AUGUST 2018
Who is in charge of your life Do young people really have complete control over their lives and what they do, where they go, how they dress, and even what they eat?
INSIDE THE WALL IS VERY LOW
EHARA TAKU TOA, HE TAKITAHI, HE TOA TAKITINI
MEET LIZZIE MOORE
editorial ‘I’m in charge of myself’ my son yelled at me and stomped out of the room. His cry is one that resonates with many of our young people today. Young people have multiple competing demands which say ‘choose me; I’ll be in charge’. Friends, social media and school can all speak very loudly — with voices that are captivating and persuasive. This month Adventure takes on the huge question of ‘Who’s in charge of my life?’ As you read, you’ll see that Scripture Union NZ (SUNZ) wants to help churches encourage young people to think carefully about what they allow to influence them. We want young people to gain a sense of identity that is rooted in the heritage of their past, enables them to find meaning and purpose in their present, and gives them a hope for the future.
Ultimately the question of who is in charge can only be answered fully in God: the God who met Moses at the burning bush on Mount Horeb and answered his questions by saying to him ‘I am who I am’. SUNZ wants the young people of New Zealand to meet this same God, to discover and follow Him in ways that are lifechanging and life-long. This is our hope and our prayer. Our programmes are designed to provide safe spaces for young people to explore who they are and who God is, and to find their own voice. You can read about some of them in this Adventure – Āpōpō, the Engage Bible App and our camps to name just a few. As you read, please pray along with us for the young people of our country.
HILARY HAGUE
National Director Scripture Union New Zealand 2 www.sunz.org.nz
contents Features 4
WHO IS IN CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE
10
EHARA TAKU TOA, HE TAKITAHI, HE TOA TAKITINI
Neville Bartley
Eugene Fuimaono
12
THE WALL IS VERY LOW
22
MEET LIZZIE
Paul Humphreys
Interviews 8
Q&A
23
LIGHT FOR THE PATH
26
OUT AND ABOUT AUGUST
Andy Banks
Children’s Ministry 15
WAY2GO MAGAZINE
Resources 28
RESOURCES FOR LIFE
Produced by Jamuel Enriquez Edited by Janice Hunt Adventure Magazine Design by Anna Juden WAY2GO Magazine design by Alpert Mendoza
AUGUST 2018 3
Who is in charge of your life BY NEVILLE BARTLEY Yo uth Min istr y Team Lead er, SUNZ
4 www.sunz.org.nz
We live in a time where the world promotes self: • ‘If you like it, do it’ • ‘If it doesn’t hurt anyone else then go for it’ • ‘It’s my life and my rights so I’ll do what I like’ • ‘I am my own person no one tells me what to do’ But do young people really have complete control over their lives and what they do, where they go, how they dress, and even what they eat? My answer would be ‘No’ — their lives are controlled by others: by society, by the media and particularly by social media. But I don’t think we can blame young people for this. What sort of role models have they had? What sorts of boundaries and morals have been set before them? What picture of life and how to live it has been expressed to them? What has the Church or Christianity modelled for them? I hear parents and adults in the church going on about how uncommitted the youth are today — how they change their minds more times than their underwear and never really commit to anything in case something better comes along at the last minute. The stage of development of their teenage brains explains some of that behaviour and why making decisions and sticking with them are often a fluid thing. But besides a developing brain there are other things too. This generation of teenagers are called Generation Z and they are the most technologically advanced generation ever, the most un-parented generation ever, the most globally connected and aware generation ever, and the first generation since the Second World War to be uncertain about their future and the
future of the planet. These young people have grown up in a time that has pushed them to be independent and progressive. They are trying to answer the most important questions: ‘who am I?’; ‘am I worthwhile?’; ‘am I loveable?’ And they are doing all this without the parental support and guidance of previous generations. In many different settings adults (including teachers and youth workers) have been asked to write words or phrases that would describe today’s teenagers on a white board. I am saddened to say that in the majority of these exercises you are lucky to have one or two positive words or comments. Many see teenagers as someone to be fixed or an ordeal to be survived. If young people aren’t getting support and encouragement from the adults in their lives, families and churches, then they will look elsewhere for the answers: to their peers and the media. Social media is what keeps young people connected with the rest of the world. It also provides a place to be recognised, to be ‘somebody’. Young people see how others apparently live out their lives and strive to do the same. Through social media they can create an image or persona for themselves to fit in and be accepted. That persona is often far removed from the day-to-day reality of their lives. So we have a generation who are not getting their sense of purpose and worth from loving adults active in their lives, and are not discovering a God who loves them through scripture and older Christians. Instead we have a group that has been forced to do it on their own. They believe they are in charge of their lives, but really they being shaped by their peers, and the media. AUGUST 2018 5
