War Cry 6 January

Authors’ journaling plan to help ease anxiety

WAR CRY

6 January 2024 50p/60c

Yours faithfully?

Why The Traitors has gripped TV viewers

Raheem Sterling’s boyhood coach tackles inequalities

What is The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.

What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.

WAR CRY Issue No 7660

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

From the editor’s desk LAST year 34 million viewers on iPlayer alone watched the treachery, intrigue and drama of BBC1’s The Traitors. While the contestants competed for the cash prize, the audience at home took sides and hoped their favourite would pocket a share of the money.

Amos Ogunkoya was one of those contestants. As the second series begins, he reveals in this week’s War Cry what it was like to be on the programme.

‘The show has got the pageantry, it has got the human side, it has got the back-stabbing. But it also has the friendships,’ he tells us.

Relationships between the contestants sometimes became tense and stressful as they tried to pick out the traitors hidden among the faithful.

‘Being a traitor in the game doesn’t make someone a bad person,’ Amos adds, ‘but sometimes it feels like they are. People got attacked for their character rather than the fact that people thought they were traitors or not.’

As on the programme, in real life it can be difficult to identify who is trustworthy. And people can be a bad influence – particularly on those who are young and impressionable.

Looking to counter such harmful influences is youth team football coach Clive Ellington. In this week’s issue, the man who coached the young Raheem Sterling tells us how he aims to support his players in many areas of their lives.

‘When players come in for training,’ he says, ‘we don’t just launch straight into the key points for that session – the first thing I’ll ask is: How was your week? How was school? How are things at home?’

Clive’s interest in going beyond throw-ins, tackles and goals comes from his Christian faith.

‘It’s about not taking people for granted,’ he explains. ‘It’s about behaving like Christ.’

Clive’s comments reflect the Christian belief that God values every individual, no matter who they are or what they have done. And that’s a message anyone can put their faith in.

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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ

6 8 11 INFO 15

CONTENTS

Tel: 0845 634 0101

Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Lyndon Buckingham Territorial leaders: Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn

Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper

Your local Salvation Army centre

2 • WAR CRY • 6 January 2024

FEATURES

3

Treacherous TV The traitors are back on BBC1

6

Fresh opportunities A new year message from the leaders of The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland

8

The write approach to anxiety How journaling can ease people’s worries

11 Setting new goals Football club has helped to shape young people’s lives REGULARS

14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC/STUDIO LAMBERT

BBC/STUDIO LAMBERT

Claudia Winkleman returns with ‘The Traitors’

One of the faithfuls As the new series of BBC1’s The Traitors begins, AMOS OGUNKOYA, one of last year’s contestants, reveals what it was like to appear on the show, what it taught him about human nature and how his faith kept him grounded Interview by Emily Bright

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Amos Ogunkoya

AITHFUL viewers of BBC1’s The Traitors will be delighted that the second series of the psychological reality competition has started this week. Claudia Winkleman has returned to Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands to host the ultimate game of detection, back-stabbing and trust.

Contestants work together in missions – which last year included bellringing, barrel-rolling, finding their way out of an escape room and dodging laser beams – to raise a potential £120,000 prize fund.

They must then survive elimination from the game to take any money home. Most of the group are innocent ‘faithfuls’, but there are also ‘traitors’ among them, who band together and conspire to ‘murder’ contestants one by one and send them packing.

The contestants banish – or vote off – someone they suspect to be a traitor each night at the round table. But if any traitors go undetected until the end of the series, they will split the entire jackpot between

themselves, leaving the faithfuls with nothing. If all the traitors are caught, the remaining faithfuls split the prize money equally between themselves.

Last year, the first series drew in more than 34 million viewers to BBC iPlayer and won a Bafta, among many other awards. One of last year’s contestants, Amos Ogunkoya, believes that the show’s popularity lies in its exploration of what people are really like under pressure.

‘People like antiheroes or those that break the rules, and watching contestants manipulate each other is quite interesting,’ he says. ‘The show has got the pageantry, it has got the human side, it has got the back-stabbing. But it also has the friendships, there are some nice characters. It is a real presentation of life but heightened, so you get to have your villains or people you root for.’

The first challenge the contestants faced last year was to rank themselves

Turn to page 4 f 6 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 3

From page 3 from most likely to least likely to win.

