Connecting You Summer 2022

Connecting

you

Summer 2022

Inside:

Your summer holidays and missions prayer pull-out

IN THIS EDITION

When sport and faith collide Be more Micah

Volunteering with SU? ‘It’s who I am!’

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Contents 4

Sports ministry: A powerful way to connect with young people

Faith Guide Sarah Bowey shares why sport is such an effective means of outreach.

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Be More Micah

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Volunteering on an SU mission: ‘It’s part of who I am’

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Passions that lead to Connection

Find out about our latest resources, designed to help Faith Guides build on young people’s passion for righting injustice… and introduce them to Jesus!

Jonny Williams tells us more about how and why he became a volunteer at Port St Mary Beach Mission on the Isle of Man.

We look at just some of the ways in which Faith Guides are using young people’s interests to connect with them.

Did you know?

Did you know that Scripture Union has been running holidays for children and young people for 130 years? To this day, they play a huge part in many children’s faith journeys.

More about Scripture Union Scripture Union is a Christian charity, providing opportunities for children and young people to explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith.

With an estimated 95% of under-18s in England and Wales not part of a church, we help churches to step out and take the good news to them in exciting and culturally relevant ways. Visit www.scriptureunion.org.uk to find out more.

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

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.su.org.uk/connectingyou. If you have a

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

© Scripture Union 2022 Registered Charity 213422 Limited Company 00039828 Registered in England and Wales

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Faith shines through “ One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts” Psalm 145:4 I’m so excited to be introducing this latest edition of Connecting You. Now that the Revealing Jesus framework has been in use for almost two years, we’re hearing more and more fantastic stories from Faith Guides who are accompanying some of the 95 in their communities on this incredible journey of faith.

The first stage in the framework is Connect. This light-touch approach encourages Faith Guides to meet with children or young people and have fun together. It might seem unimportant, but these times are essential for building good relationships and creating a safe context to introduce conversations about Jesus and offer an invitation to explore the life he brings.

For me, that happened when I was in my mid-teens and a Christian student who shared my passion for mountain walking started a youth group in our village. Weekends and holidays exploring mountains in all weathers helped me and my friends build confidence on the hill. But the young man’s faith shone through and soon he was also helping us explore the Jesus of the Bible. Journeying with the student towards the mountain summit became a journey with Jesus towards eternal life!

In the pages that follow you’ll read plenty of examples of those Connect activities, and the Explore, Respond and Grow opportunities that follow.

These are living examples of verses 4 and 5 of Psalm 145: One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty – and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

Once again, thank you – none of this would happen without your support and prayers, and I’m sure you’ll join me in praying for all the Faith Guides creating these moments, and the children and young people as they are presented with the opportunities to know Jesus.

If these stories inspire you to become a Faith Guide, our Mission Enablers would love to hear from you. Or perhaps you’ve been reminded of someone from your church who’d fit the bill – could you share your copy of Connecting You with them? (We’ll happily send you another one so you don’t lose the prayer diary!)

Myles MacBean, National Director

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Sports ministry: A powerful way to connect with young people Sport has huge appeal for most children and young people.

Your support has enabled us to develop sports resources and help churches get sports ministry off the ground. Faith Guide Sarah Bowey shares why it’s such an effective means of outreach, and how her church has used sports ministry in their community to introduce young people to Jesus.

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As a child, I experienced a period of trauma.

Sport played a huge part Sarah in my recovery Bowey – it boosted my confidence, restored my mental health and made me more resilient. I went on to do a degree in sports and it was at university that I became a Christian.

During the pandemic, I did a 3-month sponsored challenge, doing 24 ‘kickups’ with a football in a different location each day to raise funds for a local mental health charity. Strangers would stop and talk to me about what I was doing and why. I realised then that sport could be a great way for me to connect to young people who didn’t yet know Jesus and share my faith with them.

