SUNZ Adventure Magazine April 2021

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APRIL 2021

CERTAINTY NO MORE INSIDE

A COMPELLING STORY

IN HER SHOES

CRITICAL THINKING & SCRIPTURE

M

EDITORIAL

inecraft is a bit of a favourite in our house, so it was a real coup when I discovered that Scripture Union sells The Minecraft Bible. Fully intending to be known as a cool nanny, I bought a copy and took it home. And it has been read and read and re-read.

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But as I’ve sat and read it with my grandchildren, it’s made me think. Amongst the joy of seeing them engage with God’s word I have also found a challenge – how can I help them continue to engage with God’s word in ways that will sustain them and steady them their whole lives long?

This is a big question. In many ways young people face a more complicated future than I did, and I know that anything I come up with will have to suit the world these children will live in — a world likely to be much more uncertain than the one that I grew up in.

As you will see in this edition of the Adventure, we are exploring that same question here in Scripture Union too. Because Bible engagement is incredibly important to us here and we want to help children and young people discover Jesus and meet with 2 www.sunz.org.nz

God himself as they read his word. We want them to be developing ideas and patterns and habits that will support them into a life-long faith. Whatever we are doing — whether it’s in our camps or the way we develop leaders or the way we are moving into digital media — we make sure that there is a strong biblical emphasis. That’s our ethos and that’s what we do.

And of course, it’s encouraging to remember that although methods of Bible engagement need to change to suit the children and young people we work with, we can say with certainty: Tūturu tonu a Ihu Karaiti inanahi, ināianei, ā ake ake. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

(Hebrews 13:8) Yours in Christ.

Ngā mihi nui,

Hilary Hague

National Director, Scripture Union New Zealand

CONTENTS FEATURES

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8

10

19

20 22

CERTAINTY NO MORE

NEVILLE BARTLEY

A COMPELLING STORY

NIGEL WINDER

IN HER SHOES

ANNETTE OSBORNE

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL

ANDY BANKS

CRITICAL THINKING & SCRIPTURE

NEVILLE BARTLEY

COLOURED RIBBONS

JO SMITH

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

15

WAY2GO MAGAZINE

INTERVIEWS

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06 12

24 26

Q&A

HEARING BACK

BEYOND EXPERIENCE PARTICIPANTS

LIGHT FOR THE PATH

EMMA BECKETT

OUT & ABOUT

RESOURCES

28

SU RESOURCES FOR LIFE PRODUCED BY JAMUEL ENRIQUEZ EDITED BY JANICE HUNT DESIGNED BY WINDSORCREATIVE WAY2GO MAGAZINE DESIGNED

BY WINDSORCREATIVE

Certainty No More NEVILLE BARTLEY

| Youth Team Leader, SUNZ

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ertainty is something that followers of Jesus are supposed to have. We are supposed to be certain in our forgiveness from God. We are to be certain of our place in eternity with God and certain in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ whom we follow and in whom we receive our forgiveness and our eternity with God. In a way, those things have been relatively easy for generations after the end of World War Two. However, for the first time since then our children and young people are facing a world that is unsure and a future that is uncertain. It may be easier for many of us who are older to say that the certainty of our faith hasn’t changed. However, we are not their age and looking ahead wondering what the future holds. Will they be able to freely travel again? Will they be able to own their own home? Will the planet keep warming and the sea levels rise and the physical world we know change? Will animals and plants continue

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to disappear from our world forever? Will another pandemic strike and could it be worse than this one?

We already see high levels of anxiety and depression amongst our young people. When you add all the thoughts about their future on top of the anxiety many of them already feel, I think you can see why young people may struggle to be certain about anything in their lives. We have a generation under stress, a generation looking for answers, a generation looking for some sort of certainty.

So where do they find that certainty? How do they find that certainty? What role does the church play in that and what does God really have to offer?

These are big questions that the church was already having to face in some ways before COVID-19. Now they are questions the church needs to quickly address and begin to answer.

I don’t want to sound too simple here, but I think we have been spending too much time

y

worrying about how our music sounds, how flash we look up front and how appealing our building looks from the outside — and not taking seriously enough what is really required. I don’t think the answer is that difficult in essence, but for some of us who are older it might seem difficult in its execution.

I think our answer lies within three key things: scripture, prayer and community. This generation under fire needs to know Christ and they need to know God their creator.

And the only way they can truly know them is through those three things being active in their lives.

Scripture holds the truth that can overcome uncertainty.

Prayer holds the connection with the truthgiver who can overcome uncertainty.

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The community of the church holds the tangible outworking of that truth, and the love that is built on that will overcome uncertainty.

