SU News Summer 2013 by Scripture Union NSW

SUFM: the front line

Also in this issue:

Spring Camps Road trip Meet our new Schools Director!

SUMMER 2013

FROM THE CEO Can you believe that we are approaching our next mission season? Our family is chomping at the bit to get back to Lennox Head SUFM this year. The kids can’t wait. Mission is a wonderful time, but as you read this issue of SU News I hope that you will see the vast amount of work that goes into making missions all over this state happen each year. It is great to see Steve, Lynette and Tiffany recognised for what they do, but as you read their stories you can also see so many other people working behind the scenes to support this vital ministry. Our missions committee, directors and the members of the teams are all working to together to impact the lives of so many people who won’t go to a church for anything but a wedding or funeral.

When I see it all come together each year I can’t help but think about Jesus’ words in Luke 14:23: Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.’ These words inspired the likes of John Wesley and George Whitefield and I hope they will continue to inspire future generations and us as we meet people “where they live”! I want also want to pay tribute to Jono Harris who has decided to step down from his role as North West Coordinator. Jono has worked tirelessly for the gospel in the North West. Earlier in the month I sat in a meeting with Jono and his dedicated band

of volunteers and was astounded at what he has achieved and how he has helped bring that group together over these last four years. We will all miss him deeply. You will also read about Stuart Pendlebury in this edition – our new Schools Director! I look forward to the fruit of his work over these next few years as well and hope you enjoy getting to meet him in this issue. Please pray for both Jono and Stuart as they embark on new phases in their lives.

Mark Mitchell CEO

from the missions director I am approaching 12 years of service at Scripture Union NSW. It’s been a phenomenal journey to see how missions have evolved and how God’s hand has worked mightily through this ministry.

I would be remiss in not asking for your prayers as we approach the pointy end of the year for missions. My head is buried in director interviews, helping teams find new locations, developing new teams and encouraging directors to remain strong as they lead their own teams. We all need prayer right now. With complete honesty it’s sometime difficult to “see the forest for the trees” when dealing with the detail of each individual mission team. But when I lift my head up from the detail of risk management, child protection and all the necessary precautionary measures we take, it reminds me how vital beach/town

Postal Address: PO Box 209 Ermington, NSW 1700 2

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and urban missions are to our society.

We have 100+ years of relationships with people we minister to, which is staggering to think of. Literally generations of people have heard the gospel from our devoted volunteers. This is an incredible encouragement to me, the staff and committee that oversees this enormous ministry.

As we approach the mission season in December/January I know, as I’ve experienced in previous years, the power of the great commission in action. Jesus has called his people to go out and preach the word, and that is precisely what we do. So I eagerly expect lives to be transformed both on a team and the people we minister to as it has been done for so long. To reflect on 2013, I’m extremely pleased to report that the two Directors’ Training Days and BaseCamp (for new directors) have had 100% team participation which I believe is a first! This is an extremely encouraging milestone to me and the missions committee, after running these events for so long. In addition to this we have run various other training events to better equip our teams to go out

Office Address: Scripture Union HQ 223 Victoria Road Rydalmere, NSW 2116

confidently (read more about it on page 6). SU NSW has committed significant financial and personnel resources to achieve this outcome. It doesn’t come cheap and we do this to demonstrate our commitment to be caring, above reproach and relevant to an eagerly awaiting public at our events. One of Scripture Union’s working principles is to interpret the Bible in a way which enables people in contemporary situations to hear for themselves the message of the Bible from its original context. This does not happen by osmosis. This is why we spend so much time training our volunteers. Brothers and sisters, can I be so bold as to ask you gently and lovingly to support us in any way you can, whether this be financially or prayerfully in our mission to recruit, equip and train this great army for Jesus. I make this request with no undue pressure. Rather, I just want to tell you the facts and let God work through the Spirit in you. In Christ,

Steve Windsor Missions Director

Phone: 02 9638 9000 Fax: 02 9638 9001 Email: info@sunsw.org.au www.sunsw.org.au

Patron Dr Bill Andersen Chairman Rev Simon Flinders CEO Rev Mark Mitchell

meet the team

BEHIND THE TEAMS

week before mission last year, the phone rang at SU HQ. A Team Director had just learned that the local council had, at the last minute, refused their team permission to hold their mission activities. Without a site, could mission go ahead?

It was a tense time, but after a flurry of phone calls, negotiations and an overhaul of plans, a nearby alternative site was secured. Mission went ahead to the glory of God, attracted a whole flock of new participants and was even promoted in local newspapers. It was all a day in the life of the Missions support team. Aside from those kind of last minute emergencies, add up all the administrative planning and preparation required to run a mission, then multiply that across 2000 volunteers, over 100 leaders and over 45 separate sites across NSW. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? And that’s before you even get to each team’s hard work of planning a teaching program, preparing activities and sharing the gospel with hundreds of people each summer. Missions Director Steve Windsor, with Missions Administrators Lynette Windsor and Tiffany Leonarder, make up the small Missions support team. They are passionate about freeing the volunteers from “administrivia” to allow them to preach the gospel. It’s a biblical model as seen in Acts 6:1-7, and is a vital part of the gospel going out via SU Missions. “We call it administration because it feels like that for us. But for teams [what we do is] resourcing and developing and serving,” says Steve. “We’re part of the body,” says Lynette. “Our work here is just an extension of mission in general. We stand in the gaps.” “Before I worked here I thought, ‘oh those admin people in the office, I have

no idea what they do’,” Tiffany says, having served on Bawley Point SUFM before joining the support team in 2012. “I understand now what’s involved in really securing the health of missions – not just ensuring that missions don’t close, but also doing everything that you can to make sure that these missions are effective and people on the ground are able to concentrate on that work.”

