Connecting You Summer 2020

Connecting

you

Summer 2020

IN THIS EDITION SU holidays at home

Could restrictions revolutionise mission?

New SU Lockdown resources Introducing our new Mental Health Suite 37413 Connecting You JJA STG9 AW.indd 1

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Contents 4

SU holidays at home

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How restrictions could revolutionise mission

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SU Lockdown: Helping you reach out while you can’t go out

Read about how our Easter holidays became ‘holidays at home’.

Toby Chant explores the opportunities for mission during (and after!) lockdown.

Find out more about our new suite of digital mission resources

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NEW! SU Mental Health Suite

Read about our new suite of resources to help churches share the hope of Jesus.

This magazine was written in April 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The ever-changing situation means that by the time you read this, some of the prayer points and details in the articles are likely to be out of date. We do hope, however, that the original prayer points will remain helpful in guiding your prayers at this time. Whatever the situation now, we want to thank you for your ongoing support that made it possible for us to adapt our mission activities during these difficult times. Thank you!

story for Connecting You, or a suggestion on how we could improve our service to you, please contact the editor: eddien@scriptureunion.org.uk

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Connecting You is Scripture Union’s supporter and prayer magazine, keeping you up to date with what God is doing through the work you support.

For general enquiries Tel: 01908 856000 Fax: 01908 856111 Email: info@scriptureunion.org.uk www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Connecting You magazine is also available online at: www.su.org.uk/connectingyou. If you have a

Published by Scripture Union, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 ODF

www.scriptureunion.org.uk © Scripture Union 2020 Registered Charity 213422 Limited Company 00039828 Registered in England and Wales

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Jesus – the rock of hope in the storms of life “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:2 Since March, the restrictions resulting from coronavirus have changed most our lives beyond all recognition.

They have had a major impact on SU as well. Our spring holidays were cancelled and, as I write, we’ve just made the hugely difficult decision to cancel all of this year’s summer holidays and missions as well. Our regional staff cannot get out to support churches with mission activity in communities – indeed, our churches are shut.

But as some doors have been closed to us, others have opened. Actually, lockdown offers some unprecedented opportunities to share the gospel with children and young people!

For a start, we know where most of them are – they are at home, and they are online. They are doing lessons online, exercising along to video broadcasts, and keeping in touch with friends and family through social media.

Jesus’ unchanging message of hope.

Technology offers us the means – SU and the churches we work with can still connect with children and young people and help them explore the Bible. Right there in their homes, they can discover the God who loves them and is still with them even when they switch their digital devices off.

Thanks to your wonderful, faithful support, Scripture Union has been able to adapt with remarkable speed to repurpose existing digital resources and develop new ones. We share more about these exciting developments in this issue of Connecting You. We are so grateful to you, for your prayers and your donations. Together, even during a time of unprecedented restrictions, we can help children and young people find Jesus. We can help them discover how he wants to be their rock, their salvation and fortress, able to help them withstand even the strongest storms of life.

And many of them are afraid, confused and looking for comfort.

It’s the perfect time to reach out to children and young people with

Myles MacBean, National Director

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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SU holidays at home Constricting times call for creative measures. When our spring holidays had to be cancelled due to lockdown, SU Holidays and Missions Manager Jo Morley decided to adapt one of them, Bake Off, into a ‘holiday at home’ for the children and leaders.

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Jo, now working from home herself, says ‘Over the four days that Bake Off had been JO due to run, we MORLEY instead ran a two-hour baking and online chat session for the young people and holiday leaders to access online at home.

‘We emailed a recipe booklet and shopping list of ingredients to parents.

Then I created accompanying videos using my phone to film myself cooking each recipe in my kitchen, which I edited on my computer. It was a bit of a learning curve, but actually turned out to be easier than I thought!

After their baking, the children joined one another in an online chat room at a set time using a computer or other device with a camera. They showed off their culinary creations and discussed the Bible theme of the day. The holiday leaders shared a bit about why they follow Jesus and what he means to them.

