Everything You Need to Know About NUA Films

The Heart Behind NUA Films

NUA means new. And that’s exactly what Scripture Union Ireland (SUI) set out to create: a new  way for young people to explore the Christian faith.

From extensive evangelism in school across Ireland the team at SUI kept hearing the same tough questions from young people. Questions about science and faith. About Jesus, was he fact or fiction? About the resurrection, about suffering, about why Christians sometimes don’t live like Christ. These weren’t throwaway queries. They were the heartbeat of a generation searching for truth.

Out of those conversations, the idea for NUA was born: a film series that would give permission to doubt, to wrestle, and to wonder. Produced in Ireland, written with an ecumenical review team, and filmed across Dublin, Israel, and New York, NUA was designed not to preach, but to invite. To let young people know their questions matter—and that exploring faith can be intelligent, creative, and real.

As one Irish teenager put it:

“NUA is an interesting fresh new way to learn about God in this day and age. It’s relevant for young people and super encouraging. The questions we discussed really made me think, and helped me explore the Bible and more about my faith. I would recommend it to everyone out there, Christian or not.”

Why the NUA Suite Was Developed

NUA Films began with the original 26-part video series, tackling core questions:

• Science and faith

• Jesus: fact or fiction?

• The resurrection

• What Jesus was really like

• The problem of Christians

• Suffering and God’s goodness

• The church’s history

• The meaning of Jesus for daily life

But one series wasn’t enough. The demand for more resources—different entry points, different seasons of life—grew quickly. That’s why NUA became a suite of resources under the NUA Films brand:

• NUA: Fresh Perspective – the original 26-part video series for young adults, critical thinkers, and classrooms, exploring 10 big questions about life and faith.

• NUA: Origins – 24-part video series designed for younger teens (ages 10–14), arranged into 8 themed lessons exploring the basics of faith in an accessible and engaging way.

• NUA: Christmas – a short series unpacking the history and meaning of Christmas.

• NUA: Easter – three episodes that explore the events and significance of Easter in a fresh way.

Each series carries the same DNA: storytelling, theological integrity, cinematic creativity, and honest conversation. Together, the suite allows youth workers, Religious Education (RE) teachers, and churches to choose the right entry point for their context, while building a consistent journey across age groups.

The Impact So Far

From its Irish roots, NUA has grown far beyond expectations:

• 1,000s of packs distributed in Ireland since launch.

• Used in 330+ secondary schools, meeting curriculum requirements.

• Adopted across denominations and even in non-traditional contexts (including prisons).

• Translated into multiple languages, with uptake in Europe, North America, and beyond.

• Accompanied by journals, leader guides, and training videos that make it flexible for classrooms, youth groups, or small groups of friends.

As Anna Maloney, a Dublin school chaplain, reflected:

“NUA is beautiful, brave, creative, edgy, thoughtful, and shows great depth, just like the young adults it seeks to nourish. The quality of this film series tells our young people, Yes, I matter. My curiosities and my questions about life matter.”

The Hope for the Future

The vision for NUA Films has always been simple: to help young people see Jesus with fresh eyes. Not as a distant figure of the past, but as someone who speaks into their doubts, fears, hopes, and daily lives today.

By joining RaiseUpFaith, the hope is that the NUA suite will:

• Equip youth leaders to walk alongside young people rather than talk down to them.

• Provide schools with curriculum-ready tools that open space for critical thinking and dialogue.

• Inspire churches to reimagine discipleship for a generation that learns visually, digitally, and relationally.

• Support families and small groups who want to explore faith together.

Most of all, our hope is that through these films, young people will discover that Jesus is credible, is Lord, and worth following.

NUA Films was created in Ireland, but it was never just for Ireland. It was made for every young person who has ever wondered if faith still makes sense. By becoming part of RaiseUpFaith’s high quality digital library, the NUA suite can keep doing what it was always meant to do: invite a new generation into relationship with God.

*Jonny Somerville is the creator and host of Scripture Union's *NUA Film Series. Jonny is passionate about faith development and giving young adults the opportunity to grapple with their faith. Jonny's experiences have shown him that young adults often struggle to discuss their doubts. For this reason, Jonny has recently developed NUA, an 8 part film series that encourages questions, acknowledges doubt, and offers and engaging perspective on Christian faith. Jonny and his wife, Susan, have 4 children and live in Dublin, Ireland.