MAKING RIPPLES
RIPPLE EFFECT OF SUNZ CAMPS
MEET OUR CHILDREN & FAMILIES TEAM
RIPPLE EFFECT OF HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES
EDITORIAL
Kia ora tātou,
It was 30 years ago that I moved to live in the suburb I am in now— that’s a long time ago!
Over this time I’ve discovered that one of the joys of staying in the same place for a long time is that I get to see the children in the community around me grow and mature into adulthood. I get to chat with them on the street and at the shops. I get to see who they are and what they have become.
And one of my special joys is that I get to go to church with some of these children who made decisions to follow Jesus back when I met them in holiday programmes and lunchtime clubs and as friends of my own children. Of course, now they are adults, passing on their faith to their own children. What a blessing that is to see.
And there is the accompanying sadness I feel when I see the difficulties some have had and the pain that has come their way. I continue to pray for these ones.
Whether you have lived 30 years in your local community like me, or whether you are newer into your area, you also have the opportunity to change the future for the children in your community.
This issue of the Adventure magazine seeks to encourage you to take up this opportunity and connect with these children and families. As you read it please pray for the children and families around you. Consider how you and your church might best connect with them and talk to us if you would like help. Then take action! Our communities need us.
Ngā mihi nui,
...YOU ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE FUTURE FOR THE CHILDREN IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
HILARY HAGUE National Director Scripture Union New Zealand
MAKING
LIZ EICHLER | SUNZ Children & Families Team Leader
Ihave always enjoyed being in or near water. As a child I loved jumping the waves at the beach and skimming stones across a river or a lake. I wasn’t particularly good at either of those activities, but I gave them a go. These days I prefer more of a paddle (regardless of the temperature of the water!) and at other times I prefer simply to sit and be.
Sitting still and being quiet is all very well if you’re a hermit, or far, far away from people. Often though, I’m not on my own so my peace and quiet is often disturbed. For everyone like me who is enjoying the silence there’s inevitably someone else finding the biggest rock they can pick up and throw. Suffice to say, I do not find this peaceful.
I have a choice – to get grumpy and head home, or to enjoy the unexpected company and delight in watching what has happened to the water. Ripples fascinate me, literal ones, and figurative ones.
Stones, water, ripples – it’s all physics, a subject I struggled with at high school but even I know that tossing something into water, be it a stone or ourselves (or someone else!), creates a ripple. The size and duration of the ripple is a direct result of how big whatever it was that was thrown and landed in the water.
Liz with Annette Osborne & Marama Curness at Pōnui Spring Adventure 2023
We see ripples in nature, but we also know that our actions and choices make ripples as well. The Ripple Effect is an often-quoted phrase. Consider too, this quote from Mother Teresa:
‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.’
This 5-foot Albanian nun, originally a teacher in a convent school in India, became increasingly disturbed by the poverty surrounding her. She founded the Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta, now Kolkata.
Mother Teresa had a big impact by living out this example because she recognised the power of small actions to set in motion a change that transformed the communities around her. She and others saw the ripple effect of doing one (small) thing to start with.
It’s easy to look at people we call heroes of faith and feel inadequate, but Mother Teresa felt this way too. One small stone in an ocean of injustice. It could have felt insurmountable, but she knew the power of small actions, of faithfulness in the small things, and of trust in God to bring about the change in God’s way and in God’s time.
I have a daughter studying in America so my family have visited a few times. I never get
over the extremes I see there, the very noticeable numbers of people living on the streets. I am always struck by what appear to be semi-permanent shelters which I find really distressing.
I have a choice. Do I let this overwhelm me, or do I look for the one small thing I can do to make a difference, be it ever so small? The problem can seem too much, too impossible, too big to make a difference. But I remember the example of Mother Teresa – one small stone in an ocean of injustice.
My small stone is an intentional Christian community associated with my church that serves the marginalised in the centre of our city. This is primarily done by providing a free meal on a Friday night and hosting a church service on Sunday afternoon. I help with the meal preparation. I may not have much in the way of skills to help people with their daily needs, but I can cook food and have casual conversations around the table.
WE SEE RIPPLES IN NATURE, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR ACTIONS AND CHOICES MAKE RIPPLES AS WELL.
I’m also busily praying at times when it looks like it’s needed.
One of our Children and Families Team’s small stones is to help and encourage churches in Aotearoa New Zealand to connect with their communities to bring about hope and lasting change for their own church communities, the individuals they engage with and the communities they find themselves placed in. We want to start this by supporting churches to run holiday programmes as a way of connecting with their communities.
Imagine a community of churches each ‘dropping stones’ into their communities and the impact that would cause. There’s another step, working together and Scripture Union is here to help you do that too.