Steve finds it hard to give a concise answer when asked how he and his team are involved in telling people about Jesus. “It’s an unknown quantity,” he says. “I empower thousands to [share the gospel] by doing all the sticky stuff they don’t or can’t do — both during mission season and throughout the year. We get involved in the stuff that no one wants to deal with because we want to keep teams front and centre with what they’re passionate about doing.” Some of that “sticky stuff” includes extensive travelling during mission season to troubleshoot any problems, being on call in the case of any emergencies, and having to pastorally care for people who are facing the sometimes raw and emotional reality of ministering to broken people. “We are frontline but not seen to be frontline,” Steve says. Although summer is usually the busiest time for teams, the pace doesn’t let up for the support team throughout the rest of the year. Much of their work involves what you might expect: applying to councils, asking for permission to use land, negotiating conditions, coordinating licensing agreements, working on branding, ensuring all volunteers have been checked and approved to work with children, making sure that risk management plans are in place. But the key element that drives the support team is investing in the people they are supporting.

They interview each new director and assistant director as they come through. There is a turnover of approximately 33% each year, which means in depth, face-toface interviews with around 40 people a year. They also spend a lot of time keeping in touch with directors and keeping them connected to each other. Building strong, Christ-focused relationships with volunteers is arguably the most important part of Steve’s job. “You’re really talking about linking arms and going to the battlefield. So there’s an area of vulnerability and honesty about all that, about doing mission work together, and I love that honesty and reality,” Steve says. “The joy is in the special relationships you build. Some of them are rough, we go through some tough times. But it’s rich. It’s real.” Tiffany says witnessing the sacrificial love and dedication of the Team Directors and the members of the Missions Committee is a particular joy for her. “I see volunteers who’ve worked a full time job, and they come here afterwards for training…they’re still willing to learn these skills to serve their team.” “I feel I’m working with my second family,” Lynette says. She has rejoined the team after a year of maternity leave (although being married to Steve means mission has never been far from her mind!). “To have a job that has eternal consequences, I think, gives meaning to that job.” She believes that although it is often difficult to convince people to financially support the work going on in the background, “sowing into the office staff really is sowing into the work of SU, which is primarily to see that the gospel goes out to children and young people, to where they are hardly reached.”

SU NEWS SUMMER 2013

Jesus went to every town and village. He taught in their meeting places and preached the good news about God's kingdom. Jesus also healed every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in." (Matthew 9:35-38, CEV)

f you look at the map of where SU missions currently run (see page 7), you can see that although we have a good swathe of the NSW coast covered, there is still a lot of room in our state for more mission teams to spread the gospel. By God’s great grace, this year there are new missions starting in Narrabeen, Wollongong and Eden, with Shoalhaven Heads and a winter mission in Nelson Bay already planned for 2014. Often the people God calls to step up and plant a new team, or replant a mission that has closed, are those who themselves were profoundly impacted by SUFMs as young people or while serving on teams. Rob and Anita Lanteri served on Shoalhaven Heads SUFM for years, before taking a break to start a family. As their children grew, they wanted to share with them the experience of mission that had strengthened their own faith as young people. It soon became clear that perhaps there was the opportunity to do more than serve with an established team. “We were sad to hear that the Shoalhaven Heads mission had been closed for the past two years,” Anita says. “We also found out that the equipment was still on site. I remember during a sermon our minister said, ‘Everyone deserves to hear the gospel’. This stuck in my head, that people in Shoalhaven Heads deserve to hear the gospel, just like everyone else.” Rob puts it a little more bluntly: “It was not our intention to lead a team, but through a chain of events we could see God saying, ‘you boofheads, go back to Shoalhaven Heads and lead!’” The benefits of having experienced SUFMers head up new mission teams is that they bring a wealth of knowledge from serving on various teams, a spirit of creativity in starting something new, and a strong belief in this method of evangelism. “We have been involved in SUFM for a while now and have seen the incredible opportunity we have to share the gospel in this

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Jason & Melissa Moss context,” say Jason and Melissa Moss, who are planting a new mission at Wollongong Surf and Leisure Resort, seven years after the last mission was held there. “We have seen God work powerfully in the lives of people who normally wouldn’t go to a church during the year.” Jason and Melissa are keen to minister to people who they can potentially develop closer relationships with outside of the holiday context. “Many campers from this park are from our local area, so we are excited about sharing Jesus and life with them after mission.” Daniel and Mia Leach also realised that there was as great a need in their own backyard on Sydney’s northern beaches as there was on the far north coast. “We loved serving at Evans Head but we were challenged by the difficulties following up kids who live 10 hours away from us,” Daniel says. “We live in Narrabeen and we love the people. We want them to know Jesus.“ The challenges of planting or replanting missions are great, from recruiting a whole new team, to building relationships with site managers and local communities, to working with local churches. But as with all missions, our directors step out in faith, knowing that God is in control. “The unpredictability of a new mission makes us nervous,” Daniel admits. “We don’t know what to expect. We just have to trust God!” Please keep thinking about and praying for our new missions, as well as our more established teams. Pray that God would continue to raise passionate and godly people up to plant new missions and see his life giving gospel spread through SUFMs. Why not use the map in this issue’s prayer panorama (pages 7-10) to pray for those parts of NSW where there isn’t a team? You never know; the next mission might be right around the corner from you!

Where do you live? near Campbelltown What do you do? Jason teaches high school Scripture in the Campbelltown area and Melissa is currently studying at SMBC. What teams have you been on? Jason was on Currarong for 8 years. Melissa was on Shellharbour for 4 years & Port Macquarie Theos for 2 years.

