SALVATIONIST
Light in the darkness
IF you’ve ever had the privilege of being at sea on a cloudy night, you can envisage the pitch darkness. Looking out into the emptiness and not being able to tell the sea from the sky because of the lack of light – it’s an eerie feeling. The vastness of the ocean and insignificance of whatever vessel you happen to be on in comparison. You become very conscious of the light of your own ship and alert to the light of other ships should they suddenly appear on the horizon.
In this, the first of our Advent issues, we’re considering how God’s light shines in the darkness. As we reflect once again on God’s light coming into the world, we are reminded that his light is already here within us. Much like the ship on the ocean, our light is not just to see where we’re going, but also to let others know where we are, where he is – an encouragement, bringing hope and reassurance that they are not alone. May we be God’s light in the darkness, shining his light for all to see. Overcoming loneliness and isolation Befriending and wellbeing
MAJOR JULIAN WATCHORN
Editor
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EDITOR Major Julian Watchorn
MANAGING EDITOR Ivan Radford
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Stevie Hope, George Tanton, Lyn Woods, Major Margaret Bovey, Major Lynne Shaw
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SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS
From the New International Version (2011), unless otherwise stated
INTERNATIONAL LEADERS
General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham
TERRITORIAL LEADERS
Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Julian Watchorn
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© The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory. ISSN 2516-5909.
The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland is SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland is CHY6399.
FOUNDERS William and Catherine Booth
Your time starts now!
As Junior Taskmaster continues on Channel 4, Kathryn Barwise (Dereham) gives us an objective for Advent
IAM an avid watcher of Taskmaster I watch it as a way to switch off my brain and enjoy some comedy and fun. Junior Taskmaster is currently airing on Channel 4 on Fridays at 8pm and I am happy to confess I positively love it! In every episode, five young contestants have to complete tasks that they have to read out loud in front of the Taskmaster’s assistant. The reading of the task normally ends with, ‘Your time starts now!’, followed by a frenzy of activity.
The children hurtle towards the objective of each task full-speed, guns blazing, to make the most effective use of their time. As the season of Advent starts this weekend, it’s incredibly tempting for us to go guns blazing into our objective, eager to complete the task. Certainly both children and adults do this. But what is the task? For what does our ‘time start now’?
a young girl going, ‘Ahhh!’ Needless to say, I was entirely baffled and had no idea what was going on.
Sometimes in life, you might feel like you’ve missed the singular read-out of the task and return quite baffled at the stage everyone else seems to be at. Surely someone gave an instruction while you were gone, you think, but you just can’t work out what it was.
Just so, in the season of Advent, sometimes it can seem like everyone has started before you. ‘Their tree’s already up!’ ‘Their carol service is next week, I haven’t even planned ours yet!’
‘I’ve not got my presents yet – I’m running out of time!’ Cue the frenzy of activity to complete our objective –which is…?
Reflect and respond
How do I stop the ‘time starts now’ frenzy of activity at the start of Advent?
How can I prepare a way for God this Advent?
Do I have time to simply wait and praise his name?
The Bible tells us what will happen at the ‘end’ of Advent: ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:11 English Standard Version). What an impressive way to introduce Jesus!
In the first episode of Junior Taskmaster, the children had a task to hit a target in the most impressive way: one of the kids created a scene in which the Taskmaster’s handy assistant, Mike Wozniak, had to ‘hit’ their finger using an umbrella. It was an incredibly imaginative and entirely unique take on the task. However, when this task was being read out, I was on my usual cup-of-tea-adbreak run and so returned to the living room with no context to see Mike stabbing a target with an umbrella and
We’d probably all immediately think ‘to prepare for the coming Messiah’. But how should we do that? A frenzy of activity? A really imaginative Nativity scene that no one can guess the purpose of?
‘My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Saviour’ (Luke 1:46 and 47 Good News Bible). Mary waited and praised God with joy, for he told her what would happen. We already know what will happen – a Saviour is born this day – so we should praise God all the more, adults and children, as we prepare. Our task? To rest in God’s presence, waiting for the coming Messiah. Go on! Your time starts now!
Picture: Rob Parfitt / Channel 4
Quiz
A musical mystery
Can you solve this songster leader Christmas challenge?
by Garry D Reed
‘Sing
light into this world’
Following her enrolment as a soldier, Onos Odujebe (Sunderland Millfield) reflects on joining God’s mission
Five Christmas songs were placed on a shelf in the following order: ‘As with Gladness Men of Old’, ‘Little Donkey’, ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’, ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, ‘Mary’s Boy Child’.
Five songster leaders were invited to each select one piece.
1 Susan Silfverberg did not select ‘As with Gladness Men of Old’.
2 Graham Goffin did not pick ‘Little Donkey’.
3 Cyril Coles did not opt for ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’ but went for the song next to ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ because ‘Little Donkey’ had been chosen by a woman.
Y journey began when I walked into the corps on Easter Day earlier this year. I now follow Christ’s teachings and have come to adore God’s things.
My devotion to the teachings of our Lord motivated me to become an adherent of The Salvation Army in June.
As we are told – in Matthew 28:16–20 –to go out into the world and proclaim the gospel, I am ecstatic to have joined the army of Jesus Christ. Now, I have made the decision to follow Jesus’ teachings as a loyal soldier.
This Movement is founded on the principles of loving the lost, burning compassion and strong faith. With a heart for God and a hand to man, it exists for the benefit of those who do not belong. I am thankful as I join all of Christ’s soldiers around the world in this mission to win the world over to Jesus, assist in meeting people’s practical needs, and sing light into this world!
4 Henry Heaton did not take ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’.
5 Rachel Rive did not choose ‘Mary’s Boy Child’ but did pick one of the songs at the outside of the row.
Who chose which song?
Susan Silfverberg ‘Little Donkey’, Graham Goffin ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, Cyril Coles ‘Mary’s Boy Child’, Henry Heaton ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’, Rachel Rive ‘As with Gladness Men of Old’
ANSWERS
I’m currently a student at the University of Sunderland doing an MSc in Public Health. I give thanks to the Lord for keeping my daughters safe during the year I’ve been studying in the UK. I had no idea how challenging it would be to balance my academic commitments with motherly feelings. I also want to express my gratitude to the lovely people of Millfield Salvation Army for their unwavering support, encouragement and guidance. I can rely on them to deliver on their commitments, and their kindness, love and smiling faces helped me get through my worst moments.
