@SU
suscotland.org.uk MARCH 2024
Who are SU Scotland? Our vision is to see every child and young person in Scotland exploring the Bible and responding to the significance of Jesus. We are a Christian charity with over 2,000 volunteers and 100 staff working in four contexts: schools, holidays, community-based missions, and training and equipping. We work in partnership with churches, SU Scotland Associate Trusts and others to help children and young people across Scotland have an opportunity to explore the Bible and respond to the significance of Jesus. We offer safe places where they can have fun, meet new challenges, feel valued, accepted and free to express their views and consider their own beliefs as they engage with peers and Christian leaders. We aim to prioritise the needs of those from a disadvantaged background in all our activities.
SU Scotland, New Olympia House, 13 Olympia Street, Glasgow, G40 3TA 0141 332 1162 | info@suscotland.org.uk suscotland.org.uk facebook.com/suscotland twitter.com/suscotland youtube.com/suscotland
contents
4 Local Ministries Zonya Bewick, Director of Local Ministries, talks about her vision for growth based around school clusters.
10 Think global, act local Gavin Matthews of Solas offers a biblical basis for our local ministries across Scotland.
12 Game ON Read about a new online group which is bringing together young people interested in video gaming to meet and chat about faith.
16 A Godly leader We share a tribute to Andy Bathgate, colleague, friend, Bible teacher and evangelist, who led SU Scotland for 19 years.
instagram.com/suscotland
To all who received him and believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12
Editor: Hilary Phillips | cygnus-extra.co.uk Design: innovivid.co.uk Print: Johnston Mailing © Scripture Union Scotland, 2024 Scottish Charity SC011222 ISSN 1357 - 7171
A large print edition is available on request.
18 Ukraine ministry Our Scripture Union friends in Ukraine share news about life, work and ministry in amongst the trauma and uncertainty of war.
20 Meet Mike Kurtyka SU Scotland's Chief Operating Officer, Mike Kurtyka, discusses the journey to his current role and the opportunities he sees to grow the organisation.
robin’s column
Coming to a place near you When I think of 'local', I think of my own village of Torrance, North Glasgow, where my family and I have lived for the past 17 years; the people that I see at church, the places where we go to learn, to shop and to recreate.
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hether your local looks like city, town, village or the countryside, we will all have local places where we work, worship, shop, meet friends, play football or drink coffee. SU Scotland has always had local ministries because we have always worked with schools and churches,
supporting local Christians to share their faith. Recently we’ve shifted from talking about 'National Ministries' to 'Local Ministries' because we think that makes more sense of what we actually do. Zonya Bewick is our first Director of Local Ministries, so turn to page 4, where she shares her vision and introduces some of the growth areas around Scotland and the goal to see every high school cluster in Scotland lit up with the light of the good news of Jesus. We also welcome Mike Kurtyka, who has joined the senior leadership team in the role of Chief Operating Officer. We’re delighted to have his skills and leadership, helping us steer a godly course through our practical and financial decisions. Mike talks about what brought him to SU Scotland on page 20.
We were shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Andy Bathgate last Autumn. It’s less than four years since he retired from his role as Chief Executive and we want to honour the very significant leadership he brought to SU Scotland over 19 years. You can read his tribute on page 16. As Easter approaches, and with all the promises of God in scripture as our sure and certain hope, we look ahead to an exciting season of ministry, but also just pause to celebrate once again, the significance of the resurrection for each one of us.
Robin MacLellan, CEO robin.maclellan@suscotland.org.uk social media: @robmaclellan
What comes to mind when you think of ‘local’?
My family and I have lived in Bonaly, Edinburgh for 18 years. Our local school, Bonaly Primary School, feeds into Firrhill High School along with three others, and we have three local churches in the community. I’m from Belfast, so not technically a local (and definitely don’t have an Edinburgh accent!), but we know many people and have some great friends. Might that make me a local?!
