Nationwide, children and young people without church connections are turning up on church doorsteps. Dom Conidi explains how our churches can be ready.
10 Reaching the 99 lost sheep
TURN TO CENTRE PAGES FOR THE MISSION REPORT
For every ‘turner upper’ there are likely to be many more who don’t get that far but are open to faith. We explore how we can and should be Revealing Jesus to them!
For such a time as this
We ask Prince Laryea, our new South Team Leader about his faith journey, why he’s excited about his new role and the Bible verse that is currently at the forefront of his mind.
Arise and shine!
University student Josh Aka first encountered SU on our Amplify Young Evangelists Academy. Discover how he’s now involved in the latest Shine Films series, helping young Christians Reveal Jesus to their friends.
Did you know?
Scripture Union is active in over 120 countries round the word! Each SU movement has its own focus (in England and Wales ours is to help churches Reveal Jesus to children and young people in their communities), but we share a set of global aims and joint mission – introducing children, young people and families to Jesus and helping them to meet God through the Bible and prayer.
More about Scripture Union
Scripture Union is a Christian charity, providing opportunities for children and young people to explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith. With an estimated 95 per cent of under-18s in England and Wales not part of a church, we help churches to step out and take the good news to them in exciting and culturally relevant ways. Visit www.scriptureunion.org.uk to find out more.
story for Connecting You, or a suggestion on how we could improve our service to you, please contact the editor: eddien@scriptureunion.org.uk
Connecting You is Scripture Union’s supporter and prayer magazine, keeping you up to date with what God is doing through the work you support. Connecting You magazine is also available online at: www.su.org.uk/connectingyou. If you have a
For general enquiries Tel: 01908 856000 Fax: 01908 856111 Email: info@scriptureunion.org.uk www.scriptureunion.org.uk
Published by Scripture Union, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 ODF
We’re in it together!
‘Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,’ Jonathan said to his armour bearer. ‘Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!’
‘Do what you think is best,’ the armour bearer replied. ‘I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.’
(1 Samuel 14:6,7, NLT)
Picture the scene: the Israelites face the powerful Philistine army. Poorly armed and outnumbered, they wait under a tree. For what?
Jonathan is done waiting. Trusting God to act if he steps out in faith –and supported by his armour bearer – he sneaks out toward the enemy. The rest of the Israelites don’t even notice he’s gone.
Then God moves. An earthquake strikes, the Philistines panic, and the tide turns. The Israelites wake up, join the fight, and win.
In the context of Scripture Union’s mission to Reveal Jesus to children and young people, who are we in this story?
Are we like Jonathan – stepping out to Reveal Jesus as Faith Guides, holiday or mission volunteers, Local Mission Partners or SU staff? Or like the armour bearer – supporting through prayer, giving, journeying with young people,
or encouraging others to join the SU community to help bring in a spiritual harvest? (And it looks as though there is a bumper crop on the way, as you’ll read in this edition of Connecting You!)
Let’s ensure none of us are still waiting under the tree. We might miss the incredible privilege of witnessing what God does when we step out in faith.
We all have a vital role in Revealing Jesus to the next generation. We’re in this together. Thank you for faithfully playing the part to which God has called you!
God bless,
Dave Newton National Director, Scripture Union England and Wales
Get ready to welcome ‘turner uppers’
Nationwide, children and young people without church connections are turning up on church doorsteps. This is happening at most churches we speak to, whether urban, suburban or rural. Your church needs to get ready, says Dom Conidi, SU’s Central Region Team Leader – because it could happen to you!
At a Newcastle church, two ministers were chatting after a midweek service when a young man in his late teens walked in, carrying a Bible. He looked around, walked to the front of the church, sat down and began reading.
One minister went over to the young man, sat down with him and asked if he could help. The young man said he had had a dream and, on waking, felt the strong urge to come to church and read his Bible. So, he had dug out his old school Bible and here he was.
Dom says, ‘There are dozens of similar stories from across the country. Some suggest that in a world characterised by global instability, online engagement and mental health challenges, young people are being driven to seek hope and meaning. But that doesn’t account for widespread reports of them having supernatural encounters, such as dreams or why there are five-yearolds asking their parents if they can go to church!’
More stories of ‘turner uppers’ from the SU community:
The minister then spent the next hour talking and praying with this lad. Now the two of them meet regularly for coffee and the minister is starting to disciple the young man.
Wales: A teenage girl was contacted out of the blue by a friend she had not heard from in over a year. She’d had a dream telling her to go to church with her, so they went together. Then on a weekend residential the friend decided to follow Jesus. Since then, they have been working through SU’s So, What Next? book together.
South region: Two primary school girls with no church background both had revelations of Jesus and his love in their dreams. They decided to start a prayer club at their school.
Central region: In her desire to know God, a teenage girl prayed to every God she could think of with
DOM
no response until, in her bedroom, she had an incredible revelation of the love of Jesus. She found a local church and began to read the Bible.
North region: A teenage girl asked her churchgoing neighbour if she could come to church with him. With her parents’ permission, the neighbour took her along. Two weeks later, she went on the church youth weekend away. Now she says she is a Christian and is ‘the happiest I have ever been’. She is working through SU’s So, What Next? book at home.
Online: A teenage girl who had been exploring dark spirituality online had a vivid vision of Jesus in a dream. She turned up at a local
church on a Wednesday afternoon, found the church leader and through conversation began a journey of faith.