I’m grateful to God for Major Eddy Arnold’s teachings of doctrine during my soldiership preparatory classes – he is a real inspiration to me.
I also thank the Lord for corps officers Captains Caron and Jon Doyle’s visit when I arrived with my girls, and for their immeasurable love and care, even while I was in Nigeria.
Have you got a testimony to share? Get in touch at salvationist@ salvationarmy.org.uk
Learning to Walk in the Dark
by Barbara Brown Taylor
Continuing an occasional series, Major Lynne Shaw considers a book for reflection and discussion
READING this book for a second time is, if you’ll excuse the pun, illuminating. The first time, I was ready to hear about the goodness contained in the dark. I was drawn in by the way Brown Taylor weaves in stories about what it means to learn to walk in the dark, not just physically but in every meaningful way.
The second time reading, I was ready to hear more details. The power of a good book is to stir us to action and growth. This book is the embodiment of the wisdom of a learned professor, on the board of advisers of Yale Divinity School, who happens to live on a working farm in the Appalachians.
This farm, set far from the lights of the city, allows her to ‘befriend the dark’. This friendship contrasts with how Christians have ‘used “darkness” as a synonym for sin, ignorance, spiritual blindness and death’.
Speaking of how the moon waxes and wanes, Brown Taylor explains that a curiosity opened up within her: ‘What would my life with God look like if I trusted this rhythm instead of opposing it? ... Did I have enough faith to explore the dark instead of using faith to bar all my doors? How much more was in store for me if I could learn to walk in the dark?’
The author takes us with her, reflecting on how she learnt to fear the dark, and especially the dark emotions of grief, fear, sadness and anger. She considers the way artificial light impacts us detrimentally, both in our houses and hearts. And she takes us with her to dining-in-the-dark experiences and an exhibition where fully sighted people experience the world of the visually impaired.
Along the way she uncovers rich lessons: How allowing our emotions to wake us up can lead to deep growth and understanding. Discovering ‘it is possible to savour things that slip right past me in the light’. Learning that there’s an inner light that has nothing to do with seeing. That grace can come to us in the dark. That we can find God’s presence just as much in shrouding darkness as in light.
This book is an invitation to be curious about darkness. The author invites us to practise walking in the dark and exercise the kind of humility we need to acknowledge that we don’t know everything and that, maybe, full solar light is not all there is.
MAJOR LYNNE SHAW Editorial Assistant Publishing Department
CLOSE-UP READING PAGE 57
When we run from darkness, how much do we really know about what we are running from? If we turn away from darkness on principle ... isn’t there a chance that what we are running from is God?
Isaiah 45:7 says: ‘I form light and create darkness.’ Having had experiences as a nightclub waitress and then a priest, Brown Taylor discovered that we’re all seeking company and meaning and kinship. This can happen in the dark, where we can meet each other and God in ways we can’t in the light.
REFLECT AND DISCUSS
In which direction are you running?
What might your life look like if you weren’t scared of the dark and the God you might discover there?
CLOSE-UP READING PAGES 84 AND 85
Eruptions are good news, the signal that darkness will not stay buried... If we can learn to tolerate the whack – better yet, to let it wake us up – we may discover the power hidden in the heart of the pain.
Being frightened by our ‘dark emotions’ can lead to us being cut off from ourselves and the world at large. These emotions want us to wake up and hear what we need to know. Wrestling with our darkness can actually break us out of our isolation.
REFLECT AND DISCUSS
What are you wrestling with? What are you struggling to accept right now?
Read Genesis 32:22–30. Have you received a ‘limp’? What about the blessings found in the darkness?
Light for all
Captain Ian Hammond explores God’s solution to dispel the darkness of our world
JOHN 1:1–14
THE opening to John’s record of the life of Jesus is beautiful, powerful and perhaps just a bit confusing. Who is John so passionate about? Who does he want us so desperately to meet, develop a relationship with and commit our lives to following? What do we think John means when he says: ‘in him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind’ (v4)?
From personal experience, I know who John is talking about. Sometimes, however, that familiarity clouds what I’m reading and leads me to miss the depth and beauty of what John is saying.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
As you carefully read the study passage, what stands out to you?
Who is John introducing?
What does ‘the light of all mankind’ mean to your life?
John’s first three words – ‘In the beginning’ – remind us of the opening of the Creation story in Genesis 1. There, we read that God spoke and all that we know in our world – and much we don’t understand in our universe – came into being. We discover the utter power of God.
John links this creation-bringing power to the person he wants to introduce – the One with God, who is the God through whom everything created was made.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
What links can you see with verse 14?
John tells us that the glory, the power and the sheer wonder of God have come to live with us. Take some time to think about that – the creator God living with and in you.
John uses the analogy of light and emphasises its importance by repeating the word seven times. Why is light so significant to John? What does he want us to think about and know? What does light mean to you?
Perhaps the key question is: What does light represent in biblical terms?
In the Bible, light is about holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, grace and hope. It’s also about God revealing himself – revealing his love, goodness, grace and the hope that he alone brings.
John is telling us that Jesus living among us reveals God to us in all his greatness and all his love. This love cannot be earned. It is so graciously given.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
What difference does Jesus make to you?
What difference does Jesus make to our world?
In verses 4 and 5, John explains that Jesus is the light for all mankind. There are so many ways to think about how this can make a real difference. Jesus, the hope for all mankind, reveals the love, goodness and grace of God. We also have the practical elements of having light – we
can see where we are and where we’re going. Jesus enlightens us about the good things to aim for and the bad things to keep away from.
These are practical things, but there are also deeper emotional things.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
Think about how it feels to lay down in the beauty of God’s creation and relax on a warm sunny day.
How do the light and warmth make you feel?
Sitting here on a wet cold day, I can imagine that feeling of warmth and how it eases my aches and pains. I remember feelings of joy and optimism, and that sense of being held and blessed, safe in warmth with no clouds on the horizon and nothing hard looming.
John wants us to know Jesus, who expresses all the fullness of life God wants for us.
In verse 5, John brings out a contrast to light. The darkness here has biblical significance: evil, sin, pain, death and despair.
What difference does Jesus, the Light, make to this darkness? Jesus shines into it, pushing back the negativity of our world, holding it away from us or sitting with us in it.
How sure is John that Jesus will win this struggle with darkness? John is absolutely certain. He believes that darkness – all the evil, pain and nastiness of our world –will never overcome the light, love, hope, safety and grace that Jesus brings into our world (see v5).