Daniel & Mia Leach Where do you live? Sydney's northern Beaches What do you do? Mia is studying Medicine at UNSW, Daniel is studying English/Education at Macquarie Uni. What teams have you been on? We have served on Evans Head SUFM for the past 5 years.

Rob & Anita LAnteri Where do you live? in the Great Western Suburbs! What do you do? Rob works in the Bus & Coach industry, Anita is a swimming instructor What teams have you been on? Rob was on shoalhaven Heads team for 13 years, Anita was on Canton, Bermagui, Wagga Wagga and Shoalhaven Heads teams over 6 years.

bringing in the harvest

Planting and replanting missions

Emma Payne has a long history of being involved with SUFM in Victoria, both as a child and a team member, and now as a staff member. That involvement has instilled in her a passion for mission. “Growing up, SUFM was foundational in shaping my thinking around mission and placing the expectation on me that my time, especially my spare time, will be used to share the gospel with people.” After attending and directing SUFM in Barwon Heads, Victoria (where the ABC TV series Seachange was filmed), Emma is heading up a team in Eden, on the NSW far south coast. She understands there might be a bit of confusion as to why someone from SU Victoria is heading up an SU NSW mission! “The people who holiday in Eden are primarily from Victoria and we want the team to reflect the demographic of people we’ll be connecting with. This way, when we make friends with people we can keep in contact with them throughout the year, and hopefully connect them in with a local church.” This year’s Eden mission will look a bit different to the usual SUFM;

rather than running a program and hoping to connect with those who come along, the team is taking a different approach. “We want to connect with people and see what ways we might be able to serve them,” Emma says. “We want to live with people in the caravan park, eating meals with them, hanging out, and living as a Christian community with them. We want to get to know people, becoming friends, sharing our lives and building relationships centred on the gospel. We want to show and tell them the gospel, sharing our testimonies, opening the Bible, talking with people, praying with them and for them; expecting the gospel to challenge and change people’s lives!” Emma is excited that the team is trying something new, and is also a bit nervous about how it will go. But the benefits far outweigh any anxiety. “I’m excited because when you share the gospel with someone there is no such thing as failure, and when you set out to partner with God in his mission and relying on him for what you need, what’s the worst that can happen? God is good!”

Eden:

a new partnership Emma Payne Where do you live? Melbourne What do you do? I work at SU Victoria and Alpha Australia. What teams have you been on? I've been involved with the Barwon Heads team, as a team kid and later as director.

SU NEWS SUMMER 2013

b ed

fro ck

ining at ten m tra dee

I liked hearing about what other missions do.

Good solid ways to engage people with the Bible. Ideas are flowing!

Good to see the support for teams is there. Love that we can actively try and improve the way we work together and love each other.

Great to start the day thinking about God's word and how he speaks and that hearing him is the important thing.

a solid investment:

Training our teams W hen Steve Windsor started as Missions Director 12 years ago, he could see that one of the main things that needed to happen was to empower directors and connect them with one another and with the movement. There was not a lot of communication happening. “The only way I knew directors were directors was there was one table with all the peoples’ names in a Word document and that’s all I had to start with,” he says. He also wanted to get out of the way of the directors, and not be telling them how to do mission. He wanted to give them the tools they needed to run their teams well. “I wanted to empower people to make their own decisions.” Steve and the Missions Committee worked hard to bring teams up to speed on things like risk management, child safety and good health and safety practices. “One of the Missions Committee’s goals has been to refine our existing missions so that people go, ‘that looks not only legitimate, but we would trust our children with those people.’ We had to get up to speed and look more professional,” Steve says. The committee also put a lot of energy into creating behind-the-scenes systems that would make it easier for directors to manage their teams. Over time, it became clear that the best way to get everyone on the same page with so much information was to gather for regular training events. The aim is not only to have well-equipped and functional teams going out each mission season, but also to invest in each and every volunteer who serves during mission, to help them grow and mature in the knowledge and love of Christ. The main training event for the year is Directors’ Day, where the directors of every mission team gather at SU HQ. They start the day by looking at God’s word and singing praises to him, emphasising that it is God’s work the mission teams are doing. As well as all the operational information that needs to be communicated to

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directors (eg risk management, ChildSafe, team branding), the rest of the day is packed full of training on things like building healthy teams (using Belbin team roles principles), how to address some of the common ‘belief blockers’ non-Christians might have, and how to encourage healthy Bible reading and prayer within teams.

BaseCamp is similar to Directors’ Day, but is aimed at new directors. It gives them good grounding to lead their teams, but also shows them that they have a lot of support behind them in the form of other directors, the missions committee, and the wider Scripture Union family. In fact, that ‘networking’ (for want of a better word) is one of the key benefits of all the training events. The volunteers are able to meet each other, share ideas, and be encouraged by one another. Gathering in this way reminds them that although they have the freedom and flexibility to run their own mission teams, they are not just isolated in their own bubbles, but are part of the bigger movement of Scripture Union, and hold the same aims, beliefs and working principles as thousands of Christians around the world. Steve wants to see more and more training happen, not just at the director level, but in other key areas within a team. “We’re introducing specialised training nights. So we’re talking treasurers, we’re talking risk management. We want to introduce training on things like leadership core, evangelism. We’ll start doing a lot more of that next year.” Treasurers’ training nights have already started running successfully this year, under the guidance of accounts staff member Steve Colquhoun. The Equipment Officers also recently met for a training day with the Equipment Committee. Please pray that all this training would help our teams grow and flourish. Pray that this investment in people would yield a great return for God’s kingdom this year at all of our missions!

