THE Scripture Union (SU) has created a fund of £150,000 for initiatives aimed at taking the gospel to the 95 per cent of children who do not go to church.

Its 95 Campaign, launched in the 150th anniversary year of the charity, seeks to motivate churches to step outside their doors to work with children and young people.

The national director for SU England and Wales, the Revd Tim Hastie-Smith, said: “If today’s young people aren’t in church, we need to step out and take the good news to where they are. We can’t wait for them to come to us.

“Our vision for this campaign is to see a movement of Christians working together to take the good news of the gospel to children and young people, who so desperately need to hear it. We’re aware that this won’t be easy. It means stepping out of comfort zones, and some difficult questions will need to answered, but that’s all part of this campaign — bringing people together so we can learn and share together.”

The fund is for projects costing between £250 and £5000. It cannot be used to fund salaries, but could fund equipment, training, or mission events.

The charity is also setting up a census for children and young people, to assess the state of ministry, and will livestream 95 talks by children’s and youth workers.

For more details of the campaign, visit www.the95.org.uk.