ISSN 1176-5143
O AY2G E
W AGAZIN M
IDE
ADVENTURE INS
FEBRUARY 2017
OUR
CHILDREN IN
OUR
CHURCH How are we including kids in our Christian communities?
INSIDE CHURCH FOR ALL
CHILD THEOLOGY
SQUARE PEGS IN A ROUND HOLE
editorial Aotearoa New Zealand is a country of two cultures – the original inhabitants of this land, and those who arrived after that. This year I will be at Waitangi where the covenant between the original inhabitants and those who arrived after them was signed. It is only relatively recently in our history that the application of the treaty and an appreciation of the nuances of Maori community have become a serious pursuit. Scripture Union too is on a journey to discover what it means to be a responsible partner in this treaty relationship. One striking aspect of Maori culture is the distinction between the collective and the individual. This is fundamental to understanding how our lives are lived together. Perhaps the most common expression of it is Whanau. We think of this as meaning family but it is richer and more multi layered than that. It is through the whanau that values, histories, and traditions from the ancestors are adapted for the contemporary world. There is room for the individual but rights and responsibilities are always understood in relation to what is good for the broader group. 2 www.sunz.org.nz
Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini taku toa. My strength does not come from my individuality, my strength comes from many. A way that we can experience something of the whanau dynamic in our Christian communities is by encouraging an intergenerational church community. This Adventure explores what it means to worship alongside each other, to serve our communities together, to experience and explore life together as ways of shaping faith. We apply this in particular to the inclusion of children in our communities. This is vital because we know that identity, faith, belonging, and relating across generational divides need an environment that encourages the good of the community. An understanding of whanau provides good soil for these activities to take place.
WAYNE FRASER National Director
contents Features 4
HOW ARE CHILDREN INVOLVED IN THE WIDER LIFE OF THE CHURCH?
Annette Osborne
10
CHURCH FOR ALL
12
A TALE OF TWO ENDINGS
14
NEW ZEALAND CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NETWORK
20
CHILD THEOLOGY
22
SQUARE PEGS IN A ROUND HOLE
Jill Kayser
Nigel Winder Liz Eichler
Annette Osborne & Andrew Ramsbottom Neville Bartley
Interviews 8
Q&A - WHAT’S YOUR DREAM FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN CHURCH?
Children’s ministry leaders
Updates 25
LIGHT FOR THE PATH
26
OUT AND ABOUT FEBRUARY
Toni McDonald
Children’s Ministry 15
WAY2GO MAGAZINE
Resources 28
RESOURCES FOR LIFE February 2017 3
HOW ARE CHILDREN INVOLVED IN THE WIDER LIFE OF THE CHURCH? BY A NNE T TE O SBO RN E Ch ildren an d Families Team, SU NZ
Chapter Eight of Nehemiah describes what has become known as the ‘Festival of Booths’. The Jewish people are instructed to: “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” So the people went out and brought them, and made booths for themselves, each on the roofs of their houses, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God… And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them…”1 Imagine the community heading out into the fields around their village to gather their branches. Watch branches falling to the ground as saws do their work. See that toddler dragging a giant branch through the dirt. Smell the scent of myrtle as it is crushed by hands. Feel the crackle of twigs and leaves. Hear the sounds of laughter as a leafy branch accidently swipes someone’s face as it is carried home. Imagine the construction of the booths. Everyone outside in the courtyards, tying 4 www.sunz.org.nz
branches together. Families, with the stranger welcomed in. Bedding is added, meals are made. And as the community settles down for the night inside their booths they remember the time their ancestors were wandering in the desert and had to make shelters to sleep in. They retell the story of God’s faithfulness to our ancestors as they wandered in the desert. God who dwells with us. There is something very ‘together’ about this event. Community together. Families together. Faith and storytelling and experience woven together, like branches of myrtle. When we consider the involvement of children as members of our church families, it is easy to simply list off all the ways they are present or active in our services. Do they participate in Bible reading? Do they help hand around the
1 Nehemiah 8:15-17 2 This survey is conducted every two years and published
in a booklet entitled, ‘He waka eke noa; Children’s Ministry in New Zealand’. It can be accessed online at www.sunz.org.nz
Community together. Families together. Faith and storytelling and experience woven together, like branches of myrtle.