2O13/14 missions prayer pullout • Brunswick Heads • Byron Bay • Lennox Head • Evans Head • Brooms Head

• Coffs Harbour • Urunga • Gunnedah • Tamworth • Port Macquarie • Harrington • Old Bar • Hallidays Point Forster Theos •• Forster • Hawks Nest • Canton Tuggerah • • Toowoon Bay • Umina • Narrabeen - NEW! • Surry Hills Bulli • Corrimal • Wollongong - NEW! Albion Park ••• Windang • Cootamundra Shellharbour Kiama Gerringong ••• Gerroa Crookhaven Heads •• Currarong Huskisson • • Sussex Inlet Ulladulla • Conjola - Entrance and Lakeside Lake Tabourie •• Burrill Pines Kioloa •• Bawley Point

• Camel Rock

Our teams need your prayer support! Pull out this section and stick it on your fridge, your corkboard or anywhere that will remind you to pray for teams in the lead up to mission season. This is just a taste of the prayer needs our teams have - get the full Missions Prayer Panorama sent to you in mid-December by subscribing to the SU NSW prayer calendar. To subscribe, simply go to www.sunsw.org.au/mySU and log-in or register, head to the ‘subscriptions’ tab, and tick Prayer Calendar.

• Eden - NEW! SU NEWS SUMMER 2013

Far North Coast

location and dates

BROOMS HEAD Brooms Head Caravan Park 26 Dec - 8 Jan

BRUNSWICK HEADS Brunswick Heads Public School 27 Dec - 6 Jan

EVANS HEAD Stan Payne Memorial Oval 29 Dec - 6 Jan

LENNOX HEAD

Mid North Coast North Coast

Adrian and Katherine Armstrong

• for safety and for good bonding during our travelling.

Elizabeth Collison and Mark Dunstan

• for our cooks, who are unable to come on mission this year because of health stuff, that they would rest on God. Pray that the team would be able to handle their absence.

• that through our setup of our sites, we will have opportunities to serve together in love that will be a witness to the campers around us.

• for the local kids in Brunswick Heads. We do a lot of ministry to kids in the caravan park, but some of our longer relationships with kids and families are local. Especially pray for our nomads section who do a lot of work with local youth. Tiffany Watson, James • that our team will unite together and prepare effectively in the weeks Dawson and Stephanie leading up to mission, particularly at our Houseparty at Forster from 29 Lee (a) November – 1 December. • that all on mission are kept safe and well; that we would be kept safe from attacks by sickness and bad weather. Pray that whatever circumstances may arise, we would continue to seek to love, serve and support all those around us.

Park Beach Holiday Park 28 Dec - 6 Jan

Tim and Jodie McIver, Miles Stepniewski (a) and Alice McKeown (a)

• for good weather (not rain!) so that we can still do our activities and so that many people will be around in the park area that we evangelise in.

URUNGA

Brian Sindel

• that God will bring a cohesive and enthusiastic team together that has the right mix of people to undertake all the roles of family mission.

Bojan Ristevski and Katie Ristevski (a)

• that hearts will be ready to hear the Gospel in Forster this year - both children and adults

COFFS HARBOUR

Urunga Heads Holiday Park 28 Dec - 5 Jan

FORSTER Forster Beach Caravan Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

HALLIDAYS POINT Beachfront Holiday Resort 27 Dec - 6 Jan

HARRINGTON Harrington Beach Holiday Park 27 Dec - 4 Jan

HAWKS NEST Hawks Nest Beach Holiday Park 31 Dec - 8 Jan

OLD BAR Old Bar Beachfront Holiday Park 28 Dec - 7 Jan

Central Coast

please pray

Emily Hoare, Luke Coulton and Chloe Condie (a)

Lake Ainsworth Caravan Park 26 Dec - 5 Jan

director/s and assistants

CANTON Canton Beach Holiday Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

TOOWOON BAY Swadling Reserve 27 Dec - 6 Jan

SCRIPTURE UNION NSW

• for Directors Tim and Jodie, as their baby is due on Feb 3. Pray that if they have to leave, Miles and Alice will be able to take over quickly and effectively.

• that God would grow the team in maturity & size. Pray especially that he would provide cooks. Morwenna Pearce and David Shaw

• Praise God for the blessing of many new team members. Pray that God would use us well and that we would honour him in the way we work and that he would help us to operate and structure ourselves effectively.

Richard Riley and Jess • for Richard as he directs mission by himself (Jess is unable to go on Allen mission with the pending arrival of her baby). • that the team, with many new members, will be united in Christ and build a loving community quickly. Amy Howes and Brian Rennie

• that the team would be united in purpose and compelled to share the gospel • for new members to be recruited and on board with mission.

Taani Kruik and Joel Hollier

• for God’s wisdom as the team tries new things.

Pierre Blondel and Kit Ng

• that each team member will grow spiritually through regular Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship.

• for team unity, and great love and patience with each other.

• for wisdom and creativity as we make changes to the way we run scooping and evening programs Sam Fung, Joanne and Ken Dodds (a), Debbie, Andrew and Kiara Cox (a)

• for the team to remember with clarity that it’s not about us, but it’s all about God’s plan to bring all things to his glory through Jesus’ death, resurrection and return to see his kingdom restored.

