Connecting
you
Inside:
pull-out Mission Report
Autumn 2018
IN THIS EDITION
God brings hope out of tragedy Luke found God on an SU weekend away Light Parties – Sharing Jesus at Halloween www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Contents Mission Report
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The good news – not just for people like us! Welcome from our National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith
Turn to the middle to see how your support has had a huge impact
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God brings hope out of tragedy
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Luke found God on an SU weekend away
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A light in the darkness
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And finally…
When the son of a Halifax Christian took his own life, his family and church were devastated. But they turned their devastation into action and now the young people in Halifax are hearing – and receiving – God’s vital message of hope.
Through your support, a group of inner city youngsters with no church background were able to go on a weekend break, to play sport and find out more about Jesus. For one 14-year-old, Luke, the break was life-changing.
With our free Light Party Pack, churches can plan a fabulously positive celebration of Halloween. This year the pack includes ideas on how to share Jesus with children who aren’t from a church background. And, as Alice Lawrence discovered, the theme of light and positivity is universally popular. A few short snippets of news and information to keep you up to date, including an SU story of young love that’s guaranteed to warm your heart.
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 ODF
www.scriptureunion.org.uk © Scripture Union 2017 Registered Charity 213422 Limited Company 00039828 Registered in England and Wales
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The good news – not just for people like us! Welcome to the autumn edition of Connecting You.
“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a psychological test that indicates how we see the world around us and make decisions. Everyone falls into one of the sixteen MBTI personality types. But according to research, just one personality type dominates in Anglican congregations (Introvert, Sensing, Feeling and Judging). Christians with other personality types are likely to leave their church because they feel they don’t fit in. It’s a similar story in many other denominations. By contrast, Jesus loved to interact with all kinds of people. The disciples he picked were a very diverse lot – and didn’t always agree or get on with one another. Yet on that foundation, Christ built his church. If we only mix with people who are ‘like us’, we’ll find it a challenge to share Jesus with those who aren’t. As you’ll read in this edition of Connecting You, children and young people with no church background are unlikely to come to church on a
Sunday and almost certainly won’t fit into traditional church models. But perhaps they’re not so far from God as we might fear. They may surprise us with their enthusiasm for knowing more about Jesus and their delight in discovering their purpose in him. Perhaps they’re just a different personality type to us. In this post-Christian era, is our aim just to preserve a Christian presence on the margins of society? Or is it to take the life-changing message of Jesus to everyone – including those not ‘like us’ – and see a new flourishing of faith? Then we need to follow the lead of the early church, leave behind our comfort zones and learn to share the timeless message of Jesus with children and young people in fresh new words and new ways.
Tim Hastie-Smith, National Director
www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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God brings
hope
out of tragedy
When the son of a Halifax Christian took his own life, his family and church were devastated. They realised how little hope and self-esteem local teenagers had, and resolved to take the light of Christ out to them. Thanks to your support, now young people in Halifax are hearing – and receiving – God’s vital message of hope. 4
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SU Development Worker Matty Hawthorne worked with pastor Heather Smith of Halifax Central Church and MATTY helped to mobilise HAWTHORNE other churches in the area to get involved. And you helped too, because the resulting youth initiative, Fuse, was partly funded by your gifts to SU’s Good News Fund. One week in January, around thirty Fuse volunteers from Halifax churches toured local high schools; tragically, in two of these schools, students had recently committed suicide. The Fuse team explained to over two thousand students that God creates each of us to be unique and precious, and how receiving that truth gives us real hope, purpose and self-esteem. At an end of week celebration attended by three hundred of the students, half of them made a public commitment to follow Jesus.
Since then, Fuse has launched a weekly evening event in a central Halifax cafe, and also a girls’ group and regular music sessions.
The secret to success
Matty thinks there are three reasons that Fuse is proving successful. ‘Firstly, the Fuse team is made up of teenage Christians as well as adults. It helps them develop leadership skills and confidence, and they also come up with great ideas for events aimed at teenagers who aren’t in church. So Fuse events really appeal to the young people at which they’re aimed. ‘Secondly, Fuse is truly co-owned by all the churches involved. They’ve laid down their own interests and made it their priority to take the gospel of hope out to young people. ‘Finally, both SU and the churches involved with Fuse recognise we need to stop trying to cajole young people into coming to our Sunday morning services, because it doesn’t work. Instead, we’re creating a
Heather Smith Central Church, Halifax
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Christian community around young people where they are.’ When Matty first met 16-year-old Andy, he had a tough and guarded edge to him; it transpired that he’d been let down repeatedly and had a chaotic home life. Then his friend was healed at one of the coffee shop meet ups, and Andy became a Christian. Matty says, ‘Andy’s changed since he came to know Jesus. You can see his sense of self-worth growing and he’s found a real joy. For him, and others like him, “church” is coming to Costa Coffee every week to worship, hear the Bible and learn more about God.
Andy’s changed since he came to know Jesus. You can see his sense of self-worth growing and he’s found a real joy.
