... with the money we could put on an open day to spread how we feel about Jesus, God, church and our faith.’ Harvey

Photos by Keith Blundy

‘The children will compile a report on the pilot project, which we’ll use to approach other grant makers for funds to continue Mini Missionaries in future – and hopefully inspire

other dioceses and denominations to set up similar child-led outreach projects of their own.’

FOR YOU

The demand for support from the Good News Fund to trial new mission ideas was so great that all the funds allocated have now been distributed. We hope to be able to offer further support this year subject to further funding. See su.org.uk/goodnewsfund for up-to-date information

HELP US 18

To ensure we are able to support more churches as they reach out in mission you can make a donation to the Good News Fund at su.org.uk/goodnewsfund. Thank you.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers Sunday 15

Scripture Union Hungary have new leadership; pray for clarity, wisdom and guidance, for a sense of God’s priorities and for unity of purpose.

Monday 16

Annual accounts for the financial year to the end of March 2018 are now being prepared. Please pray for the finance team as they work to get these ready for the external auditors who will be coming in towards the end of May.

Tuesday 17

Pray for the SU national conference which takes place over the next three days. It will bring together mission partners, SU field staff, key volunteers and SU Council members, and will discuss issues around ministry with the 95% of children and young people not in church.

Wednesday 18

Local mission partner Faith in Schools based in Newham ask prayer for peace in the community and that children and young people will live in safety and care for one another. Pray that God will help them to know that when there is trouble, they can come to him.

Thursday 19

week beginning APR 15

For the first time, local mission partner Scripture Union Ministries Trust (on the Isle of Man) are inviting Year 6 children to their Key Stage 3 residential which starts tomorrow. Pray that this will bridge the gap between the two age groups making it easier for children to stay in contact when they enter secondary education.

Friday 20

SU development worker Jenni Whymark gives thanks for many connections with churches and organisations in and around Portsmouth; pray for unity between churches and agencies, that they might work together and have a heart for mission. Pray for the potential of a new service with a focus on families currently not in church.

Saturday 21

X:sites are designed to provide a fun environment to which church children can invite nonChristian friends; Cheltenham and Gloucester’s takes place today. Please pray for a good turnout and that children will discover more about Jesus and the life he offers.

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Prayers

week beginning APR 22

Sunday 22

Please pray that government funding for school chaplaincy in Queensland, Australia, will be renewed after June 2018. The Federal Government is currently deciding on their budget, which will be announced on 9 May.

Monday 23

Pray that God will guide the Lifepath Brinkburn core team as they meet today to plan the event taking place in June. Pray that the school groups who come, through engaging with the lives and work of the monks, will see something of what motivated them.

Tuesday 24

Pray for Grace Inwood as she looks after the National Office building and its facilities, and for Adelaide Nketsia as she provides the HR support to the movement.

on Saturday.

Pray for wisdom in preparations and in publicising the event.

Thursday 26

Our new local mission partner in Harlow, Great Open Door, praise God that a school, which had been closed to them for 14 years, has recently invited them to take assemblies and lessons – a year after a group prayed for the school. Pray that this contact will continue and will bear fruit.

Friday 27

Centre Spot, which runs this weekend, led

by SU’s Ben Poch and Dan Wicks, is a sports residential DAN WICKS giving 11- to 14-year-olds an opportunity to receive some quality sports training.

Pray that as participants also reflect on life and faith they will meet Jesus.

Saturday 28 Grace Inwood

Wednesday 25

Local mission partner Christian Connections in Schools are planning ‘Illuminate Windsor and Slough’ with the band LZ7 in October. It will feature visits to seven schools and a Friday night concert with a follow-up event 20

This weekend Steve Hutchinson is joining local mission partner PSALMS to run a residential for children in Years 5 and 6, where most have little experience of church but attend school and community games and sports clubs. Pray that amongst the fun they will discover what Jesus can mean to them.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers

week beginning APR 29

Sunday 29

Pray for SU development worker Lisa Jones speaking at Westfield Church in East Sussex about The 95 Campaign and how the congregation can be involved. This is a new contact; pray that it will lead to a lasting relationship that encourages the church to reach out into the community.

Monday 30

SU Hong Kong needs to raise over a million US dollars for a new office before the middle of the year. Please ask God to provide the finance for this project and to make the new office a vibrant centre for ministry.

Tuesday 1

Local mission partner Brentwood Schools Worker Christian Trust are running prayer spaces in both primary and secondary schools this month.