Jo says, ‘Now we’re looking at how to adapt some of the summer holidays that we’ve also now cancelled. We also plan to offer our Bake Off resources more widely, so churches can use them to keep in touch with the children already involved in their church, and encourage them to invite their friends along too.’

We also plan to offer our Bake Off resources more widely.

‘Each session included a biblical theme to ponder. One afternoon when we made cupcake sheep, we shared how Jesus said he was the good shepherd and came to give life in all its fullness. We asked the children to think about how that compares with the common perception that being a Christian is about following lots of rules.’

To find out more about how Bake Off went, visit su.org.uk/bakeoff

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 14

Prayers

Please pray for children and young people during the SU holiday season

Sunday 14

Please pray for the young people who took part in the Bake Off ‘holiday’. Ask God to help them to reflect on what they have learned during their holiday at home and to help them grow in faith.

Monday 15

Please pray for all the children and young people who have been on SU holidays and missions in the past few years. Ask God to help them recall what they learned about him, so that they can find peace and comfort during these difficult times.

Tuesday 16

Give thanks to God for the digital technology that has enabled Jo Morley to create a holiday at home for the children whose Bake Off holiday had to be cancelled at Easter.

Wednesday 17

Please pray that God will inspire us to 6

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find ways to ‘adapt’ other SU holidays into holidays at home.

Thursday 18

Give thanks for all the volunteer leaders who have worked so hard preparing for SU holidays and missions this summer. Ask God to help them accept the cancellation of our summer events with patience and fortitude.

Friday 19

As our summer holidays and misison have now also been cancelled, please pray that God will provide our volunteer leaders with other opportunities to reach out to children and young people with the hope that Jesus offers this summer.

Saturday 20

Give thanks above all that, in spite of the dramatic impact of coronavirus on our way of life, God is almighty, all-powerful, and his purposes will still be accomplished.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Could you be Scripture Union’s next Internal Auditor?

We’re looking for a volunteer to support the Scripture Union trustees and senior staff team in: Ensuring compliance with statutory requirements Competent management of risks Responsible stewardship of resources Implementation of best practices

For more information or to apply for this volunteer role, go to:

su.org.uk/auditor

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How restrictions could revolutionise mission Schools and churches have closed, and mission plans have been cancelled or postponed. But we’re finding that COVID-19 lockdown is also opening up some fantastic new mission fields. Toby Chant from SU’s South West regional team explores the opportunities.

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It’s been really interesting to see some trends emerging under TOBY coronavirus CHANT restrictions that I believe will shape how we do mission both now and in the future.

Across the country, use of digital tools has soared and, with most of us having to stay home, we’re using them to keep connected.

Parents are holding work meetings using online video conferencing, while their children access their lessons online. Families, friends and community groups are using apps such as WhatsApp to stay connected, perhaps making even more ‘contact’ than ever before.

Children and young people have had their lives turned upside down and are having to rethink what’s really important to them As a result, digital has also become much more honest and unpolished.

Now, it’s more about keeping up our collective spirits and our connections than presenting an airbrushed image to the outside world.

In addition, lockdown has prompted a surge of interest in spirituality.

Children and young people have

had their lives turned upside down and are having to rethink what’s really important to them. As part of their search for purpose, stability and comfort they are open to learning more about faith and prayer.

Thanks to your ongoing support, I have the privilege, along with other SU staff, to think through how we can make the most of digital tools in mission, and I’m really excited at the prospect. Here are some initial thoughts as we step into this brave new world:

Maintain existing relationships

Digital tools can help churches keep in touch with children and young people they already know, so that when lockdown ends they don’t have to rebuild relationships from scratch.

For example, churches could offer online assemblies for local schools to send out as part of their online daily teaching programmes. Group activities, such as schools clubs, could be adapted to work online – provided that can be done within Safeguarding policies. Our new digital Lockdown resources (see page 16) include lots of ideas for your online groups to use in discussion and prayer, as well as information to help you consider some of the issues.