‘Young people here in Halifax – and across the UK – so need to hear the message of Jesus, how God knows and loves them and wants a personal relationship with them, and that in him their lives have real purpose. We know of at least one young person who was planning to take their own life who chose not to, because they heard that message of hope through Fuse.’ In Halifax, God is bringing the bright light of hope out of tragedy. Please pray for more young people to discover the hope that God offers.
FOR YOU
You don’t have to be a trained evangelist or church leader to take the wonderful message of Jesus out to young people. Join The 95 Campaign and get access to loads of ideas and resources to help you, if you feel that God is prompting you to take action.
Visit the95.org.uk
HELP US
So many more children and young people need to hear about Jesus and how their lives can be made complete through knowing him. Would you like to make a gift to support more projects like Fuse?
Visit the95.org.uk
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www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 26
Prayers Sunday 26
Today is the 150th anniversary of the first SU Beach Mission – give thanks to God for SU founder Josiah Spiers, and for his courage in reaching out beyond the walls of the church to the young people of his day.
Monday 27
Please pray for all those involved in the Fuse initiative in Halifax, that God will sustain and expand this vital work by providing resources and committed volunteers.
Tuesday 28
Give thanks to God for the life of the young man whose suicide ultimately inspired Fuse. Pray for his father and all who mourn him, that God will comfort them in their loss.
Wednesday 29
Give thanks to God for the wonderful way in which Halifax churches are working together, putting aside their own agendas to
focus on sharing Jesus with young people as their top priority.
Thursday 30
Pray God will inspire churches across the country and give them the courage and resources to take the good news out into their communities, so that thousands more children and young people who don’t go to church can hear the good news of Jesus.
Friday 31
Pray for children and young people who don’t know Jesus. Ask God to give them the opportunity to hear his amazing message of hope, and to prepare their hearts to receive it.
Saturday 1
Praise God for giving you the gift of salvation and for all he has done in your own life. Ask him to show you what you can do today to help to share that hope with children and young people who know nothing of him.
www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers
week beginning SEPT 2
Sunday 2
The leaders of the Australian and New Zealand movements meet from Monday to Wednesday and will be joined by Monika Kuschmierz and Jenny Stewart of the global team. Pray for them as they discuss ways of collaborating more closely.
Monday 3
The south west region have launched a new sports initiative in co-operation with South West Youth Ministries. Pray for the new trainees as they have their induction this week and that the initiative will result in many of ‘the 95’ hearing the good news of Jesus.
Tuesday 4
Praise God that, in May, over one thousand two hundred children came to Lifepath in Olney to learn about John Newton. Pray that as they return to school after the summer what they heard will stay with them and that they will go on exploring.
effectively. Pray too that as they think about new projects for this academic year God will lead.
Thursday 6
A team of five from SU Lesotho who have been taking part in the 150th celebrations in Llandudno are there until the end of this week. Pray that as they visit schools and churches in the area the links that are formed will encourage vision and mutual support.
Friday 7
Pray for Toby Chant, development worker in the south west, as he plans for a range of sport and creative play-based activities aiming to reach those who don’t go to church. Pray especially for the basketball league which restarts this month.
Saturday 8
Wednesday 5
SU Ministries Trust, local mission partner on the Isle of Man, have new team starting this month. Pray that they will settle in well and integrate 8
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Local mission partner Oswestry Schools Christian Worker Project ask us to pray that their new fulltime worker Jane Webber who started work on Monday will be able to re-establish contacts in 20 schools after the project’s first period without a worker for 18 years.
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Prayers
week beginning SEPT 9
Sunday 9
The SU Global Team will be meeting 18–21 September and the Global Board 21–23 September. Pray for the team members as they continue to move forward global initiatives and for the board as they explore areas where global policies and strategies are needed to support the worldwide family.
Monday 10
Local mission partner Learn4Life in Reading ask for prayer around changes in student leadership in some of the lunch time and after school groups they support – for new leaders taking up roles and for wisdom in developing new leadership.
Tuesday 11
Thank God for all the volunteers who gave up time to serve on the holidays and missions throughout the summer and pray for Rob Steward, team leader in the north west, as he visits the Isle of Man over the next two days to train schools workers.
Wednesday 12
Starting today for the next six Wednesdays, SU’s Neil Jackson will be working with All Saints Church, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees to run a new Guardians of Ancora club in
Preston-on-Tees Primary School. Pray that this will encourage more children to play the game and to meet Jesus.
Thursday 13
Local mission partner Beverley Schools Christian Trust remind us to pray for children who face the challenges of starting at secondary schools and the workers who will begin to form new relationships to support them. This can be a challenging time when they are vulnerable.
Friday 14
Development worker in Wales, Mike Adams, is involved in Equipped to Serve from 21–22 September. Pray that this national event designed to encourage and equip people to share the good news will result in new enthusiasm for evangelism in Wales.
Saturday 15
The start of the new school year means changes in student-led groups. Pray for wisdom for new leaders and for schools workers as they come alongside them and support them. Thank God for the openness that exists in so many schools and pray for ongoing good relationships.
www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Luke found God on an SU weekend away Through your support, a group of inner city youngsters with no church background were able to go on Centre Spot, a weekend residential break, to play sport and find out more about Jesus. For one 14-year-old, Luke, the break was life-changing.
