Connecting You | September - November 2014

connecting you in prayer and action with Scripture Union

September – November 2014

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dition:

Inside this e

Stop press! Stories from an amazing summer of mission

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Lives touched

by SU: sharing your stories

Light in the darkness: Reclaiming Halloween

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05/08/2014 10:44

Contents 3 4 8 15

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Welcome from National Director Tim Hastie-Smith What a SUmmer!

Reports and stories from just a few of nearly 100 life-changing holidays and missions this summer S-You Melanie McFadyen shares why Scripture union has been so important to her life and her family

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Reclaiming Halloween introducing light Parties, an exciting new way to reach children in your community at Halloween Noticeboard More news and ways you can get involved in our mission to children and young people

A Living Legacy Rhoda King explains what made her decide to leave Scripture union a gift in her will

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Connecting You magazine is also available online at: www.scriptureunion.org.uk/ connectingyou. If you have a story for connecting you, or a suggestion on how we could improve our service to you, please contact the editor at the address to the right.

Published by Scripture Union 207–209 Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 2EB.

connecting you in prayer and action with Scripture Union

September – November 2014

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Connecting You is the supporter and prayer magazine of Scripture Union England and Wales produced four times a year, bringing together news, features and comments from key volunteers and staff. We aim to keep you in touch with what God is doing through the work you support.

Design and print by Yeomans yeomansmarketing.co.uk For general enquiries Tel: 01908 856000 Fax: 01908 856111 info@scriptureunion.org.uk www.scriptureunion.org.uk © Scripture Union 2014 Registered Charity 213422 Limited Company 39828 Registered in England and Wales

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Inside this editio

Stop press! Stories from an amazing summer of mission

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Lives touched by SU: sharing your stories

Light in the darkness: Reclaiming Halloween

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01/08/2014 10:43

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Shoulder to shoulder Welcome to Connecting You

This year’s half-term holiday club in my ‘Midsomer-meets-Dibley’ Oxfordshire parish was a huge success. We had 16 kids coming along each day – our biggest ever, and quite an extraordinary result for a church with no regular children’s work and a congregation mostly over 60.

We were very blessed to be able to call on the services of a couple of fantastic SU interns to help run the event. But the main reason the holiday club worked so well was actually because of Chris, a local non-Christian guy who offered to come along and help out.

He brought with him a group of boys from a football club he runs.

Everyone – including Chris – had a great time.

The whole thing reminded me of something Krish Kandiah said at our staff conference recently.

He told a story of how he’d recently moved to a new home and had tried to get to know his new next-door neighbour. It hadn’t started too well: when Krish invited him for a coffee he got a response along the lines of ‘What on earth would I want to do that for?’ Yet when Krish’s car broke down a few weeks later, the same guy was outside in a flash, offering to help. So Krish found himself sharing Jesus with him under a car bonnet – a conversation he could never have had otherwise.

It’s interesting how working alongside one another, even when we don’t yet share the same faith, breaks down barriers and builds a bridge for Jesus to reveal himself. Krish called it ’shoulder-

to-shoulder’ ministry, in contrast to ‘face-to-face’ ministry. I like that. I find that men in particular don’t much like coming along to church activities.

But give them a job they can do, a role to play, and they’ll come gladly.

I believe we get closer to each other, and to God, by serving together. And this is what makes the SU family such a close one. Being on mission together, serving side by side, unites us and invites us to glimpse the Servant King in our midst. It’s especially true in the summer (see our reports on pages 4-7) but it will also be true as teams pull together to run ‘Light Parties’ on October 31 (see pages 18-21).

It’s true of the global SU family too. Internationally, we’re moving away from directly funding projects in emerging contexts and instead supporting larger movements to fund pioneering new work in their own region. It means that national movements get stronger by serving their neighbours, and we grow more sustainably together.

Thank you – and may God bless you – for standing ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ in God’s mission with us.

Tim Hastie-Smith National Director 3

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What a SUmmer!

All over England and Wales, thousands of children and young people met God in a powerful way this summer thanks to your support. Here are just a few snapshots from an amazing summer of mission...

Aberystwyth Mission (July 28-August 1) Aberystwyth mission has everything you’d expect from an SU beach mission: a bustling morning holiday club, all-age fun and games on the beach every afternoon, and chilled-out gatherings for young people later in the day.

This year’s mission benefited from some beautiful weather with over 150 different children joining the holiday club and many more families and passers-by taking part in the afternoon. Best of all, says mission leader Hannah Nelson, the vast majority had no church connection: ’I live and work here and so I get the opportunity to advertise in schools and around town. People make a point of coming into the town especially for the holiday club and all the fun on the beach.’

Hannah has especially high praise for her team this year, who, despite being fewer in number than previous years, showed exceptional initiative and commitment: ‘The idea of facing all those children and their families at a public bandstand is enough to strike fear into many people,’ Hannah comments, ‘but not my team. There’s been a tremendous sense of God’s peace and joy throughout the week which has resulted in brilliant interactions with children and families.’

During the week, over 70 children took part in an activity around a cross, saying they wanted to be friends with Jesus.

‘I really feel I have become closer to God and I feel that I know more about his love for me’ Child, Glow Holiday 4

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Curtains Up! (July 26-August 2) Rendcomb College near Cirencester was the stage for a cast of 49 young people and a crew of 30 volunteer leaders at this year’s Curtains Up creative arts holiday. Curtains Up’s workshops are geared towards learning new skills in dance, drama, music and more, with the goal of creating performances for an end-of-week show. But it’s about much more than that, as leader Alex Taylor explains: ‘The whole focus is on exploring how we can use our creative gifts in worship to God in the course of our lives. This year, our theme is “Change the World” and we’ve been looking at how characters in the book of Acts met Jesus and really changed the world. One highlight was when three younger members of the team had a chance to share how since meeting Jesus on Curtains Up in previous years, God has used them in dynamic ways to show his love to others.’

‘This year has really helped me grow in my faith’ Child, Sutton-onSea mission

Canal Turn (July 23-25) This year’s Canal Turn saw six teenagers and a crew of two (SU’s Simon Barker and Nicola Davey from the Stort Valley local ministry trust) taking to the water for 48 hours of fun and friendship. Over three days of glorious sunshine, the group sailed a narrow boat from Kings Langley to Rickmansworth and back, negotiating bridges, tight bends and locks as they went. As well as spending time chatting and simply enjoying the view, the group opened up the book of Philippians together.

‘There are certainly worse ways to spend three of the nicest days of the year!’ comments Simon. ‘There’s been a really good atmosphere on the boat as the young people have got to know each other and spent time in God’s Word.’

‘It’s a relaxing way to wind down from school,’ adds Jemima, 14. ‘It’s a lovely way to make lots of friends and learn new things. I’ve been inspired by Paul’s letter and especially challenged that nothing matters as much as friendship with Christ.’

‘I have helped to lead this camp for years and every time it is a highlight of my year. Seeing kids learning about Jesus is simply awesome’ Leader, GreatDayz Holiday 5

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Hexham Holiday Club Mission (July 19-26) Hexham Holiday Club’s forty-fourth year was one to remember, with an astonishing 270 children and young people turning out to enjoy a week of good news in the glorious sunshine.