I am reminded of the words of another larger-than-life person, Neil Armstrong, who, upon walking on the moon for the first time in 1969, is quoted as saying “One small step for (a) man, one giant step for mankind.”
When things seem insurmountable, too big to even start, just remember to put one foot after the other. The rest, bathed in prayer, will follow from that.
IMAGINE A COMMUNITY OF CHURCHES EACH ‘DROPPING STONES’ INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THE IMPACT THAT WOULD CAUSE.
Andrew Ramsbottom took this photo of WAY2GO Auckland attendees dropping stones into water to make ripples.
FLOW FLOWRIVER
You may have seen the latest census figures. They told us that for the first time ever, more than half of New Zealanders said they have no religion. Further, the census told us that only 32% of New Zealanders identify as Christians.
This is a massive change in the spiritual landscape of our country in the last 10 to 20 years. And it is a massive challenge to us all as we consider how best to communicate the good news of the Gospel to the children and young people of our country.
The image of a braided river can help us think about how to share the Gospel well. It captures the heart of evangelism as the work of the Holy Spirit, flowing with God’s love and commitment to humanity. As the water from braided rivers nourishes life and replenishes the land around it, so too responding to the good news of Jesus has the power to transform the lives of individuals and communities.
The different channels that make up a braided river remind us there are various parts to faith formation and all are vital to help children and young people as they discover Jesus and respond to the fullness of the Gospel.
• Discovering Jesus is an ENCOUNTER with the living God our creator, with Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith and with the Holy Spirit who leads us to faith and empowers us for witness and service.
• Discovering Jesus is RELATIONAL, and evangelism takes place within relationship.
• Discovering Jesus is INVITATIONAL. God initiates the invitation to children and young people to discover and follow Jesus and we walk alongside.
• Discovering Jesus is a JOURNEY. God is at work in the life of each child and young person in ways that are unique and ongoing. Our work is part of a lifelong journey between them and God. Evangelism and discipleship are interwoven.
• Discovering Jesus is GUIdED BY DIGNITY. God has created every child and young person in his image, and they are deeply loved. It is important for evangelism to respect the dignity and agency of every child and young person along with their family and whānau.
It is our hope and prayer that the river of God’s love will flow through the lives of the children and young people of Aotearoa, New Zealand bringing life and growth to their lives and impacting the world they live in.
HILARY HAGUE
| SUNZ National Director
ordinary
ANNETTE OSBORNE | SUNZ Children & Families Consultant , Auckland
NO DAY
Our story begins in an ordinary village in Samaria. The sun was setting, and the lights of oil lamps started to flicker in the darkness. On any ordinary day, this would invite people inside to gather over the evening meal. Children would begin to prepare for bed, and fishermen would prepare to head out to work.
But this night was far from ordinary. Everywhere you looked people were heading towards the village synagogue. Children danced, people laughed and old men and women leaning on their canes made their way slowly, all heading in the same direction.
As everyone gathered, the leaders of the synagogue took a while to settle the people, such was the excitement. Everyone had a story to tell, questions filled the air, joy bubbled over.
You see, this village in Samaria, tucked away in ‘enemy’ territory, had experienced such a day, a day that would change their lives forever.
This night, Jesus was staying in the village, and no one wanted to miss out on what he had to say.
The story started when one of the villagers returned from the community well for water shouting, ‘come and see!’.
At first some just shook their heads and kept on working. The women with their children lowered their heads to their grinding stones, averting their eyes. This woman was an outcast after all.
But she kept on yelling, ‘come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?’
At that, the ears of the synagogue leaders pricked up. The Messiah? Did she say she might have met the one they had been waiting for?
And some jumped up in joy, not a moment's hesitation to run in the direction of the well. They saw the shining light in her eyes and her transformation. They had no doubt!
It started like a ripple spreading across a pond of water as the story spread. One by one they put down their tools, their cooking pots, their baskets. One by one they began to head out of town towards the well where, just as the woman said, the Messiah was waiting.
And now Jesus was staying in their town. So, in the darkness they came as one village, compelled to meet the light of the world, the Saviour of all humanity.
John writes in his gospel, in chapter 4, about this ripple effect. He begins by recording the longest conversation anywhere in all four gospels, a deep and theological conversation between Jesus and a lonely woman at a well. This encounter changed her life. The stone was cast. And then the ripple spread,
transforming her from social outcast to bold and courageous good news sharer!
Finally, the ripple spread right across the village, transforming this whole community. John writes in verse 42, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Saviour of the world.”
This account is such a great example of the power of one person’s encounter with Jesus and how she was compelled to tell others. It’s a timely reminder that sharing the good news is not confined to a method, but rather is an overflow of our love of Jesus and our desire for others to encounter him too.
