Across England and Wales, we see that children and young people are searching for hope, belonging and meaning.
Many would never walk into a traditional church setting — but they will come to a kids club, a holiday, a community activity or a place where someone knows their name and cares enough to listen.
We are seeing more children and young people ready to explore faith than many people realise. There are an increasing number of churches and volunteers eager to reach them. There are communities where children and teenagers are beginning to ask big questions about life, faith, identity and hope. But they need support.
Watch the video below from Dave, our National Director, as he explains the impact of your support and how you can help today.
Imagine five people opening God’s Word because faithful Christians had created a space where questions were welcomed, relationships were built, and Jesus could be revealed naturally.
One evening, in a car park, a group of teenage boys were playing pickleball. It could have looked like nothing more than a lively youth session — lads laughing, competing, chasing points and trying to win the last ice cream. But God was at work.
One of the boys won the final ice cream, the prize everyone wanted. But instead of keeping it, he gave it to the friend he had beaten. That simple act opened the door to a conversation about the Gospel. The leaders were naturally able to talk with the boys about whether God’s love is something we earn, or whether it is a gift given freely to us through Jesus.
This is what Scripture Union mission often looks like. In many ways, it was how it all began. Not always on stage, with a microphone, from a distance. Sometimes it is a car park, a game, an ice cream, a conversation, and a trusted adult ready to point a young person gently towards Jesus.
Later that evening, the boys were encouraged to keep exploring who Jesus is for themselves. They were told that Bibles were available for anyone who wanted one. Four boys took up the offer, as did a local youth worker who is not yet a Christian.
We need your support to continue to make this possible.