I hear many people in the church saying that the youth don’t seem very committed to their Christian walk and they don’t seem to be living lives that reflect being a Christ follower. I hear that young people are all about feelings with no substance. In a way that may be right but we, the adults, have created an environment to make them that way. Young people look at us and see that we actually aren’t that committed — the average church attendee turns up once every three weeks. Young people see many of us arguing amongst ourselves about how church should be run, who should be allowed to attend, and what needs to change in our world. For this current young generation to begin to see that there is more to life than following the crowd and being shaped by social media, they need to see adults living lives of difference that show them there is another answer. In a world with information at their figure tips the one thing they are really looking for from adults is truth. Truth that they are worthwhile, truth that they are loveable, truth that there is a purpose for their life and truth that there is a God in whose image they are created. Don’t think you will sort things by just marching into your teenager’s room to take technology away from them and make them go to youth group every week. That is not the answer and never will be. We need to be an example of what it means to follow Christ, we need to show them who is truly in charge of our lives. At the moment I think our jobs and our mortgages, and just being busy are in charge of our lives — and it’s time we made a change. I believe that when I became a follower of Jesus I gave up the right to be in charge of my life and that I gave that privilege over to God. If He is not in charge of my life then what did I surrender to receive my salvation? 6 www.sunz.org.nz
Did I just surrender my Sundays and maybe a day mid-week to attend a home group? Did I just surrender my sins but not my actual life? If my life does not wholeheartedly belong to the Lord then am I really following Him or am I just visiting when it suits me? As a follower of Christ, to be in control of my life I need to have given that control over to God — every part of each day and each week of my life. I don’t expect that I (or you) will get it right all day, every day — that is why we have a God of grace. But we need to be wholeheartedly on the journey, so that if a young person followed us around and put our life up on social media the world would see the life of a true disciple and would marvel at it. I am passionate about working with youth and I know that there are men and women all over New Zealand who commit to working with the youth week-in and week-out, through their church youth ministries. Let’s support them in what they are doing by giving them life examples they can show their young people. Let’s support these workers by being prepared to journey with and disciple a young person, investing into their lives so that they can see that they are loved, worthwhile and have a God who loves them. Let’s model lives that are surrendered to God, not just loaned when it suits. For our young people to experience and see who should be in charge of their lives they need role models. We need to be those role models. So can I ask you to put this magazine down, take a look in the mirror and ask God ‘who is truly in charge of my life?’, and act on the answer.
AUGUST 2018 7
Q&A
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THE CHURCH CAN DO TO HELP ME IN MY WALK WITH CHRIST? We asked a few young leaders how the church can help them.
To answer your question, there are lots of things the church can do. Camps like [the SUNZ leadership camp] Exodus Prime really helped firmly plant my feet on the Christian walk. I think it would really help me and others to have lots of camp things happening regularly and cheaply so that spiritual highs are more common. Also, courses on answering hard questions about Jesus would definitely help in a school environment.Â
Abishkar I think that the church could best help me, or any young person, in their walk with God by discipling us. I believe the church should be intentional about surrounding their young people with mentors, leaders and community who so clearly live out the faith that they profess. When I see those around me walking the talk, I am inspired to learn and grow to have that same faith. And again, I think it is so important not to underestimate the power of time. Having people of the church put time and effort into you and helping you grow is such a vital connection to have.