Pray that as children and young people reflect on the spiritual aspects of life they will encounter God.

Wednesday 2

As Jo-Ann Gaunt of local mission partner IMPACT in Bedford talks today about her work to local teacher training students, pray that they will understand what IMPACT offers and that this will lead to

fruitful contacts when they take up teaching posts.

Thursday 3

Next Tuesday the SOLID Management Team will be meeting to continue planning for this year’s festival which takes place in July and aims to give children and young people a weekend with a range of activities and the chance to enjoy meeting with God. Pray that God will guide their thinking.

Friday 4

The Families Together holiday led

by SU’s Steve Hutchinson takes place this weekend at Great Wood in Somerset. Please pray for a great time and particularly for those children and adults who don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus, that they may come to know him.

Saturday 5

Next Saturday, in partnership with the Eastern URC, GenR8, our local mission partner in Cambridgeshire, will be running the ‘Growing Young Leaders’ day. Pray that this will be a day in which they will grow in discipleship as they consider what it means to be leaders.

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Talking God with a digital generation Taking the good news of Jesus to children and young people with no church connections requires a fresh approach to mission and mission content. Terry Clutterham, Director of SU’s new Mission Innovation Team, explains how your support is helping develop and distribute new content aimed at reaching children beyond the church.

Some young people will hear the good news through pioneering mission events taking place beyond the church walls and Terry we’re developing new Clutterham kinds of content to support these. Some content we’ll sell, but increasingly we’ll also offer free downloadable content through our online Resource Centre.

For example, we’ve just created a package to help churches use Diary of Disciple in their work in schools.

You buy the books, but you can also download a free workbook, animated film and presentation.

And we’re about to launch a regular programme of free digital downloads which will help churches reach out to children, too.

But not every child or young person will come to a Christian event. How will they hear the gospel? Over 95% of children and young people are online for an average of three hours a day so the internet offers some really exciting possibilities. But it also

poses some real challenges as you can’t see or control internet-based mission. Our online game Guardians of Ancora is reaching a million children, which is amazing, but we’re only in personal contact with a few thousand of these.

“I think it’s entirely possible that in future we’ll hear of young people that the church can’t reach coming to faith through the internet.”

And those children who first encounter Jesus on the internet – how do we take them on the faith journey if they’re not in a church? We’re investigating ways to address this huge challenge, including partnering with other mission organisations.

One, for example, has developed a ‘chatbot’, a virtual ‘assistant’ which signposts children and young people to answers in response to their questions about faith.

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Many children without a church background know very little about Christianity so what information do you share with them? We need to intrigue them so that they want to know more, and research helps us to check we’ve hit the mark. For example, we developed a dance video with a positive gospel-based message about self-image because many girls love dancing and are also hugely concerned about their looks. We showed it to nonChristian children. They loved it and understood its message. And their parents were very open to them learning the dance in the context of a Christian-based after schools club. One said, ‘Anything that can help my children in a positive manner I’ll support.’

That a whole generation is growing up without any knowledge of Jesus and his life-changing message is nothing short of tragic. But digital content offers us some really exciting possibilities to change that situation. I think it’s entirely possible that in future we’ll hear of children and young people that the church can’t reach coming to faith through the internet.

FOR YOU

Meet Esther!

Esther CalvertJordan has just joined Esther SU’s Mission CalvertInnovation Team as Jordan a Content Innovator, tasked with dreaming up and testing ideas for content that will engage and inspire. She herself was one of the 95 – her family weren’t Christian, and Esther only discovered Jesus in 2011 at university. In her spare time, she pastors groups of students in campus-based churches.

‘I truly believe that God gave us the internet to preach to the ends of the earth.’

Esther says, ‘I’ve long been interested in using all sorts of different media to get the gospel message out to people. And I truly believe that God gave us the internet to preach to the ends of the earth. You can only share the good news of Jesus with a certain number of children face-to-face, but the internet overcomes those limits.’

We’re planning new resources to help you share Jesus with non-churched children and young people regularly. Look out for them soon in our ever-growing online Resource Centre: www.su.org.uk/resources

HELP US

With 95% of children not in church, we need to explore and develop new and exciting ways to share Jesus with them where they are.

Your financial support helps us make the most of the opportunities we have. To make a donation, go to www.su.org.uk/give or call 01908 856 000

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www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Week beginning MAY 6

Prayers

Please pray for our new digital content to have a real impact on children and young people.

