What is The Salvation Army?
From the editor’s desk
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.
WHEN many teenagers reach the age of 16, much of their time is taken up with socialising, revising for GCSEs and planning the further education that will open up work or university opportunities in the future. Life is about excitedly looking forward to being an adult. When Emily Owen reached 16, however, her life was turned upside down as doctors told her she had a genetic condition that had resulted in two tumours growing in her head that, if left untreated, would kill her. It was to be the start of a series of operations which caused a birthday to be spent in intensive care, changes to her appearance and the loss of her hearing. In an interview in this week’s War Cry, Emily tells us about her experiences, even detailing the last piece of music she listened to when she knew her operation the next day would mean she would never hear it again. In the interview, Emily describes her life at the time as a ‘shipwreck’, but she also explains how she got through. ‘I learnt the power of being prayed for,’ she says, before explaining that, despite all that she has endured, she has felt God’s presence. ‘When bad things happen, God doesn’t ever walk out,’ Emily tells us. ‘I realised that my rock bottom could get lower and lower, but God was still there for me.’ Emily is not alone in her experience of God. Being a Christian does not mean being exempt from unwanted difficult and challenging situations. But, however impossible life may seem, or however hopeless someone may feel, God will never abandon those who turn to him for help. As Emily says: ‘Even when I can do nothing, God still loves me. It’s not about what we do, the War read Cr it’s about who we are. Our identity is found in y ’ve u who we are as children of God.’
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 7575
When yo
PASS IT ON f
not hy ,w
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 Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN
CONTENTS
Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies
FEATURES 3
New to this game Celebrities compete in TV show
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
6
TV Baftas? Step in the right direction
How walking holidays follow in the saints’ footsteps 8
8
O 15
2 • WAR CRY • 7 May 2022
And the winner is… Who will pick up awards at the
6
INFO Your local Salvation Army centre
5
‘Someone needed to tell me to breathe’
Living through sickness and surgery REGULARS 4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Puppy Tales 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV/NICKYJOHNSTON