But I needed some help, so I contacted the SU North team who

The SU North team have been brilliant in mentoring me have been brilliant in mentoring and supporting me. Through them I did some paid ad hoc sports ministry with local churches and later some part-time work in Gateshead at Alive Church, St George’s, organising the sports at their holiday camp. Now I work for the church doing outreach to children and young people. As you might have guessed, sport plays a big part!

Everyone has their own part to play!

Each week, we hold football sessions in the local park. Young people can just turn up, and often they have such a good time that they invite their friends too. Everyone is valued, everyone has their own part to play,

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and it offers an easy way to start talking about how that echoes God’s kingdom and how he values us all too.

Sport can be so powerful. One week a boy was hanging around on the touchline. He was really withdrawn and scared and wore ear defenders because loud noises would trigger him. I crouched down and asked, ‘Do you want to play pass?’ and he nodded. We started passing the ball and with encouragement he gradually got into it and we built up the movement. Suddenly, he tore off his ear defenders and ran off to play with the main group, and he’s never looked back!

Young people really need positive role models in their lives Young people really need reassurance, consistency, a safe space and positive role models in their lives. That’s what we give them through our sports ministry. They’re eager to come along and they’re very inquisitive when it comes to faith and ask lots of questions. We’ve heard them say how they now see faith in a different way. They’ve even left singing, ‘God is good!’

We invite those kids to our midweek club which is sports based but includes more on exploring faith. They can put questions and thoughts in a ‘thought box’ which we then discuss and pray about in small groups. The uncertain times have driven young people to consider the meaning of their lives. Faith is a realm they just never knew was there, but many of them are open to it and sport gives us an amazing opening to help them discover God and how he can help in our wider lives.

Set up your own half-day sports event With the Commonwealth Games taking place this summer, sport will be big news and a great basis for connecting with children in your community! Our new FREE sports resource, Back on Track, makes it really quick and easy to organise a mini event. Download it at su.org.uk/backontrack.

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WEEK BEGINNING MAY 29

Prayers

Please pray for Faith Guides as they journey with young people

Sunday 29

Give thanks to God for Sarah and other Faith Guides, for their passion and commitment and for using their gifts to share his love with children and young people who don’t yet know him.

Monday 30

Praise God for how sports ministry gives children and young people a glimpse of his kingdom and how he values them, whatever their abilities, whoever they are.

Tuesday 31

Give thanks to God for the opportunity churches have to be safe places where young people can find acceptance, purpose and positive role models that they so desperately need with the uncertainty in the world.

Wednesday 1

Praise God for his provision, allowing SU to support Faith Guides through training, resources and mentoring by Mission Enablers.

Thursday 2

Please pray that God continues to plant seeds of faith in all the children and young people that Faith Guides are in contact with.

Friday 3

Give thanks for all those who have already committed to become Faith Guides. Please pray that God will guide them as they build relationships with young people in their communities.

Saturday 4

Please pray that this summer many more churches will feel inspired to try out sports ministry as a way of connecting and building relationships with children and young people.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 5

Sunday 5

Last month SU Northern Ireland filmed the SHINE in schools video resources for use in November. Pray that the final editing work will go well and that this resource will equip young people to live for God at school and help others to explore Christianity.

excited about the opportunity to share Jesus with children and young people.

Monday 6

Please pray for Fi Messenger, children’s and family worker with Local Mission Partner Archway Trust, as she works in villages in mid-Northamptonshire. Pray too for the volunteers who support her and for the children moving up from primary school to secondary school.

Tuesday 7

Pray for Ian Gooding and the rest of the Digital Solutions team as they continue to work on getting the new database running Ian smoothly across all Gooding areas of our work. Thank God for good understanding of the technical needs, and pray for wisdom and patience for them all!

Wednesday 8

It’s great to be planning a normal summer again after two years of restricted activity. We need to fill almost 2,000 volunteer spaces to make this happen; please pray that many people will come forward, 8

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Thursday 9

Give thanks for the successful launch of the SeeKing Jesus resource collection for ages 5 to 8, designed to help Faith Guides support children as they explore their place in God’s big story. Pray that it will enable many to find Jesus.

