Connecting You – Winter 2018

Connecting

you

Winter 2018

IN THIS EDITION

Exciting times ahead for Scripture Union Lives changed thanks to one book and its message of hope SU holidays were a spiritual lifeline for Roz One small step of faith is all it takes 32788 Connecting You DJF stg8 AW.indd 1

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Contents 3

Where we share the gospel, God goes ahead of us Welcome from our National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith

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Passing the baton

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Prisoners and their children discover the real meaning of Christmas

As Tim Hastie-Smith steps down as Scripture Union’s National Director, he reflects on the change that your support has helped to bring about. And we welcome new incoming National Director, Myles MacBean

The gift of The First Christmas brought Steve and his son back together, and made a huge difference to both their lives

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To Roz, from an atheist family, an SU holiday has been a spiritual lifeline

17-year-old Roz comes from an atheist family but decided to follow Jesus on a Scripture Union holiday

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One small step of faith is all it takes

Ali wanted to share the gospel with teenagers in his community who weren’t in church. Through his small step of faith, and your support, we were able to help him engage with his local secondary school. But God’s vision was far bigger… story for Connecting You, or a suggestion on how we could improve our service to you, please contact the editor: eddien@scriptureunion.org.uk

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Connecting You is Scripture Union’s supporter and prayer magazine, keeping you up to date with what God is doing through the work you support.

For general enquiries Tel: 01908 856000 Fax: 01908 856111 Email: info@scriptureunion.org.uk www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Connecting You magazine is also available online at: www.su.org.uk/connectingyou. If you have a

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

www.scriptureunion.org.uk © Scripture Union 2017 Registered Charity 213422 Limited Company 00039828 Registered in England and Wales

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Where we share the gospel, God goes ahead of us Welcome to the winter edition of Connecting You

‘…the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.’ Psalm 117:2 Stephen Bullivant, author of a report entitled ‘Europe’s Young Adults and Religion’, claims that ‘Young adults increasingly are not identifying with or practising religion. Christianity as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good – or at least for the next 100 years.’

But we’ve been here before. On Easter Day 1800, just six people took communion at St Paul’s Cathedral.

So what changed, that Christianity then suddenly surged in popularity?

A key factor was evangelism.

The church treated Britain as if it was near-pagan and set about demonstrating the relevance of the gospel to a new generation.

Similarly, as we’ve renewed our focus on mission in the last few years, we’ve seen that many children and young people who don’t go to church are receptive to the message of Jesus.

It shines as a beacon of hope for a generation who are beset with fears, self-doubt and poor self-esteem.

God blesses our efforts to share the good news with this new generation, as you’ll read in this edition of Connecting You.

Teenager Roz, from an atheist family, found God on an SU holiday and the friends she made there are helping her to grow daily in her faith.

Castleford Christian Ali took one small step to share the gospel with young people, and now finds he’s helping churches across the region to do the same. And when Dan gave a prisoner a copy of The First Christmas to read with his son, both the father and son’s lives were changed.

When we take even small steps to share the hope of Jesus, God goes ahead of us, opening the hearts of children and young people to receive his Word. What small step could you take today?

Tim Hastie-Smith, National Director P.S. This is my last Connecting You letter as I am moving on to new ventures. Thank you for helping to take the good news to the next generation, and for all you have done to support Scripture Union.

More on the next two pages.

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Passing the Baton As Tim Hastie-Smith steps down as Scripture Union’s National Director, he reflects on the change that your support has helped to bring about. And incoming National Director Myles MacBean looks forward to helping the church reach the next generation.

‘We live in an era where God is calling us to leave our comfort zones,’ says Tim. ‘We have to, if the 95% of children and young people who aren’t part of a church are going to hear the good news of Jesus.

‘So it was a calculated risk for us to pilot new models of mission. But it was a risk that has paid off. Last TIM HASTIEyear, we shared the good news with over ten thousand SMITH children and young people with no church background. And we discovered that many of them are just as receptive to the good news of Jesus as generations gone by, and hungry to know more!

‘The next challenge is how to walk with them on that journey of spiritual discovery. Some young people will come to a church on a Sunday morning.

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But many can’t – perhaps they can’t get there, or they have to do school sport on a Sunday morning. Others are starting so far back in their knowledge and understanding of Christianity that going straight into church may simply confuse them, and they need some sort of “halfway house”.

‘And churches are starting to recognise this. They are far more open to the idea of creating “church” around the needs of today’s young people than they were when I joined SU. That major, positive change is one which you, our supporters, have helped to bring about through your faithful prayers, donations and volunteering. I’m very grateful to you.’

