INTRODUCING GEORGE BATES

We asked George, our writer for ‘Light for the Path’ to introduce himself to you. Here’s what he had to say: Tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Kapukataumahaka te maunga tata ki tōku ngākau, ko Ōwheo te awa e rere ana ki te Tai o Ōtakau, ko John Wickliffe te waka me ko Bates te hapū. Ko Nick rātou ko Rachel, ko Kezia, ko Heidi, ko Harry ōku whānaunga. Ko George ahau. Ki te Ariki Nui, kia whakakororia, ā, ki a tātou katoa, kia pangoro o te Wairua Tapu. Kia ora. Hi everyone, I’m George and I’m super stoked to have the opportunity to write the Light for the Path in this magazine! I’ve had some awesome input into my walk with Christ from Scripture Union so it is a blessing to give back.

My involvement with SUNZ has primarily been in attendance to Exodus Prime, a high-school-age leadership camp in January each year. In the three years that I have attended EP, the teaching, relationships, encouragement and positive experiences I’ve gained have had serious input into the way I understand God, myself and the world around me. Neville and Kerran Bartley and the awesome leaders they recruit for camp inspire me, and much of my growth as Christ’s person has come from rubbing shoulders with these supportive, wise mentors. I live down in Dunedin and am involved at Leith Valley Presbyterian Church each Sunday. I’m in Year 13 (that’s 7th form) at King’s High School, a public boy’s school of about 1000. I’m passionate about running, I have enjoyed Maths, Science and English in the past few years, but in 2020 I’m mostly loving Spanish and Te Reo Māori. Greater than academia, though, my main focus this year is leadership, with the role of Head Boy at my school. I see this as a great opportunity to bear witness to the goodness of our God by leading from the strength that He provides. I hope to be seen primarily as one who walks in the way of Jesus. May my words about Scripture shed some light on the path of life God has set before us, and strengthen you as you trust in the Holy Spirit each day.

Kia Kaha, Kia Toa, Kia Manawanui.

I HOPE TO " BE SEEN PRIMARILY AS ONE WHO WALKS IN THE WAY OF JESUS.

Out and About LATEST UPDATE

This year has been a bit like this picture for us here at Scripture Union NZ. We started the year with one set of plans but like many other people, we have had to turn around and come up with a completely different set of plans.

Not everything has changed though. Our mission is still the same. It’s to help children and young people discover Jesus and become life-long disciples who serve the world around them. This is what God has called us to and, although this is a time of change, our call remains the same. We’ve been encouraged and excited to find new and genuine ways to express this call while we have been experiencing the effects of Covid-19 here in New Zealand. We have discovered so many opportunities and seen God at work in what we are doing.

Here are just a few of the highlights: • We have developed a new website to provide targeted and quality resources to assist churches work with children and young people and their families as they learn a new way of being. You can find it at sunzbreakthrough.org.nz . Please check it out and recommend it to anyone that may find it helpful.

• A daily Bible reflection is being uploaded on Instagram by our Camps Facilitators

Natalie Duchesne and Paul Humphreys, and we now have over 440 young people following.

• A Bible engagement series for children and families during COVID-19 has been written by Annette Osborne, our

Children’s Consultant. It has been very well received by a range of denominations here in New Zealand who have passed it on to their families and it has been distributed to many other countries through SU International. You can even get it in French and Spanish now.

• New downloads for the Engage Bible

Reading App have increased and regular use has doubled.

• Daily Bread and Encounter with

God, our daily Bible reading guides, are being read by more than 1800 people this month and people have told us they have been a real source of encouragement over this time.

One flat of young adults who are using Daily Bread to read the Bible and pray together, rang me and asked me to pray with them recently.

• We emailed many of the people who support us and pray for us to tell them some of these stories and we received many wonderful responses as people wrote back to us to say they were praying for us.

As you read this issue of the Adventure Magazine, we pray you will be encouraged and find new insight into God’s word. We ask for your prayers, too, for our children and young people and their families across Aotearoa New Zealand. Pray that they will use this time to engage with the Bible and that as they do, their relationship with God will grow and deepen into a lifelong faith.

HILARY HAGUE National Director Scripture Union New Zealand

A TRIBUTE TO ROS CHAMBERLIN

Many friends of SUNZ gathered at Duders Beach on 15 February to honour the life and work of a treasured member of the Scripture Union family, Ros Chamberlin, who tragically died on Ponui Island on Waitangi Day. For over 30 years, Ros welcomed thousands of campers and visitors to Ponui. She was a wonderful host, genuinely interested in people and generous with her time. For camp directors, she was an encouraging presence and calm voice in tricky situations.

Her care ran deep, not only for people but for animals and the land. Ros furthered conservation for Ponui, both in working with Massey University in kiwi and conservation research and in re-vegetating the island, using plants cultivated in her own nursery. Ponui is more than a place – it is a family, and Ros’ death leaves an immense gap. To David, Louise, Megan and Michelle we extend our deepest love at your great loss. We hope that we can continue to follow the example Ros set, of caring deeply and consistently for those around us, whanau and whenua alike.