Salvationist 10 January 2026

SALVATIONIST

Break Ground, Bring Hope

ON Covenant Sunday (11 January) at the start of a new year we have an opportunity to reconsecrate ourselves, to refocus and recommit our hearts, our minds and our service to God. God has made a covenantal promise to always love us and always be with us, no matter what we may do in return. His covenant is not dependent upon our effort, success or failure. It is eternal.

For many of us, this is not the first time that we have been given this opportunity and because of that there is a danger that we could be complacent and not fully consider our response to God’s blessing. The focus of this year’s Covenant Sunday is Break Ground, Bring Hope. This is not about looking back or shoring up but about moving forward, breaking new ground in our relationships with God and with others – and, in so doing, being the catalyst for bringing hope to what is, at times, a very dark world. That hope is not just for others but also for our own hearts, as we allow God to break into those areas of our lives where we have been too fearful to let him in.

May we each be ready to listen and to act as the Spirit leads us.

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NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE

MESSAGE FROM THE TERRITORIAL LEADERS 8+9

Issue No 2045

EDITOR Major Julian Watchorn

MANAGING EDITOR Ivan Radford

ASSISTANT EDITOR Stevie Hope

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Major Margaret Bovey, Major Lynne Shaw, George Tanton, Lyn Woods

SENIOR DESIGNER Hannah Holden

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Joseph Halliday, Louise Phillips

PROOFREADER Chris Horne

FOUNDERS Catherine and William Booth

INTERNATIONAL LEADERS

General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham

TERRITORIAL LEADERS

Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Julian Watchorn

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Discerning the territory’s needs

Lieut-Colonel David Shakespeare encourages us to pray for the Territorial Appointments Conference this week

THE Territorial Appointments Conference begins this Sunday (11 January) at William Booth College, when Territorial Leaders Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main will lead delegates in gathered worship. Later in the day, senior members of the Officer and Territorial Envoy Department and the Mission Service will meet with divisional leaders to continue to discern the needs of the territory and understand how appointed leadership can help strengthen and advance the Army’s work and impact in the UK and Ireland Territory at this time.

The conference runs until 15 January and the week is part of a much bigger conversation about what leadership

Reflect and respond

Read through the lyrics of ‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness’ (SASB 26).

Meditate on God’s faithful provision and pray for discernment in using what he has provided to do his will.

Reflect on Joshua 3:5 and pray for confidence and trust in God to do wonders among us in this territory.

Join in the 9.38 prayer initiative every morning! Find out more at salvationist.org.uk/prayerinitiative-938.

within The Salvation Army in the 21st century looks like, and how best to deploy covenanted leaders so they flourish and are fruitful in their ministry and can strengthen the ways in which the Army fulfils its mission in local settings in increasingly diverse contexts.

Over the past few months there have been careful conversations with officers and territorial envoys, which include consideration of children’s educational and emotional needs and wider family or health concerns. Local leadership teams have also contributed helpfully about ongoing ways of service and future initiatives. This documented consultation process is part of the wider listening exercise and has enabled a strategic and greater collaborative approach to divisional planning.

There have also been conversations with officers who are returning to the territory after service in other parts of the worldwide Salvation Army so that they are supported during their adjustment to living and serving in their home territory once again. This includes considering some of the ways that life in the UK and Ireland has changed in the past five years. There have been significant changes within The Salvation Army over this time as we seek to discern how best to live out our values as we love God and love others.

The Territorial Appointments Conference is not a decision-making group: after discussion and discernment,

it makes recommendations to the Territorial Appointments Board, where proposed appointments are reviewed and ratified. This group is chaired by Commissioner Jenine.

Prayer and worship are important elements of the conference. LieutColonel Judith Payne, the conference chaplain, will remind delegates of the truth that ‘all I have needed thy hand hath provided’ (SASB 26), as we acknowledge that God has given us all we need in order to do his will.

In November 2025 a powerful new call to prayer was launched by the Candidates Unit to pray for future leaders of The Salvation Army. Everyone has been encouraged to set an alarm for 9.38am every day and join with others throughout the territory to pray to God to ‘send out workers’ (Matthew 9:38).

Over the coming days, include the Territorial Appointments Conference in your thinking and praying, asking that wisdom and discernment are given so that the appointments process is part of God sending his covenanted people to places where they can do his will.

LIEUT-COLONEL

DAVID SHAKESPEARE Personnel Officer (Administration) THQ

Quiz

The oil press

by Garry D Reed

Rearrange the first letters of each of these answers to find a name of a special New Testament garden

‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made’

Max Moye (Ipswich Citadel) testifies

that he

is loved by God

1 A Philistine giant and very large beetle. 2 Mother of John the Baptist.

3 What you shall not commit, according to the seventh commandment.

The Hebrew name for the first five books of the Old Testament.