Amos, who along with fellow contestant Kieran, humbly put himself at the end of the line, was taken at his word. He and Kieran were immediately told by Claudia Winkleman to leave.

‘It was a massive shock,’ he says. ‘I was really shaken. It felt like an anticlimax, because you gear up to take part in the show, and it doesn’t end up in the way you think it’s going to go.’

So he was delighted when he and Kieran made a surprise reappearance a few episodes later.

‘Coming back was amazing,’ he recalls.

‘I look back on that with quite a lot of fondness. Me and Kieran are quite close because of it.’

Amos experienced the brutality of the game once again when he was later ‘killed off’ by traitor Amanda with a ‘kiss of death’: an innocent-looking peck on the cheek that turned out to be a signal that he was out of the game.

‘I didn’t realise what had happened until afterwards,’ he says. ‘I was murdered in plain sight, and it was difficult to get my head around. Me and Amanda are quite friendly about it now, and it is something that we laugh about. But at the time, it was a shock.’

In the wake of Amos’s fictional death, there was an outpouring of grief from the contestants. Best pal Andrea clutched his portrait and Kieran wept. While it seems rather over the top in hindsight, Amos explains that the show’s full-on format took its toll.

‘We all got emotional. The game was

very real. Everyone got upset, and people did miss their friends. There was a hyper intensity, because in that moment it felt like all that mattered was the game, like it was the most important thing in the world.

‘Obviously there are more important things than playing the game, but it became our lives. We were cut off from our families and friends. You make new families and friends in that short period of time.’

Amos acknowledges that, because of the show’s intensity, the round table – where contestants discussed who should be voted off the show – became regrettably heated at times as the group sought to weed out the traitors.

‘There was something innately difficult about watching someone who was innocent be harangued, and obviously in retrospect, we did that,’ he says. ‘But at the time, we didn’t have that knowledge.

‘Being a traitor in the game doesn’t make someone a bad person, but sometimes it feels like they are. People got attacked for their character rather than the fact that people thought they were traitors or not. That was quite difficult to watch back.’

Amos learnt a fair bit about human nature by taking part in the show.

‘In terms of trust, it made me realise that under stress, human beings revert

There was a hyper intensity

Amos and Kieran make a shock return

The round table, where contestants decide who will be banished from the competition 4 • WAR CRY • 6 January 2024

Taking part in the barrel-rolling mission

to type. Sometimes circumstances make people lie, but you have to trust people’s nature.

‘I think you can assume kindness in people, and I don’t think you’ll ever regret acting out of kindness. Friendship is also important. All of us on the show, faithfuls or traitors, are still quite close because we have a sense of community over a shared experience.’

Amos’s attitude towards appearing on the show was also shaped by his Christian faith.

He says: ‘I prayed quite extensively before The Traitors. As I prayed, I realised I should put other people before myself.

‘Through my faith, I can learn to see people who might not be treating me well in terms of compassion and forgiveness, understanding that you can be kind to someone who has wronged you.

‘It also provides an understanding that things might happen for a reason, that bad things happen, and that sometimes people are unaware of why they do things.

But if you look at situations through a compassionate lens, it makes them easier to navigate.’

Amos says that his faith was reawakened at a time when he most needed help several years ago.

‘I grew up Christian, but I fell out of

love with it. Then I found it through the pandemic, because I was working as a doctor on the front line of the NHS and realised things are bigger than me.’

He adds that faith has been a force for good in his life.

‘I think God, Jesus, Christianity itself represents hope and understanding.

My faith helps me navigate important decisions based on core principles and ideas about how a good life is led.

‘It doesn’t mean a life free of challenges and difficulties, but it has helped me see that there is a plan, a higher power and a path that I’m supposed to walk. My faith is one of the reasons why I became a doctor. I think my purpose is to be an advocate for people’s health and help them. Helping other people makes me happy.’

Amos explains what his faith looks like in practice.

‘I connect with God through prayer and acts of service,’ he says, ‘doing things and focusing on living out what I’ve read and learnt through my walk with Christ.

‘For instance, the Bible says: “My shield is the God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.” That verse helps me navigate through life, prepare for difficulties and be emboldened by the fact that God is on my side.’