70 per cent of the churches at a recent SU seminar had had children or young people without church connections just turning up at church. Many had talked their parents into bringing them or had asked to accompany a churchgoing friend or neighbour. However, over a quarter of primary age children had come on their own!
‘Praise God for this work of the Holy Spirit,’ says Dom. ‘Every church nationwide needs to be ready to welcome young “turner uppers” safely and Reveal Jesus to them through a relational discipleship journey.’
Prepare your church for the ‘turner uppers’
• Pray! See our prayer points opposite
• Download our Top Tips for Welcoming Gen Alpha & Gen Z Seekers at your Church resource: su.org.uk/revivalready
Prayers
WEEK BEGINNING AUG 24
Please pray for churches to swiftly prepare to Reveal Jesus during this exciting new season of openness to faith among children and young people!
Sunday 24
Give thanks that God is answering our prayers for children and young people to develop a hunger for finding out more about faith.
Monday 25
Commit to fast and pray for children and young people in your area. Ask that God would continue leading more and more of them to actively seek him out.
Tuesday 26
Pray for churches to be galvanised into getting ‘revival ready’, that they might focus on the opportunities to Reveal Jesus to children and young people in their communities and not become distracted by less important things.
Wednesday 27
Ask God to inspire churches on how to be creative with their available resources, to bless their ‘loaves and fishes’ so that they can respond to his call to Reveal Jesus with a generation hungry to know more about him.
Thursday 28
Please pray for every church to reflect the fruits of the spirit –love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – to every young person they encounter so that the light of Christ may shine through them.
Friday 29
Give thanks to God for the Revealing Jesus mission framework and our Mission Enablers who are already doing such a great job of supporting and equipping churches of all shapes and sizes to connect with young people and Reveal Jesus to them.
Saturday 30
Ask God to provide us with the resources to appoint more Mission Enablers, so that no church is left feeling unprepared to Reveal Jesus to spiritually hungry young people in their communities.
Prayers
Sunday 31
Pray that influential, open-hearted individuals burning with a passion for God’s Word will attend the premiere of German-speaking Switzerland’s Bible documentary on 14 September and will ensure a wide circulation of this important resource.
Monday 1
Pray for children who have received copies of It’s Your Move (and Welsh version Y Cam Nesaf) as they start in secondary school. Pray that they will feel encouraged and supported and will see something of the help that Jesus can bring.
Tuesday 2
Pray that Aaron Hayford, Donor Relations Officer, will build good relationships with our supporters. Pray that necessary funding will come in to enable us to further our hybrid mission and Half Time sports mission projects.
Wednesday 3
Thank God for all the events, missions and holidays this summer, and for the volunteers who served so faithfully. Pray for a fruitful response from the
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thousands of children and young people who have heard the gospel and seen it in the lives of leaders.
Thursday 4
Pray for Mission Partner Future Vision in Sudbury; their main worker, Ian, retires after working for over 20 years. Thank and praise God for all that he has done through Ian. Pray that as they seek someone to take his place God will lead to the right person for this role.
Friday 5
This year LMP Groundbreakers, working in primary schools in Manchester, will be 20 years old. To celebrate this, their new status as an independent charity and becoming a Scripture Union Mission Partner, they are having a launch event on 18 September. Please pray that all who attend will be inspired and encouraged to support the work.
Saturday 6
This autumn will mark the end of Claire Baines’ first summer season as Holidays and Missions Coordinator. Pray that as the team reset and begin to prepare for the 2026 season, God will guide and that she will be an encouragement and a blessing to the volunteer teams.
Prayers
Sunday 7
Pray that God will guide SU Indonesia in the final stage of the Reading and Delving into the Bible training which started in July and finishes next Sunday. Pray that, as a result, children, young people, adults, pastors and congregations will grow in understanding and faith.
Monday 8
Mission Partner Farne Churches
Youth and Family Outreach faces the challenge of reaching young people in rural Northumberland. Pray for them, and the eight local churches they partner with, as they share God’s love with their communities. Pray too for God’s guidance as they look to their next steps.
Tuesday 9
Emma Price, Regional Mission Support Worker, asks us to pray for the young people currently booking on to attend the Amplify Academy residential in October (see page 22), and for the team of leaders who will be guiding and supporting these young people over the next year.
Wednesday 10
Over the summer many young people who have responded to Jesus will have received the booklet So, What Next? Pray that this will help them as
they set out on their journey with Jesus and discover who God is, who they are and who they are becoming.
Thursday 11
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Many of our supporters have donated for many years, have a rich history with SU and are passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus with children and young people. Thank God for their faithfulness and pray that he will bless and encourage them today.
Friday 12
Pray for recently appointed Marketing and Communications Officer, Eric De Souza. Ask God for creativity and clear thinking, and pray that his work will have an impact as he helps connect people with resources that share the life-giving message of Jesus.
Saturday 13
The South team has seen big changes this year. Please pray for growing relationships of trust with the Faith Guides and Mission Partners in the region. Pray for favour and open doors for all team members as they forge key strategic partnerships and for bold, God-shaped plans to flourish.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
Reaching the 99 lost sheep
Recent research points to a spiritual hunger emerging among children and young people that we’ve not witnessed in decades. For every ‘turner upper’ (see page 4), there are likely to be many more who don’t get that far but are very open to hearing about faith, and we need to be Revealing Jesus to them.
