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.
4–5 KA! JAM 6 Bumper Bible Breakdown 7 Patch’s Problem 8–9 Giggle in the Middle 10 Quill and the Last Generation Competition 11 Creative Corner 12–13 KA! World 14–15 Your Space 16 Patch’s Pals Eric the Electric Eel
Go to salvationist.org.uk/radio to get your morning started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles
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.
there, readers! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this issue of Kids
If you would like to get your own copy of Kids Alive! delivered to your home every week, why not ask your parents or carers to take out a subscription* for you? Every week, Kids Alive! includes a cartoon Bible story, a competition, puzzles, jokes, comic strips and topical activities and articles for you to enjoy.
*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. 3 Super League Basketball Trophy Finals and Ed’s Bit
o you know what a dribble is (and no, we’re not talking about what happens when you brush your teeth)? How about a slam dunk, buzzer beater or air ball? We promise we’re not making these terms up! They’re all from a very popular sport in the USA – a sport that’s starting to make a big splash in the UK. We’re talking about basketball, of course! Why are we talking about basketball? Well, it’s the men’s and women’s Super League Basketball Trophy Finals tomorrow (Sunday 1 February)! The Super Leagues are major basketball competitions, in which the best basketball players in the UK battle it out to see who comes out on top. They’re fairly new leagues, since both the men’s and women’s competitions only began in 2024. However, they’ve already proven themselves to be about as exciting as a panda flying a spaceship (which would be pretty exciting, wouldn’t it?)! Tomorrow’s finals will take place at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. The day will begin with a thrilling match between the Women’s Trophy finalists, as the Sheffield Hatters will take to the basketball court to try to pinch the trophy away from the Caledonia Gladiators. Then, in the afternoon, the Men’s Trophy finalists will have their turn to play. The London Lions will have to give it their all to defeat the Newcastle Eagles, who were last year’s champions!
The Women’s Trophy Final begins at 12pm, and the Men’s Trophy Final begins at 3.30pm – so why not check out both games?
To watch the men’s and women’s Super League Basketball Trophy Finals, check out DAZN. You can find out more about how to watch games on DAZN at superleaguebasketballm.co.uk/watch/
Lots of basketball players will be hoping to win a trophy this weekend. Their journey to this point started years ago, maybe when they were your age. That might have been when they first picked up a basketball during a PE lesson or watched a game on TV. Since then, those players will have spent hours practising and trying to get better. During those hours there will have been many missed shots and mistakes, but that’s OK – those misses and mistakes were all part of their learning.
Every week we give you lots of advice about how to live as a Christian. But what we don’t always say is that you won’t get it right all of the time. None of us do, and that’s OK. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect – he knows that we make mistakes. The important thing is that we all keep learning and keep trying to do our best for him.
Super League Basketball Images
Be Like Daniel
Has anyone ever been mean to you because iyou love God? In this week’s Bible cartoon, a man called Daniel was thrown into a den full of lions, just for following God!
There are plenty of silly rules in the world. When I was at school, there was a rule that we weren’t allowed to run during breaktime (so my friends and I used to play slow-motion tag). However, the rule in this story is even more ridiculous. No one was allowed to pray to God. Instead, they had to worship the king of the land – Darius!
It would have been easy for Daniel to follow this rule, especially because he knew that he would be fed to some lions if he didn’t! However, Daniel trusted that God would be with him, no matter what he was facing. So Daniel kept on praying!
What an inspiration, right? We should be more like Daniel. We should trust that God’s with us, even when times are hard! God really was with Daniel – he left that lions’ den without a scratch on his body. And God really is with us too! We can trust in him, knowing that he loves us.
We can also trust that God will use us to do brilliant things. King Darius was so amazed by how God worked in Daniel’s life that he wrote a letter to tell the whole world to praise God! When we trust and follow God, he can do truly spectacular things – even in the lives of people who can be mean to us.
says Jacob Adams
Here are five statements about the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Can you figure out which ones are true and which ones are lie-ons (we mean false – just in case that terrible pun’s confused you)? Hint – check out Daniel 6:5-28!
Check out your Bible –Daniel 6:5-28
A ‘Big Story’ Escape
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.
Freeing Onesimus
While Paul was in prison, he was visited by a man called Onesimus. Onesimus was a victim of slavery and had been forced to work for a Christian called Philemon. After having an argument with Philemon, Onesimus ran away and went to ask Paul for help. During his visit to Paul, Onesimus became a Christian himself. He also became a close friend to Paul.
So Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon with a special letter. This letter asked Philemon to not force Onesimus to be a slave again. Instead, he should free Onesimus from slavery!