"

THIS GENERATION UNDER FIRE NEEDS TO KNOW CHRIST AND THEY NEED TO KNOW GOD THEIR CREATOR. Church to be the place where not just this current generation of children and youth — and the generations that follow them — can discover certainty through a faith in Christ. Your prayers for us are one of our strongest tools to continue to be that support to the Church.

Can I encourage you to take any opportunities that God gives you to walk alongside this current hurting generation of young people?

Be quick to listen and slow to talk. Be quick to support and slow to correct. Be quick to show a life of love and slow to dish out rules.

It may sound simple, but this is where the sacrifice begins for those of us who are strong and certain in our faith. We need to use new ways to help the younger generation to engage with scripture and to discover its truth. We need to find new ways to help them discover and engage in prayer so that their daily lives become entwined with it. We need to create communities of love and trust and understanding. We need to get alongside them and see how they see the world.

Scripture, prayer and community are the keys for this generation to discover a certainty that nothing this world throws at them will cause them to fall. Even for many of us who are older, there are still some doubts and uncertainties that we face as we look to the future facing our children and their children.

So, let’s get back to these simple things, let’s put our trust in God, in God’s word, and in God’s community — and not in house prices, investments and rules and regulations. Let the world see that the only true certainty is found through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

At Scripture Union NZ, part of our role is to be on that new edge, to discover the ways the church can use to help this young generation find certainty in their futures through a certainty in their faith in God. We are constantly listening, praying, searching scripture and being guided by the Spirit of God to find these new pathways. Our core business is to work with and support the

‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’

Philippians 4: 4-7 (NIV) APRIL 2021 5

Q& A

HOW HAS THE BIBLE

STEADIED

IN UNCERTAIN TIMES?

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SUNZ STAFF SHARE

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When reflecting on what scripture I turn to in times of trouble or anxiety, I found my hands instinctively flipping through the Bible to Ecclesiastes, one of the ‘Wisdom’ books in the Old Testament. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds me of the wisdom in discerning the right time to do things but in the end, ‘what has been done has been done and what has not been done has not been done, let it be’ - a paraphrase prayed during our evening prayers across different camps, and words that have consistently given me peace.

At the end of one of our summer camps, I was chatting with a young camper asking how she found the camp and drawing upon maturity beyond her years she gave me a raw account, positive and constructive. She ended our little feedback session with “but you know, if you’re sad about it, just remember the words during evening prayers – what has been done has been done…”.

A sentiment just as powerful when spoken by a young teenager as it is read in scripture.

Natalie Duchesne | Based in Hamilton as our South Island Camps Facilitator

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"

Moving to the other side of the world then back again due to the pandemic, poor family health, lockdowns and no clear plan for the future…times have certainly felt very uncertain for me recently!

It’s easy to lose focus on the truths of God’s word when we feel lost in the stresses and strains of uncertainty. Taking the time to dive into the Bible and soak in God’s word has been so important for me. When I don’t make this a priority in my day, inevitably I find myself back on shaky ground!

I’ve found it helpful to write out Bible passages and put them somewhere I’ll be able to keep re-reading them. One of the collection stuck up around my desk that has particularly spoken to me in recent times is Psalm 63:1-8 which focuses on God as our sustainer in times of need. It ends with the beautiful verse: ‘I cling to you: your strong right hand holds me securely.’

I’m always so grateful for my faith and all that God has done for me, yet it’s in times of uncertainty that I’m even more thankful for the hope, comfort and certainty that I have in Jesus.

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Jennifer Babb | Our Fundraising Manager currently working remotely from Scotland.

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There I was, a 17-year-old in my last year of high school, feeling rather lost and discouraged after coming home from such a peak experience in Tonga. I had just been on a 4-week discipleship training school which included a 3-week outreach in Tonga. I had seen God move in incredible ways over that time, but now that I was home it felt like I was in a spiritual desert. My older sister encouraged me to memorize a Psalm, and over the next few months Psalm 42 became my own prayer — especially when I couldn’t find my own words to pray. Although life felt confusing and rather uncertain, memorizing this Psalm helped me hold onto God and not give up following Him. Lizzie Moore | Based in Invercargill as our Otago-Southland Youth Consultant.

A Compelling

STORY NIGEL WINDER |

SUNZ Children and

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I

am not much of a reader. It is not that I don’t want to read, it just seems that every time I sit down to read, the general busyness of life catches up on me and I find myself rereading the same page repeatedly, not taking in what I have read, or simply falling asleep after a few minutes with the book falling out of my hands — yep, I still love the ink on paper version!

