Issuu

connecting you in prayer and action with Scripture Union

June â€“ August 2015

dition:

Inside this e

Away we go! Why residentials really matter

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A massive summer of mission Every holiday and mission at a glance

Pop-up mission Quick, easy and effective

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Contents 3 4–7 8

Welcome from National Director Tim Hastie-Smith

Chatterbox Wondering what this is? All is revealed on page 15!

The power of time away Why residential holidays remain such an important part of SU ministry

Pop-up mission Our Wales team introduces a flexible new way to do mission wherever you are and whoever you’re with this summer

We are a community in mission A look back on our national conference and news of how you can join with the SU community to pray for children and young people we know

Helping build Ancora News of the oﬃcial launch of our immersive Bible app for 8s to 11s Summer Special Your pull-out-and-keep guide to every summer holiday and mission

Chatterbox

Connecting You is the supporter and prayer magazine of Scripture Union England and Wales produced four times a year, bringing together news, features and comments from key volunteers and staff. We aim to keep you in touch with what God is doing through the work you support. Connecting You magazine is also available online at: www.scriptureunion.org.uk/ prayer. If you have a story for Connecting You, or a suggestion on how we could improve our service to you, please contact the editor at the address to the right.

Published by Scripture Union 207–209 Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 2EB.

connecting you in prayer and action with Scripture Union

June – August 2015

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Inside this editio Away we go! Why residentials really matter

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A massive summer of mission Every holiday and mission at a glance

Pop-up mission Quick, easy and effective

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Not odd to talk about God Welcome to the summer edition of Connecting You After Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, Matthew’s gospel tells us that it was children who took up the shout: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ which they kept on crying in the temple. They didn’t need to be asked – it was the most natural thing in the world to them. Kids don’t need to be told to share good news – they just do. If something is important to a child, they tell someone. So when it comes to telling others about Jesus they do that naturally, too. For them it’s not odd to talk about God. In many ways I find the whole business of teaching Christians to share their faith is upside down – we shouldn’t have to do it. It ought to be an overflow. But of course we know it’s rarely like that. As we become ‘maturer’ (there’s a misnomer if ever there was one!) we often become more hesitant about evangelism, more afraid of the reactions of others. So there is an important role for us as parents and leaders to create contexts where it goes on being natural to talk about God and what Jesus means to us. That’s where tools like Guardians of Ancora (pages 8–9), Fun-Size Mission Academies and Chatterbox (page 15) and of course holidays and missions (main feature and centre spread) come in. More broadly, we need to ensure that our homes and churches are environments where talking about God is always as natural as breathing air. Kids need to see us talking about our faith as if it’s the most important thing in the world to us – because it is! That can be especially diﬃcult when times are hard – during bereavement or unemployment, for example – but that’s when they work out if it’s real or not.

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Quite simply, kids will take the gospel seriously when they see adults taking it seriously. Take the example of Explore Together (SU’s new way of helping people of all-ages engage with the Bible). What it’s really saying is that it’s possible for me as an adult of 53 to read the Bible with a 9-year-old on totally equal terms. We are both engaging with the living God. Their experience is absolutely as real as mine. That’s at the very heart of what we’re trying to do at Scripture Union – taking children and young people’s faith seriously because we want them to take God seriously, too. That’s why we’re committed to going to the places where kids are and communicating the gospel in ways that are grounded in reality. Not ‘contemporary’ or ‘cool’ – just real. And not odd.

This issue, look out for these special prayer boxes. They feature prayers for children and young people that were on the hearts of those attending our conference back in March. Please join us in praying for these children. Turn to page 27 for more from the conference and how you can submit your own prayers for future editions.

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The power of time away This year around 2,500 children and young people will take part in SU’s vast programme of residential holidays across England and Wales. Here’s why that’s a very good thing… It’s been over a hundred years since Scripture Union began running residential breaks and holidays for children and young people. And while much has changed since then, our original reason for running them has not: we know that time away changes lives.

Time for… new experiences

Residentials challenge young people to step out of their comfort zones – in more ways than one. Many young people are introduced to new activities for the first time on holidays – whether that’s watersports, rock climbing, abseiling, drama or dance. New experiences can be nerve-wracking at first but for those willing to have a go, they can be enormously confidence-boosting, enabling self-discovery and personal growth. There’s also time to ask questions and probe the issues that really concern young people. Compared to a couple of hours per week in a

youth club, holiday leaders can invest deeply into young people over the course of a week, planting big ideas about God deep into young minds.

Time for… new friends

Young people and leaders alike often comment that a residential holiday offers ‘a little taste of heaven’, because for a few short days they glimpse community life as it is meant to be – mutual sharing and serving, a healthy rhythm of work and recreation, and lots of time invested in real relationships rather than computer games, TV and Facebook. Residential holidays bring together children and young people from all walks of life and with a diverse variety of personal experiences. Although campers will sometimes come knowing one or two friends, they have often found many new firm friends by the end of the week.

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Time for… God and his Word

Many young people experience a new freedom to worship, pray or read their Bible for themselves, encouraged by leaders who are praying for them each day and modelling what it looks like to treasure God’s Word. That’s surely why so many young people make new confessions of faith on holidays

and return home full of stories of how God has spoken to them personally. For many young people without access to large Christian youth groups where they live, SU holidays can provide an essential ‘faith recharge’ each year.

Amy Bryant has been a leader on SU’s Action Replay holiday for the last ten years SU’s Action Replay holiday is a week of my year that is unlike any other. There really is nothing I can compare it to – you just have to experience it for yourself! Action Replay has a young people’s training holiday that runs alongside it, Training in Action (16–17s), and lots of people who come on it are ex-campers from Action Replay. I went along to that one year and loved it so much I’ve been back on Action Replay every year since. A day at Action Replay is totally intense. Mornings are about small group reflections and sessions like dance, drama and sports; afternoons are about crazy team games and antics with loads of gunge and water. By the evening, when we worship and spend time getting into the Bible, everyone is ready for a bit of calm! We really, really care for the kids and make sure that it’s not only completely safe for them, but also that each one feels needed and part of the action right from the first day. We look out for young ones especially and make sure they’re meeting people and getting involved. Having so many younger leaders really helps with that because kids have ‘cool’ young people they can talk with, who are not much older than they are. The whole atmosphere of Action Replay is one of a caring family. My nephew, who

is autistic, asked to come on camp a year ago and we were a little concerned about how he would cope. But we needn’t have worried – the whole camp was so kind and loving towards him; he had an amazing time and started to believe in God through it. You get kids from all walks of life, many not from church backgrounds, and all experience exactly the same love and care. I think what makes it so special has a lot to do with the team. Our leaders Polly and Martin have their heads screwed on and are focused on sharing leadership and delegating duties. Every year you see how God moves powerfully through the holiday – it’s amazing how many people become Christians during the week, and how many young leaders ask to get baptised while we are there.

Why volunteer on an SU holiday?

‘I would say that it’s just a week to give up in exchange for an experience of a lifetime. You will never go anywhere else and experience what you experience there!’

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Emma Wilkin met her now husband on an SU holiday SU holidays were a big part of my Christian upbringing and many of my best memories of growing up are from these holidays. I am a big fan. I’ve always been thankful for having been brought up in the church. But SU holidays were the place I felt I really became my own person. It was there I really started to understand about God and felt him becoming real to me because everything was just for us, right at our level. I have so many good memories of the summers. There was a good balance of Christian stuff and fun activities, with something for everyone and activities to test and challenge you. I remember late-night treasure hunts in the forest, crazy team games and activities that you don’t normally do, like rock climbing and kayaking. There were lots of interesting and really creative talks from the Bible that I still remember. And I’ll never forget watching people getting baptised in a paddling pool in a school field!

Around the age of 15, I was going through a bit of a diﬃcult patch in my faith and I’d given up on church. But I still went to Soul in the City because I didn’t want to miss it. It was that year that actually I realised, ‘No, this is who I am and who I want to be,’ and I properly gave my life to Jesus. Another significant way SU holidays impacted my life almost didn’t happen! In my last year on Soul in the City, I wasn’t planning to go because I had some work experience lined up. But four days before the holiday started, that fell through, so I rang up to see if I could still come and they said yes. I’m glad they did because that year I met a new friend who turned out to be my husband! We’ve been married six years and now have a 2-year-old daughter, Lily-Anne. I can’t wait to give her the opportunity to attend SU holidays one day.