Next year, Tim hopes to start helping churches in Gloucester Diocese to create new paradigms of church for the next generation. Meanwhile, he’ll work alongside new SU National Director Myles MacBean to ensure a smooth handover.

Tim says, ‘Myles is the right person at the right time. He understands children and young people, having worked with them in church and with SU. He knows how to use new technology to communicate with them, having run web businesses for Disney Corporation. And he has experience of building effective, creative organisations.’

Welcome Myles MacBean

As a fresh new teenage Christian, leading at an SU camp MYLES MACBEAN proved pivotal to Myles’ faith journey as he explains: ‘I‘d never met young men whose passion for Jesus was as strong as their passion for sport!’ Following a career in business and a vocation as a church elder and preacher, Myles completed a theology degree and served the church in Malawi for several years.

He says, ‘Under Tim’s leadership, SU has created innovative mission models that work in today’s world. Now we need to mobilise a movement of like-minded churches and mission organisations. Working together, we can equip and empower the Christian community to use our shared resources to take the gospel to unchurched children and young people on a much more significant scale. It’s an exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to.’

PLEASE PRAY

At this exciting time, please pray that the momentum you’ve helped to build will be strengthened, the movement will grow and even more children may get the chance to discover Jesus.

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Prayers Sunday 25

Pray for the camps and missions which will take place across Australia and New Zealand over the next few weeks – for the many volunteers, especially those who are serving for the first time or stepping up into leadership.

Monday 26

For the next two weeks, as part of Illuminate London, Christian band LZ7 will visit thirty schools across six London Boroughs culminating in a large gospel event at the 02 indigo on 8 December. Pray that many young people will encounter Jesus and for effective follow-up.

Tuesday 27

Lisa Jones, development worker in the south east, asks for prayer as she runs Christmas workshops in schools. Pray that as children hear the Christmas story through quizzes, craft, drama, games and storytelling they will understand the truth of Christmas.

Wednesday 28

Many staff and local mission partners will be involved in Christmas activities in schools. Pray for the schools work team and volunteers of York Schools and Youth Trust who will be sharing the Christmas story 6

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in over forty primary schools and a number of secondary schools.

week beginning NOV 25

Thursday 29

Teams from the south west, north west and north east regions will be running ‘Star in the Stable’ events to bring the Christmas message into the community. Pray that the conversations which arise as children dress up will help them to enter into the story.

Friday 30

Local mission partner Learn4Life give thanks for the opportunities of sharing the Christmas story through Year 6 presentations, assemblies and school Christian groups in Reading. Pray that many seeds of faith will be sown. Pray too for local mission partner Stort Valley Schools Trust as they present Christmas Unwrapped in Bishop’s Stortford and Saffron Walden.

Saturday 1

Local mission partner Milton Keynes Bridgebuilder Trust will be presenting Christmas Unwrapped in 50 schools with 30 churches working together. Pray for them and for our partners in Bedford, Impact, who will present the Barn Nativity 3–7 December.

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Prayers Sunday 2

Pray for December camps run by SU South Sudan in Juba, Yei and the refugee camp in Uganda which will be attended by over two thousand children and young people. Pray that God will transform their lives and use them to demonstrate how to live in peace in South Sudan.

Monday 3

Local mission partner Christian Connections in Schools will be presenting Christmas Unwrapped to around two thousand pupils in the Maidenhead, Slough and Windsor area. Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust are taking it into primary schools across the town.

Pray that those presenting will have wisdom, sensitivity and conviction.

Wednesday 5

week beginning DEC 2

Throughout December Simon Barker, regional team leader in the central region, is coordinating Olney churches’ ‘24 Doors of Advent’ carol outreach programme to schools and community groups in the town.

Pray that many will grasp the truth of Christmas.

Thursday 6

National mission partner Festive remind us that during December Christian Unions in sixth forms and colleges up and down the country will be preparing a number of outreach events for Christmas.

Please pray for boldness, wisdom and protection over these events, and that many will respond.

Friday 7

Tuesday 4

Local mission partner Lighthouse Project ask us to pray for their Christmas Explored Workshops taking place in primary schools in Crawley. They give children the opportunity to discover what happened on the first Christmas in an interactive and exciting way.

Steve and Judy Hutchinson thank God for a great start to the new Families Together holiday for all ages in July; families loved the family worship, the woodcrafts, being in a natural environment and relaxing together in beautiful Great Wood; many want to come back this year. Pray for Steve and Judy as they plan.

Saturday 8

Pray for the Leadership Team as they meet next Thursday, asking especially that, in a time of transition, they may have wisdom and be able to steer the movement in the direction that God leads.