Reach out to children and young people without church backgrounds

It’s probably the case that children and young people who aren’t part of a church will find it much less daunting to participate in something online than if you invited them to a church building. And many of our new Lockdown resources are designed

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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to help churches embrace this opportunity. As well as providing videos and other content to be shared with the 95, we’ve also included guidelines on what to consider when inviting the 95 to your online ‘events’.

Experiment with content

Your church could invite a volunteer or well-known local personality to make short ‘a day in the life of’ videos for your Facebook page using their phone – perhaps to demonstrate how faith is part of their everyday life. With appropriate permissions, your children and young people could create and submit content too, or perhaps take part in an online Sunday church service.

Our Lockdown resources are designed to help churches embrace this opportunity

Improve your own team’s connectedness and effectiveness

Our SU South West team used to physically meet up monthly for a catch up. But with the travel involved, it would take a whole day. Now we have a daily online video conferencing session to pray, to update each other about developments, brainstorm ideas and to respond quickly and efficiently to new opportunities. Of course, we still long for the day we can meet up in person again, but the impetus to meet daily has been hugely beneficial.

I don’t think digital will ever replace the value of face-to-face in mission work. But I can see a future where the two work seamlessly together, helping us to reach many more non-church children and young people with the gospel than we ever thought possible. And I believe that those churches that are swift – but thoughtful – in embracing digital tools now, will be the ones that thrive in the future.

Explore our Lockdown Digital Mission Resources! See page 16.

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www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 21

Prayers

Please pray that children and young people will discover Jesus during lockdown

Sunday 21

Give thanks to God that children and young people are re-evaluating what is important in life and are open to learning about him.

Monday 22

Ask God to gently guide those children and young people, particularly those that aren’t part of a church, to discover that he is the one strong foundation that they need in life. Pray that their hearts and minds will be opened to the love he has for each one of them, and that in him their lives have unique purpose and meaning.

Tuesday 23

Please pray that God will give churches across the country a vision for the future. Pray he will give them the wisdom to know which old ways of doing mission they need to lay down, which new ways of mission they need to pursue, and equip them with any new learning and skills they need.

Wednesday 24

Pray that God will give churches the discernment to recognise what their key values and assets are – these things have not changed in spite of lockdown.

Thursday 25

Ask God to bless churches with a vision for how they use those values and assets in new ways as we look forward into a new landscape.

Friday 26

Praise God for the wonders of technology and how it can help us stay connected with children and young people in spite of restrictions.

Saturday 27

Give thanks to God for the faithfulness of Scripture Union supporters – for their prayers and their gifts, which have meant we could develop new resources for lockdown so rapidly.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 28

Sunday 28

The Scripture Union General Assembly for chairs and directors of all national movements is taking place online this weekend and finishes tomorrow. Pray for open conversations, a sense of fellowship and clarity about the way forward.

Monday 29

A number of Lifepaths were planned for last week including Malvern, Malmesbury and Brinkburn. Give thanks for the impact of Lifepaths and pray for a lasting influence on those who have attended over the years.

Tuesday 30

Pray for all the young people who were due to attend the Rooted retreat last weekend. Pray that during lockdown they will continue to find ways of exploring their faith and living it out in everyday life.

Wednesday 1

Many Local Mission Partners including Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust, Engage (Woking), Lighthouse (Crawley), LightSpace (Grantham), Watford Schools Trust and Christian Connections in Schools (Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead) had 12

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planned a range of transition activities around It’s Your Move.

Pray for children making the move to secondary education, especially after an unsettling period, asking that effective ways may be found to support them.

Thursday 2

Potters Bar mission started in 2017 and has been very effective; Cath Hawes takes over as leader this year.

Felpham Mission has been renamed Impact Felpham with Dan Balsdon as new leader. Pray for Cath and Dan now that the mission has been cancelled.