In a recent church life survey, only 14% of participants saw encouraging people to share their faith with others as a priority for 2024. That’s a very low number. I wonder if it’s because we see sharing our faith as a scary thing, conjuring up images of unhelpful or harmful ways of doing evangelism. What we see here in this account is simply a woman with a story to tell.
As we consider the children, families and whānau in our churches and communities, this account can inspire us to do the same, to be story sharers. In what ways can we invite others to encounter Jesus for themselves? Where are our wells, our places and spaces where we share our stories of meeting Jesus with children who have never heard of him before? How can we encourage them to come and see for themselves?
WORKING WITH
STORIES SHARING OUR
DONNA FUNK | Children's Bible Ministries
ANDREW
RAMSBOTTOM
| SUNZ Children & Families Consultant
Auckland
Our stories are important. Why? You may ask. Well, here are a few thoughts.
We would not have the Bible today if it wasn’t for people who told the stories of what God was doing in their lives and ministries.
Rob Harley, retired New Zealand journalist, puts it this way in his book, The Power of The Story, “Given that Jesus had just three years to bring about the most complete transformation of human hearts ever attempted, I am amazed he spent so much time telling stories. It’s quite clear to me that this is part of what made people marvel at Jesus’ teaching, and it’s also partly why they felt they were getting something more profound from Him than they’d ever received in the dry and legalistic lessons from the Pharisees.”
The early church would not have grown if it weren’t for what people shared with others about what God was doing in people's lives. And the same applies today. We need to be telling the stories of what
God is doing in our children’s ministries, in our lives and in our churches and communities. It all starts with one conversation, the power of ‘testimony,’ spoken and lived out. One conversation with Jesus changed the Samaritan woman’s life. One conversation with our neighbour could do the same. You might be thinking, “How do I do this?” Here are some ideas that might inspire you to do so.
On our SUPAkidz camp training weekends we ask all the leaders to share their testimony with the rest of the team. We do this together as a team on the last night before the campers arrive. During the weekend, the leaders are given time to find a quiet place and write down their testimony. The suggestion is one page of A4 writing which equates to a 3-minute testimony. We do not ask them to share how they came to faith but rather what God means to them right now. If they are not comfortable sharing it without notes, then they read it. Everytime we do this, the team and individuals in the team have been inspired by hearing others' story. We have encouraged them to share their story with another individual or group in church or community.
How?
Take time to think about what you might want to share with others. What has God been doing in the lives of children and families? It may be an amazing moment or a heartfelt prayer from a child. If you were part of the story, it would be easy to tell. If you are relaying information that was communicated to you by another person, you will need to verify the facts and ensure that they consent to its sharing.
One−on−One
Start small. Invite your best friend—not your spouse or partner—out for a coffee with the explicit intention of sharing a story of what God is doing in the ministry that you are part of.
In a Group
If you are nervous to share in a group, prepare notes to take with you. Tell a story to your home group, your family, coffee group or community group—like Men’s Shed or choir.
Write a Story
Publish it in your church’s newsletter or Facebook group or website. Or create an e-book of these stories to share what God is doing in your church or community.
Visual Media
Make a visual recording of you telling the story. You can use your phone to do this. Set your phone up on a tripod or get someone else to hold the phone for you, so that you can use the back camera. Stand facing a bright window to get natural light.
Share in Church!
Tell the story to your church community and then spend time giving thanks for what God has done. A visual media presentation is a really good way of doing this as it takes out the stage fright factor and the planning team knows exactly how long the story will be.
Share on social media platforms
This is a great place to share stories, however, be mindful of privacy, correct referencing and community guidelines.
Imagine if every person in your church shared one story of what God is doing every year. I think we would see churches growing and communities impacted positively for the kingdom. The stories will encourage and inspire others.
IT ALL STARTS WITH ONE CONVERSATION, THE POWER OF ‘TESTIMONY,’ SPOKEN AND LIVED OUT.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF SUNZ CAMPS
ANDREA LUKIN | SUNZ Children & Families Consultant, Wellington
Our Children & Families team have been pondering how the idea of a ripple effect relates to our Scripture Union camp ministry and impacts children and families, our tamariki me ngā whānau.
The children who attend our SUPAkidz & Intermediate camps come from diverse backgrounds, family dynamics and life experiences. Many have had no camping experience or have not heard the gospel. It is such an eye-opening and liberating experience for many children, to attend a camp away from distractions of technology, and our fast-paced society, and to sit calmly and listen to leaders gently telling them the story of Jesus and his love.
As Annette Osborne shared on pages 8-9, the encounter with Jesus was no ordinary day. Our SUNZ camps are no ordinary camps. We have an amazing opportunity at camp to start a ripple of spiritual change with the children and camp leaders within our reach.
"Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach."