Joseph predicted how many years of famine to Pharaoh?

Country where Potiphar was captain of the king’s guards.

One of Noah’s sons and a village in

The person who replaced Judas Iscariot as Jesus’ 12th apostle.

9 Famous for being the city where Jesus grew up, this settlement is located in the Lower Galilee region of Israel.

10 The patron saint of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is first mentioned in 1 Kings and appeared with Moses at Jesus’ transfiguration.

VER the past year or so, I have had a change in environment and experience by studying at Ridley Hall, a theological college in Cambridge. I began studying theology, and this was working through a charity called CYM, the Institute for Children, Youth and Mission. This was an eyeopening experience.

Before the past year, I was unsure of my faith, of what was next to come in terms of career, etc. However, after completing many assignments, it helped me to see who I am and how I am loved

I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.’ This struck a chord with me for many reasons, but it cements the fact that we are made in God’s image – every single part of us is made to the slightest detail, he knows us inside and out.

This is a reminder that, whatever we are going through, whatever we face or feel, God has a plan for us because he created every single hair on our bodies and he guides us in everyday life. I believe he has done this for me in the past year.

Anyone who knows me will know that

A call to depth

Samuel Taylor (Plexus) reviews Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer

‘THE greatest issue facing the world today ... is whether those who ... are identified as “Christians” will become disciples.’ Practicing the Way is a call to depth. It’s a clarion call that Christianity isn’t primarily a change in YouGov religious affiliation, a nod to national history or appeasing your intercessor Grandma. It is a renovation of your heart, a transformation of your world view and a revolution of your life, all because of Jesus.

John Mark Comer’s book invites us to review our assumptions about what it means to be a Christian. The fundamental reorientation Comer invites us to is to see Christianity as an invitation to practice. We often reduce the term ‘disciple’ to mean a study or ‘super Christian’. Comer intends to reinspire our imaginations, that a disciple is

better understood as an apprentice of Jesus.

An apprentice is someone who learns a trade by following the life, lessons and work of a teacher, with the goal of one day having an apprentice of their own. Following Jesus, therefore, is an intentional apprenticeship of life under the guidance and teaching of Jesus. It requires time, attention, effort. It requires practice. We will not become formed into the likeness of Jesus by accident. Comer reminds us that following Jesus will always call us to swim against the cultural tide: ‘If we’re not being intentionally formed by Jesus himself, then it’s highly likely we are being unintentionally formed by someone or something else.’

Comer does not leave us merely persuaded. He draws out the three main

Blessing, comfort and encouragement

goals of apprenticeship to Jesus: to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do what Jesus did. It is a call to abide in the vine through prayer, solitude and sabbath, to be formed in his likeness through community, Scripture and fasting, and to do what Jesus did through hospitality, witness and service.

Practicing the Way resonates with the heartbeat of The Salvation Army. It’s a call to an embodied Christian faith and a life of transformational holiness. It’s fresh water to the soul who has laid down their net and followed him, and a helping hand to those who find themselves stuck on the journey.

• To join a cohort following the Practicing the Way Course over eight weeks on Zoom, starting 29 January, email samuel. taylor@salvationarmy.org.uk

International Staff Songster Leader Dorothy Nancekievill reviews

Worthy to Be Praised! by the USA’s Central Territorial Staff Songsters

MUSIC can touch the soul, and it is clear that the Central Territorial Staff Songsters’ desire is that their songs will allow the souls of listeners to both rejoice and reflect. This debut album has been carefully curated over two years, resulting in a recording that showcases the group’s versatility, integrity and ability to communicate. The repertoire included will appeal to a wide audience, as it includes familiar songs, new works and great arrangements.

‘Worthy to Be Praised!’ has a short and sensitive a cappella opening, which moves into an energetic and joyful section. Rhythmically very tight, you can feel the excitement emanating from each singer and each instrumentalist through to the conclusion.

It is a delight to hear songs such as

‘Jesus Paid It All’, ‘How Sweet the Name’ and ‘Sweet Little Jesus Boy’ sung with such intensity and warmth. ‘How Wonderful!’ has a Broadway feel, which brings cheer and optimism in equal measure. Staff Songster Leader Harold Burgmayer’s ability to interweave ‘More Than Wonderful’, ‘I Stand Amazed in the Presence’ and ‘The Wonder of His Grace’ is seamless, reminding us that we do not have enough words to express how marvellous and wonderful Jesus is. Burgmayer’s vocal setting of ‘Just Like John’, long enjoyed as a band piece, is both technically demanding and great fun.