offering bag? Do they read the prayers of the people? But the Festival of Booths offers us a picture of faith woven through all of life. It points us to the reality that we experience faith as it is lived out through ritual as well as the ordinary events of our daily lives. We have been exploring what it means for children to be involved in the wider life of the church. What does it look like for children to participate in the faith practices of their church family beyond what happens on a Sunday morning? One way we have done this is through our recent Children’s Ministry Survey.2 Churches from all around New Zealand responded, across denominations and independent churches. We asked them about children and the wider life of their church. Here is some of what we discovered: 3
70% Over 70% of churches with children include children in fun events for all ages.
32% 32% involve children in community service projects.
33% 33% involve children in mission projects actively involving children.
4% 4% are involved in church planning and direction. These statistics raise some questions for us to ponder. February 2017 5
church has done well over the years, and these events often provide spaces for both church and non-church families to participate. These events allow relationships to form and life experience to be shared. How do these events connect with other experiences that help to shape faith? These statistics tell us that a third of the churches who responded to our survey involve children in serving their community. A third of churches involve children in mission projects. That is something to be celebrated. How do we share these stories? What have these churches learned that could help others to do the same? This is especially important because service and mission are great ways of nurturing faith. They are key strategies for helping children and young people develop a deep and life-long faith.
life • The emphasis is on people and their relationships with God and each other rather than on programmes • The church leadership empowers the people to create and own ways of relating to each other • Because children are present in every part of church life, they are formed by the faith of the members of the congregation What a great list! Children are members of the family of God. They contribute in their own ways, and provide richness to our faith experiences. They participate alongside youth and adults in shaping faith. Let’s continue to think through what it means to celebrate their contributions and recognise their gifts to us.
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When it comes to church planning and direction setting, the involvement of children has not traditionally been considered. Only 4% of churches who responded to our survey included children in this. What would it look like to include children’s input into the direction of our churches? What perspectives and depth might they bring to our conversations? I recently came across this list that outlines what a healthy church looks like. As we consider the place of children in the wider life of the church, I like to think of each item on this list as a branch woven into our booths. 4 The authors of ‘Children Matter’ write, a healthy church is one where: • All people are welcomed and shown respect • The church leadership loves and cares for the people, and they know it • In turn, people love and care for each other • Church life is thought of and treated as family 6 www.sunz.org.nz
You can read more by downloading a free copy from our website www.sunz.org.nz. 4 Children Matter: Celebrating their place in the church, family and community. By Scottie May, Beth Posterski, Catherine Stonehouse and Linda Cannell. 3
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SCRIPTURE UNION NZ'S CONFERENCE FOR ALL CHILDREN’S MINISTRY LEADERS INVERCARGILL 27 MAY
AUCKLAND 10 JUNE
WELLINGTON 24 JUNE
To register or for more information visit
www.sunz.org.nz/way2go
February 2017 7
Q&A What’s your dream for children and adults in church?
We asked some Children’s Ministry leaders in NZ to share a few of their dreams with us.
JIL L KAYSER
Kids Friendly Coach, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand Jill is the national leader of Kids Friendly, the PCANZ children’s ministry.
I dream of churches where… old people have young friends and children have old friends. Where old and young and everyone in-between greet each other by name, are interested in each other’s lives, pray for each other, share stories, learn together and play together. I dream of churches where… older people invite younger people 8 www.sunz.org.nz
to work and walk and learn alongside them. Where old and young talk about God and faith and how that helps them navigate life. I dream of churches where… old and young are transformed by their relationships with each other and Christ and they know they really matter and have so much to contribute to each other, the church and the world.
K A REN WARNER
National Team Leader of Children and Family Ministries, Baptist Churches of NZ
My dream for our churches is that they would be places where children, teens and adults know each other and are growing in their love of Christ together. Where children have role models who show them how to live out their faith and how to grow and hold fast through the challenges that life brings. Where adults have the chance to see Jesus in the eyes of the children and know that these children have something to share that can revitalise and even challenge their faith. Most of all I want them to be places where together all ages are growing in their love of God, each other, and the world around them.