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Prisoners and their children discover the real meaning of Christmas

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The First Christmas is a fresh retelling of the nativity story for children who know nothing of Jesus.

Thanks to your generosity, last year we were able to give away 80,000 copies, including some to children with a parent in prison.

Imagine how tough it must be, when you’re a child, having a mum or dad in prison. There are awkward questions from school friends that you don’t know how to answer. At home, you learn not to talk about that parent who is doing time but you miss them so much that your heart aches.

You’ve been deprived of a parent through no fault of your own but it doesn’t stop you loving them, or them loving you. And that can be particularly difficult at Christmas.

The Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Project brings some much-needed joy to children of prisoners at Christmas.

Volunteers work with local churches and prison chaplains to buy, wrap and deliver a Christmas gift to them, as if that gift had come from their parent. And thanks to the generosity of SU supporters, the parent can also choose to give their child a copy of SU’s The First Christmas.

Dan McNamara, a prison chaplaincy volunteer, was involved with the gift distribution last Christmas at HMP Ford, an open prison in Sussex with around five hundred inmates. He says, ‘I’ve seen for myself how The First Christmas changes lives’.

I’ve seen for myself how The First Christmas changes lives.

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Hope where it’s needed most

‘One of the prisoners, Steve, was a real tough guy; you wouldn’t mess with him. Nobody came to visit him – his crimes had estranged him from his own family, including his own parents and his 5-year-old son Ben who he hadn’t seen in three years. Mostly he was a closed book.

But when he spoke about his son, he softened.

‘When we asked if he’d like us to send Ben a toy for Christmas, along with a copy of SU’s The First Christmas, he jumped at the opportunity. So we got a toy train, and Steve wrote a personal message to his son in a Christmas card.

‘As Christmas drew nearer, the prison chaplain and family engagement officer were working behind the scenes to persuade Steve’s expartner to make the journey down from London with Ben to visit. I’m

He told me afterwards how much it meant to him, seeing his son’s face light up when he tore the wrapping off his gifts.

sure the fact that Steve wanted to give his son a gift helped sway her.

‘And so it was that Ben and his mum arrived at HMP Ford for the Christmas family day. Steve got to spend two hours with his son – he told me afterwards how much it meant to him, seeing his son’s face light up when he tore the wrapping off his gifts. They played together with the train, then Steve hoisted Ben onto his knee and read him The First Christmas. And as he read, he said he realised that what was important was his son, how stupid he’d been to commit a crime, and how much he truly wanted to be a better dad.

‘The last time I saw Steve was a few months later, shortly before he was released from prison. His parting words to me were, “You won’t see me in here again.” And he really meant it.’

FOR YOU

If you’ve signed up to The 95 Campaign, you can order free copies of The First Christmas to give to children at your Christmas events. If you haven’t joined yet, sign up today for free at www.the95.org.uk

HELP US

It’s not too late to donate to our appeal and get a copy of The First Christmas into the hands of a child who needs to hear its message of hope. Donate online at www.su.org.uk/christmasgive or call us on 01908 856000

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WEEK BEGINNING DEC 9

Prayers

Please pray for children to know God’s love this Christmas

Sunday 9

Praise God for the best Christmas present anyone could ever have – the wonderful, precious gift of his son Jesus, our Saviour.

Monday 10

Give thanks to God that he cares deeply for every single child equally, whatever their circumstances, and wants them to be able to turn to him for love and support.

Tuesday 11

Praise God for opening the way for fruitful partnerships with hospital chaplaincy teams, The Trussell Trust and The Prison Fellowship, enabling us to get The First Christmas and its message of hope into the hands of children who so need to hear it.

Wednesday 12

Praise God for all those who have supported The First Christmas campaign, either by donating funds

to provide free books, or ordering copies to give away to children in their own communities who aren’t part of a church.

Thursday 13

Please pray that God will prepare the hearts of all children receiving a copy of The First Christmas, so that they hear its message and hunger to know more.

Friday 14

Ask God to provide every child receiving a copy of The First Christmas with further opportunities to learn more about his love.

Saturday 15

Give thanks that God spoke to Steve through The First Christmas, prompting him to turn from a life of crime. Pray that its gospel message will reach the hearts of many other parents and their children, as they read it together.

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Prayers Sunday 16

In Nepal, new legislation makes evangelistic activities unlawful. This could have a significant impact on SU’s ministry in the country. Pray for guidance and blessings for all those seeking to share the good news of Jesus there.

Monday 17

The north west team have led a number of Diary of a Disciple workshops over the last six months.