Friday 3

Thank God for all the volunteers who give up their time to serve on holidays and missions. Pray that they would be encouraged as they think about new ways of sharing God’s love with children and young people.

Saturday 4

Lagger camps, run by Steve Hutchinson, have helped many to meet Jesus. A day of Lagger experiences was originally planned for today to encourage those who come to the mid-week children’s club, Kidzone, to attend the camps.

Pray that children who have attended Lagger and Kidzone will continue to grow in faith.

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING JULY 5

Sunday 5

Join Scripture Union Indonesia in praising God for the growth of their children’s and youth ministry. Their camp ministry this year will have been affected by coronavirus. Pray that all children and young people with whom they are in contact will have a deepening relationship with Jesus.

Monday 6

Impact 2020, a schools mission week across Portsmouth with Guvna B and Sadie Robertson, ending with a gig at Guvna B Portsmouth Guildhall, was scheduled for this week.

Pray that new ways will be found to reach many young people.

Tuesday 7

Blend on Tour last year reached out to young people with games, crafts and a barbecue in a field next to a housing estate in Goudhurst, Kent.

SU Misison Enabler Lisa Jones is in discussions about the possibility of taking it to other locations in the area. Pray for fruitful conversations as they plan for a longer-term future.

Wednesday 8

leaders today.

Pray for the team as they work together leading our national and regional mission and look for new ways of reaching the 95.

Thursday 9

Local Mission Partner Scripture Union Ministries Trust on the Isle of Man is moving their office from Port St Mary to Douglas. This will give a more centralised base but will be a big change for many people. Pray that the move will open up new opportunities.

Friday 10

The first All Together Now weekend at Great Wood for families who foster or who have adopted was planned for this weekend. Give thanks to God for many Christians who foster and pray for those who support them.

Saturday 11

Please pray for all of those who have been part of Rooted Hubs in high schools across the north, that they will have more opportunities to explore their self-worth and value in light of who God is and the love he has for them.

Head of Regional Mission Richard Shaw has an online meeting with regional team www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers Sunday 12

Scripture Union in German-speaking Switzerland are starting to plan holiday camps for 2021. This is an intense time, with many conversations and negotiations.

Pray for a variety of good and interesting camps and the right people to lead them.

Monday 13

Local Mission Partner Fleet and Crookham Churches Together in Schools planned to run Youth Alpha throughout the summer term for young people from school CUs. Pray that they will be able to help young people to find ways of meeting with God.

Tuesday 14

Local Mission Partner Schools Christian Worker Project in Oswestry is working to help schools address mental health issues. Please pray for Jane Webber who was due to deliver lessons in primary and secondary schools on anxiety and offer mentoring for students referred by staff.

Wednesday 15

Much activity this year has been cancelled, curtailed or affected in some way by coronavirus. Pray for teams and guests who will have been disappointed as plans have changed and for staff and Local Mission Partner workers who have had to find new ways of working.

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Thursday 16

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Join Local Mission Partner Missional Generation (South Yorkshire) in thanking God for the Mission United Faith In Life gatherings that have given many young people the opportunity to grow in their faith in Jesus and put that faith into action through mission activities in local communities.

Friday 17

Trevor Ranger of Local Mission Partner Synergy (based in the west of England) was planning to speak at an all-age open-air event on a farm in Severn Beach, near Bristol this Sunday. He is also working towards two holiday clubs in the summer. Pray that however plans work out he will know God’s guidance in his ministry.

Saturday 18

Please pray for SU’s Steve Hutchinson as he formulates plans and thinks about detailed programme ideas to develop the outdoors bushcraft activity further at the Barnwood Youth HUB in Gloucester.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers Sunday 19

Pray for strengthened coordination in the SU structures in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), involving the regions and branches, so that the SU vision will be maintained. Pray too for God’s guidance and new direction for the provision, printing and distribution of SU Bible reading notes in schools.