A vast army of 90 volunteers, 25 of whom were junior team, helped run a daytime programme for 0-18s starting at the bandstand and then spreading out to seven locations across the town, including a free café for parents and older family members. There were new daytime activities for older teens this year, helping to connect them in to the mission too.

Everything was geared around SU’s MegaMakers holiday club material exploring how high, wide, long and deep God’s love is for us. It was a subject that really hit home with the children and young people, around half of whom are not from church backgrounds, comments mission leader Rae Gaukroger: ‘It happens every year – the team gets into some really good conversations about Jesus with local people. By Thursday, even our under-3s were asking amazing questions about God!’

‘I really enjoyed the wonderful activities and the talks that we had about the Holy Spirit living in us’ Child, Activ8 Holiday

Lagger Advance (July 26-29) Whichever SU holiday you attend, some things are guaranteed: great fun, new friendships, quality time with God. But there’s only one SU holiday that promises ‘hard work’ as part of the package!

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Lagger Advance exists to prepare the Gloucestershire campsite for the 150 children who will make it their home for Lagger camps over the summer. The four-day break involves putting up tents, setting up adventure gear, clearing gutters, chopping firewood and much more.

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‘It’s a unique holiday, in that it’s primarily about serving others,’ says leader Steve Hutchinson. ‘In our minds are the 8-11 year olds who will be here to have fun and meet Jesus over the summer. But that doesn’t stop us having fun and meeting Jesus ourselves. Our campers are people who have been touched by Lagger in the past and want to serve to make sure others are too.’

This year, 12 young people assisted adult volunteers in readying the site, making sure they properly tested the football field, hammocks and campfire as they went! With time in the Bible and in worship, there was a great spirit in the camp – enhanced by beautiful blue skies.

Perran

‘We were inspired and encouraged and I came away feeling like we had experienced a touch of heaven’ Parent, Family Bible Holiday 6

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Here's where all the fun happened...

Week beginning August 31 Sunday 31

Give thanks to God that over 2,000 children and young people were able to take part in SU holidays this year, and that a further 3,600 were reached through missions.

Monday 1

Lift up to God every one of the children who took part in our holidays and missions this summer. Pray that he will continue to draw them close to him.

Tuesday 2

Thank God for the many hundreds of decisions made for Christ this summer as a result of SU holidays and missions. Pray that these will be ‘fruit that will last’.

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Wednesday 3

Pray for refreshment for each of the 1,700 volunteers who served this summer with SU. Pray that God will give back to them even more than they gave out.

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Pray that many young people who have now grown too old to take part in holidays will return to serve in future years, helping to disciple the next generation.

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Holiday locations Mission locations

Friday 5

Praise God for the families who heard the gospel this summer thanks to the kids’ activities run by missions’ teams. Pray for stories of changed lives as a result.

Saturday 6

Please pray for our team of leaders and SU support staff – that they will stay enthusiastic and on fire for helping children and young people grow in Christ.

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S-You: Melanie McFadyen Mum of three, and children’s leader, Melanie shares how SU Bible reading notes, holidays and children’s resources have been crucial in helping her discover God for herself – and share him with others it was an ‘Su Questers’ youth group that helped me discover Jesus while i was at primary school.

The Su team were handing out leaflets at the school gate inviting us to go along to meetings held locally. i wanted to go. For a ten-year-old, the meetings were fun, lively, interesting, and generous. We were given prizes for questions we got right in the quizzes, and someone even won a beautiful new good News Bible. But to hear christianity explained in a way i could relate to at that age, in amongst the fun games and competitions, was the most precious thing of all.

Through that youth group I became a Christian, quite by my own choice and in my own way with the support and teaching of mature Christians around me. I was introduced to SU Bible notes which were written for children of my age, and I developed a routine for reading scripture which has stuck with me ever since.

Scripture Union once again came up trumps.

The holidays they run are just amazing. Firstly, I completely trusted them as an organisation, which is a massive plus when you are sending your children away for the first time to a new place with new people. I had seen enough of what they did and who they were that I knew it would be OK. Any remaining doubts quickly vanished when we arrived at the venue and met the SU team there. I’m not even sure I could find my son to say goodbye!

‘It feels like everything within them gets revived at an SU holiday’

Since becoming a mother, I appreciate more clearly the difficulties of helping your children to discover Jesus for themselves.

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Our two elder sons have been on four SU holidays and the eldest is going on his fifth this summer.

Every year they come back full of good things!

They are healthy and happy, they have made some great friends who they long to keep in touch with, they have had some super experiences and they are writing Bible texts on Post-it notes and sticking them to their bedroom walls! It feels like everything within them gets revived at an SU holiday. It really doesn’t matter if the weather is wet or dry: I always know they will love it.

Scripture Union’s Light resources are the best I’ve found for helping children in my church discover Jesus. I really don’t think there are more accessible, engaging and varied children’s resources to be found anywhere. I was doubly bowled over by an SU training evening I attended that outlined how to access all these resources online. All the leaders can access resources independently, plan sessions and then share them electronically. Worksheets are available to print off and photocopy for the class, and it’s all free.

I’m certain SU holidays have been instrumental in maintaining their faith, and helping it to grow. For clergy kids, finding and following faith can be a lot more complicated than one might imagine. An annual SU holiday has been inspirational. They have met other Christians totally unrelated to their ‘weird’ parents, who say similar things about God, they’ve experienced God in their own way, found different ways to worship and have come back showing us things in a new light. It’s good for the whole family.

‘There are no more accessible, engaging and varied children’s resources to be found anywhere’ Throughout my life I feel I’ve seen the real spirit behind SU. This is an organisation where the sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ is top of the agenda. Of course we will be fundraising for SU and sending money to them because we know how much we benefit from all their work, but also because we want others to benefit, too.

On one occasion our middle son took a nonChristian friend along with him. I was struck by the fact that our son felt confident enough of the reception his friend would get that he was encouraging him to go. He clearly saw the week as a brilliantly fun time with opportunities for his friend to explore faith in a safe place. It was a great success. Our youngest son turned eight last autumn and is going on his first SU holiday this year: 100%. He is so excited! We have been talking about it for months.

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13 Bible-based sessions Fun games and activities Ready-to-use options Photocopiable pages SERIES 1 Jesus the healer Jesus demonstrates his love and compassion as he meets the needs of people he encounters

SERIES 2 In God’s hands We hear how God protects David in his early life

SERIES 3 Good and faithful God We explore the lives of characters in the Christmas story and discover God’s goodness and faithfulness

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You can watch Melanie sharing her story in the first of our S-You videos at link www.scriptureunion.org.uk/syou. You can also find out more about SU holidays and Light children’s ministry resources there.

