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.
OUR experiences as children can have a lasting influence on us as adults. Sometimes the effect can be positive. But there are other times when our early experiences have a negative effect even after childhood is left behind.
In this week’s War Cry, Lucinda Smith tells us how she left her home in the UK to start life as a Christian missionary in Pakistan. She thought she was set for a lifetime of exciting work. However, when she arrived in the country, the reality she faced was very different, leaving her feeling isolated and vulnerable.
After six years she returned home to the UK, believing she had failed during her time in Pakistan. However, through prayer and the counsel of other Christians, she started to realise that the difficulties she faced were a result of childhood experiences that had led to her living with a sense of abandonment. As she worked through those issues and rebuilt her relationship with God, Lucinda found a way to help a child from China who had been abandoned. Also in this week’s issue we speak to singer Lily-Jo. As a child she went through a family trauma for which she received counselling. Now the recording artist combines her love of music and her own training as a counsellor to help children with their wellbeing.
‘As adults, teachers, grandparents, aunties and uncles, we have the responsibility to make sure that our children’s mental health is good,’ she tells us. But she adds that there is something we must do for ourselves in order to carry out that responsibility.
Issue
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
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
‘If we can all work on ourselves and aim to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be, we’ll generally be happier people and then be happier people to the children in our care.’
As Christians, both Lucinda and Lily-Jo have discovered that the best way to be the best version of themselves is through a relationship with God. He is able to love and help us all whatever our past may have been.
