16 minute read
Quotes from the media
SIGN PLEDGE TO MAKE 2022 A YEAR OF CHRISTIAN HOSPITALITY, SAYS CHARITY FOUNDER
Christians are being urged to sign up to a pledge committing to offering hospitality to a stranger this year.
The charity co-ordinator and director of Afghan Welcome, Dr Krish Kandiah, is pioneering a new way of encouraging practical action in the spirit of the gospel…
The Hospitality Pledge (hospitalitypledge.org) encourages people to take three simple but meaningful actions each week to show welcome, including to those who are experiencing loneliness, homelessness or who are seeking asylum.
Dr Kandiah has been speaking to Premier about the idea: ‘I believe hospitality is one of the discerning and defining features of what it means to be a Christian… Offering kindness, compassion and welcome to people in need, that’s what it means to follow in Jesus’ footsteps…
Premier
IN-WORK POVERTY BLIGHTING YOUNG LIVES, SAYS SVP
In-work poverty is having a devastating effect on children, according to a report by the St Vincent de Paul Society.
The report, Stealing Futures – In-Work Poverty and Its Impact on Children and Young People … draws on a recent study from the Institute for Public Policy Research, which found that rates of poverty in working households increased to a new high of 17 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, equivalent to more than one in six households…
The report says that … rising housing costs, low wages, unaffordable childcare costs, compounded by growing inflation, and the pandemic are leaving a rapidly growing number of working households in poverty…
‘Growing up in a household experiencing in-work poverty has a deep and lasting impact on children,’ said SVP National President Helen O’Shea...
The Tablet
PROVIDE SOCIAL CARE ON PAR WITH NHS OR EDUCATION, SAYS JUSTIN WELBY
The Archbishop of Canterbury has called for a new ‘covenant’ on social care between the state and the people, similar to the provision of the NHS and education, which makes ‘absolute value and dignity’ the top priority… [Justin] Welby was speaking out before a parliamentary battle over the funding of social care. A new tax and a cap on care costs to prevent most people from having to sell their homes are at the heart of the government’s proposed reforms of the sector, which affect 11 million people in the UK as carers or care recipients…
Welby is pressing for a more profound reform. ‘You have to have a covenantal approach which says regardless of who you are, of your economic value, of your utility, society covenants to give you the best possible care it can as you approach the end of your life,’ he said.
That means making social care ‘a community obligation, not just a family obligation’.
The Guardian
Christ Church, Southgate, in north London, has become the first Healthy Healing Hub, offering support for the health and wellbeing of the local community in a Christian context.
The hubs are an initiative of the Guild of Health and St Raphael, which regards the ministry of healing as intrinsic to the Church’s mission.
Its chief executive, the Rev Dr Gillian Straine, has said... ‘If you show people that you care, and that the Church can be a place of health and healing, then the Church will grow…’
Churches signing up have access to resources and training to deal with issues of mental health. The guild also … encourages leaders to go to their local GP surgeries, engage with public health and open up conversations about using church buildings for the purposes of community health.
Church Times
SALVATIONIST
salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist Issue No 1842
EDITOR Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts
MANAGING EDITOR Ivan Radford
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Simon Hope, Melita Day-Lewis, Major Margaret Bovey
ART DIRECTOR Hannah Holden
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mark Knight, Louise Phillips
PROOFREADER Chris Horne
Published weekly by The Salvation Army and printed on paper from sustainable sources by CKN Print, Northampton. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory. ISSN 2516-5909.
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WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
THE long-running BBC TV series Who Do You Think You Are? explores the family history of celebrities to find their interesting, surprising and sometimes notorious ancestors. Series 19 will air later this year, but some readers might remember an episode in 2006 featuring broadcaster Jeremy Paxman. He admitted not having shown much interest in his family history, but what the programme unearthed moved him deeply.