To stay free of darkness, despair and
hopelessness, we need to turn to and live in the light and love of Jesus.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
John outlines another benefit of living in Jesus’ light and love in verse 12. What is it?
John wants us about know that those who receive Jesus are given ‘the right to become children of God’ (v12). Can you imagine the difference this can make to us and to the world?
Receiving Jesus’ light brings us access to all the goodness and hope and love of God and, more than that, we will see that God treats us as his children. Not only has the creative power of God come to live with us and in us, but – because of the gracious love Jesus brings – the great creator God also adopts us as his children; loved by him, cared for by him, held in his arms.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
How does that make you feel?
Sit in God’s presence.
Feel his light and love.
Know that he loves you as his precious child.
CAPTAIN IAN HAMMOND Corps Officer Plymouth Exeter Hall Whitleigh
As of January 2024, Prayer Matters is following a new prayer rhythm, to pray for renewal in this territory’s worship and mission. Each day has a theme, based on the five mission priorities. To read the unedited Prayer Matters booklet, visit salvationist.org.uk/discipleship
SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER: CARE FOR CREATION – PRAYING FOR COP29 – POWER
Pray for those in power as they deliberate together. May they have courage to say and do what is right and just. Give them clarity of vision and help them take the responsibility that comes with the power they hold, whatever the opposition. by Major Heather Poxon (Territorial Environmental Officer)
SUNDAY 1 DECEMBER: SABBATH PRAYER – THE DAWNING OF THE LIGHT
Pray over our world, the darkness of war, sickness and poverty. As in Genesis, we know the Spirit of God is hovering over our world. Nothing is outside his authority. God’s light has overcome the darkness. This Advent, may we bear witness to the light, belong to and radiate the light through our lives. from the Everlasting Light Advent resources
MONDAY 2 DECEMBER: SHARING THE GOOD NEWS – BE A STAR CAMPAIGN
The Salvation Army’s fundraising team is inviting people to ‘be a Sally Army star’ this Christmas, raising money through various activities, including Star Trees and sponsored office Christmas outfit days. Pray that lots of fundraising packs are downloaded and that many do something to raise money to support our social work this Christmas. Pray that people encounter the life-changing presence of God as they fundraise.
by Lyndall Bywater (UKI Boiler Room Team)
TUESDAY 3 DECEMBER: SERVING AND CARING – TERRITORIAL CAROL SERVICE
Celebrating your birth, we pray you will birth in us – and all those attending the carol service – a deeper sense of longing for your presence as Christ, the Messiah, the King of kings, and a deeper understanding of the meaning of Everlasting Light. by Colonel Peter Forrest (Chief Secretary)
WEDNESDAY 4 DECEMBER: GROWING IN FAITH – CORE RECOVERY AT CHRISTMAS Pray for those in recovery who find Christmas stirs feelings of loneliness and sadness because of broken relationships. Christmas parties are places where alcohol is often served, and we pray that hosts of gatherings will be sensitive to the needs of others, especially those who are in recovery from alcohol abuse. We pray that those in recovery will seek support when temptations are strong.
by Major Jill Miller (Core Recovery Team)
THURSDAY 5 DECEMBER: INTERNATIONAL SALVATION ARMY – SOUTH AMERICA WEST TERRITORY
The territory comprises Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, and the leadership team is Colonels Alex and Luz Nesterenko and Lieut-Colonels Raul and Lidia Bernao. Pray God’s blessing on the Army’s work in these nations, particularly as Salvationists share the good news of Christmas in word and deed in their local communities. by Lyndall Bywater (UKI Boiler Room Team)
FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER: JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION – SALVATION ARMY DROP-IN CENTRES
Pray for those who find refuge, safety, warmth and unconditional love when attending our drop-in centres. Pray that every service user will benefit from the care, support and practical assistance offered, and that individuals will not only see but also experience something of the love of Jesus. by Mitch Menagh (Assistant Secretary for Mission)
PRAYER REQUESTS
Do you have something or someone you’d like us to pray for? Email salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk with ‘prayer request’ in the subject line and it will be upheld in prayer.
In the dark streets shineth
Ivan Radford reflects on the promise of God’s everlasting light this Advent and Christmas
AS Advent begins, and we prepare for the brightness of Christmas, it can feel like a gloomy time. Wars and a climate crisis are impacting lives across the globe. People you love may no longer be with you. There are things to organise and bills to pay – you might not be able to afford to switch on your Christmas lights this year. You might be feeling isolated or cut-off from your community. Advent gives us time to acknowledge the darkness – and encounter God within it.
‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ (SASB 118), written in 1868, reminds us that the world has always been a dark place. Today, the streets of Bethlehem haven’t lain still for a long time – riven with conflict, they give a chilling new meaning to the phrase ‘deep and dreamless sleep’. And yet above all this, over all this, there is still the knowledge that the ‘silent stars’ go by. As the second verse puts it, even while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
Even in the darkness, God is here. God has been here since the start. God was here before God switched the lights on. The Message paraphrase of Genesis 1 contains these gorgeous words: ‘First this: God created the Heavens and Earth – all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness’ (vv1 and 2).
It can be easy for our lives to feel like that inky blackness, to be weighed down into a bottomless emptiness by the state of the world, the challenges in our communities, the worries we have for our loved ones. We can be lulled into
a mindset where we dare not dream, where we forget that we do not walk in the dark valleys alone (see Psalm 23:4).
‘Yet in thy dark streets shineth/ The everlasting light,’ declares Phillips Brooks’s timeless carol. The darkness we face isn’t something to keep from God. It is only through meeting with God that we can overcome it. As the first verse poetically sums up: ‘The hopes and fears of all the years/ Are met in thee tonight.’ We don’t go into Christmas without our fears; we bring them to God, who walks with us through them.
‘How silently/ The wondrous gift is given!’ marvels the third verse. Amid the gloom, the carol reminds us we must actively seek out the quiet miracle of God’s gift of Jesus. It can only be received by ‘meek souls’, who remember that we have all walked in darkness at some point, that only through God’s grace can we leave the darkness behind us – the things we regret, the mistakes we have made.
Many in this world are still walking in darkness. Just as ‘we hear the Christmas angels/ The great glad tidings tell’, we are called to share God’s illuminating, lifetransforming light with others.