Illawarra

location and dates

BULLI Bulli Beach Tourist Park 26 Dec - 7 Jan

CORRIMAL Corrimal Beach Tourist Park 27 Dec - 5 Jan

GERRINGONG Werri Beach Holiday Park 26 Dec - 5 Jan

GERROA Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park 27 Dec - 5 Jan

SHELLHARBOUR Shellharbour Beachside Tourist Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

WOLLONGONG Wollongong Surf Leisure Centre 28 Dec - 5 Jan

WINDANG

director/s and assistants

Martin Kennedy and Aaron Cooper

Shoalhaven

Crookhaven Heads Tourist Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

CONJOLA ENTRANCE

James and Rebecca Lyle

• that God will use us effectively to his purposes, enable us to build unity and boldness as we seek to bring his good news to the campers. This year is exciting for us as half the team is new.

James Goff and Karen Lawson-Smith

• that the team would grow and come together - there are still volunteers needed. • that team members would sign up promptly on mySU.

Rusdyan Cocks, Jono Hathaway and Lauren Castle

• for the team as it goes through a year of transition. Pray that the team will continually fix their eyes on Jesus amidst all the changes.

Liz Hooper and Matthew Charters

• that the leaders would prepare themselves spiritually for the gospel work God has prepared for them.

Conjola Lakeside Van Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

CURRARONG Currarong Beachside Tourist Park 28 Dec - 6 Jan

HUSKISSON Huskisson Beach Tourist Resort 27 Dec - 5 Jan

SUSSEX INLET

South Coast

Seacrest Caravan Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

BAWLEY POINT Racecourse Beach Tourist Park 28 Dec - 7 Jan

• with thanks that the team is able to go on mission in Gerroa every summer. Especially give thanks for the caravan park owners who are extremely happy for the team to be there.

• that organisation and planning would go smoothly and that God might prepare the hearts of the campers to receive his life changing word. Jason and Melissa Moss

• for team unity, wisdom and boldness as we establish this new mission.

Jack and Katie Day

• that each team member would have a heart of compassion for the lost. Praise God that he has provided new recruits who are eager to serve in Windang. God keeps growing the team!

Peter Reeve and Sarah Grant

• for new team members to not feel overwhelmed but encouraged and excited to proclaim Jesus.

• that God would prepare the hearts of the campers to hear, understand and respond to the gospel. Pray that many would come to trust Jesus.

• praise God for providing us a full team and section leaders. Please pray that with a larger team we would work together well and be united in Christ. Bec Baines

• for Bec Baines, directing for third year running and without assistant or co-director. Amidst studies and work, mission is a lot of work to get up and going. Pray for reliance on God’s strength and power.

Ben Blamey and Jess Tugwell

• that the fairly new team (with a large age gap) would bond and work well together.

Lucy Wu and Ronaldo Sanchez

• for campers meeting us for the first time, that we would be bold and gentle in our interactions, glorifying Jesus.

Lake Conjola Entrance Tourist Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

CONJOLA LAKESIDE

• for the leaders of each section, organising activities and preparing as a team from now til mission. • that God will provide the right people needed, if it’s his will for us to have a few more people on team.

Windang Beach Tourist Park 28 Dec - 9 Jan

CROOKHAVEN HEADS

please pray

• for those campers we know well - that they may be compelled by the urgency of the gospel and be saved. Tracey Elliot and Joshua Maule

• for three members of our team who lost their homes and pets in the bushfires in the Blue Mountains recently (two homes were lost between them). Thank God that our team members’ lives were spared. But ask that God would bless the families who lost everything by supplying their physical and spiritual needs. Ask for a great measure of his peace and comfort as they grieve and think about what to do next. Pray God will place around them the loving arms of brothers and sisters who can “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).

David Lewis and Veronica Vatiliotis

• that God would provide more volunteers, and for unity on team.

Nathan Milham and Sarah Piper

• that God would provide someone to section lead our kids section.

• that we can be an encouragement to the local Christians.

• for the permanent residents at the park - a lot of them are bitter, cynical and lonely. Praise God for Wayne and Marcelle, a couple on team who have established some long-term relationships with these residents.

SU NEWS SUMMER 2013

South Coast

location and dates

BURRILL PINES Camping area behind Burrill Pines Motel 27 Dec - 6 Jan

CAMEL ROCK

director/s and assistants

Jared Killey and Leah Gaskell

Kioloa Beach Holiday Park 26 Dec - 6 Jan

LAKE TABOURIE Lake Tabourie Tourist Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

ULLADULLA Ulladulla Headland Tourist Park 27 Dec - 6 Jan

EDEN

Greta Cornish

• for the team - our team has been quite depleted, numbers-wise, this year due to a few going overseas for missions and student exchange. Also, it has been (study and health-wise) a difficult year for the director of the team.

Lachlan and Sarah McTaggart and Sarah Hellyer

• for the health, rest and well being of the small team. Please pray that a small team won’t limit God’s name being proclaimed.

Stephen and Kelly Carlisle, Anne and Neil Beck

• for Jill, the Camp Site Manager, not a Christian but happy for the team to talk openly about God. May Jill come to know the Lord.

Scott Daniels, Megan Hitchick and Jess Gough

• for a great response from people in the park and opportunities to engage them in conversations about spiritual things.

Emma Payne

• Praise God for the people who have put up their hands to come on team and for their willingness to serve God this summer. Pray for more team members (we still need a few more families and five more young adults).

Sarah and Gus Cameron, John Frazer and Cameron Noakes

• for our team, that God would provide many enthusiastic and faithful leaders to be involved in Summerfest this year. Pray that the new team members would be welcomed and that everyone would love and serve each other faithfully.