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in the We explore the lives of characters God’s goodness Christmas story and discover and faithfulness

he encounters

If you’ve got a story to tell about how SU has impacted your life, we’d love to hear it! Email connectingyou@scriptureunion.org.uk 9

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Prayers – week beginning September 7 Sunday 7 In Poland, Scripture Union have had a packed summer programme; pray for those who attended the different events that they will continue to reflect on what they discovered. Pray, too, for the new generation of young leaders with whom a new programme has been started. Please pray, too, for the right people to fulfil God’s plans for ministry in the next school year.

Monday 8 Scripture Union’s young leadership training programme is called 10:2 (based on Luke 10:2). Ellie Hill and Emily Mitchell have joined the programme as 10:2 volunteers in the Midland Region for this year. Ellie wants to focus on primary aged children, and will work with Steve Hutchinson for much of her time. Emily is part of the South Cotswolds Ministry Team. Pray that they will achieve much and learn much during the year.

Tuesday 9 Chris Eales, Schools Development Worker in the South West, was encouraged when he came across two people from different churches in Barnstaple who were about to start an after school club in a primary school. The club started around Easter with a small number who already attended church and has grown numerically and in depth since then.

Pray that as they pick up after the summer break it will go from strength to strength.

Thursday 11 Today the South East Team will be meeting to think and pray about their priorities for the next few months. Pray that they will be inspired as they share stories of what God is dong and that they will be directed by the Holy Spirit as they look to the future.

Friday 12 ‘Limitless’ is designed to mobilise children to share their faith, no matter how old they are and takes place this weekend. Pray that Ed Jones from Arise Ministries and Sarah Smart, South East Development Worker, will help children to discover their part in God’s mission.

Saturday 13 Pray for X:site teams as they start a new term, reaching out to 8- to 11-year-olds. Regional staff are taking over support for X:site events, including writing materials, producing publicity and offering webpages. Pray that these events will attract good numbers of children and that they will have a positive experience of God and learn more about Jesus. Today there are X:site events in Carlisle, Wyre and Inglewhite.

Wednesday 10 Christian Initiative to Schools (CiS) in Letchworth became a Local Ministry Partner (the new name for Associate Trusts) in 2004. With one full-time worker, Christopher Baker, the work focuses on secondary assemblies, RE lessons and Christian Unions and uses It’s Your Move to help children make the move to secondary education.

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Prayers – week beginning September 14 Sunday 14 The Ambassador Project, which launches this month in the North West Region, is designed to encourage individuals in local churches to become involved with SU and Urban Saints. It will have a particular focus on mission, encouraging people to look out for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. Pray that people who are passionate about mission in their local church will sign up and become part of the Ambassador network.

Thursday 18 Today and tomorrow, Scripture Union, XLP and Global Generation Church in Margate are working together to envision and equip local churches to run mentoring programmes for young people in need. Pray that there will be strong support for the event and that many young people will be helped as a result.

Monday 15 Amy Carlson of Scripture Union Ecuador was very encouraged with the experience of the Shaping for Service Course recently held in Peru. She and Tanya Gonzalez are serving in Quito and Huaquillas using a values programme in schools. Please pray for them as they look for ways of helping their volunteers to deliver this programme and experience the rich joy of serving God.

Tuesday 16 Christian Links in Keighley Schools (CLiKS) has been working in partnership with SU since 2004.

Full-time worker Alison Way takes assemblies and lessons, visiting 18 primary schools and 1 secondary and is in contact with around 5000 children and young people every month. She is also involved in Scripture Union events such as REWIND. CLiKS aims to build links between churches and the local schools to enable more Christians to show God’s love.

Wednesday 17 Tonight is the introductory evening of Growing Leaders Youth Edition run in Swindon by Lianne Smith and Chris Priddy of Swindon YFC. This evening aims to recruit participants for the third course, and churches have been invited to send young leaders along. Please pray that the right young people will sign up and for those who have graduated in previous years as they continue to serve God.

Friday 19 Our Local Ministry Partner, GenR8, in Cambridge, will be running Inspire prayer spaces at Shirley Primary School today and at Bottisham Primary School next Tuesday. Pray that as the children use the imaginative activities to explore spirituality and prayer in fresh, creative ways they will meet with God.

Saturday 20 Scripture Union Cymru have a strategy meeting next Monday, exploring the future shape of ministry in Wales. They will be looking at ways of gaining a greater sense of partnership with churches across the country and expanding the work.

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Prayers – week beginning September 21 Sunday 21 Join Scripture Union Malawi in thanking God for the arrival of David and Pamela McCullagh, sent out by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland to partner in the work of Scripture Union. David is working as Ministries Coordinator in the field, supervising and supporting staff and volunteers. Pamela is involved in the Teachers’ Christian Fellowship and is developing Bible study materials for Bible club teachers.

Monday 22 The northern Training in Schools Work course takes place over the next three days in Sheffield. This three-day residential is aimed at those who are new to schools work or who would like a refresher, and covers a wide range of topics related to working in schools. Pray for Hannah Legge and Geoff Brown who are running this, and that the participants may go away with new enthusiasm and new skills.

Tuesday 23 Sticky Faith workshops, which help churches and parents explore ways of building lasting faith in teenagers, have proved popular and beneficial.

In the South West Region there have been ten workshops this year and they have organised one Beyond Sticky Faith event. Thank God for the impact of these events and pray that as a result many young people may develop a mature faith and become lifelong disciples of Jesus.

Wednesday 24 PSALMS (Painswick And Stroud Area Local Ministries) became an SU Local Ministry Partner in 2005. Their work has a particular emphasis on sports ministry, but they also use youth clubs, sports coaching, drama and singing workshops, activity days and camps to share the good news with children and young people in Stroud and the surrounding area. Andy Poole has been appointed as Sports Minister. Please pray that Andy and the three new interns will settle in quickly and that God will equip and guide them in their new roles.

Thursday 25 Give thanks to God for the filling of a number of key posts in Publishing with responsibility for developing new products to equip and inspire children, young people and adults into a growing relationship with Christ and bringing our resources to the widest possible market. Please pray for our new Mission Leaders Pod Bhogal and Mark Green, Product Developer Gemma Willis, and Sales & Marketing Manager James Batterbee, that they will make a real impact.

Friday 26 This afternoon the Board will be meeting and this evening sees the start of the Council meetings which continue tomorrow. Pray for clarity in all the discussion and for a clear understanding of what God is calling us to do and of the context in which we work.

Saturday 27 Give thanks for Jamie who recently became a Christian as a result of The Max and his church group. Bristol based, The Max, like X:site, is an event aimed at 8-11s. It takes place today in Bristol. There are X:sites in Kettering and Birmingham. Pray that there will be more children like Jamie who develop a living relationship with Jesus.

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Prayers – week beginning September 28 Sunday 28 The southern Training in Schools work course starts tomorrow. Lisa Smith, Ben Poch and Karen Quinney will be training associates, affiliates, 10:2 programme volunteers and staff, some with experience and others who are new to schools work. Join with them in praying that everyone will be better equipped to serve God in the schools in which they work.

Wednesday 1 Man Up, which takes place later this month, is a weekend away for guys aged 14 to 18, run

by Churches Together Oswestry District, an SU Local Ministry Partner. It provides an opportunity to explore the concept of manhood and what it means to become the guys they were created to be. Pray for good attendance, fun times, relationship-building and a deepened understanding of God’s calling for the young men.