Under stress, human beings revert to type

6 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 5

Reflections on the past give perspective for the future A new year message from Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main, leaders of The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland

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HAT a privilege it is to have this opportunity to wish all readers of the War Cry a happy new year for 2024!

We love new starts – a new book, a new page, a new house, a new job, a new year. A new beginning gives us the opportunity to start afresh, to put the past behind us and start with a clean sheet. Perhaps it’s fortunate that we quite enjoy new things as we have just moved house and started new roles as leaders of The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The start of a new year gives us the opportunity to reflect on the past, reset and approach the future with

Paul and Jenine Main

6 • WAR CRY • 6 January 2024

fresh perspectives. This is reflected in the words of a well-known Christian hymn called ‘Lord, for the Years’, it says ‘past put behind us, for the future take us…’.

However, it is often helpful that, before we put the past behind us, we stop and reflect on what the previous year has held. For some, it may feel preferable to forget the past, but even in this situation it might be useful to reflect: how might things have been different?

Could I have reacted differently? Did I respond appropriately?

We also know from much research of the benefits of gratitude. Keeping a gratitude journal is highly recommended for our mental health, so perhaps it would be helpful to reflect on the blessings that have come our way throughout the past year, perhaps even being grateful for the lessons learnt through the more difficult experiences. It may be that we would want to thank God for his faithfulness through the good and the hard times.

The new year gives us an opportunity to press the reset button. Of course, it’s not possible to wipe out everything that has gone on before, as might happen were we to press the reset button on our phones, but it is possible to have a fresh, clean start.

As committed Christians we have always believed that we have a new start with God on a daily if not hourly basis! There is a beautiful prayer written in the Book of Psalms in the Bible by King David. His prayer says: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God’ (Psalm 51:10 New Revised Standard Version). This is a

Prayerlink THE War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their ­circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 1 Champion Park, Lon­don SE5 8FJ. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

j

Becoming a Christian

There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God

Lord Jesus Christ,

prayer many of us could echo regularly. It’s as if David is asking God to press the reset button. ‘Lord, I want to put the past behind me, and I ask you to create in me a clean heart for the future.’

After some reflection and resetting, we can approach the future with a fresh perspective. In the Bible we are assured that God’s love and compassion are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22 and 23).

We can start each day with such a perspective because, just like the sunrise, God’s love and compassion are new on a daily basis.

A fresh perspective for this new year may just mean that we start to look through a different lens.

A lens of gratitude and appreciation for what we have; a lens of hope for what might be in store; a lens of resilience, knowing that, whatever lies ahead, God is with us and says: ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ (Isaiah 41:10 New International Version).

Or it could be a lens of trust – a trust in a God who will guide us carefully through the twists and turns of life so that we can walk with confidence, knowing that he knows the way.

Our prayer for you all is that you will be able to reflect, reset and approach this new year with a new perspective. Our hope is that you may put your trust in a God who holds the future and who will guide you as you step into a new start.

It is possible to have a fresh, clean start

I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.

Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.

Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit.

Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

6 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 7

The truth will ELLE LIMEBEAR and JANE KIRBY struggled with anxiety for years.

They explain how, with their new devotional journal, Say Goodbye to Anxiety, they hope to help readers find the same lasting freedom that they experience Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

T

O Elle Limebear and Jane Kirby, anxiety is not just a current buzzword. Both struggled with crippling anxiety for years, but have now been freed from it. And they want others to know that they can be free too.

The friends have put together a devotional journal, Say Goodbye to Anxiety, a collection of reflections and prayers with space left so that readers can write down their own thoughts. But before finding out more about the journal, I ask its writers about their experiences of dealing with anxiety.

‘Some days I couldn’t go to the post office, and other days I wouldn’t want to leave my house,’ Elle tells me over a Zoom call with her in Brighton. ‘I only passed my driving test a couple of years ago, because before that I was too anxious to drive. I realised that anxiety

8 • WAR CRY • 6 January 2024

Elle Limebear and Jane Kirby

was taking over my life.’

Also on the call, from Hastings, is Jane, editor of Truth magazine, a publication that encourages young women to find their purpose in life. She describes her experiences with a more severe form of anxiety.