local ministries
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ast summer, National Ministries became known as Local Ministries. This serves to define more clearly the role of the 22 Regional Workers and 25 Associate Workers (from 15 Associate Worker Trusts) who make up the team. Our distinctive feature is that 'what we do' takes place in local communities around schools, whether SU Groups, RME (Religious and Moral Education) lessons, chaplaincy or 1-2-1s in the case of our Associate Trusts. There are over 2,500 schools in Scotland; 360 or so high school clusters with their associated primaries. IMAGINE... 360 local ministry communities across Scotland, each formed around a high school cluster and populated with church partnerships, volunteers, other youth organisations, Christian parents and teachers, prayer supporters and pupil leaders. IMAGINE... the growth that could take place as each school in the country is prayed for regularly. IMAGINE... the opportunities that could open up, as local knowledge of individuals in the group leads to new volunteers and more opportunities for ministry and partnership. IMAGINE... the new Missions
that could start in some of these local communities, with opportunities for families to re-engage with the local church. Regional Workers across the country are aiming to bring together as many of these local ministry communities as they can in the coming months. Susie Ford, Regional Worker for Dundee and Angus, has held two cluster meetings in recent months, connected with Baldragon and Grove Academies. Susie says, ‘In both cases we were a mixed group including children's and youth workers, parents, ministers and those praying faithfully for the schools. I found out about Christian ministry already taking place in schools and was encouraged by meeting women from a prayer group who pray for me regularly. ‘Our time together was helpful, as I was able to share with local prayer partners, and it means I don’t duplicate work others are already doing! Knowing more about what’s happening also gives opportunities to increase ministry by partnering, and both of these meetings have led to such opportunities. The best part for me though is praying together for the advance of God’s kingdom. We know around 97% of children in our local areas don’t come
from Christian families, so praying for God to reach them through our joint work is both essential and exciting. I look forward to meeting again with these groups.’ ‘Local’ in the Highlands, where Timmy Currie works with the COOL Trust, will look very different to 'local' in Cambuslang with Ross Murray and the Reachout Trust or in south Edinburgh, where Lesley Crawford is Regional Worker. But the aim is the same—to have local communities around each of the 360 or so high school clusters in Scotland. Pray with us as we seek to have meaningful Christian contact with every school, whether through prayer, an SU Group or an RME lesson; as we partner with local churches, SU Ambassadors, local believers and other youth organisations; and as we give every child and young person the opportunity to explore the Bible and respond to the significance of Jesus. Zonya Bewick Director of Local Ministries We would love to hear from you if you are interested in helping to bring together a local ministry community around your local high school cluster. Contact regional@ suscotland.org.uk. suscotland.org.uk | 5
East End
Vision
An SU Scotland Mission held at Easterhouse Baptist Church, Glasgow, last summer was the catalyst for volunteers and workers gathering to share vision and find new opportunities to work together. Three new SU Groups have formed as a result.
local ministries
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arol Baird is the West Team Leader. She says, ‘There were a number of different things that all came together. Following the Mission, a group of young people went to Magnitude and were looking for ways to stay connected. ‘So in November we held an East End Celebration—a vision event attended by around 100 people. Importantly there was time to pray and time for people to talk with one another, building vital connections between Christians from different churches across the East End of Glasgow, all of whom are keen to see work develop in local schools. ‘We were inspired to hear from a young person who is part of the Junction 12 Youth Project and who now contributes to SU Scotland as a volunteer as well as from other long term SU Scotland volunteers. As a result of connections made that evening, there are
three new SU Groups up and running in local schools.’ A key aspect of the evening was the work that local leaders and volunteers undertook to invite others along. Direct invitations to local churches meant that people attended who had no previous connection with SU Scotland. Bringing people together was definitely key to the success of this event, and we look forward to seeing how the new SU Groups develop. Working with Carol to deliver the evening were Craig Morris, Glasgow Regional Worker, and Elizabeth McDowall, Prayer & Church Partnerships Coordinator. Craig says, 'First of all, thanks to Pam Fulton, copastor at Easterhouse Baptist Church, who had the idea of the East End Vision Evening— without her and Tim Raynes' support, the event wouldn't have taken place. My favourite
thing was seeing volunteers chatting and agreeing to work together. It was very inspiring for so many local supporters of SU Scotland. Elizabeth says, 'It was such an encouraging evening! Someone approached me to say they were praying for a particular school, and off the back of this, we were able to introduce them to the volunteers who were about to start an SU Group there. There were many lovely moments like this of connecting people. 'A prayer station helped to identify which schools were registered with Pray for Schools, and as a result, new registrations of prayer for East End schools were made by churches and individuals, with someone even volunteering to be an SU Ambassador in their church. There was a real sense of being God’s family together.' suscotland.org.uk | 7
Hi, I’m Megan Randall—that's me on the right! I'm spending the first half of my SU Scotland Gap Year based in Edinburgh.