Despite that confession, there have been occasional books that I have got so caught up in, that I literally have not been able to put them down. I have gone to bed early and read through the night to get to the end. This does not always look pretty the next day. What makes a book so good that I am prepared to forfeit a night’s sleep?

I believe there is power in a story that has the following characteristics…

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Families Consultant

and Southern Direct or

Compelling and larger-than-life characters who are human and real — they do things and say things and think things like I do or are like people I know.

The power of imagination is stirred. There is space to fill in the gaps and imagine you are there in the story. There is something powerful and ‘transportational’ about being drawn into the story and getting to live it out in your mind. (I know that is not a real word, but you are allowed to make up words in your imagination.)

Space is allowed for you to draw your own conclusions and disentangle what the story might be saying to you about life, yourself, and others.

Context is unpacked. You know where the story is set and what life is like in that place

"

THE BIBLE IS WRITTEN IN A RICH AND MEANINGFUL CONTEXT OF HISTORY. IT HAS LARGER THAN LIFE CHARACTERS WHO ARE SO HONESTLY AND TRUTHFULLY PORTRAYED SO WE CANNOT HELP BUT SEE OURSELVES IN THEM AND LEARN FROM THEM.

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and time, which brings richness and meaning to the story and helps fill in the gaps that are not expressly written into words on the page.

Questions that are raised remain unanswered.

A good story does not have a checklist of things you must have learnt or agreed to. A good story sits in the back of your mind, stirs the emotions, and provokes unsettling and searching questions.

This has got me wondering. The Bible too is a story — God’s big story about His love and rescue of us — and it has many of these same characteristics. We miss something when we treat it like an instruction manual or an Aesop fable that has a good moral which is delivered in black and white terms at the end.

I wonder if the Bible is read less often and perceived to be less relevant, not because of its message, but because of the way we have

engaged with it? Maybe when we approach the Bible like a compelling story, we will be less likely to forget what we have read or drift off to sleep. Scripture Union has seen much fruit across its ministries to a wide spread of ages from opening the Bible using this approach.

The Bible is written in a rich and meaningful context of history. It has larger than life characters who are so honestly and truthfully portrayed so we cannot help but see ourselves in them and learn from them.

Many of the stories within the big story of the Bible lack detail, backgrounds, and information about what happened next. This, however, invites us to use our imaginations, fill in the gaps and raise our own questions.

The Bible encourages us to engage with the author (God), to seek out what He meant and what He might want us to understand about Him through it. God has even given us His Spirit to guide us and lead us through this process. We don’t need to go to a book signing with the author of the Bible because He is always present with us and His signature is woven into every page inspiring the story.

Wouldn’t it be exciting to get so caught up in the story of the Bible that we can’t put it down and want to keep reading it through the night.

SUNZ Children and Families Consultant Annette Osborne recently led a time of Bible Engagement using this type of approach at ‘Beyond Experience’, our young leader’s development weekend. She helped us step into the shoes/sandals of Mary Magdalene.

You can read a snapshot of what she shared on pages 10-11. Some of the participants responses to this style of Bible engagement and reflections regarding Beyond Experience appear on pages 12-13.

APRIL 2021 9

In her shoes ANNETTE OSBORNE | Children and Families Consultant, SUNZ

‘…he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others…’

Luke 8:1-3

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M

ary Magdalene is one of the few women in the gospels who is named.

She appears in only a handful of verses. We know little about her, but she was important enough to the gospel writers to record her name, especially in a period when women were rarely mentioned.

Here in Luke she becomes one of Jesus’ followers. We don’t know what happened when Mary and Jesus met. But the reflection that follows illustrates how Scripture Union NZ explores the Bible with people of all ages.

Imagine the scene…

Grey stone houses of a small village sit on the edge of the Lake Galilee. Can you smell fish drying on the roofs and hear the sound of fishermen on the shore mending their nets?

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Olive grove are swaying in the breeze.

Today, a crowd is gathering. The village is buzzing with news that Jesus, is coming this way While they know of his miracles and teaching, it is the latest story that has everyone talking. Jesus was sharing a meal with friends, when a woman burst into the room and fell at his feet in tears. The religious leaders were appalled at this. Instead of having her thrown out, Jesus took her side.

Since then the word has spread that this teacher, Jesus, cares about the people that society rejects.

There is a village family whose daughter Mary is said to be possessed by evil spirits. That huge shame has excluded them from village life. But today they have hope that Jesus will welcome their daughter.

Imagine Jesus cutting through the crowd and calling Mary by name! Jesus calls her out of the shadows and into the light.

In that moment Mary’s life changes. She gathers her belongings, farewells her family and follows Jesus out of town. She leaves behind the expectations to be a wife and mother, and the protection of her household.