Why send a young person on an SU holiday?

‘If any parents were wondering about sending their children, I would say just do it! They’ll be hooked from day one. It’s a life-changing holiday.’

Count me in! Without the dedication of our amazing volunteers our holidays simply wouldn’t be possible, and we need people like you to ensure we can run these life-changing events. Have you ever thought about volunteering yourself? We know you won’t regret it if you do! Volunteering with SU is not only a great way to serve God, it’s great fun too and, if those who’ve volunteered already are to be believed, life-changing! It’s not too late to join the fun this summer and we’d really value your support. We’re 6

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Please pray for residential holidays

Week beginning May 31 SUNDAY 31

Thank God for the amazing opportunity we have each year to share the good news with children and young people through residential holidays. MONDAY 1

Ask God for real wisdom and insight as all the holiday teams prepare their Bible reading and spiritual programmes this year. TUESDAY 2

Please pray for all vacant spaces on holidays to be filled over the next few weeks. Pray especially for those teams still seeking leaders or team members. WEDNESDAY 3

Please lift up to God our junior team and those who are volunteering as holiday leaders for the first time this year. THURSDAY 4

really excited that even more children than usual are booked on to this summer’s holidays but it does mean we’re looking for more volunteers to ensure the events can go ahead. To find out more about the opportunities available and to sign up, go to www.scriptureunion.org.uk/countmein. And if volunteering’s not for you but you’d like to help in another way, you can help by praying (see the summer pull-out section in the centre of the magazine) or by giving a gift at www.scriptureunion.org.uk/donate. Find out all about SU Holidays at s. www.scriptureunion.org.uk/holiday 22932 Connecting You JJA AW.indd 7

Bring before God the thousands of young people who will be looking forward to their time away. Ask him to prepare them to receive something special from him this summer. FRIDAY 5

Ask God to bless all our holidays with a covering of safety and security, especially over outdoor and water activities. SATURDAY 6

Please pray that through our residential holidays many young people will get to know Jesus for the first time and choose to follow him. 7

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Kids bringing the Bible alive for their friends! Guardians of Ancora is nearly here and Josiah, 7, and Caleb, 10, canâ€™t wait

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Helping build Ancora

The brand new Guardians of Ancora Bible app is really capturing children’s imagination, as proved by these lovely notes from brothers Josiah and Caleb Cossar from Madehurst, West Sussex. Spotting the feature on Guardians of Ancora in the last edition of Connecting You, the young pair immediately set about odd jobs such as hedge trimming to add to money they had already saved up in their ‘God Box’ gift fund over about a year. ‘As soon as they saw the article about it, and all the lovely pictures, they were excited,’ says Josiah and Caleb’s mum, Alice. ‘They have told all their friends in school about Ancora and how excited they are to play it which itself has led to a lot of conversations about God. And they’ve been praying at bedtime that it would prosper, that loads and loads of people will play it and they will get to believe in Jesus.’

Good news spreads

Josiah and Caleb’s enthusiasm to share the Bible with their friends is so exciting because it demonstrates exactly the way we believe that news of Guardians of Ancora will spread. We know that once 8–11s start playing Ancora and get caught up in its immersive storytelling they will want to keep playing – and tell their friends about it, too. We imagine Ancora, therefore, not only as a platform for exciting new Bible learning, but also as a means for the joy of Bible discovery to spread right across peer groups. And ultimately, of course, we long to see thousands of young Ancora fans choosing to trust in the Lord Jesus, just as Josiah and Caleb have been praying.

Guardians of Ancora – what is it and when can I get it? Guardians of Ancora will be available from this summer as a free app for tablet devices such as the iPad. Although comprising many fun game elements, Ancora is much more than a computer game – it’s an entire virtual world children can enter to learn Bible stories and get to know God for themselves. Children enter Ancora as guardians of a fictional city and it’s their job to find lost stories through completing quests, meeting a host of engaging characters along the way.

to make this a big success. Whether it’s through our own kids, our grandchildren or children in church, let’s try and get as many as possible playing it. Perhaps you could talk about it in your church and think of ways your church can use it, and, if you are able to, consider donating to the project (at www.scriptureunion.org.uk/guardians) so we can reach thousands and millions of children in this country and worldwide.

‘I hope it will change the next generation’s thoughts and beliefs’ (Caleb, age 10) The launch of Guardians of Ancora this summer is an exciting opportunity for all of us, and we can all play our part in helping 9

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Prayers – week beginning June 7 Sunday 7 This is the World Weekend of Prayer for Children at Risk. Scripture Union movements around the world are collaborating in events to inspire individuals, SU family and churches to join the hundreds of thousands of people across more than forty countries who are participating in this global initiative. Take time to pray for vulnerable children around the world. More information can be found at www.viva.org/world-weekend-of-prayer.aspx.

Thursday 11 – Your prayers My prayer is for my brother. He shows no interest in faith, arguing he is fine without ‘all that God stuff ’. I ask that someone – anyone – is given the right words, actions, opportunities to reach into his life and transform it.

Friday 12 Monday 8 Over the next few weeks many local ministry partners, volunteers and staff will be going into schools to hand out copies of It’s Your Move and to make presentations to children preparing to move into secondary school. Please pray that again, this year, It’s Your Move will help reassure children and remove some of the stress of the change, but above all that they will understand that God wants to be involved in the whole of their lives and can support them when they are lonely or afraid.

Tuesday 9 Praise God for answered prayer for The Walk residential holidays that took place in Kent and Essex in May. Please continue to pray for the children as they remember the things that God spoke to them about during the weekends, and for their leaders as they continue the follow up from the events.

This weekend DSD Pendle takes place. This residential weekend is aimed at young people with little Christian background and is designed to encourage them to explore the Christian faith. Pray for safety during the many varied activates, for good and open conversations and for clear communication about Christ.

Saturday 13 At X:site Gloucester today there is a chance for those who will be attending the Lagger camps in the summer to meet each other, have a great evening together and discover more about Jesus. Pray that this evening will not only create a real sense of expectation for the summer camps, but will also give participants the opportunity to discover more about Jesus and his involvement in their lives.

Wednesday 10 For holiday and mission teams this is an important time of preparation. Programmes are coming together, activities organised, talks prepared and small group sessions planned. Pray that in all of this team members may know the guidance of the Holy Spirit and that they may find the time to do all that is needed. 10

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Prayers – week beginning June 14 Sunday 14 A Bible Ministry Consultation for the East and West Asia Region is scheduled to be held in Indonesia this month. It is hoped that 25 staff and key volunteers will come together. Pray for Jason Fong as he coordinates this event and for all the speakers and facilitators, asking that this will be a meaningful learning experience and that it will lead to major steps forward in the development of Bible Ministries in the region.

Monday 15 Lifepath Brinkburn which takes place at Brinkburn Priory in Northumberland starts today and runs until Friday. As groups from local schools explore the lives of the monks who lived, worshipped and worked there, pray that they will discover something more about what it means to follow God today. Pray, too, for other Lifepaths: Knutsford this Thursday, Isle of Man and Malvern 22–26 June and on 29, 30 June Malmesbury, which is based on the story of Eilmer the Flying Monk.

Wednesday 17 The London Mission Collective consists of a number of denominational and mission agencies and exists to coordinate and support activities in the London area. The steering group, which deals with ministry to children and young people and consists of SU, Urban Saints and Sublime, will be meeting today to evaluate progress and plan for the future. Pray for a sense of unity and for a clear understanding of where God is leading.

Thursday 18 In March we prayed for the publishing administrative team as they went through a period of change – a prayer that has been well and truly answered. Relationships are good and the new team member, Hannah Strachan, has settled in and is making a valuable contribution having picked everything up in record time. This is greatly helping the team catch up on the backlog created when they were short-staffed.

Friday 19 – Your prayers My prayer is for Abigail and Daniel to have the opportunity to find out about Jesus My prayer is for Sam to know Christ deeply for himself, rejoicing in the forgiveness he offers.

