Love our comic? Check out Morning Praise with Kids Alive! on Salvationist Radio every Saturday and Monday at 7.30–8am and every Sunday at 9–9.30am.
to for £4.33 a month
Go to salvationist.org.uk/radio to get your morning started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles
Alive! includes a cartoon Bible story, a competition, puzzles, jokes, comic strips and topical activities and articles for you to enjoy. Ask your parents or carers to go to sps-shop.com/kids-alive, call 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email subscriptions@satcol.org to set up a subscription.
*A subscription costs just £4.33 a month (or a one-off payment of £52). This subscription offer applies in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with 51 copies delivered over 12 months. Please note that different prices apply to Europe and international orders.
EDITOR Cara Mott
DEPUTY EDITOR AND KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku
INTERNATIONAL LEADERS General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham
TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Julian Watchorn
Published weekly by The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory. The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. ISSN 1363-5662.
Back to Church Sunday
When was the last time you went to church? Your answer might be, ‘I’m at church right now!’ Perhaps you’re reading this page while a grown-up at the front is giving a talk, or just after singing a fab worship song. However, we imagine that for some of you, your answer might be, ‘I can’t even remember,’ or ‘I’ve never been before!’
Don’t worry, we’re not judging you! Every single person who regularly goes to church has had to have a first, second and third time of going – whether that was as a teeny tiny baby, or even as a granny or grandad. So, if you’ve not been to church before, or you used to go but it’s been a really long time, then we think you’ll want to know about Back to Church Sunday. Back to Church Sunday takes place tomorrow (21 September), and it’s a day for people who haven’t been to church in a while (or haven’t been at all) to plan to go to church! The theme of this year’s event is ‘Life is Better Together’. In other words, it’s about recognising that it’s good to be part of a community –especially a community that loves Jesus. Although most church services around the UK probably won’t do anything particularly special to celebrate the day, getting to join a family of people who love Jesus is something that you won’t want to miss out on!
The Salvation Army, who publish ‘Kids Alive!’, has churches all over the UK. You can find a church near you by checking out salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church
I love going to my church – it’s great to worship God with other people, and it’s fantastic to listen to mega music or terrific talks. The thing I love most about church, though, is the people. Being part of a church family is so good. Church can be an extension of our families at home – they can offer us love, encouragement and support. Isn’t that great?
If you don’t already belong to a church, I want to encourage you to go along to one and see what it’s like. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as me! If you already go to a church and love it, Back to Church Sunday is the perfect opportunity to invite a friend from school to go to church with you. Then they can experience all the wonderful things about church that you love, and hopefully they’ll want to join your church family too!
Equality and Justice Kingdom Blessings
Check out your Bible –Matthew 5:1-12, 43-48
IRead the comment below about being happy
Feeling Happy? asks Hayley Bailey
swonder what makes you feel happy. Can you sthink of 10 things? There are all sorts of things that make me feel happy – the sunshine, fairy lights, chocolate, my favourite film. Do any of those make you feel happy too? It’s easy to think that we would be happy if we had everything we wanted. Some people think they’d be happy if they were rich or famous as well.
Jesus talked to people about being happy too. He gave a long list of people who would be happy, but it was a strange list. It wasn’t a list of people who had everything they wanted, and it wasn’t a list of people who were rich or famous. Jesus said happiness comes to people who are kind, obedient
to God and help others. Jesus wanted people to know that even if they had difficult things in their lives, God would still bless them, and they could still feel happiness because God was with them. When I’m finding things difficult, I don’t feel happy and I don’t want to smile – and I think that’s OK. Jesus isn’t saying that if we love God nothing will make us sad again. Jesus is saying that even when life is hard, and we feel alone, God will love us and be with us. There are times when I don’t understand why something bad is happening, but I can trust what I know about God. Even when I’m sad, I can be happy knowing God is with me.
Hearts of Happiness
In the heart shapes, write or draw all the things that make you feel happy
Bumper Bible Breakdown
Did you know the Bible isn’t one big book? It’s actually 66 books put together to tell one big story of God’s great love. Join us as we look at each Bible book and discover why God made the world, what went wrong and how in the end God saved the world through his son, Jesus.
Sent to Rome
When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he was arrested for telling people about Jesus. Although the Jews in Jerusalem wanted Paul to be put to death, Paul was sent by a Roman commander to Rome. This was so that Paul could speak to Caesar, who was the leader of the Roman Empire!
The journey to Rome wasn’t an easy one. Paul’s ship was destroyed in a storm, so he was stranded on an island called Malta for three months. He was even bitten by a snake! However, God was with him the whole time, and he kept Paul safe from serious harm. Eventually, Paul made it to Rome. A book in the Bible called Acts tells us that Paul was imprisoned for two years before meeting Caesar. However, Acts doesn’t tell us how Paul’s story ended. What we do know is that while Paul was in prison, he kept on telling people about Jesus!