In 1894 his maternal great-grandmother had been left a widow with nine children. Having no income she applied for poor relief but was turned down because she had an illegitimate child. On a visit to Glasgow, Jeremy met Commissioner Keith Banks who informed him that the Army had welcomed and supported his great-grandmother and the children. She became a Salvationist and one of her daughters, Jeremy’s grandmother, became an officer.
‘There’s a little bit of Salvation Army blood in your veins,’ the commissioner told him. ‘I’m afraid it’s a bit diluted with beer these days,’ Jeremy joked. He later reflected: ‘When you discover somebody’s life story and the adversity they faced, of course it has an effect on you and I was terribly moved.’
Our family histories contribute to who we are, but other factors are also important. In his Bible study Major Tim Johnson points to our spiritual family as key to our identity. He considers who we are and what we are called to become – children of God ‘at home in the light of God’s love and presence’, who are called to express that identity in the way we relate to other people.
Major Alistair Dawson reflects on the way God shapes our identity. He says: ‘God is the one who created us, who is driving us forward and who is recreating us into the person he wants us to be.’ That makes each of us unique – and rather than trying to be like anyone else, we need to be ourselves, he suggests.
In his article on Heaven, John Coutts also considers who we are. Some people believe that the essential ‘me’ is closely linked with the physical brain, but there is more to it than that, he affirms. He goes on to look at the idea of us as ‘persons-inrelationship’ with the hope of resurrection, which means our identity is not bound by Earth – we are citizens of Heaven.
Cadet Jon Hampton has found part of his identity in his calling to officership and as a member of the Reflectors of Holiness session. In his ‘Column from the college’, he looks back at his first term at William Booth College and at how his identity is being shaped through learning experiences and encounters with staff members, fellow cadets and people he meets in ministry.
There has long been a debate about whether who we are is due to nature or nurture – whether our personality depends on our genetic make-up or our life experiences. For the Christian there is another factor, which the apostle Paul identifies: ‘By the grace of God I am what I am’ (1 Corinthians 15:10).
No matter who we are by birth or what our lives have made us, this is the most important thing. Our true identity is found in the grace of God, which makes us his children and enables us to live for him.
From the editor Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts
CONTENTS
Quotes from the media 2
News 4 to 8
Prayer matters 8
Preview 9
Introducing... Together22
by Stephanie Lamplough
Feature 10 and 11
Winning words
by Melita Day-Lewis
Column from the college 12 and 13
An exciting adventure with God
by Cadet Jon Hampton
Reflection 14
I’m glad I’m me
by Major Alistair Dawson
Thinkaloud 15
What on Earth’s happening to Heaven?
by John Coutts
Bible study 16 and 17
Live in the light
by Major Tim Johnson
Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17
by Major Howard Webber
Reflection 18
Bearing good fruit
by Brian Colley
Reflection 18
You do not leave me
by Major John Waters
Letters 19
New commitments 20
Adverts 21 and 23
Announcements 22 and 23
The Salvation Army and me 24
featuring Louise Anderson
FRONT-PAGE PICTURE Andrew King Photography
SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS
Scripture quotations in Salvationist are from the New International Version (2011), unless otherwise stated
Editor's note: Some events reported took place before the current Covid-19 restrictions.
EMERGENCY AID
Army responds to tornado-hit communities
USA
THE Salvation Army responded across five states to serve first responders and survivors of tornadoes that caused devastation across the Midwest and southern regions.
Food and drinks were provided along with emotional and spiritual care. The Army in Madisonville (USA Southern Territory) served approximately 1,000 meals to first responders and displaced people. A team from Owensboro provided meals to emergency responders in Ohio County and the Nashville Area Command deployed two mobile canteens to assist in feeding displaced residents in Bowling Green. Meals were also served to residents of two nursing homes and support was given to people in shelters.
An Army canteen from Jackson, Tennessee, supported survivors, workers and emergency responders in Mayfield, Kentucky, which was badly hit. A team led by Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) Director Bo Sells helped the Army in Paducah provide food, clothing vouchers and other supplies to sheltered residents and families.