Anika
8 www.sunz.org.nz
TO
Ultimately, I think that to answer this question, I need to think of the things in my walk with Christ that have been so significant in my growth. I would say these are: • Bible reading/memorizing scripture regularly • Further to point #1, basing morals/decisions/life ideals/ thinking on biblical truths • Meaningful conversation, prayer and worship with other devoted followers of Christ • Speaking with Christians and non-Christians about my faith • Having awesome friends to encourage and be encouraged by So whilst I don’t know the exact way(s) to implement this, I think that for the church to help me in my walk with Christ, there needs to be an emphasis on these things; living biblically, being friendly and fun and encouraging, being open to and listening to my own life thoughts and teaching truths from the Bible that encourage me to think about heeding to the call Jesus has given me. I may be an odd case amongst my friends when it comes to church sermons, but my favourites are those which are absolutely focused on explaining, exploring and centering the Word of God. A good message about forgiveness or a testimony about one verse can be nice, but in the beginning the Word was God, and the Word became flesh, and the Word is the Sword of the Spirit. Not that my commitment is unwavering, but over the past months devotion to God’s Word has done great works in my heart and mind, and I think that a similarly keen church is an awesome thing to aim for. I think if we were like the early church, encouraging and admonishing one another, not feeling awkward to sing worship songs and pray with each other, willing to talk openly about our flaws, to share our belongings, to praise God and love each other like Jesus, it would be difficult to avoid walking with Christ!
George
AUGUST 2018 9
Ehara taku toa, he takitahi, he toa takitini Success is not the work of one, but of many BY E U G E N E F U I M AO N O Yo u t h C o n s u l t an t , SUNZ
When I was young I was a very privileged ‘urban’ Maori. Although I grew up poor, I had a connection to my iwi, hapu and whanau, and constantly visited my marae in the Bay of Islands. (Yay for the longest road-trips from Wellington.) Up until the age of five, I had a sense of belonging to Maoritanga. At school things changed. There I was constantly ridiculed for being ‘one of those dirty thieving “Mowris”’ — which instigated a desire to be more “Kiwi” than “Mowri”. It destroyed any desire for me to be who I was created to be. But then, when I first pursued God — I chased him all the way to Auckland, and from there even (to my surprise) to my marae in the Bay of Islands — I found a deep Christian connection to God in my whakapapa (lineage). God’s redemptive story means that now I stand as a fully-fledged Christian and a strong indigenous person at the same time.
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In the Bible, we find the rich heritage — the whakapapa — of the Israelites. It’s such a rich text and, like family trees, both good and bad relatives are carefully documented. The power of the Bible is evident: it’s a God-breathed text that provides education and maramatanga (revelation) to us. And part and parcel of this power is the power of whakapapa. For me whakapapa, including the Bible, provides wholeness in two direct ways: education and belonging. As we learn from the victories and defeats of those who have gone before, we embed ourselves in the stories and contexts. We realise there are many who came before. And whether they worked hard or didn’t, whether they loved well or didn’t, they all contributed to the present. They also contribute to our futures by giving us a sense of worth and purpose… and a choice to be like them or not to be like them! And like those
who came before, whether good or bad, we belong.
in productivity, what happens when you can’t have and can’t do? Worthlessness.
My whakapapa is rich in priestly people on all sides: Dutch, Samoan and Maori. If I’d learned all this earlier I would have found my calling far sooner.
Luke 3:23-28 is an account of the lineage of Jesus. God’s lineage to Jesus — including its imperfect characters — is so intentional. We find God’s grace, love, and constant mercy in Jesus’ whakapapa. Jesus knows where he came from — His lineage to God and his redemptive lineage to Adam — and walks in both these lineages to the purpose of the cross. I too am a product of my whakapapa and walk with my ancestors — good and bad — following Jesus in the way of the cross. I thank God for the work of my ancestors and whanau in getting me here today.
In our current time one of the reasons young people are striving to find worth is because whakapapa isn’t important anymore. The nuclear family that has been sold to society since the industrial revolution has robbed whanau of the importance of the older generation, of history, and of worth in community. Popular culture considers that true worth is found in doing and having: when you have a good job you are doing well; when you have the latest iPhone you can do so many things. This culture creates a productive population — don’t get me wrong. But when identity is wrapped up
Ehara taku toa, he takitahi, he toa takitini – success is not the work of one, but of many.