God is on the move!
For years, we know that SU supporters have been praying faithfully for the youngest generations to come to know the God that loves them. Yet, over decades, church attendance among the young has declined and the UK has become steadily more secular.
But God is faithful, and now our prayers are being answered! Encouraging recent research confirms a big surge of interest in spirituality and a new openness to faith among those aged 18–25. They have driven up sales of Bibles by 87% over the last five years1; they are more spiritual than older people and becoming more so2; 35% believe in a God or higher power and 37% are open to learning more about the Bible.3
While no research has so far been done amongst under 18s, all the signs are that God is on the move in this younger age group too.
The ‘turner upper’ is the one sheep that has found their way into the fold, but there are 99 sheep who are still
lost.
What about the others?
Richard Shaw,
SU’s Director of Mission, says the recent trend of children and young people turning up unexpectedly at churches is just the tip of the iceberg.
‘It takes great initiative, courage and the right opportunity for a child or young person without church connections to seek out a church and find a way to get there. But for every one of those “turner
1 Spckpublishing.co.uk/blog (March 2025)
2 ‘Belief in Britain’ 2025 - thedevilsgospels.com/#report
3 Bible Society ‘Quiet Revival’ – biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival
Richard
uppers” there will be many, many others who are open to faith but have no idea where or how to find out more. Do they know that the church can help them find answers? Even if they do, would they feel comfortable just coming to a service? (One child actually asked a Faith Guide if they were allowed to come to church!)
‘For example, I heard of a lad in his mid-teens who was invited to church by his new girlfriend and told all his schoolfriends he’d been. That was surprising enough. More surprising still was that his friends then sought out his girlfriend to ask her about church! I wouldn’t have expected that a year ago, but it’s an indicator of how things are changing.
A new season
‘It’s like the parable of the lost sheep, but in reverse. The “turner upper” is the one sheep that has found their way into the fold, but there are 99 sheep who are still lost, wandering on the hillside – and they are more open to hearing about faith than has been the case for generations.
‘We’re in a new season and God is stirring young hearts. We all have a part to play, even churches with few people and resources. Pray, ask for wisdom, and offer God your loaves and fishes!
‘And get in touch with SU. We can help your church find an effective and appropriate way to connect with those “lost sheep”, help them explore who Jesus is, respond and grow in faith.’
Reveal Jesus to those young people hungry to know more
• Pray! See prayer points on page 7.
• Get one-to-one support from SU to help you reach out to children and young people: su.org.uk/revealingjesus
Prayers
Sunday 14
Pray that the attendees at Scripture Union International’s Young Entrepreneurship Programme in South Africa (22–26 September) will learn new skills. Pray too that the Global Board will know God’s wisdom and direction as they meet from 26 to 28 September.
Monday 15
Pray for Financial Controller Craig Macpherson as he balances income and expenditure in the light of continually increasing costs and a large one-off cost for repairs on Trinity House. Pray for God’s continued provision.
Tuesday 16
Pray for Ben and Tolu, workers with Mission Partner CLiKS in Keighley. Pray for schools to be open to them coming in and for funding to enable them to continue their work long term. Pray too for their regular schools’ programmes at Christmas, Easter and in the summer.
Wednesday 17
Our new Bible Engagement apps for Daily Bread and Encounter with God have been well received since their relaunch in February. Please pray for the team as
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they consider ways of improving them, making it easier for more people to engage with the Bible in ways that are convenient to them.
Thursday 18
Pray for Jill Warren, Content Assistant in the Mission Resources team, as she continues to work on resources for the 95. Pray for wisdom as she works with writers to ensure that the resources communicate effectively and make Jesus known in relevant and understandable ways.
Friday 19
Pray for the Mission Events and Holidays team as they finish the administration from the summer events and begin to plan and prepare for next year. Give thanks for the team – Claire, Sue, Karen, Heidi, Rachel and Paul who serve behind the scenes to make all the events run smoothly and safely.
Saturday 20
Please pray for Rob Steward, Regional Mission Team Leader in the north, as he plans a new residential in the north of England for children with no church connections. Pray for new team members, the right venue and wisdom in when to run the holiday.
Prayers
Sunday 21
Pray for the 160 campers and leaders of SU New Zealand who will gather from Tuesday to Sunday asking that their study on wisdom in community and friendship will deepen their faith and form lasting connections.
Monday 22
Pray for Mission Partner Doncaster Schools Worker Trust who leads collective worship and takes RE lessons in a growing number of this large borough’s primary and secondary schools. Pray for Linda, Ellie, Helen and Dan as they engage with young people and connect with local churches.
Tuesday 23
Pray for the Mission Resources team as they look for fresh and creative ways to support churches and Faith Guides in their mission to the 95. Pray that God will inspire and direct and that many may hear about Jesus as a result.
Wednesday 24
Pray for Data Analyst Meri Suokas as she completes a course and builds skills to support the movement in making the most of the
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systems and tools available to us. Pray for wisdom in developing solutions to enable other teams to maximise their ability to reach children and young people with the good news of Jesus.
Thursday 25
Pray for Christian children and young people who are now a few weeks into the school term. Ask that God will give them opportunities, skills and the courage to share their faith with their school friends. Ask that God will work through them and bless the lives of those who they share their faith with.