Tuesday 16 Today the East Regional team are running The Games at a primary school in Stowmarket. This is a morning’s activity programme based on the Rugby World Cup where children form groups based on different countries and visit a sports, creative and discovery zone where they learn about David’s courage in taking on Goliath. Pray that through this activity they will learn something of God’s power and how they can experience it in their own lives.

Saturday 20 Today local ministry partner, Christians and Sheﬃeld Schools, have their annual schools work conference. This is an opportunity to gain inspiration, information and motivation, to make connections, ask questions, find resources and discover new ideas. Pray that all those who come will go away with new enthusiasm and fresh ideas for their work in schools. 11

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Prayers – week beginning June 21 Sunday 21 With a few weeks until the summer season of holidays and missions starts in earnest, there are still some gaps in teams. Pray that the right people will come forward and that all teams will be at full strength. Ask God to weld the teams together into effective units for mission and ministry this summer.

Monday 22 SU’s local ministry partner in Reading, Learn4Life, have a week in St Andrew’s Preparatory School exploring the Bible through assemblies and lessons, setting up a prayer space, spending time chatting with the pupils and running games and activities. Pray for schools worker Paul Sparrey who is heading this up with a team of students and sixth formers from local schools and churches, and that the pupils will gain a better understanding of the Bible and how exciting it can be.

Wednesday 24 Two new project groups are starting work. One, headed up by Rob Steward, Development Worker in the North East, is looking at how best to support Christian teachers and staff. The other will be looking at how we can support Christian young people and help them to live more effectively for God at school. Pray that God will give group members wisdom and insight as they look at the current situation and examine ways in which SU might respond.

Thursday 25 Please continue to pray for the SU Nepal team in the aftermath of the earthquake. All were unharmed, but the house of Chairperson, Nishad Lama, will have to be rebuilt. The planned anniversary celebrations have had to be cancelled. Pray that, surrounded by so much suffering, the team will be able to show God’s love and that the work will continue to move forward.

Tuesday 23 Today is the fourth and final Transition Workshop in Liverpool in which Scripture Union work alongside Liverpool Cathedral and Ykids to run It’s Your Move workshops. This helps Year 6 children explore their hopes and fears about secondary school and shows through Bible stories and experience how God can help them. Pray that the children attending will grasp the truth of God’s presence as they prepare to move schools.

Friday 26 – Your prayers My prayer is for Molly, Lily and Safron to come back into our church and learn about Jesus again.

Saturday 27 X:site aims to be a place where children can unite together from churches across their area, be excited and encouraged in their faith and feel part of the wider Christian community. As the Carlisle event takes place today, pray that many children will attend, that the event will be a positive experience of God and they will learn who Jesus is; pray for the leaders and volunteers that they would have wisdom and enthusiasm.

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Pass it on!

Inside this copy of Connecting You, you’ll have found an intriguing free gift from us and our partners at Hope Revolution. Actually, it’s not a gift for you but for a young person you know! Read on to ﬁnd out more… Helping young people share their faith naturally with their peers is a core strand of Scripture Union’s ministry in England and Wales. That’s why, together with our partners at Hope Revolution (the youth wing of Hope Together), we’ve developed a bold new way to provoke and encourage young people into creatively and proactively sharing the gospel with friends. It’s called the Fun-Size Mission Academy and makes use of the colourful folding Chatterbox you got with this magazine. Once assembled, the Chatterbox is a simple tool for learning from Jesus about his mission – and then joining in. It’s not a ‘how-to’ resource but rather a catalyst for getting started, says SU regional team leader, Richard Shaw: ‘The main idea behind it is that young people get into the mode of telling people about Jesus – not because there’s a youth worker or pastor breathing down their neck, but because they’re inspired by how easy it is to be obedient to Jesus and about what might happen when they have a go.’ Phil Timson, HOPE’s Youth Director says: ‘The feedback we’ve had since launching has been totally brilliant. One group told us how, after using the Chatterbox, they’d felt led by God to show their estate God’s love on Valentine’s Day. So they’d gone round the streets giving away chocolate hearts saying, “We want you to know God loves you!” Although they felt really nervous at first, they were amazed when one lady told them that just moments before, she had been praying for God to show her in a practical way that he loved her. They were the answer to her prayer!’

In all, we hope to equip 100,000 young people to share their faith this year. The initiative will get a big push in the summer at the national Soul Survivor conferences where 25,000 young people will each receive their own Chatterbox. Scripture Union will also be promoting it through our theGRID youth resources and SchoolsLive over the next few months. But nothing beats the power of a personal encouragement to get involved.

So that’s where you come in…

As a valued Scripture Union supporter, will you please pray about who you could give your Chatterbox to – maybe a child, grandchild, nephew or niece or to a young person at church? Take a moment to encourage them to share their faith, maybe sharing your own stories of personal evangelism. And don’t forget to ask them how it went!

Find out more To find out more about Fun-Size Mission Academies, to download more Chatterboxes and to find out how to fold yours, visit www.hoperev.co.uk 15

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2015

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massive summer of mission This summer is going to be a really busy time for Scripture Union and we’re not complaining! It’s going to be busy because there are loads and loads of events (holidays, missions, holiday clubs) lined up, each one an amazing opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with children and young people in exciting and relevant ways. Last year, you loved our pull-out-andkeep guide to all that’s going on so we’re delighted to present you with this year’s edition which we hope will, again, help you to pray for the events and the children who will attend.

Be a part of it

Your prayers are so important – please do pray for the events (we’ve included the event name, the leader’s name(s) and their location to help you). By praying, you can be a part of this massive summer of mission too! Please pray that the children will have the time of their lives but will also have life-changing experiences and get to know Jesus better. Pray for the leaders and volunteers who give up their time to make these opportunities possible and please pray too for the practicalities such as weather and safety. Thank you.

Hopes and dreams

Over the next few pages, you’ll find the hopes and dreams that a few of our leaders have for their events. Let’s join them in praying that these dreams will be realised and that more children will come to know Jesus this summer through these events. Nick and Debbie Scott - Training in Action Hopes and dreams?... I think we’d really like to see the underlying value base of Training in Action filter out Nick Scott from the programme and inspire other holidays to really invest in their young leaders’ lives so that they are more self-aware, live a lifestyle of faith and work with others in an informed and productive way. For Debbie and me, fresh vision and honesty with God about the future and, possibly, how we promote Training in Action more widely and train others to do the same, even if that means a step out of our comfort zone with Action Replay.

Sunday 5 Praise God for the overwhelmingly encouraging response to the testing of Guardians of Ancora, the new interactive digital Bible engagement experience for children. It will now become publicly available for iOS and Android tablets. Pray for the team this week as they demonstrate the game at the Salvation Army 150th celebration, Boundless. Pray, too, that as the game continues to develop it will encourage children to spend time discovering the Bible for themselves and hearing from God.

Monday 6 The main bulk of the summer events start on 18 July and a busy period on mission and ministry follows. Pray for teams in their final preparations that they would hear God’s voice and would be sensitive to the needs of those who will be coming. Ask God to help them come up with exactly the right programmes, talks, discussion starters and activities to help people discover more about Jesus.

Tuesday 7 Scripture Union France is rejoicing that the six-month renovation of the Rimlishof Camp Centre main building is complete. There was a special opening ceremony on 6–7 June. Please pray that the new premises will be a testimony to the guests, in particular to those with disabilities. Praise God for the positive reaction of bookshops in France as SU Publications resumes direct dealing with them, and for the first issue of the restyled children’s magazine, Tournesol. Tournesol 14

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Prayers – week beginning June 28

Prayers – week beginning July 5 Wednesday 8 The South East team are taking a team of staff, associates, students, those on the 10:2 leadership development programme and volunteers to work with SU Romania. They will be running a holiday club and English lessons with the gypsy community. Pray that the team will grow in Christ and that the children with whom they work will catch something of the love of Jesus. They leave on Friday and return on 19 July.

Thursday 9 Pray for the regional team leaders as they meet today. They will be thinking about final planning needs and support for the summer events and working on plans for the autumn, including support for local ministry partners, new sports ministry developments and Light Parties. Pray that God will give a clear sense of direction and provide his solutions.