‘About 12 years ago, I started to feel a bit withdrawn. I didn’t want to see people or go out. I lost my mojo, and that quickly escalated into anxiety. I got worse and worse.

‘I thought I could push through, and that’s when it all went pear-shaped for me.’

Elle and Jane both reached points where they realised that they needed to do something to put an end to their struggle.

‘I disguised my fear and anxiety with busyness and a bit of toxic positivity,’ Elle laughs. ‘I just coped, thinking that that was who I was: someone who gets nervous, who gets anxious. But three years ago, God spoke to me and said: this is not the life I’ve intended for you to have, Elle.

‘I knew I didn’t want to be fearful for the rest of my life, a fearful mother or grandmother. I wanted it to stop.

‘I used to freeze in situations where I got overwhelmed. It was like I wasn’t thinking straight. That’s what anxiety does – it twists everything and blows everything out of proportion. It lies. There’s a Bible verse that urges us to take captive every thought, and that means to be aware of every

set you free

thought that comes into your mind and be ready to say “No, not today”. What I found helpful is saying out loud what I’m feeling anxious about, writing it down or speaking to a friend.Then it loses its power.’

Jane, after experiencing what she describes as ‘a bit of a crash’, sought professional help.

‘I couldn’t function, so I needed medication to help me function,’ she says. ‘That then put me in a good place to seek healing. I had professional counselling with someone who understood and helped me get to the bottom of why I was feeling the way I was.

‘There were a lot of things in my life that I had never processed: trauma in my teenage years, the loss of a baby son.

I had emotional wounds that had become infected, and that caused certain behaviours and reactions from me.

‘I went on a long journey with God that included counselling, medication, repentance and forgiveness.

I had to forgive people for things they had said. I had to say sorry and ask for forgiveness from someone.

The power of forgiveness, repentance and going deeper into why those behaviours were there in the first place

I had to say sorry and ask for forgiveness

made such a massive difference to my life.’

The two friends share parts of their stories in Say Goodbye to Anxiety. The 40-day devotional journal includes a short passage each day, written by Elle or Jane, some words from the Bible, a space for people to write, the name of a recommended worship song to listen to and a prayer.

‘We wanted the devotional part not to be too long,’ says Elle. ‘And because we know it’s easy to just read something and move on, we want people to have space to process what they read there and then.

We’ve put questions in place to help

Turn to page 10 f

6 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 9

Elle and Jane at the launch of their book

From page 9 people get to the core of what’s going on inside them. We included the song, because we know that worship is powerful and is truth, and we hope that the song will stay with people throughout their day.

Then the prayer at the end seals it.’

While the journal includes Bible verses, Jane says that the book was written with all people in mind, not just Christians.

‘God’s love and freedom are for everyone,’ she says. ‘He wants all people to come into the knowledge of who he is.

And if you’ve tried other things and they haven’t worked, why not try God? What

10 • WAR CRY • 6 January 2024

have you got to lose?’

Knowing God has been the most significant part of Elle and Jane’s recovery from anxiety.

‘Anxiety is like a buzzword at the moment,’ says Elle. ‘Everyone’s going through it on some level of the spectrum and we’re all trying to figure out how do you cope with it, how do you get rid of it, what should you do.’

‘There are so many books and apps out there that talk about how to calm yourself down and how to cope. We’ve all got something that helps us cope. My coping mechanisms are cleaning, sorting and decluttering. But what is so significant about our devotional is that it’s the truth.

‘It’s not talking about a coping mechanism that is going to keep us going for the day.

It’s about the power of God’s goodness and his mercy that will sustain us. Jesus is the true sustainer, chain-breaker and freedom-giver.

‘I love the Bible verse in John’s Gospel where Jesus says, “Peace I give you, peace I leave with you, not as the world gives.” The world can give us so many things that look like peace, and they do help, but the Holy Spirit gives us true peace. The word of God is packed with truth to help you not just in the immediate

days to come but for your life.’

And since their darker, more challenging times, Elle and Jane’s lives look much brighter.

‘Three years ago compared with now, there’s such a difference,’ says Elle. ‘My thought patterns have changed unbelievably. Fear is so tiny in the grand scheme of things. There are, of course, days when I feel the anxiety, but I know what to do now to beat it as soon as possible. I’ve got tools in place and Scriptures to help.