Friday 26
Pray for a revival among the 95 in Wales and for more workers for the harvest field. Pray for health and energy for the SU team in Wales as they seek to support Faith Guides in growing God’s kingdom amongst those with no church connections.
Saturday 27
Please pray for the mission impact of our Revealing Jesus strategy as we seek to envision and equip churches to reach a new generation through regional mission, schools, events, resources and our many mission partners.
Mission Report
Year ended 31 march 2025
Let’s celebrate some of the wonderful things God is doing through Scripture Union
‘See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?’ Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
What a fantastic time to be alive and joining in with God on his mission.
There have been times this year when keeping up with what God has been doing has been a challenge – but a hugely exciting one! We’ve been increasingly hearing stories of young lives transformed and a growing desire among young people to read God’s Word. What an encouragement! And to that end, the team here have worked tirelessly to develop and pilot new resources, recruit, train and release more Faith Guides and partner with even more churches – all to ensure churches are ready to join us on this mission to Reveal Jesus to the next generation.
Online and in person, on the sports field and in schools (and anywhere the 95 are!), we have once again sought to help churches make relevant connections that enable children and young people to explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith. Some of the tried and tested methods continue to work (we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our popular It’s your Move resource this year!), and we’ve also invested in new activities and initiatives – such as our new online Mission Resource Centre. And through it all, God has continued to provide through the generosity of you, our supporters. Your prayers and gifts are what fuels our mission. Thank you!
Please join me in praying that God will continue to work in the lives of all the children and young people who’ve benefited from the activities shown here, and the many more besides.
Dave Newton, National Director
Revealing Jesus together
Our Revealing Jesus strategy continues to be central to all we do. Year on year we have seen an increase in churches partnering with us, with volunteer Faith Guide numbers continuing to grow. Thank you for your support that enables us to coach and equip these Faith Guides, helping them Reveal Jesus to the children and young people in their communities. Find out more at su.org.uk/revealingjesus
Faith Guides
Anyone can be a Faith Guide, whatever their experience in children’s and youth work. We equip a wide variety of Faith Guides from many different types of churches, right across England and Wales – all of them passionate about building long-term faith-nurturing relationships with ‘the 95’.
At the end of March 2025, there were 566 Faith Guides making an impact across England and Wales; this is a 22% increase on last year.
These Faith Guides represent 430 churches across England and Wales, with 92 of those coming on board this year.
During each quarter of the year, groups led by Faith Guides regularly connected with over 15,000 children and young people in the Connect, Explore, Respond and Grow stages of the Revealing Jesus mission framework.
Mission Support
Our Mission Support emails were received by nearly 2,600 individuals every month, providing FREE Revealing Jesus resources and ‘Mission Sparks’ inspiration. Through these emails we’re able to support a wider range of churches than just those with Faith Guides in them. Please pray for the communities represented, and that recipients will be inspired to become fully-fledged Faith Guides soon.
Find out more about Mission Support at su.org.uk/missionsupport
Grow Communities
Grow Communities are a key part of the Revealing Jesus strategy, with Faith Guides supporting children and young people from ‘the 95’ with culturally appropriate worshipping communities.
By the end of the year there were 60 established or emerging Grow Communities serving almost 700 children and young people.
Half Time
Mission Through Sport
Our mission through sport work reached almost 4,000 young people this year! Our teams were also involved in developing innovative new sports outreach resources:
A new video series combing interviews and animations with fun games to connect with young people and introduce them to Jesus.
Holy Ground
A downloadable resource, providing everything needed to organise and run regular faith-building sports activities in a familiar and safe local space (such as a Multi-Use Games Area or even just a patch of grass).
We also piloted mission event days and sports-focused discipleship events in communities across England and Wales.
Holidays and missions
Scripture Union holidays and mission have made a lasting impact over many, many years. This year was no different!
This year we introduced 4 new Faith Guide holidays, giving Faith Guides the opportunity to provide a Christian residential experience for the children and young people they are journeying with.
We saw more than 1,500 children and young people join us on 46 different residential holidays at venues across England and Wales.
7 missions also took place, with an estimated 2,000 children and young people benefitting. Our beach mission at Sutton-on-Sea in Lincolnshire has been running since 1866.
Powered by volunteers
We couldn’t run our events without our SUperhero volunteers. There were 1,428 known opportunities for volunteer involvement during the year, equivalent to 5,536 working weeks, or 118 full-time staff ! Wow!
Follow us for photos and videos from our events, and much more besides. @scriptureunionEW on Instagram and Facebook
Together in mission
We love working with our amazing partners, joining together to maximise mission opportunities.
Mission Partners
This work impacted thousands of 11- to 18-year-olds at the festival who enjoyed connecting with our sports teams and chilling out in the Rooted tent.
We’re connected to 54 Local Mission Partners (separate charitable trusts that share our vision) to extend reach and impact. They employ over 100 workers between them, alongside many hundreds of volunteers. We also joined forces with 2 National Mission Partners during the year. We built on our recent partnership with the New Wine network of churches, supporting their Raising Generations youth strategy. Our teams provided sessions for their leaders at the New Wine Leadership Conference in January and supported the Luminosity youth provision at the New Wine Festival over the summer.