AUGUST 2018 11
the wall is very low BY PAU L H U M P H R E YS South Island C amp s Facilitator, SUNZ
Over 16 years of preparing and leading summer staff for the pressure cooker environment of American summer camps has given me a few anecdotal observations on the mental and emotional make-up of youth and young adults. In my ‘first summer’ in the late 90’s I found this aforementioned age group had a figurative high outer wall of nicety and tactfulness: there were initial welcoming introductions and pleasant greetings of others. With this outer wall in place, young people presented mental and emotional strength with an ‘I have it all together’ attitude. Only once you made it past this protective outer wall would candour and honesty flow. Only when you got behind the high outer wall might a person reveal ‘I don’t really have it altogether’ or disclose ‘here’s who I really am’. Recently I have witnessed a big turn-around. The outer wall is now VERY LOW — and offers no protection. ‘Hi my name is …. and I have depression [or bipolar or…].’ Boom, straight out there, no warning, no concern or care for who hears it or who doesn’t want to hear it. It is going to be said whether you like it or not. What has changed? Why has this generation developed this openness to cut straight to the ‘new definition’ of who they are? Why are they revealing something previous generations would never have disclosed? 12 www.sunz.org.nz
Many of these are also youth and young adults who were raised in the church, still attend church, and have articulated a statement of faith. They have prayed, participated (even lead) Bible studies, sung in church and more — and they are boldly disclosing some needs that the church is not responding to. They are saying ‘I am drowning in my mental health and don’t know where to turn’. The new low outer wall of introductions is a desperate cry for help. Issues of mental health and suicide are all around. Mental illness is almost a new category to use when talking about oneself … almost like saying you only eat gluten-free or organic. Youth and young adults in and outside the church are disclosing boldly and unashamedly to whomever will hear the state of their mental health. Not because they are trying to one-up the next person or extract pity, but because they are hurting and losing hope, lacking meaningful avenues for help.
If we cannot provide for those within the church, for our own youth, we can’t even begin to imagine where to start for unchurched youth. What will we do? How much more shockingly normalized honesty do we need to hear? Here in Scripture Union NZ we don’t want to ignore the issue of youth mental health, and so we have made a start at addressing it. Through our Āpōpō programme we’re building resources for churches and communities interacting with young people who are hurting. Āpōpō means ‘The Next Day’ and for those struggling with mental health and suicide the concept of making it to the next day is a powerful one. Āpōpō is based on biblical principles and while it is not intended to replace a professional approach, we believe it will give helpful introductory skills for people as they learn to listen and keep people ‘safe for now’. To learn more about Āpōpō for your church, youth group or school contact Paul Humphreys: Paul.H@sunz.org.nz. AUGUST 2018 13
I ha hom
I th the wo
Thi top com ma lif ma
Ann SUN 14 www.sunz.org.nz
Issue 64
I have recently returned from a conference, where we were asked to complete some homework before hand. We had to interview three children and ask them these questions: • What is the best thing about being a child? What is the hardest? • If you could change one BIG thing in your community — or in the world — what would that be? • What do you think that God is like? What do you think that He would like to say to us? What would you like to say to Him? I think they’re great questions…. You might like to ask some children you know and see what their responses are. I must mention that a BIG thing one of my interviewees would change would be the inclusion of flying cars to Auckland to ease our traffic congestion. Genius! This issue of the WAY2GO mag will explore one approach to the topic of answering children’s questions. This is a huge topic so it comes with a disclaimer is this: this edition of the WAY2GO mag will not answer all tricky questions children have about life, faith and the Bible. However, I trust that this issue may be a springboard for further thinking. Annette Osborne SUNZ Children’s Ministry Consultant
Questions are important. They open up conversation, they allow for differing opinions, they grow faith! Yes, they grow faith. Children and adults alike have questions we wrestle with. If we are allowed to wrestle with them in a healthy way, with good support, then our faith is strengthened. If we are shut down, or told not to ask our questions, the questions remain but we simply tuck them away until a later time.
Recently, I came across this quote in a book ‘Children in the Bible’ by Anne Richards. I thought it was beautiful! So, I’m sharing it with you, as well as four things we can learn coming from it.
