SUNZ Adventure Magazine September 2010

THE ADVENTURE Your Scripture Union Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2010 ISSN 1176-5143

INSIDE: Servant Leadership Pray Day Report Youthserve

Our mission: Seeing children and young people transformed by jesus

"Break Open Your Words, Let The Light Shine Out" Psalm 119:130 The Message

Editorial SEPTEMBER 2010 Can we teach this?

CRUSADER LODGE . . .

WITH JEANETTE AND NOEL HOUGHTON

Have you heard of broom theology? No, it’s not another theological fad; it’s more of an attitude that shapes a culture.

Broom theology says: “if you’ve got nothing to do, pick up a broom and sweep the floor.”

It asks: “how can my time and energy most productively be used right now?”

Scripture Union would not have use of the Mt Ruapehu based Crusader Lodge without the committed maintenance of supporters Jeanette and Noel Houghton.

The couple have been long team supporters of Scripture Union, having directed snow camps at the Lodge for 10 years before taking over maintenance from another Scripture Union family, the Yeomans and Browns.

This is an essential component of leadership because a leader is a servant first. In this way, leadership can be a subversive thing. Leadership is a position of power. Jesus redefined what it means to use that power by washing feet when tradition said that he should be served in this way. He dressed in human flesh and moved into our neighbourhood, coming close as a leader is close to those they lead.

In developing young leaders, learning to serve can never be bypassed. When a person is willing to serve the body of Christ and a world in need, we know we have been successful. Can this be taught? Yes, the example of Jesus and the imperative to follow can, but it needs modelling and opportunity. So we become a community of servant-leaders that create a new norm, which eventually influences our world with the values of God’s kingdom.

This is part of the potential of Scripture Union ministries that really excites me. I hope you sense that reading this edition of The Adventure.

The Houghton’s have also cooked for horse camps in Putaruru, run blueberry picking camps on Matangi and craft camps in Matamata. Jeanette says “We’ve lost count of how many camps we’ve been involved in, but are so grateful to God for all their influence on us and on our children.”

They keep coming back to help because they see the spiritual growth in kids while at camps and away from secular schools. Noel notes, “One girl started the week bored of studies, but keen on skiing – but by the end of the week she couldn’t wait for the studies each day.”

Jeanette and Noel are looking for keen volunteers to assist with maintenance of Crusader Lodge next February as they are looking to refurbish outside windows, install new stairs, and upgrade the ski and snowboard room.

Please email n.j.houghton@xtra.co.nz to indicate your interest.

Please pray for the Houghtons and the network of volunteers who use Crusader Lodge for camps; changing lives of young people for Christ.

Wayne Fraser – National Director 2

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Pray Day 06.08.10 Pray Day is over for another year. This year, on the 6th August 2010 we had people all around New Zealand involved in praying for their schools. This day was about celebrating this and taking a unified stand.

It was also about letting others know what is going on around the country and that they are not alone in their prayers and passion for their local school.

class was also in Starship with a brain tumour. It was good to be able to pray for the school in our offices throughout the country.

Our Auckland youth worker Luzette (who runs a SURGE group in the school) went to the school, and connected in with a number of staff and students during the day.

Andy Banks, Director of Youth/Schools

Scripture Union Nelson Regional Here in Nelson, we had 44 of us get together at Richmond Baptist Church (35 were students representing five of our local high schools) for a wonderful time of worship (lead by a group of students) and prayer.

Rebekah Smith, Nelson Youth Worker

High lights from the day around the country:

Scripture Union Wellington We had a great Pray Day in Wellington with a real sense of God’s presence. There was a room set aside for prayer where people could call in and spend time during the day. It had a map of Wellington where people could mark the schools they wanted prayer for, and some activities for people to do as they prayed. We also had a lunch followed by an opportunity for people to pray together. It was a wonderful time of prayer and hearing stories about different schools across the Wellington region.

Alice Harper, National Fundraising Manager

Scripture Union Southern The Southern Office set up its tearoom with details about each of the high schools in Invercargill and other general information about Pray Day. We had a picture of a school with a pathway leading to the front door made up of things to pray for all schools in general. It was a good time of fellowship and heartfelt prayer for our local and national school communities.

Nigel Winder, Southern Regional Director

Scripture Union Auckland We set up a number of prayer stations giving people an opportunity to pray through the various age groups, for Scripture Union staff across the country, for various local schools using a map on a pin board and we also had a prayer box for personal prayer issues related to schools. We had some good chats with attendees about a number of ministries and projects and also regarding issues in schools.

We also picked up during the day from a sheet of prayer requests this fantastic quote: “If we as Christians are not going to be involved with schools and children’s education by helping to shape and direct from a Biblical/Christian viewpoint, who will be involved?”

