Connecting You March 2017 May 2017

connecting you in prayer and action with Scripture Union

March – May 2017

dition:

Inside this e

Rethinking mission Going beyond the four walls of the church

A donkey on my doorstep New models of mission

Making Holidays accessible Holiday Fund launched

Contents 3 4

9

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Welcome from National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith Beyond the four walls: Rethinking mission An estimated 95% of children are not in church. With your support, we’re rethinking how we share the good news of Jesus with them.

A donkey on my doorstep – and other mission stories Our new Development Workers are developing new models of mission and seeking to increase the number of missions we run over the next five years. Two of them, Lucy Pearson and Bob Goody, tell us more.

A donkey on my doorstep

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New Holiday Fund opens up new gospel opportunities Financial difficulties shouldn’t be a barrier to children hearing the gospel. Read about our new Holiday Fund that’s set to help more children and young people to go on an SU holiday.

A legacy of love Esther Davies has long been passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus with children and young people. And she plans to help continue that work long after she has departed this life.

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New Holiday Fund

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/ connectingyou. 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 Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 ODF.

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Inside this editio

Rethinking mission Going beyond the four walls of the church

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March – May 2017

Contents | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

A donkey on my doorstep New models of mission

Making Holidays accessible Holiday Fund launched

26/01/2017 09:24

What is the good news, anyway?

Welcome to the Spring 2017 edition of Connecting You

Tim Hastie-Smith

‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ John 10: 10

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rom my experience, many children and young people think that Christianity is about going to a church on a Sunday morning, conforming to a set of rules, being ‘nice’ and not being allowed to enjoy yourself. To them, Jesus is just some historical figure that lived and died. Put that way, Christianity doesn’t sound particularly good news – or indeed very different from any other religion.

Yet we believe many children and young people are desperately searching for meaning and purpose to their lives. They need to hear the good news: That Jesus is the Son of God and he came so that we can have life and have it in all its fullness. And that’s why, starting this year, I’m thrilled that we’re making it our priority to share Jesus with the 95% of children and young people who are estimated to not be in church.

That’s a huge undertaking but we believe it’s worth the effort. In fact, it’s essential!

We’re challenging ourselves to leave our comfort zone – to step out beyond the four walls of the church – but we’re excited about the challenge and hope you will be, too. In this edition we’ve aimed to paint a picture of what this means in practice and I hope you’ll enjoy reading about our plans. But more than that, I also hope you’ll join us on this exciting journey. We’d love you to pray for the work and, indeed, for the children and young people we seek to

introduce to Jesus. But if you’re able to get involved practically or provide financial support to strengthen the efforts, that would be amazing. Read on to find out how you can be part of this.

I’m also so pleased to let you know about our new Holiday Fund we’ve launched. If we’re to share Jesus widely, we need to ensure that financial circumstances aren’t a barrier to children hearing the good news, and you can read on page 16 about how our new Holiday Fund is set to help more children and young people to come on our holidays.

The good news about Jesus is too good to keep to ourselves. Ten million children and young people across England and Wales urgently need to hear it. And, by God’s grace, we plan to go to wherever they are to share it with them.

Yours in his service,

Tim Hastie-Smith National Director, Scripture Union England and Wales

What is the good news, anyway? | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Beyond the four walls: Rethinking mission

An estimated 95%1 of children and young people are not in church. With your support, we’re rethinking how we share the good news of Jesus with them.

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ext Sunday morning, around ten million children and young people will be playing sport, going shopping with their families or surfing the internet on their computer tablets. What they won’t be doing is going to church – it’s simply not part of their culture. Their knowledge of Jesus maybe confined to some dry facts learned in school as part of a wider education on the world’s religions.

Yet we believe children and young people are looking for a deeper meaning to life.

They are tired of the colossal pressure to get the best exam grades, win at sports, look attractive or own the latest smartphone.

They see from the celebrity world that fame and fortune don’t always guarantee a long and happy life. We believe they want something more – but secular society

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doesn’t have the answers to their big questions. And they don’t know where else to turn.

Our own research shows that children and young people are hardwired for a relationship with God. They’re open to spiritual experiences and have a natural inclination towards prayer2. We just need to get alongside them and share the message of salvation in such a way that they ‘get it’ and see how it is relevant to them and their lives today. They probably won’t step in to our churches so we need to step out.

Now that’s a challenge. A real challenge.

It will force us, and those we hope will join us, to ask some big questions and to deliberately step out of our comfort zones – the sanctuary of our churches. But we owe it to those children who might not

Beyond the four walls | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

otherwise have an opportunity to hear the good news, to take Jesus to them, not wait for them to come to us. It won’t be easy but it will be exciting!

We’d love to see Christians across England and Wales joining us on this journey as we explore just what it means to share the good news relevantly with children for whom going to church is an alien concept.

We’re going to focus on pioneering, evaluating and refining new ways of sharing the gospel with the next generation, and for that we need practical, prayer and financial support.

What does that actually mean?