It is a light that brings hope – and the promise of God’s presence – not in spite of the darkness but in the thick of it. Those words from Genesis are echoed by John, who writes that ‘nothing – not one thing! – came into being without him’ (1:3 MSG). John reassures us that ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (1:5). Because God was there before all
things, because God has always been at work reconciling all things to God (see Colossians 1:20), because God will be there beyond all things, we can be certain that the darkness can never overcome God’s light.
The light is above and over the darkness. It shines a way on our path (see Psalm 119:105). As we reflect it to others, we together live in a light that is immeasurably brighter than we can comprehend (see Ephesians 3:20). It is beyond the constraints and problems of this world, beyond time. It is an enduring, everlasting light.
This Advent, whatever darkness you are currently facing, take time to look for God’s light. It is a light that never goes out. Carry it with you into Christmas and the year ahead.
For more on the theme of Everlasting Light, visit salvationist.org.uk/ resources/advent-2024.
The Longest Night
Hannah Clifton shares how a new Advent prayer space is meeting people where they’re at
THE Longest Night started taking shape in a muddy field in Kettering last August, where I sat captivated by the On Death and Dying panel discussion at Greenbelt Festival. It was an incredibly moving exploration of personal and public narratives about such vulnerable subjects, and it was a call to action for everyone: taboos harm people, and we need to be better and braver about having daunting conversations.
I was struck by the mention of seasonal grief, when traditions and memories bring with them reminders of loss. Christmas is often a significant one. For many years, Blue Christmas services have been popular in churches in the USA, acknowledging that jolly carols and sparkly decorations can gloss over the reality of the season for people who are grieving. How beautiful that those faith communities have created a way to say: ‘We see you. You don’t have to pretend here.’ I wanted to create something similar for my community.
I knew, however, that Christmas wouldn’t only be difficult for those who have been bereaved. People in my community and beyond know poverty, disappointment, relationship breakdown, ill health, political unrest, conflict, exhaustion and anxiety all too well. We needed a space with a much broader context to process all the tough
stuff of life without what might feel like empty optimism or trite resolutions.
The Longest Night was the result: a drop-in reflection and prayer space that zooms into each character in the Christmas story, looking for parallels with our stories and where we might find hope. The event is rooted in the Christian tradition, but is designed for people of any or no faith to access.
The Christmas story weaves us, thread by thread, into connection with people who understood these feelings and experiences 2,000 years ago. Elizabeth and Zechariah knew the waiting and disappointment of infertility. Mary knew societal shame as an unwed mother. Joseph knew worry for his family’s safety. The magi knew exhaustion and spiritual longing. The shepherds knew fear of change and the reality of manual labour. Herod’s soldiers might have felt inner conflict, following commands at the expense of their own consciences. The parents of the baby boys slaughtered by those soldiers certainly knew grief. God’s people knew centuries of unmet hopes, poverty and oppression; there was collective grief there too.
Participants are invited to drop in to the space and move around prayer stations at their own pace. Each station has a written prompt and some practical activities to aid reflection, with team members available for
pastoral conversation. We noticed at last year’s event that some people struggled with written prompts, so this year’s event will also include an audio guide for each station, with MP3 players and headphones to borrow.
I am grateful to have had the encouragement of the Sheerness Salvation Army team – and the wisdom and patience of Major Joan Phillips – to help develop The Longest Night. I am also grateful that other churches and communities have expressed interest in running their own. If you are nearby Sheerness for this year’s event, the team would be delighted to welcome you.
The Longest Night will take place at Sheerness from 2pm to 8pm on Sunday 22 December. If you’re interested in running The Longest Night where you are at any time, email hannah.clifton@ salvationarmy.org.uk to receive a copy of all the resources, including editable posters and a facilitator guide.
HANNAH CLIFTON Sheerness
Shining together
Major Paul Robinson introduces a national ecumenical initiative to share the light this Christmas
IS there anything not to like about Christmas? Cards, gifts, family, turkey and all the trimmings, mince pies –admittedly, the dreaded Brussels sprout could be left off the list. There is light and fun and music. It’s beautiful. Yet, Christmas can be lonely and sad for some. Is there not an in-between Christmas to be had?
Last year, a soap actor was passing the band and said to me that we had made her Christmas. That struck me. What Christians have to offer does not rely on expensive gifts, food or parties, it relates to making the message of Christmas a reality.
The Salvation Army has a rich heritage of living out and sharing the message of Christmas through practical service and Christian ministry in every conceivable place. Christians have taken the message of Immanuel to Army halls, churches, schools, hospitals, hospices, prisons. Even the streets of our nation have heard the declaration of the Church: ‘Mild he lays his glory by,/ Born that man no more may die,/ Born to raise the sons of earth,/ Born to give them second birth’ (SASB 108). If all our efforts help bring one person to faith this year, Heaven will be filled with rejoicing. For the second year running, Shine Your Light wants all Christians of every denomination to be involved. Friday 13 to Sunday 15 December has been set aside to encourage all Christians to share the light this Christmas.
Activities do not have to be that weekend. As Salvationists, we love to fill the whole of Advent with opportunities to make someone’s Christmas. Why not
invite fellow Christians who are not so used to being so public, or those from smaller churches who might not have the resources to do? what we so readily do. If your band is playing in the street, invite the church down the road to provide voices or hand out leaflets introducing Immanuel, God with us.
Last year, Shine Your Light saw more than 75,000 Christians taking out the message of Christmas. This year, the vision is to mobilise more than 100,000 Christians to make an even bigger impact. Imagine bringing Christmas to everyone in your community. We cannot do it on our own but, together, we can do so much.
Paul told the early Church: ‘Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!’ (1 Corinthians 12:4–11 The Message).
What activities are you involved in? Share them, let others join the fun and make Christmas for everyone. Together, public activities, community activities and events in our halls, schools, hospitals, hospices, prisons and streets can make such a difference.
If your neighbour is struggling, pop around and share a cup of tea, a mince pie, half an hour of your time. If you’re struggling, invite someone to share the message of Christmas with you. If you believe that Christmas can be a time of revival and growth, pray. Pray for your community, your corps, your family, yourself.
5 ways to join in
1 Take the Christmas message outside your hall.
2 Pray for and bless your community.
3 Share a testimony, story or gospel presentation.
4 Update your salvationarmy. org.uk webpage to promote your local activities.
5 Register on shineyourlight.org. uk and share your plans there too!
I have a vision where every corps, Lifehouse, charity shop and headquarters will be a shining beacon, making Christmas for everyone. And there are thousands more Christians who want to join us – and want us to join them. Let’s make the most significant impact the nation has ever seen.
