War Cry 13 July 2024 by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

Singing, sadness and spiritual support in a hospice

WAR CRY

not plastic

How people are caring for the planet in Plastic Free July

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

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major

Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow

Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku

Staff Writer: Emily Bright

Staff Writer: Claire Brine

Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk

Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston

Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

Graphic Designer: Natalie Adkins

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ

Tel: 0845 634 0101

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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

When motorcycle enthusiast Nigel Rostock gets his motor runnin’, he enjoys the freedom of heading out on the highway. But Nigel – a vicar who has written a book about the twin joys of biking and belief – also finds that as he rides along, he is often prompted to pray. In an interview in this issue of the War Cry, he talks of appreciating his journeys down country lanes. ‘It’s the feeling it gives you, reflecting on the beauty of creation,’ he says.

This week Jo Herbert-James is also speaking about the wonders of nature. She works for environmental charity A Rocha UK, which is backing Plastic Free July, a global initiative urging people to reduce their single-use plastic waste.

Her view of the world is shaped by the same faith that drives Nigel. So she describes creation as being made up of ‘lovingly intricate ecosystems’ designed by God.

But she also talks about how our treatment of the environment knocks it out of balance – and has a knock-on effect.

‘Plastics end up drifting into waterways and – because all plastics are toxic – the toxins leach,’ says Jo, who points out that it is not only nature that is affected. ‘The fish and marine life rely on that water being clean,’ she says, ‘and so do human communities.’

It’s why she sees caring for the environment as a response to Jesus’ words: Love your neighbour.

Jesus’ command is one of the reasons that The Salvation Army too is striving to care for the planet, taking the kind of measures that have led to it winning an environmental and sustainability award.

SATCoL, the trading arm which runs many Salvation Army charity shops, is taking environmentally friendly action at various stages of its operations. It is also raising money for the wider Salvation Army’s work of helping people such as those experiencing homelessness or unemployment and survivors of modern slavery – work fuelled by a strong belief that God wants everyone he has created to experience a true sense of freedom.

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

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Free time

Campaign is encouraging people to go a month without plastics

Feature by Sarah Olowofoyeku

Withan eye on the environment, people are getting enthusiastic about going without plastic. Last year an estimated 89 million people around the world took part in Plastic Free July – and now the annual summer campaign is under way again.

Run by the Plastic Free Foundation –which wants to see a world with no plastic waste – Plastic Free July encourages people to do their part for the environment by choosing to refuse plastics for one month.

Among the organisations supporting the initiative is A Rocha UK, a conservation charity that equips churches and individuals to care for creation.

Jo Herbert-James, head of engagement at A Rocha UK, explains why people should consider going plastic-free for this month – and beyond.

‘Plastics are a huge issue in our world, in terms of the amount that we produce and our ability to process them,’ she says. ‘Scientists are saying that we have so much in our environment that we can’t cope.

‘We don’t know the full impact of this much plastic in our ecosystems. Plastics are a problem for the oceans and particularly for countries that don’t have the infrastructure to dispose of their waste or recycle.

‘Plastics end up drifting into waterways and – because all plastics are toxic – the toxins leach. The fish and marine life rely on that water being clean, and so do human communities.’

Avoiding plastic may seem daunting and a burden. But Jo offers some tips for anyone who might want to take up the challenge.

‘Firstly, don’t get overwhelmed in trying to do everything all at once,’ she says. ‘Work on what you can do; don’t focus on what you can’t.

‘Secondly, think about simple swaps. If you use plastic bags, swap them for a cloth bag. Swap plastic bottles for a reusable bottle. These are things that don’t require us to change our whole lifestyle.

‘Thirdly, single-use plastic is one of our worst issues, so have a look at what you’re buying. People often buy lunch in single-use wrapping, so you could think about taking your own lunch when you leave the house.

‘Lastly, see if you can find someone else to go plastic-free with you. It’s harder to do it on your own.’

Jo has gone plastic-free herself and taken a step further. She has adopted a ‘zero-waste lifestyle’ – a way of living

in which people reduce the amount of waste they produce by minimising their consumption, repurposing items, composting and recycling.

Her motivation is her Christian faith.

‘The more I studied the Bible,’ she says, ‘the more I realised that God loves his creation. He made thoughtfully and lovingly intricate ecosystems that are well designed to stay in balance. With what we do to the environment, we are knocking it out of balance.’