D IA N A L A N G DON
National Children and Families Ministry Enabler for the Anglican Dioceses of New Zealand
Our prayer is for all Anglican Dioceses, parishes, mission units and churches to be welcoming, intergenerational communities of faith, where children encounter God and find a place to belong. We want each child to be accepted as full and active members of the body of
Christ, walking a pilgrimage of faith with the whole church whÄ nau. A church that believes in their long-haul faith formation, accepts them for who they are and all they have to share, gives them opportunities to grow in their spiritual gifts, cheers them on to step out in faith, and offers them a bucket load of grace. February 2017 9
CHURCH FOR ALL – RECLAIMING OUR INTERGENERATIONAL ROOTS
BY JIL L KAYSE R K i ds F r i en dly Coa c h, P re s b yt e rian Church of A o te aro a N e w Zealand
10 www.sunz.org.nz
During a recent “Kids Friendly” review with a church, the children’s ministry leader was citing all the ways her church was “kids friendly”. “Oh yes and we have all-age worship once a month” she added. “What’s that like?” I asked. “Well….” she replied, “it’s a lot of work and we’ve noticed that our numbers can drop those Sundays.” “Do the kids like it?” I asked. “Um, I don’t think so,” she replied. “In fact my own kids ask if they can miss church on all-age Sundays.” “Worship with something to offend everyone” is one way “all-age” worship has been described. The thing is that successful worship for all needs to grow out of a culture that values all. I’m not saying that all ages shouldn’t worship together, but forcing all ages, who have no relationship with or appreciation of each other, to worship together once a month will probably not grow an intergenerational culture and may even work against that. So I’d like to suggest that before we even think of asking all ages to worship together, we invite all ages to play together, because that’s how we start to create an all-age (or intergenerational) church. A minister shared this story with me. He was called to a church and said he would only accept the call if they were open to becoming an intergenerational church — a church where “people of different ages do things together” (Holly Allen and Christine Ross, Intergenerational Christian Formation). As worship is one of our key Christian practices he decided to start there, but of course as soon as he tried to set up the church café style and have all ages doing things together in worship, he started to receive criticism and experience resistance. He wondered how he could help his congregation experience the joy of being
together. So he asked the congregation to commit to all-age friendship groups for six months. He divided the people into groups ranging in age from 0 to 99, and told them they should meet once a month for fun and friendship. No Bible study or prayer required – just pure unadulterated fun! The activities ranged from bush walks to board game evenings, picnics and days at the beach. Within months he noticed a real change in attitude during worship. No longer were people just sitting with those they knew, inevitably of similar ages. Instead little Johnny would enter the church and see 78-year-old Uncle Harry sitting at a table and run to join him. Harry was one of his favourite uncles now after they had walked the bush together, learning the names of birds and seeing how many insects they could spot! Being an intergenerational church is much more than worshipping together. In an intergenerational church relationships across the generations are prioritised and fostered in all aspects of church life. There is a desire and intent for all to worship together, learn together, pray together, serve together and play together. “Intergenerational” is a way of being. It is integral to the church’s culture. It is who they are. Being INTERGENERATIONAL is INTENTIONAL and honours our faith’s past, today and in the future!
February 2017 11
a tale of two endings?
