SU Lockdown: Helping you reach out while you can’t go out

SU Lockdown resources: Helping you reach out while you can’t go out

When lockdown came, parents began asking what digital resources we had for them to use at home with their children. Mission practitioners also wanted to know how we could help them continue to reach out to the 95. Thanks to your faithful support, we swiftly produced a new suite of digital mission resources to meet the need.

We were determined that COVID-19 and the related social distancing measures should not prevent children and young people from hearing the good news of Jesus. In fact, instead of focusing on the disappointment of cancelled activities and other challenges the situation provided, we saw the lockdown period as an opportunity. What better time to reach children and young people where they are – at home! Within just one week of lockdown, our sta¨ team (now working from home themselves) reorganised into remotely working groups and began adapting existing digital content and developing brand-new resources. Within two weeks, we had launched a whole new Lockdown area on our website, fi lled with free digital content – videos, downloads and more – and were sharing daily updates on our social media channels. But we couldn’t have done it without you! Our sta¨ team’s ability to adapt and step up to new challenges in these di¥ cult times is only thanks to your ongoing support, for which we are very thankful. Your ongoing prayers and gifts are much appreciated, not just by us but by those we’re able to help with these resources. Thank you! Explore our Lockdown resources and see how you’ve been taking the gospel’s message of hope into the homes of children and young people when they needed it most.

What’s on offer? We’re producing content for a range of ages and contexts, helpfully categorised to make it easy to fi nd what you’re looking for. The Lockdown content includes videos to be shared with children and young people, as well as resources and guidance aimed at supporting practitioners during these di¥ cult and unprecedented times. Look out for:

Make & pray Bible-themed make-at-home craft activities with related prayer ideas.

INspire

Short, challengebased videos to help young people refl ect on God’s Word.

SUpporting You Inspiring content to support you, so that you can continue to encourage others.

We’ve also adapted some existing resources and are providing videos that explain how to use them in your context. These currently include our Easter Alive pack, It’s Your Move to help children take the step to secondary school – something that may be even more worrying for some young people this year – the Mental Health Suite and the Wonder Zone holiday club. Get the Lockdown resources You’ll fi nd all the resources at www.su.org.uk/lockdown, which is updated as new content is produced. We’re also fl ooding our social media feeds with videos and other suggestions, so make sure you follow us there (look for ‘Scripture Union England and Wales’ on Facebook and @scriptureunion on Instagram).

Taking the gospel’s message of hope into the homes of children and young people when they needed it most.

Word Live If you don’t have children and young people to share this lockdown content with, don’t worry, we’ve still got something for you. Word Live o¨ ers daily scriptural encouragement for these challenging times, with Bible readings, points to ponder, and prayers (refl ecting the current COVID-19 situation). www.wordlive.org

Prayers

Sunday 26 In many places where Christians are restricted by governments from working with children and young people, Scripture Union teams are ready to take risks as they share the good news. Pray that they will have good judgement and be able to balance courage with prudence.

Monday 27 A team from the central region would have been at New Wine this week running the youth sports outreach programme and engaging with guests to give them a picture of SU’s ministry. Take the opportunity to pray for our relationships with those who organise large events. Tuesday 28 Local Mission Partner Chester Schools Christian Work thanks God for great prayer spaces that they have run in primary schools and asks us to pray for the opportunities to run more.

Wednesday 29 Over the last four years, National Mission Partner Festive has seen their network of sixth form students grow signifi cantly through contact with them at Soul Survivor. Without the festival this year, please pray that God will enable them to maintain contact with students who they can be supporting.

WEEK BEGINNING Thursday 30 JULY 26 Coronavirus is a¨ ecting many activities this summer including Beach Life events planned for Cleveleys (30 July to 1 August), Blackpool (30 July to 1 August and 27–29 August) and Fleetwood (25–27 August). Pray that, whatever the current situation, e¨ ective ways of reaching out may be found. Friday 31 Local Mission Partner Re:generation (Harrow) asks us to pray for the appointment of a new children’s worker, hopefully to start in September. Saturday 1

SU Mission Enabler Hannah Legge plans to be at CreationFest (1–7 August) running sports venues alongside Adam Legge and Richard Witham. Thank God for the opportunities that events like this create and pray that as we move forward we may know how to make the most e¨ ective use of them.

Prayers

Sunday 2 Scripture Union Spain asks us to pray for the development of the ‘MusicArt’ project. Pray that as they look to the longer-term future, God will open doors to perform their new musical in many more cities in Spain, so that many people can hear the good news of Jesus.

Monday 3 Join the trustees of the Josiah Spiers Benefi t Fund as they pray for former SU sta¨ members who may be experiencing problems as a consequence of coronavirus. Ask that they may be able to identify them and help where they can. Tuesday 4 The theme for this year’s Shine in Schools is ‘Infl uencers’, aiming to encourage Christian young people to see how they can infl uence their friends with the good news of Jesus and help them explore what it means to have Jesus as their biggest infl uence. Pray for the planning and promotion. Wednesday 5 Give thanks for the Scripture Union movements around the world who are using Guardians of Ancora in their mission with children. Please pray for the newest

WEEK BEGINNING English-speaking AUGUST 2 partners: SU Ghana, SU Namibia and SU Kenya, as they fi nd ways to use the app in their countries. Thursday 6 Local Mission Partner Living Stones Educational Trust, working in a deprived area of Manchester, thanks God for their wonderfully committed volunteers and ask us to pray that they might have a balance of younger volunteers.

Friday 7 Christopher Baker, schools worker with Local Mission Partner Christians

in Schools

(Letchworth), usually takes assemblies and runs RE lessons and lunchtime clubs in 16 schools in the area. Pray that God would keep the doors open and that more children would come to the clubs.

Saturday 8 The work of Local Mission Partner Stort Valley Trust (Bishops Stortford) involves primary lunch clubs and supporting teachers. Pray for wisdom and fi nance as they seek to grow the ministry through mentoring or listening services and by working more strategically with schools.

Prayers

Sunday 9 Please pray that God will provide Scripture Union Angola with people who can train them in making Bible guides and cards, so that next year they will be able to produce these themselves. Pray also for a greater exchange of knowledge between them and other national movements. Monday 10 Pray that the Development Hub team will work e¥ ciently and e¨ ectively under the leadership of Gemma Willis. Ask God to inspire their creativity as they seek to connect with the 95 and for their next Creative Collective gathering planed for the autumn. Tuesday 11 Local Mission Partner Faith in Schools who work in the London Borough of Newham would like prayer for a fulltime schools worker for Stratford and Manor Park, and for opportunities for churches to tell children about Jesus, in lessons, to remain open. Wednesday 12 The X:site National holiday was planned to start today, at a new site in Yorkshire. In common with many SU holidays, it is refocussing to be more accessible to children with little

WEEK BEGINNING or no church AUGUST 9 background. Pray that holiday and mission teams will know how best to speak about Jesus to those who know nothing about him. Thursday 13 Go Wild!, originally an SU holiday, seeks to introduce children to our great God using the great outdoors (with bushcraft etc). SU Mission Enabler Chris Eales has been working on ways of developing Go Wild! resources for a range of di¨ erent settings nationally. Pray for creativity in adapting the content and for it to be e¨ ective. Friday 14 Join Local Mission Partner Bodmin Youth Trust in giving thanks for the young people they made contact with at the start of the year who had no church connections. Pray that they will want to know more about Jesus, and the team will have the wisdom to know how best to help them. Saturday 15 SU Mission Enabler Toby Chant is involved in ongoing discussions with churches in Tiverton about developing work in the town. Pray for the right openings and for God’s guidance.