Friday 10 Today Christians in Schools Trust, SU’s local ministry partner based in Stockport, will be hosting their annual Stars of Respect awards event. This aims to honour children, young people and school staff who are showing respect and also encourages others to show more respect. Pray that through this initiative people will not only come to respect one another but will also understand the value which God places on us.

Saturday 11 – Your prayers My prayer is for Louis – that our Lord’s teachings will help him to lead the life God has set for him and that he will come to know God’s love.

Sunday 28 Thank you for praying in March for the Prayer Week at Folkestone Primary Academy coordinated by SU volunteer, Marjory Francis. One child walked through the prayer space and said, ‘this is awesome’. The RE coordinator, in thanking the team, reported that some teachers had expressed concerns before the event; afterwards they said that it had been great and they had really valued it. The head teacher was also very appreciative.

Monday 29 From today until 3 July Tim Hastie-Smith will be attending the Africa Regional Council in Nairobi. Praise God for the many strong SU movements in the continent. Pray for these meetings as they have big decisions about the future of the region following changes to the international structure.

Tuesday 30 Today and tomorrow the North West team will be working with local volunteers to run Maricourt School Retreat. This retreat day at Edge Hill University for Year 9 students from a local school will involve 300 students over the two days. Please pray that the pupils will have a great time of reflecting, thinking and considering how faith can be relevant to their lives.

Thursday 2 SU local ministry partner PSALMS are running Pulse Games based on the Rugby World Cup in ten schools through June and July. Please pray that God will use these events to build closer links with the children, asking God for lasting results in the schools where these are taking place.

SUM

Your at-a-glance guide to our

Friday 3 – Your prayers My prayer is for Jack to realise that he can have a personal relationship with God rather than just a knowledge of him.

Saturday 4 The SU team in Wales run a series of locally based Summer Salt missions throughout the country (see page 22). Pray that churches will catch the vision for what these activities can achieve, and support a local event. Pray that when the events take place they will connect with children, young people and families who don’t go to church, and that they will enjoy the activities, take in the Bible stories told and want to know more about Jesus.

David James and Steven Ackroyd – LiveWires LiveWires is a holiday for 12- to 15-yearolds who love technology and want to develop their skills in everything from computer programming and electronics through to video production. Our prayer is that these young people would find themselves in a community where they feel welcome and accepted. And as they relax with one another they would feel confident to open up and would hear God speaking to them, either for the first time or to deepen their faith. As we look into Romans with the young people this summer please pray that as a team we would be Christ-like in all we do.

Wednesday 1 Spree, a two night camp for 8- to 15-year-olds filled with fun activities, worship and Bible teaching, takes place this weekend at the Forest Camp Activity Centre in Cheshire. Older teenagers serve on ‘Crew’ keeping the camp running, supervising activities and providing logistical support; they also have their own teaching and worship sessions. Pray for good weather, which makes such a difference at a camping event, for safety, and for speakers and worship bands that they may communicate clearly. 13

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Be a part of it

Hopes and dreams

22932 Connecting You JJA center pages AW.indd 5-8

Prayers – week beginning June 28

Saturday 11 – Your prayers My prayer is for Louis – that our Lord’s teachings will help him to lead the life God has set for him and that he will come to know God’s love.

SUM

Your at-a-glance guide to our

Friday 3 – Your prayers My prayer is for Jack to realise that he can have a personal relationship with God rather than just a knowledge of him.

11/05/2015 17:25

2015

MER

Be a part of it

Hopes and dreams

22932 Connecting You JJA center pages AW.indd 5-8

Prayers – week beginning June 28

Saturday 11 – Your prayers My prayer is for Louis – that our Lord’s teachings will help him to lead the life God has set for him and that he will come to know God’s love.

SUM

Your at-a-glance guide to our

Friday 3 – Your prayers My prayer is for Jack to realise that he can have a personal relationship with God rather than just a knowledge of him.

11/05/2015 17:25

July 17

August 18

Hexham Holiday club (Northumberland) – Daniel Thomas

Aberystwyth (Wales) - Hannah Nelson

Perranporth (Cornwall) – James and Emma Elin Morden Park (Greater London) – Yvonne Nicholson Abersoch (Wales) – Eddie & Hannah Scrase-Field Cromer (Norfolk) – Hannah Beal Criccieth (Wales) – Dave and Mary Butt Felpham (West Sussex) – Jane Weavers

Southwold (Suffolk) – Clare and Andy Dungey Byker Community Week (Newcastle) – Rev. Diana Macnaughton and David Johnson

There are likely to be other community missions taking place in the North East and Yorkshire but the exact dates and locations weren’t known at the time of going to press.

X:site National (Warwickshire) – Lianne Smith and Daniel Mosby

Activ8 (Surrey) – Kev and Rachel Nash GWX (Somerset) – Ben Phillips and Jack Phillips

Submerge (Wiltshire) – Meg Thomson and Richard Bolam

Impact (Berkshire)

One Hundred % (Surrey) – Keith and Sue Civval

It’s Your Move (Berkshire) – Ray Ellis

One-Two Sports Camp (Cumbria) – Bob Milton Escape (Somerset) – Dave Wilson and Sarah Bird and Rob Steward Step Out (Cumbria) – Danny Woolf, Dan Bate and Rosie Holden

Mallards (Norfolk) – Tristan Booth

Saddle Up! (Berkshire) – Rachel Warner

Action Replay (Northants) – Polly Honeychurch and Martyn Fearn

Voice Music Residential (Lancaster) – Simon Smith

Llan M (Wales) – Toby and Rachel Chant

The Maze (Northants) – Jo Morley and Chris Stratta

Peter Yearsley and Hannah Chase – Helter Skelter Father God, you use Helter Skelter every Hannah Chase year to touch the lives of young people and leaders. This year, we are expectant of the good work that you will do – making a real change to people’s lives and revealing yourself in a way where people desire a relationship with you. Let Helter Skelter 2015 be a place of loving relationship where young people and leaders can grow together, form solid friendships and get to know you more. We pray for a full camp, for everything to run smoothly and for an overabundance of God’s presence and grace at camp so that we can see lives transformed by Jesus.

ka’zoo 2.0 (Gloucester) – Pete Brown Livewires (Wiltshire) – Steven Ackroyd and David James Curtains Up! (Gloucester) – Em and Matt Rogerson

Helter Skelter (Northants) – Peter Yearlsey and Hannah Chase

Mind After Christ (Solihull) – Vickie Nkomo

Lagger 1 (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson Longbarn 2 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Soul In The City (London) – Richard Shaw Fusion (County Durham) – Geoff Brown

Community missions Family holidays

Regional holidays

Special needs

For each event we’ve included the location and the name(s) of the leaders to help you pray eg Cromer (Norfolk) – Hannah Beal.

The Track (North Yorkshire) – Tony Green

Canal Turn (Herts) – Simon Barker

Transformers (Dorset) – Andrew Collier and Graham Clinch

The Real Thing (Somerset) – Chris and Gen Owen

Longbarn 1 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Key

22932 Connecting You JJA center pages AW.indd 1-4

Spot the Difference (Warwickshire) – Nicola and Steve Clarkson

ka’zoo (Gloucester) – Pete Brown

The Big Adventure (Derbyshire) – Chris Hammersley

Commission (Country Durham) – John Stephenson

15+ holidays

Sidmoth (Devon) – Chris and Andrea Thomas

Stamfordham Holiday Club (Northumberland) – Philip and Helen Ballard

Lagger Advance (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson

13+ holidays

Sutton-on-Sea (Lincolnshire) – Liz Boland

Training In Action (Northants) – Nick and Debbie Scott

11+ holidays

Nefyn (Wales) – Dave Bartram

Harriers (Norfolk) – Linda Paterson

8+ holidays

• team members returning for our 40th year celebrations; • families we spend time with to make contact with a church at the end of the mission; • young helpers to become active members of their local church; • growth in team members in the way that they share Jesus’ love with the families and maybe take on new roles this year.