• For information, resources and to register for Shine Your Light, go to shineyourlight.org.uk.
MAJOR PAUL ROBINSON Territorial Ecumenical Officer
African Praise Fellowship Zimbabwe celebrates 20 years
BIRMINGHAM CITADEL
THE African Praise Fellowship Zimbabwe celebrated 20 years of its ministry in the UKI Territory.
The celebration was a showcase of Zimbabwean talent praising the Lord, featuring all musical brigades, including hosho, timbrels, songsters, brass and worship bands and youth. The guests of honour were the international secretaries for the Africa Zone, Commissioners Keith and Yvonne Conrad.
In addition to live performances and speeches, the programme featured recorded interviews of retired officers from Zimbabwe, Commissioner Stanslous Mutewera, Commissioners Amos and Rosemary Makina and several past and present fellowship members.
Delegates were treated to a rich Zimbabwean buffet for lunch.
Major Jonny Smith, African Praise Fellowship Zimbabwe’s executive officer, read a message from Territorial Leaders Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main congratulating the fellowship on this significant milestone.
Major Jonny also appointed Fungisai Mushawa (Birmingham Citadel) as the new chairperson of the fellowship, taking over from Stephen Kanengoni (Cannock).
A combined musical performance sent delegates home on a high note. – WM
EVENT
BRISTOL CITADEL Last year, the corps started to use the Drawing Closer, Digging Deeper resource for a six-week programme. The group is still meeting every other week to colour, discuss, share prayer and enjoy coffee together. Under the leadership of Sarah Lee, the group has become a joyful ‘holistic small group’ and everyone is welcome to join. – CB
PARKHEAD Young People’s Sergeant-Major Grace Baxter led the YP annual, themed around being strong and relying on God. Helped by EJ Grace and Karen Dunn, the children received prizes and agreed it was a good time of fun and fellowship! After, everyone gathered for Messy Church. They enjoyed fajitas and jelly and cream and learnt about being superheroes by making green slime ‘kryptonite’ and face masks. – AD
WELLING The corps hosted a light party for families connected to the corps. They enjoyed creating edible art by decorating bread with food colouring. There was also a selection of light-themed crafts. The evening ended with a game of prayer pass the parcel, which had the families singing, dancing and shouting praises to God. This was the second year running the corps has hosted a light party and the number of attendees doubled! – KS
NORWICH CITADEL A Remembrance concert, organised by Corps Sergeant-Major Matthew Peek, was an opportunity for people to celebrate freedom and remember those who gave their lives to preserve it. It also raised much-needed funds for the charity Walking with the Wounded, who were represented by Assistant Songster Leader Tom Grimshaw. The concert featured the Royal British Legion, community choir Rockavox, the timbrel brigade, the band, vocal soloists Katy Woodhouse and Hannah Mappledoram and piano soloist Eloise Peek. Songster Sophia Grimshaw decorated the hall with more than 300 knitted poppies for the occasion. – AB
REMEMBRANCE
CHILDREN AND YOUTH
EVENT
WOODBRIDGE The completion of the hall’s refurbishment was marked by a special service, with town mayor Councillor Robin Saunders and deputy mayor Councillor Ruth Leach in attendance. The project involved the installation of disabled toilets and a shower for rough sleepers. Other changes included the extension of the kitchen in preparation for a hearty meal on Christmas Day. Corps officer Major Alan Hill said: ‘It will let us move forward with new ventures, including starting a job club, offering a breakfast on Sundays and introducing an afternoon church service.’ – AR
REMEMBRANCE
The band led a march of several hundred people to the war memorial in Page Park, where more than a thousand onlookers gathered for a Remembrance service, led by corps officer Major Colin Hylton-Jones. Band Sergeant Beth Ewins sounded the Last Post and Reveille. – VW
CLOWNE On Remembrance Sunday, the band paraded to the war memorial to honour those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The community was well represented, and a sterling effort was made by the parish council to make this annual event successful and poignant. – GH
COMMUNITY
New projects provide dignity and safety
JERSEY
A LARGE crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of two new projects.
The Pantry Store is Jersey’s first social supermarket. It will offer subsidised groceries, toiletries, baby items and pet food for people identified as being in food poverty.
May Cottages is a new housing development that saw the refurbishment of three once-derelict units. These will become safe, secure temporary homes for families in crisis and in danger of becoming homeless.
Corps officers Captains Alice and Richard Nunn explained that, since the corps food bank opened at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, they have seen more and more people seeking help. The Pantry Store will eventually replace the food bank and will provide shopping with dignity for the many hundreds of households struggling on the island.
Secretary for Business Administration Lieut-Colonel Paul Kingscott (THQ) and Dr Karen Kyd – deputising for her husband, the Lieut-Governor of Jersey – joined a large crowd that included donors and suppliers. The projects are based in a suite of buildings that also houses a worship hall, a successful community café, a hub and a charity shop. The next phase is recruiting staff ahead of a launch next year.