Urban Missions

Eden Getaway Holiday Park 28 Dec - 7 Jan

GUNNEDAH SUMMERFEST Gunnedah South Public School 11 - 19 Jan

COOTAMUNDRA URBAN MISSION Cootamundra Public School 4 - 12 Jan

ALBION PARK URBAN MISSION

Matthew and Elizabeth • that the Holy Spirit might be working in the hearts & minds of those we Williams and Alison meet, to soften hearts & minds to the good news, that some might turn & Gilbert (a) be saved! Ashleigh Ayling and Robert Gerrand

All Saints Anglican Church 13 - 21 Jan

TUGGERAH URBAN MISSION Tuggerah Public School 2 - 7 Jan

UMINA URBAN MISSION

Theos missions

Umina Public School 27 Dec - 6 Jan

BYRON BAY THEOS

Forster Beach Caravan Park 1 - 11 Jan

PORT MACQUARIE THEOS Town Beach Park 27 Dec - 5 Jan

KIAMA SUMMERLIFE Kiama Uniting Church 27 Dec - 6 Jan

NARRABEEN THEOS 12 - 19 Jan

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• that the small team would bond well. • for Rob and new director Ash as they lead the team. • for good relationships with the local churches. Thank God for the gift that they are to us!

Chris Cipollone, Michelle Werry, Kevin Sampath (a) and Nikki Graham (a)

• for a positive response to some of the marketing initiatives the team has taken with local newspapers, radio stations, schools and churches.

Pete and Dianne Dubravs, Amanda Suttle (a), Vincent Chan (a) and Thomas Creighton (a)

• with thanks that we have been allowed to use the school again this year to sleep in and run our programs out of. Pray God would work in the principal to bring him to Christ.

Tony and Chrisy Wong

• that we make a strong connection with Byron Presbyterian and can partner with them on mission. Pray that the team will be able to encourage the church there.

Luke Shooter, Jillian Hull and Jackson Steinbeck (a)

• for new director (Jill) as she steps up.

Simeon Pridmore, Deborah Aitken and Warren Barker (a)

• Praise God for the blessing it is to serve in Port Macquarie. Praise God for the generous hands of fellow Christians in Port, especially those who are interested in supporting us prayerfully and practically.

Mitchell and Sophie Smith

• for the team as they meet each morning on mission under God’s word, that they would be built up, united & encouraged before heading into a day of evangelism.

Daniel and Mia Leach

• for fruitful fundraising efforts.

Railway Park 4 - 11 Jan

FORSTER THEOS

• for team unity - over half our team is new so please pray that our team will get to know each other and work well together. • that our team can bring glory to God.

Wallaga Lake Road 27 Dec - 5 Jan

KIOLOA

please pray

• for the maintenance team, which has lost one of their key members due to injury.

• that God would reveal potential people to join the team and give the directors boldness to ask them.

• for revival.

• for the council application to be approved.

fundraising? the delicious aroma of...

id you know that every person who goes on a Scripture Union Family Mission pays to do so? That fact surprises many of the people we come into contact with at holidays parks, and is just one expression of the sacrificial heart of our volunteers. However, team fees only really cover the cost of feeding and accommodating the team, and there are many other costs associated with running a mission. Most teams also have to fundraise throughout the year to cover their costs. In July 2013, after much planning and research (aka tasting!), a new fundraising scheme was launched at Directors’ Day, and it’s all about coffee.

will always have fresh coffee to hand, and also means that the team they are supporting will have regular donations coming in — it’s a win-win! In just a few months since the launch of this coffee fundraiser scheme, we have raised just over $7000 in donations to contribute towards SUFM teams. Some SUNSW staff members are also taking up the initiative to raise team support.

ABOUT THE COFFEE Roasted to order in the Blue Mountains, this direct relationship, fairly and ethically traded premium coffee is blended from Columbian, Sumatran, Ethiopian and Papua New Guinean beans.

The SUNSW coffee scheme is designed to give teams a top quality product that they can sell to family, friends, their workplaces and churches. The coffee gives a much better return than other methods of food/ beverage based fundraising (eg, selling chocolates), so fundraisers don’t have to sell as many units to see a good result. It’s also branded clearly as supporting Scripture Union NSW, which gives fundraisers an opportunity to talk about their ministry.

The coffee can be supplied as beans or ground for a plunger, in 225g bags.

The beauty of the coffee scheme is that supporters can buy single bags or, if they are regular coffee drinkers, they can set up a coffee subscription. This means they

If you need more information about how the scheme works, contact Tiffany at tiffl@sunsw.org.au or 9638 9000.

To subscribe to a regular coffee delivery go to www.sunsw.org.au/coffee and check out the various subscription packages. You can elect for the proceeds of your order to go generally to Scripture Union NSW, or you can specify a team or SUNSW staff member you would like to direct the proceeds to.

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SCRIPTURE UNION NSW

COFFEE A VIBRANT BLEND OF COLUMBIAN, SUMATRAN, ETHIOPIAN & PNG BEANS PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS COFFEE GO TOWARDS SCRIPTURE UNION NSW MINISTRIES IN CAMPS, SCHOOLS & MISSIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

225g WWW.SUNSW.ORG.AU/COFFEE

Get your coffee and support Mission at the same time! Go to www.sunsw.org.au/coffee SU NEWS SUMMER 2013