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have been involved in schools work in the city, which has been a great experience so far. I spend most of my time visiting SU Groups and have attended the same ones consistently. I have really enjoyed getting to know the children and young people, and it has been really interesting to see how the different groups work! I am learning that the smaller groups are just as valuable as the larger ones. While it is important to try and reach as many children as possible, it has been a total joy to watch the friendships that develop in the smaller groups— friendships that might not have happened without SU! I have also helped deliver Bible Alive to a Primary 6 class, which involved going in every week for seven weeks and sharing the story of the whole Bible with the children. I really enjoyed this despite the more difficult aspects—such as classroom management. I grew up being taught these Bible stories from before I can properly remember, which is a privilege many children don’t have. It has been amazing watching children listen to the more classic Sunday school Bible stories for the first time and respond to them. Getting to see children and young people hear about the Bible for the first time (they generally find the Bible is not what they expected!) has definitely reminded me not to assume that most children would know a Bible story and not to take the knowledge I grew up with for granted! I’m looking forward to the next element of my Gap Year at Lendrick Muir. 8 | suscotland.org.uk
Gap Year: your turn? Taking a year out can be a fantastic way to grow in faith, explore your skills and develop in confidence. Lots of enthusiastic volunteers have chosen to spend a year with SU Scotland as they finish high school or sometimes after college or university. If this sounds exciting to you or someone you know, it's time to get in touch! Applications are open for 2024–2025. Placements are available within our centres, with Regional Workers and local churches, within priority communities, and our digital youth work programme. Find more information and an application form online: suscotland.org.uk/gapyear
discipleship
One thing
leads to another
Hi, my name is Daniel and I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. Last year was really busy for me, as I was involved in many experiences through SU Scotland.
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couple of years ago I didn’t even know what an SU Holiday was; that was until one of my cousins told me about the awesome summer camps he went on to places like Arran (Kingscross) and Lendrick Muir. I thought to myself, maybe this could be fun and adventurous! My first camp took place on Arran, and when I look back on it now, I wish I'd have had the comforts of the new hobbit huts! I’ve been to several different events now, and I think they are a really great way to meet other Christians.
Last summer, a group of us helped at an SU Mission in our home town of Penicuik—the same holiday club I'd attended and made friends at as a child. We had two wonderful SU leaders, Derek and Claire, who joined us for the week to bring their knowledge and input. We had an excellent turnout of children, and we worked hard to make the Bible stories both relatable and exciting. My role as a host involved introducing what was happening each day. The experience definitely helped me to build confidence when speaking in front of others. Following on from that Mission, Derek Harley, Regional Worker, asked me to take part in an event at Scoughall, a campsite near the beach at North Berwick— another great experience. Last autumn I went to the GO Conference with over 100 other young people—it was completely different from any of the other events. I made a lot of good friends, and there was such a variety
of workshops focusing on faith and becoming more of a disciple. I found this helped me build my relationship with God. When I returned to school, I decided to run an SU Group for S1–S3 on a Thursday lunchtime. I was inspired by what I’d heard during Go Conference, and as I was in my final year at school, I thought, 'Why not?' At first there were only two of us meeting, so I prayed with my church and youth group, and soon there were six new members! My tip for those running SU Groups is to always include food and games. Also, some friends from church and I have been attending Youth Alpha together, and the videos are great because they give you questions to think about as you watch. One of my friends from Youth Alpha was encouraged to start an SU Group in another Penicuik school—it has been a busy year! I’m keen to continue the journey and see what happens next. Daniel Fawcett suscotland.org.uk | 9
THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL On Kinnoull Hill in Perth there is an environmental slogan carved into a bench. As you soak in the expansive views across Perthshire you are encouraged to 'Think global, act local.'