KA! JAM is the coolest Bible activity club around. As a member you’ll go on amazing adventures through the Bible learning about Jesus. Each activity sheet is filled with lots of great stuff about being a Christian. You’ll also receive our mini-mag, Chatterbox which is filled with jokes, games and much more. And to top it off, there are loads of awesome prizes to be won!
To join KA! JAM and complete the Bible activity courses online, go to salvationist.org.uk/kajam.
Or if you would like to receive the postal version, simply fill in the coupon below.
Name:
To join KA! JAM just fill in the application form and send it – along with two first-class stamps – to: KA! JAM, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Applicants must be between 7 and 17 years old to join.
Date of birth:
Address:
Postcode:
Boy or girl: Do you attend a church, and if so, which one?
I, (signature)
apply for membership of Kids Alive! Jesus And Me. I understand that joining KA! JAM doesn’t mean I have joined The Salvation Army and that it is not a free subscription to Kids Alive!
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.
When I Grow Up
What do you want to be when you grow up? To help you learn about a job that you might be interested in, we’ve asked a grown-up to tell us all about what they do for work. It’s time to meet a…
Problem...?
Hello, readers, i’VE LOST A VERY IMPORTANT OBJECT SOMEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HELP ME FIND IT? i HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE.
Footballer!
Hi, I’m Dan Smith and I’m 25 years old. A fun fact about me is that my fiancée and her family have been part of The Salvation Army (who publish Kids Alive!) their whole lives! I live in London now, but I grew up near Portsmouth. I’m a professional football player! I played full time from the age of 18 to 22 and have played semi-professionally for 3 years now while studying at university. I’ve played for Portsmouth, Eastleigh and Cork City, Ireland.
The best things about my job are that it has let me live in different parts of England and Ireland, and that I’ve met so many amazing people at the clubs I’ve played for. I’ve made friends for life with people I might never have met otherwise. And, of course, playing football every single day is great fun!
My advice to anyone who wants to be a professional footballer is to work really hard and stay committed, as long as you enjoy it. Football can be tough, and not everyone finds it fun. So if you don’t absolutely love it and don’t want to give it your best, then it’s better to just enjoy playing for fun!
Who was the smartest man in the Bible?
Abraham, because he knew a Lot!
Where’s the best place to get an ice cream cone? Sundae school!
He he, he he!
Crossword Clues
by Neil Locker
across:
Crossword Clues
3 Pod vegetable. 5 Period of time equal to 60 seconds. 6 Long-tailed rodent. 7 Number of blind mice in nursery rhyme. 8 Animal watched by a shepherd. 11 Item worn on your head. 12 Colour of the rainbow after indigo. 13 Beam of sunlight or a flat fish. down:
1 Present. 2 Sister of your mother or father.
3 Brownish-green fruit that rhymes with bear. 4 Not present. 6 Slice of bacon. 9 Jealousy. 10 Swimming venue or table game. 11 Back part of a foot.
on Page 2
Why is Adam considered the fastest person in the Bible? Because he came first in the human race!
What do rabbits say before they eat?
‘Lettuce pray!
Why did Adam and Eve do maths every day? They were told to be fruitful and multiply!
1 2 3 ⁴ 5 6
What’s a mathematician’s favourite book of the Bible? Numbers!
What’s a miracle that can be done by a complainer? Turning anything into whine!
What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth? Ruthless!
What did Jonah’s family say when he told them about his journey to Nineveh? ‘Hmm, sounds fishy!’
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by Neil Locker
PNature at NightCompetition
icture this – it’s late at night and you’re fast asleep. It’s silent in your home – but outside, beneath the shimmering stars, nature is stirring. Bats are soaring, foxes are scavenging and dormice are scurrying. While you’re snoring into your pillow, more animals and insects than you can ever imagine are wide awake!
That’s exactly what a book called A Wild Child’s Guide to Nature at Night is all about! Written by a young naturalist called Dara McAnulty, this beautiful book takes you through nature at night in five different habitats in Britain and Ireland. You’ll encounter hedgehogs in a garden, glow-worms on the coast and woodcock on a farm. With Dara’s book, you can imagine that you’re exploring nature with only the moonlight to guide you – and you can discover some truly spectacular nocturnal animals!
For your opportunity to win your own copy of A Wild Child’s Guide to Nature at Night, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Nature at Night Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 17 October when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by filling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Nature at Night Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
Name:
Address:
Three Five Seven How many different habitats are explored in this book?
WORLD GRATITUDE DAY
Do you know what the word ‘gratitude’ means? To have gratitude is to feel thankful for something – whether that’s a really big thing in your life, such as your family, or a really small thing, such as a delicious dinner that’s been cooked for you! It’s World Gratitude Day tomorrow (21 September), so why not use the box below to write or draw a few of the things you’re thankful for? You could then email what you’ve written or drawn to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘World Gratitude Day’ in the subject box and give us your full name, age and address. Alternatively, you can post your writing or drawing to: Your Space, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. One last reminder, if you’re sending by post remember to fill in the details below so we know who you are. We send a gift to everyone whose creation we publish, so don’t miss out!