All to follow Jesus.

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Imagine that we can interview Mary and ask her, ‘Why did you follow Jesus that day?’

Would she call herself courageous or some sort of super disciple? Would she simply point out all Jesus had done for her and the new life He offered her? Would she say that love compelled her or that she felt safe with Jesus?

As we consider Mary, we think about our own response to Jesus. What helps us to follow him today? What does it mean for us to follow Jesus every day—not just last year or at some grand conversion moment in the past?

What helps us to follow Jesus, together as a community? How might we encourage each other to listen to Jesus calling our name?

The next mention of Mary is approximately three years later, in the shadow of the cross

with a small handful of Jesus’ family and friends (John 19:25-27). In that place of brokenness, pain and deep distress, it would surely have been tempting to run away.

Many of Jesus’ friends did just that, keeping suffering at an arm’s length. But not Mary. The deep conviction that caused her to follow Jesus in the first place, coupled with all she had experienced of Jesus’ ministry in the intervening years, enabled her to stay when others fled.

The most significant account of Mary’s life describes her bearing a jar of myrrh and journeying in the dark of Sunday morning to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. In the chaos of discovering that the tomb is empty, Mary is left alone in the garden and is the first to encounter the risen Jesus. From among all Jesus’ friends, she was the one whom he calls by name. How significant is this, in a time when women were not often seen as the bearers of important news? Jesus chose her.

Just a few verses bring to life a remarkable woman. Her life was shaped by the call of Jesus. As we examine her life, let’s be challenged by her example. If Jesus is worthy of following, what might this mean for our everyday lives?

APRIL 2021 11

hearing back

What do you think of the way SUNZ does Bible engagement?

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On pages 8-9 in this magazine you read about how we do Bible engagement here at SUNZ. You also read on pages 10-11 about a very short example of Bible engagement from our recent leadership development weekend ‘Beyond Experience’. See some of the reflections and responses from some ‘Beyond Experience’ participants regarding our style of Bible engagement.

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I enjoyed the subtle but constant [Bible] engagement throughout the weekend.

Going through Mary’s story was really good, great that it was straight from the bible. I also appreciated going one person and having a theme, not jumping around through different people/books.

I thought that the Bible engagement was great in general over the weekend, especially in the workshops and Mary Magdalene talks.

I personally think we had the right amount of Bible engagement; it wasn’t too much or too little. I liked how it was a leadership weekend but then had Christian elements to it too.

It felt very natural and not tacked on.

I enjoyed Annette’s talks and how they were scripture based.

Just right! Always enjoy how SUNZ incorporates scripture.

I liked the style of Bible engagement that Annette used.

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The active effort to engage with the Bible was real good. Often I’ve found at other Christian events they involve Jesus but can skip reading from the word and focusing on scripture itself.

I liked the references to scripture in the workshops. It was clear the leaders have strong biblical knowledge and a passion for sharing the word. The morning sessions on Mary were a great place to start and thoroughly enjoyed how this character in the Bible was discussed.

Great. I really loved it all. It really resonated with me.

APRIL 2021 13

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75 Welcome!

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Pull it out! & Pass it around!

GOD’S BIG STORY At the SUPAKidz Camp in Wellington in January we had two afternoon sessions where the campers could ask any question they like. We called the sessions “Keenites”—for the very keen ones. There was an amazing array of questions and some very thoughtful comments coming from the campers, as well as the leaders. One question stuck in my mind:

‘Can the Bible be added to?’

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The answer given by one of the team described the Bible as the story of God and His people. But it was another part of the reply that particularly struck me:

Isn’t it exciting that we can add our stories to those of the people of God! How can we excite our children to read God’s word and learn about the people who have gone before us, and want to be a part of God’s Big Story?

In this edition of the WAY2GO magazine we’ll look at some Bible engagement tools for children and families to use,

___ Liz Eichler Children and Families Consultant, SUNZ

BIBLEEngage

BY LIZ EICHLER

ns QuestioK O are

use two We often kinds of different s: question

Closed questions that often start with ‘do…’ or ‘did…’ and result in yes/ no answers or a limited set of possible answers.

Open questions that usually start with ‘wh’/’h’ words (where’, ‘what’, ‘who’, ‘when’, ‘why’, and ‘how’) and result in a longer answer than a closed question.

The wondering questions that are used by Godly Play are a good example of open questions. Wondering questions allow the child to enter into the Bible Story and to connect with God themselves. Too often we think we need to have all the answers and must share them with the children we are with.

How about we just pose a question and leave the children to think about it themselves? Wondering Questions are perfect for this.

