Bringing hope and hot chocolate

Joel Barwick is a youth worker with St Thomas’ church in Heaton, Newcastle. Last October, after meeting SU Mission Enabler Geoff Brown and hearing about the Revealing Jesus mission framework, Joel became a Faith Guide. We asked him about how it’s changed his outlook and experiences of mission.

Why did you decide to become a

Faith Guide?

‘I get great JOEL BARWICK support from my church, but it’s so good to be able to tap into SU’s expertise in youth mission – and having the mission framework is so helpful, it’s helped me think more long term. Even as you’re planning how to connect with young people, you’re thinking down the track to how that might play out into the “Grow” stage. It gives you more focus.’

What’s youth work looked like for you since you became a Faith Guide?

‘The pandemic’s limited what we can do, so we’ve been doing detached youth work, going down to a park in Walker (a deprived area of Newcastle) at 6pm each Friday for an hour. There’s usually between 5 and 30 young people, aged as young as 8. Some are there even in the torrential rain and freezing temperatures – we suspect they don’t have the safest of spaces at home and feel more comfortable on the streets, even in bad weather.

The kids are opening up to us now, and some of their situations are heartbreaking.

‘It’s an opportunity to be a light in their lives – we take down hot chocolate and snacks and, now they know us, they run up all excited. We might do a bit of socially distanced sport and chat (sometimes we use SU Rooted Cards – they’re great for starting conversations!).

‘The kids are opening up to us now, and some of their situations are

heartbreaking. Spencer, who’s ten, comes down from his home two miles away on his little scooter. One night, we gave him a packet of crisps, but he wouldn’t eat them – he said, “I want to give them to my mum because we’ve run out of food”. His mum’s got 5 kids under 14. We took them food that night and arranged for a food bank to keep them supplied. Now Spencer comes to see us every Friday and we’ve started a homework club with him because he struggles with school – it’s been OK under the current restrictions as he’s considered vulnerable.’

Do you have any sense of how the next mission framework stages – Explore, Respond and Grow – might develop?

‘We’re still at the Connect stage through the detached youth work, but I can see the homework club graduating towards the Explore stage. I think other needs will emerge as we get to know the kids more. Whatever comes next has to be shaped by them. So we’re really open to what it might be.’

Would you recommend being a Faith Guide?

‘Absolutely. I think when it comes to youth work, some churches aren’t sure what they can offer or where to start. Having the Revealing Jesus framework and someone to lead you through putting it into practice is hugely beneficial. I can pick up the phone to Geoff (SU Mission Enabler), sound him out on my ideas and he’ll help me improve on them. Not only that, he’ll come and lend a hand too. At the moment he’s out every Friday night, chatting to the young people right alongside me – I’m continually blown away by how servanthearted SU people are.’

Find out more about the Revealing Jesus mission framework and being a Faith Guide!

We’re looking for volunteers, commissioned by their local church and supported by Scripture Union, to act as Faith Guides for children and young people without church backgrounds, walking alongside them as they journey to faith. Could that be you, or someone you know? Find out more and apply at su.org.uk/revealingjesus

Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING MAY 30

Please pray for Faith Guides and other volunteers

Sunday 30

Praise God for Joel and the many other people who have already signed up to be Faith Guides. Ask God to bless, inspire and guide them as they walk with children and young people on their faith journey. Monday 31

Reflect on Matthew 9 verse 38 – with millions of children and young people not part of church, please pray that more people will become Faith Guides.

Tuesday 1

1–7 June is Volunteers’ Week, an annual celebration of volunteers across the UK. Celebrate with us as we give thanks to God for all our wonderful volunteers, in their many roles! Wednesday 2

Think about the ways in which you give your free time in God’s service, and give him thanks for the ways he has blessed you through this. Thursday 3

Please pray for all our holidays and missions volunteers, like Vicki Sellick (see page 22), and that we will be able to return to running our full range of events in person again very soon. Friday 4

Give thanks to God for all those who volunteer in their communities, like Anna Davis (see page 11), helping children and young people to discover the joy of knowing Jesus for themselves.

Saturday 5

Praise God for young volunteers like Bradley Shaw (see page 17), and how God uses their commitment both to inspire younger people and to help them grow in their own faith and understanding.

Prayers

Sunday 6

Pray for the SU Global Board as they meet this week. High on the agenda will be preparations for the General Assembly which is due to be held 2–5 July.

Monday 7

Sue Clutterham of Local Mission Partner Archway Trust (working in Northants) retires at the end of July. Give thanks to God for Archway’s ministry. Pray for the Trustees as they plan for future work amongst young families, so that the children with whom relationships have been established can be nurtured and discipled.

Tuesday 8

Ask God to bless the technical team looking after our IT services. Pray that they might continue to provide leadership in digital transformation, enabling us to focus more of our time on our mission, rather than administration.

Wednesday 9

There will be no residential activities this summer, but some will be replaced by online events. Some missions will be running in a reduced way and in line with current guidelines. Pray for activity leaders and team members as they prepare against this background.

WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 6

Thursday 10

Give thanks for Annabelle Mundy who started as a Development Hub Assistant at the end of April and pray that she will settle into her new role and make a positive contribution to the ministry.

Friday 11

Local Mission Partner GenR8 (working in Cambridge) ask for prayer for their ongoing relationship with primary schools and for their team of volunteers as they look to reconnect and restart face-to-face work in the academic year ahead. Pray too for new volunteers to join the team.

Saturday 12

Pray for Angela Grigson, Senior Content Manager, as she finalises the pages for the main resource book and the children’s booklets for the Diary of a Disciple holiday club material, which goes to press at the end of June and will be published in October.

Prayers

Sunday 13

Pray for SU Denmark as they look for a new National Director, who can help inspire people to engage with God’s Word. Ask that God will lead them to the person of his choice.

Monday 14

Pray that God will guide Local Mission Partner Matlock Area Schools Trust as they look to the future, wondering whether to appoint a new primary schools worker or to explore a new way of working as they take the good news of Jesus into schools.

Tuesday 15

For many years the Lagger Camps run by Mission Enabler Steve Hutchinson have helped children to have a living encounter with God. Many missed out last year, so this year there will be non-residential days; pray that despite the disappointment of not being able to spend the week together these days will be very special and that children will be drawn closer to Jesus.

Wednesday 16

Thank God for all the Faith Guides already registered. Pray for more WEEK BEGINNING opportunities JUNE 13 for them to meet the 95 and to invite them on a journey of exploring relationship with Jesus.

Thursday 17

Thank God for all who faithfully support the work of Scripture Union. Pray that they may have the ability to grasp God’s love in Christ and to see that God can do far more than we dare to ask or imagine (see Ephesians 3:16–21).

Friday 18

Local Mission Partner MINE Youth is based in East Newcastle. Tonight DJ Genesis will be joining their Friday night detached session in Walker Park. Young people will have a chance to try their hands at djing, learn some skills, and reflect through music on who they are and who God is.

Saturday 19

Pray for Grace Inwood, Facilities Administrator as she continues to make the SU national office, Trinity House, Covid-safe for staff returning to the office as the nation comes out of lockdown.