The letter also challenged Philemon to see Onesimus as a brother, because they were both part of the family of God. As Christians, they should love one another. In sending this letter, Paul made something very clear – everyone is equally loved by God!
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.
Address:
Date of birth:
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 an…
?
Patch’s Problem...? ?
HELLO, READERS, I’VE LOST A VERY IMPORTANT OBJECT SOMEWHERE IN THE ISSUE. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HELP ME FIND IT? I HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE.
? ?
Architect
Hi, I’m Kevin, I’m 64 years old and I’m an architect. This means that I design and plan buildings such as schools, hospitals and houses! When I’m not designing buildings, I love playing the guitar – I’ve been playing it since I was 10 years old. I also enjoy creating watercolour paintings.
A normal day of work will include talking to people. This is so that I can understand what buildings they want me to design. Then I’ll actually design that building and I’ll make sure that it meets their needs.
The best thing about my job is that I get to put what I imagine in my mind onto paper, and then actually have it built. I get the same feeling when I finish a Lego model – only I’ve also made up the instructions! When I see the finished building, I get a real sense of achievement (and hopefully it also looks good).
If you’d like to be an architect, then I’d recommend that you play with Lego and play Minecraft. This is because Minecraft and Lego allow you to build things – you can create buildings that you can imagine people living in and using! I’d also recommend that you try to talk to someone working in architecture, so that you can understand more about
Why are frogs so good at basketball? Because they’re great at jump shots!
Why do basketball players love biscuits? Because they can dunk them!
Haha,haha,haha!
3 Mediterranean tree with a small many-seeded fruit. 5 Fruit with a yellow skin. 6 Take a seat.
Crossword Clues across:
7 Midday meal. 8 Harmonious sounds.
11 Mixture of gases that we breathe.
12 One of the digits on your hand. 13 Decay. down:
1 Ship’s pole from which a sail hangs. 2 Higher than average height. 3 Young deer. 4 Collect.
6 Season that follows spring. 9 Not hard.
10 Geometric shape or ice cream cornet.
11 Last word of prayer.
Crossword Clues
Answers on Page 2
Insert the 12 letters given below into the grid so that the same four words read both across and down
T T P R
Hoho,haha,hehe!
I couldn’t figure out why the basketball kept getting larger and larger... ...then it hit me!
Why don’t fish like basketball? They’re afraid of the nets!
What do you call a pig who never passes? A ball hog!
by Neil Locker
by Neil Locker
Hoho,hoho!
Hehe,hehe!
S
I
E
L
T
What do you do when you see an elephant with a basketball? Get out of the way!
How do basketball players stay cool during a game? They stand next to the fans!
Why are basketball players messy eaters? They’re always dribbling!
Identify the mystery item in the magnifying glass
block
I was born in 1984 in Akron, Ohio. I’m the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and the oldest active player.
I have won four NBA championships and three Olympic medals with the US Olympic team. I currently play for the LA Lakers. In 2024, my son and I made history as the first father-son teammates in the NBA.
I’ve acted in many films, including Smallfoot and Space Jam: A New Legacy. Can you guess who I am?
Ho ho, ha ha,
he! Ho ho, ho ho!
HQuill and the Last Generation COMPETITION
ave you ever thought about the fact that at some point you were the youngest person in the whole world? Around four babies are born every second, so you won’t have been the youngest person for very long – but it’s a pretty mind-blowing fact, isn’t it?
In a book called Quill and the Last Generation, written by C. M. Lewis, there’s something amazing about a boy called Quill. Even though he’s 12 years old, he’s still one of the youngest people in the world! No babies have been born for 12 years, and no one knows why. Everything changes when Quill meets a young shapeshifter in the form of a raven. This kicks off an adventure filled with strange creatures, epic battles, dragons, a monstrous hound and even a horse made of water! Now Quill must become the hero that the world needs him to be. For the opportunity to win your own copy of Quill and the Last Generation, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
Remember to put ‘Quill and the Last Generation Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 27 February when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by filling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Quill and the Last Generation Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
Name:
Address:
How many babies are born every second?
4 14 24
Illustrated by Khadijah Khatib with inside illustrations by Marina Vidal
TIME TO TALK DAY
How good are you at talking about how you feel? It can be really hard to open up to people when we’re struggling, but it’s such an important thing to do! That’s why the Kids Alive! team will be celebrating Time to Talk Day this Thursday (5 February) – and it’s also why we’d love you to join in too. This is a day to speak openly to your loved ones about how you’re feeling, and to realise that it’s never a bad idea to ask for help. To get ready for Time to Talk Day, why not spend some time finishing the sentences below? You can write or draw – whatever you’d like!