BY NIGEL WINDER Ch ildren an d Famlies Team, SUNZ
Max and Liz are both ten years old and are good friends at school. They both come from Christian homes where they are encouraged in their relationship with God and church attendance. When Max goes to church with his family on Sunday morning, his parents are greeted at the door and given that week’s bulletin. Max is ignored but heads off into the kid’s church hall where the music is pumping and 50 other kids are already chasing a large ball around the room. After 10 minutes, a biscuit and drink, the music team crank up the decibels and the kids shout and dance and praise God with all their might. 12 www.sunz.org.nz
The children take a well-earned seat as the lights are dimmed and a professional and biblically sound DVD is shown with that week’s animated Bible Story. Afterwards they are directed to a variety of amazing art and craft activities to choose from at stations around the hall. Max loves the construction stuff and spends the next half-hour there until the music starts up for the final round of fun and upbeat songs. By the time the songs are finished his parents are waiting to take him home. His parents ask him how it was and Max says he has had fun and shows them his craft handiwork. Liz on entering her church has her hand vigorously shaken by one of her friends helping their parents on door duty. Mr Marshall says how nice it is to see her and asks her about
her ballet exam she has just sat. He passes her a fist full of Mints in a secret handshake. Liz finds a seat with her parents. Mrs Hansen (now in her 90’s) turns in her seat and asks Liz how those nasty girls have been at school. She reassures Liz that she is still praying about it for her. The worship team get up and the kids are invited to come up and join them. Liz does so, grabbing a shaker from the available box of instruments. While not understanding the words in some of the older songs, she can see very plainly from the front just how much they mean to some of the people in church as they close their eyes (some with tears) and raise their hands. She giggles to herself as some of the adults muck up the action songs looking quite uncoordinated, but they are laughing and enjoying praising God. During share time Liz is riveted to her seat as Mr Simpson shares how painful it has been since losing his wife. He thanks the church for all their wonderful support and says he wouldn’t have got through without their love and God’s peace. Liz wonders how he can still say he loves God after being through such a sad time. She decides she will send him a nice card with muffins when she gets home. Liz likes the preacher’s sermon because he uses lots of stories and pictures. Sometimes he brings in props or gets the kids to act something out for him. Whenever he uses big words he explains them and reminds even the kids how they can apply the truths he is sharing. Liz is allowed to hop down on the floor and doodle while she listens. In the discussion time after the sermon Liz gets to ask some questions and hear what others have been challenged or encouraged by. It always amazes her how everyone seems to get something slightly different out of the same sermon. Others seem so interested in what she is thinking and she feels comfortable enough to
say a short prayer thanking God. Even a couple of five-year-olds who really look up to her follow her lead and say a sentence prayer too. After the “Amen” she looks up and wonders why some of the adults are wiping their eyes. During communion it is clearly explained what it all means and why they share it as a church family. She puts some of her pocket money in the collection and watches as others do the same. After the service while the adults are having their cuppa she plays with some friends and the younger kids in the hall. Some older teenagers and adults join in. On the way home she and her parents chat about the service, testimonies and sermon. They discuss some ways they could serve and encourage others in the church as a family. Liz shares about the card she wants to send to Mr Simpson. I wonder how will these two tales will end? Who do you think will still be going to church when they are an adult? Where is the deeper and richer faith formation happening? “…the frequent and regular cross-generational opportunities for worship, learning, outreach, service and fellowship offer distinctive spiritual benefits and blessings.”1 Where do you see the benefits of intentional intergenerational faith formation happening at your church on Sunday morning and the subsequent growing of deeper relationships?
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Intergenerational Christian Formation – Bringing the whole church together in ministry, community and worship. Holly Catterton Allen and Christine Lawton Ross, InterVarsity Press 2012, p 47
February 2017 13
BY LIZ E ICHLER Ch ildren ’s an d Families Team, SUNZ
It sounds like a bit of a mouthful, but in actual fact, the ‘mouthful’ is more the good times of sharing ideas and resources, the coffee and the yummy food shared afterwards. For years, children and families workers have been gathering together in cluster groups and training sessions around the country, well organised within different denominations but without a lot of connecting across those boundaries. The New Zealand Children’s Ministry Network has come about through a desire of different organisations and denominations involved to work together and share resources for children’s ministry. The Network is not meant to replace what has been happening, but rather to draw all these things together, share what is being done — we are not reinventing the wheel! If one group is running a session on Easter resources then, rather than everyone else running similar sessions, all are invited to the one session. It’s quite simple really — and a great way of tapping into a wider range of people resources. 14 www.sunz.org.nz
It is really exciting and very encouraging. We are working together, collaborating, moving away from our silos, joining hands and sharing in the joy of children and families ministry. It is a real affirmation of the value of this work within our churches. Network gatherings are as different and varied as we all are, but what they have in common is the desire to encourage each other in our ministries and the shared call to journey with children and families in our churches and our wider communities. The Network website, www.nzcmn.org.nz, lists events that are coming up, regional contacts and situations vacant. It’s easy to send in information to have added to the website. Have a look and see what’s coming up in your area. And if you’re especially keen and willing, we can help you to set up a Network group in your own area. It’s over to you now. The New Zealand Children’s Ministry Network is brought to you by Baptist Children and Families, New Zealand Bible Society, Kids Friendly, Messy Church, Strandz, unlimited and Scripture Union New Zealand.
