Stacy Long
AFA Journal staff writer
October 2017 – Josiah Spears drew pictures and wrote words in the sand on the beaches in England, attracting kids with whom he would then share the gospel. It was 1867 during the height of the Industrial Revolution, and with no more bells and whistles than that, Spears founded Scripture Union, starting a ministry that still takes God’s Word to kids around the world.
Down the river and at the desk
“We are now in over 130 countries,” Michael Staples, Scripture Union president, told AFA Journal. “In many parts of the world, there isn’t the same concept of separation of church and state that is here in the United States, and so we are able to be in a vast majority of schools.”
For example, in Ireland, an education budget for spiritual development funds Scripture Union to come into the schools. In England, Scotland, and Wales, Scripture Union meets in many of the schools.
In Australia, the government pays Scripture Union workers to do religious education classes and work with the underprivileged. In northern Nigeria, Scripture Union is in 4,000 schools reaching 7 million children.
“You may remember the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 – all of those girls were involved in one of our Scripture Union clubs,” Staples added.
In other places, Scripture Union finds additional ways to meet with kids, whether by floating down the Amazon in Peru, or doing sports camp ministries in Canada. In the U.S., Scripture Union still commonly adapts Josiah Spears’s method, setting up beach camps from Florida to Nantucket, and in other outdoor locations, particularly in urban centers.
Creating a family
Often the kids’ day camps are coupled with a broader focus, such as tutoring or teaching parents English. That serves as an avenue for the gospel to reach into the families. But the focus remains on children. Studies from Barna (barna.org) have found that a person’s highest level of receptivity to the gospel occurs between the ages of 6 and 12.
“A lot of kids fall through the cracks,” Staples said. “Here in the U.S., our focus is on at-risk communities. We aim at reaching kids who are more or less outside the orbit of the church. But we partner with local churches so the church is identified as a place of safety for those kids beyond just a one-week program.
“For example, after an outreach in the Bronx, New York, the pastor of the local church helping with the program got a call about a problem that one of the children from the camp was having in school. The school principal said, ‘You’re the first responsible adult that we’ve had associated with this kid, and your name was given by this kid as someone we could talk with.’ That summer camp grew into a church outreach that created a Christian family for that child.”
Scribblings in the sand may reach farther than one can imagine. 
SCRIPTURE UNION
PO Box 215
Valley Forge, PA 19481
1-800-621-LAMP
scriptureunion.org
____________________
Old and new methods to reach children
In its 150th year, Scripture Union remains straightforward in its purpose of helping people get to know God every day through Bible reading and prayer. Two SU curriculua follow either an after-school structure, or a one- to two-week summer program. Learn more about their engaging resources and programs at scriptureunion.org or call 1-800-621-5267.
Whether drawing in the sand or using interactive programs, there are many ways to teach kids the truths of Scripture. American Family Studios recently released Ryan Defrates: Secret Agent, an award-winning animated series that teaches biblical principles to kids in a fun way. Learn more in the April 2017 AFA Journal. Available at afastore.net or 877-927-4917.