Spring Camps

fter all the preparation in the lead up to the busiest camps season in spring, my wife Leanne and I hit the road. We were keen to meet the Directors and leaders “on location” who make this great camping ministry such a powerful witness for the kingdom of God. First stop was Cricket Camp at Dubbo. The camp celebrated their 10 year anniversary this year, with 67 campers, a dedicated leadership team and a great week “where too much cricket is barely enough”. What a joy to see so many young boys developing their skills and being encouraged by God’s plan for their lives. Next stop: Mulgoa and the <reboot> Computing and Technology Camp. This brand new camp saw 34 campers attend,

cricket camp 12

SCRIPTURE UNION NSW

and had a waiting list in its first year! Praise God! Young people were engaged in robotics, 3D printing, computer coding and augmented reality just to name a few of the activities on offer. Congratulations to David and Pam Grover and their team for such an inspiring camp where young people gained new skills but were also reminded that God is the only one who can effectively reboot us: “I tell you the truth no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3) Then we headed onto Rockley where we intersected with Bike Camp, en route from Goulburn to Bathurst. They had already ridden over 200 kms by the time we caught up with them. What a joy to get up on a beautiful morning, sit under a tree after

breakfast, and open the Bible with some of the young people as they considered who God is and how he has revealed himself to us over the ages. Then we had a long drive to Ariah Park; the crops were looking good and the farmers were hopeful of a harvest. Boys Ag Camp was again a huge success with 30 boys enjoying farm life, golf challenge and hobbies such as blacksmithing. Near the end of the week the boys are encouraged to reflect on what God has been saying to them from his word at the bonfire night, “Code of Silence” which, as the leaders have found through later testimony, is where many young boys decide to commence their relationship with Jesus.

p Code of silence at Boys Ag Cam

Road Trip

Girls Ag Camp rolled into Ariah Park as the boys finished up. Julie McIntosh did an excellent job as first year director. The girls loved everything about the camp, not only the five star food and Jac who did an amazing job of the Bible talks (according to the all reports I am getting back), but also deepening friendships and encouragement to serve Jesus through out the year. Well done Julie, well done team! Plunge Canoe and Solid Rock Kayaking Camp were next on the itinerary, but both were unfortunately postponed due to lack of numbers. Please pray for God’s leading as we seek his guidance for the future of these camps.

Archery at North Coa st Ag Camp

Finally, we had a long drive to Beechwood near Wauchope, for North Coast Junior Ag Camp where we met 39 campers on a beautiful property. The two Petes, along

...one of my goals is to get the news out that “SU camps are the greatest”. with a great leadership team and senior campers, ran an excellent camp. The food, the fun, the Bible talks, the hobbies, the

farm visits were all excellent. The program was jam-packed and it was clear that everyone was not only having a great time but deep roots were going down into the lives of the young campers for the glory of God. Now I know that some of you are thinking I have one of the best jobs in the world! This may be true. However one of my goals is to get the news out that “SU camps are the greatest”. So please join with us as we look to grow SU camping in health and vitality for the extension of God’s kingdom, for many years to come.

Glenn Coombs Camps Director

Robotics at reboot SU NEWS SUMMER 2013

Meet our new schools director

Stuart Pendlebury Tell us about your family and what you do for fun. I’m married with four daughters, two married, two still at home, one left in high school. Family takes up a large part of my time, and I love doing things with family. I also love doing outdoor things like going to the beach, camping, playing or watching sport, diving…

How did you become a Christian? I was brought up in a Christian home, so I knew all the stories. I can’t remember if I knew or not that you had to make a personal decision at some point. I think I’d been to a Billy Graham crusade, not the big ones in the 50s, but something in the late 60s, and I think I’d felt some kind of urge to want to go forward. But on this camp in year 6, something significant happened. I’m one of those people who can remember an exact time and a place where I moved from head knowledge to an absolute personal decision to accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. And interestingly, it was on a camp I didn’t want to go on. But I came away from it with the best thing that ever happened to me.

For the next two years I was Chaplain at Trinity Prep School, and I thought that’s where I’d stay for some time. But after the two years, my church created a full time youth pastor’s position in the area that I’d been working in as a layperson for a long time. And once again I was thankful because the two years as a chaplain had prepared me for parish youth work. I did that for 10 years, which brought me to the beginning of this year, and it was time to find what God was calling me to next.

Were you involved in ISCF at school?

So what have been your impressions so far of SU's schools ministry?

Yes, I was in the equivalent of an ISCF group at a private school. Being in a Christian group within the school was very important to me, more than the formal religious education of the school. It was actually more personal, pastoral, and we had some great mentors. That made a huge difference in keeping me on track, growing as a Christian, and staying as a Christian through those high school years.

It’s been a big learning curve for me. It’s been a big eye opener to see how many ministries Scripture Union is involved with overall, but also how many ministries are going on in state schools all over the place. There’s a lot of great ministry going on out there, student leaders being developed, people hearing the gospel and becoming Christians and growing in their faith, just wonderful stuff.

What happened after school? In between school and uni, that first summer break, was beach mission. My sister invited me to go along, suggested I should, which I did. I’d never been doorknocking before! But I loved it. I started an Arts degree at UNSW straight after school, but about halfway through that first year I realised there was no focus or goal or purpose to what I was doing. Fortunately at that stage I got involved with the Campus Bible Study, which was running a big mission that year, so whilst my other university involvement wasn’t so great, my involvement in that was significant. It got me back on track spiritually, but also in terms of life and ‘what am I here for and where am I going?’ So the experience at uni wasn’t wasted. I think God prepared me in other ways to deal with the challenges of working in an adult world and a pretty rough end of that adult world; I joined the NSW Police the following year and my first station was Darlinghurst/Kings Cross. I didn’t put all of my life into the Police. I worked hard there, but I kept a lot of things outside of that world. So my family, my church involvement, my sport, a lot of my recreation, just helped to keep the Police experiences in perspective. I ended up being in the Police for 15 years. I loved it and the only reason I left was an opportunity came up to work at the Justice and Police Museum. I was happy in the Police, but the Museum was a great opportunity. It was set up as an education centre for school groups mainly.

