NEWS
MEETING
Palm Sunday celebrations with international leaders MAIDSTONE GENERAL Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle were special guests at the corps Palm Sunday celebration on Zoom. Palm Sunday was also the International Day of Prayer for Children and Youth and was an
opportunity to celebrate the young people of the corps. During the virtual meeting Commissioner Rosalie reminded everyone that Jesus’ kindness and goodness were attractive to people. The General enrolled Gemma, Bethan and Alexi as junior soldiers, and young people unwrapped gifts of books or CDs encouraging them on their spiritual journeys, which had been delivered to their homes. The meeting also celebrated one year of successful online Sunday schools, children’s
praise videos, youth cell group Bible studies and socials. A short video gave a glimpse of these lessons and activities, many of them sparked by ideas from the young people. The video also demonstrated how youth workers had adapted during the pandemic and used their unique gifts to find new ways of teaching and interacting with the young people online. The YP cell group presented the Bible reading, Scarlett, Camille and Hannah prayed powerfully, and James introduced the benediction song that had come to mean so much to them. – GP
CORPS
MEETINGS
REDDITCH AND BROMSGROVE The two corps joined together with members of the public over Easter weekend for an Easter trail. Fourteen stations of the cross were spread around the communities. Participants were given a map, a quiz and a leaflet explaining Easter. They were challenged to find pictures and Scripture readings and answer the quiz questions to help them understand the importance of Easter, before reporting back to the cross at Bromsgrove Corps to receive an Easter egg and hot cross bun on Good Friday, shortbread and an Easter egg on Saturday and cake and an Easter egg on Sunday. Associate leader Territorial Envoy Hazel Ellison is pictured at station one. – DE
SKEWEN Commissioners Carol and Ivor Telfer led the Easter weekend meetings via Zoom. On Good Friday corps officer Captain Jo Walters introduced the theme of He Chose the Nails. Matthew 26:17–66 was read in four sections during the meeting, with each part showing how Jesus accepted the nails. The Easter Sunday meeting took the theme Easter Is for Us. Commissioner Ivor spoke of the film The Case for Christ and stressed that Easter is not only for salvation but for sanctification. During the evening meeting four people shared their memories of Easter. Commissioner Carol affirmed that everyone has been put together for a purpose. An Easter version of the song ‘Hallelujah’ was played, followed by the Scripture reading from Mark 16:1–7. Commissioner Carol concluded the meeting with a challenge to be the bigger picture. – SL Darlington On Easter Saturday home made afternoon teas were distributed to more than 130 people linked with the corps. After the Zoom worship on Easter Day, corps folk delivered more than 250 Easter eggs to nearby households, with an Easter card to share the message of the risen Lord. – SM
NORTON Easter Sunday was celebrated with drive-in worship in the hall car park. Corps officer Lieutenant Gill McCredie led worshippers in considering their brokenness, made new in the light of Jesus’ death and resurrection. ‘It was wonderful to be able to worship together,’ Lieutenant Gill said. – AR
COMMUNITY PRESTON The corps gave out food vouchers to struggling families during the Easter holidays to ensure more than 150 children did not go hungry. Funding was received as part of the Church Revitalisation Trust’s #LoveYourNeighbour campaign, which supports churches to provide practical care and hope for vulnerable communities during the coronavirus pandemic. While most of the donation was spent on vouchers for parents whose children receive free school meals, the money also enabled the corps to fund a community assistant and buy a freezer and shelving for its food bank. – AR Send your news reports to salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk.
Salvationist 1 May 2021
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