- Scripture Union
Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = Scripture Union
Non-profit_
Non-profit_type = Charitable
founded_date = 1867
founder = Josiah Spiers
location = Melbourne
origins = UK
key_people =
area_served = Global Over 130 countries
product =Bible reading materials, camps, missions
focus = Christianity, young peopleCitation | title = Scripture Union International : Aims | url = http://www.su-international.org/ministry.php?Doo=ContentView&id=198]
method =
revenue =
endowment =
num_volunteers =
num_employees =
num_members =
subsib =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan =
homepage = [http://www.su-international.org/index.php?Doo=ContentView&id=100 Scripture Union International Website]
dissolved =
footnotes =Scripture Union (SU) is an international, inter-denominational,Citation | title = Scripture Union International : Working Principles | url = http://www.su-international.org/ministry.php?Doo=ContentView&id=197]
evangelical Christian movement. It was founded in1867 , and works in partnership with individuals and churches across the world. The movement's stated aim is to use theBible to inspire children, young people and adults to knowGod .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, urbanchildren 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.Origins
In
1867 Josiah Spiers spoke to 14 children in a drawing room in Islington, London, and began the work of sharing the Christian message with children in a way that related to their real needs. This led to the founding of theChildren'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 aBible story.In1877 Spiers was joined by others, including Tom Bishop, the first HonorarySecretary , and together they began the work of spreading theGospel nationally and internationally. By1893 , 13 million leaflets for children in 50 languages had been distributed around the world.In
1879 Scripture Union (SU) introduced a system of daily Bible reading. Amembership 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 theGreat War from 1914-18, and led to the first issue of Daily Notes in 1923.In
1892 the first Boys’Camp was started inLittlehampton by Major Leibenrood, a veteran from theZulu 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 working title for all of the organisation's activities. Scripture Union’s work continues worldwide.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.
ee also
*
List of Scripture Union movements References
External links
* [http://www.su-international.org/ Scripture Union International]
* [http://www.wordlive.org/ SU Bible Notes & Podcasts launched 2008]
* [http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/ Faith Comes By Hearing - Audio Bible translations ]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