E3 Canterbury Date: 10-20 December 2016 Cost $500 Start: Christchurch
Help shape the future of Scripture Union NZ as a voting member Scripture Union NZ (SUNZ) is an organisation which depends on volunteers for our day-to-day mission. We deeply appreciate the many ways people are actively supporting our mission: as volunteers in camps or schools ministries, SUPAkidz clubs, Bible reading promotion, SUNZ training and other roles; through financial and prayer support; as users of SUNZ resources. Supporters of SUNZ can also make an important contribution to the future shaping of SUNZ’s mission by becoming a voting member. Voting Members commit themselves to being a guardian of SUNZ’s Statement of Faith and Values and to turning up and voting when required. Membership is renewed every three years. If you would like to apply to become a voting member please go to www.sunz.org.nz/membership to find the membership link.
child theology –
the way forward BY AN N E T TE O SBO RN E & A ND RE W R AM SBOT TO M Children and Families Team, SUNZ
An argument had broken out. Nothing new about that! The only way to settle it was to ask Jesus. So they tracked him down. This particular argument was about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. You can imagine them jostling for position as they hovered over Jesus, who had moments earlier been enjoying a chat with some children under the shade of an olive tree. ‘Who is the greatest?’ Isn’t that a modern question! 20 www.sunz.org.nz
In what was a completely unexpected and shocking move, Jesus called one of the children over to stand near him, and told those grownups that if they wanted to enter the kingdom of heaven they needed to change and become like a child. If they became humble as this child, then they would be great in the kingdom of heaven.
how academia and practice can be closely woven together. This has caused us to ask, what does this close relationship look like in a New Zealand context and how can we contribute to this?
Imagine the look of shock and shame on the faces of the disciples, and how their argument about greatness died on their lips.
Annette had the opportunity to share for 15 minutes about the New Zealand child, and began with the trailer from ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’, the latest New Zealand film to make it big at home and abroad. The trailer introduces us to a boy named Ricky who is in some ways a typical kid, and in other ways transcends the labels we might attach to him. This turned out to be a thought-provoking session, with much conversation afterwards about the difficulties children face. We both came away aware of the deep hurt and shame in Australia around its treatment of children, especially indigenous children and refugee communities.
A central text for the Child Theology movement is found in Matthew 18:1-5. Jesus calls a child into the presence of the disciples and changes the whole conversation. Child Theology is a way of thinking that places the child in the midst of our theological conversations. When we gather to interpret the Bible, what difference does it make if we picture a child in your midst? How might our conversations be different? Child Theology as a formal movement has been around since 2000, spearheaded by Haddon Willmer and Keith White. Recently we were invited to attend a three-day ‘Child Theology Futures’ event in Melbourne. The consultation we attended was to discuss where we see Child Theology developing and growing in the future. The consultation included delegates from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. It was a great privilege to be invited to participate, and we returned to New Zealand with our heads spinning! It will take us some time to process the conversations had, and their implications for us. So, let us offer several initial thoughts as a beginning point to reporting on this consultation. The first thing we were both struck by was how great it was to be in a room packed with great minds and great practitioners. It was encouraging to see
‘Who is the greatest?’
The way forward is yet to be determined. As often happens with these kinds of gatherings, much was discussed and much was left open for further discussion. A report will be compiled and distributed early next year, and we aim to share more with you at a later date.