We’ll listen… …to thousands of youth and children’s workers to find out what their needs are and what issues they face. We’ll also develop and test a tool to help them evaluate their mission activities so we can understand what does and doesn’t work.

And we’ll aim to talk to hundreds of children and young people with no church background, to find out the best ways of engaging them with the good news of Jesus.

We’ll learn… … through a series of six TED-style lectures held at different locations and given by leading youth and children’s work experts. They’ll help us to confront some key issues – for example, do Christians aim to ‘fill up the pews’ rather than ‘share the good news’? Our aim is to identify the key principles underpinning mission in today’s world. These talks will be filmed and shared online, enabling others involved in mission to young people to benefit from them.

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Peter Brierley, UK Church Statistics 2, 2010-2020, Tonbridge: ADBC Publishers, 2014.

Scripture Union research on faith formation, 2015

2

Beyond the four walls | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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We’ll pioneer… …up to one hundred and fifty new expressions of mission in 2017. To help us, we’ve added to our team of Development Workers, expert practitioners in mission.

They’re attached to our Regional Teams and based where there are gaps in the SU network – four in urban hubs (Greater Manchester, Sheffield/Bradford, Nottingham/Derby and London) and three covering more rural areas of Suffolk, Cornwall and West Wales. They’ll introduce children and young people with no church background to Jesus, equip young Christians to share their faith with their peers, and enable adults to share Jesus as well. Each mission concept will be evaluated, refined and packaged up so that Christians across the country can replicate them.

We’re also seeking to develop a fund to encourage and support local mission partners to develop new mission ideas of their own. More news on that soon.

We’ll be a catalyst: We will be sharing what we learn through a new, equipped online resource centre which will be available to churches and Christian groups across the country.

It will include free materials and access to training and support, enabling them to reach more children and young people more effectively.

It’s critically important that we challenge the status quo of mission, and wrestle with the difficult issues until, together, we find solutions. We owe it to God, and we owe it to children and young people of today and tomorrow.

It’s critically important that we challenge the status quo of mission, and wrestle with the difficult issues until, together, we find solutions.

Join us in this exciting challenge!

This task to which God has called us is immensely challenging – but also incredibly exciting! If you’d like to hear more, or to find out how you can get involved visit www.scriptureunion.org.uk/ nextgeneration

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Beyond the four walls | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Week beginning February 26

Please pray as we seek to share the good new s beyond the church walls!

Sunday 26

Give thanks to God for his faithfulness throughout the 150 years of our ministry – for providing us with the people and resources to share the good news of Jesus.

Monday 27

Praise God for all the servant-hearted Christian volunteers who have given so generously of their time to share the good news with children and young people today. Ask him to bless them in all they do to bring his kingdom on earth.

Tuesday 28

Lift up to God in prayer the millions of children and young people in England and Wales today who don’t know Jesus. Ask God to give them the opportunities to hear and receive the gospel through the missions we are planning.

Wednesday 1

Ask the Lord to grant us the humility to learn where we have fallen short in sharing the gospel with children and young people, to help us understand how we need to change, and enable us to do so.

Thursday 2

Ask God to protect, guide and inspire all those involved in the major mission initiatives planned – the staff and volunteers of Scripture Union and all our partners in mission – so that by his grace we can rise to the challenge he has set before us.

Friday 3

Praise God for all the exciting new opportunities to share the good news of Jesus with the next generation! Ask him to give us the courage we need to try new ways of sharing Jesus with young people, and the wisdom to use them well.

Saturday 4

Give thanks to God for sending Jesus to be our Saviour, and that his message of love and grace is still as exciting, fresh and relevant today as it was back then!

Beyond the four walls | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers – Week beginning March 5 Sunday 5

Thursday 9

Pray that through the workshops to help refugees communicate in French, organised by SU France in cooperation with Wycliffe, many will discover something of God’s love.

This year’s SU conference takes place today and tomorrow. Pray that this will be a time of inspiration and encouragement.

Pray too for the Council as they meet on Saturday, especially giving thanks for Paul Butler as he approaches the end of his term as president.

Monday 6 Later this year, a new Scripture Union visual identity will be launched to help us refresh our appearance and keep the movement looking up-todate and relevant. Please pray for our Communications Manager, Eddie Nock, as he works on these changes.

Tuesday 7

Friday 10 From today and through next week the GSUS Live bus will be visiting secondary schools in Barnstaple. Pray that as students visit this interactive presentation of the life of Jesus they will be encouraged to think seriously about him.

Saturday 11 Chaplaincy Central is a new National Mission Partner supporting the growing number of chaplains serving Jesus in schools and colleges. They are looking for a part-time project director to develop the work. Please pray that the right person will be appointed.

Wednesday 8 Pray for the Joined Up Conference on 11 March organised by Local Mission Partner Christians in Sheffield Schools. Pray that the many workshops, including one run

by SU worker Geoff Brown on Guardians of Ancora clubs in schools, will provide new ideas for the children’s and youth workers who attend.