‘I’m able to do things that I never thought I could. Last night I was getting my keys and I felt excited to get in my car to drive home. Who would’ve thought that Elle Limebear would be excited to drive home?

That was never a thought in my mind. But that’s what God does. He brings joy into things that used to terrify me.’

We want people to have space

l Say Goodbye to Anxiety is published by Authentic Media

Footballer’s mentor still performing Sterling work For Premier League and Championship sides, the road to Wembley starts this weekend with the third round of the FA Cup. Among the teams eyeing a cup run are Chelsea – and they are likely to need the skills of Raheem Sterling, who grew up around Wembley Stadium, going to school in the area and joining a church football team coached by CLIVE ELLINGTON. Today, as chair of trustees of Raheem Sterling’s charitable foundation and head coach of Alpha and Omega CF FC, Clive is still assisting young people Interview by Philip Halcrow

Clive Ellington

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ASSOCIATED PRESS/ ALAMY

S a coach of the only grassroots football club that future Premier League star Raheem Sterling played for, Clive Ellington could have been content with how Alpha and Omega Christian Fellowship FC were performing – but he came to realise that they needed a plan B. ‘The year Raheem got scouted, almost half our boys were scouted by pro clubs,’ says Clive. ‘But when we looked at what was going on around us, boys were getting in trouble, the crime rate in Brent was going up – and that’s when we realised that there was a bigger task for us.’

As a result of their all-round vision, Alpha and Omega CF FC have developed a particular philosophy. In addition, while still coaching at the club, Clive, with a background in mentoring, has become chair of trustees of the Raheem Sterling Foundation, which was set up by the footballer

Turn to page 12 f

Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling, who as a boy played for Clive’s Alpha and Omega CF FC 6 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 11

From page 11 to give young people from disadvantaged backgrounds opportunities to realise their potential.

‘I mentored Raheem from the age of eight, and that relationship has been there ever since,’ says Clive. ‘So when Raheem said he wanted to set up a foundation to bring about change in communities, I didn’t have to be asked twice.

‘We look at education, employability and social mobility. We are currently working in Brent, Manchester and Jamaica, which is where Raheem was born and why we have 1692 in our logo. In that year there was a large earthquake in the Caribbean, after which Kingston was built. Our foundation is based on the idea that out of disaster, things can flourish.’

To help young people thrive, the foundation, which was launched two years ago, aims to form successful partnerships.

‘Everything we do is about expanding young people’s opportunities, helping them to understand that they shouldn’t limit themselves,’ says Clive. ‘We have linked up with talkSPORT to run sessions on broadcasting, getting the young people to use their creativity in terms of interviewing skills and writing, but also giving them a better awareness of what pushes the media.

‘We also work with the Youth Justice Legal Centre, which looks at the injustices experienced by young people.

On the back of that, it can also open up opportunities for young people who want to study law.’

Towards the end of last year, Raheem visited the National Portrait Gallery to see the results of Making of Me, a creative collaboration between his foundation and the gallery.

Over 10 months, young people from London worked with artists to respond to portraits in the gallery’s collection and create art based on identity and community.

‘A lot of what we do is about opening young people’s eyes to what they can sometimes view as elitist,’ says Clive. ‘For example, how many of our young people in Brent would usually visit the National Portrait Gallery? When you grow up in certain environments, some things don’t form part of your upbringing.

‘The young people really engaged with the National Portrait Gallery project and came out the other end knowing more about themselves. They have spoken about it opening up their creativity.’

Clive’s desire to play a part in the Raheem Sterling Foundation overlaps with the motivation behind his association with the church football team he has been coaching for many seasons.

‘Alpha and Omega FC was started

by Linden Stephens, who attended the Alpha and Omega Church in Brent,’ he says. ‘He had a group of boys and thought it would be good to get them playing football. I think it started off with

We saw needs in the community

The Raheem Sterling Foundation is supporting a youth project in Manchester

12 • WAR CRY • 6 January 2024

6 to 12 boys, but within six months there were at least 30. Boys began coming from the community who were not necessarily attending the church.

‘At first, we were fixated on boys getting scouted. But then we saw needs in the community, and we started to go into schools and support our players off the pitch as well as on. We weren’t just coaches; we were role models.’