In 2011, the journalist Alex Renton wrote an article about how his six-year old daughter wanted to ask God ‘who invented you?’ Renton himself did not feel able to help with the questions, or indeed, how to go about asking God, so he sent the enquiry to various churches, including the Church of England at Lambeth Palace in London. A little while later, Lulu received a letter from Dr Rowan Williams, who was then Archbishop of Canterbury. It read: Dear Lulu, Your dad has sent on your letter and asked if I have any answers. It’s a difficult one! But I think God might reply a bit like this – ‘Dear Lulu – Nobody invented me – but lots of people discovered me and were quite surprised. They discovered me when they look round at the world and thought it was really beautiful or really mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were very very quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they hadn’t expected. Then they invented ideas about me - some of them sensible and some of them not very sensible. From time to time I sent them some hints – especially in the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I’m really like. But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me. Rather like somebody who writes a story in a book, I started making up the story of the world and eventually invented human beings like you who could ask me awkward questions!’ And then he’d send you lots of love and sign off. I know he doesn’t usually write letters, so I have to do the best I can on his behalf. Lots of love from me too. + Archbishop Rowan 1 1
Children in the Bible: A Fresh Approach, by Anne Richards
Wh ans
y ow e
I imagine this letter arriving at Lulu’s house. I imagine Lulu and her dad sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate to read the letter together. I imagine it starting a great conversation between this girl and her father.
What a wonderful gift. This letter by Rowan Williams reveals a helpful approach to asking and answering questions with children. Here are just a few points that we can take and use:
Notice that neither the father nor Rowan Williams dismiss her.
Phone a friend.
There is something playful about this letter, while still being respectful to the depth of the question.
d
Rowan Williams portrays God as deeply interested in what Lulu has to ask and caring about her.
I like to imagine that this one letter was the catalyst to lots more questions for Lulu. I like to imagine she became a confident question-asker, secure in knowing that God listens and cares about her questions.
Faith4Families produces some great resources — you may know the Faith Box material. Their newest resource Faith Talk Triggers is great for exploring questions with teens! Here’s Nancy Green to tell us about it: Would you rather have lots of good friends or just one who knows you inside out?” Would you rather have gold coins come out of your mouth every time you talk, or speak normally?”
How would your teen answer the above questions? Having faith conversations can be a conundrum for families. Many parents aren’t aware of their teenagers’ beliefs, doubts, desires or struggles. ‘Would you rather…’ questions are a great way to get teens talking — they captivate the imagination, allow a variety of answers and invite amplification. Also effective are open-ended questions, such as ‘What two things do you value most in a friend?’, and asking their opinion: ‘What do you think “friends love through all kinds of weather” (Proverbs 17:17, The Message) means?’ Faith4Families’ new Faith Talk Triggers use them all. There are 40 cards on topics such as friendship, money and temptation to encourage stimulating discussion and allow teenagers to: • nut out faith and apply God’s truth • bounce up against loving adults • develop their own faith while negotiating their world
‘Some subjects haven’t come up before and highlight things our kids are dealing with that we didn’t know. The Take-away wraps things up nicely. Just what we needed!’ RB ‘Our boys take turns running the discussions and rarely want to stop.’ KH Let’s engage teens with good questions and Bible verses that relate so they develop spiritual understanding while they are still here, in our cars, dining rooms and youth groups. To get your own user-friendly pack, visit www.faith4families.org
ir y
are ely. KH
al
20 www.sunz.org.nz
AUGUST 2018 21
meet Lizzie moore our new Scripture Union NZ (SUNZ) Otago and Southland Youth Consultant.
