Quotes from the media

CHURCH GOES SOFT AS RULES ON CUSHIONS ARE OVERTURNED

Churchgoers could finally be granted respite from sore bottoms and chilly toes and will be helping to save the planet at the same time, thanks to a change in church rules.

The Church of England has set out plans to cut red tape to make it easier for parishes to install cushions on uncomfortable wooden pews and to lay down rugs between rows of seats.

The changes to church laws have been drawn up with both comfort and climate in mind. The use of soft furnishings in churches … retain heat and reduce the need to crank up the heating in draughty church buildings.

A raft of amendments has been proposed to church laws to reduce bureaucracy for parishes wanting to make eco-friendly alterations, including the addition of electric vehicle charging points, solar panels, green boilers, new insulation, draught proofing or ‘soft furnishings’…

Previously, a parish required court permission to introduce cushions if they might ‘result in a change to the overall appearance of the church’.

The Times

MORE ETHNIC MINORITY CLERGY TO ATTEND MEETINGS OF SENIOR BISHOPS IN ‘CATALYST FOR CHANGE’ FOR CHURCH OF ENGLAND

New plans have been agreed for more clergy from minority ethnic backgrounds to attend meetings of senior bishops in the Church of England.

The House of Bishops, which is made up of the most senior clerics in the Church, has agreed that from the spring there should be at least 10 members from UK minority ethnic or global majority heritage backgrounds represented.

At present, only 4 out of 53 positions in the House of Bishops are filled by minority ethnic clergy. It’s hoped the new rules will be a catalyst for ... making the Church of England more representative...

The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, said: ‘This may seem like a small step to some, but it ensures that a diversity of voices and experiences enriches the discussions of the House of Bishops as we seek to be a Church that truly embraces people of global majority heritage at every level of its life.’

Premier

AFGHANISTAN REPLACES NORTH KOREA AS MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO BE A CHRISTIAN

Afghanistan has topped the Open Doors 2022 World Watch List (WWL) of the 50 countries where Christians face the worst persecution.

North Korea was number one on the list for 20 years but the ... Taliban takeover has pushed Afghanistan to the top spot.

Open Doors warned of Christian men ‘facing almost certain death’ if their faith is discovered. For women and girls, the price of their faith is being married to young Taliban fighters as the ‘spoils of war’, or being trafficked…

Much of the tiny, hidden Christian population of Afghanistan has now fled to rural regions or refugee camps in neighbouring countries, according to the human rights group, but many of these countries are also hostile to Christians…

Open Doors also expressed continued concern about the plight of Christians in North Korea, where it said persecution reached record levels this year despite the country falling from the top of the WWL.

Christian Today

THOUSANDS OF STUDENT GAMBLING ADDICTS ‘SPENDING £30 A WEEK ON HABIT’

Thousands of [students with a gambling addiction] are spending an average of £30 a week on betting, racking up debts and missing out on university life to fund their habit, research has found.

In a survey of 2,000 students, 80 per cent said they gambled, with 35 per cent of those who did admitting using their student loan, bank overdrafts, borrowing from friends or taking out payday loans.

Of those who gambled, 41 per cent said it had led to them missing lectures, assignment deadlines or social activities.

There are about 2.5 million students in the UK, indicating that hundreds of thousands are suffering financial or social harm due to gambling.

The Guardian

SALVATIONIST

salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist Issue No 1844

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.

CONTACT US

020 7367 4890 (main) / 020 7367 4901 (editor) salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk

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@SalvationistOnline @SalvationistUK

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. FOUNDER William Booth

GENERAL Brian Peddle

TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHING SECRETARY

Major Mal Davies

TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS

101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN 0845 634 0101

TO SERVE THE PRESENT AGE

YOU may – or may not – be old enough to remember US Christian singer-songwriter Keith Green, who tragically died in a plane crash in 1982, aged just 28. He’s perhaps best known for such songs as ‘There Is a Redeemer’ and ‘Oh, Lord, You’re Beautiful’.

An ordained minister and a keen student of theology, Green once made the insightful comment: ‘This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the Earth.’ He recognised that, as a steward or custodian of Christianity while he lived a life of faith, he had a responsibility to introduce others to Christ. He couldn’t witness to prior generations or those to come, but he could witness to the ‘harvest’ in front of him. That always reminds me of these words by Charles Wesley: ‘To serve the present age,/ My calling to fulfil,/ O may it all my powers engage/ To do my Master’s will’ (SASB 946).

As I consider some of the articles in this week’s Salvationist, I’m led to reflect on how we are serving ‘the present age’ – both in the variety of methods used and the genuine intent to win people into the Kingdom and alleviate suffering where we see it.

The first in a series of Self-Denial Appeal articles focuses on one of our mission priorities: caring for creation. It mentions relieving poverty and helping those experiencing food shortages and it talks of the Army’s work in ‘helping people increase resilience’ in the face of great challenges. We serve the present age by helping people in urgent need.

