Part of the international Scripture Union movement, SU Qld is an inter-denominational organisation that is dedicated to providing youth with professional care and a Christian message to help them find hope and contentment.
SU Qld looks after young people through a range of services, including chaplains in schools, an extensive camping program, community outreaches, specialist help in primary and secondary schools, and a dedicated force of about 600 staff and chaplains.
Our chaplaincy service, with a dedicated force of 500 chaplains, currently operates in 46% of state schools, having a direct impact with 330,000 students (67% of total students).
More than 3500 volunteers dedicate their time and energy to working with youth through SU Qld. To help them, SU runs a direct mail resource centre and a specialised training school.
History
Scripture Union began in the late 1800s, thanks to the efforts of two young English people.
In 1868, Josiah Spiers wrote the words 'God is Love' in the sand when he was holidaying at a beach in Wales. He invited a group of children to decorate this text, and told them a story about the God who loved them so much. Every day for the next two weeks, the children returned wanting to know more about these stories.
A decade later, a teenager named Annie Marston produced a card with a list of Bible readings for her Sunday School children.
Within a few years, Scripture Union had formed and was producing Bible reading cards of its own.
The common vision of these two people - of reaching youth with God's story and encouraging Bible reading - is still at the heart of Scripture Union's activities in over 130 countries worldwide.
