Scripture Union
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scripture Union (SU) is an international, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian movement. It was founded in 1867, and works in partnership with individuals and churches across the world. The movement's stated aim is to use the Bible to inspire children, young people and adults to know God.
SU's work is carried out through local people in ways which are seen as appropriate to each country, culture and situation in which a movement is based. This can include running camps, and missions (e.g. holiday beach mission), working in schools and with student groups or producing resources for Bible reading, family counselling, AIDS education, urban children and youth ministry and ministry to the handicapped.
Scripture Union is an autonomous organisation in each country, linked together by Scripture Union International. It is primarily a volunteer organisation with a small number of full-time staff training, encouraging and coordinating ministry workers around the world.
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[edit] Origins
In 1867 Josiah Spiers spoke to fourteen children in a drawing room in Islington, London, and began the work of sharing the news of Christ with children in a way that related to their real needs. This led to the founding of the Children's Special Service Mission (CSSM) which was later to become Scripture Union.
The following year, Spiers travelled to Llandudno, North Wales on holiday and began to tell the children there about his faith. He drew the text ‘God is Love’ in the sand, invited children to decorate it, and then told them a Bible story. In 1877 Spiers was joined by others, including Tom Bishop, the first Honorary Secretary, and together they began the work of spreading the Gospel nationally and internationally. By 1893, 13 million leaflets for children in fifty languages had been distributed around the world.
In 1879 Scripture Union introduced a system of daily Bible reading. A membership card had a list of daily readings, with explanatory notes in children’s magazines. Booklets of notes were published for troops in the trenches during the Great War from 1914-18, and led to the first issue of Daily Notes in 1923.
In 1892 the first Boys’ Camp was started in Littlehampton by Major Leibenrood, a veteran from the Zulu War. The following year, the Caravan Mission to Village Children (CMVC) was started using a bakers’ cart. The CMVC became part of CSSM, but both names were dropped in the 1960s when Scripture Union became the title for all our activities. Scripture union’s work continues to spread the gospel, its primary focus on sharing it in ways that are relevant to people today and that give opportunities to respond to God’s love. The organisation still publishes daily Bible reading guides for children, teenagers and adults.
[edit] National organisations
"Scripture Union has a black face, blond hair, wears a kimono and speaks Spanish" - Paul Clark, Harare, 1985
Scripture Union exists as a growing family of national movements in more than 130 countries around the world. They all submit to the same aims and beliefs and working principles, but organise their work in a range of ways appropriate to the country, culture and situation in which the movements is based.
View a full list of all the national movements.
[edit] Links
SU Bible Notes & Podcasts launched 2008
[edit] External links
- Faith Comes By Hearing - Audio Bible translations - Official partner - Supporting audio Bible outreach programs in public schools and abroad in Kenya, Ghana, and India.