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Ben Poch, SU South East regional team leader, says, ‘We’d helped some central London BEN churches and POCH local mission partners to set up sportsbased mission projects which quickly helped to build relationships with young people who had no previous church connections. ‘SU set up Centre Spot, a sportsbased weekend residential, for 24 of these youngsters from Kings Cross Baptist Church and local mission partner Kingsley Hall in Dagenham. Short-term breaks are an exciting element of our holidays and mission programme and are geared to young people with no Christian background. It gives them a brief immersion in Christian community without it being
too overwhelming or too long. (For most of this group of 11- to 14-yearolds, it was the first time they’d stayed away from home.) ‘A weekend is also cheaper than a week. But in this case, SU had to subsidise the cost because of the financial circumstances of the families involved – and we could only do that because of the generosity of Scripture Union’s supporters – so thank you! ‘These youngsters came from very challenging backgrounds. They were a bit unruly when they arrived, but
I kinda saw the peace and happiness it was giving to everyone… I just wanted that as well.
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soon we had them playing cricket, football, dodgeball and ultimate Frisbee. They got to interview the coaches and hear their testimonies. We also shared the story of Joseph and discussed the idea of ‘daring to dream’ in small groups.
An unplanned gift
‘They seemed to have had a good time – but I was taken aback when on the Sunday this lad Luke asked, “Will we be able to have a Bible?” I’d not banked on them being so keen to know more so soon! So we offered all the group Bibles to take home.
There was also change in other young people who went on Centre Spot. Ben says, ‘A group of them go to a Friday night youth club. Before going on the residential weekend, they’d spend all evening looking at their mobile phones and not interacting with us at all. Now they’re asking lots of good questions about faith. ‘Young people are not as cynical as you might perhaps think, and once they understand how God loves them and that their lives have purpose through him, they are eager to learn more. And short-term residentials are a great way to start them on that journey.’
‘The next evening, as usual, Luke went along to his sports project. But instead of joining in, he sat and read his new Bible for two hours. The following week, he made a commitment to follow Jesus. ‘So why did Luke decide to become a Christian? He says, “I kinda saw the peace and happiness it was giving to everyone… I just wanted that as well. I want to change; I want to be on the good side of the world. I can look at myself in a nicer, positive way. I never judge people like I used to.”’
FOR YOU
Do you know young people who might benefit from going on an SU weekend residential? Connect with your local SU team to find out about opportunities near you at su.org.uk/local
HELP US
You could help another young person like Luke to encounter God: Just £30 could enable another young person who couldn’t otherwise afford it to come on an SU weekend residential, and discover the hope of knowing Jesus. You can make a gift to the SU Holiday Fund at su.org.uk/holidayfund
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WEEK BEGINNING SEPT 16
Prayers Sunday 16
Give thanks to God for the 24 young people who came on Centre Spot, and for enabling them to come on this new sports-based residential weekend.
Monday 17
Ask God to guide all of these young people along the path to faith, so that they may know more of his amazing love for them and the purpose he has for their lives.
Tuesday 18
Please pray for the non-Christian families of children and young people who come on SU residentials, that they will be understanding and open to their search for faith and meaning, and supportive if they choose to follow Jesus.
Wednesday 19
Praise God for the wonderful way in which sport is helping inner city London churches and mission partners to build relationships with
children and young people with no church background, so that they can start them on the journey of faith.
Thursday 20
Give thanks to God for all SU supporters who give so generously of their time and finances to enable our residentials, camps and missions to take place.
Friday 21
Pray that many more children and young people who don’t know Jesus have the opportunity to go on SU short-term residentials and discover the wonder of knowing him.
Saturday 22
Praise God that his Word endures from generation to generation and speaks as powerfully today to young people like Luke as it did 150 years ago to the children on the beach at Llandudno, SU’s first beach mission.
www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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Prayers Sunday 23
SU Indonesia ask us to pray for wisdom and commitment for staff and council, and that at the annual working plan meeting (28–29 September) they will clearly see God’s way forward.
Monday 24
SU development worker Geoff Brown will be running the northern Training in Schools Work course in Sheffield from today until Wednesday. Pray that this will be a time of encouragement which will leave those who come better equipped to share the love of Jesus in schools.
Tuesday 25
Three new student support workers have joined national mission partner Festive; last year they were sixth formers receiving support from Festive. Pray for them as they in turn support other sixth formers over the next year with prayer, advice and encouragement.
Wednesday 26
Pray that during the annual prayer space this month at Court Moor secondary school in Fleet (organised by local mission partner Fleet and Crookham Churches Together in Schools), young people will 14
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experience a sense of God who cares about them.
week beginning SEPT 23
Thursday 27
SU’s Central Region Team meet today to review and plan. Pray they will have a clear sense of God’s priorities, and that they will be encouraged and refreshed.
Friday 28
The SU Gloucester prayer group meets today – thank God for faithful prayer supporters like these, some in their nineties, who have prayed for our work to reach unchurched children and young people for many years. Pray that God will encourage them as they hear what he is doing.