The weekend also included 145th corps anniversary celebrations, led by Divisional Leader Major Mike Lloyd-Jones and Lieut-Colonel Paul. – CLF
LEIGH-ON-SEA Councillor Daniel Cowan, leader of Southend-on-Sea city council, visited the parent-and-toddler group and preschool. He helped the preschool with their Remembrance Sunday activity by making a handprint, which was used to make a poppy. He also heard about the work that the corps does in the community. – RD/CD
CIRENCESTER On Remembrance Sunday, the band provided music for services at war memorials in Barnsley, Ablington and Bibury. Bandsman David Grace, Songster Leader Helen Grace and Corps Treasurer Mark Walters sounded the Last Post and Reveille. On Armistice Day, Mark sounded the bugle calls for a service at the war memorial in Down Ampney, from where paratroopers and gliders left for the D-Day landings and other activities 80 years ago. – MG
STAPLE HILL
BRIEF UPDATES
PARKHEAD Corps officer Captain Amy Jo Battersby joined members and clergy of local churches for a community prayer walk. The walkers called in at churches on the route and were encouraged to see so many churches uniting in prayer. – AD
BOGNOR REGIS Corps officer Major Sarah Butler led a pledge meeting for Generous Discipleship, which the corps followed for a week. Generous Discipleship Team Leader Denise Wilkinson (THQ) also supported the programme. – AH
STAPLE HILL Michael Blowers began a 14 hour piano marathon at 5.30am. With an hour for every decade that the corps has existed, the event honoured over 140 years of corps pianists and raised funds towards building costs. Passers by, shoppers and members of the congregation dropped in throughout to offer support and make donations, and heard music from the early days of the Army through to modern worship songs. The day concluded with worship, and more than £2,800 was raised. – VW
BRADFORD ORCHARD The Lifehouse has teamed up with charity Vision Care for Homeless People and Specsavers to provide lifechanging free eye tests and glasses to people who are experiencing homelessness. The monthly service has helped 50 people so far. Day Shelter Programme Manager Jordan Bruen said: ‘Lots of people had not accessed opticians for years. Their eyesight had been deteriorating and they’d not been able to do anything about it, they had got used to having poor vision. They get to pick their own frames, which are then delivered to the day shelter, where clients are more comfortable.’ – HW
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DENNISTOUN Corps officer Captain Amy Jo Battersby led proceedings at the community Remembrance service, with more than 100 community members, local leaders and organisations present. A veteran herself, Captain Amy Jo considered it a privilege to be part of this significant occasion. Flora Muir laid a wreath on behalf of the corps. – AD
CARDIFF CANTON The Remembrance weekend commenced with a well‑attended coffee morning on Saturday, featuring a display of hundreds of crafted poppies. On Remembrance Sunday, the band participated in the National Service of Remembrance for Wales in Cardiff city centre, attended by civic, political and religious representatives as well as sections from the armed forces and civilian bodies. During the following week, a time of reflection was held in the Monday home league meeting, and the band presented a special Remembrance programme on the Tuesday evening. – GN
IPSWICH CITADEL The band participated in the town’s Remembrance service, with Bandmaster Andrew Jacobs laying a wreath on behalf of The Salvation Army. A Remembrance display created in the hall foyer also reminded people of the significance of the time. – DC
EMERGENCY AID
MYANMAR The Salvation Army is assisting 600 families affected by floods by providing food parcels, bedding, drinking water, and nutritional support. Each parcel contains 20kg of rice, 1 litre of cooking oil, 1kg of lentils and 6 litres of water. Vital household items are also being offered to 100 families. The Army is actively supporting some of the most heavily impacted areas and communities. Floods and landslides have severely damaged homes, livelihoods and essential infrastructure, including health facilities, schools and bridges. The Army is supporting people’s right to life with dignity, their right to receive humanitarian assistance and their right to protection and security. – JA
THAILAND The Salvation Army is helping 500 families affected by severe flooding in Chiang Rai by providing essential clean water, food and bedding until the end of the year. Every parcel includes 10kg of rice, 1 litre of cooking oil, a box of instant noodles, a blanket, a bucket and 12 bottles of water. The flooding has created a humanitarian crisis that requires immediate action. The Army is committed to working with local leaders and community members to address the most urgent needs and aid the recovery of the affected populations. – JA
MIKE Baker and his team of volunteers attended the Suffolk Fire and Rescue annual awards ceremony and were presented with the Cabinet Member award for Volunteer of the Year by Councillor Steve Wiles. Mike and the team have been supporting emergency services across Suffolk since 1978, and worked out of the back of people’s cars for 25 years. Mike paid tribute to his team of volunteers and said the success of the unit is dependent on their support and dedication. The team is on standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. They have been called out to more than 450 incidents in Suffolk and elsewhere. Mike and Patricia Baker are pictured with Major Kevin Pitt (Stowmarket). – TG
DURING the visit of the International Staff Band, Staff Bandmaster Stephen Cobb presented Alan Bowd (Abertillery) with a certificate of appreciation in recognition of his service to the South and Mid Wales Fellowship Band, of which he was a founding member. – AB
CORPS officer Major Matt Elsey presented Gwen Wyatt with a certificate in recognition of her long service as corps hall cleaner for 20 years. Gwen has now retired but is continuing as cleaner at Torquay Corps. It is a valued job that is needed. Well done, Gwen, for your years of service for the Lord. – AS
DURING the young people’s annual prizegiving, corps officer Major Colin Hylton-Jones presented Young People’s Treasurer Jen Palfreman with a certificate of recognition as she retired after 44 years’ service in the role. Jen also received a letter of thanks from Divisional Commander Major Paul Billard. – VW
AROUND 50 members of the finance team gathered, in person and online, to celebrate with Michael Lawson as he was presented with a certificate of retirement by Territorial Leader Commissioner Paul Main. Mike, a dedicated member of the team since 1981, concluded his remarkable 42 years and 11 months of service, which began at National Headquarters on Queen Victoria Street. During his speech, he reflected on his career with the Army. His narrative and those who gave thanks to Mike’s service also highlighted a life devoted to Christian service. His contributions spanned a wide array of charity and interest groups, school boards, political organisations and church activities. He was accompanied by his wife, Carolyn, as the team, led by Territorial Finance Secretary Major Richard Waters, expressed their deep gratitude to Mike. – CM
STAPLE HILL
THQ
Picture:
BRISTOL SOUTH
CHARLOTTE and Olivia were enrolled as junior soldiers. Charlotte’s grandma, Major Yvonne Frederiksen (Harlow with Waltham Abbey), conducted her enrolment and Olivia was enrolled by corps officer Captain Clare Kinsey. – SN
REGENT HALL