We also heard on Pray Day that a student at Henderson Intermediate had died suddenly and that another student in his

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Tirau In the midst of calving season and busy farmers, a keen group of prayers meet over breakfast to pray for their local schools. They got in contact with the local school principals to gather their prayer requests and pray specifically for their needs. After prayer, they shared breakfast together and had scattered the quotes on prayer around the breakfast table. They had a scented candle burning and lovely flowers on the table to set the scene.

Tirau Cooperating Parish

Warkworth, Matakana, Leigh We had 20 folks come to our Pray Day at the Presbyterian Church.

This year, we also had short reports from groups in schools, and then divided into five groups that had three schools/organisations to pray for. The Chaplain from Mahurangi College also came and shared the exciting things happening there.

Mahurangi Presbyterian We need to do what we can within our influence and means to impact children. Uphold the leadership of schools in prayer. Pray for the Christian teachers you know.

Pray for those you know who are involved in the many schools that surround us. Pray for Christian children in our schools, it can be tough being a minority. Can you be involved in some way? Are we willing to take a small step that could make a big difference to someone else? Remember – the future of NZ will be shaped in the classroom of today.

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Making a Deep Impact One afternoon during YOUTHSERVE, I sat down and talked with a local man as a group of young people were busy washing a massive line of cars during a free car wash at Ranui Baptist Church. His two kids had been spending a lot of time with the YOUTHSERVE team, joining in on the kids’ programmes, soccer tournament and community events that the young people were running. They were even there helping us with other projects like digging up weeds at the community garden and painting out graffiti in a few streets around the neighbourhood. As soon as I said ‘hello’, I could smell the alcohol on his breath, as he shared his story of losing his wife, struggling with the law, going to prison as well as the overwhelming love that he has for his two youngest kids with his hope that they wouldn’t have to go through what he has.

I found myself really struggling to talk to this man, because for that moment, I felt a portion of his pain,

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and it was hard. A few weeks have now past since YOUTHSERVE in Ranui, but I have continued to see these two kids in and around the community. On the Sunday following YOUTHSERVE, they were at two church services, and were helping out where they could around the place. They have also been coming along to an afterschool kids’ club run at the church. And recently I met them both again at a funeral for a 12 year old boy who was a student at a local school where we run a SURGE group. The young boy was their cousin.

Although YOUTHSERVE is just one week which we take out and encourage young people to serve practically in a community, the effects are far greater than just that one week. To be able to see the joy on those kids’ faces, to be able to give something to that family, to give them a glimpse of hope from a church that loves and wants to serve them, a safe place where they can all come and start to be introduced to Jesus, was definitely a privilege.

Please pray for another ‘Deep Impact’ in Whangarei these next holidays and for Hamilton over the next term as YOUTHSERVE begins to look at how it can connect in and encourage students to serve every week.

Luzette Hermon, Auckland youth worker

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Servant Leadership Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Maori Queen, died in 2006. She was acclaimed as a ‘leader who followed her people’.

That sounds like a paradox. Jesus described a similar paradox in response to two disciples who asked for places of honour, of leadership, in his kingdom. He said a leader must be a servant, “follow my example because I came not to be served, but to serve”.1 Contemporary management and leadership have adopted the phrase ‘servant-leader’ to describe the preferred way for leaders to exercise their responsibility.

It was Robert Greenleaf in the 1960’s who first coined the term servant-leader. His 10 characteristics of servantleadership are Listening, Empathy, Healing, Awareness, Persuasion, Conceptualisation, Foresight, Stewardship, Commitment to the growth of people, and Building Community. Even without unpacking those terms here, it is possible to see biblical values behind these words. Since Greenleaf, traditional, autocratic and hierarchical modes of leadership have yielded to a different way of working, ones based on teamwork and community that seek to involve others in decision making, ones strongly based in ethical and caring behaviour, and in attempting to enhance the personal growth of people while improving the caring and quality of institutions.

minds, leading a family, standing for what is right, or organising a carpool; everyone has a leadership role to play. Leadership is not a consensus-building exercise, but an exercise in outgoing concern for others including defining and setting boundaries as needed. Just as the leader is to be serving and taking into account the ideas and needs of those they lead, those following that leader are to be doing the same thing. In doing so, they, along with the leader, practice self-restraint, develop character, integrate discipline, and practice love and respect for other people.

The best test of leadership is: do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And will the least privileged in society benefit or at least not be further deprived?2 It is vitally important that those being led flourish. For that to happen, real Christ-like humility is necessary and that must characterise all leadership practice.

Wayne Fraser – National Director The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.

Max DePree 1 Mark 10:35-45 2 ‘Practicing Servant Leadership’, Larry Spears, Leader to Leader, No 34 Fall 2004

Leadership is about choosing service over self-interest, a desire to help others. Leadership is something that affects all of us. We are impacted by it and called on to exercise it: in business, guiding young

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Servant Leadership on the mountain I had the privilege of attending the Ruapehu Adventure camp in early July and had a great time with a bunch of Year 11-13 year olds.