Clarissa Pinkola Estes
These campers take their faith journeys home, share with whānau and friends and these ripple outwards, influencing a wider community. Our camps create positive ripple effects that extend well
beyond the camp experience itself. Here are some ways I believe that children who are involved and attend our camps foster lasting impacts that then has a ripple effect beyond their time at camp:
PERSONAL GROWTH AND LIFE SKILLS
• Confidence and Independence: Kids step out of their comfort zones by engaging in new activities, making decisions, and handling responsibilities on their own. Many of the activities may be new to the campers but offered in a safe and inviting environment. Our SUPAkidz camps have a set pattern and routine, with intermediate and youth camps offering more adventure, but they still provide avenues for kids to step out of their comfort zones.
• Resilience: Exposure to challenges helps children develop problem solving skills and emotional
regulation. Surrounded by trustworthy friends they feel encouraged to give things ago and are celebrated through each challenge.
• Social Skills: Camps encourage teamwork, communication, and conflict resolution through group activities. Many tasks involve working alongside and together in teams which is vital well beyond the camp scene when they return home.
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING
• Physical Activity: Camps often incorporate sports, hiking, swimming, and other outdoor activities, promoting health and fitness. We encourage all campers to give it a go, to help mental health and wellbeing.
• Digital Detox: By being away from screens, children reconnect with nature and develop healthy offline hobbies.
• Mental Health Benefits: The structured yet relaxed environment can reduce anxiety, build self-esteem, and foster a sense of belonging.
COMMUNITY AND FAMILY IMPACT
• Strengthening Families: Kids return home with improved emotional regulation and communication skills, fostering healthier family dynamics. What they have learned at camp
through relationships and confidence through pushing themselves out of their comfort zones, strengthens their resilience.
• Peer Connections: Lifelong friendships often form at camps, building social networks beyond school or local communities. At times they will reconnect well after camp finishes and then come together at another camp. Coming to camp with their church friends or friends from school also helps to build and foster those relationship once back home and the ripple effect has a chance to grow outward further when others see and learn about their experience at camp.
SUNZ Children & Families team run camps throughout the year for children in Years 4-8, through our SUPAkidz and Intermediate camp ministry.
SUPAkidz camps are in January (Foxton), April (Auckland), and September (Southland). Camper numbers are capped at 60 plus camp leaders. All our camp leaders and helpers are volunteers, and many have grown up through SUNZ camps. See sunz.org.nz/children-families/ supakidz/ for more information about SUPAkidz camps.
Intermediate-only camps are in Spring school holidays and joined with some SUNZ youth camps in Summer (January). See sunz.org.nz/camps/ to see which camps are also for Years 7 & 8.
Contact our Children & Families team to chat about our camps ministry and how you can be part of this ripple effect, reaching our children and young people for Jesus.
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T h e C o l o u r s o f S u n d a y
E x p l o r e t h e e v e n t s o f E a s t e r S u n d a y u s i n g
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f o l l o w e r s o f J e s u s e x p e r i e n c e d , a n d h o w
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S o m e h e l p f u l t i p s f o r r e a d i n g y o u r B i b l e
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Welcome! Check out our ideas! Pull it out! & pass it around
It all up adds
Did you know that most children spend 21,600 seconds a day, 108,000 a week and 4,320,000 a year at primary school? Times that by 6 years at primary school and you get 25,920,000 seconds all up!
All that time in school, our children are talking, thinking, interacting, learning, experiencing, and developing. They are shaping ideas and forming values that will last them their whole lives. The primary school years are so important for children and yet our schools sit unnoticed by their local church.
Why not encourage your church to be more involved in your local school? It’s a great way to connect with children and families that do not come near your church. It is also a great way to serve your community and especially your school.
Obviously, we need to be careful how we go about this and realize that building connections takes time. All good things start with prayer and there is no time like now to be praying for our local schools.
Mother Teresa’s words are good to keep in mind here: It’s not how much we do, but the love we put in the doing. It’s not how much we give, but the love we put in the giving.
This edition of the WAY2GO magazine contains ideas for connecting with your local school and community and involving your whole church in this.
Liz Eichler Children and Families Team Leader, SUNZ
connecting PRACTICAL STEPS FOR WITHYOURlocalschool
• Offer your church buildings for the school production or a special assembly. Make it a good experience for all who come by having someone there to greet the children, staff, and parents as they arrive.
• Donate some books to the school library. Any decent quality books will be appreciated although your school may have a list of ones it wants. Make a colourful card on your computer. Glue it in the front of each book so that the children know who gave it to them.
• Take morning tea into the staffroom once a term. Just leave it there with a card saying who it is from.
• Encourage selected people to offer to help in a classroom once a week or go in at the end of term and help clean out paint pots or do general tidying.