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he hope is that people will be captured by a huge vision and be inspired to make practical action. Perhaps even
set up a room for a youth group when no one but the Lord is looking, than if you are called to preach to huge crowds. Both are intended
mundane tasks like sorting the recycling will
to be acts of partnership with God and his
be reinvigorated with a renewed sense of
global church, infused with divine significance.
purpose and partnership with others in this noble cause. A similar move is needed if we are
To address the problem of bickering and
to thrive in the day-to-day ministries to which
factions in Phillippi, Paul asks his readers to
Christ calls us in his church. Our daily work for
grasp a magnificent vision of the humility of
him is meant to be infused with a sense of the
Christ. To think Christologically: act humbly!
magnificent mission of God in the world. This
(Philippians 2:1–18) In Ephesians 1, before
is no more real if you are called to clean and
he gets into the practical outworking of the
10 | suscotland.org.uk | Kinnoull Hill © Tom Parnell CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed
acting local: a biblical basis
gospel, he imparts a truly magnificent vision of God and his gospel to them. Paul says that as Christian people we have been: chosen by God the Father (v4), redeemed by the blood of God the Son (v7) and sealed by the promised Holy Spirit (v13). And all of this is done 'to the praise of His glory' (v14). If we ever reduce our estimation of the church to being a mere institution, our ministry to being a mere job or the service we offer to others to a bleak drudgery, then the antidote is to look up again at the glorious Trinity in action in Ephesians. A heart enraptured in worship towards God, ‘lost in wonder, love and praise’—will not grow weary in the small daily tasks of gospel work. We must be worshippers of God first and ministers of the gospel second! Photographers love getting new lenses to capture better images. Some buy lenses which can capture a vast image and assault our senses with sweeping landscapes or the stars and galaxies. Others invest in macro-
lenses which can reveal the beauty of the tiniest detail of an insect’s antenna. As ministers of the gospel, we need both perspectives. First we need a massive, upward-looking vision of the glory of God who implements a plan of salvation, goes to the cross to redeem us and sends his Spirit to mark us as his own! Then we need a vision of the God who sends us into mission because he cares about the tiniest detail. He has numbered the hairs on the head of every young person you serve; he knows the young man wrestling with doubts; he knows the girl in your group who is getting bullied; he knows the teenager who is an affirmation junkie; the one who is hungry; the one who is scared; and the one who is enjoying life so much he is forgetting about God. And he has sent you to them because he is the one glorious, triune God who chooses, redeems and seals people. He is unspeakably glorious, immeasurably significant
and unquenchably loving. So we are called to Think Trinitarianly: Act Missionally. My friend, Chic Lidstone from Operation Mobilisation, recently observed that the Ark of the Covenant (which contained the Law of God and signified the presence of God) was designed to be carried by people. This is a picture only fulfilled in our New Covenant mission! In all your service, whether you go into schools, welcome guests to an SU Scotland centre, work in accounts, pray or serve on a holiday team—whatever you are called to do—your labour might look ordinary. But in carrying the word and presence of God with you, it is magnificent because the gospel is magnificent: 'to the praise of His glory'. B Gavin Matthews Gavin is Assistant Director of Solas Centre for Public Christianity, a ministry organisation based in Scotland. This article is based on a talk he presented to the SU Scotland Event Leaders Conference in January 2024. suscotland.org.uk | 11
Game on!
Last autumn a new online video gaming group launched for secondary-aged young people, creating a regular Tuesday night club where SU Scotland volunteers and young people can connect and share both their passion for gaming and an interest in exploring faith together.
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hen I was a student I was immersed in video gaming, so gaming is a personal passion of mine. Many young people share that enthusiasm, and we can help to make gaming a point of connection rather than isolation. Young people may feel isolated for all sorts of reasons—their geography or perhaps they don’t attend a mainstream school. They may be marginalised because of poverty or perhaps they have a mental health challenge that makes it difficult for them to leave their house. We also know there are many Christian young people across Scotland who have limited opportunities to connect with Christians their own age. Nathan is one of the young people who joins the online group regularly. He says, ‘It is a great opportunity to gain friendships with people through gaming and to deepen those friendships through our shared love of Jesus and desire to know more about him.’