Another new partnership was formed between us and 24/7 Prayer Spaces in School, with a view to enabling school children to explore the Bible and respond to Jesus. Hundreds of volunteers all over England and Wales (including many of our Faith Guides) regularly host prayer spaces in schools, creatively inspiring children and young people to connect with God and respond in prayer.
A global movement
Scripture Union England and Wales is part of a family of SU movements around the world. There are over 130 movements working in around 120 countries across the globe, with the shared aim of introducing children, young people and families to Jesus and helping them to meet God through the Bible and prayer.
We are privileged to have been able to support SU projects and other national SU movements around the world. Grants made during the year totalled £71,000. Projects we supported include:
Enabling children from Ukraine to attend an SU residential camp in Hungary and distribution of Bibles and Christian literature in Ukraine
Development of a Trauma Informed schools programme in South Africa
Development of ministry for Roma children in Serbia.
Resources for mission
Resourcing the church is what we do – through our people and our amazing resources!
A new resource centre
This year we launched our brand-new online Resource Centre – our ‘one-stop-shop’ for Revealing Jesus resources and everything churches need for effective mission to the 95. This was an enormous undertaking, and we are incredibly thankful to our teams for making it happen! Take a look at su.org.uk/resources
So, what next?
Light Parties
We launched our brand-new resource to help young people discover more about Jesus after they’ve made a decision to follow him. Produced in association with New Wine, over 2,000 copies were given away through the New Wine festival in the summer. su.org.uk/sowhatnext
In the autumn we had over 1,000 downloads of our most recent Light Party Pack, helping churches run a Christian alternative to Halloween celebrations.
A fond farewell
Training
In the winter of 2024, we said goodbye to our Light range of Sunday school resources, after over 20 years of serving the church in this way. While it is sad to say goodbye, we believe God has clearly God commissioned us to focus on producing new and exciting resources for mission to the 95.
Alongside more traditional resources, we have also invested in people serving in ministry to children and young people. This year, we provided free online and in-person training for nearly 600 people, helping equip them in area such as schools ministry, connecting in the online world and using sports as a missional tool.
More to come
Rev. Mark Griffiths has recently been appointed as Director of Mission Resources, so you can expect even more first-class resources to help churches Reveal Jesus over the coming years.
Supporter power!
We run on the prayer and generosity of our amazing supporters, and we love keeping you up to date with the stories of God at work.
Our prayer magazine, Connecting You, was sent to around 8,000 supporters each quarter by post, with around 8,000 supporters receiving the email version.
A combined 10,000+ people follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
More than 9,100 people receive our Word Live Bible engagement email every day.
Over 11,000 people subscribe to our monthly prayer update email, joining with us in prayer for SU’s mission.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for the part you played in the activities shown in this report. This is your impact report, not ours! Whether you give or pray, or are involved practically, you have helped make a huge difference. We pray that God will richly bless you in your continued participation.
Thank you.
“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”
Psalm 78:4 (NIV)
On the back page there’s an overview of the money we received during the 2024/25 financial year, including your gifts, and the ways in which it was spent.
Thank you so much for everything you do!
Finances
As a charity, we are so thankful for every penny we receive. Your gifts help us fund this vital mission that God has called us to, ensuring that many more children and young people have opportunities to explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith. Thank you so much for your continued support.
Here’s an overview of the money we received during the 2024/25 financial year, including your gifts, and the ways it was spent:
Total income
£4,715,000
£3,467,000 Donations and legacies
£733,000 Publishing sales and royalties
£384,000 Holidays and missions
£131,000 Other, including investments
Total Expenditure
£5,714,000
£3,280,000 Face-to-face mission (including holidays and missions)
£986,000 Commercial publishing
£535,000 Cost of raising funds
£480,000 Content creation
£281,000 International activities
£152,000 Advocacy
To Donate online, visit su.org.uk/donate
None of the activity outlined in this report would have been possible without the generosity of our wonderful supporters. If you helped financially, prayed for the work or volunteered, thank you so much.
Could you give a gift to ensure even more is possible next year?
This is a summary of Scripture Union’s financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2025, extracted from the full Trustee’s Report and Financial Statements which have been audited. A full statement of our financial activities can be found in our Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements, a copy of which can be obtained by contacting us on 01908 856135.
Prayers
Sunday 28
Pray for the 7,000 students across 25 schools being served by the new workers with SU Guatemala. Pray that the workers will know God’s wisdom and guidance.
Monday 29
Richard Godden, Chair of the SU board of trustees, asks us to pray that all in the wider SU movement will have the wisdom and courage they need to ensure that the 95 hear the gospel. He asks this especially for Local Mission Partners as they encounter children and young people with no understanding of or interest in Christian things.
Tuesday 30
Part of the IT task is to ensure that all staff members have reliable, secure laptops on which to work. Pray for Technical Analyst James Gregg as he continues to support staff in this way and works to replace our oldest laptops with the latest hardware.
Wednesday 1
Following success for one church partner, more local churches are looking to hire youth and children’s workers to work with Mission Partner SASW Trust in
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Southport. This strong connection between SASW Trust and church partners makes it easier for children to join a church community. Pray that more churches will catch the vision for working in this way.
Thursday 2
Amplify, undertaken in partnership with other youth organisations, trains young evangelists to share the gospel with their friends (see page 22). Pray that the first residential event taking place in a couple of weeks will give them new boldness and confidence in the Holy Spirit.
