NEWS
Territorial leaders celebrate Easter via YouTube THQ TERRITORIAL leaders Commissioners Anthony and Gill Cotterill led an online Easter meeting, which has attracted more than 11,000 views. The meeting opened with a clip of Govan Songsters singing ‘Hallelujah! Jesus Is Alive’. Commissioner Gill welcomed viewers and invited them to join in the song ‘Christ The Lord Is Risen Today’. People from across the territory took part: Captain Karen Symonds (Cwm) and Major Chris Connolly (Glasgow airport chaplain) brought Bible readings, and junior soldier Lucy Kerr (Lurgan) and Lieutenant Tony Kakande (Gateshead) offered prayers.
The International Staff Band played ‘He Is Lord’ and the International Staff Songsters brought ‘I’ve Just Seen Jesus’, both with words and images displayed on the screen. In his Bible message the Territorial Commander asked the viewers to imagine what it must have been like for the early disciples to discover the empty tomb and encounter the risen Jesus. ‘The risen Christ still today invites us first to Calvary where our sins may be washed away,’ he said, ‘but he also draws us into resurrection.’ The power of Jesus’ resurrection ‘enables us to be reflectors of his love and his grace as we offer our lives to him’, he concluded. The meeting closed with an opportunity for viewers to join in singing ‘Thine Be The Glory’. – JR O The 50-minute meeting is available to watch at youtube.com/user/salvationarmyvideo CIRENCESTER: As the Churches Together open-air service on Good Friday could not take place, corps leader Territorial Envoy Kim Whyard produced an online service with the Rev Canon Graham Morris of St John the Baptist parish church and the Rev Matt Frost of Cirencester Baptist church, which was shared on YouTube. Sunday club leader Corinne Walters kept the YP work going via email and the corps Facebook page, using materials from the Youth and Children’s Ministries Unit, and each participant received an Easter egg on their doorstep. On Easter Day corps members and friends joined an online meeting organised by Territorial Envoy Kim. – MG
DUNSTABLE: Corps officers Majors Lindsay and Steve Brevitt continue to publish weekly news and Stay Connected, a home worship resource. These are sent to corps via email or through the post to keep them up to date with news and prayer requests. Senior leaders are also contacting people to identify needs and ensure that they feel healthy and connected in this time of self-isolation. – JB 4
Salvationist 25 April 2020
SALE: The corps continues to distribute food to people in need or in self-isolation. Individuals or family groups are tending to the community garden to avoid anything going to waste; recently, rhubarb was distributed to those within the fellowship and the community. Children from the corps and community have also been emailing their rainbow pictures to corps officer Major
Ann Montgomery to stay connected and share the message of hope with those who pass the hall. – AM
NORWAY: Captain Ester Danielsdottir van Gooswilligen (Egersund) has been encouraging households to place teddy bears in their front windows so families can use their exercise time during quarantine to take part in a teddy bear hunt, looking out for the bears as they walk around the neighbourhood. With schools, play schemes, cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops closed, parents having to balance working from home with full-time childcare can often struggle to find ideas that will occupy them. ‘A teddy hunt in the neighbourhood is easy,’ said Captain Ester. ‘It helps with being active and can be a great motivation to go out and do something together… a safe distance from other people.’ Similar teddy bear hunts have also sprung up in other countries. – AR MORRISTON: Making use of the strong corps presence online, corps officers Majors Neville and Yvonne Andrews are uploading Sunday worship meetings weekly. Video conferencing software Zoom has been used for virtual coffee mornings, a quiz night and practices for the songsters, who also receive weekly devotions through email. The young people involved in the Salvation Kid’s Rock project continue to receive music tuition from their leaders through social media while rehearsals are suspended; these have included weekly challenges where video submissions are judged by corps members. The food bank continues to support those in need. – SR