Polzeath (Cornwall) – Alison Withers

Please pray for the team as they continue to share the good news with children, young people and their families and that those they reach out to will respond to God. Please also pray that the team will get to know each other and build lifelong friendships and that they will grow in their own faith through Bible studies, prayer and worship.

Missions

This year on the Morden Park mission, we’d really like to see:

Port St Mary (Isle of Man) – Evelyn Stewart

Scripture Union has been telling the good news to children and their families for over a hundred years at Cromer Beach Mission.The team work together to share God’s love to both locals and holidaymakers, working closely with the local churches and families who offer TLC and home comforts to the team throughout the mission. This year we are using the Scripture Union Seaside Rock and Rocky’s Plaice material. We will focus on how Peter took up the challenge to follow Jesus, how Jesus changed his life and then how he and his friends started to change the world.

Yvonne Nicholson – Morden Park

Minnis Bay (Kent) – Avtar Hunter Singh

Hannah Beal – Cromer mission

You can join the fun!

summer’s Owing to a 20% increase in the number of children booked on to this able you’re If events. these run help to holidays, we really need more volunteers ein. /countm .org.uk eunion to help, please sign up at www.scriptur

SU @ Soul Survivor Shepton Mallet (Somerset) – Richard Shaw

Make the Difference (Warwickshire) – Nicola and Steve Clarkson Scoughall Adventure (North Berwick) – Neil Jackson Longbarn 3 (Kent) – Tim Lewis Ignite (County Durham) – Richard Ballard

Lagger 2 (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson Longbarn 4 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Family Bible Holiday (Teenagers) (Somerset) – Terry and Sue Clutterham Longbarn East End (Kent) – David and Caroline Butler

X:site North (Cumbria) – Rob Steward Scoughall Challenge (North Berwick) – Geoff Brown Wide Open (Somerset) – Jan Simmons

11/05/2015 17:25

July 17

August 18

Hexham Holiday club (Northumberland) – Daniel Thomas

Aberystwyth (Wales) - Hannah Nelson

Southwold (Suffolk) – Clare and Andy Dungey Byker Community Week (Newcastle) – Rev. Diana Macnaughton and David Johnson

There are likely to be other community missions taking place in the North East and Yorkshire but the exact dates and locations weren’t known at the time of going to press.

X:site National (Warwickshire) – Lianne Smith and Daniel Mosby

Activ8 (Surrey) – Kev and Rachel Nash GWX (Somerset) – Ben Phillips and Jack Phillips

Submerge (Wiltshire) – Meg Thomson and Richard Bolam

Impact (Berkshire)

One Hundred % (Surrey) – Keith and Sue Civval

It’s Your Move (Berkshire) – Ray Ellis

One-Two Sports Camp (Cumbria) – Bob Milton Escape (Somerset) – Dave Wilson and Sarah Bird and Rob Steward Step Out (Cumbria) – Danny Woolf, Dan Bate and Rosie Holden

Mallards (Norfolk) – Tristan Booth

Saddle Up! (Berkshire) – Rachel Warner

Action Replay (Northants) – Polly Honeychurch and Martyn Fearn

Voice Music Residential (Lancaster) – Simon Smith

Llan M (Wales) – Toby and Rachel Chant

The Maze (Northants) – Jo Morley and Chris Stratta

ka’zoo 2.0 (Gloucester) – Pete Brown Livewires (Wiltshire) – Steven Ackroyd and David James Curtains Up! (Gloucester) – Em and Matt Rogerson

Helter Skelter (Northants) – Peter Yearlsey and Hannah Chase

Mind After Christ (Solihull) – Vickie Nkomo

Lagger 1 (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson Longbarn 2 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Soul In The City (London) – Richard Shaw Fusion (County Durham) – Geoff Brown

Community missions Family holidays

Regional holidays

Special needs

For each event we’ve included the location and the name(s) of the leaders to help you pray eg Cromer (Norfolk) – Hannah Beal.

The Track (North Yorkshire) – Tony Green

Canal Turn (Herts) – Simon Barker

Transformers (Dorset) – Andrew Collier and Graham Clinch

The Real Thing (Somerset) – Chris and Gen Owen

Longbarn 1 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Key

22932 Connecting You JJA center pages AW.indd 1-4

Spot the Difference (Warwickshire) – Nicola and Steve Clarkson

ka’zoo (Gloucester) – Pete Brown

The Big Adventure (Derbyshire) – Chris Hammersley

Commission (Country Durham) – John Stephenson

15+ holidays

Sidmoth (Devon) – Chris and Andrea Thomas

Stamfordham Holiday Club (Northumberland) – Philip and Helen Ballard

Lagger Advance (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson

13+ holidays

Sutton-on-Sea (Lincolnshire) – Liz Boland

Training In Action (Northants) – Nick and Debbie Scott

11+ holidays

Nefyn (Wales) – Dave Bartram

Harriers (Norfolk) – Linda Paterson

8+ holidays

Polzeath (Cornwall) – Alison Withers

Missions

This year on the Morden Park mission, we’d really like to see:

Port St Mary (Isle of Man) – Evelyn Stewart

Yvonne Nicholson – Morden Park

Minnis Bay (Kent) – Avtar Hunter Singh

Hannah Beal – Cromer mission

You can join the fun!

SU @ Soul Survivor Shepton Mallet (Somerset) – Richard Shaw

Make the Difference (Warwickshire) – Nicola and Steve Clarkson Scoughall Adventure (North Berwick) – Neil Jackson Longbarn 3 (Kent) – Tim Lewis Ignite (County Durham) – Richard Ballard

Lagger 2 (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson Longbarn 4 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Family Bible Holiday (Teenagers) (Somerset) – Terry and Sue Clutterham Longbarn East End (Kent) – David and Caroline Butler

X:site North (Cumbria) – Rob Steward Scoughall Challenge (North Berwick) – Geoff Brown Wide Open (Somerset) – Jan Simmons

11/05/2015 17:25

July 17

August 18

Hexham Holiday club (Northumberland) – Daniel Thomas

Aberystwyth (Wales) - Hannah Nelson

Southwold (Suffolk) – Clare and Andy Dungey Byker Community Week (Newcastle) – Rev. Diana Macnaughton and David Johnson

There are likely to be other community missions taking place in the North East and Yorkshire but the exact dates and locations weren’t known at the time of going to press.

X:site National (Warwickshire) – Lianne Smith and Daniel Mosby

Activ8 (Surrey) – Kev and Rachel Nash GWX (Somerset) – Ben Phillips and Jack Phillips

Submerge (Wiltshire) – Meg Thomson and Richard Bolam

Impact (Berkshire)

One Hundred % (Surrey) – Keith and Sue Civval

It’s Your Move (Berkshire) – Ray Ellis

One-Two Sports Camp (Cumbria) – Bob Milton Escape (Somerset) – Dave Wilson and Sarah Bird and Rob Steward Step Out (Cumbria) – Danny Woolf, Dan Bate and Rosie Holden

Mallards (Norfolk) – Tristan Booth

Saddle Up! (Berkshire) – Rachel Warner

Action Replay (Northants) – Polly Honeychurch and Martyn Fearn

Voice Music Residential (Lancaster) – Simon Smith

Llan M (Wales) – Toby and Rachel Chant

The Maze (Northants) – Jo Morley and Chris Stratta

ka’zoo 2.0 (Gloucester) – Pete Brown Livewires (Wiltshire) – Steven Ackroyd and David James Curtains Up! (Gloucester) – Em and Matt Rogerson

Helter Skelter (Northants) – Peter Yearlsey and Hannah Chase

Mind After Christ (Solihull) – Vickie Nkomo

Lagger 1 (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson Longbarn 2 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Soul In The City (London) – Richard Shaw Fusion (County Durham) – Geoff Brown

Community missions Family holidays

Regional holidays

Special needs

For each event we’ve included the location and the name(s) of the leaders to help you pray eg Cromer (Norfolk) – Hannah Beal.