• Stand for the Board of Trustees or the Parent Teacher Association.
• If you are a parent, go on school outings and attend events, and enjoy getting to know the children and other parents.
• Get together with a group of others and pray for your local schools. Remember to pray in your church services too.
• Run a Free Family Fun Day for the children and families in your area.
CHILDREN CAN schoolspray
1. discuss
a. What is prayer for? Accept all answers
b. Share that God has given us prayer as a powerful tool for doing His work here on earth and helping our world to be the way He wants it to be.
2. explore
a. What sort of place would God want your school to be? Help them focus using questions like these:
• How does God want us to treat each other?
• What should our attitude towards schoolwork be?
FOR THEIR
b. Look at some Bible verses together about how God wants us to live:
• Matthew 7:12
• Romans 12:17-18
• Philippians 2:3-4, 14
• Philippians 4:8
• Colossians 3:12-14
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14
3. imagine
Imagine God’s ideal school. Let the Bible verses shape this thinking.
4. write
a. If your children are not used to praying, help them write sentence prayers. Write them on paper for them to pray.
b. Questions can help here:
• How would we ask God to help everything in your school be fair and right?
• How could we pray that God will help your school be peaceful?
c. You may need to help the children understand that while God is not human, we can talk to him the way we talk to other people.
5. pray
a. Let the children read the written prayers to get them started.
b. You could encourage them to add a sentence prayer of their own if they want to.
c. Keep it short and fast moving so they are keen to do it again.
Resources
Start the year off with a new Bible reading habit.
XTB (EXPLORE THE BIBLE) MIRACLES & DREAMS
63 days of devotions & activities for primaryaged children.
Meet Jacob the Schemer and Joseph the Dreamer in the book of Genesis. Zoom in on Matthew and Acts to find out who Jesus is and why he came.
$10
DISCOVER
3 months of undated devotions with puzzles, codes, and prayers, for readers 11-13 years
Genesis: God's great promises
Philippians: Living for Jesus
Elisha: God's messenger
Mark: Sensational Saviour
$10
Available from sunz.org.nz/ shop
ENGAGE
Devotions for teenagers - 3 months of undated readings. In this Issue: Romans - Basic Christianity
Exodus - Big clean up Luke - Doctor's orders
Psalms - Singing God's praises
PLUS: Drugs and alcohol, Taking the Bible seriously, Real Lives, Toolbox, Tricky questions
$10
LOOKING FOR MORE RESOURCES AND INSPIRATION?
Check out our SUNZ Children and Families blogspot and Breakthrough websites childrenandfamiliesnz.blogspot.com | sunzbreakthrough.squarespace.com
CONNECTING CHURCHES WITH COMMUNITIES HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES
By the people, for the people
Claire | Church of the Saviour Blockhouse Bay
Holiday programmes are full-on, challenging work for all involved and can be overwhelming to think about doing, but they are worth every second of the mahi put in. We have been running holiday programmes for over 25 years so have a reputation in the community for them. Many families book their holidays around our two separate week-long programmes.
It is one of the places where we can invite families to connect with us. We aim to have a safe, fun, and God-centred time together. It’s a chance to model prayer, tell God’s story, lots of crafts, do creative teaching and storytelling, play weird games, and enjoy intergenerational activities. We encourage memory verse learning, and for some, this is their only contact with Bible teaching.
Our volunteer team is a mix of adults and teens who mostly have been to holiday
programmes themselves. This gives teens leadership training and experience working in an environment where they need to focus on others and gain community service hours. This means that we have contact with our families for longer than just the time of the child's attendance.
Holiday programme families appreciate the chance to see us and meet us as people, rather than just a church building they walk or drive past. Some will join with other opportunities we have like Messy Church or special services during the year (Christmas, Easter) and other aged programmes like Mainly Music and seniors’ group for their parents. We use every opportunity for multi contacts and connections.
Backpacking the SuBurbS
Mark | St Christopher’s Anglican Church Tawa
Here at St Christopher’s Anglican Church in Tawa, there is a tradition of hosting a holiday programme for primary
school-aged children during the September/October holidays. The programme runs over the five mornings of the first week of the holidays, providing an opportunity for children to play, create, sing, dance, and learn about Jesus. We recently used the Scripture Union resources for a programme called Backpackers.
Such an event requires a wide range of contributions. We’ve found that there are people from both the core and the fringes of our church community who are willing to contribute, whether with baking, or by running a craft, or by sending their intermediate kids along as leaders, or simply by helping to roll up the large floor mat at the end of the week.
Holiday programmes provide a gathering point and a way to introduce Jesus to children who do not hear of him outside the church. They are also a way of making the edges of our church community more porous. It is wonderful to welcome children and their whānau into our worshiping space and church community.