BEFORE leaving for university, Harriet Stewart was welcomed as an adherent by corps officer Major Geoff Chape. She testified to why this step is important and chose music and songs to enhance the meeting, including ‘Your Grace Still Amazes Me’ from the songsters and ‘Guardian of My Soul’ from the band. Harriet has been involved with the singing company and it was particularly moving to hear them sing as she signed the Adherent’s Certificate at the mercy seat with her chosen prayer partner. Also pictured is Flag Bearer Robin Moorwood. – LC
GLOUCESTER
AMBER was enrolled as a junior soldier by corps officer Captain James Addis. She was very keen to become a junior soldier and read the Junior Soldier’s Promise with a big smile. Also pictured are Young People’s Sergeant-Major Mike Webb and Paul Garwood holding the flag. – AB
ST ALBANS
IT’S not every day someone makes a 200-mile journey to link up with The Salvation Army. June Williamson lives in Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales, many miles from the nearest corps. She made her commitment as an adherent after corps officers Captains Eun Ok Shin and Wan Gi Lee travelled to Wales to conduct the funeral of one of their own members, Sue Wright, who had moved there with her husband, Tony. They brought the corps flag with them and made a lasting impression in the town with hundreds lining the streets and cemetery to pay their respects. June frequently travels to St Albans to take part in worship there and joins in many corps activities. Also pictured are Tony Wright and his son, Edward, who is involved in corps community outreach. – BH
BECCLES
RICHARD and Vanessa Korbel were welcomed as adherents by corps leader Territorial Envoy Harry Woods. Richard and Vanessa have been attending the corps for a couple of years and we delight in their commitment to our church and the fellowship. Vanessa chose two vibrant songs by the Chuck Wagon Gang: ‘The Joy of Heaven’ and ‘There Is Sunshine in My Soul’ (SASB 737). Readings from John 3:16 and 1 Timothy 2:5 were shared. – LW
STAPLEFORD
HANNAH Shelton was welcomed as an adherent by corps officer Captain Huw Dutfield during the Harvest celebrations. Hannah has grown up through the Sunday school, taking part in the YP band and singing company. Also pictured are Adherents Secretary Frank Taylor and Hannah’s prayer partner for more than 10 years, Christine Dunmore. – FT
GRIMSBY
ALAN and Tracey were welcomed as adherents by corps officer Major Kenny Gardner. The couple began attending the Cup of Joy café following an invitation from their neighbour, Gladys, a lifelong Salvationist. Alan and Tracey had struggled to find a place of worship where they felt comfortable. Alan said it can be quite daunting walking into a church, but the café made them feel comfortable and welcome. The couple regularly attend Sunday worship and look forward to learning more about God’s plans for their lives. They are pictured with their son, Nathan, who will soon be taking junior soldiership classes. – KG
MOTHER and son, Joy and Kris Robinson, were enrolled as soldiers over Zoom by corps officer Captain Rob Westwood-Payne. Joy and Kris asked to join the corps online, having linked up through the Battle Drill daily devotional podcast. Previously linked with Grays Corps, they moved to a remote part of northern Scotland during the Covid-19 lockdowns and were unable to attend their nearest corps due to difficulties with transport. They immediately engaged with our online Growth Group and various WhatsApp groups, enabling them to be integrated into the corps family. The enrolment ceremony formed a large part of the Sunday meeting a few weeks later, as the whole corps welcomed them as what is thought to be the first soldiers enrolled in the UKI Territory. – RW-P
SHIREBROOK
RENEE Guy was enrolled as a soldier by corps officers Captains David and Lorna White. Renee first came to the corps aged six and loved Sunday school. She was married at 16 and could no longer attend the corps. Renee attended another local church for 24 years, yet it never felt right and eventually she left. She never lost her faith. One night she was praying and clearly heard the Holy Spirit telling her to go home. Immediately all the lovely memories from her childhood spent at the Army came flooding back. In 2022 she walked back into our corps and felt she had come home. In February 2023 Renee became an adherent but knew the Lord was not done with her. She is now a soldier and is proud to hold the banner high. Holding the flag is Corps Sergeant-Major Stephen Hicks. – LW
MALTBY
FAITH was enrolled as a junior soldier by her grandmother, Major Sylvia Bird. She is the first junior soldier to be enrolled at the corps for a number of years. Family and friends joined to celebrate this momentous occasion. – SB
SLEAFORD
SANDY Thomas was welcomed as an adherent by corps officer Major Dawn McGarvey during a meeting led by divisional leaders Majors Lindy and Mark Rose. Sandy spoke of the sense of family and fellowship she had found at the corps and chose ‘At the Name of Jesus’ (SASB 74), which had followed her since school days. Also pictured is Recruiting Sergeant Lynda Tasker. – NM
STAPLE HILL
DURING the young people’s annual prizegiving, Luca was enrolled as a junior soldier by corps officer Major Nicola Hylton-Jones. Luca came to the corps three years ago with his family from Wanchai Corps in Hong Kong. They have since been joined by several other Hong Kong families. Luca is learning to play the baritone and looks forward to joining the junior band. – VW
MAIDENHEAD
Local officers appointed
BAND LIBRARIAN
MICHAEL TURNER , Clowne
Dedicated to God
EZME MANFORD, daughter of Kelvin and Sammy Manford, at Wrexham by Captain Claire Durrant
HEIDI OYEBADE, daughter of Joy and Timileyin Oyebade, at Rotherham by Captains Christianne and Tim Swansbury
DANIEL WEBSTER , son of Hayley and Jack Webster, at Rotherham by Captains Christianne and Tim Swansbury
Promoted to Glory
BAND SERGEANT
LES BETTS, Stockton
JANET JOHNSTON, Portsmouth Citadel
CORPS SERGEANTMAJOR NIGEL
McDONALD, Poole
TREVOR GOTOBED, Blackpool Citadel, on 21 September
MAJOR CHRISTINE
CLEMENT from Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, on 13 November
CAPTAIN JENNY
DIBSDALL from Ascot Grange Care Home on 13 November
Bereaved
MAJOR GRAHAM
BUCKLE of his sister Janet Johnston
ROSEMARY
McDONALD, Poole, of her husband Corps
Sergeant-Major Nigel McDonald, Paul and Sarah of their father
ENGAGEMENTS
Territorial Leaders Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main
Mon 2 Dec Glebe Court
Tue 3 Dec Royal Albert Hall (Celebrating Christmas with The Salvation Army)
Chief Secretary Colonel Peter Forrest and Territorial Secretary for Leader Development Colonel Julie Forrest
Tue 3 Dec Royal Albert Hall (Celebrating Christmas with The Salvation Army)
Wed 11 Dec William Booth College (Together in Worship)
NOTICES
Everlasting Light
Resources for Advent and Christmas using this year’s theme of Everlasting Light are available at salvationist.org.uk/resources. They include teaching starters and PowerPoint templates, as well as logos, graphics and colour schemes to help people prepare for, celebrate and share the Everlasting Light of Jesus in a world of darkness.
Christmas top 10: Vote for your favourite carol!
Salvationist Radio will be presenting a festive chart show featuring the top 10 carols as voted for by you! Keep an eye on salvationist.org.uk/radio to have your say soon. Voting closes on 15 December.
Poetry Corner
Salvationist is bringing back Poetry Corner for Christmas! If you have a Christmas-inspired poem you would like to share, email it to salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk for consideration by 9 December.