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suscotland.org.uk/digital
Young people need to be at least 13 years old to join the group which meets on a Discord server—a platform popular within that age group. Exploring the Bible with young people in this context is such a privilege. People are often quite open online, ready to ask questions, so we can bring conversation about the Bible into the games themselves. Discord publishes a verse of the day so leaders will often refer to that or come with a short talk in mind. SU Scotland has a trusted reputation with parents, and we thought through the safeguarding issues for both the young people and the volunteers before launching the group. We know that parents are cautious about their young people engaging online with people they don’t know. As with all our events, we have a consent process which involves parents and guardians. There are always at least two volunteers in the session, and we follow the SU Scotland Guidance for Communicating and Working Safely with Young People online. Video gaming is a hugely important aspect of popular culture and provides a great starting place for engaging with young people. Our aim is to create a positive place where they can meet, avoiding the toxic culture that can sometimes be associated with online gaming. We think the model could work for lots of other special interests too, such as young people who are interested in coding or creative writing. In November, Bruce Lockhart and I led a video gaming weekend at Gowanbank. This was a great way to
build the community and encourage people to stay in touch via the gaming group. A particular highlight of the weekend was the final task: the groups were to conceptualise a video game where the player learns about one of the commands from Joshua 23–24. The three groups were completely focused and came up with really fantastic ideas.. There was Greg, the sausage roll, who lost his beans (memories) and had to overcome mini games to regain them. Each one was something God did for the people of Israel. There was Optimus Prime who had to overcome doubts, sin and himself to get to church and look after his relationship with God. And there was a Zelda-inspired game in which the hero navigated through different levels holding onto God's promises. We are currently planning a Mario Kart sponsored event—a way for young people to fundraise for SU Scotland and we have many great ideas for the future. We want to encourage young people to explore the Bible together in every context, so we are working on what that will look like over the next few years on digital devices. We are listening carefully to what young people are interested in as well as our volunteers. We want to plan digital activities that create a place where young people can engage with each other, discuss faith and develop critical thinking all with the aim of helping them make wise and godly choices for their lives. B Andrew Stothard Digital Youth Work Lead suscotland.org.uk | 13
holiday sponsorship fund
w e A f s n i y a d away r e m m u s
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holiday sponsorship fund
SU Scotland’s Holiday Sponsorship Fund helps to support children and young people who might not otherwise get away on holiday, including a group of young people from Kirkcaldy.
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ast summer, 42 young people from Kirkcaldy enjoyed a holiday at Lendrick Muir led by Chris Beattie. Chris works with the young people year-round, leading KART, the Kirkcaldy Area Reachout Trust. Chris explains, ‘For some young people living in Templehall, Kirkcaldy, getting away on a summer holiday is not a given, and the cost of an SU Holiday would be out of reach for these families. Yet, coming away means the children from two local primary schools get to know each other, which is really beneficial as they all transition to the same high school. ‘The schools recognise the positive impact on young
people’s lives, and this has helped to build relationships. We started an SU Group in one of the schools because the young people who attended an SU event requested it. We also see more children and young people coming along to activities that we run in the community, like holiday clubs. ‘SU Scotland’s Holidays Sponsorship Fund provides financial support to enable these holidays to happen. We also receive a grant from the local authority, and fundraise at local events and churches. The families of sponsored young people are also asked to contribute.' Last year the Holiday Sponsorship fund meant that around 600 young people benefited from support at an SU Holiday. As with the KART group, sometimes an event will be developed in partnership with SU Scotland, supporting a group of young people to attend together.
Individuals can apply directly for a bursary to attend any SU Holiday. The fund is predominantly supported by donations from individuals and plays an important role in making holidays accessible. Alan Myles, Holidays Manager, says, 'We want every child and young person to have the opportunity to attend a holiday, and the Holidays Sponsorship Fund supports young people most affected by poverty. It’s our ambition to see parity—this fund does help those most in need, but there is still work to be done to ensure that every young person has access.
Support our 2024 Holiday Sponsorship Appeal suscotland.org.uk/ appeal
In addition, all places at Motiv8 holidays (serving young people most at the margins in Scotland) are sponsored, substantially reducing the cost of a holiday. suscotland.org.uk | 15
tribute
Last October, the SU family were shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Andy Bathgate, our CEO from June 2001 until March 2020. Andy’s contribution to SU ministry in Scotland and beyond has been immense.
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rior to joining the staff team, Andy had served in various capacities as a volunteer, including camps at Kingscross on Arran and local church missions and a key partner through his role as UCCF’s Scottish Team Leader.