I’M FEELING REALLY HAPPY ABOUT…
I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT…
I’M FEELING NERVOUS OR UPSET ABOUT…
THESE ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE I CAN CHAT WITH ON TIME TO TALK DAY…
Living a healthy and active lifestyle, and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being
How important has The Salvation Army been in your life? Perhaps you’ve been to a youth club run by The Salvation Army, and you’ve made lots of friends there. Or maybe your favourite weekly comic is published by The Salvation Army (hint –it’s the very magazine you’re holding right now)!
The Salvation Army might have done some amazing things in your life, so how great would it be for you to help them to support other people too?
Ever Since 1886…
In 1886, William Booth (who’s the Co-Founder of The Salvation Army) started something called the Self-Denial Appeal. Even though that was 140 years ago, the Self-Denial Appeal still takes place every year – and it’s still having a massive impact on people all around the world!
The idea of the Self-Denial Appeal is very simple. From Sunday 1 February to Sunday 1 March, people all around the world will be encouraged to sacrifice spending money on things they love. Instead, they’ll give that money to The Salvation Army!
Excellent Estonia
This year’s appeal is focusing on a country called Estonia. Have you heard of Estonia before? It’s a small country in Northern Europe, and it’s near Russia and Latvia.
Estonia has had a tricky past and many people living there are worried that it might have an equally tricky future! However, The Salvation Army is doing some amazing work there. The community of Christians in Estonia might be small, but they’re doing their best to make a difference.
Bringing Hope
Just like The Salvation Army has helped people in the UK, it’s bringing joy and hope to people in Estonia too.
In Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, The Salvation Army runs Hope House. This is a place that supports men who are struggling with addictions – and it also shows them how much Jesus loves them. Some people who’ve been supported by Hope House even work there now!
In Narva, a small city near the Russian border, a woman called Olga runs a children’s programme. This supports children from both Estonia and Russia, including children who might be experiencing poverty. Olga helps to bring joy to the lives of these children!
In a town called Loksa, The Salvation Army owns a house where it runs retreats, children’s camps and weekend gatherings. At children’s camps, they might make crafts, play sports, spend time worshipping God and even cook marshmallows by the sea!
How Can You Help?
It’s very easy for a grown-up to take part in Self-Denial. They might give up buying a coffee before work or stop eating lots of takeaways! But we’d love for all of our readers to take part too – and it might be hard to know how to do that when you haven’t got as much money as your parents or carers. So here are a few suggestions…
Put a mug in your room, and over the course of the month, fill it with any spare change that you might receive (such as pocket money). Then, at the end of the month, donate what you’ve collected.
Sacrifice doing something you love that costs money. For example, if your parents or carers want to take you to the cinema, ask if you can watch a film at home instead. Then they can donate the money they were planning to spend!
You could earn money to donate to The Salvation Army! You could sacrifice your time by putting on a bake sale or talent show at your church, and any money raised can be given to The Salvation Army.
Your Turn
Showing love to others is a really amazing thing to do. So why not take part in Self-Denial and share the love of Jesus with people living in Estonia? To find out more, visit salvationist.org.uk/faith/giving-fundraising/self-denial
H a p p y B i r t h d a y t o y o u !
To see your name and birthday printed in a future issue of KA! email your full name and date of birth to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
4 February
Anthony Tye – age 10
5 February
Francesca
Favourite colour? Sparkly purple.
Favourite food? Mango.
Favourite sport? Running.
Favourite bit of Kids Alive!? Puzzles.
Favourite Bible story and why?
The good Samaritan, because it’s nice to be good.
Favourite TV programme? Bluey.
What do you want to be when you’re older? A singer. Pets? Cat.
Hobbies? Singing.
Tell us a joke. Where does a cow go to watch a film? They go to the moo-vies!
Hallie – age 10
Hattie – age 10
Lulu – age 8
6 February
Emmanuel Boluwaji – age 7
G e t I n T o u c h !
What special skill or talent do you have? Singing, reading, drawing. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I love history and school.
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
Cool Colourings
Violet-Elise, aged 8, has coloured this Remembrance Colouringbeautifully.really
This colouring from Gracie, aged 4, is a fantastic reminder of why we celebrate Christmas!
Noemi, aged 6, designed this stunning Christmas tree. What a bright star!
Henry, aged 7, has designed a Christmas tree with one present for each of his family under the tree and a Welsh Christmas greeting!
Diolch, Henry!
This fantastic Fox Colouring is from Imogen, aged 6. It’s so cute!
Abi, aged 6, was so full of Christmas joy they designed two Christmas trees!
New Junior Soldiers
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army Andre, Ivan, Treasure, Cardiff Canton; Amelia, Eastbourne Citadel.