Lots of effort, lotS of Value
Carolyn Edkins | Te Puke Baptist Church
"Is this a real story?" asked one of the children from our local community at our July holiday programme.
“Yes!” and all the kids were wide-eyed and lapped up hearing God's Word opened during our week using the Scripture Union holiday programme, Deep Sea Divers.
Our church Te Puke Baptist sees real value in running holiday programmes for kids in our local community. It's a lot of effort but for our volunteers, it provides an excellent opportunity to live out our five church values of generosity, love, community, service, and connection. It also builds relationships intergenerationally as we served together with our leaders ranging in age from 12 to 80. The kids loved the ‘grandy helpers’ who came in to run craft workshops.
Over the past three years that I have been in this role, we have seen kids bravely come to church without their parents, kids form the community coming back as leaders, kids turning up at the church door and asking when the next holiday programme is, and children and their families coming back and attending other events like the light party, church fundraiser galas and family Christmas events.
Running an affordable programme for a full school day, over a week gives loads of time to build relationships with kids and model what being a part of a Christian community is like. It opens the door to make connections and introduce kids to Jesus and his love for them.
RIPPLE EFFECTS OF
HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES
NIGEL WINDER | SUNZ Children & Families Consultant, Southland
Holiday programmes have long been a key strategy for churches to connect with and serve their communities. In the last couple of years there has been a resurgence in the offering of holiday programmes and the ripple effect has been noticeable. They have provided a valued service to working parents who need something safe for their children to do in the school holidays. While many of these parents wouldn’t be inclined to come to church themselves, they are willing to send their children on a church-based programme where they will be loved and well cared for.
Holiday programmes that are intentional about sharing the Good News about God’s love through Jesus, and exploring the truths of the Bible together, are helping generate a spiritual interest among participants. Key relationships with children and their families are being nurtured, and some of the mystery and stigma about church diminished. Some children attending continue to grow their connection with the church and God by joining other year-round church programmes and ministries. As children discover and encounter God for themselves, they can become a catalyst for helping their family members do the same.
When the whole church catches its vision for holiday programmes connecting with their community, they can be a wonderful place for all generations to serve together, providing opportunities for leaders of all ages to grow in faith and ministry giftings.
While holiday programmes require a lot of work, willing volunteers, a key leader, and the backing of the church family, the benefits seem well worth it as the ripples flow out of the church into our communities.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
—Romans 10:13-15 (NIV)
Scripture Union has a few holiday programme resources, and the Children and Families Team are developing further resources to help churches run holiday programmes well. We are here to help, so please, ask us.
MEET THE
SUNZchildren &familiesteam
Andrea Lukin
C&F Consultant, Wellington
Andrea is a very creative person who has brought her talents to our WAY2GO displays and props for SUPAkidz camps. Last year she pioneered a new spring Intermediate age camp in Wellington called “Creative Edge”. She loves relaxing on Pacific cruise ships enjoying the sun, sand and snorkelling.
Andrew Ramsbottom
C&F Consultant, Auckland
Andrew is passionate about helping children's ministry leaders and churches explore intergenerational faith formation. He champions intergenerational church camps and our own SUPAkidz camps.
Andrew has a real gift in seeking out new children's ministry leaders to help support and train them. Look out for him running around Ōrākei Basin, Auckland.
Annette Osborne
C&F Consultant, Auckland
Annette loves seeing young leaders on her intermediate camp opening the Bible with their campers and talking about God's Big Story together. She enjoys creating resources to support churches to bring all ages together in worship. When she’s not at work you can find her kayaking on the beautiful blue waters of the Hauraki Gulf.
andrea andrew annette grace liz nigel
Liz Eichler
C&F Team Leader, Wellington
Liz facilitates, supports and develops the activities and capacity of the team. She advocates for the place of children’s ministry in Aotearoa and enjoys connecting with children’s ministry leaders throughout the country. You’ll often find her walking by the waves at Lyall Bay Beach in Wellington.
Nigel Winder
C&F Consultant, Otago/Southland
Nigel is the world’s most southern SUNZ worker based in Invercargill. He is literally helping the Gospel reach the ends of the earth through his involvement in SUPAkidz camps, and the training and resourcing of Children’s Ministry Workers. He delights in the ever-changing Lake Manapouri on the edge of Fiordland.
Grace Clark
C&F Administration, Wellington
Grace is a gifted administrator who makes sure everything is ready for WAY2GO, SUPAkidz and Intermediate camps and anything else we throw at her. She also works for a community development collective as an executive assistant. Grace loves walking along the sand at Waihi Beach whenever she gets the chance.
Find out more about our C&F team and ministry sunz.org.nz/children-families.