We are extremely blessed to have this inspiring young woman on the team to continue to build on the amazing work that Aaron Douglas has done in the south. Lizzie is a very energetic, thoughtful, intelligent young woman with a big heart to see the youth ministries in the regions supported and equipped to reach out to their youth. She says: ‘I would like to share my excitement about being part of the Scripture Union team. When I tell people about accepting this role, I hear story after story about how SUNZ has impacted people’s lives – what a legacy. I want young people to know the importance of prayer and of engaging with God’s Word frequently. Through my experience I believe a 22 www.sunz.org.nz
lot of what we do is about creating spaces for God to move in people’s lives and when we do, God shows up in incredible ways.’ Lizzie comes to us with a wealth of experience. She has been a youth pastor in the Presbyterian Church and has completed a Bachelor of Ministries through Laidlaw College. She has been part of the leadership team on camps at Camp Columba and was a valuable addition to the team on SUNZ’s Exodus Prime young leader development programme. Lizzie has a desire to see young people discover and follow Jesus. She is very keen to get involved in not only maintaining our existing camps but also to develop new ones where the opportunities arise.
BY ANDY BANKS
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’ These words come from a poem entitled ‘God Knows’ written by Miss Minnie Louise Haskins from Bristol in 1908. They were revived by King George VI in a broadcast he made during the darkest days of World War Two. Words of hope, words of trust and words to remind us where our confidence lies. Words echoed in Psalm 119:105 and used in our Scripture Union New Zealand (SUNZ) logo strapline: Psalm 119:105 “He rama tau kupu ki oku waewae, he marama ki toku ara.” (Maori Bible) I was inspired again recently as I read some of the history of Scripture Union movements around the world. They have been unwavering in their focus in working with churches to encourage people to connect with God through the Bible and Prayer and in making Jesus known to children, young people and their families.
It’s a commitment that’s about helping the church develop lifelong followers of Christ and it’s a ministry that is needed as much today as it was 150 years ago when Scripture Union began. The church faces a continuing battle to encourage Christians to live out their faith and bear witness to a world so desperately in need of Jesus. At SUNZ we have a passion to see the church fully engaged with local communities, allowing this current generation to see real, authentic reflections of what the church is called to be. We have a passion to see followers of Christ bring the light of God’s word into the darkness around them. We declare what we cannot see or what we only see in glimpses: hope in the face of hopelessness, peace amidst conflict, joy in apathy and an all-forgiving love. It’s light, light to live by… Reflection: • How is my life bringing the light of our God of hope to my own family and community? • Where do I need to be putting my hand into the hand of God to step into the darkness or the unknown? AUGUST 2018 23
24 www.sunz.org.nz
What is NUA? NUA / nu: / noo-ah / Language of origin: Irish Adjective, meaning “new”. NUA is all about exploration: it’s a film series that encourages questions, acknowledges doubt, and offers an engaging perspective on the Christian faith. Discuss your worldview and wrestle with the things that don’t seem to make sense. This film series is about immediate impact and the lifechanging experience of working out your beliefs.
The NUA Package ORDER ON OUR WEBSITE
USB Stick – One tiny piece of technology packed with 8 HD episodes, 9 training videos, the series trailer, 8 Irish street interviews and a media pack. NUA Guide – This invaluable resource includes lesson plans, summaries, aims and objectives, suggestions for engagement activities, discussion topics, and NUA Challenges. NUA Journal – A beautiful, helpful tool where viewers can freely process and record their thoughts and ideas along the journey.
W W W. S U N Z . O R G . N Z / N U A AUGUST 2018 25
JAMUEL ENRIQUEZ
Towards the end of June we held our annual children’s ministry conference – WAY2GO – and we were blessed with full capacity at our event. It was an amazing day meeting other children’s ministry workers across the region and refreshing them in their work in ministry. Coming up for us on August 18 is our AGM where, similar to last year, Wellington will
26 www.sunz.org.nz
host the meeting and will live stream it to 7 other locations across NZ who will be hosting local meetings simultaneously. It’s a big job but we are really excited at the opportunity to spend the evening with our members, volunteers and supporters. Please pray for the set-up of this event and that the event will run smoothly.
Ponui Camp changeover time Ponui Camp changeover time at Kawakawa Bay at Kawakawa Bay
NIGEL WINDER
It has been all go in the south with Lizzie Moore making a flying start as the new Youth Consultant. She has been connecting with youth leaders, running camp leader training and has led on a winter camp at Makarora. Heather Zwies has now retired after 12 faithful years of service as Camps Administrator. Her replacement Karen Poy will be starting soon. Karen has been a SU volunteer for years and was the children & families worker on staff for a short period. Bronwyn is keeping things going in the meantime and will continue as a very able admin assistant. Southland SUPAkidz Camp ‘Landlubbers’ is coming up along with some great youth spring camp offerings in October. I’ve enjoyed running workshops on games with a purpose and working with some churches on key strategies in forming lifelong faith in their children & young people.