They are now creating clubs to follow on. Pray for the development of these asking that children will be excited and motivated to come and learn more about following Jesus.

Tuesday 18

Pray for Myles MacBean as he moves into the National Director role, asking that he will be given guidance, strength and insight as he picks up the leadership over the next few weeks. Pray too for a smooth relocation for him and his family.

Thursday 20

week beginning DEC 16

As the bookings open for the spring and summer 2019 events, pray that many children and young people will book, and that team members will sign up, both those returning and those coming for the first time.

Friday 21

Thank God for all those supporters who have faithfully given over the last year, enabling us to share the good news of Jesus with thousands of children and young people.

Saturday 22

Following on from the Josiah Spiers 150-years celebrations in Llandudno, SU Cymru are working with churches to do more Josiah Lifepaths and set up Ancora clubs in local schools. Pray especially that they will be able to help St Paul’s Church who are keen to reach local children.

Wednesday 19

Pray for Emlyn and ‘Tricia Williams as they take over as editors of Daily Bread. Ask God to give them sensitivity to the needs of readers and the wisdom to find the right writer for each section, as well as insight during the editorial process.

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Prayers Sunday 23

Pray for those who attended the SU Singapore Youth Bible Conference earlier this month asking that as they work through what they learned God will give them confidence to live for him and share the good news with others.

Monday 24

This Christmas, pray for those who will spend Christmas and the New Year alone without family or friends – the elderly, single parents and other isolated people. Pray for children who will be separated from a parent or siblings at this time of year.

started. Please pray for funds to enable the work to continue.

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Thursday 27

Local mission partner Psalms have started outreach through sport in a large new development near Gloucester which has no sense of community and where the church has found it difficult to find ways of engaging. Pray that sport may provide this opportunity.

Friday 28

Tuesday 25

As we read familiar passages and rejoice in the wonder of Jesus coming among us, pray for writers of Daily Bread and Encounter with God, and for the WordLive community.

Ask God to give a renewed vision for Bible engagement in the churches.

Wednesday 26

Local mission partner The Archway Trust, working in villages in Northamptonshire, give thanks to God for the many unchurched people who have responded to their Sunday afternoon events (Pizza, Praise and Puppets and Pop-Up Praise) in the three years since they

During the winter months, the south west team are touring the region, inspiring and equipping churches to step out and share the good news with children who don’t go to church. Pray for well-attended and fruitful evenings, and for new partnership opportunities.

Saturday 29

Pray for the work of Local mission partner Great Open Door in Harlow, as they go through a time of change.

Pray that as they contemplate new staff and new direction there will be a smooth transition, so that they can continue reaching out to schools.

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Prayers

week beginning DEC 30

Sunday 30

Pray for SU in the Netherlands as they launch new versions of Christianity Explored, Discipleship Explored and Life Explored, and Samen Ontdekken for all ages.

Monday 31

Pray for the New Year holidays, Breakthrough (years 10–13) and Genesis (years 9–13) both of which started yesterday. Pray that the young people who attend will be inspired to make a good start to the New Year with Jesus at the centre.

Tuesday 1

Please pray for Jen Babb, Kathy Brooks and Dan McNamara as they plan the fundraising programme for the coming year and look for ways to encourage more people to support the ministry of Scripture Union.

Wednesday 2

Local mission partner Southport and Area Schools Worker Trust have relied on interns for many years, but are taking a break for a year in order to encourage volunteers from local churches to become more involved.

Please pray that many volunteers will come forward and that they can empower local churches to connect with young people.

January. Pray that wise decisions will be made and that SU may know God’s will as to how we use the resources that he has given us.

Friday 4

Local mission partner Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust ask us to pray for schools worker Mary Thomas as she prepares lessons on anxiety for use with Year 10 students.

Pray that these will help students gain a new perspective and find ways of coping.

Saturday 5

Give thanks for the faithful service of Tim Hastie-Smith (as National Director) and David Thorpe (as Managing Director) and for the enormous contribution they have made to the life of the movement.

Pray for them as they prepare to move on, that God will enable them to find new avenues of service.

Thursday 3

Pray for Dave Parsons as he works on the outline 2019/20 budget that will be presented to the board on 24 14

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DAVID THORPE

TIM HASTIESMITH

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Prayers Sunday 6

After many years of service with SU in Australia, Kenya, Africa Region and the Global Team, Wendy Strachan retired on 31 December.

Give thanks for her tireless and faithful service and pray for her as she seeks God’s will for the future.