I

n Clive’s analysis, the club’s Christian roots were influential.

‘Sometimes at church we forget that Christ actually did most of his activity outside of church,’ he says. ‘We can be guilty of sitting in church, waiting for people to come through the door. But while we’re waiting, others who are going down the wrong road in life are doing their own recruiting of boys and girls.

‘Unfortunately we lost a handful of boys to the street and to the prison system and even death. But the majority we were able to put in the right direction.’

The club tries to ensure the wellbeing of those who play for it.

‘We’ve learnt to make sure that we give young people an avenue to talk,’ says Clive. ‘So when players come in for training, we don’t just launch straight into the key points for that session – the first thing I’ll ask is: How was your week? How was school? How are things at home?

‘We also may pick one or two players at the end of the session for a debrief – not about the training but about how they

Raheem launching his foundation on steps outside Wembley Stadium and (right) nearby at his former school, Ark Elvin Academy are feeling in general.’

Clive is concerned about other dimensions of his players’ lives.

‘We talk about diet,’ he says. ‘But the biggest one for me is faith.

‘Sometimes games are on a Sunday. Some of our boys want to play but have to go to church. So we may try to arrange a later kick-off or ask our opponents if we can play on a Saturday – when we should be training – so that the boys can still go to church.’

The club welcomes players from a variety of backgrounds and faiths and so it also aims to be accommodating if, for instance, Muslims need to attend Saturday school.

An event that Clive picks out as a highlight illustrates the club’s inclusive approach.

‘One of our greatest moments was when we won the league. The pastor asked us to bring the whole team to church. We told the players they’d been invited but that we would understand if they would not be comfortable in attending. Every player turned out,

even those who were Muslims.

‘And then the pastor said the congregation were going to pray for the team. I turned round to the Muslim guys and asked if it was OK, and they were fine.

‘For me, that was a precious moment.

I think it could only happen because of the way we treat people. Faith plays an important part in how we coach our boys and support families outside of football.’

Clive believes that Raheem was influenced to start his foundation because of the support network that put him on the right road when ‘it could have gone so wrong’ for him – part of which

was Alpha and Omega CF FC. Glad to be working with his former player, Clive says: ‘I speak to him every month and we meet up quarterly. He will also do anything for Alpha and Omega, as most of our players do. Once you’re an Alpha and Omega player, you’re family.

‘One thing Alpha and Omega have never stepped away from is our Christianbased approach, which is about understanding and loving each other. It’s about not taking people for granted. It’s about building bridges. It’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. It’s about behaving like Christ.’

6 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 13

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Mature (5) 5. Drying cloth (5) 8. Snake (5) 9. Consecrate (5) 10. Monastery head (5) 11. Leather fastener (5) 12. Electric wire (4) 15. Stick (6) 17. Pool of money (5) 18. Fount (6) 20. Destiny (4) 25. Seat (5) 26. Chunky (5) 27. Combine (5) 28. Deputy doctor (5) 29. Mould (5) 30. Mix (5) DOWN 1. Snub (6) 2. Penetrate (6) 3. Repulsive (5) 4. Farewell (5) 5. Calamity (7) 6. Waver (6) 7. Small (6)

13. Circuit (3) 14. Lively dance (3) 15. Consumed (3) 16. Rodent (3) 17. Finger joint (7) 18. Rank (6)

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

6

9

7 5 8 2

1 6 8

1 9 2 3 6 8 2 9 4 7 6 3 2 3 8 5 6 4 9 1 8 19. Network of optic nerves (6) 21. Busy (6) 22. Stretch (6) 23. Humorous play (5) 24. Food fragment (5)

M O HONEYC B

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

1. Express admiration 2. Oily substance 3. Light fall of rain 4. Middle Eastern river 5. Cloth used to protect garments 6. High-pitched cry

ANSWERS 8 2 9 1 7 4 3 6 5

6 7 5 9 3 8 2 1 4

1 4 3 2 6 5 8 7 9

4 9 6

9 3 7 6 8 1 5 4 2

2 5 1 3 4 7 9 8 6

4 6 8 5 2 9 7 3 1 1

7 8 2 4 9 6 1 5 3

5 9 4 7 1 3 6 2 8 8

3 1 6 8 5 2 4 9 7

HONEYCOMB 1. Praise. 2. Grease. 3. Shower.