It’s why Jo is enthusiastic about treating the world well.

‘Jesus said the greatest of all commands is to love God and love your neighbour,’ she says. ‘And I think that caring for God’s creation is an act of love towards God and towards our neighbour.’

Jo Herbert-James of A Rocha UK, which supports Plastic Free July

j TEA M TALK

Phone warning rang true

Claire Brine gives her take on a story that has caught the attention of War Cry reporters

‘If you care about someone,’ said the headline in The Guardian, ‘show them – and put away your phone.’

The article by psychotherapist Moya Sarner grabbed my attention. I have a lot of people in my life that I care about, and I want them to know they matter to me. I’m also someone who spends too much time on their phone.

‘Almost everything worthwhile requires time and attention,’ wrote Moya, ‘and if we want to build a better life, we need to receive more and we need to give more.’

But giving time and attention – to others and to ourselves – has become ‘really hard’. Moya feels that too much screen time is often to blame.

‘Many of us go out of our way to distract ourselves with things that really don’t matter,’ she explained, and went on to reference ‘attention-stealing devices’ and ‘attentionfragmenting social media “feeds” that are anything but nourishing’.

People deserve my full attention

WAR talk talk Team talk Team talk ‘ ’

She summed up the problem with the words: ‘We waste our own time.’

In my case, Moya is spot on. So often, my phone distracts me from whatever I’m meant to be doing. I have been guilty of having one eye on my daughter and one eye on a text message which, 99 per cent of the time, can wait. I also spend too many evenings scrolling on social media, not even engaging with what I’m reading.

While having a phone seems necessary for modern life, sometimes I feel as though it distracts me from living. Life is short – and so when I talk with my loved ones, they deserve my full attention. I want to give them that.

The same desire applies to my faith. I know that my relationship with God is richer when my mind isn’t flitting off elsewhere. That’s why, when teaching his followers how to pray, Jesus urged them to ‘go into a room alone and close the door’ (Matthew 6:6 Contemporary English Version). In other words: lose the distractions.

Giving God our uninterrupted time and focus means we get to experience him fully. We get to show him that he matters to us. And when we do, we can build a much better life.

Charity shops bag awards

The Salvation Army’s trading arm, SATCoL, won the environmental and sustainability category at this year’s Charity Retail Association awards.

The category at the awards – which were presented at a ceremony in Harrogate – was based on criteria such as the introduction of green policies and new ways of dealing with textile recycling.

SATCoL operates about 250 of The Salvation Army’s charity shops across the UK.

Majonne Frost, head of environment and sustainability at SATCoL, says: ‘A core part of our strategy is to enable and encourage people to reuse and recycle more. As well as offering convenient ways to do this through our stores, we are making positive changes through our processes and suppliers.’

SATCoL says more than 1.5 million plastic bags have been removed from its retail operations, and lighting in its stores has been converted to LEDs.

Its processing plants also use Fibersort machinery, which automatically sorts second-hand garments according to their materials, and – in a partnership with textile recycler Project Plan B – it has installed groundbreaking commercialscale polyester recycling technology, which began to operate earlier this year.

SATCoL was also named outstanding charity retailer of the year for the financial support it gives to the ministry of The Salvation Army in helping people such as those experiencing homelessness and survivors of modern slavery.

WAR CRY

Chancellor makes statement on Salvation Army roots

New chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves has highlighted the ‘big impact’ that The Salvation Army had on her upbringing.

In an interview with The Times ahead of the election, Reeves – the first woman to move into 11 Downing Street – reflected on what her grandparents’ involvement with the church and charity taught her.

‘Those experiences, for me,’ said the MP for Leeds West and Pudsey, ‘of working with my grandma and grandad in the school holidays in a Salvation Army shop, that did have an impact on me.

‘This strong belief that my parents instilled in me, and my grandparents, that you shouldn’t just take, you should always give something back, that’s had a big impact.’

As well as talking about her values, Reeves spoke of her belief in God.

‘I do go to church although I must say sorry to my vicar that I haven’t been recently. I’ve been quite busy,’ she said. ‘But I do believe in God, and I am a practising Christian. My dad was brought up in the tradition of Salvationism and that’s had a big influence on me, although I’ve never been a Salvationist myself.’

After talking to her cousins while campaigning in Kettering, she was also struck by all the ways in which The Salvation Army is helping to alleviate poverty.