Monday 7

Josh Vallance is a 10:2 trainee dividing his time between the south west region and Scripture Union Western Cape (South Africa).

He started in September and leaves for South Africa this month. Pray that he will settle in well in Cape Town and get to grips with their ministry in schools.

Tuesday 8

In Milton Keynes, our mission partner Bridgebuilder Trust are taking assemblies in 102 primary and 13 secondary schools this term – the theme for the first half-term is Courage and Anxiety; and for the second, Love. Pray that children and young people from ‘the 95’ will see that God cares.

Wednesday 9

Pray for the north west team as they meet this month to plan Beach Life events in Blackpool and other

locations across the north west.

Ask God to reveal his way.

Thursday 10

National Mission Partner Festive asks us to pray that students who have exams or mock exams at this time of year will remain strong in their faith even under the pressure to spend a lot of time studying and the need to perform well.

Friday 11

Matthew Richardson is SU’s Digital Promoter, primarily for Guardians of Ancora. Give thanks for Matthew’s many skills and can-do attitude which help the ministry of the app to grow. Pray for energy, patience, creativity and good humour as he tells others about SU’s mission.

Saturday 12

On 20 January there will be a celebration evening of praise and worship following on from the Higher Tour that took place in Cambridgeshire in October, including visits to 35 secondary schools across Cambridgeshire, and 3 large-scale evangelistic evenings. Pray for an ongoing impact from this mission.

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week beginning JAN 6

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To Roz, from an atheist family, an SU holiday has been a spiritual lifeline We’re so grateful to you for the support you give to our holidays and missions, whether you donate, pray or volunteer – or all three! And 17-year-old Roz Bosworth-Davies, who comes from an atheist family, is profoundly grateful too, because it was on a Scripture Union holiday three years ago that she decided to follow Jesus.

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‘My dad was dead set against any sort of religion, and actively discouraged me and my brother from getting ROZ involved with it,’ Roz BOSWORTHDAVIeS says. ‘Mum doesn’t believe in God either, but is more open-minded. So when she and my dad split up, I had greater freedom to explore spirituality.

‘I started dating a boy from school when I was fourteen. He was a Christian, and he said to me, “Why don’t you try coming to church and see what you think?” And so I did.

The Sunday service was formal and not really my kind of thing. But once a month they had Sunday School which was much more lively. We’d have a short talk and then do a craft or activity on the theme of the talk.

‘Some of the young people were going on Llan M, an SU holiday in South Wales. I hadn’t planned to go, but then someone else dropped out and so I took the opportunity.

It was really good to hear how God had been at work in their lives, and in the lives of the leaders.

‘It was fantastic to be with a group of young people my age, some of whom were asking the same big questions about life that I had, and some of whom were Christians with stories to tell. It was really good to hear how God had been at work in their lives, and in the lives of the leaders.

Making the decision

‘Every evening in the chapel, we prayed for each other. At one of these sessions about halfway through the week, I felt I had enough answers to my questions to be able to make a decision. Later, when me and my dorm mates were getting ready for bed, I said, “Guys, I think I might be a Christian.” They were as excited as I was!

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‘When I returned home, I told my mum and older brother. It did take them a while to adjust, but now they’re really supportive. I live in the countryside and my church is 25 miles away in Hereford, our nearest town. My mum and brother regularly drive me there and back when I want to attend.

‘So I can’t get to church every week.

But I keep in close touch with my group from Llan M. I met my best friends on the holiday, and we talk every day. We talk with others from the group too on social media.

So I’ve got “church” on my phone wherever I am! And that’s really a

FOR YOU HELP US

lifeline – I can ask questions and get to know God better.

‘I’ve been back to Llan M twice, once as a camper and once as a junior leader. I love being a leader, making the young people feel welcome and helping them to find their way around. And it’s so good to meet up with my friends again in person. I can see myself returning every year for the rest of my life!’

I’ve got ‘church’ on my phone wherever I am!

The booking for next year’s holidays will be open by the end of the year. Take a look at su.org.uk/holidays if you know a child who could benefit like Roz did.

We rely on your generous donations to run our programme of holidays. If you’d like to support us in this way, please donate at www.su.org.uk/holidaygift or call 01908 856000. Thank you!

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WEEK BEGINNING JAN 13

Prayers

Please pray for young people coming to faith from non-church backgrounds

Sunday 13

Praise God that rural isolation and being part of an atheist family have not stopped Roz from discovering Jesus and being able to make a commitment to follow him.

Monday 14

Give thanks that God is opening up new ways for young people to do and be church, so that if they can’t get to church easily, it doesn’t need to prevent them from growing in their faith and being part of a Christian community.

