Scripture Union

You have a choice. You could either go and watch a Premiership game or join your favourite band at their Wembley gig. All expenses paid and you get to spend time with your heroes. It's your choice, but you decide to stay at home because you're worried what people will say about your fashion sense. Mad or what. That's like saying that Christianity is OK within old churches but embarrassing if it's out on the street.

Scripture Union is a charity that believes that the Christian message works in people's lives, especially in schools and clubs. It believes that it's cool to be a Christian, in fact following Jesus Christ is the best decision anyone can ever make.

Not that it's easy being a Christian in school. You're worried that your mates might think you're interesting as an episode of Crossroads and you are now a paid up member of the freak club. But Scripture Union is there to help.

It employs loads of schools workers who take assemblies, run school clubs and help out in lessons. These schools workers are there to support Christians in schools -staff and students alike. They believe that being a Christian is like saying yes to the best-ever party invitation, and they want to help you grow in your faith.

But Scripture Union is more than a bunch of schools workers. It also publishes books and resources for people of all ages:

• a range of novels, written especially for teenagers, and they talk about real issues in a way that's entertaining, readable and powerful
• extensive resources for people taking school assemblies
• easy to use material for holiday clubs
• Special magazines for people who want to read the Bible regularly, including One Up (for 11-14s) and Disclosure (for 14+)

But there's even more than this. Scripture Union works closely with all sorts of churches, helping them communicating the Christian faith in their own localities. For example Scripture Union is working with New Addington Baptist Church in South London, helping them establish a Community Family Project, reaching out practically to the many families living on the New Addington estate.

And to cap it all, Scripture Union is global. There are over 130 separate movements around the world, self supporting and independent. There's no head office, but each one is committed to the values of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with children, young people and families, and encouraging people of all ages to meet God regularly through Bible reading and prayer.