Friday 3
Pray for Assistant Accountant Alicia Wallace as she helps prepare budgets for the new financial year. Pray too for wisdom and discernment for the staff members who are budget holders, so that we will make the most effective use of the funds God has entrusted to us.
Saturday 4
Pray for Mission Partner Ignite in Alnwick going through some significant changes with staff, trustees and volunteers. Pray for a smooth transition as they move to a new phase, refocusing aims and objectives while maintaining good community links, asking that they will hear from God.
For such a time as this
Prince Laryea recently joined SU as Team Leader for the South region. He tells us about his faith journey, why he’s excited about his new role, and the Bible verse that is currently at the forefront of his mind.
PRince Laryea
‘I was born in Ghana and came to England aged three when my family sought asylum. They were nominal Anglicans, but my dad met powerfully with Jesus at an Elim church, after which we had to go to church with him each week. In my teens, a visiting speaker’s message finally led me to follow Jesus myself.
‘With some friends from the church youth group I formed a Christian hip hop band, 29th Chapter. Over 15 years we progressed from local gigs to international tours. By God’s grace, many young people came to faith. I also founded Acts 29, a charity helping disadvantaged young people to engage with faith through music.
‘Since then, I’ve worked for charities including YFC and Resurgo, been an executive producer for a leading international theatre company and provided executive coaching in the
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
arts and culture sector. I’m excited to now use all these skills in serving God at SU.
‘The Bible verse I want to share is Hebrews 11 verse 1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” It sums up where we are. In recent years, God has been at work unseen, preparing the hearts of children and young people not in church to receive Jesus. Even before there was any external evidence of this new openness among the 95, SU chose, in faith, to take a fresh approach and focus on them rather than children from Christian homes.
‘That act of faith means that now SU is ready. Ready to help churches nationwide to Reveal Jesus to this new generation who know little or nothing of him. I praise God for calling me to SU for such a time as this!’
Prince’s team, and the others spanning the breadth of England and Wales, are excited about partnering in mission with local churches. Visit su.org.uk/local to connect with your nearest SU team.
Prayers
Sunday 5
Pray for clarity and discernment this autumn as the team of SU Sweden seek God’s direction for the future and prepare for key leadership decisions.
Monday 6
Pray for Mission Partner Brighton and Hove City Mission as they work in partnership with the local church, reaching children and young people across the city with assemblies and bespoke Christian projects requested by schools.
Tuesday 7
Give thanks with Prince Laryea, Regional Mission Team Leader in the south, for a great six months settling into SU, building the team, and connecting with partners. Pray for faith, boldness, confidence and discernment as he shapes a long-range vision for our ministry in the region, seeking particularly to engage young people through music, art and culture.
Wednesday 8
Please pray for the North team as they explore how best to develop the young leaders’ programme on holidays, missions and events across the region. They are also exploring the best ways to support Faith Guides who want to incorporate young leaders into their mission activities.
Thursday 9
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Earlier this year, 30 former members of staff met at SU’s national office, Trinity House, with four others joining online to enjoy fellowship, catch up with the work of SU and pray together. Give thanks for those who have served faithfully in the past. Pray for those who struggle with the varied pressures of growing older.
Friday 10
Please pray for Mobilisation Director Rachel Warwick and the team as they work with The Drummer Agency to refine our church communications and launch a new strategy to help more churches Reveal Jesus in their communities.
Saturday 11
Pray for the Rooted training that has been taking place across various regions, encouraging and equipping Faith Guides and churches to create ‘conversation spaces’ in their local schools and communities. Pray for Rooted retreat days taking place in schools across the north-west.
Prayers
Sunday 12
SU Egypt ask us to pray that God will guide the translation team for the Arabic ESV Study Bible as they finalise content for release in late 2026/early 2027. Pray too for rich digital content and church approval for their new youth Bible.
Monday 13
Join Mission Enabler Jenni Whymark in giving thanks for the opportunity to use the Half Time resource to connect with families at a new gathering on Sunday afternoons in Abingdon. Pray that as families play and learn together, they will take steps of faith and invite other friends on the journey.
Tuesday 14
Please pray for Mark Griffiths as he settles into his new role as Director of Mission Resources, asking that he would quickly get to know the team and the SU resources, and will inspire the creation of new resources to help others reach the 95.
Wednesday 15
Pray for the Board, consisting of the Trustees and the Leadership team as they meet today. Ask for the guidance of the Spirit as they consider the broad issues confronting the movement and look for future direction.
Thursday 16
Pray for Mission
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Partner Artless as they launch ‘Prodigal’, their boldest evangelistic project yet. Blending theatre, music and live cinema, it reimagines Jesus’ parable for churches, theatres and universities and will tour the UK. Pray that they will stay in tune with the Holy Spirit throughout the journey.
Friday 17
Saturday 18
Pray for Jim Winning as he leads the Supporter Care team. Pray that our new Supporter Care Assistant Sarah Murrill will settle into the role quickly, helping supporters in various ways (including dealing with donations, orders, Bible reading subscriptions and other enquiries).
Please pray for all the children who came to an SU holiday or event over the summer. Ask that they will have grown closer to God during that time and, particularly, that they will remain close to him now the holiday seems a distant memory.
Jim
SARAH
Prayers
Sunday 19
Pray for the leaders of 20 new SU Bible Engagement Clubs being started in rural schools by SU Sri Lanka. Pray that children who attend will enjoy looking into God’s Word and will meet with Jesus.