Tuesday 15

Pray that Roz and the other young people that went on SU holidays and missions in 2018 will continue on their faith journey throughout the year, and that they will be the light of Christ to the young adults around them that don’t yet know Jesus.

Wednesday 16

Praise God for the faithful volunteers that give their time and energy to enable Llan M and other SU holidays and missions to take place, and ask

for his blessing to be on them as they make plans for the coming year.

Thursday 17

Please ask God to help us make more churches across the country aware of our holidays and missions, and what a blessing they can be to children and young people who aren’t from a Christian family.

Friday 18

We hear a lot about the negative aspects of social media, but to Roz it’s been a vital and positive force in her spiritual journey. Ask God to inspire us all to make better use of social media and to use it for good, as a means of reaching children and young people with the gospel, wherever they are.

Saturday 19

Roz’s faith journey began with a young Christian suggesting that she try church. Praise God for young Christians that are bold in sharing their faith, and ask him to raise up more young people to build the Christian communities of the future.

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Prayers

week beginning JAN 20

Sunday 20

Last June, eight people from SU Malawi went to Zimbabwe for The Writers’ Training Workshop. Pray for them as they write notes in Chichewa and Tumbuka, the two most widely used languages in Malawi, and that the notes will be ready for 2020.

Pray for Toby Chant and Margaret Lilley of the south west region who lead mission through sports training days in Durban this week, with a view to a new residential camp. Pray too for plans for a residential in Devon in March led by volunteers from South Africa and England and Wales.

Tuesday 22

Pray that Stars, a curriculum event held today for Year 3 students to help them ask the big questions in life, and run by SU Ministries Trust on the Isle of Man, will enable children to see what place Jesus might have in their lives.

Give thanks for the work of the Gifts Admin team Michelle Johnson, Tracey Bell and others as they process gifts from our supporters. Pray for HR Officer Adelaide Nketsia as she prepares information to assist with the review of SU salaries this month.

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KEITH CIVVAL

Thursday 24

Monday 21

Wednesday 23

RICHARD GODDEN

The SU Board of Trustees is in a time of change with the current Chairman, Keith Civval, preparing to hand over to Richard Godden.

Give thanks for Keith’s service and pray for a smooth transition. Pray too for today’s meeting which will cover objectives and budget setting for 2019–20.

Friday 25

This weekend, Dan Wicks (development worker in the south east region) will be involved in a residential activity for a group of young people from Kings Cross. Pray that they will hear the good news about Jesus and respond to it.

Saturday 26

At X:site Glos today, the popular Lagger Camps will be launched and bookings for this year will open. Please pray that as Steve Hutchinson visits schools, clubs and churches to invite children, God will prompt children to apply, including many whose families are not part of church.

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Prayers Sunday 27

Give thanks for answered prayer that SU Scotland’s new centre, Gowanbank House, was ready on time to welcome its first SU camp in August. Pray for Colin and Sylvia Campbell, the new Managers, as they face the challenges of their new role.

Monday 28

Thursday 31

week beginning JAN 27

The Scripture Union 2019 Conference runs from today until Saturday and brings together staff, mission partners, event leaders and others for thanksgiving and encouragement.

Please pray that it will be both useful and a blessing to all in attendance.

Pray for fresh vision for holiday and mission leaders as they plan event programmes and gather team for the summer events, especially for those leading for the first time this year. Pray about hard-to-fill team places such as head caterers.

Tuesday 29

The Shine in Schools review and planning meeting takes place over the next two days. Give thanks for those who signed up at Soul Survivor, greatly increasing the number of groups involved. Pray that plans for this year will come together.

Wednesday 30

Ester Fameli, in Brazil, is the project manager for the Portuguese (Latin America) version of Guardians of Ancora. Please pray for Ester as she gets to grips with the project, looks for the right people for the varied tasks and fits it all around her regular studies.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS

Friday 1

Local mission partner Thrive Youth Ministries, working in and around Leamington Spa and Warwick, are hosting their annual youth weekend away, Basecamp, this weekend. Pray for youth groups and their leaders who attend, that they will have a great time on the various organised activities, build deeper friendships and meet with Jesus.

Saturday 2

Wayne Dixon of local mission partner in the Slough area, Christian Connections in Schools, asks us to pray for wisdom and sensitivity with his ‘hanging around ministry’ in local schools especially for conversations with young people and staff on some ‘hot potatoes’.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

week beginning FEB 3

Sunday 3

Pray that SU Slovakia will be able to secure funding to develop a new website. The website will enable all children’s workers in Slovakia to share ideas and build a library of teaching materials and training resources.