‘They told me about the food bank that they run at The Salvation Army, and the warm bank because so many people struggle during the winter to keep their homes heated.

‘They’ve set up a laundry for many people on low incomes who don’t have access to a washing machine and indeed homeless people, to make sure that they have showers. This is 2024. I came away from that thinking we’ve got to change things in this country.’

Actor orders blessing at restaurant

At the opening of his new restaurant, Mark Wahlberg told Fox News Digital: ‘I have to attribute all my success to my faith.’

He also posted on Instagram to his 30 million followers about the opening of his new MexicanAmerican restaurant, which he invited a priest to bless.

The Hollywood actor has previously said that his faith is ‘the most important aspect of my life. It’s afforded me all the things that I’ve been able to accomplish in my life.’

‘Salut’ and ‘hola’ to prayer booklets

An evangelistic campaign based on a seven-day guide to exploring faith is going global.

Try Praying’s booklets are now being translated into French and Spanish, the campaign already having taken off in Australia, New Zealand, the Czech Republic and the US.

The booklet explains the Christian faith and prayer in accessible language, includes stories of answered prayer and offers advice on what people can do to discover the work of God in their lives.

Up to 40,000 of the booklets have been ordered over the past year in the UK alone, with about 600 churches using them.

Revved up

Motorcycling minister the Rev NIGEL ROSTOCK reveals what his experiences on the road have taught him about faith

Interview by Emily Bright

Beginning a descent of a winding Alpine pass 10 years ago, the Rev Nigel Rostock and his wife, Alison, felt the cool mountain breeze and heard the gentle clang of cowbells. Their ride on a Harley-Davidson through the Dolomites seemed idyllic. Until Nigel realised that, while accelerating towards a sheer drop, his brakes weren’t working. It was only in the nick of time that he steered to safety.

Such close calls feature in Nigel’s book Stories from the Road, which draws parallels between his experiences on his bike trips across Europe and the US and his Christian faith.

‘There have been some life-threatening situations on the road, like brake failures and floods,’ Nigel tells me, ‘and God has protected us. We’ve felt his presence with us, guiding us.

‘For instance, when I was in the UK, a rear cog – unbeknown to me – was coming loose and was about to come off and jam the wheel up. I felt this prompt not to go on the motorway. If I’d have taken the motorway, I would have been off and under a lorry, so that would have been the end of me. God’s prompting saved my life.

‘It was at exactly the right time that I noticed the rear cog clicking too. The bike was going through a 20mph limit, and I came to a stop outside a vehicle accessory store. I was able to push my bike in there and fix it.’

I like the freedom biking gives you

As well as being vicar of St Peter’s Braunstone Park in Leicester, Nigel is European President of God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club – or God’s Squad for short.

Since starting in Sydney back in 1971, the club has rolled out across Australia,

New Zealand, Europe and the US. It ministers mainly among motorcycle groups and seeks to reach those on the margins of society, serving food, befriending people and sharing the gospel.

‘Everything about the mission of God’s Squad resonated with me,’ says Nigel. ‘When I encountered them, I was working with homeless alcoholic guys, and I had a passion to reach those on the fringes.’

Joining the club felt like the natural next step for him, combining his love of biking – he says, ‘I like the sound, the engine, the freedom it gives you’ – and

his love of God.

Biking even provides Nigel with the headspace to worship God.

‘When I was at my previous church, I’d often go for rides through the winding country lanes. It’s the feeling it gives you, reflecting on the beauty of creation, especially in the summer.

‘As I’m riding, I’ll often pray. I’ve got some headphones within my helmet, and I’ll play some Christian music as well, as I’m riding with God.’

Nigel’s ride with God began at the age of 21, while he was working at a Pontins holiday camp in Morecambe. While there, he met his future wife. Alison asked him

Nigel Rostock

to accompany her to an event that she wanted to go to in Sheffield featuring the evangelist Billy Graham. Nigel agreed with reluctance. But as he approached the venue, his mood changed.

‘I felt this real draw that I needed to be there,’ he explains. ‘Billy Graham was talking about sin, the need to repent, God’s love, and that we need to give our lives to Jesus. My wife and I stood up together, went forward to the front and were prayed for. We gave our lives to Jesus.