Thanking God for Andy Bathgate 1955–2023 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5 NIV
Over his 19 years as Chief Executive, he led the organisation through all kinds of seasons, bringing faith and vision in the good times as well as wisdom and calm when things became particularly pressurised, whether due to financial pressures or challenging management situations. One of his greatest contributions may be his part in discerning and adopting our core values of Dependence on God and Deepening Relationships. Andy, more
a godly leader
than most, embodied these values personally and inspired those around him to do likewise. He also provided vital leadership wisdom and ‘backbone’ in navigating challenges around how we seek as a movement to remain faithful to scripture. Andy had a remarkable gift for bringing the Bible alive for people of all ages with an authentic passion, faithfulness and freshness which would be a hallmark of his public ministry. This was informed in no small part by his wide range of interests and hobbies, including a love of art, literature, sport and music. He had an influence well beyond Scotland through his regular contributions to Scripture Union daily Bible reading guides like Daily Bread and Encounter With God. His latest contribution (to feature in the July 2024 issue) had just been signed off a very short time before his death. In the providence of God, it includes a moving commentary on 1 Corinthians 15 where the Apostle Paul reminds us that death is swallowed up in victory. Andy was a counter-intuitive leader with a remarkable gift for getting diverse groups
of Christians collaborating and partnering effectively together. A great example of this is Christian Values in Education, now a charity in its own right, which brings together representatives from churches, Christian agencies and the teaching profession to be a blessing and biblical influence in that strategic space. His humility and gentleness were deeply winsome; there was no sense of him seeking to build any platform or gain recognition for himself; rather, his goal was to preach Christ and not himself (2 Corinthians 4:5). He had time for everyone and took special care to invest in colleagues and volunteers whose roles might be more behind the scenes. Andy was deeply devoted to his wife Alyson and their two daughters, Fiona and Karyn. Latterly, one of his greatest joys would be time spent with his three grandsons. He lived simply, preferring to travel by public transport rather than drive wherever possible. He had a deep care for the marginalised, serving as a prison visitor and volunteering at a foodbank with Edinburgh City Mission.
He was beloved by the various international SU partners he met when hosting or visiting, including colleagues in Ukraine and India. All that said, Andy would have been the first to concede he wasn’t a saint! Aware of his own weaknesses and fallibility, he modelled the grace of God in a powerful way, including staying in touch with former colleagues and valuing each individually as a brother or sister in Christ, regardless of the challenges of working together. In the providence of God, it was incredibly fitting that in his final month before retiring, Andy was awarded the Inspirational Leader award at the YouthLink Scotland National Youth Work Awards. How might we honour Andy’s memory? By following much of his godly example, not least in choosing to delight daily in the Bible and in encouraging others—especially children and young people—to explore God’s word for themselves, helping make the book accessible and compelling for the next generation, however God might call and equip each of us to do that. Robin MacLellan suscotland.org.uk | 17
international
News from Oksana in
Vorzel It’s now almost two years since the war started, and it affects so many different aspects of our lives.
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t Vorzel, Open Bible’s residential centre in the countryside not far from Kyiv, we were able to run some events in the summer, frequently having to wake the children and young people in the night to go to our new, partially constructed bomb shelter. Many of you will recall the old, dusty basement where we sought shelter when the war first broke out. With grants and donations, we have been able to create a safe bomb shelter with heating and ventilation. This is a government requirement for us to run camps at the centre, and we are pleased to be making good progress. There are other important bits of maintenance work, particularly drainage and 18 | suscotland.org.uk
some of the windows that were damaged by bombing, that we are tackling as funding allows. During the Christmas holidays we were able to run a residential event as well as a day camp for local children. It’s so important to offer these events as a tiny bit of normality in lives where fear and threat have become commonplace. Because so many of our regular volunteers have either left the country or are involved in humanitarian volunteering in the war zones, we are depending on a small number of teenage volunteers. It is a great opportunity to work with these young people, to help them grow the skills to work with young people and to provide a place for them to be nurtured. We have a vision for trying to help support churches in their youth work, but at the moment, the focus for many churches is offering basic humanitarian aid,
therefore there is very little youth work taking place. We do have some regular clubs running in churches but struggle to run activities in schools at the moment. For example, a school where we used to run a regular club now teaches pupils in shifts, with the rest of classes delivered online because the school bomb shelter would not hold the whole school. This means there’s no time in the regular day for us to run a club, but we are still managing to deliver a monthly event and staying in touch that way. Looking towards summer, we hope to be able to offer camps at Vorzel. We are very aware that we make our plans without knowing what will be possible but trust that God will make a way for us. We really value the prayers of our friends and supporters in Scotland. We say thank you to God all the time that we are all still alive and that we can continue to run activities. Oksana Khimich Open Bible, Ukraine
new olympia house
SU Scotland's HQ has moved from Milton Street to Bridgeton, Glasgow.