Monday 20
Pray that the SU Central Region team will have wisdom and discernment in their support of Faith Guides at a time when God is stirring the hearts of children and young people. Pray too for their partnership work with Prayer Spaces in Schools.
Tuesday 21
Pray for Sarah and Anne, workers with Mission Partner Reach in Reading as they prepare for the Christmas Unwrapped season. Pray for continued spiritual growth across the Christian clubs in schools and continued good relationships with teaching staff, leading to more RE lessons and opportunities to share the gospel.
Wednesday 22
Pray that Jordan Cousins will continue to grow into his role as Mission Enabler in the south and will be able to support Faith Guides
effectively as they Reveal Jesus to the 95.
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Pray too that the Wildfire holiday for Faith Guides to bring their groups to (25–27 October) will encourage young people to pursue their journeys of faith.
Thursday 23
Pray for the Mission Events and Holidays team as they dream of other holidays or events that could serve young people. Pray for God-inspired ideas and kingdom partnerships that will ensure that every child or young person would have opportunity to hear the gospel.
Friday 24
Pray for the Scripture Union Leadership team as they continue to discern God’s plans for the movement. Ask that God will bless each of them as they make important decisions and seek to lead their teams with purpose and clarity.
Saturday 25
Mission Partner Synergy Christian Trust has just begun its 26th year of ministry in schools and churches in the west of England. Pray for wisdom and strength for the trustees and for Trevor and Ruth Ranger as they share the good news of Jesus with children and families.
Prayers
Sunday 26
Join Scripture Union Taiwan in praising God for deepening connections with kindergartens, tutoring programmes, Sunday schools, camps, short-term mission teams and elderly care centres. Pray that these diverse activities will enable people to find faith and grow in relationship with Jesus.
Monday 27
The Best of SU Light Parties and The Best of SU Light Parties for Young People help children and young people to discover the biblical theme of light, through creative and reflective activities as a Christian alternative to Halloween. Pray that in a season that focuses on darkness, they may discover the light that Jesus brings.
Tuesday 28
Safeguarding Manager Chloe
Shivraj asks us to pray that the children and young people we serve would feel safe but also empowered to speak up when something isn’t right. Pray that staff and volunteers would listen well and respond with wisdom, compassion and integrity.
Wednesday 29
Mission Partner Bodmin Youth Project gives thanks to God for two successful
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American Sports Camps in the last two years which have reached many young people. Pray for wisdom for those doing follow-up and that the young people will encounter Jesus.
Thursday 30
Pray for Pete Croall, Mission Enabler in our South team, as he seeks fresh ideas and new opportunities to share Jesus’ message effectively. Ask that God would give him clear direction, inspire innovative approaches and empower him to pursue boldly every chance to advance the kingdom.
Friday 31
Join the team in Wales in praising God for the opportunities they have through holiday clubs and events. Please pray that God will keep working within the lives of those who have been touched by his Spirit and will continue to reach out to others.
Saturday 1
Pray for the SU Council as they meet next Saturday to think through issues around mission to children and young people in our current context. Pray that we will know how best to identify what God is doing and how best to work with him to achieve it.
Arise and shine!
University student Josh Aka first encountered SU when he did Amplify Young Evangelists Academy, which helps young people to share their faith with their peers. Now he’s copresenting our latest Shine Films series, another means by which young Christians can Reveal Jesus to their friends.
The Bible Society’s 2025 ‘Quiet Revival’ research notes that 21% of young men aged 18–25 say they go to church, up from just 4% in 2018. Josh is one of them. Like many young Christians today, he’s eager to share what he believes with other young people, who are far more open to hearing about faith than in years gone by.
When you grow up in a Christian home as I did, sometimes you feel you don’t have much of a testimony to share.
SU helps create the space and opportunity for those conversations to happen through initiatives such as Amplify Young Evangelists Academy4 and Shine Films5, co-produced with other Christian organisations.
A lone voice
Josh, from Swansea, is from a Christian family. In 2019, his church youth leader signed him up to do Amplify, a six-month course including residentials and regular mentoring and masterclasses in sharing faith. ‘Growing up, there weren’t many Christians in our area,’
Josh recalls. ‘I felt like I was the only one! Amplify really helped – it was so encouraging to be with other young people on fire for Jesus. I learned about things like apologetics in the workshops, little nuggets of wisdom that help you grow in faith and share it with others. It gave me much more confidence.
‘When you grow up in a Christian home as I did, sometimes you feel you don’t have much of a testimony to share. But through Amplify, God showed me that I do have something to say about how God is at work in my life!’
Josh has completed Amplify training several times and now helps to lead it. That in turn has opened up a new opportunity to share his faith – potentially with thousands! ‘SU asked if I’d like to co-present the new Shine Films series, “Hope”, which will be launched this autumn. I’d seen
4 Amplify involves Scripture Union, The Message, Rural Missions, Festive, Urban Saints, Luminosity, NXT Move Europe, and The Way.
5 Shine Films involves SU England & Wales, SU Scotland, SU Ireland, Crown Jesus Ministries and Jesus Film Project.
JOSH
the films from the previous series; they are slick, quick and easy to watch, and not too heavy or pushy but really get you thinking.’