Even though my jobs looked varied, the common thread was working with school age kids. So in the Police I became a youth and school liaison officer, then I managed an educational museum, and then towards the end of that time I felt the call to full time Christian work, and I believed that call was into schools work.

SCRIPTURE UNION NSW

I think that over time probably the connection between a lot of those ministries and SU has faded or not been recognised. So as the Schools Ministry Director I’d love to see that relationship restored and strengthened, more as an umbrella, not as a hierarchy. People out there are doing the ministries and they’re doing them well, but they can be part of a larger network of prayer support, encouragement, resourcing and training that SU can provide. So I think that’s a need and a challenge, something I’m looking forward to doing.

Finally - Why is ministry in schools so important? I heard it put very well the other day by a person working in a school, that while church attendance might be down from what it used to be, particularly amongst younger people, everybody goes to school. It could be an independent school, private school, public school, they might be home schooled. The fact is, the vast majority of people are going to go through our schooling system, so it’s strategic. School might be the only place someone gets to hear the gospel or have it explained to them, or be invited to consider it and make a decision about it, or to be encouraged in it once they’ve made that decision. It’s such a wonderful opportunity, and it’s such a formative part of people’s lives; when you’re young you’re making decisions about yourself and how the world works and what it’s all about. If you come to know who Jesus really is, love and trust him at that time while you’re at school, then that’s the best foundation for the rest of your life.

Farewell Jonathan Harris It is, as they say, ‘with a heavy heart’ that I am finishing up as SU North West NSW Regional Coordinator. It has been a wonderful, albeit challenging, four years of work. The key reason for leaving is to spend more time with my three children, and to have a long rest. My wife Wendy has resumed working full time and we will be remaining in Tamworth, where she will return to work as a psychologist.

Jono out promot ing SU NSW

So much has been gained through your sponsorship and help in the last few years. Your financial and prayer support has allowed me to work in remote areas that have not had much connection with SU for some time. In fact, your financial sponsorship has allowed us to: • assist in setting up multiple new ministries, such as employing Scripture teachers in Mendooran, Baradine, Coonamble, Warren, Gulargambone, Barraba, and Tenterfield. • Other areas, including Bourke, Lightning Ridge, Goodooga, Brewarrina and Wee Waa are now advertising to fill roles for next year. • Meetings are being set up in Gilgandra, Moree and Gunnedah to discuss support for SRE next year.

Jono (far left) with This year's Leadership 4:12 graduates and supporters

Many of these towns have formed their own ISCF and SUPA club connections for the students that have heard the gospel and want to learn more. What does this mean? Because of your support, approximately 400+ bush kids are hearing the good news of Jesus every week of the school year! That number is growing each term. For the rest of this year, the new Schools Director, Stuart Pendlebury, will be the contact person for my role, especially for those who want to join in with the SUPA (Primary) and ISCF (High School) groups. I have loved being involved with the new ministries that have started here - the ISCF Leadership Conference returning to the North West; the new Armidale Switch On camp at Copeton Dam; and the Switch On Discipleship Camps to name a few.

Delegates at this year's NorthWest ISCF Leadership Conferenc e

Please keep supporting the position here as it is a key role in building local youth ministries. I will continue to be involved in Leadership Conference and camps... I hope you will be involved too!

Jonathan Harris SU North West Regional Coordinator

Tamworth Country Music Festival 20 - 26 January 2014 The SU Tent is going up once more at the 2014 Tamworth Country Music Festival! It’s a popular place where people can come to hang out, hear some great music and have a chat. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for Christians to show hospitality and God’s love to Festival-

goers. We are looking for the Father to bring many more into his kingdom through it. Helpers and pray-ers are needed for putting the tent up, serving refreshments, and children's work.

Southside Uniting Church on Monday 20th January. Contact Karen Barter (kazzabar@hotmail. com) for more info on joining the team or about the fundraising concert.

There will also be an SU Country Music Tent fundraising concert at Tamworth

SU NEWS SUMMER 2013

Upcoming Camps Dare 2B Different

Camp Conqueror

Wedderburn Christian Campsite 28 December 2013 - 1 January 2014

South Coast 11 - 19 January 2014

Dare to be Different is five days of intense fun for able-bodied and disabled young people that will guarantee you new challenges and friendships. You’ll discover more about yourself, other people and God. You’ll learn new life skills and take away amazing experiences and memories.

Camp Conqueror is the adventure of a lifetime for students in years 7-12. Challenge yourself, make some new friends who will last for life, see some of God’s most beautiful creation and have a whole lot of fun!

www.sunsw.org.au/dare2Bdifferent

www.sunsw.org.au/campconqueror

Chaffey Dam Water Sports Camp Chaffey Dam, near Tamworth 13 - 18 January 2014 This camp is for those who like the outdoors. There will be loads of opportunities to sail a catamaran, cruise on a canoe or ride on a sailboard. There will also be skiing, knee boarding, ski biscuits and wake boarding! As well as all that activity we will be spending time each day getting into God’s word. www.sunsw.org.au/chaffeydam

PARADISE WITH A PURPOSE If you’re a student in years 9-12 who wants to grab the opportunity to serve God overseas, to be immersed another culture, to meet some amazing people and to share the gospel of Jesus, then V14 is for you! Come to Vanuatu with us in the 2014 July school holidays. It will change your life! Register your interest for V14 now by emailing Laurinda Lawrence (laurindal@sunsw.org.au). Visit www.sunsw.org.au/VJourney for more info.

SCRIPTURE UNION NSW