‘In the morning, we woke up and it was

like a Technicolor world – everything, like the colours of the trees, was bright, and it was an intense feeling. God had changed our perspective, opened our eyes.

‘For the next six months or so, we had an extreme experience of God’s love. It was tangible, like you could touch the love that God had.’

God’s love would transform his attitude towards other people too, helping him to show forgiveness and find peace.

Nigel says that Jesus, the person at

the heart of his faith, is ‘the one who can be trusted, who still does miracles in our lives and whose teaching is completely authoritative. Most importantly, he died for me and was resurrected. Without Jesus, my life would be empty.’

In writing Stories From the Road, Nigel hopes to encourage people to discover faith for themselves. The book employs Jesus’ method of storytelling to help people engage with God. For instance, Nigel writes that just as a manual is essential for keeping a bike roadworthy, so the Bible is an important manual for life.

‘Jesus told parables through physical things,’ Nigel explains. ‘I hoped that the book would be like a modern parable. I hoped that, for those who don’t know God, they’d be inspired to seek him.’

l Stories From the Road is published by Instant Apostle

Nigel in his parish and (below) in the Swiss Alps

In matters of life and death

As a hospice chaplain, SUSANNA OFFOR supports patients as they live their final days. She explains why the role is a painful privilege – and how through it all, God is there

Interview by Claire Brine

‘It’s the one thing that all of us will have to face at some point,’ says Susanna Offor, a chaplain based at Farleigh Hospice in Chelmsford. ‘But death is a subject that people rarely want to talk about – and I think that’s for a couple of reasons.

‘Firstly, people can be a bit superstitious. They think that if they talk about dying, they will make it happen somehow. Secondly, people don’t want to think about their own death, because, understandably, they don’t want to deal with the suffering that might occur.’

As the chaplain and spiritual lead at Farleigh Hospice, for the past five years Susanna has been supporting patients who are dealing with death. Since 1982, the charity has provided care free of charge for people affected by life-limiting illness and bereavement.

‘When we talk about life-limiting illness, we are referring to people who are thought to be in the final year of their life,’ explains Susanna. ‘And the hospice can help these

Susanna Offor

individuals in several ways. We have a 10-bed inpatient unit, where patients may come to spend their last days, but which also treats a number of longer-term patients who have complex symptoms and may need to see a doctor to help control their pain.

‘As well as the inpatient staff, we have various community teams which visit patients at home. Some of these patients may still be having hospital treatment for their illness, but at this stage it’s usually to buy them some extra time rather than being curative. So the community staff – made up of nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others – do what they can to help patients manage their symptoms, which could include pain, breathlessness or mobility problems.

‘We also have a family support team available to patients and their loved ones, so they can have some practical support or counselling sessions to help them navigate what’s happening to them.’

As well as providing patients with

Susanna taking part in the Forget-Me-Not service

physical and emotional care, the hospice recognises the importance of meeting an individual’s spiritual needs – which is why it offers a chaplaincy service.

‘Sometimes I’ll be talking with patients about faith and trying to meet any religious needs,’ says Susanna, ‘but the vast majority of patients I meet don’t know what their spiritual beliefs are. And because of what they are going through, they are asking a lot of big questions – of God or a higher power. A large part of my time is spent sitting with people, listening as they ask those “why” questions.

‘Sometimes the patients themselves or their loved ones who might seek me out for a chat, but often patients are referred to me by the clinical teams. When they visit patients at home, they assess their needs and ask them to consider where they’d like to be cared for at the end of their life. They also discuss with the patient their preferred place of death, as these are key things that staff at the hospice always try to honour, where we

can. People deserve to have the death that they want.’

Once patients are referred to Susanna, she is happy to talk with them about any faith matters which they wish to address. Her Christian beliefs are no secret, but she and her team of volunteer chaplains are there to support patients of whatever faith background.

‘It’s very clear that I’m a Christian,’ she says. ‘And sometimes, patients will want to talk to me about God and their faith. But there are also patients who prefer to talk to their vicar or faith leader, because they already have a connection with them – and that’s fine.

‘Of course, if people require spiritual care for other faiths, I want to facilitate that. Not long ago, for example, we had a patient who was a Muslim and, although she was adamant that she didn’t want any faith support, the patient’s family wanted it for themselves. When I had a

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chat with her sister, she said that it would be good if the local imam could pray with the family over the phone. So I became a kind of spiritual matchmaker, contacting the imam and explaining that the family would be pleased to hear from him.’