Start with some general questions:

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I wonder what part of the story you like the best?

I wonder what part of the story you find confusing?

I wonder if you are in the story?

Add in: I wonder which part of the story you like the least?

I wonder if there is a part of the story we could leave out and still have all of the story?

Ask some questions about the particular story you have just read:e.g. “I wonder what it felt like for Noah and his family to be shut inside the ark for so long?” or The Good Shepherd e.g. “I wonder who the sheep could really be?”

The Kairos Method either by themselves or together.

Kairos is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment. The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos and kairos. The former refers to chronological

or sequential time, while the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action.

The Kairos Method is a simple way to read the Bible, inviting readers to focus on a God thought, a life

thought and a self thought that arise out of the passage.

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To make the most of this method, create a space that is quiet and free of distractions from the outside world or from your own busy mind. Older children could do this by themselves or this could be a special time together as a family that you build into your day.

Read your Bible passage, then note down the following: Summary: a few words that summarise the passage.

God thought: what this passage says about God. Life thought: something that applies to your life—this could be a promise, command, lesson or warning.

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2021 Take a fresh look at the vital role of the church in supporting families and whānau as they form the faith of their children in a fast-changing world.

Registrations are now open www.sunz.org.nz/way2go

Scripture Union wants to work with your church to create opportunities for children and young people to discover and follow Jesus, grow as leaders, and influence the world.

Contact us and let us know how we can help you.

Looking for more resources and inspiration?

Check out our website and blog sunzbreakthrough.org.nz childrenandfamiliesnz.blogspot.com

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Another Brick in the Wall ANDY BANKS |

N

ew Zealand suicide statistics continue to be amongst the worst in the developed world, and have only increased in the wake of a continuing global pandemic as people grapple with uncertainty, a loss of hope and an unknown future.

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A quarter of New Zealanders currently have poor levels of mental and emotional wellbeing according to a February 2021 study commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation1. Over the last few years, in response to the increasing crisis in mental health in our communities and young people, Scripture Union NZ has developed the Āpōpō programme as a cooperative approach for communities responding to mental health and suicide.

Such programmes are often said to be an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff when what is needed is a fence at the top. The Āpōpō programme emphasises that we don’t even want to be just a fence at the top—we want to move the fence back as far as we can and actually turn it into a massive wall. A wall that is made up of people. Āpōpō pursues the idea that it will take a village—not only professionals —to respond to the challenge of mental health and suicide. We can all be part of the solution and support each other’s emotional health and well-being. Each one of us another brick in the wall.

In the faith-based version of Āpōpō we anchor the teaching around three key

Youth Consultant, SUNZ

scriptures. One is the story of Paul and Silas in prison from Acts chapter 16. An earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, and immediately all the prison doors opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors were open, he drew his sword to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. However, Paul cries out ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’

Two factors often contribute to people considering suicide: loss of hope and loss of meaningful social connection. If we look closely at Acts 16, we see that Paul offered HOPE in telling the jailer not to kill himself.

Paul’s voice was hope to the jailer that the prisoners hadn’t left. The jailer had thought killing himself was the only option, but now he knew that was not the case. Paul then offered SOCIAL CONNECTION by further responding ‘We are all here’. Buried in those verses are both hope and social connection.

Buried in those two verses is the wall we want to build. A wall of people, a village to respond to the challenge of mental health and suicide. A village that we can all be part of. A wall that can help us support each other’s emotional health and well-being.

We have to work together get to a place where we can put aside our fears to talk about mental health and suicide. A place where every single one of us is another brick in the wall.

1 Mental Health Foundation, 25% of New Zealanders have poor mental wellbeing, new study shows, accessed March 19, 2021 from https://mentalhealth.org.nz/news/post/25-of-new-zealanders-have-poor-mental-wellbeing-newstudy-shows

CRITICAL THINKING &SCRIPTURE NEVILLE BARTLEY | Youth Team Leader, SUNZ

C

ritical thinking is a term used all through education and a catch phrase of business today. Unfortunately, Christians often seem to think that church is not the place for it. Some may argue that Christians are meant to be loving and understanding rather than critical. I believe this viewpoint reflects a lack of understanding of what critical thinking really is and its value to help us engage with scripture.

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What is critical thinking?

Peter Facione, a Los Angeles-based education research consultant, has written: ‘Critical thinking is skeptical without being cynical.

It is open-minded without being wishy-washy. It is analytical without being nitpicky. Critical thinking can be decisive without being stubborn, evaluative without being judgmental, and forceful without being opinionated.’ 1

A slightly more humorous definition attributed to Richard W. Paul says: ‘Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better.’ 2

Critical thinking is a tool to help distinguish between facts and opinions or assumptions.