Monday 4

Local mission partner Christians in Schools Trust, working in Stockport, are running a Storytelling Week this month with a new Storytelling project based on the second Diary of a Disciple book.

Pray that children will discover how exciting it can be to follow Jesus.

Tuesday 5

The north west region have made contact with many new schools, both through the regional team and through local mission partners.

Please pray that they can continue to build these relationships. Pray for the regional team as it meets today to pray and plan for the coming month.

Wednesday 6

Local mission partner Faith in Schools, based in Newham, give thanks for the growing number of schools they work with and ask us to pray that the possibility of office space in

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the Stratford Centre, shared with other Christian agencies and designed to be a hub for training, resource provision and networking, becomes a reality.

Thursday 7

Local mission partner Hunsley Christian Youth Trust appointed a new youth and schools worker in September; Bulelwa Qupe has come from South Africa. Pray for her as she continues to become established in this role. Give thanks for God’s provision in this.

Friday 8

This weekend, SU Ministries Trust in the Isle of Man are running residential training for young leaders. Pray that as these 15- to 18-year-olds learn more about who they are in Christ they will grow as leaders among their friends, and in churches and communities.

Saturday 9

Chris Eales, development worker in the south west, is developing plans for Go Wild after schools clubs, using bush craft ideas from the Go Wild residential. Pray for the development of the content and new opportunities.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

week beginning FEB 10

Sunday 10

Give thanks that in a closed country, SU has been able to appoint a worker and establish a base where they can hold Bible studies, conferences and other activities.

Pray that God will help them to make the best use of this resource and to operate freely.

Monday 11

relations will be maintained, that all will be in order and they will demonstrate the love of God in their dealings with them.

Thursday 14

Pray for local mission partner York Schools and Youth Trust, as they look to appoint a new part-time schools worker. Pray that they will find a candidate who will fit into the team and help them to encourage the schools community in York.

Friday 15

Many young people will have heard about the good news of Jesus through attending a SHINE event in their school. Following on from this, please pray that Christian young people will be encouraged and inspired to continue to share their faith with their friends.

Tuesday 12

In the north east region, discussions have begun about a new holiday club or beach mission in Saltburn this summer. Pray for fruitful discussions, wise decisions and good planning for this and for a new outreach in Guisborough.

Wednesday 13

Pray for the finance team as they prepare for the first meeting with the external auditors, asking that good

Love Basketball League, the vision of Toby Chant (development worker in the south west), TOBY attracts around CHANT eighty children and young people aged 7–14 with no church connections, using basketball as a way of building relationships and showing the love of Jesus. Pray for them as they meet tomorrow.

Saturday 16

Forest of Dean X:site, which takes place today, is small but draws children from a wide area, where there may be just one or two children in their church; it provides a way of strengthening their faith and an acceptable place to bring non-church friends. Pray that numbers will grow.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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One small step of faith is all it takes Ali wanted to share the gospel with teenagers in his community who weren’t in church. Through his small step of faith, and your support, we were able to help him engage with his local secondary school. But God’s vision was far bigger…

‘In Castleford, where I live, teenagers face so many challenges,’ says Ali. ‘I know Jesus is the answer, but they don’t – most of ALI them know nothing CROMPTON about him. I wanted to do something to change that, but I wasn’t sure what.’

He asked SU Development Worker Matty Hawthorne for help. Together, they prayed for God’s guidance. And their prayers were answered.

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A nearby secondary school, Airedale Academy, was advertising for school governors, so Ali applied. It gave him the opportunity to ask what his church could do to help the students.

‘Many of them had issues around mental health and self-esteem. Four volunteers from our church, Five Town Christian Fellowship, trained as mental health workers and now visit the school regularly. Students are referred to them by the school, and the team signpost them to appropriate further help and professional resources. It helped build trust with the students and staff.’

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Then Ali asked if he could hold some events to tell the students about Christianity. ‘I wasn’t sure how open we could be about our faith,’ he says, ‘but the head teacher said it was fine to talk about what it means to us.’

Funded by a grant from SU’s Good News Fund, Ali arranged for Christian musicians Chip K and Amongst Wolves to perform and speak to students about their faith during lessons.

There was more scope to share the gospel fully outside school hours, so Ali hired the school theatre for an evening. Chip K and Amongst Wolves performed, Castleford Tigers rugby player Jesse Sene-Lefao shared his testimony and Mark from Amongst Wolves shared the gospel and invited students to respond.

Ali says, ‘About a hundred students came to that concert, and sixteen

FOR YOU

If Ali’s story has inspired you to share the good news with young people in your community, join the 95 Campaign at www.the95.org.uk and get access to some great resources and support.