As well as seeing patients at home, Susanna often visits the hospice’s inpatient unit, where she gets to know those receiving end-of-life care and their families. Sometimes, she says, conversation is simple chit-chat. Other times, patients want to talk about what’s happening to them.

‘A number of patients can accept that they’re going to die, but don’t want to go through the business of dying,’ she says. ‘They wonder how they are going to “do” it. So we often explain to them that they don’t have to “make” anything happen, but that death is a process – and if they feel able to allow it to run its course, with the support of the team it will be a much more peaceful experience for them.

‘Facing up to death is rarely neat and tidy. Patients have never navigated this before. Loved ones have never lost this particular person before. Not everyone

has a wonderful relationship with the patient who’s dying. It can be really complicated.

‘But, while talking honestly about death can be difficult, those conversations among families are important because they often end up bringing peace and relief.

‘Sometimes patients don’t want to share their feelings, because they want to protect their loved ones from experiencing any more pain. But talking doesn’t make you a burden. Feelings that are bottled up for too long often lead to an explosion at a later stage. And that can be harder.’

Susanna supports not only patients but also their close relatives. She understands that they too are suffering.

‘Some relatives have had a tricky relationship with the person who is dying, and they just want their death to hurry up and be over,’ she says. ‘And then they feel guilty, believing that they are a bad person for thinking that way.

‘In all kinds of situations I see a lot of people who are tortured by their feelings of distress and worry. I remember supporting a lady in the inpatient unit who

was a woman of faith, and lots of people were praying for her healing. One day, as I sat with her, her phone kept pinging with messages of encouragement. She admitted that it was good to know that people were praying for her, but it also felt like a bit of pressure, because healing wasn’t happening.

‘I said to her: “It’s brilliant that people are praying for you – it’s their way of saying to you that they want you around. But what do you think God might be saying to you today?”

I ask the family if they’d allow me to pray

‘She replied: “I think he’s telling me that it’s OK to rest.” We then read Psalm 23 together, and talked about the fact that resting isn’t the same as giving up. Resting in God is about trusting him and the promise of complete healing in death. Later that night, she died. It was an immense privilege to have been there for her in her last hours.’

Susanna talking with fellow hospice staff

Susanna has been in the room a number of times as her patients have taken their final breath – and it never fails to move her.

‘Whatever happens in those last moments, I approach every situation by reminding myself of two things: God is here, and God is love. I know that I will never encounter another human being for whom those statements are not true.

‘Sometimes I’ve been with relatives who are sat by the bedside of a patient who’s not really conscious any more. If I know that the patient had a faith, I ask the family if they’d allow me to pray for their loved one.

‘If they agree, I say a simple prayer thanking God for the patient’s life and all the ways they have been a blessing on the world. I invite God to draw near and fill the patient’s heart, mind, body and soul with his peace. Then I ask God to do the same for the family. It’s a simple prayer but there’s a deep trust behind it.’

On occasion, after a patient has died, Susanna is asked by the family to conduct the funeral – and she is willing to oblige. Last month she also took part in a ForgetMe-Not celebration in the hospice garden. Families and friends who had lost loved ones were invited to gather together and share in a time of remembrance. It was an afternoon of tea and scones, tears and joy.

‘People might be surprised to hear it, but there is so much joy inside the hospice,’ she says. ‘Sometimes patients have their weddings here, and we’ve had an adult christening too. Once we

arranged for a patient’s horse to be brought into the garden, so that she could have a beautiful moment with her animal before she died. The other week, one of our patients had a craving for a Mr Whippy ice cream, so we put a quick post on Facebook, and then we were inundated with ice-cream vans!’

Another significant part of hospice life is the community choir, open to patients, relatives, staff and members of the public – anyone who wants to sing.

‘It’s run by a music therapist,’ Susanna explains, ‘and we sing uplifting music in a room called the Sanctuary, which is near the inpatient unit. Once, we were rehearsing when a patient was in their final hours, and afterwards the family told us that we sounded like a choir of angels singing to them. I think music can bring comfort.

‘For me, what we aim to do at Farleigh Hospice is best summed up by the words of Dame Cicely Saunders, who founded the modern hospice movement. Speaking about patients approaching death, she said: “You matter because you are you. You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can to help you not only die peacefully, but also to live until you die.” These words remind me that hope can exist alongside pain, and life can exist alongside death.’