Many things that we have been taught to be facts will, when tested, turn out to just 20 www.sunz.org.nz

have been somebody’s opinion. Testing is an important skill for followers of Jesus to have so we can evaluate what we read online or are taught from the pulpit, theological college or our small groups. We have a freedom today to think, analyse, test and make sure that we understand as much as we possibly can about what God is saying to us through scripture.

So here are some tips and tools that I hope will be useful for you as you engage with Scripture on your own and with others.

All our study of scripture at Scripture Union NZ (SUNZ) recognizes the role of the Holy Spirit. We know that the Spirit of God was active in the life and hands of those who penned scripture. The Spirit of God guided the words of the prophets as they spoke to their generation. And the Spirit of God speaks to readers of scripture today to help us to understand what we are reading and its relevance to our lives. I like to think the role of the Spirit is to allow readers to understand the text in a way that will transform them into the image of Christ.

Before we start critical thinking about scripture we must recognize our own biases, opinions, and assumptions, and then put them to one side. Without this, we will just end up using critical thinking to justify what we already believe.

Another important part of thinking critically is to recognize that the same words can mean very different things to different audiences and at different times. Just look at the varying reactions of different groups to Donald Trump’s speeches!

Or think about how differently the words ‘I love you’ might be interpreted depending on whether you were watching a stand-up comedian, being scorned by your sarcastic offspring, or spending a tender moment. with your beloved.

Every day, without even thinking about it, we analyse the context of words (where, when, by whom and to whom), assess the nature of the language and decide the genre of literature.

After that, we start to discern the meaning we should take from the words and how we should respond. Analysis comes before application.

This is the sort of critical thinking we can also apply to our biblical study. Who was the biblical audience? How does our situation today differ from theirs? Is there a theological principle here, and is it consistent with the rest of the Bible?

How do these things guide the way I apply this passage in my life today?3

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Seven principles for thinking critically about scripture that were devised by the New Testament professor James Davis4 have been helpfully presented like this by Cedrick Valrie5:

1 Peter Facione, Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts, California Academic Press, 2006.

2 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/475765-criticalthinking-is-thinking-about-your-thinking-while-you-rethinking 3 J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-on Approach to Reading. Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, 3rd ed., Zondervan, 2012, p17.

• Gain the biblical writer’s perspective.

• Consider context.

• Distinguish plain speech from figurative language.

• Use other scriptures to help interpret.

• Separate interpretation from application.

• Distinguish between the Old and New Covenants.

• Consider the Type of Literature.

If we can learn to run these steps through our minds as we engage with scripture, and we allow the Spirit of God to guide us as we do, then I believe that scripture will bring transformation into our daily lives. I leave you with a quote from Linda Elder and Richard Paul: ‘Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions.

To think through or rethink anything, one must ask questions that stimulate thought. Questions define tasks, express problems, and delineate issues.

Answers, on the other hand, often signal a full stop in thought. Only when an answer generates a further question does thought continue its life. This is why you are thinking and learning only when you have questions.’6 NEVILLE HAS A 3-HOUR WORKSHOP ON TOOLS AND TIPS FOR CRITICAL THINKING FOR STUDYING SCRIPTURE. PLEASE CONTACT SUNZ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE.

5 Cedrick Valrie, Engaging Critical Thinking: Teaching Christian University Students How To Improve Their Thinking, George Fox University, 2016, accessed 17 March2021 from https://digitalcommons.georgefox. edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1144&context=dmin 6 Linda Elder and Richard Paul, Critical Thinking: Teaching Students How to Study and Learn (Part IV), Journal of Developmental Education 27, no. 1 (Fall 2003): p36.

4 James Davis, Lesson 6: Principles of Biblical Interpretation, Bible.org, accessed 17 March 2021 from https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-6-principles-biblicalinterpretation

APRIL 2021 21

| Ben as a young camper

COLOURED RIBBONS at Pōnui New Year Camp

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JO SMITH | Pōnui New Year Camp attendee

C

oloured ribbons, piles of stones and flax weaving all featured as Annette Osborne rose to the challenge of condensing God’s Big Story into five sessions at this year’s Pōnui New Year Camp. Annette enabled us to share worship, thoughts and questions across the generations — what a privilege to listen and learn from those half our age or double our age, and

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to be ‘present’ to all members of our families!

The foundation for the week was the passage from the Jesus Storybook: ‘Never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love’.

The Big Story of God helps us to see that, together, we are part of something bigger — no matter our age.