Shining brighter
SU’s Geoff Brown has helped to develop Shine Films alongside his work as a Mission Enabler. ‘Shine’s been around a few years, but we wanted to revamp and simplify it so it can be used in a wider range of situations. The previous version was mainly used by school groups and church youth groups – the young people would invite their friends to a screening and have a discussion afterwards. But the new release of Shine Films is much easier for individual young people to share with friends, either in person on their phone or tablet, or via social media.
‘There are two standalone videos on how and why to share your faith, then four series of three episodes each, on different topics – and those
are the ones that young people can share with their networks.
‘We’ve also introduced some presenters who are a similar age to the viewers. That’s why we involved Josh – he’s the right age, he’s enthusiastic about sharing Jesus, and he’s great in how he does that!’
Josh has led services at his church, but presenting on a video using a script is taking him into new territory. He doesn’t seem fazed, though. ‘God’s leading me into new ways! It’s all helping me to get better and bolder about sharing Jesus with my peers.’
the new release of Shine Films is much easier for individual young people to share with friends
Find out more about Shine and how you can benefit from these videos at su.org.uk/shine. Head to amplifyacademy.co.uk if you’re interested in the training that made such an impact on Josh.
Prayers
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Please pray for Josh and other young people, that God will help them to develop deep roots of faith and be eager to share the good news of Jesus with others.
Sunday 2
Praise God that so many more young people are open to hearing about faith than just a few years ago. Please pray for this work of the Holy Spirit to continue!
Monday 3
Give thanks for Josh and other young Christians and their enthusiasm for Revealing Jesus to those around them and sharing the difference he has made in their lives.
Tuesday 4
Give thanks for the new Shine Films. Ask God to help us find ways to make churches and young Christians across the country aware of them.
Wednesday 5
Please pray that many church youth groups and groups in schools would set up screenings of the new Shine Films as something their young people can invite their non-
Christian friends to. And please pray that they get lots of interest!
Thursday 6
Please pray that young Christians will share the new Shine Films with their online networks and perhaps watch them in person with a friend open to knowing more about Jesus.
Friday 7
Give thanks for all the young leaders who helped on SU holidays and missions over the last year. Ask that God might continue to deepen their faith and bless them as they use the gifts he has given them to bring him glory.
Saturday 8
Praise God for the fantastic commitment of all the Faith Guides and volunteer leaders of SU holiday clubs and missions who do so much to inspire young Christians, help them to deepen their faith, and to share it with their peers.
Prayers
Sunday 9
Pray that as the school programme of SU Tanzania expands to reach 1,920 schools, God will provide resources and church support and that many children in the schools will discover Jesus as a result.
Monday 10
Thank God that nearly 600 Faith Guides are now supported by our staff teams in using the Revealing Jesus mission framework to reach the 95. Pray that more churches will catch the vision and appoint Faith Guides so that many more children and young people can connect with Jesus.
Tuesday 11
Pray for Young Leaders’ Enabler
Rachel Blake as she finalises the content for Elevate, a weekend for young leaders who have served at SU events. Pray that all those involved in leading the event will be empowered by the Spirit.
Wednesday 12
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Please pray for all members of the Mission Resources team as they begin work on the October–December 2026 issues of Encounter with God and Daily Bread. Please pray that all the work will go smoothly, and that these notes would draw readers closer to God.
Thursday 13
Mission Partner Gobaith Mon in Anglesey asks us to pray for the youth workers of North Wales as they move forward with plans to start a youth night, bringing young people from all over the area to hear a gospel message.
Friday 14
Pray for John Cartwright, Supporter Care Assistant, as he aims to serve and respond to SU supporters when they call, email or write in. He asks us to pray for the smooth and steady working of our latest phone, computer and software upgrades on which he and the team are so reliant when serving our supporters.
Saturday 15
The impact of AI is quickly being felt in many aspects of our world. Please pray for the Digital Solutions team as they work with staff across SU to explore this exciting opportunity in a safe and secure way.
Prayers
Sunday 16
Pray for God’s guidance and strength for the team of SU Korea as they redesign the ministry structure to align better with the wider church. Pray that this will result in more effective ministry.
Monday 17
Praise God for the way in which he continues to provide for the movement’s needs. Pray that we may use the gifts of God’s people wisely and that God will continue to provide through the generosity of his people.
Tuesday 18
Pray that those from the 95 who are intrigued by faith will find the people and places they need to explore the Bible and who Jesus is. Pray that churches will be ready for any ‘turner-uppers’ at their church, and prepared and equipped to help them explore effectively.
Wednesday 19
Pray for all those attending the Elevate Young Leaders weekend taking place in Birmingham this weekend. This is the first time young leaders have gone away together for training, encouragement and just to have some fun. Pray that this investment
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in their lives will result in growing confidence, developing skills and a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Thursday 20
Mission Partner Hope for the Valleys is grateful to God for the continuing work in South Wales. H4V’s Ilan Tricker has built many links with schools and continues with many youth clubs. Pray that many would come to know Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Friday 21
Join Technical Services Manager Ian Gooding in giving thanks that we have finally been able to complete the move of all our IT services online, something we have been working towards for several years. We are no longer dependent on IT services provided from the national office, which had become increasingly costly.
Saturday 22
The Daily Bread and Encounter with God Bible reading apps are a great way for people to receive the SU Bible reading notes directly to their digital devices. Please pray that more people will engage in this way and will grow in faith as they read the notes every day.
We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.