Friday 10

Pray that assemblies (in person and video), prayer spaces and Its Your Move this month run by Local Mission Partner GenR8 in Cambridgeshire will have a positive impact. Pray for Sian Thorne and Steve Whyatt as they head up the work, and for new volunteers to join the team.

Saturday 11

The next holiday club uses stories of Jesus healing and restoring, from John’s Gospel. Senior Content Manager Angela Grigson is in the final stages of getting it ready for press; pray that everything will come together and all final issues will be resolved.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 12

Sunday 12

Pray for the Annual General Meeting of SU Singapore being held this month. Give thanks for God’s providence and protection, and pray for wisdom, guidance and inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

Monday 13

Local Mission Partner Matlock Area Schools Trust gives thanks for two new workers, Hannah and Chloe, who are again able to go into schools leading collective worship and Walk Through the Bible. Pray for another worker to enable them to take up all the opportunities on offer.

Tuesday 14

Pray for Mandy Hagon, PA to Mission Development Director Richard Shaw, as she works with Richard and Mandy the team, enabling Hagon Faith Guides, mission partners and holidays and missions to engage with the 95. Pray for her too as she supports SU’s Leadership Team with internal communications.

Wednesday 15

Faith Guide Jenni is a pioneer evangelist working with the Church Army on the Grange Park estate in Blackpool. Pray for the young people on the estate and for the work in the local community, especially the group they run on a Sunday evening.

Thursday 16

Thank God for faithful and generous supporters who share with us in our mission to bring the good news of Jesus to children and young people.

Pray that God will fill them with his peace and blessing, that they may know his love and be confident of their hope.

Friday 17

Pray for Local Mission Partner The Youth Net in Staffordshire as they help Year 6 pupils prepare to move to secondary school learning from Jesus’ example of being a good friend, and as they run Year 7 Survival Skills workshops.

Saturday 18

Grace Inwood, Facilities and Administration Assistant, asks us to pray that everyone will be kept safe now that staff are in the National Office more regularly, following the relaxation of Covid restrictions. Pray too for continuing good working relationships with the contractors who look after our building, and for good relationships with neighbours.

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While most young people don’t believe in Jesus, they do passionately believe in righting injustice. Created through your support, our new resource Be More Micah uses that enthusiasm as a basis to introduce young people to God. SU’s Maggie Barfield who developed it explains more.

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‘Even though there’s so much brokenness and terrible things going on in the world, if each person took that one step forward, it would make a big change’. Etta, 15 Many young people like Etta are hugely committed to big issues like climate change, poverty and equality. Be More Micah helps them to understand those issues through the lens of the gospel. It also enables them to take action, because that is their way of expressing their belief in something.

Available exclusively to Faith Guides, Be More Micah is a collection of over 25 specially created videos interwoven with 100 individual pieces of content. These draw on the knowledge and skills of a range of Christian experts including black apologist theologian Claire Williams.

We explore each topic in some depth and also signpost to other information sources to help take young people on an exciting voyage of discovery. There are practical ideas, such as having a vigil, and topics to stimulate discussion; for example, did you know that walking to school or taking public transport

once a week makes more difference than recycling for a whole year?

Be More Micah incorporates the Revealing Jesus mission framework, so the type of material and how the Bible is handled is adapted for where the teenagers are on their faith journey. It’s got enough structure to give adequate support to less experienced Faith Guides. It’s also flexible to allow young people to determine the actions they want to take, and at a pace that allows their relationship with God to unfold.

Become a Faith Guide get access to exclusive resources In addition to Be More Micah, you’ll have access to drama-based Showtime (also for 14 to 18s) and SeeKing Jesus (for 5 to 8s). Plus we’ll give you all the support and training you need, helping you to introduce the next generation to the God who loves them!