Thursday 2

Monday 29 Local Ministry Partner, Bridgebuilder, in Milton Keynes, host an ‘Evening with Bridgebuilder’ today.

Pray that churches who do not yet support their work in local schools will find it engaging. Pray, too, for part-time primary schools worker, Elyse Sayle, who took on the additional role of fundraiser this month, that she will find ways of encouraging more churches to support the work.

Tuesday 30 Please pray for Faith in Schools, our Local Ministry Partner in Newham. They have five workers and, since 2013, they’ve been working in Newham’s primary schools to deliver RE lessons on Christianity in line with the Newham Agreed Syllabus. They enable pupils to meet a variety of Christians from different backgrounds and church denominations and to find out what it means to be a Christian today.

At the French camp at Rimlishof, it is possible to buy a cup of ‘solidarity’ coffee, enabling someone who can’t afford a coffee to have one. Similarly, this summer they suggested that their holiday users contribute to a fund to subsidise holidays for families in need. Please pray that they may be able to continue to welcome children of needy families to these holidays and that they will have the chance to hear the good news of Jesus.

Friday 3 Tattie Pot Training Day takes place tomorrow.

Designed for all those involved in youth and children’s work in Cumbria, with a selection of workshops and seminars covering a variety of subjects focused on mission, it is organised by a partnership involving SU, Urban Saints, denominational groups and other agencies. Pray for those delivering the training.

Saturday 4 A brand new X:site starts today in Cheltenham.

The team are thrilled with the local support for this which has grown out of the Gloucester event, with parents requesting a more local event which their children’s friends can come to. Pray that this first event will make a real impact and that many children will come and hear about Jesus.

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Prayers – week beginning October 5 Sunday 5 Local Ministry Partner, COINS (Christian Opportunities in Newbury Schools), give thanks for the successful launch of a new secondary school club that reaches a whole new group of Year 7s with the love of Jesus and offers support to the Christian pupils in the school. In another club there were 10-12 lively Year 7s regularly attending, only one of whom goes to church. Pray that as they enter a new school year they will still be hungry to know more of God.

Monday 6 Every other year, Scripture Union associates, affiliates and staff meet together to thank God for what he is doing through the work of Scripture Union. Next year, we plan to incorporate our event leaders’ conference and meet together as the wider SU family under the banner of ‘A Community in Mission’. Please pray that as the planning team meet today to continue work on the details of the conference they may be guided by God to a programme which will inspire, motivate and equip.

Tuesday 7 Today the Welsh version of Tiddlywinks will be published. Pray that this will help many Welshspeaking under-fives to learn about God’s love for them as they look at the Bible. This publication follows on the heels of the appearance in Welsh of the Christmas Bible Comic; pray that this will help many to see the true meaning of Christmas.

Wednesday 8 Richard Shaw, Team Leader in the South East Region, is involved in a meeting today to review the youth response to HOPE through the mission academies that have taken place over the country. These have encouraged and equipped young people to reach other young people. Thank God for all that has been achieved and pray that as the review takes place future directions will become clear.

Thursday 9 Give thanks to God for the filling of a number of key posts in Publishing with responsibility for developing new products to equip and inspire children, young people and adults into a growing relationship with Christ and bringing our resources to the widest possible market. Please pray for our new Mission Leaders Pod Bhogal and Mark Green, Product Developer Gemma Willis, and Sales & Marketing Manager James Batterbee, that they will make a real impact.

Friday 10 Local Ministry Partner, Trobwynt, associated with SU in 2003, and works in the churches and schools of the Lleyn Peninsula.

Full-time worker, Rachel Settatree, aims to help local churches maintain and extend their work amongst young people over the age of ten by facilitating, training, encouraging and assisting in local events. She works in partnership with teachers and other schools workers, encouraging the moral and spiritual development of pupils.

Saturday 11 SU Local Ministry Partner, GenR8, in Cambridge, are running Train Up, a children’s worker training day today. Train Up aims to encourage and equip children’s workers. Alan Charter is the key note speaker. Pray that children’s workers, who can sometimes feel isolated, will benefit from the fellowship with others and will discover new skills.

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4 w -1 vie 13 Re ts 20 al igh nu ghl An Hi

Thank you!

2013-14 was a great year for Scripture Union.

And we couldn’t have done it without you.

Turn over to see what your support has made possible in 2013-14

Please consider supporting us regularly to allow us to keep on doing more to introduce children to Jesus. Turn to the back page of this pull-out section to send us your gift now. a

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The BIG picture Through our local ministry partners, supported by our dedicated regional teams and hundreds of local churches, over 200,000 children and young people heard about Jesus face- to-face last year.

Over 200,0 00 reached with the go od news

This year, we grew our number of active local ministry partners from 57 to 63, raising the number of employed workers from 116 to 120.

Putting the Christian message into children’s hands Thanks to you, we were able to tell the Christmas and Easter stories to well over 80,000 children last year – many of whom heard it for the first time. After these compelling presentations most received a Bible Comic to take home, read and share with their families.

Over 80,000 Bible comics shared

Income

2014

2013

Publishing sales

1,850

2,096

Donations and gifts

2,569

2,559

£’000

Reaching the unreached Thanks to your support, through some exciting new initiatives we have effectively reached tens of thousands of young people who otherwise would not get to hear the gospel.

Our ‘Yes Chef!’ programme got off the ground and children on the verge of exclusion in schools were introduced to the love of Jesus whilst learning to cook, and our sports ministry projects went from strength to strength. Our curriculum-enhancing Lifepath events saw 3 new events and over 3,200 children attending across England and Wales.

3 new events started in 2013-14

Expenditure

£’000

Holidays and missions 615

670

Legacies

659

901

Other (including investments)

147

143

Publishing – digital Publishing – conventional Face-to-face ministry International activities Governance Cost of generating funds

Total:

5,840

6,369

Total:

2014

b

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e

l ntional try ities

funds

Much more exciting is the number of volunteers serving passionately to fulfil our mission. We created over 3,900 opportunities for people like you to give freely of their time to share the gospel with children and young people last year. Countless more prayed faithfully for our work and gave sacrificially to help us fund it.

However you helped to support mission to children and young people in 2013-14, thank you!

Supporting churches in children’s work Our market-leading children’s resources and holiday club materials continue to provide engaging, Bible-soaked ways for children and young people to hear about Jesus and grow in him. Regular regional projects like X:site and summer missions draw together churches of all denominations on mission to children and young people. So thank you.

By the end of the year, our online LightLive and SchoolsLive services had provided free Bible teaching resources to over 42,000 subscribed groups, representing an estimated reach of 680,000 children and young people. We also launched our free TopTips video series this year, helping children’s leaders grow their vision and develop their skills.

Over 3,000 young people reached through X:site

2014

Developing lasting faith Because of your support, our programme of Christian holidays reached 2,000 children and young people, encouraging many in their faith in God and with many hundreds meeting Jesus for the first time.