Along with skiing and snow boarding, we spent time in the mornings and evenings doing Bible Studies and Worship.

I was inspired by the teens really getting involved with the studies and we had some really good discussions in regards to the struggles they had at high school, in particular peer pressure from friends and difficult family situations. Also, a lot of the campers were in their final year of school and we had some engaging talks about future careers and what God wants to do with them at such a pivotal time in their lives.

Energetic Christian leaders really make Scripture Union camps, the team on Ruapehu Adventure were great. They assisted the campers with skiing and snowboarding while making them think about the greater meaning of our lives from a Christian perspective in relevant and non confrontational ways.

Jonathan Swan – Communications Manager

If you think you have what it takes to be a Scripture Union leader, while enjoying the great outdoors – please get in touch with our Camps office on campsadmin@scriptureunion.org.nz or phone 0800 SU CAMPS

news We give thanks for the life and contribution made to Scripture Union over a long time by Ken Wilden. Ken served on the council for 16 years from 1966, and he and Gwenda hosted the Southland prayer group for many years.

Long time supporter John Campion also passed away recently – he has been involved since being part of the Crusader Union at Wellington College and Children’s Special Service Missions at Titahi Bay. In the 1960’s, John helped purchase and manage the land which is now home to the Waikanae Christian Holiday Park (El Rancho), they provide holiday programmes to hundreds of children every year – assisting them on their Christian walk.

Coming events: WAY2GO FOCUSED

Children’s ministry training, Hamilton 11th September, Vision Church Eastside, $35 per person

YOUTHSERVE – DEEP IMPACT

Serving the Community, Whangarei 4-8 October, Year 9-13, $85

SPRING CAMPS (Sept/Oct Holidays) VENTILATE Craigieburn/Arthurs Pass, 26 Sept – 1 Oct 2010, Year 8-10 Co-ed, $200 + Ski/Board cost*, Ski/Snowboard, Rockclimb, Explore, Camp out KARAPIRO ADVENTURE SPRING ABS Lodge, Lake Karapiro 26 Sept – 1 Oct 2010, Year 8-10 Co-ed, $190 Biscuit, Kayak, Climb, Camp out SNOW BLAST Crusader Lodge, Mt Ruapehu, 26 Sept – 2 Oct 2010, Year 9-11 Co-ed, $265 + Activity costs*, Ski, Board, Climb, Explore PONUI XTREME Ponui Island, Hauraki Gulf, 4 – 9 October 2010, Year 10-13 Co-ed, $180 (incl. ferry) Sports, Explore, Cook-outs MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE Crusader Lodge, Mt Ruapehu, 3 – 9 October 2010, Year 11-13 Co-ed, $265 + Activity costs*, Ski, Board, Climb, Explore

SUPAkidz CAMPS – CONSTRUCTION ZONE Northland Camp Morley, 4 Oct – 8 Oct 2010, Years 4-6, $165

Southland Edenview/Edendale, 28 Sep – 1 Oct 2010, Years 4-6, $130

For more information and to register see

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Partner with Scripture Union

Scripture Union is always looking for more volunteers to partner with us to help us in our ministry – If you are interested in investing your time into SUPAkidz, Schools ministry or helping out at a camp we want to hear from you! Please email info@scriptureunion.org.nz or freephone 0508 423 836 to register your interest.

You can make a secure online donation at www.scriptureunion.org.nz or freephone 0508 423 836.

Or respond on the enclosed form.

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Light for the path Guest Writer: Keith Vaughan – Scripture Union President Butch Harmon is not a household name in spite of the impact he has had on the world of golf. I wonder if he is disappointed because of his lack of exposure, the lack of accolades, his limited celebrity status – compared to that received by his protégés e.g. Ernie Els, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson. Butch has been instrumental in all their development.

“This is the one course that has made the biggest difference for the staff involved” – not a bad accolade when you deliver seminars, as it’s nice to know that what you do can impact others.

But is the purpose of the development to serve others? Could the same be said about people who I have developed to be one step closer in their relationship with Jesus? Are there those who are following Jesus because they passed by and I influenced them positively? Did I seek to serve them, or was I expecting accolades, recognition, status?

It’s probably good that I don’t know the exact details of the input I have had on others. If I did know how effective their walk with Jesus was now, I may be tempted to take some credit with the possibility of becoming proud.

Matthew 25:40: “And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.” No accolades, no celebrity status, not to get a mention from the community, but to impact the lives of others, to develop those who are on the journey of following Christ, to pass on what we have received – all for the sake of Christ, because HE is worthy of praise and honour!

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