Saturday 29
Today, local mission partner Thrive launches another growing leaders programme for young people, with one group in Leamington Spa and one in Coventry. Please pray that the teenagers who are taking part in the programme will develop their full potential and be enabled to lead effectively.
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Mission Report
Year ended 31 march 2018
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Thanks so much for your continued support. I can’t quite believe a whole year has passed since I wrote the introduction to the last Mission Report. It only seems like yesterday we were looking forward to the launch of The 95 Campaign and all the activities we had planned to help celebrate our 150th anniversary. But here I am, looking back and reflecting on that year, and what a year it has been! It’s been such a huge privilege to witness God at work through so many innovative and effective gospel-sharing activities, and it’s a joy to be able to share the impact of just some of that work with you now. I’d also like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you because that work is yours, too. Without your prayers and generous ongoing support, this vital ministry simply wouldn’t be possible. As you’ll see, we’ve split this report into four main sections, reflecting the areas of focus for our anniversary year and beyond. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing what your support has enabled. Thank you again for the part you play in sharing the good news with the next generation. Your prayers, gifts and actions continue to have a massive impact. With 95% of children and young people not in church, the challenge ahead of us remains huge. But, together, we are making a real difference. Yours faithfully,
Tim Hastie-Smith National Director, Scripture Union
During the year, 4,454 people joined The 95 Campaign. It’s been great to see so many people getting on board but with the 95% equating to around 12 million children and young people, we need many (many!) more people to sign up and play their part. Join up and find out how you can help us spread the word at www.the95.org.uk
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We listened The 95 census We invited those of you involved in children’s and youth work to complete our survey, The 95 Census.
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1,304
people told us about activities with children and young people that are already happening, giving an indication of what is working and showing us where more help and support might be needed. Interesting fact We found that there is more work happening with children than teenagers. In response to this, we have been creating and curating new video resources to help you start conversations about Jesus with young people. Check them out here at scriptureunion.org.uk/resources
Feedback that counts
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We set up panels of children, young people and parents from among ‘the 95’ to provide feedback on new mission models and content.
130,000+
copies of It’s Your Move (SU’s book for children moving up to secondary school) were distributed this year. The feedback panels gave us their opinions to help us improve the resource for the next edition.
Content innovation From drama to music videos, poetry to painting, we’ve been developing new and creative content to connect with children without a church background. • The ‘Creative Collective’ group was formed, bringing together key voices with a flair for the creative and a heart for ‘the 95’. • We engaged with over 500 practitioners via social media to share ideas and to get feedback on our creative outreach ideas. If you would like to be part of this creative process, go to www.su.org.uk/creative-collective
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We learned Mission evaluation During the year, we stepped up the evaluation of our missional activities.
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initiatives participated in a research project to help us learn about mission with children and young people. We also improved our review process to better understand how to support the church in mission, from directly engaging with those who are involved in mission to processing the feedback we received from thousands of people using our free missional resources. Interesting fact The research highlighted the importance of building relationships, being distinctively Christian and a reliance on prayer. Join The 95 Campaign to access the full report of our findings: the95.org.uk
The 95 talks
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online ‘lectures’ were given by thought-leaders in mission with children and young people, seeking to address some of the big questions in children’s and youth work. You can watch them for free at su.org.uk/the95talks
Multiplying mission
We’ve got 73 mission partners across England and Wales, sharing the good news in a whole range of exciting ways. Between them they employ 130 staff. Many churches used our free resources such as the Light Party Pack and the Christmas Party Pack to support them in sharing the good news with an estimated 28,000 children and young people. We rely on volunteers to do what we do. There were 3,200 known opportunities for volunteer involvement – the equivalent of 6,636 working weeks, or 141 full-time staff. There are over 130 Scripture Union movements working in around 120 countries around the world.
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We pioneered New mission activities
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new mission activities established across England and Wales seeking to share the good news with children who don’t go to church. We smashed our 150th anniversary target of 150!
15,500
children and young people were reached by these new missions, 85% of whom were from non-churched backgrounds!
Guardians of Ancora Our digital Bible game continues to go from strength to strength, helping many thousands of children to explore the Bible in this creative way.
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language releases: Arwyr Ancora in Welsh (May 2017) and Čuvari Ankore in Serbian (January 2018).
1,224,411 1,600
There were game plays by the end of the year.
Around copies of the Guardians of Ancora club leader guides were downloaded, helping to make the game a really useful missional tool.
Holidays for everyone Scripture Union holidays continue to be the perfect place for children to get away from home and closer to God.
130
children attended a holiday this year, funded by the Scripture Union Holiday Fund. The Holiday Fund ensures that tight finances aren’t a barrier to a potentially life-changing experience.
2,045
amazing volunteers helped make our holidays and missions possible! We also ran 10 brand-new holidays as part of a programme of 65 residential events.