The Track (North Yorkshire) – Tony Green

Canal Turn (Herts) – Simon Barker

Transformers (Dorset) – Andrew Collier and Graham Clinch

The Real Thing (Somerset) – Chris and Gen Owen

Longbarn 1 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Key

22932 Connecting You JJA center pages AW.indd 1-4

Spot the Difference (Warwickshire) – Nicola and Steve Clarkson

ka’zoo (Gloucester) – Pete Brown

The Big Adventure (Derbyshire) – Chris Hammersley

Commission (Country Durham) – John Stephenson

15+ holidays

Sidmoth (Devon) – Chris and Andrea Thomas

Stamfordham Holiday Club (Northumberland) – Philip and Helen Ballard

Lagger Advance (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson

13+ holidays

Sutton-on-Sea (Lincolnshire) – Liz Boland

Training In Action (Northants) – Nick and Debbie Scott

11+ holidays

Nefyn (Wales) – Dave Bartram

Harriers (Norfolk) – Linda Paterson

8+ holidays

Polzeath (Cornwall) – Alison Withers

Missions

This year on the Morden Park mission, we’d really like to see:

Port St Mary (Isle of Man) – Evelyn Stewart

Yvonne Nicholson – Morden Park

Minnis Bay (Kent) – Avtar Hunter Singh

Hannah Beal – Cromer mission

You can join the fun!

SU @ Soul Survivor Shepton Mallet (Somerset) – Richard Shaw

Make the Difference (Warwickshire) – Nicola and Steve Clarkson Scoughall Adventure (North Berwick) – Neil Jackson Longbarn 3 (Kent) – Tim Lewis Ignite (County Durham) – Richard Ballard

Lagger 2 (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson Longbarn 4 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Family Bible Holiday (Teenagers) (Somerset) – Terry and Sue Clutterham Longbarn East End (Kent) – David and Caroline Butler

X:site North (Cumbria) – Rob Steward Scoughall Challenge (North Berwick) – Geoff Brown Wide Open (Somerset) – Jan Simmons

11/05/2015 17:25

July 17

August 18

Hexham Holiday club (Northumberland) – Daniel Thomas

Aberystwyth (Wales) - Hannah Nelson

Southwold (Suffolk) – Clare and Andy Dungey Byker Community Week (Newcastle) – Rev. Diana Macnaughton and David Johnson

There are likely to be other community missions taking place in the North East and Yorkshire but the exact dates and locations weren’t known at the time of going to press.

X:site National (Warwickshire) – Lianne Smith and Daniel Mosby

Activ8 (Surrey) – Kev and Rachel Nash GWX (Somerset) – Ben Phillips and Jack Phillips

Submerge (Wiltshire) – Meg Thomson and Richard Bolam

Impact (Berkshire)

One Hundred % (Surrey) – Keith and Sue Civval

It’s Your Move (Berkshire) – Ray Ellis

One-Two Sports Camp (Cumbria) – Bob Milton Escape (Somerset) – Dave Wilson and Sarah Bird and Rob Steward Step Out (Cumbria) – Danny Woolf, Dan Bate and Rosie Holden

Mallards (Norfolk) – Tristan Booth

Saddle Up! (Berkshire) – Rachel Warner

Action Replay (Northants) – Polly Honeychurch and Martyn Fearn

Voice Music Residential (Lancaster) – Simon Smith

Llan M (Wales) – Toby and Rachel Chant

The Maze (Northants) – Jo Morley and Chris Stratta

ka’zoo 2.0 (Gloucester) – Pete Brown Livewires (Wiltshire) – Steven Ackroyd and David James Curtains Up! (Gloucester) – Em and Matt Rogerson

Helter Skelter (Northants) – Peter Yearlsey and Hannah Chase

Mind After Christ (Solihull) – Vickie Nkomo

Lagger 1 (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson Longbarn 2 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Soul In The City (London) – Richard Shaw Fusion (County Durham) – Geoff Brown

Community missions Family holidays

Regional holidays

Special needs

For each event we’ve included the location and the name(s) of the leaders to help you pray eg Cromer (Norfolk) – Hannah Beal.

The Track (North Yorkshire) – Tony Green

Canal Turn (Herts) – Simon Barker

Transformers (Dorset) – Andrew Collier and Graham Clinch

The Real Thing (Somerset) – Chris and Gen Owen

Longbarn 1 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Key

22932 Connecting You JJA center pages AW.indd 1-4

Spot the Difference (Warwickshire) – Nicola and Steve Clarkson

ka’zoo (Gloucester) – Pete Brown

The Big Adventure (Derbyshire) – Chris Hammersley

Commission (Country Durham) – John Stephenson

15+ holidays

Sidmoth (Devon) – Chris and Andrea Thomas

Stamfordham Holiday Club (Northumberland) – Philip and Helen Ballard

Lagger Advance (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson

13+ holidays

Sutton-on-Sea (Lincolnshire) – Liz Boland

Training In Action (Northants) – Nick and Debbie Scott

11+ holidays

Nefyn (Wales) – Dave Bartram

Harriers (Norfolk) – Linda Paterson

8+ holidays

Polzeath (Cornwall) – Alison Withers

Missions

This year on the Morden Park mission, we’d really like to see:

Port St Mary (Isle of Man) – Evelyn Stewart

Yvonne Nicholson – Morden Park

Minnis Bay (Kent) – Avtar Hunter Singh

Hannah Beal – Cromer mission

You can join the fun!

SU @ Soul Survivor Shepton Mallet (Somerset) – Richard Shaw

Make the Difference (Warwickshire) – Nicola and Steve Clarkson Scoughall Adventure (North Berwick) – Neil Jackson Longbarn 3 (Kent) – Tim Lewis Ignite (County Durham) – Richard Ballard

Lagger 2 (Gloucestershire) – Steve and Judy Hutchinson Longbarn 4 (Kent) – Tim Lewis

Family Bible Holiday (Teenagers) (Somerset) – Terry and Sue Clutterham Longbarn East End (Kent) – David and Caroline Butler

X:site North (Cumbria) – Rob Steward Scoughall Challenge (North Berwick) – Geoff Brown Wide Open (Somerset) – Jan Simmons

11/05/2015 17:25

2015

MER

Be a part of it

Hopes and dreams

22932 Connecting You JJA center pages AW.indd 5-8

Prayers – week beginning June 28

Saturday 11 – Your prayers My prayer is for Louis – that our Lord’s teachings will help him to lead the life God has set for him and that he will come to know God’s love.

SUM

Your at-a-glance guide to our

Friday 3 – Your prayers My prayer is for Jack to realise that he can have a personal relationship with God rather than just a knowledge of him.

11/05/2015 17:25

Prayers – week beginning July 12 Sunday 12 SU’s local ministry partner in Newbury, COINS (Christian Opportunities in Newbury Schools), ask us to pray for their Trustee/Management Team that they might have wisdom in their decision making and that they might be able to find ways of generating more support, both financial and practical.

Monday 13 SU Guatemala’s annual conference this year is in Escuintla, close to Guatemala City. The main focus will be on the Living Hope Camps and Retreat Centre Project which will be in the village of La Barrita, near Puerto San José in the Escuintla region. Please pray for God’s provision of human and financial resources and guidance so that the project becomes a reality.

Thursday 16 Future Vision, SU’s local ministry partner in Sudbury, Suffolk, is experiencing considerable change. Pray for them as new people take over, others change roles and new volunteers come on board both as trustees and on the working group. Recently all the local primary schools have had a change of head teacher and other new staff members so pray for doors to stay open and for good relationships to be built again.

Friday 17 This weekend the East Region are running a new residential holiday called The Walk East for 8- to11-year-olds. It will be a weekend of adventure, fun, food and faith stretching. Pray for the leaders and the team to work well together and that the children will have an enjoyable experience and come away with many memories and knowing Jesus better.

Saturday 18 Tuesday 14 – Your prayers My prayer is for Lily to know Jesus’ love and security in the midst of her broken family situation, that she’d know him as her friend and saviour who will never fail her.

Wednesday 15 Please pray for the Board of Scripture Union England and Wales as it meets today. The trustees and the leadership team will be reviewing the direction and performance of the mission activities ahead of approving the annual report and accounts. They will also be looking at future plans, ensuring that all that is done is in accordance with the strategic objectives and is in line with God’s will.