We also created many opportunities for young people to begin to serve as leaders, and last year grew our 10:2 young leaders programme from 11 young people to 28 – our highest ever.

2,000 children and young people on holidays

2013

£’000

£’000

627 1,489 2,628 576 55 416

646 1,824 2,702 643 47 396

5,791

6,258

2014

This is a summary of Scripture Union’s financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2014, extracted from the full Trustees’ 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 Scripture Union on 01908 856135. c

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Let’s do more to reach children for Jesus Many generations have benefited from the ministry of Scripture Union. Will you help us reach more children & young people with the gospel by setting up a regular donation?

A regular gift enables SU to plan ahead as we share the good news of Jesus.

Please write your details below Title:

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surNAme: Telephone: Mobile: email address:

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To be taken on 6th

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or 20th of each subsequent month. (source code 1/15194)

(FOR SCRIPTURE UNION OFFICIAL USE ONLY – This is not part of the instruction to your bank or building society.)

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit Please fill in the form and send to: Scripture Union 207–209 Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2EB To: The Manager:

Bank/Building society

Address:

Postcode: Name(s) of account holder(s):

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Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions for some types of accounts.

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit Please pay Scripture Union Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain within Scripture Union and if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/ Building Society.

Signature: 16 d

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date:

D D MM Y Y

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A Living Legacy ‘Scripture Union is such a worthwhile cause’ legacies, or gifts in wills, are a crucial part of enabling us in our ongoing mission to share the good news of Jesus with children, young people and their families. They fund around a fifth of our gospel-sharing work every year.

We always rejoice to hear of faithful friends ‘promoted to glory’ who have chosen to remember Scripture Union in their wills. But we are even more thrilled to receive letters from supporters who are notifying us that they intend to leave us a gift, because they have the chance to tell us, in their own words, why they are doing so.

One ‘living legacy’ we were privileged to hear about recently came from Mrs Rhoda King who lives in Bath. Mrs King, a retired information technologist, first became aware of Scripture Union aged just eight.

‘I can clearly remember sitting quietly in my bedroom and asking the Lord Jesus into my heart,’ Mrs King told us. ‘My father was the Scripture Union secretary for our church and so it was rather a natural thing for me to begin using SU notes every day. I will always be grateful that these helped me to form the habit of a daily “quiet time” of Bible reading and prayer.’

Mrs King’s long holidays from work allowed her to serve each year at the Felpham Beach Mission, of which she has the fondest of memories: ‘I was encouraged to go and help by someone returning from the mission saying that he saw it as “a holiday invested, rather than a holiday spent”! It’s a phrase I’ve always remembered, along with the missions themselves – tide fights, wide games and “password groups” where children would be encouraged to

memorise verses from the Bible and challenged to recite them anytime you met them during the day! I found it all a most rewarding experience.’

Marrying late, Mrs King never had children of her own, but taught in Sunday School where she found SU teaching materials helpful. On her move to Bath around 30 years ago, she joined the local Scripture Union prayer group and has actively supported our work in many significant ways. When it came to drawing up her will, Scripture Union was a natural choice to name as a beneficiary.

‘There have been so many connections between Scripture Union and my life through the years,’ she explains. ‘Of course there are lots of worthwhile causes and it can be hard to decide which ones to support. But Scripture Union is such a worthwhile cause because there is such a desperate need for reaching the next generation with the good news.’

Request our Legacy Pack

If Scripture Union has been an important part of your walk with God, please consider leaving us a gift in your will to ensure we can keep sharing Jesus with generations to come.

Our totally FREE Legacy Pack tells you everything you need to get started. Request one today by calling 01908 856052 or email us at legacy@scriptureunion.org.uk.

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Prayers – week beginning October 12 Sunday 12 Today Simon Barker is visiting Boston Centenary Methodist church to share SU’s latest projects. Next Sunday Steve Hutchinson will be speaking at St Mary’s, Woodchester. Join him in praying that people who don’t know God will feel able to come to such services, particularly parents of the children who are involved in midweek church activities.

Monday 13 Prayer Spaces in Schools provide an opportunity for children and young people who have no church involvement to engage with God. Today those who coordinate the programme in the South East meet to share experience and look to future plans. Pray that they may find ways of enabling more people to have a life-changing experience of God.

Thursday 16 Please pray for Christians in Schools Trust and our Local Ministry Partner in Stockport. They started work in 1985, with an SU staff worker and moved to associate status in 1992. The two full-time workers, Karen Beal and Andrew Philips and one part-time worker, Linda Lanigan, major on assemblies, clubs and lessons. The trust also provides RE lesson outlines for the whole primary curriculum and key stage 1 assembly outlines.

Friday 17 Thank God for the ways in which the Ministry of Education in Botswana is working with SU Botswana. A Memorandum of Understanding covering five years gives direction to the initiative.

There are already reports of schools which have turned to Christian interventions to deal with Satanism and bad behaviour. Other schools have been totally transformed by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday 14 For the next two days, SU staff, Local Ministry Partners and key schools volunteers in the north will spend time praying for each other, sharing ideas and keeping each other sharp in their schools ministry. Ask God to help them find those things that will really make an impact on children and young people, and to show them how to respond in the best way to current challenges.

Wednesday 15 Lifepath Redditch, which takes place over the next three days, is based on the lives of the twelfthcentury Cistercian monks at Bordesley Abbey.

Around 300 children from Year 5 will come in school groups and have an opportunity to think about the direction of their own lives through the games, activities, discussion and times for prayer and reflection. Pray that many of them will think deeply and that they might see the importance of God being part of their lives.

Saturday 18 This is a very busy time for the Project CUBE team as plans for this innovative digital product start to turn into reality. Pray for Terry Clutterham as he seeks partnerships and funding; Maggie Barfield as she works on the activities and ideas that will go into the experience for children; freelance project manager James Burden as he holds the schedules and budgets together; technical developers as they build the site; and the many contributors, advisers and friends who are supporting this project.

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Prayers – week beginning October 19 Sunday 19 Tens of thousands of children and young people each week encounter the gospel message through the use of Light resources, print and online, when they attend Sunday activities, clubs and church.

In a fast-changing world please pray for the team working on the resources, using their skills and experience to make the timeless Word of God accessible and full of impact each week.

Monday 20 The Britain and Ireland Region of Scripture Union has important links with the developing SU movements in the FSR. Today the national directors, Andy Bathgate (Scotland), Helen Warnock (Northern Ireland), Jim Donnan (Republic of Ireland) and Tim Hastie-Smith (England and Wales) are meeting to discuss how they can best help the movements in the FSR to develop their ministries. Thank God for all that he has done in recent years and pray for his wisdom in all the decision-making.

Wednesday 22 This evening Hannah Legge, Midlands Development Worker, will be leading a training event in Cheltenham for adults called ‘Supporting Children and Young People through Loss’. Pray that this will lead to greater understanding and to many young people being supported in more effective ways and experiencing the comfort of the Christian community and the presence of Christ.