AUCKLAND
ANDY BANKS
Over the Autumn school holidays, I teamed up with Young Life NZ to run a fishing and hunting camp at the South Head of Kaipara Harbour. We are looking at developing a similar SUNZ camp in the northern region in the next year and this was a great opportunity to gain valuable experience from a team who have led
such camps for many years. My main role was to present six talks and activities over the week, introducing 15 teenage boys with little or no experience of the Christian faith to a gospel message of hope and giving them a chance to explore further many of the big questions of life. AUGUST 2018 27
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GUARDIANS OF ANCORA CHRISTMAS BIBLE COMIC
NEW interactive Christmas Comic Scripture Union has developed a Christmas Bible comic that is set in the world of Guardians of Ancora. The comic’s story takes place at the Spire, which is where all stories from the bible are brought to once the Guardians collect them and bring them back. By Guardians of Ancora Christmas Bible Comic at www.sunz.org.nz/ancora-christmasbible comic 28 www.sunz.org.nz
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D I A R Y O F A D I S C I P L E P E T E R A N D PA U L’ S S T O R Y - H A R D C O V E R
Sheep falling from the sky, bald heads, fiery heads and wrinkly noses, boys falling out of windows, people throwing rocks, storms and shipwrecks, prisons and fish biscuits?! How could all of this be part of just one story? Well. Dr Luke has a story to tell - a story about a man called Peter and a man called Paul. It’s a totally epic tale, a stunning super-saga, a page-turning, jawdropping dazzler of a yarn - and it’s all here, in one book, just waiting for you to get stuck in... Diary of a Disciple: Peter and Paul’s story is a contemporary retelling of the book of Acts. Written in a quirky, contemporary, accessible style, Diary of a Disciple offers a way into the Bible for the next generation.
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Dr Luke has a story to tell. It’s a super incredible, massively, mind-boggling totally AMAZING, absolutely awesome, epically HUGE story. Diary of a disciple: Luke’s story is a contemporary retelling of Luke’s Gospel. Written in a quirky, contemporary, accessible style, Diary of a disciple offers a way into the Bible for the next generation. Buy the Diary of a Disciple Luke’s Story – Hardcover book at www.sunz.org.nz/diary-of-a-disciple-lukes-story
$20.99 AUGUST 2018 29
H OT S H OT S M I N I - S TA R S I N T H E B I B L E
$12.99 Stories of famous kids in the Bible. The setting for the four books of Series One (1-4) is a little league basketball club that meets every Friday night with Jeff who coaches them basketball and helps them to discover important things from the Bible. This book has 60 Bible readings with activities and other things to do - even basketball tips! Buy HotShots Mini-Stars of the Bible at www.sunz.org.nz/hotshots-mini-stars S N A P S H OT S T H RO U G H T H E Y E A R!
This yearbook provides Bible reading material for 8- to 11-year-olds all year round. Each day children will discover more about God through a short Bible reading and a variety of other activities such as cracking codes, filling in missing letters, drawing pictures, thinking and praying. A broad range of Bible passages have been chosen across the Old and New Testaments with extra feature pages on relevant current-day topics. Buy SnapShots through the year at www.sunz.org.nz/snapshots-through-the-year
$15.99 30 www.sunz.org.nz
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Support our ministry Your support helps us to work with churches and in our ministry to children and youth in your neighbourhood and in communities all around New Zealand. I would like to donate $30 $50 $100 $250 $500 $ (Your choice) Monthly donation One off donation My cheque is enclosed
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AUGUST 2018 31
S TAY I N T H E L O O P
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sunz He rama t찾u kupu ki 천ku wae
PO BOX 760, Wellington 6140 | 0508 423 836 | info@sunz.org.nz He rama t찾u kupu ki 천ku wae | Your word is a lamp to my feet. Psalm 119:105 SUNZ is a member of the Scripture Union International Family