News feature 8 and

The whole school

Picture: Donald Montgomery

The musical theatre group perform during the final festival

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THIS year’s venue was a good change, writes Joe Pearson (Cannock). The sense of community from going to TMS is brilliant as you are able to go, not knowing anyone, and find new connections. This stems from all the members of staff as they are all for encouraging young people to explore their faith and are passionate about The Salvation Army.

I chose brass band as my main study, which included three rehearsals a day with three influential leaders of music: Gavin Lamplough (Birmingham Citadel), Assistant Director of Music and Creative Arts (Brass and Choral) Paul Sharman and Director of Music and Creative Arts Dr Stephen Cobb.

We explored a variety of music and words associated with a message of God and becoming better players. As my option I chose SATB choir with Music Editorial Manager Andrew Blyth (THQ), who helped with emphasis on the words and the meaning behind them to explore the connection we have with God.

In free time, all students were able to have fellowship and share faith together in the main central hub, where there was plenty of seating, drinks and a pool table. As the eldest Bible study group (25-plus) we discussed different aspects of our world, day-to-day lives and how we could show

had something for everyone. In a departure from previous years there was just one brass band who worked with different conductors throughout the week to bring a range of challenging pieces including Sam Creamer’s ‘Happy Song!’ and Martin Cordner’s powerful ‘Boundless Spirit’. The Founder’s words from ‘Send the Fire’ resonated through the building as the band presented ‘Truth Aflame’ by Kevin Norbury. The band embraced different genres and their message was enhanced by the use of multimedia created during the week by TMS delegates.

The vocal main study group – under the leadership of Sue Blyth – brought together musicianship and clarity in their renditions of classics, including ‘Part the Waters’, ‘Take My Hand’ by Alan Williams, and the premiere of ‘Just Let God Love You’, a new song by TMS staff member Andrew Wicker, with words by Keith Banks. The SATB choir presented Andrew Blyth’s rousing ‘My Father’s House’ and Joy Webb’s ‘The Candle of the Lord’.

The musical theatre ensemble – who were accompanied by the house band – explored the concept of belonging using contemporary show tunes, including ‘You Will Be Found’ from Dear Evan Hansen and ‘Reflection’ from Mulan. Their section

The brass band perform during the final festival

Joe Pearson

God’s love through encouragement to the younger delegates.

I led Vespers (prayers) on Tuesday night, using the theme of the week, God’s Love. We used the song ‘Jesus Loves Me! This I Know’ (SASB 807) and this affirmation kept appearing throughout the week – including singing it at the top of the William Booth College tower to all of London.

If I could ask anything from the people who are reading this, I would ask you to carry on encouraging young people in The Salvation Army and carry on praying for people’s different situations in this ever-changing world.

concluded with the application of Scripture to express the power of Jesus to bring true belonging.

Territorial Youth and Children’s Secretary Major Helen Schofield challenged everyone present to pray for their young adults, to include them in every aspect of their corps life, to ask them about their walk with Jesus and, importantly, to then listen.

As the evening concluded with a wholeschool benediction written by Andrew Blyth, there was the sense that something established and significant – and yet new and pioneering – was emerging in this historic Army space.

Matt Perkins introduces a new resource that’s helping people talk about gender and identity

IN corps and youth groups throughout The Salvation Army, there are young people who identify as LGBTQ+ and we want to provide a welcoming and inclusive space for them all.

By the age of 18, young people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual are twice as likely to suffer from clinical depression and, by 21, are four times more likely to self-harm with ‘suicidal intent’, compared to their heterosexual peers. Discrimination, stigmatisation, feelings of loneliness, social isolation, shame, fear or rejection – all of which have been experienced in childhood – are given as contributing factors to this.

The Church should be a safe place where young people can escape some of these risk factors but, historically, it has all too often contributed to and reinforced them. LGBTQ+ people of faith may feel that their sexuality or gender identity are at odds with their beliefs, and this can sometimes be exacerbated in faith communities. We want The Salvation Army to be a part of the ongoing movement to change that.

Like anyone else, LGBTQ+ young people have hopes, dreams, ambitions and beliefs, and deserve compassion, respect, support and inclusion. We have a responsibility to promote respect and tolerance across all our provision, and challenge and address the prejudice they face, which is often caused by ignorance.

Captain Ian Hammond (Ivybridge) is just one example of a local leader living this out, providing a weekly corps drop-in for young people in the LGBTQ+ community.

‘We live out love, the love of Jesus,’ he says. ‘Let’s not get stuck on the theology of an LGBTQ+ group, let’s do the love and be allies. Let’s be with them, let’s create those safe places for them.’

As we love, care for and accept the young people we serve, we hope we can start to rewrite a narrative of marginalisation and discrimination. It is not enough to see our LGBTQ+ young people surviving; we want to see them thriving.

THE TRAINING

An Introduction to Pastorally Supporting LGBTQ+ Young People is a training programme developed in response to conversations with youth workers and leaders, who told us that they were feeling ill-equipped, and even nervous, to have conversations about gender and sexuality with their young people.

After a lengthy development period,