Monday 20

Project OneLife will see mission through sport made a key priority for the churches in Gloucestershire and is gaining momentum as it reaches a crucial stage. Pray for wisdom as Local Mission Partner PSALMS seeks God’s guidance in understanding their future role in this.

Tuesday 21

Pray for the staff team in the north as they meet today, asking that God will give them wisdom as they look for the best ways to reach the 95 with the good news of Jesus.

Thursday 23

WEEK BEGINNING JULY 19

Pray that Local Mission Partner Contagious (based in Alnwick) will have wisdom and creativity as they seek to go to where the young people are. Usually they would engage in activities in and around local schools, supporting out-of-school activities, and building positive links with other youth workers, the wider community and local churches.

Friday 24

Pray for youth workers across the country, who at times may feel isolated or alone, and for staff and LMPs as they seek opportunities to connect with them, and that they might also connect with other youth and children’s workers in their area.

Saturday 25

If Prison Walls Could Speak is a new production being developed by Local Mission Partner Artless Theatre Company in partnership with Release International. Pray for creativity and that, in a world affected by coronavirus, churches and schools will be willing to book the production.

Wednesday 22

Please pray that the LifeSpace prayer spaces run by the Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust will help secondary school students reflect on choices they have to make and to see the way that God might be involved in their lives. www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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SU Lockdown resources: Helping you reach out while you can’t go out When lockdown came, parents began asking what digital resources we had for them to use at home with their children.

Mission practitioners also wanted to know how we could help them continue to reach out to the 95. Thanks to your faithful support, we swiftly produced a new suite of digital mission resources to meet the need.

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We were determined that COVID-19 and the related social distancing measures should not prevent children and young people from hearing the good news of Jesus. In fact, instead of focusing on the disappointment of cancelled activities and other challenges the situation provided, we saw the lockdown period as an opportunity. What better time to reach children and young people where they are – at home!

Within just one week of lockdown, our staff team (now working from home themselves) reorganised into remotely working groups and began adapting existing digital content and developing brand-new resources.

Within two weeks, we had launched a whole new Lockdown

area on our website, filled with free digital content – videos, downloads and more – and were sharing daily updates on our social media channels.

But we couldn’t have done it without you! Our staff team’s ability to adapt and step up to new challenges in these difficult times is only thanks to your ongoing support, for which we are very thankful. Your ongoing prayers and gifts are much appreciated, not just by us but by those we’re able to help with these resources. Thank you!

Explore our Lockdown resources and see how you’ve been taking the gospel’s message of hope into the homes of children and young people when they needed it most.

What’s on offer?

We’re producing content for a range of ages and contexts, helpfully categorised to make it easy to find what you’re looking for. The Lockdown content includes videos to be shared with children and young people, as well as resources and guidance aimed at supporting practitioners during these difficult and unprecedented times. Look out for:

Make & pray

INspire

SUpporting You

Bible-themed make-at-home craft activities with related prayer ideas.

Short, challengebased videos to help young people reflect on God’s Word.

Inspiring content to support you, so that you can continue to encourage others.

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We’ve also adapted some existing resources and are providing videos that explain how to use them in your context. These currently include our Easter Alive pack, It’s Your Move to help children take the step to secondary school – something that may be even more worrying for some young people this year – the Mental Health Suite and the Wonder Zone holiday club.

Get the Lockdown resources

You’ll find all the resources at www.su.org.uk/lockdown, which is updated as new content is produced.

We’re also flooding our social media feeds with videos and other suggestions, so make sure you follow us there (look for ‘Scripture Union England and Wales’ on Facebook and @scriptureunion on Instagram).

Taking the gospel’s message of hope into the homes of children and young people when they needed it most.

Word Live

If you don’t have children and young people to share this lockdown content with, don’t worry, we’ve still got something for you. Word Live offers daily scriptural encouragement for these challenging times, with Bible readings, points to ponder, and prayers (reflecting the current COVID-19 situation). www.wordlive.org

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Prayers Sunday 26

In many places where Christians are restricted by governments from working with children and young people, Scripture Union teams are ready to take risks as they share the good news. Pray that they will have good judgement and be able to balance courage with prudence.