Visit www.su.org.uk/becomeafaithguide for more information.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 19

Sunday 19

Pray for Christian Teachers Connect, an online event designed to encourage and refresh Christian teachers across New South Wales, Australia. Pray that this will be a source of encouragement and enable good connections to be made.

Monday 20

Pray for the North staff team as they work with churches and volunteers over a busy summer as people start and restart local projects, holiday clubs, missions and residentials. Pray that many children and young people will hear about Jesus as a result.

Tuesday 21

Pray that the prayer spaces and lunchtime clubs run in primary schools

by Local Mission Partner Beverley Schools Christian Trust will enable children to explore the truth about Jesus and discover what he might mean for them.

Wednesday 22

Pray for work being done on defining improvements to the holiday booking processes; it is important that we identify how things can be improved 12

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for the holiday team and their volunteers, in an effective and affordable manner.

Thursday 23

The last two years have seen huge changes across the fundraising sector. Please pray for wisdom and understanding for Gaenor Hall, Senior Fundraising Manager, as she implements strategic changes to enable improved relationships and increase resources for our ministry.

Friday 24

Lifepath Brinkburn starts next week and provides the opportunity for children of seven and eight to explore the Christian faith through the life of the monks who served at the priory. Please pray for many children to engage and to want to find out more about following Jesus.

Saturday 25

Local Mission Partner Ignite-Alnwick ask us to pray for their group of teenagers as they faithfully seek the meaning and relevance of a faith in Jesus Christ, for their Open the Book team as they increase their presence in local primary schools and for a fresh vision and enthusiasm for the Mighty Oaks project which reaches out to Alnwick’s late-night community on a Saturday night.

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Prayers Sunday 26

Scripture Union Benin thank God for new churches being reached through the distribution of their 2022 Bible Guides and the impact of Bible promotion sessions. Pray for new partnerships with churches and schools in the Life Skills project.

Monday 27

Give thanks for new volunteers for Open the Book run by Local Mission Partner Future Vision in Sudbury. Pray for God’s continued direction and wisdom at Thomas Gainsborough School as Ian and Liz encourage both staff and students.

Tuesday 28

The Showtime resource collection has been created to help Faith Guides use performing arts to engage in creative ways with young people aged 14 to 18. Give thanks for all the work that has gone into this and pray that Faith Guides will have the courage to use it.

hard to clear the remaining team in time to serve.

Pray too that all those volunteering this summer will have a rewarding and enriching experience.

Week beginning June 26

Sue Hill

Thursday 30

Pray for the Lunchtime Grow Community ‘Worship Wonders’ in Southampton which has 28 children attending. Pray that the team will make the best use of their time and that the children will grow in faith and confidence in Jesus.

Friday 1

Thank God for opportunities Local Mission Partner CSCW in Chester have to support over thirty local schools with their Year 6 transition work through their Moving On project. Please pray for rest for the team, teachers and pupils over the summer as they prepare for the new academic year.

Saturday 2

Wednesday 29

Pray for Mission Events Co-ordinator Sue Hill at this busy time as she closes volunteer applications for holidays and missions and works

Please pray for ongoing wisdom, insight and discernment as SU seeks to refine and develop the Revealing Jesus framework to meet the challenges and opportunities of the new post-pandemic context faced by the 95, and the local churches and volunteers who seek to journey alongside them.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers Sunday 3

Pray that the secondary schools and colleges in which SU Vanuatu work will once again open their doors to their ministry and that many young people will hear the good news of Jesus as a result.

Monday 4

Pray for the Faith Guides like Liam Hathway supported by the south west region. Pray that the new football project which Liam has launched in Liskeard will create a desire among the young people to explore the difference that Jesus can make to their lives.

Tuesday 5

Please pray for north region Support Worker Sarah HowardSmith as she looks forward to a busy summer of activities, especially the Beach Life team in the north west. Pray too that she will be able to manage her time sensibly over the summer while her children are off school.