Artists’ Corner
Have you created a painting, drawing or something artistic inspired by your faith that you’d like to share in Artists’ Corner? We’d love to hear from you: email salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk to find out more.
SOUNDS
Sunday Worship
Join Salvationists across the territory in worship, with music, prayer and a Bible message from a guest speaker. This week’s message is from international secretaries for the Europe Zone Commissioners Cedric and Lyn Hills (IHQ). Can’t join us at 11am on Sundays? Catch up with the weekly podcast of highlights. Each week’s broadcast is repeated in full on Sundays at 6pm, Mondays at 12am and Thursdays at 9am.
• Listen online at salvationist.org.uk/radio
Sing
to
the Lord with the ISS
Enjoy favourite recordings from the International Staff Songsters chosen by a special guest. Can’t tune in at 5pm on Sunday? The episode is repeated in full on Tuesday 3 December at 10am and on Saturday 7 December at 3pm.
• Listen online at salvationist.org.uk/radio
Faith in Sport
Join Sports Mission Specialist Rob Moye (THQ) as he meets people who connect their passion for Jesus with their love of sport. This episode features Director of Mission Gary Smith (SATCoL).
• Listen online at salvationist.org.uk/podcasts
Morning Praise with Kids Alive!
Get your day started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles! Listen on Saturdays from 7.30am to 8am. Can’t tune in on Saturday morning? The broadcast is also repeated in full on Sundays at 9am and Mondays at 7.30am.
• Listen online at salvationist.org.uk/radio
Sunday Wake-Up with Lyndall Bywater
Ease yourself into the day with a relaxed mix of music, chat and a few inspirational moments to stir your soul. Listen from 7am to 9am on Sundays.
• Listen online at salvationist.org.uk/radio
NORMAN CORRY BELFAST TEMPLE
NORMAN was born in Belfast in 1930. His parents and grandparents were active Salvationists at Ballymacarrett Mountpottinger, later to become Belfast Temple Corps.
He was an enthusiastic Salvationist with an adventurous spirit and a fun-loving personality. He enjoyed networking and organising special fundraising events at the corps. As a keen bandsman, he could competently play most instruments if needed. He also had a fine tenor voice and served for many years in the songster brigade.
Norman was married to Audrey for almost 70 years and was very proud of their three children, Laura, Alan and Peter. Latterly, with his declining health Norman was unable to attend meetings but continued to show great interest in the corps and the Army in general.
He will be remembered for his lyrical and sensitive flugelhorn playing, especially his solo renditions of ‘Christ is All’, which brought many great blessings over the years. – JC
JEAN GRIMSHAW WOMBWELL WITH BARNSLEY
JEAN Grimshaw was born in 1936 into a Salvationist family.
Jean was the home league treasurer, cradle roll sergeant and the primary Sunday school teacher for many years. Jean was a respected and valued member of the corps.
In recent years, as her health failed, she became very frail but remained committed to God, her family and her friends. Even a few weeks before her death, she was singing to God.
Jean will always be missed by her children and the corps. Servant of God, well done. – AT
Please note members’ tributes submitted for publication should be no longer than 150 words. Good quality pictures will be included. Copy should be sent to salvationist@ salvationarmy.org.uk
RUTH SHARP GILLINGHAM
‘LIFE in all its fullness’ was expressed beautifully in Ruth Sharp, the teacher, friend, encourager, pray-er, testifier, musician, generous supporter, gardener, family woman and sister in Christ.
At the piano warming up before the meeting, she would play ‘Just Where He Needs Me’ (SASB 944). The chorus summarised her testimony. Having moved to Gillingham when she married Peter Sharp in the mid-1950s, she faithfully served her Lord there for nearly 70 years. By profession as an infant schoolteacher, at the corps she fulfilled various roles including primary sergeant, young people’s treasurer and accompanist to the singing company and songsters. She supported at least 13 different leaders. Ruth accompanied our sung worship as usual just two weeks before her promotion to Glory.
She was known for her smile and a forward-looking approach to life, reflecting: ‘By love he’s bound me to serve him joyfully.’ – AM
GORDON HANN DUDLEY
GORDON was born in Gloucester in 1942. He attended Gloucester Cathedral school and was a choir boy at Gloucester Cathedral. He joined The Salvation Army in Gloucester when he was 13 years old. He enjoyed playing in the band, having taught himself to play different instruments.
Gordon married Val and eventually they moved to Devon in 1972 and attended Torquay Corps with their three sons, Paul, Kevin and Peter. Gordon and Val became envoys at Dawlish Corps in the 1980s and they were leaders there for five years. In 2010 they moved to Stourbridge and became members of Dudley Corps. Gordon joined the band as this was an important part of his ministry, playing for his Lord. Gordon’s faithful service to the Lord was an example to many and he will be missed by those who knew him. – LW
NORMA BARTRAM CASTLEFORD
BORN in 1940 in Langold, Norma’s faith in Jesus was encouraged from an early age. Norma married Len in 1962 and had four children: Jackie, Gregg, Rachel and Andrew. She was always drawn to The Salvation Army due to historic family connections. A conversation with the corps officer in Worksop town centre led Norma to take her children to the corps. From there, her connection with the Army developed and, as her faith in Jesus grew, she was enrolled as a soldier. Norma became the pianist for the singing company and later became the home league secretary. The life and soul of any gathering, Norma thrived on being with people. She loved to organise trips and social gatherings, using her God-given gift of hospitality to serve others. Norma’s love of music never left her, and she always managed to use her voice to sing praise for her Saviour.
– RP
TOM CABLE STAPLE HILL
TOM was born in Bristol on 1 April 1928 into a Christian family. With his three sisters, he was deeply involved in corps activities at Bristol Bedminster. His role model was his grandfather, who was a fine Christian and whose knowledge of the Bible was extensive. Tom married Ruth Young in 1957 and they had a son, Mark, and daughter, Alison. Tom and Ruth transferred to Staple Hill, where Tom took his place in the band and songsters. A lifelong Bristol City FC fan, Tom attended matches with Mark whenever he could, and he also enjoyed banding in all its forms. In later years, Tom enjoyed watching the meetings online and was more recently able to attend Page Park Praise held monthly in the summer months. Although in residential care, Tom took an active interest in everything that took place at the corps and loved discussing his faith with visitors and family. – VW