Monday 27

A team from the central region would have been at New Wine this week running the youth sports outreach programme and engaging with guests to give them a picture of SU’s ministry. Take the opportunity to pray for our relationships with those who organise large events.

Tuesday 28

Thursday 30

WEEK BEGINNING JULY 26

Coronavirus is affecting many activities this summer including Beach Life events planned for Cleveleys (30 July to 1 August), Blackpool (30 July to 1 August and 27–29 August) and Fleetwood (25–27 August). Pray that, whatever the current situation, effective ways of reaching out may be found.

Friday 31

Local Mission Partner Re:generation (Harrow) asks us to pray for the appointment of a new children’s worker, hopefully to start in September.

Saturday 1

Local Mission Partner Chester Schools Christian Work thanks God for great prayer spaces that they have run in primary schools and asks us to pray for the opportunities to run more.

Wednesday 29

Over the last four years, National Mission Partner Festive has seen their network of sixth form students grow significantly through contact with them at Soul Survivor. Without the festival this year, please pray that God will enable them to maintain contact with students who they can be supporting.

SU Mission Enabler Hannah Legge plans to be at CreationFest (1–7 August) running sports venues alongside Adam Legge and Richard Witham. Thank God for the opportunities that events like this create and pray that as we move forward we may know how to make the most effective use of them.

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 2

Sunday 2

Scripture Union Spain asks us to pray for the development of the ‘MusicArt’ project. Pray that as they look to the longer-term future, God will open doors to perform their new musical in many more cities in Spain, so that many people can hear the good news of Jesus.

Monday 3

Join the trustees of the Josiah Spiers Benefit Fund as they pray for former SU staff members who may be experiencing problems as a consequence of coronavirus. Ask that they may be able to identify them and help where they can.

Tuesday 4

The theme for this year’s Shine in Schools is ‘Influencers’, aiming to encourage Christian young people to see how they can influence their friends with the good news of Jesus and help them explore what it means to have Jesus as their biggest influence. Pray for the planning and promotion.

Wednesday 5

Give thanks for the Scripture Union movements around the world who are using Guardians of Ancora in their mission with children. Please pray for the newest 20

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English-speaking partners: SU Ghana, SU Namibia and SU Kenya, as they find ways to use the app in their countries.

Thursday 6

Local Mission Partner Living Stones Educational Trust, working in a deprived area of Manchester, thanks God for their wonderfully committed volunteers and ask us to pray that they might have a balance of younger volunteers.

Friday 7

Christopher Baker, schools worker with Local Mission Partner Christians in Schools (Letchworth), usually takes assemblies and runs RE lessons and lunchtime clubs in 16 schools in the area. Pray that God would keep the doors open and that more children would come to the clubs.

Saturday 8

The work of Local Mission Partner Stort Valley Trust (Bishops Stortford) involves primary lunch clubs and supporting teachers. Pray for wisdom and finance as they seek to grow the ministry through mentoring or listening services and by working more strategically with schools. www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 9

Sunday 9

Please pray that God will provide Scripture Union Angola with people who can train them in making Bible guides and cards, so that next year they will be able to produce these themselves. Pray also for a greater exchange of knowledge between them and other national movements.

Monday 10

Pray that the Development Hub team will work efficiently and effectively under the leadership of Gemma Willis. Ask God to inspire their creativity as they seek to connect with the 95 and for their next Creative Collective gathering planed for the autumn.

Tuesday 11

Local Mission Partner Faith in Schools who work in the London Borough of Newham would like prayer for a fulltime schools worker for Stratford and Manor Park, and for opportunities for churches to tell children about Jesus, in lessons, to remain open.

Wednesday 12

The X:site National holiday was planned to start today, at a new site in Yorkshire.

In common with many SU holidays, it is refocussing to be more accessible to children with little

or no church background.