Today and tomorrow there is a one night sleepover camp at Lagger run by Steve and Judy Hutchinson for children who are not yet ready to stay away for a whole week, aimed mainly at children who attend the midweek club at Hillview Church in Hucclecote. Pray for the right Bible input for those who come, for safety and good weather. Pray, too, that it will encourage other churches to see the benefit of taking a group of children away for a short period.

22932 Connecting You JJA AW.indd 16

11/05/2015 17:26

Prayers – week beginning July 19 Sunday 19 Please pray for South East Development Worker, Sarah Smart, as she leads a seminar at the Rochester Diocese Big Day Out. Please pray for everyone who comes to the seminar, that they may fully engage in thinking about how to reach unchurched children in their communities, and that as they go away with new ideas and enthusiasm many more children will be reached as a result.

Wednesday 22 Gobaith Môn, SU’s local ministry partner in Anglesey, have begun a discipleship course called Mobilize for the 16 to 24 age group. This explores the biblical foundation of Christian faith and looks at how we respond. Thus far all have come away with a fresh understanding and renewed desire to follow Jesus. Please pray for each of the nine participants, that they will continue to grow in faith.

Thursday 23 – Your prayers Father, Lily and Kayleigh have such diﬃcult lives – please let them hear more about you, thank you!

Monday 20 Commission, which runs this week, is a residential in the North West and North East Regions especially designed for older young people who serve on SU residential holidays over the summer. Please pray that those who attend will be refreshed and inspired to live out their faith over the next year and will be better equipped to serve God this summer.

Tuesday 21 Milton Keynes has the fastest recent growth in the UK, with more growth planned over the next few years. Our local ministry partner in the area, Bridgebuilder, whose schools work is highly regarded and valued in the town, want to respond to this expansion. This will require a significant increase in their funding over the next few years. Please pray that God will provide what is needed to expand the work and for Elyse Sayle who has responsibility for communicating with supporters.

Friday 24 The Butcombe and Blagdon Youthwork Trust (an SU local ministry partner) has now been running for five years and has been really blessed by the Lord with over three hundred children being reached each week. They urgently need to find new trustees and volunteers to help develop the work and share the burdens of leadership which grow along with the workload. Give thanks for all that has been achieved and pray that the Lord will send in new workers.

Saturday 25 School chaplaincy is a major part of SU’s ministry in Tasmania. There are around two hundred government schools and colleges in the state. In 2014, 101 government schools and colleges had a chaplain employed by Scripture Union. Please pray for the impact of their ministry and for the ongoing implementation of plans made at a planning day held in April. 17

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11/05/2015 17:26

Prayers – week beginning July 26 Sunday 26 Praise God for around two thousand five hundred SU groups in primary schools in Kenya. Please pray for growth towards the target of a group in each of the 26,000 schools in the country. Pray, too, for the Vacation Bible Schools which take place during school holidays. During one period last year almost two thousand children attended in just three places. Many people came to Christ through this ministry.

Monday 27 SU local ministry partners, Southport and Area Schools Worker Trust point out that many young people from their lunch clubs and supporting churches will be going to various weeks of the Soul Survivor festivals throughout August. Please pray that they and the many other young people who attend will have a deeper experience of God and that they will come back with renewed enthusiasm for him.

Thursday 30 Please join SU’s National Ministry Partner Festive in thanking God for his goodness to them this academic year. They have been able to support 81 students from 64 different further education or school sixth forms as they seek to make a difference for Jesus. Pray that through the dedication of these students in running Christian Unions, hosting evangelistic events and running seekers’ courses hearts and lives would be changed.

Friday 31 Give thanks for all the volunteers who are giving time to serve on SU events this summer; some coming back after many years, others serving for the first time. The work could not happen without them. Pray that they may encounter God in a new way through serving and that he will reward them for their willingness to give.

Tuesday 28 – Your prayers I pray that Holly may come to know Jesus. I pray that her parents will be accepting and open to people sharing the love of Jesus with her, that these barriers around her may be transformed, with love, so that the love of God can reach her. Amen.

Wednesday 29 Every day thousands of people meet with God and engage with the Bible using SU guides, either in print or online. Pray for them and for the writers and editors who prepare the material, asking that they might be faithful to Scripture and have the creativity to see ways in which it informs life today and transforms individuals.

Saturday 1 Exciting plans are now in place to increase the level of investment in various mission projects including Guardians of Ancora, sports ministry, integrated all-year-round mission, local mission partnerships, website renewal, and the purchase of a new national mission centre. Pray that God will lead and that this may result in a significant expansion of our mission with more children and young people exploring the Bible, responding to Jesus and growing in faith.

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11/05/2015 17:26

Prayers – week beginning August 2 Sunday 2 Pakistan is going through a very diﬃcult time. Schools – especially church schools – are very vulnerable to terrorist attack. As a result, children are fearful and afraid to go to school. Please pray for safety for schools, churches and Christian institutions and for SU staff as they visit schools. Pray, too, for this summer’s Vacation Bible Schools and camps using SU material prepared by SU staff, that many will discover the love of Jesus in fresh ways.

Thursday 6 For the next four days some of the South East team will be involved in the Impact community project, the first year that this community mission is running in partnership with SU. There will be community action projects, kids club, a fun day and much more, designed to help the church show God’s love to the surrounding community. Pray that many will see the love of God in action and want to know more.

Friday 7

Monday 3 – Your prayers My prayer is that Reanna will come to know Jesus for herself, and that she’ll be able to cope with the family problems and be a light in her situation.

Tuesday 4 Although this is a busy month for SU ministry it is also the time when a number of staff take holidays, many with their families. Please pray that this will be a time of refreshment and that they will return renewed for the work that God has called them to.

This weekend is the occasion for Festival of Hope, Mossley Hill, Liverpool. Organised by local churches with support from SU, it is aimed at the local community and will include activities for adults, families, young people and children. Pray for safety, that churches work together well and that people turn up and discover something of the hope that God offers us in Jesus.

Saturday 8 Many of the summer events involve a range of activities, some of which present real challenges. Pray for safety and that children and young people will have fun and will learn something about what it means to trust Jesus as they push themselves to do new things.

Wednesday 5 Members of the regional and national teams travel considerable distances visiting holidays and missions. Pray for safety and that the visits may be an encouragement to those on teams. Pray, too, that through these visits they may able to pass on new ideas and encourage good practice. 19

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11/05/2015 17:26

Pop-up Mission When it comes to effective and natural outreach to families, Summer Salt is proving that small can be beautiful. Over the last few years, an exciting new trend has been breathing life into British high streets – the ‘pop-up’ shop and restaurant. ‘Pop-ups’ take short-term leases in busy parts of towns and cities, with the intent to stay only a short while but make a big impact. Requiring far less investment, yet often bringing surprisingly high returns, they work especially well for sellers of seasonal goods or for chefs who want to build a word-of-mouth following for their food. But it’s not just businesses which are benefitting from the pop-up phenomenon – mission to the unreached is, too, thanks to a dynamic new mission concept pioneered

by our team in Wales. Over the last two summers, the team has been trialling a new kind of highly mobile mission in parks and on beaches, using family-style activities to gather a small crowd and share Bible stories. Wherever the team have taken it, Summer Salt has worked brilliantly. ‘“Pop-up mission” was an off-the-cuff way we used to describe Summer Salt right at the beginning,’ says church and community development worker, Helen Franklin, who first experimented with the idea back in 2013. ‘But actually it captures the essence very well – it’s planned and yet impromptu, organised and yet flexible, and it focuses on being missional rather than “doing mission”.’

How it works

The success of Summer Salt lies in its simplicity. A small team of adults and children (maybe two or three families together) shows up on a beach or park with the standard things for a big family day out – a large rug, a picnic or snacks and drinks, some equipment for a game of cricket or rounders and a few craft activities. The team then invites others nearby to join in with the games or craft which leads naturally to conversations starting and a group forming. At appropriate breaks in the fun and games, Bible stories are told in an entertaining and memorable way to whoever is gathered. The

Summer Salt is just one way our regional teams are working with local churches to develop innovative mission. The Wales team’s Summer Salt events will be published during the summer on scriptureunioncymru.com – if you’re local, come on down! Or even better, why not see if Summer Salt could work in your area. For a handy leaflet on getting started, get in touch with Helen Franklin by email at helenf@scriptureunion.org.uk 20

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Please pray for Summer Salt and pop-up missions

Week beginning August 9 SUNDAY 9

Please pray that many people pick up the idea of Summer Salt or are inspired by the simplicity of pop-up mission and give it a try. longer the team spends in one place, the more stories they’ll tell. Summer Salt works as a one-off event, regularly as a way of building relationships every weekend through the summer, or even every day through the summer holidays. And though sunshine always helps, wet weather needn’t stop the fun as an easy-to-access community centre or church hall could serve as a venue instead.