Wednesday 6

Thank God for the commitment and willingness of the trustees to serve God and SU. Pray that as the Board meets next Wednesday to review and sign off the Annual Report and Accounts, they will know God’s wisdom and discernment in their discussions and decisions.

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Thursday 7

Week beginning July 3

The All Together Now holiday for families with children who are fostered and adopted starts tomorrow. It’s only the second time that it has run; please pray for John and Rachel Settatree and the team as they lead the holiday, John and Rachel and for a real Settatree sense of God’s presence.

Friday 8

Be More Micah is designed to provide Faith Guides with resources to help young people aged 14–18 explore environmental and social justice issues from a Christian perspective.

Pray that this will help them see their concerns in the light of God’s plan for the world.

Saturday 9

Pray for the Faith Guides who will come on the Launchpad holiday run by Mission Enabler Neil Jackson.

Pray for good relationships with the children on the holiday and that the activities will help them to move on in their understanding of Jesus.

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING JULY 10

Sunday 10

Give thanks with SU Serbia for the Parent Podcast they have started with the intention of encouraging and supporting parents. Give thanks too for two sisters who have joined the team for writing daily devotionals for young people on Instagram. Pray that this will bring fruit in the hearts of the young people.

Monday 11

Bex Jignasu, Mission Partners Co-ordinator, asks us to pray that the updated partnerships will lead to strengthened relationships with our mission partners and that they are able to implement the Revealing Jesus framework in ways relevant for them.

Tuesday 12

Please pray that the Faith Guides who are using the SeeKing Jesus resource collection will gain trust in their communities and that this will enable a wide use of the assembly outlines, after-school club plans and sessions for helping children and families respond to Jesus.

Wednesday 13

Local Mission Partner Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust is thankful for being able to take It’s Your Move lessons in primary schools

supporting Year 6 pupils with It’s Your Move books sponsored by local churches. Please also pray for their upcoming office move.

Thursday 14

The Maze and Spot the Difference holidays are moving to a new venue in Derbyshire this summer. Please pray for the leaders and children as they adapt to being in a different environment, and for excitement at being back together again in person.

Friday 15

Pray for growth in engagement in the Faith Guide Community. Pray that Faith Guides will share their stories, encourage one another, celebrate achievements and support one another in prayer.

Saturday 16

Local Mission Partner Cadwyn Teifi do not have a worker at present, but the National Eisteddfod of Wales will be held in Tregaron, which is part of the area in which they work, from 30 July to 6 August. Pray that they will be able to use this opportunity creatively.

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Volunteering on an SU mission: ‘It’s part of who I am’ The first week in June is Volunteers Week! And it’s the perfect time to celebrate and cheer on all those who give their time and skills to help children and young people grow closer to God on SU holidays and missions. Jonny Williams tells us more about how and why he became a volunteer at Port St Mary Beach Mission on the Isle of Man. 16

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My family weren’t churchgoers, but we lived in Port St Mary and the Beach Mission was always something fun to do in the summer.

So Mum started taking me to it when I was about six. I enjoyed it so much that I kept going back.

I started getting more interested in the faith side of things as a teenager.

I always thought there was a God, but I didn’t have any sort of personal encounter with him until I was 17 and volunteering on the Port St Mary Beach Mission team for the first time. At one of the evening services, suddenly I felt that connection and everything clicking into place, and God saying to me ‘This is where you belong’! It was a very emotional moment; so was getting baptised in the sea the following March. Some of my friends from the mission came, and Mum and Nan watched from the promenade.

I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed meeting new people

I always used to look up to the mission leaders and think ‘I want to be like you one day’, so when the opportunity came to volunteer, I signed up. I had no previous experience of working with children but I needn’t have worried because the other leaders were so helpful and supportive. Six years on, I’m now training up the next generation of volunteers!