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Creation God’s Big Story starts with creation. Annette represented this with a green ribbon and Pōnui provided a treasure trove of examples of God’s love shown through creation. It was amazing to see what each person within our small group found, whether a tiny shell or a pohutakawa leaf, and how that item demonstrated God’s love to them.

God’s promises Despite the fall and a broken relationship God’s love doesn’t give up on us. The many stars (a yellow ribbon) in the sky represent God’s promise to Abram and Sarai. We too created stars and shared the stars in our own lives who had supported us on our Christian journeys.

A covenant relationship With Moses on Mount Sinai (a grey ribbon) amidst thunder and cloud, God’s relationship with humanity is expressed through covenant.

Pōnui campers shared a lot of feet stomping and arms waving in the telling of this story before we created cairns out of stones and shared about how God walked with us in our lives.

A King amongst us Jesus is the King God who dwells with us (a purple ribbon). Appropriately we celebrated up in the Glades on Sunday. Wow – the love God shows us through Jesus is mind blowing. Even more so when we rest in the knowledge that our Three-in-One God desires to be woven into every part of our lives. Using Pōnui harakeke, we wove bookmarks to remind of ourselves of this interconnection.

The river of life And finally, God brings ultimate healing and restoration to all things – like the river of life (a blue ribbon). How reassuring to know that despite the craziness of a world reeling from Covid-19, God is in control and the Biblical story isn’t finished yet.

We joined the coloured ribbons and stood together, sure in the knowledge that God loves us, is with us and in that we have hope.

APRIL 2021 23

Light

for the path EMMA BECKETT | SUNZ Youth Camp Leader

In most opportunities that I’ve had to be still in life, my heart and mind don’t comply. My body may reflect stillness, but I’m normally conjuring up some futuristic plan, processing a conversation I’ve just engaged in, or thinking of some creative goals and questions. So, when it comes to prayer, silence, solitude, and reflection, you can bet I’m not too great at it.

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Prayer is a vital part of our lives. It is the foundation that binds together all that we do.

It centres us, fixes our eyes on the kingdom, engages us in conversation with God, and allows us to have faith that fruit will come to be in due time.

It’s not often in the Bible that we actually get to hear Jesus’ prayers. We regularly read that he goes away to be alone and pray, but we don’t usually get a description of his times of prayer. In the book of John, however, we get to experience an incredible prayer from Jesus. He prays to be glorified, he prays for his disciples, and then he prays for all of his believers — for you and me.

‘I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may

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be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.’

– John 17: 20-23 Prayer is not always easy. But reading this passage from John reassures me that prayer is the posture we need to take more often. Jesus has already interceded and prayed for us— that we would be brought to complete unity in order that others may understand the love the Father has for us.

It is prayer and this relationship with God that bring wholeness to the different parts in our lives and purpose to our direction—and remind us that God is on the throne. Let’s be more intentional about prayer and ensure that it is the foundation of all that we do.

We asked Emma, our writer for ‘Light for the Path’ and one of our youth camp team members to introduce herself to you. Here’s what she had to say:

K

ia ora e te whānau. Ko Rangitoto te maunga, ko Waitematā te moana. Nō Ingarangi me Huiterangi ōku tīpuna. I tipu ake ahau ki Te Raki Paewhenua ki Tāmaki Makaurau, nā reira e mihi ana ahau ki te mana whenua ko Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara. I whānau au I Te-Whanganui-a-Tara.

Kei Tāmaki-Makaurau tōku kāinga. Ko Beckett tōku whānau.

Ko Emma tōku ingoa. Kia ora!

M eet

EMMA

I’m Emma, and I’m currently living at the beautiful Cape Horn in Auckland overlooking the Manukau Harbour. I live with eight other young adults as I’m currently doing the Venn Residential Fellowship. We study together on Monday to Friday, and share many meals.

I grew up in a non-Christian home, but my brother and I were quickly invited along to church by some friends down the road. I soon developed a passion for youth leading as I recognised how important it is to feed into the lives of those younger than us. I led on a tonne of camps for my church, and I was learning more about what community meant. I wanted to create spaces where youth wanted to come back to, where they felt like they could bring their friends, and where they felt supported to flourish into the person Christ has called them to be.

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I didn’t hear about Scripture Union NZ (SUNZ) until a little over a year ago. Though I was a bit gutted upon realising how many adventure-based camps I had missed out on as a youth, I couldn’t wait to get involved as a leader. Immersing youth into God’s creation and showing them how we can joyfully and thoughtfully engage with creation throughout the course of a camp is so awesome!