PEOPLE YOU’RE THANKFUL FOR…
SMALL THINGS YOU’RE THANKFUL FOR…
Name: Age:
Address:
Postcode:
Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
International Day of Peace
It’s the International Day of Peace tomorrow (21 September), which is a day all about encouraging people from around the whole world to be peaceful.
Do you know what peace is? Peace is when people choose to be kind to one another, instead of fighting! The truth is that our world isn’t always peaceful –sometimes people might choose to be mean, rather than show love!
Over the next two pages, we want to tell you the story of someone who was affected by some people who decided they didn’t want to be peaceful. This person also has some brilliant advice for how we can bring peace to others!
Meet Varvara
This is Varvara. Varvara is from a place called Mykolaiv, which is a city in a country called Ukraine. You might have heard of Ukraine before, especially if you’ve watched the news. That’s because in 2022, a country called Russia began a war to try to take over Ukraine –even though people were already living there.
When the war began, Varvara had to leave Ukraine with her mum and brother to live in a country called Hungary. Then, after a few months, she left Hungary to live in the UK. In fact, she lived with one of the
Living in the UK
It was really tough for Varvara to get used to living in the UK, but she knew that God was looking after her. She even experienced an amazing miracle!
Before moving, she kept imagining what her perfect bedroom would look like – painted completely white, with a picture of a ballerina on the wall. When she arrived in her new home, that’s exactly what she discovered! God was really looking after her.
Dream Big
After going through such difficult times, Varvara decided to dream big. She wanted to go to university to learn more about managing a business – and although some people thought this was a ridiculous dream, it came true! Varvara got to go to university for free.
Once she’d finished university, Varvara got a fantastic job. She also fell in love with someone! In fact, their wedding is today (20 September) – so Varvara might be getting married at the exact time you’re reading this page.
Tough Times
Although Varvara’s experienced some amazing things living in the UK, it’s impossible to ignore that she’s had some very tough times throughout her life. She had friends lose their lives in the war in Ukraine, and she’s also struggled with her health.
However, throughout the trickiest times, Varvara has also met incredibly loving people. When she first arrived in Hungary, she met ladies who were handing out free sandwiches to people who were leaving Ukraine. At a shop in Budapest, strangers smiled at her and gave her a hug.
Be Peaceful
When we asked Varvara how our readers could bring peace to others in difficult times, she told us some of the stories about people she met since the war started. She told us that we could bring peace to people who are struggling by being welcoming and supporting, and even by smiling at them!
She finished her conversation with us by saying that there was one thing she wanted us to learn: ‘In a situation where you can’t do much, do what you can with your whole heart!’
Your Turn
On the International Day of Peace, do your part in building a world that cares about peace by…
Choosing to say something loving to someone who’s upset you.
Praying for peace and for people who are affected by wars around the world, such as in Ukraine and Gaza.
Being kind to someone who’s going through a tough time, whether that’s by making them a card, smiling at them or even giving them a present!
Celebrate kindness on the
Cool Colou ri ngs
Erin-Kate, aged 9, sent us this ice cream design. An every flavour ice cream –what a genius idea! It sounds yummy!
This super street dancer was coloured in by Alfie, aged 6. We love the clothes! Great work, Alfie!
So many delicious ice cream designs. This one is blue bubblegum and strawberry vanilla, and was designed by Felicity, aged 7.
This ridiculously cool racing car was coloured in by Eddison, aged 4. We think it would look awesome as it zooms past a crowd!
This ice cream design from Josie, aged 8, has us dreaming of summer holidays!
I love all the details Josie has added to her ice cream design! The hand holding the ice cream, the tree, the sun, the beach, the surfer – it’s all fab!
New Junior Soldiers
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army Hannah, Samuel, Hemel Hempstead.
Here’s an un-bee-lievable colouring sent to us by Shalom, aged 4. The bees look very happy with their pink hive!
G e t I n
T o u c h !
The Kids Alive! team loves to hear from its readers. And guess what –other readers love reading your news! So why not get in touch?
You can email or post your own colourings, drawings and letters. Or you could ask your Sunday school, church or corps leaders to email us or write to us with any news about the fun stuff you’ve been doing at your church or corps.
Email: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
Post: Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ
Solomon
Age? 5.
Favourite colour? Orange.
Favourite food? Pizza.
Favourite sport? Football. Favourite bit of Kids Alive! Colouring.
Favourite Bible story and why? Jesus calms the storm, because it shows us that we don’t need to be scared
Favourite TV programme? Floor is Lava
What do you want to be when you’re older? A basketball player or a scientist.
Pets? Two tortoises – Essex and Yorkshire.
Hobbies? Football, skateboarding.
Tell us a joke. Which football team loves ice cream? Aston Vanilla! What special skill or talent do I’m learning to play the drums.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I go to gymnastics every week.
HUMANs are so polite in the way they shake each other’s hands. it’s high time that us eels learned from their example... ...and gave handshakes as well.
er, eric, I Advise against doing that! Why would that be, Patch? because you’re an electric eel, that’s why!