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e are in the process of finishing the major refurbishment at New Olympia House, with staff already working there and the rest of the space available soon. Paul Bayton says, ‘Following the pandemic, we were aware of the limitations of the Milton Street office as the base for our head office staff. We were made an offer for the property and this confirmed our thinking and has enabled us to move to a building which has more potential as a hub, both for the staff team and for ministry.’
We are here Our office accommodation is on the ground floor with an additional bright, airy, flexible space upstairs, ideal for staff meetings and worship times, and also available for local SU Scotland activities. Paul explains, ‘With our focus on people in our society who are marginalised, we felt it was time for our office to be in a local community, rather than in the city centre. We hope it will become a place for groups to meet and in fact, that’s already beginning to
SU Scotland New Olympia House 13 Olympia Street Glasgow, G40 3TA happen, with the new digital group now meeting in our bespoke upstairs area.’ The building has interesting Christian roots, having been a Salvation Army citadel. On a practical note, with the refurbishments it will be efficient to run, helping us keep carbon emissions to a minimum. The office is on a bus route, with Bridgeton train station across the road. Phone numbers and email addresses remain the same as before.
Serve on an SU Scotland board committee Our ministry is overseen by a Board of Trustees and five board committees, each made up of individuals who bring their own experience, knowledge and expertise to support the ministry. Could you bring expertise in fundraising, digital media, communications, finance or working with those at the margins—just to name a few—and serve on a committee? To find out more, contact Gail McLay by 31st March: gail.mclay@suscotland.org.uk. suscotland.org.uk | 19
welcome to the team
Meet Mike Kurtyka Mike is SU Scotland’s first Chief Operating Officer, overseeing finance, fundraising, HR, IT and some aspects of property. Q: What motivated you and your family to move from the USA to Scotland 21 years ago?
I
was working in fraud prevention for Citibank when my brother-in-law
challenged me to think about how God wanted me to contribute in a mission setting. So, out of a sense of holy discontent emerged a call to serve God in Europe. As Carol and I were packing up to leave the States and go to The 20 | suscotland.org.uk
More recently, Upper Room Church opened in the West End. It grew from a group of Iranians who met at first to play football together, then hold a Bible study and now the group meets regularly for worship on a Thursday evening, and we help to support that.
Hague for a role as a missions intern with Communitas International, we discovered we were expecting our third child… quite a moment to make an enormous move.
As well as these ministries I’ve run my own business and had various work roles, most recently as the CEO of Glasgow School of Art Students' Association.
A few months later following a very unsettled period in The Hague—moving accommodation frequently with our small children—we joined the Communitas team in Glasgow. That was back in 2002, and we’ve been here ever since.
As a family, we are part of Re:Hope Church, Glasgow, where our daughter, Sophie, is currently contributing as a children’s pastor.
Q: Tell us about work, mission and ministry here in Glasgow. We planted a church here called Mosaic, which had a really strong international feel, with lots of students, asylum seekers and refugees.
Q: What’s your focus for the new role with SU Scotland? I like working with people, and I think that’s always the starting place. An early workplace mentor of mine told me 'people first, then process, then projects'. It’s always tempting to leap into the projects, but that’s the way to crash and burn.
welcome to the team
There are wonderful people across the organisation who are all committed to helping young people explore the Bible. I love that folk on the finance team and the IT team are motivated to do their best work by that vision, just as much as those who work directly with young people. Process and infrastructure are a large part of what I will be focusing on. An example is the new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that we’ve introduced to manage how we work with all our supporters and volunteers. We’re also transitioning to a new financial system, and all of these things will help us to work more efficiently. That’s vital for an organisation like ours and ultimately means that more young people get to explore the Bible and respond to the significance of Jesus. Supporting people with good processes means we can then get on with the projects. I see godly excellence around me… my role is to support that in every way possible.