Thursday 23 Watford Schools Trust, a Local Ministry Partner, began work in 1992. Four part-time workers, Helen Horton, Tricia Bastable, Danelle Nightingale and Joanna Nieuwelink, deliver assemblies and lessons and make resources based on the Herts RE curriculum available to all primary schools. They use It’s Your Move to help children with the move to secondary school and, when funds permit, give RE materials to schools.

Friday 24

Tuesday 21 Valentina Tyurdyo in Eastern Ukraine writes, ‘This year we were especially looking forward to Easter.

We hoped for renewal, reconciliation, mutual understanding, graciousness and unity among the differing sides in our society. But it didn’t happen.

We have stopped understanding one another and listening to one another and we have lost the unity of our country. Our path together is under question.

What will happen? Only the Lord has the answer.

Lord, forgive us sinners, renew us, show us your power, mercy and love, and send peace to Ukraine!’

Lisa Jones, South East Development Worker, is on the planning group of Stream which delivers two conferences a year for schools workers in London and the South East. Pray that the second conference of the year which takes place today, looking at Changing Landscapes in Education, will prepare schools workers to exploit new opportunities.

Saturday 25 The team in Wales are running a Sticky Faith workshop with Ebenezer Baptist Church in Mold tomorrow afternoon. This church wants to apply the principles in their own congregation and see everyone involved in helping to support young people in their Christian lives. Pray that this will have a positive impact on the youth ministry of this church.

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Let there be…

How do you handle Halloween? Draw the curtains, turn down the TV and pretend you’re out? confidently open the door to your neighbours’ kids dressed as ghosts and ghouls? let your own kids go out trick or treating?

It’s a thorny question for Christians, and one which churches often struggle to address in a way that includes everyone. But this year, thanks to your generous support, Scripture Union is leading the way in creating a positive alternative to Halloween that everyone can get behind. It’s a way to confidently share Jesus as the ‘Light of the World’, while offering children all the fun and pleasure they’ve come to expect on October 31. We’re calling it the Light Party.

At Scripture Union, our mission is to share Jesus with every child and young person in England and Wales. One of the most effective ways of reaching large numbers of children and young people is through supporting and partnering with churches to run schools ministry, holiday clubs and more.

Light Parties are a great way for a church to start engaging with children and young people beyond their current church community, or to build meaningfully on existing relationships.

Did you know Doughnuts are also a traditional christian Halloween treat – the circle represents eternity.

What is it?

The aim of the Light Party is to give children, young people, or whole families the opportunity to celebrate good things on an otherwise dark day, Halloween. Ultimately, we want to shine for God and see people drawn closer to him.

Much of Halloween’s history is, in fact, Christian.

The name itself – shortened from All Hallow’s Eve –

Light Part makes the link between Halloween and All Hallows very clear. From a Christian perspective, Halloween is the first chapter in the story that ends with All Saints’ Day. At Halloween, we unpack all the ‘bogeymen’ of childhood fairy tales – witches, ghosts, skeletons and vampires – and confront them. We acknowledge that evil exists and the world is scary and dangerous, and even that someday we will all die. But then, on All Saints’ Day, we hear the second half of the story – that death is not the end, that on the other side of fear is victory and that we do not become ghosts or skeletons when we die but spend eternity with Jesus, with new life stronger than death.

Making it real for kids Much of our reticence to deal with Halloween is the fear that harm will come to our children when they explore issues of death and darkness. But a child dressing up as a witch doesn’t mean that they are interested in the occult. They are simply working out, through play, what good and evil are, and how to gain control of their own good and evil impulses.

Christian teacher Gretchen Wolff Pritchard writes, ‘Christians, of all people, should be able to admit that, yes, there most certainly are monsters under the bed ... The world is a scary place. Our life is not merely a journey in which we may sometimes get tired or lost or discouraged; it is a dangerous venture through a war zone, in which we may be attacked, ambushed, or tempted to join the enemy’s side; in which we may be assigned to missions calling for all the courage and intelligence we can muster. And in that cosmic battle, we have by our side the unlikely superhero from Nazareth, the meek-and-mild carpenter who proved to be stronger than sin, stronger than death; who by his courage and loyalty has faced and defeated the Enemy, and who invites us, and empowers us, to follow him through the darkness to the final victory, with the saints who “nobly fought of old”.’

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arties!

What’s inside the pack?

The Light Party Pack provides insightful background material, creative ideas and even ready-to-go session outlines to run Light Parties suitable for children up to age 11, young people aged 11 and upwards, and whole families attending an event together. There are also service plans for follow-up events in church. This year, Halloween falls on a Friday, so the pack suggests a ‘Light Weekend’ of activities, culminating in an all-age Sunday service.

Everything is included to get started, even if you really are starting from scratch. There are lots of games, craft ideas, dramas and icebreakers plus discussion starters and notes for talks.

The pack even helps you to think strategically about how to make the most of the event before, during and after Halloween.

Get a FREE Light Party pack for your church

A ready-to-go LIGHT part y kit with crafts, games, top tips, Bible links and all linked with a biblical discussion ideas, theme of LIGHT All-age service suggestio ns on the themes of ‘LIGH T of the World’ and ‘All Sain a How to explain and resp ts’ IN ll ond to children’s questions W da about Halloween Ideas on how to be LIGH to Ken n T in your community and io ip Y! reach more children in area with the good new your tit Ch RT s of Jesus.

A pe m from T P 7 o H 1 c ‘For you are all children of ur nce LIG age , chil o dre n of the day.’ a r p 1 Thessalonians 5:5 r te rm ou ee En erfo at y S p

Our Light Party Pack, written by experts in children’s work, is totally free of charge. Order yours today.

We are providing this resource free of charge, but if you’d like to support us in our mission to change a generation with the gospel and help us to produce more excellent free resources, please donate using the form that comes with this copy of Connecting You.

www.lightparty.org.uk

Inside this LIGHT Party Pack is all you need to hel p you celebrate light this Hallow een:

LIGHT

Turn over to read an interview with our light Party ambassador, chip Kendall.

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‘Let’s throw the best party aro Meet Chip Kendall, Light Party Ambassador chip is our light Party ambassador, taking the message about light Parties across england and Wales. chip is a singer, songwriter and communicator, a presenter on god TV and cross Rhythms radio, and the author of 13 books helping young people to engage with the Bible.

CY: Why is the Light Party a great way to introduce kids to God? Chip: To my mind the kingdom of God is one giant light party, from the dawn of creation where God said, ‘Let there be light!’ (Genesis 1:3) to Jesus coming as the ‘light shining in the darkness’ (John 1:5) and to him calling us to be the ‘light of the world’ (Matthew 5:14). There’s a song on my new album called ‘Light Party’ and there’s a line in it that goes, ‘You can start the party, you can crash the party but you can’t shut this party down!’

Did you know Trick-or-treating began in the British isles with children going from door to door singing for ‘soul cakes’ to commemorate the dead.

CY: What was your experience of Halloween growing up?