Tornadoes also touched down in Illinois and Missouri. The Midland Division EDS (USA Central Territory) provided support in Augusta and Defiance, Missouri, and Edwardsville, Illinois, with efforts concentrated on a destroyed retail warehouse in Edwardsville, where workers were trapped.
The EDS team provided hydration and snacks to first responders and utility workers and supported 10 fire departments at the disaster.
The area commander in Nashville, Major Ethan Frizzell, said: ‘As we serve meals to more than 400 seniors who have been without power since the storms, we are reminded how often church is found outside the building. When we show up on short notice to provide meals, comfort and support, love wins and hope marches on.’ – AR CHRISTMAS C
About 600 people attend Bath Citadel’s carol service, led by corps officer Major David Wise and the band
1,000
toys distributed in Bath
SEE PAGE 5
£1,500
to help families in need
SEE PAGE 7
PRESENTATION
WINSFORD In a ceremony postponed from 2020, Corps Treasurer Jean Craven and Cyril Craven were appointed Honorary Freemen of Cheshire West and Chester at the historic Chester town hall. They were nominated in recognition of their tireless work supporting the community in Winsford and the surrounding district over many years and especially through the Covid-19 lockdowns. Jean emphasised that they were just part of a team at the corps and that their motivation was firmly rooted in serving Jesus. After the ceremony the sheriff of Chester, Councillor Jill Houlbrook – who has family links with Iran – was interested to learn of the corps ministry with Iranian asylum seekers. – GD
CHRISTMAS C
200
people attend outdoor carol service
SEE PAGE 7
GLOUCESTER The songsters met in the city centre to present an hour of carols to shoppers and passers-by. Despite the small numbers and the cold wind, many people stopped to listen and talk to corps folk. – AB
CHRISTMAS C PRESENTATION
Teddington Corps lunch club members celebrate Christmas with a meal and quiz
READING LOWER EARLEY More than 100 members of the community shared in carol singing and mulled fruit punch in the hall car park. As the evening drew to a close, everyone lit candles to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the greatest gift. For many this was an opportunity to sing well-known carols. One visitor attended Sunday morning worship the next day. – RC SUNDERLAND MILLFIELD Songster Muriel Bradwell was recognised for her 67 years of loyal service to the songsters. Muriel, now residing in a care home and unable to attend the corps, is pictured with her three daughters, Karen Raine, Janet Bradwell and Dawn Winch, and granddaughter, Danielle Winch, all of whom are active songsters at the corps. Many members of the songsters were present to be part of the occasion and shared a short open-air carol service for the residents of the care home and members of the community. – AM
CHRISTMAS C
CHRISTMAS C
A Bath Citadel team prepares 500 food bags to distribute over Christmas along with 1,000 toys; items were donated through the Sally Anne coffee lounge, nearby schools and the Freemasons HYTHE Dozens of children in Kent who would have gone without presents received a gift to open on Christmas morning, thanks to New Romney Youth Football Club. The club supports a charity each year at Christmas. When committee members noticed an advert for the Army’s Christmas appeal they thought it would be the perfect cause to support. Ethan, who plays for the club’s under-nine team, raised £325 to buy presents for patients in the Padua ward at the William Harvey hospital in Ashford. When he found out about the club’s appeal, he decided to split the gifts between the two causes. The donations helped towards giving food parcels to more than 100 families and toys to more than 250 children. – AR
COMMUNITY
PRESENTATION
Former rough sleepers start new year in new flats
LIVERPOOL
A CONCERTED effort to build on the achievements of the Everyone In scheme led to the redevelopment of two apartment blocks into 28 new homes for people moving on from Salisbury House Lifehouse and the YMCA St Helens Hostel.
Champions Court in Appleton Road was redeveloped by Torus Housing, supported by St Helens council and funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme.