Light
ISABELLA WINDER |SUPAkidz Camp Leader | Exodus Prime
for the path
When life does not make sense and your hopes and plans are not working out, what do you do? When the dreaded question, “What are you doing next year?” is asked to those leaving school, how do you respond? If you are anything like me, you may answer, “I'm just trying to get through one day at a time, let alone think about plans for next year!” This question has shaped my life for the past year, and I am sure it has for many other people too. Making future plans has brought a lot of stress, anxiety, tears, frustration, and a lot of planning that seemed to always lead to a dead end. During one particularly tough day I found a verse that brought me a lot of peace. It was Jeremiah 29.11 (NIV),
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This verse was a wonderful way for me to know that God is in control of my plans even if things do not seem to be working out. God has a plan for me, and He will give me hope because He has my future sorted.
When you must make a big decision for your future or just in everyday life, it's scary.
Another Bible passage that reminds us to look to God for help is Psalms 121 (CEV)...
I look to the hills! Where will I find help?
It will come from the Lord, who created the heavens and the earth.
The Lord is your protector, and he won’t go to sleep or let you stumble.
The protector of Israel doesn’t doze or ever get drowsy.
The Lord is your protector, there at your right side to shade you from the sun.
You won’t be harmed by the sun during the day or by the moon at night.
The Lord will protect you and keep you safe from all dangers.
The Lord will protect you now and always wherever you go.
I‘m sure I will still get stressed when things do not work out as expected, so I will need to remember that God loves me so much, He cares about my life, and I can trust Him no matter what because he holds my future safe. I just need to keep obeying Him and loving Him every day. While that’s not easy, God promises His help.
Meet Isabella
Kia Ora! I'm Isabella Winder, an eighteen-year-old who lives in Invercargill. I enjoy being outdoors, tramping, camping, biking, and playing sports with my family. I also enjoy baking for friends and family.
I have grown up in a Christian home and accepted Jesus as my own Lord and Saviour in 2013 on the Southland SUPAkidz camp. Following this I was baptised in 2022.
Scripture Union has been a big part of my life since I was 6 months old and attended a Lake Johnson camp with my twin brother as team mascots while my Mum and Dad were camp parents. Since then, I have been involved in many, many camps as a tag along with my parents, a camper, junior leader, a leader, as well as attending many other SU events like WAY2GO training events, supporters’ evenings, camp leaders training weekends, and leadership development programs such as Exodus Prime.
Scripture Union has helped me grow my faith and has helped me to discover so many new things about God. This has been through exploring God's creation with others and digging deeper into God's Word. SU Bible reading guides have helped me to develop regular Bible reading habits and continue to grow my relationship with God. SU has helped grow my leadership skills as I can now lead small groups at SUPAkidz Camp, and open God's Word with others. This has helped me grow the skills and confidence to also be a leader in my church’s Sunday morning kids programme and Girl’s Rally.
I have really enjoyed all the new, exciting, and sometimes scary opportunities and experiences that Scripture Union has provided for me. At the time of writing this I am looking forward to attending the upcoming E3 Canterbury expedition.
I hope to continue to have the opportunity to serve Scripture Union as a volunteer and help others to come to know Jesus like I have.
OUT & ABOUT
Please check out the News and Stories section on our website www.sunz.org.nz for more information.
We’ve developed this section especially to keep you up to date with what’s happening at SUNZ.
NOVEMBER NOEMA
Did you make it to a Supporters Event? We had 189 supporters registered for 7 events across the country.
Hilary Hague managed to be at all of them! The theme was In The River and we considered how the living water of the Holy Spirit guides and carries us. Thanks to Glenis Silby and Hilary who planned the programme, and our regional committees who helped with the events.
SUNZ Youth ran MHFA in Taupō 1-2 Nov.
Andy Banks emailed his final prayer letter on 5 Nov, then returned to UK with Carol in early Dec. He is now on sabbatical. Andy officially concludes his time as a SUNZ staff member on 31 Jan.
From his prayer letter: “It has been a huge privilege to serve God here through SU in Aotearoa and I want to thank you for your incredible love, support and for your willingness to pray for this ministry over so many years, you have been such a blessing and gift and we will always be thankful for the part you’ve played in this journey.”
Haere rā, Andy. Mā te Atua koe e manaaki.
Nigel Winder attended a NZ Rally Board meeting in Matamata 1-3 Nov. Natalie Duchesne was in Wellington office 5 Nov for a budget & admin meeting. Paul Humphreys was on a course 7-8 Nov.
Annette Osborne with SU Global team in Dubai on 12 Nov, then to France for a Resource Development workshop. Peilin Cheng, Fundraising Manager attended the Auckland supporter event on 19 Nov. GATHER North 23-24, on Pōnui Island, for 29 camp leaders (GATHER South was cancelled).