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As we move towards Easter, pray for the many staff and LMPs who will be involved in Easter presentations. Next week, Wayne Dixon of Local Ministry Partner Christian Connections in Schools, working in Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead, is involved with Easter Cracked at Slough Baptist Church now in its 23rd year.

Thank you for your prayers

Prayers – week beginning March 5 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

A Donkey on my Doorstep – and other mission stories

With your support, our new Development Workers will help develop new models of mission and massively increase the number of missions we run over the next five years. Two of them, Lucy Pearson and Bob Goody, tell us more.

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ucy, SU’s Greater Manchester Development Worker, ran the first of her pilot missions with Oldhams Church in Bolton. The church was planted just over a year ago on Oldhams Lucy Pearson Estate by the nearby Anglican church of St Paul’s.

The new congregation wanted to get to know their community – mainly working class families who have lived there all

their lives. So with Lucy’s help, they put on a ‘travelling nativity play’ just before Christmas. Residents turned out to watch Mary riding a real donkey around the streets, led by Joseph; the trio would stop at different locations so that a scene from the nativity could be played out. Some of the locals took key acting parts, their performances captured on film. The final scene, held at the community centre where the church normally meets, attracted around sixty people. Afterwards, over hot chocolate and mince pies, they got a chance to know one another better.

A Donkey on my Doorstep | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Oldhams Church invited those they met to a carol service the following Sunday, when the film of the ‘travelling nativity’ would be premiered. Lucy says, ‘20 new people came along. We included a talk on how Jesus is alive today and what that means, because many children and young people – and even adults too – think that he is just a historical figure.

‘There are plans in the pipeline for more community-based missions. Six people from church plan the activities, supported by lots of volunteers, many of whom aren’t Christians but enjoy helping and think what we’re doing makes life on the estate better. One young lad from a broken home comes along to everything. He helps us set up activities and brings his mates along – it probably gives him a sense of purpose and a place to go that he didn’t have before.

‘Mission needn’t be complicated. You just use what’s in front of you. For example, our pastor has open house once a week so parents and children on their way back from school can drop in for refreshments.

The ‘travelling nativity play’ is just one example of a variety of short-term mission activities that Lucy and our other Development Workers are piloting.

It’s a great way to build relationships and share Jesus naturally over tea and cake.’

The ‘travelling nativity play’ is just one example of a variety of short-term mission activities that Lucy and our other Development Workers are piloting. They are simple, inexpensive and flexible enough for churches anywhere in the country to replicate in a variety of settings. Each concept will be evaluated, refined and packaged up so that Christian groups across the country can replicate them.

We’ll also pioneer larger and longer missions in partnership with other evangelical Christian organisations and groups of churches.

Residents turned out to watch Mary riding a real donkey around the streets, led

by Joseph

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A Donkey on my Doorstep | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Bob Goody, our Development Worker in the Nottingham/ Derby area, is working on such a project with HOPE Revolution in Peterborough.

The project involves local Christian youth Bob Goody leaders and staff from various Christian charities, including Scripture Union, working together with the aim of seeing 2,000 young people in Peterborough come to know Jesus over an initial three year period.

They held their first mission event last Halloween, based around World Vision’s ‘Carve a Heart’ concept, and it was a great success. Three hundred and thirty young people attended the event which saw pumpkin lanterns carved with hearts to raise awareness of the plight of children in the dark places of the world. The evening included live music, inflatables, competitions and a gospel message which led 68 young people to make a commitment to follow Jesus.

news to be shared even more widely.

‘These exciting new models of mission just wouldn’t be possible under our own steam,’ explains Bob. ‘Our partnership with HOPE Revolution makes so much sense.

Like us, they have a real desire to reach young people for Jesus and, together, the potential for impact is far greater.’

And this is just the beginning: the momentum and energy for a united strategy for youth evangelism is really building. Through this work and other similar projects, thousands of young people will learn about Jesus and will be equipped and empowered to boldly and practically share the gospel with their peers. Exciting, isn’t it?!

Thanks to your support, our growing teams on the ground are increasingly able to join forces on exciting projects such as this, enabling the good

Be a mission pioneer!

There are so many creative and exciting new ways in which we can take Jesus to those children and young people outside of church. So if your church wants to help pioneer new mission concepts, get in touch: scriptureunion@scriptureunion.org.uk

A Donkey on my Doorstep | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Please pray for our Development Workers

Week beginning March 12 Sunday 12

Give thanks to God for setting us the bold challenge to take the gospel to children beyond the church. Please pray that he will give grace, strength and wisdom to our team and those we are partnering with, so that together we can rise to the task.

Monday 13

Pray that the Holy Spirit goes ahead of us to prepare the hearts of children and young people who don’t know Jesus, so that they are receptive to our message.

Tuesday 14

Give thanks to God for our new Development Workers – Lucy Pearson, Bob Goody, Dan Wicks, Mike Adams, Clare Luxton, Sophie Doyle and Sarah Davison – and for all the skills and experience they bring.

Wednesday 15

Praise God for the impact that the ‘travelling nativity play’ on Oldhams Estate in Bolton has had in building relationships with the local community. Please pray that the other missions planned help to strengthen those relationships and encourage children and young people to seek to know more about Jesus.