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We are a catalyst The good news fund More than
£150,000
worth of Good News Fund grants were awarded to help 56 great mission ideas see the light of day. We estimate that around 30,000 children and young people will have heard the gospel as a result! www.su.org.uk/goodnewsfund
Resources for mission We took our learnings and created free resources to support churches in their outreach, sharing best practice and helping take the strain out of children’s and youth work...
Light parties
8,000
Over Light Party Packs were distributed to help churches plan and run exciting Light Parties as a Christian alternative to Halloween. www.lightparty.org.uk
Christmas party packs
2,500
Around people downloaded our brand new resource to help churches run Christmas parties, The Christmas Party Pack. We hope to be able to offer a new and improved pack this year.
Sharing the real christmas story
80,000
Over copies of our book The First Christmas were distributed to help children explore the real Christmas story. These were given away by local churches, our mission partners and through food banks and children’s hospitals. With your support, we also supplied copies for the Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree project that provides gifts for children with parents in prison.
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Money matters We’d like to thank all of you who have supported the work of Scripture Union this year. It’s only through your gifts, time and prayers that so many children and young people are able to explore the difference Jesus can make to their lives. Your gifts, along with the income from selling some of our mission resources, make an enormous difference to Scripture Union’s work. Through your generosity we’ve been able to ensure any money spent on securing funding for our mission has achieved nearly a 7:1 return. Here’s an overview of the money we received during the 2017/18 financial year, and the ways in which it was spent.
Total income
£6,633,000
£4,225,000
Donations and legacies
£1,710,000
Publishing sales
£573,000
Holidays and missions
£125,000
Other, including investment income
Total Expenditure
£7,366,000
£652,000
Cost of raising funds
£3,438,000
Face-to-face mission (including holidays and missions):
£1,755,000
Conventional publishing
£384,000
International activities
£1,137,000
Digital publishing
None of this success would have been possible without people generously giving what they could. If you supported us in that way, THANK YOU – this success is yours too. Could you ensure even more is possible next year? This is a summary of Scripture Union’s financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2018, extracted from the full Trustee’s Report and Financial Statements which have been audited. A full statement of our financial activities can be found in our Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements, a copy of which can be obtained by contacting us on 01908 856135.
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Turn thE page to make a gift
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Help more children hear the good news Will you help us share the good news of Jesus with even more children and young people by setting up a regular donation?
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Prayers
week beginning SEPT 30
Sunday 30
Pray for SU Scotland’s recently appointed Young Leaders Development Coordinator, Dave Clipston, that he may know the leading of the Holy Spirit as he seeks to equip young people for servanthearted leadership.
Monday 1
SU development worker Chris Eales is leading a new Training in Schools work course in the south west over the next two days to equip people of all levels of experience to connect with local schools. Pray that it will result in new initiatives in some schools.
Tuesday 2
Local mission partner GenR8 are holding an evening to highlight the work in primary schools and churches in Cambridgeshire, aiming to highlight the opportunities for volunteering. Pray for good attendance and that more volunteers will come forward.
Wednesday 3
Bob Goody, development worker in central region, is involved in the Higher Tour in Cambridgeshire (1–13 October). Teams will visit 34 secondary schools with 3 concerts at the end of the tour. Pray for a good reception in schools and a
good turnout at the concert with a clear communication of the good news.
Thursday 4
In August, there were four Beach Life events along the Fylde Coast at which hundreds of families engaged with simple, popup mission activities. Pray for lasting fruit and for the North West Team as they seek to grow many more such projects next year.
Friday 5
Local mission partner The Lighthouse Project in Crawley ask prayer that God will sustain them through a time of change as their project leader is on maternity leave. Pray too that God will enable the work to expand with the provision of funds and volunteers.
Saturday 6
Impact, our local mission partner in Bedford, praise God for the way prayer spaces influence children and young people. A staff member commented recently, ‘Thank you so much for setting up a prayer space in school. It was so lovely to see our autistic pupil engaging so well – I have never seen him so peaceful’.
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Prayers
week beginning OCT 7
Sunday 7
SU Estonia ask us to pray for God’s provision for resources (human and financial) to continue the development of their campsite. Pray for inspired teams and right decisions, and for planning and constructions on the site. Pray for key people to emerge and be inspired by the vision.
Monday 8
Today and tomorrow there is a conference for staff and local mission partners in the north. Pray that this will be a time of encouragement and inspiration. Pray too for the southern schools work course led by Lisa Jones which starts tomorrow.
Tuesday 9
Illuminate Windsor & Slough, coordinated by local mission partner Christian Connections in Schools, takes place next week with visits to five schools followed by a concert at the end of the week. Pray for effective follow-up of young people who show an interest in following Jesus.
Wednesday 10
Pray with local mission partner PSALMS that God would inspire churches in Gloucestershire to explore sports ministry and venture into new territory. Thank God 24
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for open access into many schools in Gloucestershire and opportunities to connect with children.
Thursday 11
Pray that the children who read Diary of a Disciple will feel able to share what they have read with their friends and that as they have opportunities to share what they know of Jesus they will receive support from their church communities.
Friday 12
The Walk holiday for primary age children in Essex starts today. Pray for leader Sam Fowler and the team that they will relate well to the children and demonstrate the love of Jesus in many ways. Pray that children will respond to this.