Sunday 6

Praise God for the wonderful new ways in which he is using the internet to share the gospel with children and young people who have no connection with a church.

Monday 7

Please pray for Terry, Esther and the rest of the Mission Innovation Team. Ask God to guide and inspire them as they create new printed and digital materials which communicate the gospel message.

Tuesday 8

Whilst many children (and their parents) and young people don’t know Jesus, we’re discovering that they are often open to hearing his message. Please pray that God prepares their hearts to receive it.

Wednesday 9

Praise God that his Word is eternal and unchanging, and that it has as much relevance today as it did when Jesus walked on earth.

Thursday 10

In the vital quest to reach children and young people beyond the church walls, we’ll be selling fewer resources and giving more away. Please pray that God will release the additional funding that we need in order to be able to sustain this approach.

Friday 11

We’ll signpost children and young people to resources produced by other mission organisations where these meet a particular need.

Please ask God to guide us and give us wisdom in developing such partnerships.

Saturday 12

Please pray that God helps us to better understand the world of children and young people who aren’t in church, so that we can show them how the gospel truly addresses their interests and concerns.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

week beginning MAY 13

Sunday 13

Today Stort Valley Schools Trust are running a Pray for Schools event in Saffron Walden. Pray that this will encourage many to pray for the work as they continue to run six lunch clubs and two after school clubs in secondary schools across Sawbridgeworth, Bishop’s Stortford and Saffron Walden.

Monday 14

SU national mission partner Festive are developing video resources, testimonies and blogs for YouTube, increasingly the best place to communicate with young people of a college age. Pray that this YouTube channel will inspire and equip students in their faith and witness at college.

Tuesday 15

The North East and Yorkshire team are planning a full programme of holidays and short breaks this summer. Pray for the teams that there will be effective planning aimed at providing exciting programmes with a clear Christian message.

Wednesday 16

Please pray for SU Thailand as they revisit schools, churches and individuals seeking to further understand their needs and share their partnership programme. Please 26

pray that their ministry will spread into many churches.

Thursday 17

SLAM, which runs next weekend, is a fun, sport-based weekend for 11–14s in North Wales, providing a chance to explore some deep questions of life and faith. Pray for John Settatree and Mike Adams of SU Wales as they lead, and that many young people will come.

Friday 18

Following a successful evangelistic weekend for 8–11s organised at the request of churches in the Mansfield area, a similar event for 11–14s this coming weekend will be led by development worker Bob Goody. Pray that this will result in many young people responding to the love of Jesus.

Saturday 19

Chaplaincy Central, a national mission partner, give thanks for the new chaplaincy support networks that have been established. Please pray that the conference they are planning in June will encourage, empower and equip chaplains as they serve many young people who have no other contact with church.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers Sunday 20

Join SU Chile in praising God for the many children, young people and families they are serving. They ask us to pray for renewal in the ministry, for camps that will reinforce committed action and for the finances and volunteers to make it happen.

Monday 21

Lifepath Olney, based on the life of John Newton runs from Tuesday until Thursday and involves SU staff, and local mission partners, IMPACT (Bedford) and Bridgebuilder (Milton Keynes). Pray that the children in the school groups who come will see Jesus at work in the life of John Newton and understand something of his love.

Wednesday 23

week beginning MAY 20

Pray for the leadership team as they meet today, asking that God will give wisdom, vision and direction as they look for the way forward.

Thursday 24

The audit inspection team start their work today. They will be on site for a week. Please pray for ongoing good relations between the finance team and the auditors and that they may see something of the love of Jesus during this time.

Friday 25

The South West regional holiday Go Wild, led by SU’s Chris Eales, starts today and runs until Sunday. Pray for God to be at work in the delivery of the programme and in relationships, revealing his love to everyone, especially those who don’t yet know it for themselves.

Saturday 26 Tuesday 22

The Northern Youth Evangelism Conference takes place today.

Scripture Union North West and North East are involved in this partnership. Pray that people will be inspired and challenged as they gather together and that they will be encouraged to explore new ways of making Jesus known.

The youth eisteddfod is the largest youth cultural festival in Europe and starts on Monday in Builth Wells.

Pray for the members of the SU Wales team involved in the outreach mission team as they seek to share Jesus with children, young people and families who attend the event.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Holidays 2018

Amazing holidays for 8 to 18 year olds

BOOK ONLINE NOW at: scriptureunion.org.uk/holidays