From the editor’s desk
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.
GARETH SOUTHGATE wouldn’t have known what would be the repercussions in the life of the young Vicki Sparks when he stepped up to take a penalty against Germany in Euro 96. But even Vicki’s dad could hardly have realised what would be the consequence when – in the middle of watching the shoot-out on television – he found the time to explain to his baffled daughter what was going on. In an interview in this week’s War Cry, Vicki says: ‘Gareth Southgate stepped up, his penalty was saved, and I felt this emotion of “that’s really sad”. The feeling surprised me, because 30 seconds earlier I hadn’t known really what football was.’ Those moments opened Vicki’s eyes to the power of football. Now a commentator, over the past few weeks she has been describing the action of Euro 2022 games to TV and radio audiences. Could the vicar of St Lawrence Church in Alton have guessed that the sermon he was giving one Christmas Eve would lead to a choir of refugees performing at the Glastonbury Festival? But Becky Dell, who was in the congregation on a visit home for Christmas, was motivated by his words about Jesus and showing love through action, and she began to visit the Calais Jungle refugee camp. Her work teaching music there and the people she met led to the setting up of the Citizens of the World Choir. The figure at the centre of the Christmas story has had a positive effect on people throughout history. Travel writer Simon Calder tells us how Victorian businessman Thomas Cook was motivated by his Christian faith. His desire to enable people to see the wonders of God’s world, says Simon, ‘transformed travel for ordinary men and women’. Vicki Sparks, too, talks of how being a Christian affects ‘every aspect’ of her life, including her perspective on the game that she reports on. ad the War C This week – as every week – the War Cry e re ry v ’ shows that when Jesus makes an appearance u in a situation, it can be a game changer.
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 7586
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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 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
Starting lines Commonwealth Games previewed
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Your commentator is… Vicki Sparks
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Simon Calder on Thomas Cook ‘He transformed travel’
INFO
10 Citizens of the World music
Your local Salvation Army centre
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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
Refugee choir take centre stage REGULARS 4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Now, There’s a Thought! 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page pictures: ALAMY