Saturday 13
Please pray for the Scripture Union Council meeting taking place today. Give thanks for all those who volunteer in this capacity, giving their time to provide insights and wisdom to help discern God’s leading for the movement.
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Prayers Sunday 14
Today Steve Hutchinson is speaking at Cranham Praise, a service run by local mission partner, PSALMS, designed for children and young people who connect through sport and midweek clubs in schools but otherwise have no contact with church. Pray that they will meet with Jesus.
Wednesday 17
week beginning OCT 14
Local mission partner Christians and Sheffield Schools are running training sessions for those thinking about school chaplaincy. Pray that those who have been exploring will go on to serve as chaplains and will bring encouragement and hope to many young people.
Thursday 18
Pray for Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust as they run regular lunch time clubs and prepare for Christmas projects ‘Christmas Unwrapped’ and ‘Darkness to Light’ in the schools.
Friday 19 Monday 15
This week the South East Team will be on the second leg of their 95 Tour. The first leg generated considerable interest in reaching ‘the 95’, with over twenty-five wanting to explore ways to be more missional in their communities. Pray for more relationships like this to develop.
Tuesday 16
Pray for SU work in Papua New Guinea where villages, churches, families and schools are still recovering from the earthquake that hit the Highlands in February 2018. Praise God that school prayer numbers have increased from an average of 100 students to an average of 400 students every Friday in Port Moresby.
The team in Wales is visiting as many churches as possible to give presentations on The 95 Campaign. Pray especially for Helen Franklin who is visiting most of the churches in her area during the autumn.
Saturday 20
Scripture Union’s Light materials (and their forerunners) have helped generations of children and young people develop a personal relationship with Jesus and live for God as light in a dark world. It is now available as an annual compendium. Pray for leaders as they start to use the first compendium and for work on the second one.
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A light in the darkness Through your generous gifts, churches can plan a fabulously positive celebration of Halloween using our free Light Party Pack. This year it includes ideas on how to share Jesus, the light of the world, with children and young people who aren’t from a church background. And, as Alice Lawrence discovered, the theme of light and positivity is universally popular. 26
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In 2013, Alice and Phil Lawrence took over a vicarage, abandoned during social unrest in the 1990s, on a housing estate in ALICE Knowle West, Bristol. LAWRENCE They renovated it, and now it’s home to them and also ‘The Cairn’, a mission-focused church community. Alice says, ‘We wanted The Cairn to be a beacon of light on the estate. There’s a lot of darkness here – social issues and crime – and many people say they long for something more wholesome and positive. ‘So last November we hosted a Light Party, to symbolise how God’s light dispels darkness. The house literally became a beacon, with graphics projected onto the outside walls, glowsticks planted in the garden, and
a fire round which families toasted marshmallows and waved sparklers. ‘You entered the house through an illuminated tunnel built out of tent poles and fairy lights. In the main room, a disco ball bulb cast sparkling light over the walls and ceiling. We made rainbow jelly to eat, and offered crafts such as decorating tealight lanterns, and scratching designs into black waxed cards to reveal bright colour underneath.
Appealing to young and old
‘We invited a few people personally, and asked them to spread the word (word of mouth works better here than Facebook). About fifty people came – children and young people and their families, but also some pensioners who didn’t want to be home alone whilst gangs of teens were out Trick or Treating on the estate. Everyone seemed to enjoy
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the party – one of the mums told us, “It’s great to be here, somewhere where the children can have a good time and be safe”.
Recently, a ten-yearold girl has decided to follow Jesus and has asked to be baptised. ‘Some of the adults here had a negative experience of church as children. So, whilst we’re clear
that we’re Christians, and the light theme hinted at the positivity of Christian faith, our Light Party didn’t include a specific gospel message. We didn’t want people feeling that we were going to foist our faith on them. We saw it more as the start of a journey to build trust and genuine relationships, and to continue that through follow-up lunches and events. That way, we felt conversations about faith would develop more naturally, and, sure enough, they have. Recently, a ten-year-old girl has decided to follow Jesus and has asked to be baptised at our home. ‘The Light Party Pack was great in helping us plan the event. We used some of what was in there, but we also used some of the ideas as a starting point for our own. Now an Anglican church up the road has started doing Light Parties too – as far as I’m concerned, the more, the better!’
FOR YOU
Get your free Light Party Pack with everything you need to plan a Light Party for children, young people or an all-age event like Alice’s. Order yours now at www.lightparty.org.uk www.lightparty.org.uk.
HELP US
It costs around £2.33 to support and resource a church to host a Light Party, reaching on average 29 children and young people per event. If you’d like to help fund next year’s Light Parties, enabling us to continue to support as many churches as possible, you can donate online at www.lightparty.org.uk, or by calling 01908 856 000.
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Prayers
week beginning OCT 21
Sunday 21
Pray for all those who are planning Light Parties to take place around Halloween, that they would be able to make the most of the opportunity to share God’s love with the children and young people in their communities.