Pray that holiday and mission teams will know how best to speak about Jesus to those who know nothing about him.

Thursday 13

Go Wild!, originally an SU holiday, seeks to introduce children to our great God using the great outdoors (with bushcraft etc). SU Mission Enabler Chris Eales has been working on ways of developing Go Wild! resources for a range of different settings nationally. Pray for creativity in adapting the content and for it to be effective.

Friday 14

Join Local Mission Partner Bodmin Youth Trust in giving thanks for the young people they made contact with at the start of the year who had no church connections. Pray that they will want to know more about Jesus, and the team will have the wisdom to know how best to help them.

Saturday 15

SU Mission Enabler Toby Chant is involved in ongoing discussions with churches in Tiverton about developing work in the town.

Pray for the right openings and for God’s guidance. www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Introducing our new Mental Health Suite Sadly, many children and young people today struggle with poor mental health. But thanks to your generous support, we’re now able to help churches to reach out to them. Your gifts have helped us to launch a Mental Health Suite to enable churches to begin to explore the issues with children and young people, as well as outline the hope that Jesus can offer.

mental and wellbeing

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Last year Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, observed there was an ‘epidemic’ of mental health disorders in young people, especially teenage girls. She added that NHS clinics were struggling to cope with an epidemic of self-harm, anxiety and depression, fuelled by the pressures of social media and increasingly demanding school environments1.

‘Jesus came so that we might have life, and have it to the full,’ says Gemma Willis, Head of GEMMA WILLIS SU’s Development Hub. ‘As Christians, we know that. But there are so many children and young people today who don’t. They don’t know that they are loved, valued and precious to God. They don’t know how to cope with loneliness and anxiety, or with grief and loss. It casts a big shadow over many young lives.

‘So, thanks to your support, our team developed the new Mental Health Suite. This helps churches to begin to explore the issues around health and wellbeing and to share how knowing Jesus can give hope and real purpose to the lives of the children and young people they reach out to. The contributors included Christians that have been through mental health issues themselves and have discovered how being able to lean on Jesus in those situations makes all the difference.

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‘Mental health and wellbeing can be a difficult and sensitive topic, and it’s really important that churches know when a child or young person they’re working with might need extra help. So each of our mental health resources comes with a guide on where to get extra support if needed.’

it’s really important that churches know when a child or young person they’re working with might need extra help.

SU’s Mental Health Suite has been endorsed by the Mental Health Foundation. ‘Scripture Union’s resources are well thought out and accessible to younger audiences,’ says Dr Antonis Kousoulis, their Director for England and Wales. ‘The range of activities is impressive, using a variety of means like video, song, art, and group activities to explore what mental health can mean to different people. A real strength comes from the lived experiences of some of the people involved in the resources, ensuring that they overall explore a difficult topic in a balanced way.’

Endorsed by the

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6905075/Teenagers-mental-health-conditions-turnedaway-NHS-officials-warn.html

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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What’s in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Suite?

At the moment, you’ll find the following resources in the Mental Health Suite.

We hope to add more resources over time…

Chloe’s Story • Session outline based around the testimony

and video of Chloe – it includes a song Chloe has written about her story

• Aimed at: Over 13s • Themes: Self-esteem and self-worth • Context: Groups

Like Me? • Helps children understand that God sees them as special, precious and important (including some of the graphics and content of God Became Like Me, but for use at any time of year)

• Aimed at: 8–11s • Themes: Self-esteem, self-worth and self-respect

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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• Context: Groups, particularly school or church

The Lost Sun • Video story and accompanying session tells the story of Daisy who loses the sun from her life and discovers there can still be light in the darkness

• Aimed at: 5–11s • Themes: Depression, anxiety and loneliness • Context: Groups 24

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www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Is Anybody Listening?