I love the variety and getting stuck in, whether that’s helping to lead the morning Bible studies or afternoon’s games. And given that I’m not normally outgoing, I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed meeting new people – I’m much more confident than I thought I would be.

Growing in my own faith

I find that I am still learning about faith myself on the mission. For example, if I’m preparing to share a Bible passage with a group, I’ll really study it and look up any words I don’t understand. I want the children on the mission to get the most from it, but it means I grow in my understanding too.

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One of the funniest moments was when us leaders had to dress up in costume and go and hide somewhere on the beach or around the promenade for the kids to come and find us. I was dressed up as Donald Trump, and a small boy came up to me and screamed in my face when he saw who it was! A few of the locals around gave me a second glance though – they’re all ‘oh that lot are back again’ and used to the madness of the Mission now.

I’m at university now, but I hope I’ll keep coming back to the mission

once I graduate. The Beach Mission is the first thing I put in my diary every year, and anything else has to work around it. It might be tricky once I get my first job, but it’s become part of my life and who I am, so even if it’s just for one week instead of two, I plan to be here!

The Beach Mission is the first thing I put in my diary every year

Can we count you in?

We’re always on the lookout for new volunteers, so if you’d like to have a similar experience to Jonny, then we’re sure there’s a role for you. Go to su.org.uk/countmein to view the range of volunteering opportunities on offer.

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WEEK BEGINNING JULY 17

Prayers Please pray for all SU volunteers

Sunday 17

Give thanks to God for Jonny and other young Christians for their commitment in sharing their time and gifts as volunteers on holidays and missions.

Monday 18

Praise God for strengthening the faith of volunteers as they share Jesus with children and young people.

Tuesday 19

Please pray for those more experienced mission and holiday leaders like Jonny as they train up the next generation of volunteers.

Wednesday 20

Ask God to guide and bless all SU volunteers this summer as some of

our holidays and missions return to being in person for the first time in two years.

Thursday 21

Praise God for inspiring children and young people on SU holidays and missions through the volunteer leaders and the way in which they model faith.

Friday 22

Give thanks to God for volunteers who give to SU in other capacities – our Trustees, our Council members and many more.

Saturday 23

Please pray for God to raise up more volunteers to journey with children and young people and help them to encounter his love.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING JULY 24

Sunday 24

Pray for Vacation Bible Schools being run by SU India asking that they will reach many children all over India – both online and offline. Pray for the volunteers needed to help with this.

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Monday 25

Pray for new staff as they settle into their roles within the south east region. Pray that as we move into the summer months, the team will be able to make the most of the opportunities to help children and young people discover Jesus. Give thanks for Local Mission Partner Christian Connections in Schools, who are celebrating their tenth birthday this year.

Tuesday 26

Pray for ‘What’s the Point?’, a project run in Newham by Local Mission Partner Faith in Schools in partnership with Youth for Christ. It is designed to educate and empower young people to change the culture of youth violence.

Wednesday 27

(on average, across the day and time zones) someone is starting to play for the first time – and exploring the stories of Jesus through the app.

Give thanks for the thousands of children around the world who will be playing Guardians of Ancora today.

Every ten minutes

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This summer, Mission Enabler Hannah Legge will be taking young leaders to help run a sports mission at Creation Fest in Cornwall alongside partner charity Sportily. Pray that they will become more confident as they share their faith with children, young people and families. Please also pray for good weather as it takes place outside.

Friday 29

Missions are happening right across England and Wales at the moment.

Please pray that many children and young people will encounter Jesus through their work and take their first steps in following him.

Saturday 30

Local Mission Partner Re:generation in Harrow praise God for a fruitful year with their current school links.

Pray that links with churches and local volunteers will increase and for direction and strength as the team rest over the summer and plan for next year.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers Sunday 31

Scripture Union Portugal is developing a devotional app for young people.

Pray that the Word of God will reach many young people as a result of this project and will help them to meet God and grow in their faith.