About a hundred students came to that concert, and sixteen of them chose to follow Jesus. of them chose to follow Jesus. That’s more than our church has ever seen in its forty-year history!’

Currently, Ali and his church are working on their next mission initiative, this time partnering with schools and churches to share the gospel with teenagers across the wider Wakefield area.

SU’s Matty Hawthorne says, ‘Mission doesn’t always start with a grand plan. Ali just took a small step of faith, and God blessed it – and the doors just keep opening.’

HELP US

Are you able to support our local workers and enable more gospel opportunities like this to develop? Donate online at su.org.uk/local-outreach

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

week beginning FEB 17

Sunday 17

From next September, high schools in Ghana will be used by students throughout the year. SU Ghana has previously used schools to run camps. Pray that they will find affordable venues and the resources to build campsites.

Monday 18

Solid on Tour is a scaled-down version of the Solid weekend which sees young people enjoying games, inflatables, silent discos and more. This half-term week, the tour will visit various venues across East London and Essex. Pray that young people will have a great time and respond to the good news.

Tuesday 19

Pray for non-residential sports camps running around London this week.

Using sport and coaching we will be exploring a Bible story and what that might mean for young people on the sports field and in their lives.

Wednesday 20

Thank God for all the volunteers who give up their annual leave to serve at our events, bringing all the different skills and talents, and a willingness and passion to share their faith with children and young people. Pray for 26

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preparations for residential holidays this spring including Kestrels, GW Tracks, Bridleways and The SU Bake Off 1.

Thursday 21

Pray for Grace Inwood (Facilities and Administration Assistant) as GRACE she undertakes INWOOD a variety of unseen but invaluable tasks that enable SU’s national office to run smoothly, and for Ian Gooding (Technical Services Manager) as he looks for ways to use technology more effectively to support our mission.

Friday 22

Please pray for Mark Green as he leads the work of replacing our present hard-to-maintain websites for volunteers and holiday bookings, and for contractors who will be developing the new sites. May they see Christ at work in our lives, and be attracted to follow him for themselves.

Saturday 23

Today the Youth Evangelism Conference takes place in Cambridge, run by a consortium of Christian agencies including Scripture Union. Pray that delegates will gain fresh enthusiasm and new ideas for mission to ‘the 95’.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers Sunday 24

Praise God for the development of a strategic plan for SU Colombia. Pray especially for two new ventures; a social centre in the San Felipe slum to work with children up to six years of age, and the land for a campsite.

Monday 25

secondary school e start of a really you. But as exciting as it whole load of questions you’re concerned about,

IT'S

Move is here.

de to find:

school survival guide, with top cs like making friends, bullying, finding your way around school more.

urnal where you can write, draw, more.

ries from people just like you – le who have been in your shoes y survived but are actually enjoying dary school experience and have

dly advice for you.

and tion of hat are you

Thank God for the successful development of the new edition of It’s Your Move, and pray that it will have a real impact in the life of the recipients when it is distributed later in the year.

YOUR MOVE YOUR SECONDARY SCHOOL SURV IVAL GU IDE

Thursday 28

week beginning FEB 24

Pray for staff as they adapt to new ways of working designed to use the experience gained in face-to-face ministry to create a range of print and digital resources which will communicate the good news of Jesus to ‘the 95’.

Friday 1

Local mission partner Fleet and Crookham Churches Together in Schools have started an outdoor club for those in Year 7 who are struggling to settle in, aiming to build relationships, provide a safe space and help them to enjoy God’s creation. Please pray for safety in all they do and wisdom to deal with any problems.

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Tuesday 26

The north east and Yorkshire region have a long history of running regional holidays and short breaks.

Please pray for the planning process and for getting the right balance between these and the programme of summer mission activities.

Wednesday 27

Pray for development worker Helen Franklin as she develops plans for more sport weekends in Wales, especially a netball weekend.

Saturday 2

Thank God for the impact of Guardians of Ancora clubs in schools, churches and communities: a child asking to be baptised, another saying they were not a Christian before but now think they are, an end-of-year report where a child said that learning about Jesus has been the best part of the year.

Please pray that many more children have the opportunity to be part of a Christian club.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Download your FREE Christmas Party Pack The Scripture Union Christmas Party Pack contains all you need to throw a party that children will love, and it’s completely free!

The pack includes: Christmas crafts, games and prayer ideas Plans for an all-age Christmas service and family fun day …and much more.

Download your free copy today at www.su.org.uk/ christmasparty

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