Hilary Hague in Christchurch on 25 Nov for a Wilberforce meeting. Andrea Lukin on leave 26 Nov – 11 Dec, attending Seafarers conference in London with her husband, Lance.
Beyond Experience (BE) 2024 ended 27 Nov. NLT & Board meetings 28-30 Nov, in Wellington.
DECEMBER TĪHEMA
Our Christmas fundraising appeal went out, with seed paper pots & flowers. “Together, in God’s Word and Love, we boldly go to grow and sow Christ’s Kingdom.” Albert Finch.
The final Supporter event, 8 Dec in Christchurch. E3 10-21 Dec in: Bay of Islands, Canterbury, Otago.
SUNZ also publish Prayer Adventure bi-monthly prayer points, available on our website sunz.org.nz/ prayer-adventure/
Children & Families admin, Grace Clark was married on 14 Dec at Carey Park.
The Wellington team enjoyed a Christmas lunch 18 Dec.
Meshach Singh on leave 19 Dec – 15 Jan. He attended the Emerging Leaders conference in Fiji, 14-21 Dec, with Penelope Trought and three young leaders—Patrick San Jose, Eleanor Fletcher, Leanne Burton. Read our Prayer Adventure for more about these awesome young people. The theme was Just Like Jesus: engage, empower, excel, extend.
JANUARY HĀNUERE
SUNZ Summer Camps
3-9 Jan|Pōnui Junior 5-9 Jan|Aspire
6-10 Jan|Raglan Surfari 10-17 Jan|Pōnui Senior 12-16 Jan|Exodus Prime 12-17 Jan|Te Anau Extend
19-23 Jan|Summer Supreme
19-24 Jan|Te Anau Wind 'n Water
19-24 Jan|Canterbury Wind 'n Water
23-26 Jan |SUPAkidz Foxton Beach
Pōnui Family camp 29 Dec – 3 Jan
Pōnui Bible Study camp 19-26 Jan
Our new Operations Manager, Hana Leofo starts in the National Office at the end of January.
FEBRUARY PĒPUERE
E3 Young Adults 3-9 Feb, Marlborough Sounds.
Caitlin Janes on leave 8 Feb - 14 Mar.
MARCH MAĒHE
SUNZ Staff Ministry Hui 17-21 Mar at Ōtaki Forks.
SUNZ National Office staff visited Whakamaru next door. Andrew S met a former CAANZ work colleague who volunteers at WCM and went to a SUNZ camp many years ago!
Our children and young people are vital for the church today, so we need to help them build firm foundations of faith today. Your generosity makes this possible:
$50 could provide a mentoring session for a children’s worker
$120 could support a SUPAkidz camp, connecting children with God and others
$600 could help provide training for a church, equipping them to share the gift of Jesus with the children and young people in their community
ways to give
at
Over the phone by calling
423 836 Bank transfer to Account 02-0560-0036204-00 with reference ADV0125 and your supporter number (you’ll find this along with your address on the cover letter).
Set up an Automatic Payment to Account 02-0560-0036204-003 and include your supporter number and ADV0125 in the reference. If this is your first financial gift to SUNZ, please email accounts@sunz.org.nz with the details of your donation—this enables us to thank you and send you a tax receipt.
SUNZ are no longer including reply paid envelopes with the ADVENTURE as part of our effort to be sustainable and good stewards of resources we are blessed with. We continue to receive donations by mail, but please use your own envelope. See above for other ways to give. Thank you!
Scripture Union NZ PO
760 Wellington 6140 accounts@sunz.org.nz 04 385 0485 0508 423 836
Weekend hikes or pilgrimages, just for girls W I L
Y11 -Y13 - Hauraki Gulf 12-14 April 2025
Cost:
Y11 -Y13, Wellington 25-27 April 2025 Cost: $100
AUTUMNADVENTURE CAMP
We’ll be enjoying various types of fishing over the week, including off the boat/ barge, land based, long line and from a Kayak. Open to first timers to experienced fishermen.
BIG BIBLE SCIENCE
Helps children and those who teach them to explore God's World and God's Word through science experiments. Each session has a corresponding verse and biblical lesson to apply the science to the real world. God creates young minds to ask questions and seek answers.
$20
$30
ADVENTURES IN ACTS
In two hardback volumes is for 7–11-year-olds to engage with the breathtaking events of the early church, and how it relates to life today. It’s a brilliant resource for group study and family devotions.
$10 THE HOUSE THAT WENT SPLAT!
Is a fun storybook for preschoolers about the two builders in Matthew 7.
BIBLE STORIES EVERY CHILD SHOULD KNOW
Is a beautiful hardback book of key stories from the Bible with questions to ask and consider.