The Salvation Army provides 24-hour support to residents, helping people to continue overcoming the complex reasons for their homelessness, such as mental ill health, domestic violence, relationship breakdown, childhood trauma or addiction. The funding covers one full-time support worker, two part-time assistant support workers and two night workers.
Champions Court Support Worker Saeid Jamali (left) said: ‘[A year ago] a lot of our residents would have been on the streets, in a hotel or in a hostel. Now they have their own home. They are nice flats, it’s a safe and warm environment and it will make a massive difference to them. I can see in their faces since they’ve moved in there’s a big change in how they feel.’
Homelessness Services Unit Regional Manager (North West) Robert Long said: ‘These flats are for people who have been homeless and are now ready to make that next step to independence. By providing them with a safe and warm place to stay, with the support they need for up to two years, they will be in a good position to then move into independent housing.
‘By freeing up spaces in supported accommodation like Salisbury House Lifehouse and the YMCA hostel, we can help more people off the streets and get them the support they need to tackle the root causes of homelessness.’ – AR
CHRISTMAS
INVERNESS The corps distributed more than 300 grocery vouchers to families across the Highlands during December. This was in addition to its biweekly food bank, which ran throughout 2021. – CW
Salvationist wants to hear your news Corps press representatives can email salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk. Good quality pictures will be included. GOVAN During the carol service Corps Youth Secretary Jillian Gemmell (left) and Primary Sergeant Alison Gibb (right) were acknowledged for their commitment as they retired from their roles. After eight years as CYS, Jillian has now taken on the responsibility of divisional youth specialist. Alison worked with the primary for 34 years and many people in the congregation were part of the primary during her tenure. The corps thank God for Jillian and Alison’s service and know they will continue to support and encourage the young people. – DG
CHRISTMAS
STOCKPORT CITADEL The corps prepared toy parcels for more than 430 children in need and food and gift parcels for 50 young people leaving care. Matthew Galbraith is pictured celebrating having completed packing the food parcels with the help of his mother. Matthew volunteered as part of the Archbishop of York’s Young Leaders Award with his school. – JA
CIRENCESTER Covid-19 restrictions made the usual carol service unviable, but arrangements were made to use the playground of a nearby primary school for an outdoor service, including an adapted Nativity presentation. A good number attended and enjoyed hot drinks and mince pies courtesy of a hot drinks van and the hall kitchen. The stable, which had been constructed in the hall, could not be moved, but the front windows of the hall were used to illustrate a silhouette of the manger scene for passers-by. – MG
CHRISTMAS C
SUDBURY When the corps decided that the carol service should not proceed as planned due to safety concerns, the council allowed an outdoor carol service around the town Christmas tree. God provided a PA system as well as carol sheets printed in advance by a local sponsor. People queuing in the town hall for their Covid-19 booster jab were encouraged to join and, in the end, more than 100 people turned up to sing by candlelight and glow stick, dress up for a pop-up Nativity scene and hear the gospel. – RH
Inverness Band spread the Christmas message in the district around the hall
Hamilton corps officer Captain Wendy Leisk gives £1,500 of Aldi vouchers to Linda Welsh, manager of Burnbank Family Centre, for vulnerable families to buy groceries CHESTER-LE-STREET A number of the band played carols to members and guests at Durham County Cricket Club's annual Christmas dinner. The club’s members donated £400 towards the toy appeal. – GC
HECKMONDWIKE The usual weekly attendance doubled for the community carol service. Everyone was asked to wear a tea towel or piece of tinsel to join in as a shepherd or angel. After the meeting people enjoyed mince pies and hot drinks. – JD
COMMUNITY PRESENTATION CHRISTMAS
Gravesend corps officer Major Kathryn Blowers presents Corps Treasurer Carol Williams with a retirement certificate recognising her 33 years of service More than 200 people attend an outdoor carol service organised by Churches Together in Harlington and led by Dunstable Bandmaster Tommy Spratt
