AROUND
WORLD THE
ANNETTE OSBORNE | SU International Children’s Consultant
T
he last year has brought with it many changes. Firstly, we all know much more about viruses than we ever did before. We have learned about vaccine development and have expanded our vocabulary to include frequent use of such words as ‘bubble’ and ‘unprecedented’. At the click of a button, we learned that the whole world can be zoomed into our living rooms! It has also impacted the way in which we minister with children, young people and their families. Many of these changes will have long term effects, positive and negative. As we think about the future, I want to highlight a couple of global trends, challenges and opportunities I see as a result of my role with Scripture Union International, and how they are shaping ministry with children.
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Creative opportunities It will come as no surprise that the online and digital space has significantly influenced ministry with children and young people globally. When most countries around the world went into different degrees of lockdown, many of Scripture Union’s ministries stopped. Camps closed and schools were shut. But out of this situation, creative opportunities were discovered. Several movements created online camps, with one team even recreating an adventure style camp with young people recreating rock climbing and rafting activities. Picture a young person creating a raft out of their bathtub and pretending to ride the rapids! Another team has utilized a popular online game called MineCraft, to create Bible scenes for children to explore and, in turn, explore the biblical story.