Thursday 16

Pray that God will bless and guide the 68 children that turned to Jesus at the HOPE Revolution Peterborough event last autumn – and that he will embed them in Christian communities where they can learn more about him and the purposes he has for their lives.

Friday 17

Ask God to guide Bob Goody and the team involved in HOPE Revolution Peterborough in planning the big mission in August. Pray that the hearts of many of the children and young people in the area will be opened to receive the good news of Jesus.

Saturday 18

Pray that God shapes each new mission concept that our team develops, so that they truly inspire and excite children and young people to want to find out more about him.

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A Donkey on my Doorstep | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers – week beginning March 19 Sunday 19 Please pray for the work of SU Greece with underage refugees in Athens. A full-time worker is needed to replace the German volunteer. Please pray that the right person may be found to continue Christian care for these vulnerable young people.

Monday 20

Thursday 23

Local Mission Partner Christian Initiative to Schools is involved with the Easter Journey run

by St Paul’s Church in Letchworth. Pray that those attending will understand more of what Jesus came to do on the cross, and how his death changes people’s lives.

Local Mission Partner Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust will be taking Easter Cracked lessons with primary schools, and the York Schools and Youth Trust will be sharing the Easter story in approximately fifty primary schools. Pray that the message of forgiveness and hope is clearly heard.

Friday 24

Tuesday 21 Please pray for the Easter Explored programme run by Local Mission Partner Lighthouse Project, Crawley, and for Easter Cracked for year 5 in Sawbridgeworth run by the Stort Valley Trust asking that children will engage and discover the relevance of the Easter story.

Local Mission Partner The Youth Net in Stafford are presenting Journey to Easter to Key Stage 2 children in partnership with local churches, aiming to tell more children the good news of Easter. Pray for this and for their plans to redevelop their monthly youth service called Focus.

Saturday 25 Wednesday 22 On 15 March, SU in Wales launched Stori Wir the Welsh language version of True Story, an evangelistic booklet for teenagers, the Welsh language Ancora Easter Comic, and the two mission booklets for children in Welsh.

Pray that through these many outside the church will BetH yw Dy find Jesus.

StOri di?

New Ydd Ion

da

Local Mission Partner Sevenoaks Area Youth Trust are coming to the end of a sixth form Youth Alpha course. Pray that there will be individuals and churches prepared to continue discipling young people who have been on the course and supporting them on their faith journey.

Thank you for your prayers

13/12/2016 21:23 WELSH_Cover-TrueStory.indd

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Prayers – week beginning March 19 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers – Week beginning March 26 Sunday 26 Thank God for the opportunity SU Slovakia have to train Sunday School teachers throughout the country. The new publication, Bible Timeline, has been very well received. Please pray for its wide distribution and effective use.

Welcome to this very

Monday 27

version of this

very awesome book. Inside here, you’ll of the most

find the beginning

story of all time. It’s a

, massively mind- b oggling, totally amazing, absolutely awesome, epically

Thank God for the positive response to Diary of a Disciple, a retelling of Luke’s Gospel that children can really relate to. Pray that it will continue to make an impact and that the recently published £1 edition containing the first three chapters and a special introduction will reach even more children. story.

wrote down that happened because he wanted everyone, everywhere in world the whole to hear what he had to say.

Turn to page

to find out more!

If you're a grown-up, visit www.diaryofadisciple.o rg to find out more about how you can use this book.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk ISBN 978 1 78506 659 7

9 781785 066597

Diary of a Disciple: Luke’s Story is a contemporary retelling of Luke’s Gospel, written by Gemma Willis and illustrated by Emma Randall.

Written in a quirky, contemporary, accessible style, Diary of a Disciple offers a way into the Bible for the next generation.

Tuesday 28

Thursday 30

Local Mission Partner Grantham Christian Ministries are today involved with the Grantham Church Schools Festival for about two hundred Year 4 children. Pray that as they spend the day in church with worship and workshops run by local Christians they will gain a better understanding of Christian faith.

Thank God for the way in which Guardians of Ancora is reaching many children. Pray about the development of the game in other languages, and for funding to become available. Pray too for school clubs using the special story modules in the run-up to Easter.

Wednesday 29 Local Mission Partner GenR8 are working with churches to run a prayer space today in Harston Primary. Pray that children who come will be able to respond and find something of God in the various prayer activities.

Friday 31 Local Mission Partner Learn4Life, who work in Reading, ask for prayer for the Discovery Clubs and Christian Union groups that meet in school each week.

Some have an increasing desire to reach out to their friends. Pray that God will give them boldness and help them to be good witnesses.

Saturday 1 This weekend Local Mission Partner Psalms are running a residential activity for Years 5 and 6. Please pray for Steve Hutchinson as he leads the worship and teaching, that through it children may grasp something of the love of God. 14

Prayers – week beginning March 26 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers – week beginning April 2 Sunday 2

Thursday 6

SU Nigeria are launching a new Daily Guide App with additional features designed to enrich the devotional life of users. Pray that God will provide good opportunities for publicity and that it will be well received and widely used.