Chip: We always had ‘Hallelujah’ parties at Halloween, which I guess might sound a little cheesy to British audiences, but believe me, it was epic! We dressed up as characters from the Bible or inspired by the Bible and because we poured so much creativity into our costumes and made so much of the occasion, we really felt like we were throwing the best party around. And that’s what I long to see the churches capturing again. We have the reason to throw the best parties – so we should!

CY: Do you think that by ignoring Halloween, Christian churches are missing a trick (pardon the pun!)?

Chip: I do! While I understand that people hold a range of different views and I would want to be gracious in listening to them, I think we have a great opportunity before us to redeem the celebration. We should be putting invitations through our neighbours’ doors: ‘Come to the Light Party!’ The Scripture Union Light Party Pack is a brilliant resource to get churches started.

CY: Finally, what are your plans for this Halloween?

Chip: We’re having a Light Party of course!

Inside the Light Party Pack there are details of a competition to get me and my whole band to come and play at your Light Party – so whoever wins, wherever that is, we’ll be there. Can’t wait!

Did you know The tradition of carving a lantern (to scare away the devil) also came from christianity – this time in ireland.

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around!’

Sunday 26 Praise Jesus, the Light of the World who shone into our darkness and called us to be lights in the world. Pray that through Light Parties, many will be faithful to this call.

Monday 27 Please pray for children and their families inviting friends to come to Friday’s parties.

Pray their boldness will be rewarded by lots of people saying ‘yes’.

Tuesday 28 Pray for protection over all the children and young people taking part in Light Parties, for safety at the events and an atmosphere of love and joy.

Wednesday 29 Ask God to inspire children’s leaders with creative and compelling ways of presenting Jesus at Light Parties, which will lead to lives changed.

Thursday 30 Pray for all the last minute preparations for Light Parties taking place tomorrow and for weekend follow-up events in churches.

Friday 31 Tonight, please pray for all the Light Parties taking place across England and Wales, and especially that Jesus will be seen clearly at each one.

Saturday 1 Pray for all the follow-up activities taking place after last night’s Light Parties – especially any services happening this weekend, but also other events hosted by 21

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Prayers – week beginning November 2 Sunday 2 This month the South West Region will be holding a fundraising dinner; they are planning fundraising events that will build relationships and communicate vision.

Give thanks to God for all those faithful supporters who enable the work of SU to move forward. Pray that God will use this event and others like it to encourage new supporters.

Monday 3 Please pray for our Local Ministry Partner, Synergy.

They work in Wiltshire, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire undertaking schools work, training and missions. Their full-time worker, Trevor Ranger, works in 16 primary schools and reaches about 2000 children on a regular basis. He also works closely with churches, encouraging them in their local ministry to children and young people. The work began in 1997 and formed a link with SU in 2002.

Wednesday 5 SU in Sweden will soon celebrate their fiftieth anniversary and would like to broaden their work in years to come. Pray that God will show them the materials and ministry to families and children which he wants for them. The number of subscribers to their daily notes is falling; pray that as they look for ways of reversing this trend God will provide creative solutions.

Thursday 6 The Youthwork Conference takes place from 14–16 November. Many youth workers from across the country come together and always leave with new inspiration, motivation and ideas. SU’s Richard Shaw and Wayne Dixon of Local Ministry Partner CCiS in Slough are speaking. Pray that as they prepare God will inspire them so that they might inspire others.

Friday 7 Next Tuesday, volunteers and staff from Scripture Union, and Local Ministry Partners in the Midlands and South West Regions, will be joining together for a retreat day to reflect on the way they work and to take time out to seek God for the coming months. Ask God to refresh all those who come and to inspire them for their ministry.

Saturday 8

Tuesday 4 The Prayer Fellowship Conference starts today and runs until Thursday. Attended by many former members of staff and committees, it is an opportunity for committed people to catch up with what God is doing and to pray for the work of the movement. Tim Hastie-Smith will be giving the Bible readings and a number of staff will come to inspire with stories of what God is doing and share needs for prayer.

The Hot Pot Training Day in Preston is for children’s and youth workers in Lancashire. It is a joint initiative involving several agencies, including SU. Pray for a good turnout and that all who attend will be challenged and encouraged, and will go away with many new ideas which will revitalise children’s and youth work in their churches.

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Prayers – week beginning November 9 Sunday 9 Geoff Brown was recently in Novosibirsk in Siberia where he was speaking at the Open Bible (the name by which Scripture Union is known in Russia and the FSR) volunteers’ training conference. Please pray his words would have a lasting impact and that the training will enable those who come from across the Former Soviet Republics to be more effective in their ministry.

Thursday 13 ‘Death, dying and the Christian response’ is a module in the RE syllabus for schools, but when Ruth Wyeth of CiCS (Christians in Calderdale Schools, a Local Ministry Partner) changes it to ‘Waterbugs and Dragonflies’ it becomes less fearful.

Pray for her as she develops this module in her school and trains those in other churches to deliver it in their local schools.

Monday 10 A new Local Ministry Partner was formed this summer in the South Cotswolds. It will support children’s work and schools work and is formed from an existing South Cotswolds Churches partnership.

The trust will support one paid youth worker and two interns. Emily Mitchell and Alix Butler are already in place this year as young leaders on the SU 10:2 programme. Please pray for this team as they continue to develop their ministry.

Tuesday 11 Please pray for Ben Mayho who is the full-time worker for Churches Together Oswestry District Schools Worker Project, an SU Local Ministry Partner which started work in 2002. Their focus is on assemblies, lunchtime clubs and lessons. Ben currently works in 13 primary schools, 6 secondary schools and a sixth-form college, making contact with around 5500 students.

Wednesday 12 Scripture Union in the Africa Region thank God for the Africa Bible reading guides syllabus which is due to end in 2015. Pray for work on the new syllabus, asking that it will be a source of much blessing to those who use the notes. Please pray for all the note writers and the editors who devote so much of their time to ensure that the quality is of a high standard, and that they come out in good time for distribution.

Friday 14 Give thanks for the appointment of Keren Mallinson who joined the staff at the end of September as Head of Mission Enabling. Keren is also a member of the leadership team and brings considerable experience in senior roles within the charity sector and local government. Pray for her as she settles into her new post, guiding the key functions which, although often not seen, are vital for our ministry to be delivered in effective, efficient and cost-effective ways.

Saturday 15 Thank God for the many individuals who choose to leave legacies to the work of Scripture Union in England and Wales. Behind every legacy is a testimony to the power of God at work in a person’s life through SU ministry – often in a number of different ways. See page 15 for one inspiring example. Please pray for a steady stream of legacy income into the future, and that we will get to hear the amazing stories behind each one.

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Prayers – week beginning November 16 Sunday 16 This week is Interfaith Week in the UK. This creates the opportunity for faith groups in colleges (like Christian Unions) to build relationships with others, as they engage with fellow students about what they believe. Pray that students would be quick to listen and genuinely engage with friends about what they believe. May their words be full of gentleness, respect and honesty about the reason for the hope they have.

Monday 17 For the next three days Local Ministry Partner, Insight, in Kingston, will be working with two local churches to host a Christmas Journey event for local Year 2 children. This brings over 500 children into the church buildings. Pray that as they hear the story of Christmas presented in creative and imaginative ways they will discover what it can mean to them.