Monday 22
Over the past couple of years, we’ve stepped up our commitment to evaluating missional activities to explore what is effective when it comes to sharing the good news with the next generation. Give thanks for all that we’ve learnt, and pray that the findings will help others in their activities.
Tuesday 23
Pray that the many children and young people without church connections who came on north west regional holidays this summer will continue to think about what they heard and will want to find out more about Jesus.
Wednesday 24
During October and November, Dave Parsons and Chris Nuttall will be reviewing the finances for the first six months of the financial year and
starting budget preparation. Pray for the necessary attention to detail and for wisdom in setting the budget.
Thursday 25
Thank God for the impact of SU Bible Reading Guides for nearly one hundred and forty years in printed and digital form. Pray for the community of WordLive users who support each other daily online and for the writers as they work on material for 2019, asking that God will inspire and direct them.
Friday 26
As the new Backpackers holiday club material is published this month, pray that it will inspire many churches to run holiday clubs especially those who have not run them before. Pray for renewed vision for work with children and young people in England and Wales.
Saturday 27
In days of increasingly complex legislation, and the need for compliance, pray for Adelaide Nketsia as she uses her HR skills and experience to serve the movement and staff members by providing support which reflects best practice and efficient processes.
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Prayers Sunday 28
SU Rwanda praise God for his presence during their 150th Anniversary celebrations when they also officially opened SU Rwanda house with members of the SU General Assembly, staff and guests from the UK praising God for all that he has done in Rwanda.
Monday 29
Sixteen per cent of children playing Guardians of Ancora would say they are definitely not Christians; but within a month, eighty-five per cent of them feel warmer to God, Jesus and the Bible. Please pray that more non-Christian children will be attracted to play and move closer to God.
Wednesday 31
week beginning OCT 28
Pray for all Light Parties taking place across the country, that churches would effectively communicate the light of Jesus to their communities.
Thursday 1
Every year we run a special Christmas Campaign to bring the Christmas story to a wide range of children who are not involved with church. Pray that the necessary funds will come in, and that many books will be distributed so that children can encounter the truth of Christmas.
Friday 2
Tuesday 30
This week Trevor Ranger of local mission partner Synergy is running a Teambuilder holiday club in the Wiltshire village of Sutton Benger, with an all-age event on Sunday morning. Pray that many children and families will take this opportunity to hear of the love of Jesus and respond. 30
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The second Creative Collective takes place this weekend with the mission innovation team meeting with a range of specialists to explore ideas for new resources (see page 33). Pray that God will inspire participants with fresh and imaginative content for print and digital publication enabling ‘the 95’ to encounter Jesus.
Saturday 3
Pray that at Illuminate Peterborough next week many young people will hear something of God’s love in schools and be challenged to follow Jesus at the end of week concerts.
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Prayers Sunday 4
Please pray for the new members of the transatlantic community group. It now involves all four movements in Britain and Ireland, anglophone Canada, the USA, Jamaica and Trinidad. The Caribbean movements are eager to reshape their ministries around a focus on ‘the 95’.
Monday 5
Today Geoff Brown is taking an assembly in King’s Academy in Middlesbrough. As we thank God for the open door that exists in many schools, let’s pray for Geoff and for all others who will be going into schools today.
Tuesday 6
Local mission partner GenR8 have an assembly tour ‘The Special Gift’ with seven teams visiting 150 primary schools. Pray for good health, safe travels and that the special message of Christmas will be heard clearly.
Wednesday 7
week beginning NOV 4
Join with local mission partner Great Wood Trust in giving thanks for the opening of the new mess hut in April which will benefit Scripture Union residentials and local schools who use the site during term time. Pray for chaplain, Patrick Weld, as he works alongside the schools giving Christian input.
Thursday 8
Guardians of Ancora clubs continue to grow in popularity and the time has come to review and revise the resources for them. Please pray for inspiration for the team of staff and club organisers who are shaping new ideas.
Friday 9
Local mission partner Missional Generation work along the M62 corridor. Pray that at their Mission United Faith in Life gathering this weekend the young people will grow in faith, be excited about the possibilities of local mission activities and discover ways of sharing their faith.
Saturday 10
Thank God for the way in which the Josiah Spiers Benevolent Fund has been able to provide much needed financial help to some former members of staff. Pray the trustees will be able to identify those who once served on the staff of SU who would be encouraged and helped by a gift this Christmas.
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And finally… Harriers Leads to Wedding Bells! In 2008, when teenagers Esther Darrah and Sam Adams met on SU’s sailing holiday Harriers on the Norfolk Broads, little did they know that ten years later they would marry! Esther says, ‘Being a teenage Christian can be hard, and it’s great to go on SU camps to be with other young Christians and worship and have fun together.’ Sam and Esther stayed in touch after Harriers and later, when they went to university, they began dating. They married in July – in Norfolk, of course! Please join us in giving thanks to God for bringing them together, and that he will bless them in the years ahead. Sam and Esther met on Harriers in 2008
Shine: Helping young people share Jesus in schools Most young people in school don’t know much about Jesus. SHINE equips secondary school Christian groups to share the good news of Jesus with other students around them. There are two streams – one called ‘Go and Tell’ for mostly Christian groups, and one called ‘Go and Find Out’ for predominantly non-Christian groups. Over three weeks, guided by online videos and resources, groups can plan a simple activity to run in their own schools. Please encourage young Christians aged 11–18 to go to the website and register – www.shineinschools.com.