The Mess Hut on the Great Wood campsite has stood for 50 years but now needs replacing to provide a key resource for all users. Pray for the Great Wood Trust as they raise the remaining funds and appoint a contractor.

Monday 3 The Kestrels sailing holiday for 13–18s on the Norfolk Broads started on Saturday and runs all this week. Pray for safety, good weather and that the young people will experience more of the love of Jesus through the lives of the team and the Bible sessions.

Tuesday 4 Give thanks for 150 years of SU Ministry.

Pray that through the Jubilee celebrations many will be enthused as they see what God has done over the years. Pray, too, for God’s continued blessings on the work of the movement.

Wednesday 5 Local Mission Partner Watford Schools Trust is celebrating its 25th anniversary and holding an art and poetry competition across the schools in Watford. Pray that as they launch this with an assembly in each school it will open new doors for the good news of Jesus.

Friday 7 Sarah Jenkins has recently become Primary Schools Worker for Christian Connection in Schools (Local Mission Partner in Slough, Maidenhead and Windsor). She asks us to pray that the positive relationships that she has built with schools will continue and that more opportunities will arise.

Saturday 8 Three holidays start tomorrow and run until Thursday: GW Tracks (ages 13–18), Bridleways (ages 12–15) and The SU Bake Off (ages 12–15), our first venture into a baking holiday. Pray that team members will have wisdom, sensitivity and energy and that young people will discover Jesus.

Prayers – week beginning April 2 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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New Holiday Fund opens up new gospel opportunities

Financial difficulties shouldn’t be a barrier to children hearing the gospel. That’s the thinking behind our new Holiday Fund which we hope, with your support, will help many more children and young people to go on an SU holiday, and discover God for themselves.

S

cripture Union’s Longbarn camp in Kent started in the 1970’s. Paul Butler (now the Bishop of Durham and SU President) used to help on the camps in his college holidays. A few years later, whilst he was an evangelist in London, he met Janet Morgan who worked with disadvantaged children in Tower Hamlets. Most had never had a holiday in their lives; Janet asked if Paul could help.

So Paul launched Longbarn East End in August 1987. Each year, over forty London children from deprived backgrounds discover the excitement of woodcraft,

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wide games, sleeping under the stars, cooking on camp fires – and getting to know God of course.

Paul’s daughter Caroline now helps to lead Longbarn. She says, ‘These Eastender kids too often arrive carrying burdens beyond their years, already hardened by life. At the beginning Caroline Taylor of the week they come: (née Butler) some with their bravado and swagger, others with shyness, others

New Holiday Fund | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

pretending to be cool and disinterested. But seeing one of the more “challenging” boys emerge from his tent on the first morning in a teddy bear onesie reminded me that for all his fire and stroppiness, he is still a child who needs care, protection, security and love.

was making rockets with some of the boys.

To begin with they were all “Don’t want to do that. Rockets are BORING”. But as the rockets launched in all their explosive froth that became “That’s sick man, sick! [which means good] Can we do it again?”.’

‘As the week progresses I watch and rejoice as they shed their shells, and the defences get peeled back, so they can join in the silly action songs and listen to the campfire story with rapt attention. By the end of the week they have remembered (or learnt) how to play as children do. One morning I

SU staff member Kathy Brooks visited Longbarn East End last summer. She says, ‘All the children I spoke to loved being at the camp, and return year after year. Many of today’s leaders had come on the camp as children. Ben started attending in the early days when he was a child living in Walthamstow. Then he came back as a helper – he’s been helping for 13 years now! He introduced me to two young men, Harry and Michael. Ben can remember teaching them about God when they came to the camp as children.

Now they’re helpers too, and teaching the next generation of youngsters.’

We hope to grow the fund and open up these amazing gospel opportunities to even more children and young people.

New Holiday Fund | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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The Scripture Union Holiday Fund Thanks to the commitment of hundreds of volunteer helpers, we’re able to keep the cost of our holidays to a minimum, and we currently subsidise every place to reduce costs further. But they are still unaffordable for some families. We’re very grateful to The David Chilcott Fund which has been able to help many such families with funding over the years. However, we began to notice an increase in need, and the size of grants available wasn’t always able to ensure a child didn’t miss this lifechanging experience.

So to ensure no child ever misses out due to poverty, and to allow the David Chilcott Fund to focus on providing support for

other organisations’ holidays, we’ve launched our own Holiday Fund.

The fund is already set to make SU holidays a reality for children who may otherwise not been able to afford the opportunity but, with your support, we hope to grow the fund and open up these amazing gospel opportunities to even more children and young people.

The application process is fairly simple, although all applicants will need a professional to vouch for them, and commit to pay a small deposit of £30 per child. Funding for successful applications will be paid directly to the holiday.