4. Jordan. 5. Napkin. 6. Shriek.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Ripen. 5. Towel. 8. Adder. 9. Bless.

10. Abbot. 11. Thong. 12. Flex. 15. Adhere. 17. Kitty.

18. Spring. 20. Fate. 25. Chair. 26. Thick. 27. Unite.

28. Locum. 29. Shape. 30. Blend.

DOWN: 1. Rebuff. 2. Pierce. 3. Nasty. 4. Adios.

5. Tragedy. 6. Wobble. 7. Little. 13. Lap. 14. Jig. 15. Ate. 16. Rat. 17. Knuckle. 18. Status. 19. Retina.

21. Active. 22. Extend. 23. Farce. 24. Crumb.

14 • WAR CRY • 6 January 2024

SUDOKU

W RDSEARCH

8 6 1 9 2 4 7 5 3 2 7 4 3 5 6 8 9 1 Look up, down, forwards, 9 5 backwards 3 7 1 and 8 diagonally 2 4 6 on the grid to find these words associated with hope 1 9 2 6 3 5 4 7 8 6 T8 E 4U O2M 9S Z1 N 5 K Q P R Z R7 H Q3D W I N Z N Q F 4 N D8 S W 5 S1 P 7Z L9W 6S C3 G 2 K R O A J E B E Q H X L N R B B L P O V D I Q C3 Z S2R 8 N W5 Z 9L L7 Q 1Y J6 T 4 B Q F Q T SM O E4 C 8 N E3 I 5T A2 P 9 6 I1 J 7 T Z S K N AWR H I H O C L X J R Y R Z V U E X 5 P E4C 9T A2 N 6 C Y1 D 3 O Z8 N 7 U X Z R MM X I I A A F X WM S Y O S T D G E J P A C R O I Q I ZM J M T WM Z G Q F R U I V D S B Q S S V Z Q J D A Z J S O P T E Z K L I N H J F Z X R F S R B S D N P R ZM T C F I E Z U A U B Q A P C AWV I X O T E Z F OQWV U KME J H V T S P D Q I U C G V E J A Z P C E C P Y L D ZM L N Z Q J R Y P Q Z T Y O Z R J H X Q E D T B Q AMB I T I O N U Y I L E L B L P QG E C N A I L E R AMBITION ANTICIPATION ASPIRATION ASSURANCE BELIEF CONFIDENCE

DESIRE DREAM ENCOURAGEMENT EXPECTANCY FAITH OPTIMISM

PATIENCE PROMISE PROSPECT RELIANCE REWARD TRUST

SERVES 2

Turkey chilli con carne INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Oil spray

Coat a large non-stick saucepan with the oil, then heat over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until the onion starts to soften.

½ red onion, finely sliced 1 garlic clove, finely diced 1 large carrot, peeled and diced ½ red pepper, deseeded and diced 250g 2 per cent fat turkey mince ½ x 400g can kidney beans, drained ¼ tsp chilli powder

Add the turkey mince and stir to break up any large pieces. Once the mince has browned, add the kidney beans and stir again. Sprinkle the chilli powder, cinnamon and cumin over the mince and mix thoroughly.

Add the tomatoes, stir well, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes.

Serve the chilli con carne with the rice and steamed green vegetables.

½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp cumin ½ x 400g can chopped tomatoes 120g brown basmati rice, to serve Green vegetables, steamed, to serve

SERVES 2

Bean chilli INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Oil spray

Coat a large non-stick pan with the oil, then place over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

1 onion, diced 1 garlic clove, finely diced 1 pepper, deseeded and diced ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp chilli powder ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Add the pepper, cumin, chilli powder and smoked paprika and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the peppers start to soften. Add the beans, sweetcorn and tomatoes and mix well. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, reducing the heat as needed.

Serve immediately with the wholegrain rice.

400g can mixed beans in water, drained and rinsed 160g frozen sweetcorn 400g can chopped tomatoes Wholegrain rice, to serve

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the World Cancer Research Fund website wcrf-uk.org 6 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 15

God has made everything beautiful in its time Ecclesiastes 3:11

WAR CRY