Q: What has impressed you about SU Scotland? I am totally new to the organisation, and I can see how it is held in high regard across Scotland. I am in awe of the number of volunteers and the depth of their commitment, often with life-long connections with SU Scotland. I’m also very grateful for the team of godly people that I work with and the sense that all of what we do is dependent on God’s provision with everyone playing a part in the ministry. Q: What are you most excited about going forward? Like the rest of us, I am excited when I hear about God at work in young people’s lives. In the office we hear all kinds of feedback, and it’s inspiring to hear about an SU Group in a school that grew from a few members to suddenly having 44 young people showing up at a meeting. Our Sponsorship Fund supports young people
who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend residential events, and Ministry at the Margins is an important focus for us at the moment. Q: What will enable growth? My role is concerned with all of the infrastructure that supports growth. We have to be on the lookout for opportunities. School residentials have been a growth area recently. The benefit to children is widely recognised and may become an essential element in the curriculum. Looking at next year’s budgets, we are planning ahead, trusting that God will provide, and sensing that it is time to be bold and courageous. We have seen very strong recovery following Covid, and now we are planning for the future. We will continue to be faithful in the little things, praying for the godly momentum that will help us fulfil the vision. suscotland.org.uk | 21
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Working alongside an SU Scotland Regional Worker, we are looking for 25 people to join a SUpport Squad in each of our local ministry areas. 22 | suscotland.org.uk
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Pledge a monthly donation between £1 and £25 towards SU's work in your local area. Just £1 a month could significantly enable more children and young people to explore the Bible and respond to the significance of Jesus.
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Discover your local Regional Worker: suscotland.org.uk/ ourteam
what's on
WHAT'S ON? GET THE LATEST NEWS AND EVENT DETAILS ONLINE: suscotland.org.uk/ events PRAYER HOTLINE Register now to receive weekly prayer information, prayer letters from Team Leaders prior to their events, and updates as needs arise. suscotland.org.uk/ prayerhotline
MISSIONS Missions and holiday clubs provide a fabulous setting for children to have fun and learn about Jesus. Find resources and a list of holiday clubs running this summer online. suscotland.org.uk/missions
SU HOLIDAYS To find out about and book spaces on an SU Holiday, visit the holidays website: suholidays.org.uk
BIG CELEBRATION SAVE THE DATE! 24 August 2024 Lendrick Muir
VOLUNTEER TRAINING
COmMISSION 2024
• Archery Tag 7 March, 13 April 2024 • Archery 16–17 March, 25–26 May 2024
LeadUP, Alltnacriche 21–28 June 2024
suscotland.org.uk/events
SPOTLIGHT & EQUIP!
BIBLE ALIVE TRAINING
SPOTLIGHT EAST (S1–S2)
•L ivingston (non-residential) 6, 7, 13 March 2024 •D undee (non-residential) 22, 23, 29 April 2024 •L endrick Muir (residential) 20–24 August 2024 Bible Alive is an exciting programme which teaches children in P5–P7 the whole story of the Bible in a series of interactive multi-media lessons. This training course is for people who would like to take Bible Alive into their local schools.
suholidays.org.uk/training
1 March 2024 22 March 2024 26 April 2024 31 May 2024 7:00–8:45pm Cornerstone Free Church Edinburgh EQUIP EAST (S3–S6) 1 March 2024 22 March 2024 26 April 2024 31 May 7:00–8:45pm Elim Church, Edinburgh
suscotland.org.uk/events
EQUIP WEST (S1–S6)
MAGNITUDE WORSHIP NIGHTS
22 March 2024 26 April 2024 31 May 2024
March 24 2024 Perth Baptist Church, Perth
7:00–9:00pm The Tron Church, Glasgow
April 19 2024 Ps & Gs Church, Edinburgh
Enjoy time with your friends, share what's going on at school, and spend time thinking through the Christian faith in the face of the big questions of today. With speakers, worship, games and snacks.
April 20 2024 Queen's Park Baptist, Glasgow magnitude.org.uk/worship
MAGNITUDE 2024 20–24 July 2024 Lendrick Muir Magnitude is a five-day annual Christian youth festival for young people aged 11–18. Based at breathtaking Lendrick Muir, it is a week like no other: a space to encounter God, enjoy community and experience nature together. magnitude.org.uk
suscotland.org.uk/equip
GO CONFERENCE 11–14 October 2024 Lendrick Muir SU Scotland’s national youth conference for S4–S6 pupils who want to grow in their relationship with God and understand how the Bible shapes all areas of life.
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