Your donation could help many more disadvantaged children to come on an SU holiday £20

could buy half a day of activities at an outdoor centre for a child

£35

could help fund one night’s accommodation, food and activities for a child/young person

Are you able to help grow the Holiday Fund and help many more children experience an SU holiday? If so, you can donate at www.scriptureunion.org.uk/holidayfund or by calling us on 0845 07 06 006 (local rate).

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New Holiday Fund | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers – week beginning April 9 Sunday 9

Wednesday 12

SU in Sri Lanka thank God for two new schools that have been added to the Schools Ministry. Please pray for the special programmes that will be conducted in 27 schools for Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Ask God to give wisdom and creativity to all those working on the development of digital and print resources so that what we provide for use in mission with children and young people is culturally relevant, life changing and faithful to the Bible. Pray that these resources will make a difference in the lives of children and young people who have little or no understanding of Jesus.

Monday 10 Local Mission Partner, Missional Generation work along the M62 corridor and ask us to pray for Mission United, Faith In Life running over the next three days. Pray that young people will be inspired by examples of mission as they serve alongside local churches.

Tuesday 11 Sue Clutterham, of Local Mission Partner Archway Trust works in five villages in Northamptonshire and has developed good relationships with many families through a range of activities. Pray that these will be built on during the holiday club this week and that it will be possible to provide an Alpha course for them.

Thursday 13 Pray for moves towards a Global Family Alliance supported among others by Scripture Union and the Global Children’s Forum, with a vision to see the home as the primary centre for faith formation and mission, drawing support from local churches. Pray for an international gathering to take this forward in the summer.

Friday 14 (Good Friday) As we reflect today on the death of Jesus, let’s remember all of the children in the UK who may never have heard of his love, and pray that God will arouse and equip his church to reach out in new and creative ways.

Saturday 15 National Mission Partner Festive have seen increasing numbers of Christian Unions closing down recently. Please pray that current leaders will be able to find new leaders to continue the work and that students will be inspired to start groups.

Prayers – week beginning April 9 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers – week beginning April 16 Sunday 16 (Easter)

Thursday 20

As we praise God for the guarantee of new life through the resurrection of Jesus, pray for the effective distribution of 100,000 Illustrated Scriptures to nominally Christian students across Egypt, asking that they will be well received and bring life to many.

This year one of our priorities as a movement is to engage in partnership with more churches, working together to reach those children who don’t yet know Jesus. Please pray for wisdom as we do this and for relationships and partnerships to be developed.

We are working on ways to help parents of those playing Guardians of Ancora to connect with the game and all it can offer to their children.

Pray for those taking this forward as they look for new ways of spreading the message and pilot fresh approaches.

Tuesday 18

Friday 21

This week Trevor Ranger of Local Mission Partner, Synergy, will be helping two churches in Cricklade with an Xpedition Force holiday club for up to fifty local children. Pray that the good news of Jesus will come across and that children will respond to his love.

Tomorrow the Kent Ecumenical Youth and Children’s Officers Group including SU worker Lisa Jones will be running the TOOLBOX conference, looking at the value of relationships in ministry.

Pray that those who attend will be equipped to reach out more effectively.

Wednesday 19

Saturday 22

Local Mission Partner Christian Schools Work Hastings are devoting this term to Prayer Spaces in schools. Pray that they will be able to adapt to different types of space and that pupils will find that the quietness of the experience enables them to think seriously about God.

Today Local Mission Partner GenR8 are running, in partnership with the URC, a day for young people in Years 6–8 helping them to start a journey into leadership.

The day will help young people reflect on their importance to God and encourage their gifts and talents.

Monday 17

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Prayers – week beginning April 16 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers – week beginning April 23 Sunday 23

Thursday 27

The SU International Executive meet in Bangkok over the next four days. Pray that God will make his desires clearly known as they think about taking forward the new global framework including changes to the Constitution and the appointment of a Global Board.

The new national office has been in use for six months and will be officially opened today; the opening will also provide an opportunity to give thanks for those who have given generously to support SU. Give thanks both for the building and for generous supporters.

Monday 24 The North West Region give thanks for opportunities to work with others, for involvement in Transforming Wigan and for work with churches in Cumbria where SU is seen as a valuable contributor to mission initiatives. Pray that through these opportunities we will see more children and young people responding to the good news of Jesus.

Tuesday 25 Today Chris Eales will be meeting with the Bath and Wells school chaplains’ forum. Please pray for fresh leads, new partners to work with and increasing opportunities for mission, both within this group and beyond.

Wednesday 26 Tomorrow the Brinkburn Lifepath team meet to plan this year’s event. Pray that God will lead them to the programme and people which will communicate the love of God to children as they look at the life of the monastic community that was based in the Priory.

Friday 28 Steve and Judy Hutchinson lead the Family Bible holiday this weekend at Great Wood. Pray that as families enjoy activities in this great setting and explore the Bible together they may discover fresh truths about God and his love.

Saturday 29 Local Mission Partner Future Vision operate in 13 schools in Sudbury, Suffolk.

Pray that God will continue to inspire as they deliver lessons and serve through Open the Book, clubs, assemblies and a chaplaincy. Pray too that they will have wisdom in responding to new invitations and that funds will be available for growth.