1. 2.
Matthew 18:1-5 If you want to read more about Child Theology as a movement, I would be happy to share more with you over a cup of coffee. Or, you might like to read ‘Toddling to the Kingdom’, John Collier (Editor), published by The Child Theology movement, 2008
February 2017 21
round hole square pegs in a
- Young people in an intergenerational church BY NEV IL L E BARTL EY Yo uth Ministr y Lead er, SU NZ
Intergenerational church is a wonderful term but what does it mean to our youth? Honestly many of them still feel like a square peg in a round hole, because as one young person said “the idea is great but it is still run and organized by adults”. He was really saying that he still didn’t feel like he really had a real voice or even any position of power or decision making. If we are truly going to have intergenerational church there has to be a way that we allow these young men and women to have a true voice and have the opportunity to truly be in decision making roles. 22 www.sunz.org.nz
Some people say that young people need to learn to have respect for older people, but actually in a lot of situations it is actually the so-called adult that needs to learn to have respect for the young person. If church in general is to survive, and if intergenerational church is to flourish, young people are a key component. Their world is changing more rapidly than ever before and if we don’t get their input, their wisdom on how to engage with their generation, then we are never going to get it right. The participation and involvement of youth in intergenerational church is vital for it to work
effectively. At SUNZ we have been blessed over the last few years to work with an amazing group of young leaders from around New Zealand. These are leaders that have been recognized by their churches and given the opportunities within their churches to truly use their leadership gifts. These young leaders are flourishing and the ministries they are involved in are flourishing. One of the key reasons behind the intergenerational movement was the fact that young adults were leaving the church, so let’s get them involved, they look at the world so differently to many of us. They will be a key
to the church surviving into the future. They possess knowledge and understanding that older adults can sometimes only observe. If we allow them to use that to guide all of us then it will go a long way to stop them and future generations following them from feeling like square pegs in a round hole. If we can make them feel as though they are truly a part of it and that it is not just another structure that really is controlled by older adults then I think the intergenerational church may truly flourish and truly make a difference.
February 2017 23
A 10–WEEK BIBLE READING EXPERIENCE What
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DBOD16.indb 73
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Story of Noah – Genesis 6:9 – 8:22 God pushed the rest button and Noah and his family became the fresh start for mankind. Noah eventually surfaced out of the bowels of the ark to release a dove - which comes back with an olive branch.
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The layers of symbolism are so rich in this passage it could be argued Noah released the Holy Spirit and peace out over the troubled waters and it returned after achieving peace and brought reconciliation. In biblical times olive oil was also used for revenue, tithes, lighting, food and purification. It also represents sovereignty, gladness, joy, righteousness, wealth and life. All the symbolism paints a picture of a loving Father God, who is completely for us, regardless of the storms we may be enduring. The peace Noah released took dominion. Our words carry authority because God’s word in your mouth is still God’s word.
God’s plan may not be for you to be a grand ark-builder, but you are still an important part of his plan. Nelson Mandela once said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It’s our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children and as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” We are actually all Noahs – changing the world we live in by whom we serve and what we send out. We change our world in relationship with the Father and using the wisdom, knowledge, understanding He gives us, like Noah did – walking by faith, not by sight. And like Noah, giving Him our best – brightly shining regardless of our circumstances.
Learning to co-operate with the Holy Spirit is the foundation of all ministry and a skill we develop through practice and relationship with our heavenly Father. Servant-leadership is about: hearing his voice; obediently being his voice; his hands and his feet. Noah soldiered on building his ark regardless of the cultural peer pressure. February 2017 25
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out &
about WELLINGTON JA M UE L E N R I Q U EZ
What an amazing summer camp season we had! We had a total of 15 camps over summer held all across NZ. We had an amazing turnout from excited campers, with each camp nearly filled to the brim (We didn’t have to cancel a single camp). We are so thankful here in the Wellington office for the enthusiastic young people who attended our camps – praise God! While our busy camping season has recently finished we are working hard in the Wellington office planning for the year ahead. God has really blessed us in 2016 and as the ball has swiftly begun to roll for this year we pray for many more amazing opportunities!