Monday 1

Please pray that as Faith Guides use the Showtime resource collection, it will provide young people with opportunities to explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith in a lively, fun and creative environment.

Thursday 4

WEEK BEGINNING JULY 31

Pray that all the young people who attended the Rooted retreat in June will continue to grow in faith. Pray that churches wanting to connect with young people and children in their communities will find Rooted a useful tool from which they can draw ideas and resources.

Tuesday 2

Margaret Lilley, Regional Team Leader in the south west, is passionate about partnering with others and giving opportunities for younger people to take on leadership. Pray for her as she seeks further opportunities to help young people become more confident in sharing their faith and leading others.

Wednesday 3

The staff team and volunteers of Local Mission Partner The Lighthouse are resting after another busy year.

Pray that they will come back in September refreshed and with renewed excitement to share their faith with the 95 in the schools of Crawley.

Friday 5

Please pray for the holidays and missions taking place this summer across the central region, including those in SU’s national programme and the various holiday clubs and other events that the Faith Guides are putting on in their local communities.

Saturday 6

Please pray for Myles MacBean as he seeks wisdom in balancing the spiritual, operational and strategic aspects of his role as National Director, particularly as we now reflect on the early progress of our Revealing Jesus framework and start new projects to further support local churches in their journey with the 95.

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Passions that lead to Connection If you want to connect with children and young people, you need to start with the things they are passionate about. In addition to sport, holidays, drama and social justice, here are some other ways in which Faith Guides are using young people’s interests to connect with them.

Food and drink: Clare, a Faith Guide in Crookhorn, has started

offering a mug of hot chocolate to the college students waiting outside her church for the bus home. In Blackpool, Faith Guide Jeni holds a Sunday evening cookery group whilst sharing thoughts on deeper issues including faith. Faith Guides in a number of urban churches have secured government funding to provide meals to disadvantaged children, along with programmes of activities so they can build relationships with the children and their families.

Digital games: A Faith Guide who is vicar of a church in the Dales

is planning a Guardians of Ancora club in a local school – the first one he will have ever run.

The great outdoors: Jonathan, a Faith Guide in Abergavenny, has been using SU’s Go Wild! resource in a regular group he runs for children and young people who are not part of a church.

Board games: Games don’t have to be digital! In Fareham, one of our Faith Guides uses board games as a means of connecting to local young people.

Music: Soul Children groups in the north west have been bringing children together around their love of music.

Parties: Countless churches across the country use our Light

Party and Christmas resources to make outreach party events go with a swing.

What interests could you use to start connecting with the children and young people in your area? Take a look at our resources at www.su.org/resources for inspiration!

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www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

week beginning AUG 7

Sunday 7

Please pray for SU Uganda who are seeking to set up a radio station in the eastern region of Uganda as a way of reaching young people and families in the region and beyond with the good news of Jesus.

Monday 8

Pray that the afterschool Grow Community ‘Believe Club’ in Southampton will continue to get positive feedback. Give thanks to God for the delight and enthusiasm that the children bring.

Tuesday 9

Pray for Trevor Ranger of Local Mission Partner Synergy Christian Trust as he leads two three-day Holiday Bible Clubs this month. The first, in the village of Edington (Somerset) begins today. Next week Trevor will be working with two churches in Marshfield (Gloucestershire).

Wednesday 10

The Centre Stage and Curtains Up! holidays are taking place now providing an opportunity for young people to explore their faith through performing arts. Some of their leaders have been helping to develop resources to equip children and young people to join in God’s mission. Pray for everyone involved 23

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in trialling these resources so that we can help children and young people to live out their calling to follow Jesus.

Thursday 11

Pray for Mark Green who heads up the Digital Solutions team and for the team as they work together to ensure that we are making the best use of technology to enhance our mission delivery and maximise efficiency in the use of our resources.

Friday 12

Pray that as they wrestle with the meaning and application of Micah 6:8, and see how God is the source of justice, the young people who are using Be More Micah will come to understand that God is the true source of justice.