Prayers – week beginning April 23 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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A legacy of love

Esther Davies has long been passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus with children and young people. And she plans to help continue that work long after she has departed this life.

Esther was 15 when she became a Christian.

Soon after, she discovered Scripture Union Bible reading notes, which she has used ever since to help her to grow and mature in her faith.

It was the beginning of a long relationship with Scripture Union. When she was 18, Esther began working for us in our Wigmore Street offices, helping on one of our magazines. Later she trained as a primary school teacher, and was then asked to write lessons for the Education in Churches Department magazine Teaching Beginnings.

Meanwhile, she continued with her involvement with Scripture Union, becoming a helper and leader on what were then CSSM beach missions at Perranporth in Cornwall and at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex. And in the first years of this century, she was a contributor to Daily Bread.

She says, ‘All these activities and experiences built me up in my faith and were a great

blessing as well as a joy. It was a privilege to be involved with Scripture Union in so many ways and over so many years. So it is very close to my heart – and as I read Connecting You, I am delighted at the creative ways the gospel is presented to the children of today, that they might come to know the Lord Jesus.’

Mrs Davies plans to leave a gift to Scripture Union in her Will. Children and young people who may not even be born yet will be able to hear the good news of Jesus and have the opportunity to invite him into their lives thanks to her kind generosity.

We are very grateful to Mrs Davies, and to other supporters who have left a legacy to us or plan to do so. Gifts left to us in Wills fund about a fifth of our evangelism and discipleship work each year. They are particularly important in helping us to develop creative new ways of engaging the next generation of young people with the gospel.

Fin

d out If you would like to more abo ut know more about leaving a leaving a legacy to legacy Scripture Union, you can request our free Legacy Pack by visiting www. scriptureunion.org.uk/legacy or by calling us on 01908 856052.

‘The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures for ever’ Isaiah 40:8 22

A legacy of love | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers – week beginning April 30 Sunday 30

Thursday 4

SU Korea ask us to pray that the Bible reading ministry will reach churches and Christians who have lost true faith and mission under the influence of materialism. Pray this will inspire them and awaken new faith.

Local Mission Partner Contagious, based in Alnwick, give thanks for a positive strategic review last autumn, resulting in three new Trustees and a renewed vision for schools’ and youth work. Please pray for the Trustees, Chaplaincy Team and for some new volunteers to help run the Rock Solid group.

Monday 1 Local Mission Partner Faith in Schools work in the London Borough of Newham.

Pray for guidance and creativity in the preparation and delivery of lessons, for more schools to take up the full offer of lessons and for more volunteers to come forward to help with the work.

Friday 5 SLAM, run by SU in Wales this weekend, is a new Sports holiday aimed at those with little or no church background.

Pray that, as John and Andy Settatree and Mike Adams lead the camp using True Story, the truth of Jesus will make an impact.

Tuesday 2 Over the next few months, several X:site events will take place. These are designed to share the love of Jesus with children who have no contact with the church. Pray for all who attend, especially those who come for the first time, that they may have a genuine encounter with God through all the fun, activities and teaching.

Wednesday 3

Saturday 6

Christians in Schools Trust is a Local Mission Partner working in Stockport.

Please pray for the Not a Secret programme which provides an assembly on mental health issues for secondary schools. Pray that it will help young people to be open and provide a way for churches to support more young people.

Pray for those at SU with key but little seen roles – the Finance team preparing for the audit of last year’s accounts, the HR Officer providing support and developing policies, the Technical Services Manager giving IT support and the team who form the vital interface with customers and supporters.

Prayers – week beginning April 30 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers – week beginning May 7 Sunday 7

Thursday 11

Over the next three days Tim HastieSmith is visiting the North East and Yorkshire region as part of the Jubilee celebrations, speaking at events for church leaders, volunteers and supporters. Please pray that these will encourage and motivate.

Diary of a Disciple has already helped many children to engage with God’s word in an up-to-date and exciting way.

Pray that many more children and young people in England and Wales and across the world will get to know more about Jesus through this book.

Monday 8 National Mission Partner Festive work in sixth form and FE colleges across the country. Please pray that as they launch a new brand, a new website and app this term it will enable them to resource more effectively the increasing numbers of Christian young people and chaplains in Further Education across the UK.

Tuesday 9 This summer a team from SU and the Diocese of Gloucester will be visiting Rwanda to help set up a range of new sports mission outreaches in Rwanda and neighbouring countries. Pray that this will be effective and that local leaders will be found to take this forward.

Wednesday 10 Holiday club resources used by many churches have helped many children to discover the love of Jesus for the first time. Pray for wisdom, creativity and direction for all those working on the holiday club material for 2018 which will have a sports related theme.

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Friday 12 Pray for a new holiday this summer called Ancora, led by Tom and Lucy Winn. Pray that many children will sign up for this and will really engage with the Bible stories through the Guardians of Ancora theme.