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Calling all Creatives… If you’re a creative – a photographer, videographer, writer, performer, artist, designer, software developer or similar – and would love to use those skills to share Jesus with children and young people, then we’d like to invite you to join Creative Collective! This bold, pioneering new project will develop innovative new content to help children and young people without church connections to explore the difference Jesus can make in their lives. Email Gemma Willis (gemmaw@scriptureunion.org.uk) telling her a bit about you, what you think you can offer, and include an example of your work. Find out more at www.su.org.uk/creative-collective
Happy 150th to Llandudno Beach Mission!
26th August marks the 150th anniversary of Scripture Union’s firstever beach mission at Llandudno on the north coast of Wales. Scripture Union’s founder Josiah Spiers told Bible stories to holidaying children, and wrote the words ‘God is love’ in the sand for them to decorate with shells and seaweed. Since then, countless more children and young people have discovered Jesus through SU missions and holidays – perhaps you were one of them.
Celebration events are taking place on 24th–27th August
If you’re local and would like to pop down, you can find details at su.org.uk/llandudno. We hope to feature photos in the next edition of Connecting You.
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Prayers
week beginning NOV 11
Sunday 11
theStory Bible reading guide (from SU in English-speaking Canada) is designed to help people connect their story with God’s story. It’s currently available in digital form but is soon to be published in print. Please pray that readers will meet with God daily as they read, reflect and respond to his Word.
Monday 12
Pray for the first week of SHINE, a national initiative encouraging and enabling young people to share their faith. This year’s theme is ‘Go’ and this week predominantly Christian groups will be looking at why they should ‘Go and tell’ their friends about Jesus. Non-Christian groups will be considering why they need to ‘Go and find out’ about Jesus.
Tuesday 13
Thank God for the ministry of It’s Your Move. Pray for Esther CalvertJordan as she looks for ways of developing this valuable resource for the future.
Wednesday 14
New Year holidays have proved a great way of helping young people to grow in their faith. Pray for Breakthrough and Genesis, which will enable secondary age young 34
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people to see in the New Year in a Christian community. Pray for these holidays thinking especially of the teams as they prepare.
Thursday 15
Pray for the finance and gifts staff Alicia Wallace, Maureen Okwara, Tracey Bell and Michelle Johnson as they continue to process invoices, expense claims and donations. These are hidden but vital tasks without which the movement could not function.
Friday 16
Thank God for the range of creative gifts in the mission innovation team. Pray that they will be continually inspired by the Holy Spirit as they develop new and innovative ways to reach ‘the 95’.
Saturday 17
Pray for the many initiatives which will bring the message of Christmas to children and young people, including activities in schools and opportunities for pupils to visit churches to discover more of what we believe about Jesus.
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Prayers Sunday 18
Please pray for success for regional leadership training and branch activities run by SU Swaziland resulting in enhanced partnerships with school teachers, increased local support for SU activities and effective local level fundraising.
Monday 19
As we enter the second week of SHINE, pray for the Christian groups looking at ‘how God wants to use you’ while non-Christian groups are encouraged to see that God cares and to ‘Go and find out’ about Jesus. Pray for week 3 in which groups will be encouraged to put on or attend an event in school that enables pupils to explore who Jesus is and what it means to follow him.
Tuesday 20
Today is European Pray for Schools Day. Make time today to pray for schools in your area and children and young people you know who attend them.
Thursday 22
week beginning NOV 18
National mission partner Festive have posted videos on YouTube of eight young people sharing their stories of living as Christians and sharing their faith in college or sixth form. Pray that these will inspire and encourage other students to live for Jesus on the frontline where they are studying.
Friday 23
Social media and the internet form an increasingly important part of the lives of children and young people. Pray that they may use them wisely and that SU will have wisdom in knowing how to use social media in its varied forms. Pray for the impact of SU’s ministry on YouTube.
Saturday 24
Steve Hutchinson is leading the Family Service at Twyning Chapel near Tewkesbury tomorrow; pray that this will encourage the church who are reaching out to children in their small village, running activities and sending children to Lagger Camps.
Wednesday 21
Thank God that he continues to meet our financial needs and for supporters who give to us so generously and pray regularly for the work of Scripture Union. Pray that God will continue to supply all that we need. www.scriptureunion.org.uk
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A legacy of love Much of Scripture Union’s missional activity is only possible thanks to legacy gifts. Last year a legacy left to SU made a huge difference to Andy’s life (see the story on page 4). Could you leave a gift in your will and ensure the good news of Jesus is shared with generations to come?
To find out how you can make a difference through a gift in your will, Call 01908 856120 or visit su.org.uk/legacy
‘...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.’ Psalm 78:4 31966 Connecting You SON stg8 AW.indd 36
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