• Spoken word video explores the pressures of social media and its impact on self-esteem

• Aimed at: 11–14s • Themes: The effect of social media on self-worth and self-esteem • Context: Groups

Through The Woods • Printed picture postcard set

about a boy who loses his dog and realises he won’t find him. He discovers he doesn’t have to be alone in facing his struggles.

• Aimed at: 5–8s with or without a church background

• Themes: Grief, loss and loneliness

• Context: Mentoring, one to one You can download our Mental Health Suite resources at su.org.uk/mentalhealth www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 16

Sunday 16

Due to the impact of bushfires in Victoria, Australia, many summer camps were cancelled. Since then further activities have been cancelled due to coronavirus. Please pray for campers and volunteer teams who are grieving the loss of this much-anticipated experience.

Monday 17

Local Mission Partner Christians 4 Education in north Wales praises God for hearing and answering Connecting You prayers. They discovered an excellent volunteer the week it was featured, and prayer for the Higher Tour led to two follow-up groups with unchurched young people.

Tuesday 18

Give thanks for the many projects that have been enabled by the Good News Fund. Linx Christian Youth Trust in Paignton, for example, were able to buy some new disco equipment to use at outreach events, and Cafe Church Bristol were able to put on a community event.

Wednesday 19

Give thanks for new relationships that are building with many churches across the north of the country.

Pray for wisdom in following these up, especially with the restrictions 26

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imposed by COVID-19, and for ways of identifying more churches with whom we could work in 2021.

Thursday 20

Local Mission Partner Christian Connections in Schools is planning for Illuminate Maidenhead with LZ7 in April next year. Pray for a good level of involvement from local churches and for a sense of expectation.

Friday 21

SU Mission Enabler Neil Jackson has helped with the development of workshops and clubs using the Diary of a Disciple books in North Yorkshire and is also looking to help with similar projects in County Durham. Give thanks for recent success and pray for the children and young people who attended.

Saturday 22

Local Mission Partner Gobaith Môn (in Anglesey) aims to encourage more work with young people through churches, schools and the community. They have a football cage that they take into schools (when they’re able). Pray that this will lead to building of relationships with young people.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers

WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 23

Sunday 23

Scripture Union Honduras thank God for a donation which will enable them to print 60,000 ministry resource manuals for 30,000 children for two years. Pray that the Lord will inspire writers and that the lessons will strengthen the children’s faith.

Monday 24

Local Mission Partner Archway (working in villages in Northamptonshire) had to cancel their regular Tea, Toast and Toys groups because of the issues raised by coronavirus and are instead keeping in touch with families over the phone. Pray that this will not lead to a loss of momentum in the work.

Tuesday 25

Thank God for all those who faithfully support the movement. This year has seen a number of financial challenges as a result of COVID-19 leading to the cancellation of events. Pray that God will continue to meet our needs.

club because ‘you get to play a game AND do Bible stories at the same time’.

Please pray for those planning clubs in schools, churches and community settings, so that many more children can share their enthusiasm.

Thursday 27

Local Mission Partner Milton Keynes Bridgebuilder Trust thanks God for an open door to Denbigh Academy and for the new emotional wellbeing course. Pray that this will be well-received by all schools once they are able to recommence, and will help young people to cope better with the pressures of life.

Friday 28

Pray for the Shine in Schools planning and review conference call involving all partners which takes place today, asking that God will guide their discussion and give creativity.

Wednesday 26 Saturday 29

Mati, Divine and Rachel love their afterschool Guardians of Ancora

Pray that Local Mission Partner Christians in Schools will be able to develop more lunchtime and after school clubs (Hub Clubs) in primary schools in Stockport where their work is based.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Perfect fo

r

It’s time to be a hero!

Ancora is a city where the Bible stories have been forgotten – only the Guardians (players) can go into the past, live the adventure, and save the city by bringing the stories back.

Explore the Bible through quests, quizzes, videos, creative zones and more.

Download and play Guardians of Ancora FOR FR E E

Find out more at guardiansofancora.com 37413 Connecting You JJA STG9 AW.indd 28

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