Tuesday 18 Clayton Fergie, International Youth Ministries Coordinator, asks us to pray for him as he analyses the thousands of responses to a Forum of Bible Agencies survey, of the attitudes and experience of Christian youth in South Asia, in relation to Scripture engagement. This is part of a long-term initiative involving several agencies, exploring future shifts and development and finding ways of helping young people to engage with God through the Bible.

Wednesday 19 York Schools and Youth Trust (Yo-Yo) started in1997. A Scripture Union Local Ministry Partner, it works in both secondary and primary schools focusing on assemblies, clubs and lessons. It has an emphasis on music with a band developing a strong relationship with schools. The eight members of staff also have a well-developed input into citywide youth and children’s events and training, working in partnership with local churches and organisations.

Thursday 20 Lifepath Preston, which starts today and runs until 29 November, is for Year 4s in Preston and Leyland, and will be run by staff and volunteers from SU and Local Ministry Partner, SPLAT. Pray that the team will work well together and that many children will come and have a great day learning about God and his place in their lives.

Friday 21 Tomorrow sees the start of X:site East Devon. Like other X:sites this will be a fun, engaging, multimedia event helping children to connect with God, feel part of a wider family of Christians in their area and be inspired to invite their friends along.

Thank God for bringing leaders together who are keen to work collaboratively. Pray that this first event will set the tone and that many children will be drawn closer to Jesus.

Saturday 22 ‘Celebrate Christmas in London’ this afternoon brings together children, young people and volunteers who attend our many holidays and missions. They will celebrate the coming of Jesus and the way in which the holidays and missions in the South East share this remarkable good news with children and young people throughout the year. Pray that as we see what God has done we will give glory to him.

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Prayers – week beginning November 23 Sunday 23 SU in Serbia ask us to pray for the cooperation with Bible Societies from five countries in the Balkans and especially for the way in which that is being expressed in the publication of E100 for adults and the start of Bible groups in Christian churches around the Balkans. Young SU volunteers are key people in this project – please pray for them.

Monday 24 For the next three days Tim Hastie-Smith will be touring the South West Region with Matt Summerfield (Director, Urban Saints) and Paul Friend (Director, South West Youth Ministries) to celebrate the benefits of our growing partnership in ministry. Pray that people might catch a vision of what can be done when Christians work together in unity.

Tuesday 25 Please pray for Hunsley Christian Youth Trust which became an SU Local Mission Partner in 2009 and which focuses on working in schools to provide lunchtime activities, support to Christian Unions and help to students making the transition from primary to secondary school.. Part-time staff member Mark Tiddy also supports local churches in their work with young people through training and resourcing and bringing young people together for special events.

Wednesday 26 Future Vision, the Local Ministry Partner in Sudbury, Suffolk ask us to pray for the Chaplaincy at Thomas Gainsborough High School as they look at engaging the young people and staff in remembering those who have died in conflict and in other ways, especially where they are more personally affected.

Thursday 27 Project Alchemy is an exciting new partnership in which Scripture Union England and Wales is working with other Scripture Unions and Bible Societies on innovative new ideas and resources to encourage and help young people engage with the Bible. Please pray for Matt Valler, the project leader, as he builds relationships with partners, and pray that youth leaders full of ideas and inspiration will keep the gospel message prominent in the lives of young people today.

Friday 28 On Wednesday and Thursday next week Simon Barker, East Region Team Leader, will be part of the Sports Ministry UK conference. They will be planning Christian ministry around the Rugby World Cup in autumn 2015. Pray that they will be guided to plans which will be truly effective.

Saturday 29 Dan Harris, Development Worker in the East Region, is a member of the Cambridge Youthwork Collective, a network of Christians working with young people. Today they have their termly meeting and will be focusing on how to support young people facing mental health issues. Pray that they may find ways of providing practical support and showing the love of Christ.

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Noticeboard

Precious memories, generous gifts Port St Mary beach mission on the Isle of Man had an amazing response to a recent ‘Gifts in Memory’ appeal at the funerals of two of the mission’s longest serving volunteers, Carol Rookwood and her mother, Elaine McFetridge.

Fifty-three friends and relatives donated to the appeal instead of buying flowers, at the request of the family, and over £2,100 was raised. Evelyn Stewart from the mission has fond memories of Carol and Elaine: ’Elaine first attended the beach mission when she was four years old, which I think was something like the early 1920s, and she visited the mission almost every year of her life until after her 90th birthday – she was always there sitting Carol leading the music at the side of the beach services. on SU’s Port St Mary beach mis

sion in 1968

Carol and Elaine in 1970

Carol

‘Carol was on the team for years as a young adult, and met Colin, her future husband there. They brought their family on holiday and some of their children were on the team once or twice. Carol and Colin were wonderful prayer warriors, attending our morning prayer meeting every day throughout the fortnight.’

Carol, Ems and brother Barney in 1974

Carol’s daughter, Ems, wrote movingly in an SU appeal recently: ‘In a way, my faith journey began with my grandma going on a beach mission all those years ago.

She handed her faith on to my mum, who handed it on to me – and I am so very grateful to God for this.’

Elaine in 2012

If you’d like to find out more about Gifts in Memory, request our free leaflet by calling 01908 856171.

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Into sport? Check out Clubhouse!

We’re teaming up with Christians in Sport this autumn to run Clubhouse 2014, a nationwide tour for Christians with a passion for sport and mission.

Clubhouse nights, which include top quality food and speakers, are designed to equip Christians to share their faith in their sports clubs, and to inspire churches to use sport to reach and disciple children, young people and families.

Clubhouse 2014 will visit 25 locations between October and December. Keep an eye on our website for dates and venues: www.scriptureunion. org.uk

SU Publishing is looking for volunteers!

Looking for a unique way to help Scripture Union in fulfilling our mission to help people encounter God through his Word? Our Publishing team are seeking committed volunteers to listen to our monthly podcasts and check there are no minor errors. It’s a job that would take a few hours a month and could be done from the comfort of your own home. If you’re interested in finding out more about this important volunteer role, please contact Lizzie Telfer on 01908 856 145

Help for former SU staff The Josiah Spiers Benevolent Fund has been set up to give financial and practical assistance to former SU staff members and their spouses, who are in need. The Fund is named after Josiah Spiers who led the first beach mission back in 1868.

The Fund is a registered charity and its trustees are a mix of former SU Council members and staff in retirement.

Years of inflation have made life hard for those struggling on limited incomes and the Fund has already helped to meet some very real needs. It has been able, for example, to make grants to help with dental costs, the repair of a boiler, travel costs to hospital, the purchase of a lightweight wheelchair and to contribute to a much-needed holiday.

We encourage you as a member of our Scripture Union family to donate a one-off or a regular gift to the Fund. By doing so, you will be helping other members of the SU family whose years of service and present-day needs could easily be forgotten. For more information about the Fund, please contact Hilary Blair (Hon. Secretary) on hilaryeguest@gmail.com.

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