Susanna understands the pain of grief, having lost her mum in her 20s and her dad in her 30s. She knows that facing

death can be frightening –and that bereavement can leave people feeling broken. But, through her Christian faith, she finds hope in the endless source of God’s love.

‘Even here, where I encounter sad situations that sometimes don’t make sense, God is present,’ she says. ‘I may never have the answers to people’s questions. Often, I feel that what they are going through isn’t OK. But I also believe that God is never absent from our pain. He’s with us in it, even when we feel like he’s not – because his presence isn’t dependent on how we feel.

‘And all our grief, lament, anger, sadness and bitterness are welcome before him, because God is here, and God is love.’

Farleigh Hospice’s community choir

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’.

jBecoming 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,

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

This week: Chesterfield

With Captains Carl and Elizabeth Di-Palma

We want our church to be a place for everybody. When we planned our new building, which opened three years ago, we looked at the accessibility of all the facilities so that the building can be used comfortably by people in wheelchairs. We’ve also taken into account the colour structure, the lighting and the signs that we use to make it a hospitable place for people who are neurodiverse.

We always have some sort of multisensory activity going on within our services, like craft or colouring on a theme, because we’re mindful that not everybody is used to sitting and hearing information from somebody at the front. Whoever comes through the doors, we welcome and include them as much as we possibly can. We have a gentleman who comes with carers. One of the carers said: ‘I like coming here, because it feels like you’re at home. It feels like you’re coming into a family. It’s very welcoming.’

We have a mixture of nationalities in our congregation, including people from Kenya, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. Often having left relatives back home, they describe Chesterfield as their church family. If they need to go to the hospital, if they need help at home, or if something comes up on the news about something back home, it affects us all, because we care about them. We believe they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

What we find most rewarding is when people come into a relationship with Jesus and realise for the first time that they have value. They all have different gifts and abilities, and we aim to help them bring those out and value them. We help people grow in and understand their faith and encourage them to know that they have something to offer.

We always start from God’s word in the Bible. Teaching is foundational to what we do as a church, whether it is about practising hospitality or caring for creation. We root all our activities in our worship of a God who wants us to do these things.

Carl and Elizabeth were speaking to Emily Bright

To receive basic reading about Christianity and information about The Salvation Army, complete this coupon and send it to

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Or email your name and postal address to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

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

QUICK QUIZ

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Waltz, foxtrot and tango are styles of which type of dancing?

In which South American country is the city of São Paulo?

Which Briton hosts the US version of the TV competition The Traitors?

Which car manufacturer uses the slogan ‘The power of dreams’?

How many daughters do Mr and Mrs Bennet have in Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice?

In which decade did Microsoft release its first version of computer operating system Windows?

Problem solved

It’s 50 years since a cube was created

Feature by Sarah Olowofoyeku

Fifty years ago a simple puzzle was created. The colourful cube would go on to be one of the bestselling toys of all time. It was the Rubik’s Cube – and 80 years ago today (13 July), its inventor, Erno Rubik, was born.

Rubik was a professor of design in his native Hungary. His hobby was building geometric models, and in 1974 he created a cube made of 26 coloured blocks, which he would use to teach his students about three-dimensional spaces. It took him one month to solve the problem of his own cube by getting it to the point where each face was made up of one colour.

In late 1977 Hungary’s state trading company began marketing it. Then Rubik took his cube to international toy fairs, where it reached a global audience, selling in the tens of millions.

Today the puzzle continues to captivate the minds of children and adults alike, challenging intellect and logic. Astonishingly, one Rubik’s Cube has more than 43 quintillion possibilities – with only 1 being correct – and it can be solved from any position in 20 moves.

Millions of people all over the world have tried to solve it. Some have managed to put the blocks back in colour order with ease. The person to have done so in the fastest time is Max Park, who solved the cube in 3.13 seconds. Others never figure it out.

While millions love the challenge of trying their hand at the problem of the cube, some problems are not as enjoyable. And one of the biggest problems of life can be figuring out its meaning.

Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? These questions have bothered people for many years. There are millions of possibilities that might explain our existence – but only one is true.

We’re here because God created us and, if we put our trust in him, when we die we will join him in a world that goes on for ever. Until then, he promises us a joy that lasts – win or lose.