I reached out to SUNZ North Island Camps Facilitator, Natalie, and we got together for coffee about a year ago. She welcomed me into the SUNZ whānau, and from there I began leading on camps! It was a tricky year with COVID-19, but I’ve managed to lead on Pōnui and our junior surf camp.

SUNZ has taught me so much about vulnerability, hospitality, and humility, which are all very important aspects of a camp for me! I am humbled by the spaces that I get to step into as a leader and the youth that I have been able to walk alongside.

It has shaped the way I approach other spaces of leadership in my life. What a refreshing and empowering community it is to be a part of!

APRIL 2021 25

OUT & ABOUT HILARY HAGUE

Scripture Union is a wonderful mix of staff and volunteers all working together in the ministry. Take a moment to check out some of the things that have gone on since the last Adventure magazine. God has been good!

AUCKLAND

Auckland Keeps On Moving in and out of levels has been particularly hard for our Aucklanders but they managed well when their summer thanksgiving BBQ suddenly had to move to a Zoom call. 55 households — about 70 people — met online and it was a good time together to give thanks to God for his faithfulness over the summer camping season. Neville (Youth Team leader) is now based out of Auckland and sharing an office with Andy (Auckland Youth Consultant).

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Somewhere near Drury We held our Beyond Experience weekend just out of Drury a couple of weeks ago. This weekend was the beginning of a leadership development programme for some of the young adults who lead in our camps and children’s ministry training events. Each of these young adults now have a mentor who will work with them throughout the year. They are a very fine group of people and I came away feeling that the future of Scripture Union is in good hands.

Warkworth, North Shore, Central and West Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Kāpiti, Wellington, Christchurch, Ashburton, Dunedin and Invercargill If you go to any of these places you can join a group of people praying for Scripture Union. We are very grateful for everyone who prays for us. Contact us if you want to know where and when they gather or check out the Prayer Adventure on our website for details.

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WELLINGTON

Waikanae The staff from right across the country got together for their Staff Retreat here in March. It was a wonderful time of talking and planning and praying together. A particular highlight was being joined by the Board for a day and listening to Mark Nicholls (Board member) speaking about biblical leadership.

Exciting news for Wellington Aaron McKevitt starts this month as our new Wellington Youth Consultant. Aaron has been a leader on Exodus Prime for several years and a mentor to some of the campers. He has a huge heart for young people, for training and for theology. He will be a wonderful asset to our Wellington team.

CHRISTCHURCH

A visit to Christchurch I have just been down in Christchurch taking part in a meal to welcome Anna Squires. Anna is our new South Island Camps Facilitator, and she is working alongside Paul Humphreys (National Leadership Development Facilitator) in the Crossroads Trust office. Anna comes with lots of experience in outdoor education and we are excited to have her working with us.

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INVERCARGILL

Busy times in Invercargill and a side trip to Cromwell.

Lizzie (Otago/Southland Youth Consultant) and Nigel (Otago/Southland Children and Families Consultant and Regional Director) attended the Invercargill Church Leaders Network Lunch in February where they were encouraged by the words and prayers of appreciation for SUNZ ministries. Lizzie also facilitated a Youth Leaders Network meeting where friendships are growing and a genuine willingness for collaboration and prayer is being fostered. Karen (Camps and Leadership Admin) breathed a sigh of relief that the Leader Development Weekend Beyond Experience got to happen in Auckland after she had co-ordinated all the travel logistics for 65 people for the second time (the weekend was postponed last year).

APRIL 2021 27

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www.suresources.org.nz

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NEW! Published by Scripture Union UK & Faraday Kids, check out the details and look inside the pages here: content.scriptureunion.org.uk/book-wonders

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Ever wondered how your eye works? Or what caused the formation of the universe? Then the Book of Wonders is for you, crammed full of facts, figures and fantastic pictures of the world around you from the greatest galaxies to the tiniest microbes. Whether you're amazed by atoms, flabbergasted by fungi, or captivated by comets, you'll find something here to blow your mind! Not only that, but you'll be able to explore your place in this amazing universe and meet Jesus.

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Large hardback, 31cm x 28cm

BOOK OF WONDERS ACTIVITY BOOK

A4 size, paperback, 71 pages Activity Book for BOOK OF WONDERS

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Did you know 80% of our overall funding and 100% of our ministry staff’s funding comes from donations? Please consider giving a gift today – you can change the lives of children and young people as they discover Jesus and grow in faith.

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PO BOX 760, Wellington 6140 | 0508 423 836 | info@sunz.org.nz He rama ta-u kupu ki o-ku waewae | Your word is a lamp to my feet. Psalm 119:105 SUNZ is a member of the Scripture Union International Family