26 www.sunz.org.nz Ponui Camp changeover time at Kawakawa Bay
OTAGO/SOUTHLAND NI G E L W I N DER
Yeah for summer and a boat load of awesome camps. It is a real joy, after all the hard work to get our E3 camps up and running, to see both these life transforming events full. Some of the other camps are also at capacity with a few others getting close. I always get encouraged when I see past SUPAkidz campers registering for youth camps and continuing their association with SUNZ. Meanwhile the camps administration machine was top notch throughout the whole camping season. Go Heather and Bronwyn – you are stars! Over the summer, Aaron led the Wild Wanaka Camp and helped lead Exodus Prime – Young Leaders Development Camp in Wellington. I’ve been preparing for the WAY2GO Children’s Ministry Training Days for 2017, so we can get the brochures to the printers quickly. What a great year of ministry 2016 has been in the south. Roll on 2017!
AUCKLAND SYLVI A COULT ER
Thirty-two people attended youth camp leaders’ training weekend at the end of November. Organised by Jenny Mackie and other members of Auckland Camps Working Group (CWoG), the
time on Ponui Island included sessions on life guard training and kayaking. Auckland youth worker, Andy trained new leaders for running small groups, and national youth leader, Neville spoke on helping young people have personal time with God, and how to build camp community spirit – something they practised as they cooked breakfast in groups on the beach. Praying together laid the foundation for the summer programmes. February 2017 27
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MOSAIC
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$22.99 each Buy one of our Mosaic books online at www.sunz.org.nz/mosaic 28 www.sunz.org.nz
T H E J E S U S S TO RY B O O K B I B L E
The Moonbeam Award Gold Medal Winner in the religion category, The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the Story unfolds, children will pick up the clues and piece together the puzzle. A Bible like no other, The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God’s great story of salvation and at the center of their Story too.
Buy the Jesus Storybook Bible online at www.sunz.org.nz/ jesus-storybook-bible
$19.99
S N A P S H OT S T H R O U G H T H E B I B L E
$16.99 Snapshots through the Bible contains Bible reading notes for 8 to 11s for a whole year. 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 Bibles passages have been chosen from the Old and New Testaments with extra feature pages on relevant current day topics.
Buy Snapshots through the Bible at www.sunz.org.nz/ snapshots-through-thebible February 2017 29
K I D S S L I M L I N E H O LY B I B L E ( N L T )
Order one of these NEW bibles at 0508 423 836
$29.99 This Kids Slimline Bible in the New Living Translation includes a 53-page dictionary/ concordance that helps kids locate passages on various topics, 8 pages of full-colour maps, a ribbon marker, and more. It is especially suitable for kids 8-12. This bible has an extra-special, quality feel with its beautiful leather like cover and stitching.
Z I P S C A N VA S B I B L E ( N LT )
$27.99 Each Zips Bible has a unique canvas cover with a practical zipper closure that not only accents the cover design, but also keeps the Bible pages protected. This compact Bible is perfect for the active lifestyle of today’s teens. Features include a presentation page, coloured page edges, the full text of the New Living Translation, plus 26 pages of extra material in the front to help teens know more about the Bible and God’s plan for their lives. 30 www.sunz.org.nz
Order one of these NEW bibles at 0508 423 836
Adven
The long wait is finally over Check out out the more resources check online resources on our online store at: at:
www.suresources.org.nz www.sunz.org.nz The new to web store is now liveonline so bestore sure for to take a look Be sure take a look at our a selection of resources. We continually add atwonderful the wonderful selection of resources. to will our be growing selection of books and resources be We adding a growing selection of ebookssoover
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S TAY I N T H E L O O P
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/sunz.nz FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @newzealandsu VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.sunz.org.nz
PO BOX 760, Wellington 6140 | 0508 423 836 | info@sunz.org.nz He rama tãu kupu ki õku wae | Your word is a lamp to my feet. Psalm 119:105 SUNZ is a member of the Scripture Union International Family