Saturday 13 Local Mission Partner Bridgebuilder Trust in Milton Keynes give thanks for ongoing positive connections with schools (105 out of 129). Pray for children and young people who hear the message that they will respond and that team will be able to support staff in the schools.

Prayers – week beginning May 7 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Prayers – week beginning May 14 Sunday 14

Thursday 18

SU Tonga’s theme and vision for 2017 is the Year of Soaring High, Diving Deeper and Moving Forward. Please pray for the plans to have SU School Counsellors in all Schools and Education Institutes.

Pray for holiday and mission teams as they get together to plan and prepare programmes for their events this summer. Pray for creativity in presenting the message to the children and young people attending their events.

Monday 15 Local Mission Partner re:generation, in Harrow, ask for prayer that God would continue to open doors for prayer spaces in schools, that he would provide a reliable team of people to help them accomplish this and the necessary finances for the work.

Tuesday 16 Today six Bobbly Bible Tale books will be published; these are designed to help under-5s engage with Bible stories. Pray that they will reach many children and families. Pray too for the Explore Together Orange Resource Book published last month, the fourth in a series to help groups of all ages engage with the Bible.

Friday 19 Today the bus run by a Local Mission Partner in Yorkshire, The Bus Stop, will be hosting one of its monthly drop-in youth groups in Malton with volunteers from local churches. Please pray for them that as young people explore Christian truth, they will come to a living faith in Jesus.

Saturday 20 Wednesday 17 As team applications for holidays and mission come in, please pray for Andy Evans and Susannah Quinn that God will give them wisdom as they process these and respond to applicants and that they may use their time effectively.

Today is Big Night Out, an event at Lightwater Valley Theme Park organised by a range of Christian churches and agencies including SU. Please pray that the mix of afternoon and evening rides, and top class Christian bands and entertainment will enable young people to hear the message of Jesus.

Prayers – week beginning May 14 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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Prayers – week beginning May 21 Sunday 21

Wednesday 24

Praise God for the many children and young people who hear the good news at SU camps and the after-camp Bible studies in Armenia. Thank God for new opportunities with people from Iran and Georgia who attend the camps.

John Settatree, Helen Franklin and Mike Adams will be involved in outreach in the Urdd Eisteddfod in Bridgend at the end of May. They hope to launch the Welsh language version of Guardians of Ancora: Arwyr Ancora. Pray that this will be well received.

Monday 22 Pray for wisdom in promoting Shine In Schools. Pray that through this initiative God will give young people a vision, passion and calling to live for him at school. Pray especially for the filming this week of videos to help groups share their faith later in the year.

Tuesday 23 Over the next three days, hundreds of children from schools in the Bedford area will come to Lifepath Bunyan, where they will explore the life and writing of John Bunyan. Pray that through this they will discover something of how they too can know God.

Thursday 25 Local Mission Partner, Schools Christian Worker Project in Oswestry have written a new programme, Believe She is... showing how Bible truths can help girls deal with negative thoughts. Pray that as this reaches more schools, girls will gain a sense of their identity in Christ.

Friday 26 In June Local Mission Partner Beverley Schools Christian Trust will be taking the bus from The Bus Stop to primary schools, providing reflective activity-based sessions on Moving On for over one thousand children. Pray for energy, meaningful conversations and for good relationships to be developed with each school.

Saturday 27 The Go Wild holiday this weekend for 8- to 12-yearolds at Great Wood is led by Chris Eales. Please pray for the team and ask that the young people would have fun enjoying outdoor activities and encountering God for themselves, some for the first time.

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Prayers – week beginning May 21 | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Brand new! Mini ‘Diary of a Disciple’ It’s the story of everything.

It’s the story of everyone.

It’s the story of hope.

It’s the story of humanity.

It’s the story of good and evil.

It’s the story of the ultimate victory.

It’s the story of the past.

It’s the story of the future.

And, it’s your story, today.

Diary of a Disciple: Luke’s Story is a quirky, contemporary and accessible retelling of Luke’s Gospel. It offers children aged 8–11 a way into the Bible.

Every page fizzes with doodles, drawings and discovery as Luke (part doctor, part detective, all disciple) explores a range of incredible true-life events which start with an impossible birth, end with a dead man coming back to life, and can change the life of every reader for ever!

Our new Mini Diary of a Disciple is a 64-page extract from the full version and covers the first three chapters of Luke. It’s ideal to give away to children on missions or in school clubs or assemblies. And there’s a £1 voucher in the back to use against a copy of the full version.

Mini Diary of a Disciple: 10 copies for £10, ISBN 9781785066597 Diary of a Disciple: Luke’s Story: 352-page A5 hardback, price £9.99, ISBN 9781785064708

Available online at www.scriptureunion.org.uk/shop or by calling us on 0845 07 06 006 (local rate).

Brand new! | www.scriptureunion.org.uk

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7 1 0 2 s y g a n i g d n a i h l c o e f i l H Amazing or f s s e c d l n o e i r r expe to 18-yea 8-

BOOK ONLINE NOW AT: www.scriptureunion.org.uk