Another new series commences with Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts writing about the spiritual discipline of journaling. She comments on the benefits of this form of prayer and reflection, which seeks to experience God in a personal and intimate way. We serve the present age by encouraging believers to grow stronger, deeper and bolder in their faith.

You can also read about Welling Corps. During the Covid-19 pandemic they have had to consider how inclusive they are. They recognised that the ‘single biggest need’ their community has is a ‘desire for friendship and connection’. ‘We meet these needs by opening the door,’ writes corps officer Captain Katy Shubotham. We serve the present age by being welcoming and building relationships with people.

Following an interview with Online Content Editor Bethany Gibson (Salvationist 1 January) about the upcoming launch of salvationist.org.uk, people from various THQ departments help to introduce this new territorial website, explaining how it will benefit their ministry and service. We serve the present age by building our digital presence and extending our reach to a broader audience.

Jeff Morton’s ‘Viewpoint’ article considers how a message about sin might seem irrelevant to non-believers today. Is sin still to be discussed or is the concept considered anachronistic? Are there more positive messages – about eternal life, for example – we should focus on sharing? We serve the present age by considering age-old principles and seeking to be relevant to seekers.

What about you? How are you serving the present age? What role are you playing in reaching ‘this generation of souls on the Earth’?

As we pray for The Salvation Army, let’s remember that we are The Salvation Army! You and I are the current custodians of our faith. Let’s be diligent as we seek to love God and love others.

From the editor-in-chief Major Mal Davies

CONTENTS

Quotes from the media 2

News 4 and 5

Prayer matters 5

Self-Denial 2022 6

Caring for creation

by Captain Jo Moir

Army Snippets 7

by General John Larsson (retired)

My journal 8

Connecting with God

by Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts

Letters 9

Interview 10 and 11

Real estate matters

with Peter Grant

We are The Salvation Army 12 and 13

We are imperfect people brought together

says Captain Katy Shubotham

Preview 14

Building a one-stop shop

Viewpoint 15

Sin in a secular world

by Jeff Morton

Bible study 16 and 17

Reflecting the Light

by Major Haris Giannaros

Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17

by Major Jane Kimberley

Reflection 18

Protected by a great God

by Brian Colley

Reflection 18

Greatness of heart

by Major John Waters

New commitments 19

Viewpoint 20

Covenanting together

by David Newstead

Preview 20

The Humble Church

by Martyn Percy

Adverts 21 and 23

Announcements 22

The Salvation Army and me 24

featuring William McDonald

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.

COMMUNITY MEETING

PENRITH A bench that was installed in 2020 as a place for no one to feel lonely has evolved into a Happy to Chat coffee morning. Dubbed the ‘Happy to Chat bench’, the initiative was introduced to create socially distanced opportunities to tackle loneliness and isolation. Those needing to talk took a seat while someone else sat on the church wall. The bench is sponsored by local plasterboard manufacturers British Gypsum and has been enjoyed by a wide range of people in the community. The bench is still available but people are now encouraged to attend the coffee morning as a way of meeting new friends. – AR LEIGH-ON-SEA Divisional Mission Enabler Major Tim Justice led the retirement meeting for Major Jacquie Hanover. Steve Hawkins and the former divisional commander, Major Norman Ord, expressed their thanks for her service as an officer and a retirement certificate was presented to her by Divisional Commander Major Howard Russell. A prayer of thanksgiving and a blessing were given by Divisional Mission Enabler Major Joanna Justice. – PJ

OUTREACH

PRESENTATION

Ron Smith, who has faithfully sold the ‘War Cry’ outside Marks & Spencer for nine years, receives a gift and cake donated by the store from Lincoln corps officer Captain Huw Dutfield

EVENT

DUNSTABLE Twenty-five people attended 12 Hours of Prayer and Worship the day before Covenant Sunday. Nine prayer stations in the hall focused on the fruit of the Spirit, providing opportunity for activities, reflection and reading, with leaflets to take home for further consideration. Organised by Adherents Secretary Sue Leadbeater, the day started at 7am and ended with a time of worship. – JB WELLING Corps officer Captain Katy Shubotham talked to the local Guides and Rainbows about the work she does at Christmas. When they returned in the new year, the girls presented her with a picture of baby Jesus to put in her office. They had remembered what she told them about Jesus being the person who kept her going and decided they wanted her to have a reminder of him in her office. – KS

COMMUNITY

BLACKPOOL CITADEL The corps has packed and distributed 420 food hampers to people in need this winter, after the fallout from changes to universal credit, among other challenges, has sent the number of people in need soaring. Corps officer Captain Naomi Clifton said: ‘We are seeing that people are depending more and more on charity to help get them through day-to-day life.’ – AR