Simple but intentional

The flexibility of Summer Salt isn’t an excuse to be poorly prepared or unplanned, says Helen: ‘The more the team are intentional about welcoming and having conversations with other people, the more effective Summer Salt will be. But once you’ve done your planning, you can run at very short notice; for example, waiting for a day when the weather is good for outdoor activities.’ Helen hopes that the idea of pop-up mission will give new encouragement to churches and groups who are put off evangelistic mission because they don’t feel they have enough people or resources: ‘I think traditionally churches have tended to see a “mission” as something that is planned long in advance – a major event in the church’s calendar and evangelistic programme,’ she says. ‘But with Summer Salt, we’ve lowered the barrier to entry, effectively saying, “Come on – have a go! It’s easy!”’

MONDAY 10

Our team in Wales ask us to pray that Welsh-speaking people in particular are drawn in by Summer Salt activities in their areas this summer. TUESDAY 11

Pop-up mission works really well in connecting with people who ‘don’t do church’. Ask God to use it to reach many unchurched families. WEDNESDAY 12

Please pray that smaller churches and groups catch the vision that this is a really achievable way for them to get involved with local mission. THURSDAY 13

Pray for loads of really creative ideas to emerge for new pop-up mission, especially around this summer’s Rugby World Cup and other sporting events. FRIDAY 14

Pray that as a result of trying out Summer Salt people will grow in confidence in mission and step into new things for churches. SATURDAY 15

Thank God for the success of Summer Salt in rural and beach areas but please pray for new opportunities to try it out in urban spots like city parks. 21

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Prayers – week beginning August 16 Sunday 16 Last Thursday was an important day for many students as they received their A level results. This can be a daunting time of transition as they prepare for an unknown future, with some having to change their plans. Please pray that they would remain rooted in the Lord and remember he has a good and perfect plan for their lives. Pray, too, for those who will be getting GCSE results this week.

Thursday 20 Thank God for all those who give so generously to support the ministry of Scripture Union. Pray that the necessary funds will be made available to enable the work to develop in the face of the great need in England and Wales for people to know Jesus.

Monday 17 One of our local ministry partners, FACCTS (Fleet and Crookham Churches Together in Schools) have recently said farewell to Helen Wolstencroft who will be greatly missed. Give thanks for the appointment of two new members of the team: Janis Dolding and Jamie Broadey. Pray for them as they continue to settle in and for the provision of new oﬃce space to house the four workers.

Tuesday 18 It’s Your Move isn’t just a book, it’s also a Scripture Union holiday aimed at year 6 children about to move up to secondary school; it started yesterday and runs until Friday. There’s fun, action and lots of good advice on making the move, looking at what the Bible says about changes and challenges and how God can help. Pray that the holiday would really help children get ready and trust God as they move schools.

Friday 21 March saw the publication of the first edition of Groei, a quarterly magazine for Bible study and meditation produced by SU in the Netherlands. It is more than a simple Bible reading plan, and it is hoped that it will reach a great number of readers. Please pray that this new resource will help many into a new love for, and understanding of, the Bible.

Wednesday 19 Pray for those involved in an exciting project that seeks to transform how Scripture Union communicates online. The project will result in, among other things, a new website that will better express the heart behind our mission and encourage more people to become involved in SU ministries.

Saturday 22 – Your prayers My prayer is for Stephanie and Ellie that they will commit to the Lord Jesus and grow as Christians.

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Prayers – week beginning August 23 Sunday 23 Scripture Union Kosova is the newest member of the SU family and are using a football league as a way of reaching people with the good news. Praise God for the first SU daily devotional in Albanian, and pray that it will be well used and will prove to be a help to many young people. There is also a huge need in the Albanian-speaking church for children’s ministry materials in Albanian.

Thursday 27 Please pray for the publishing administration team, that they may achieve their target of having all the Light materials loaded onto the SU website ten weeks ahead of the start of each quarter rather than eight weeks ahead, which has been the practice. This will give a good buffer to cover any issues that arise and to ensure that the resources are always available online on time for people to plan their Light activities.

Monday 24 – Your prayers For Kim and Kira to come to know Jesus for themselves and to encounter his goodness.

Tuesday 25 Pray for National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith, who is speaking at SU Nigeria’s biannual celebration this week. Thank God for the tremendous work that SU Nigeria has done, especially in schools, and pray that this celebration will provide further inspiration and encouragement to move forward with faith in God. Pray that God will inspire Tim and that he will bring just the right word for the occasion.

Wednesday 26 Working together with North West Baptist Association and Eden Network, the North West Region team are involved in the Netherton, Merseyside Mission for the rest of this week. Activities include SU’s Polar Explorers holiday club for children, evening youth events, a circus-style big top tent and a community festival, celebrating life and sharing God’s love. Please pray for good relationships with the community and for clear communication of the good news of Jesus.

Friday 28 Please pray for all Scripture Union ministry partners who work tirelessly to share the good news of Jesus with children and young people in their local areas. Ask for strength and stamina for their staff and volunteers, and pray too for exciting opportunities to grow their ministries.

Saturday 29 My prayer is for many children to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus at holidays and missions this summer. 23

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A community in mission Praying for our children and young people Helping children and young people encounter Jesus is what Scripture Union is all about, and our prayer is that each and every child will come to know him for themselves. That’s why, starting with this issue of Connecting You, we’re including prayers for children and young people that SU supporters like you know personally – prayers for children to discover Jesus for themselves. We hope you are moved by the honesty and inspired by the faith of the prayers we’ve included and are excited to pray for these children, too. The prayers in this edition were all written by those in attendance at our Community in Mission Conference back in March (see below), but all of us know children and young people who we want to lift to God and we’d like to invite you to get involved too.

aims to pray for every one received and we’ll include some of your prayers in future editions of the magazine. We’re a community of people passionate about helping children come to know Jesus and this is a great opportunity to come together to pray!

Simply fill in and return the reply slip attached to the cover letter with this edition of Connecting You, or email your prayer request to syou@scriptureunion.org.uk. Our team

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We’re in this together

Looking back on SU’s A Community in Mission Conference In March, Scripture Union event leaders, volunteers, local ministry partners, staff and more met for two days to thank God for what he’s done through SU and to look to him for the future. We called that time ‘A community in mission’ as that’s what we are. Whatever your connection with SU, you’re part of that community and we’re all on the same mission – to introduce children and young people to Jesus and to help them develop a faith that lasts. We asked SU National Director, Tim HastieSmith, what stood out for him… For me, the message that came through loudest and clearest at the Conference was, ‘We’re in this together!’ Throughout the event, there was no hierarchy on display – whether you were the Bishop of Durham or a holiday volunteer; a local ministry partner or a faithful prayer supporter – everyone was there under the banner of SU and everyone was vitally important to what God is doing through us. I came away rejoicing in our incredibly varied ministry and with a strong sense that we really need each other. The presence of so many international friends meant a huge amount to all of us. It made a real statement about our global unity and many of you who I spoke to were really excited about it.

Maybe my favourite moment of all was seeing M from SU Tajikistan going oﬀ on a motorbike with Dan Harris from Full Throttle, an edgy local ministry partner who uses motorsports to reach out to young people. They now want to go out and do a mission in Tajikistan and are talking about taking their bikes all the way there. For me this summed up the kind of natural, joyful cross-pollination that took place all weekend as people got to spend time with each other and encourage each other in mission.

Count me in! Are you looking for exciting opportunities to serve God? If so, how about joining the team for one of our holidays or missions this summer? Sign up for an experience you won’t forget at www.scriptureunion.org.uk/countmein

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