Saturday 13

In a world of interlocked technology, cybersecurity becomes increasingly important.

Pray for Ian Gooding, Technical Services Manager, and Technical Service Assistants Dom Vis and James Gregg as they make this a major focus over the next few months.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING AUG 14

Sunday 14

SU Honduras hope to restart classes; please pray that they will be granted the necessary authority to give Bible classes to the students in the schools.

Monday 15

This is a really busy time of year for the holidays and missions team in SU’s National Office. Please pray for Jo Morley and the rest of the team as they work to support all our holiday and mission volunteers this summer.

Tuesday 16

Scripture Union in Wales is running SLAM (Sport, Life, Adventure and More) in Llanmadoc from 1 to 4 August in partnership with Faith Guides from across 24

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Thursday 18

Pray that south east Mission Enabler Lisa Jones will have wisdom in helping Faith Guides to navigate this challenging time. She especially asks us to pray that she will be able to focus on coaching rather than trying to fix things.

Friday 19

Please pray for the volunteers at Local Mission Partner Bodmin Youth Project as they shape the programmes for the year ahead, especially as young people move on, and younger members come up. Ask God for wisdom and direction, and for new groups to form quickly.

Wednesday 17

South Wales who will bring young people and provide leaders for the holiday.

Pray for Regional Team Leader John Settatree and Mission Enabler Jack Newbould who will be part of the team.

Please pray for Adelaide Nketsia as she continues to provide professional advice and support across the full range of the HR function, ensuring compliance with statutory obligations and best practice within the movement.

Saturday 20

Local Mission Partner ACTS Thanet plan to deepen their relationship with local churches aiming to have more coordinated prayer for all the schools in their area. Pray that this will be fruitful. Pray too about the possibility of starting work in secondary schools. www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers Sunday 21

Pray that as SU USA seek to grow their beach ministry God will raise up emerging leaders. Thank him for the faithful existing leaders who are key to this strategy.

they may be encouraged and grow in their faith.

WEEK BEGINNING AUG 21

Thursday 25

Thank God for his continued financial provision and pray that we may steward wisely the resources that he has given us so that God’s name may be glorified through the ministry of Scripture Union.

Join Local Mission Partner Hope for the Valleys in giving thanks for the opportunities they’ve had to visit schools in the year since Mick Moffett joined the team working in the South Wales Valleys. Pray for more doors to be opened especially as they take the SU football cage to different venues.

Tuesday 23

Friday 26

Monday 22

Pray for children’s workers who are planning to run Guardians of Ancora clubs in schools, churches and communities over the next few weeks.

Pray for energy and fresh inspiration for leaders and pray that many new children will come to clubs and be excited by the stories of Jesus and the friendships they make.

Wednesday 24

The SU Bake Off 2 holiday, along with others, is trying out some prototype resources for young leader development on the holidays and missions.

Please pray for all our young leaders as they serve on the holidays and missions, that

Janine Parkinson has recently joined as a Mission Enabler. Pray for the Lord’s favour in meeting and connecting with more youth and children’s workers around the central region and in the Sheffield area to expand the impact of the Revealing Jesus framework.

Saturday 27

Please pray for all those who use our Bible Reading Guides and who faithfully pray for the work of Scripture Union. Ask God to encourage them and build them up as they read the Bible and engage with one another on our social media pages.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayer Day We’re holding our annual day of prayer on Monday 20th June 2022.

We’ll have more information Volunteering on how you can take part with Scripture Union in the next edition of Connecting You. Forcould now, be one of the best things you please save the date to join us in praying for the ever do! work of Scripture Union ads With lo and the children and of oppofortunities young people to serve this England and Wales. summer and beyond,

will you say...

Save the date

20th June 2022

To view the opportunities and to sign up, visit: su.org.uk/countmein 43728 Connecting You JJA 2022 stg6 AW.indd 26

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