Throughout the album many of the songs are enhanced by the addition of a range of instrumentalists. In the case of ‘O Love’, the inclusion of the cello obbligato, written by Elaine Hagenberg, adds to the

plaintive nature of George Matheson’s beautiful poetry, first written in 1882. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the entire album. The diction is clear and each song has good musical intentions, creating an environment for personal worship. Much care and thought has gone into the preparation and production. From the initial concept, repertoire choices, arrangements and rehearsals to all the operational matters and design ideas, all involved should be commended for their devotion and commitment.

Recorded ministry has the potential to reach so many more people than we can imagine. This collection will bring blessing, comfort and encouragement to many.

• Worthy to Be Praised! is available on all major streaming platforms.

New soil

Major Susan Woodgate encourages us that God’s promises are stronger than fear

THIS year’s Covenant Sunday is all about breaking new ground. When I think about this, my mind goes to farmers up and down the country who in recent months have been breaking new ground to increase crop production. With a brother-in-law and a son who are both farmers, I have become more and more interested in the agricultural rhythms of the year and the ways farmers care for the land to ensure the greatest yield on their work.

I have learnt that it’s not only about sowing and reaping, but also about drilling and the way in which hardened barren land is cultivated and made ready. Not only is this true in fields but also in a spiritual sense.

There are moments when God calls us to break new ground – when the soil of our lives feels hard, barren, uncertain. In those times, fear can whisper louder than faith. However, God promises: ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ (v10).

In our study passage, God reminds us that he is not a distant observer but a present helper who empowers his people. He brings hope where there once was despair.

Five promises emerge from verse 10. ‘I am with you’ – his presence is unbroken. ‘I am your God’ – his relationship is personal. ‘I will strengthen you’ – his power sustains. ‘I will … help you’ – he is our help. ‘I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ – he is unshakeable. God begins with a command and words of comfort. These words were offered to the people of Israel at a time

when they were in exile in Babylon. It seems reasonable to think that they were feeling discouraged and possibly fearing they had been completely abandoned by God after the destruction of their cities and Temple. We might understand that God is reassuring his people and promising to strengthen, help and uphold them, despite their weakness.

In our world, every day, we hear news of wars or disasters. We might also experience personal challenges and wrestle with doubts and fears. At such times, when the ground beneath us seems to be shifting, God invites us to trust his word. He offers us an anchor.

When we stand on new soil – in ministry, work, relationships or personal calling – we stand on promises that are stronger than fear. God’s hand never slips.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

In times of struggle, when life feels uncertain, when you are fearful, how might God’s promise to be with you reshape the way you react and respond?

In verse 14, God addresses Israel tenderly: ‘Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you.’ God acknowledges their frailty but does not leave them there. Instead, he declares transformation: ‘I will make you into a threshing-sledge, new and sharp… You will thresh the mountains and crush them’ (v15).

It’s a stunning image – a ‘worm’ becoming a mighty instrument capable of levelling mountains. What God forms, he also empowers.

When you believe that God can do the impossible through you, he can empower you to break new ground. Throughout the Bible we see that God specialises in taking what seems weak or insignificant and turning it into something amazing.

When we yield our fears and inadequacies to him, he reshapes us. Neither the fears we harbour nor the injustices we see or feel nor our failures are too big in comparison to his strength working in us. Our joy is found not in what we can do but in God’s faithfulness: ‘You will rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel’ (v16).

PAUSE AND REFLECT

In what ways do you feel weak or unqualified right now?

What might it look like to let God sharpen you for his purpose?

The final section of the passage paints a breathtaking picture of renewal: ‘The poor and needy search for water, but there is none… But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them’ (v17).

God moves from empowering his people to refreshing them. He makes ‘rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys’ (v18). We read that parched land becomes a place of abundance and life.

The passage mentions seven trees: cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, juniper, fir and cypress trees, each symbolising diversity, growth and fruitfulness. The desert becomes a garden, a sign that God’s Spirit is at work.

And why does God do this? ‘So that people may see and know … that the

hand of the Lord has done this’ (v20). When we allow God to break new ground in our lives, might others notice? Our transformation becomes a living testimony – proof that God turns deserts into springs and despair into hope.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Think of a desert area in your life, a place of dryness, disappointment or delay.

Now imagine what it would look like for God to bring living water there.

As we walk forward into 2026, breaking new ground, we are encouraged to remember that the same God who strengthened Israel wants to strengthen each one of us too. God says: ‘Do not fear, for I myself will help you’ (v14). Let these words echo in your heart as you step into new ground.

Where God calls, he also equips. Where he sends, he sustains, and where he works, hope always grows.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Are you ready for the new ground that God wants to break in your personal life this year?

Are you ready for the new ground that God wants to break in your community this year?

MAJOR SUSAN WOODGATE Spiritual Formation Coordinator William Booth College

January’s entries are inspired by the Blueprint for Better Choices To read the full, unedited Prayer Matters booklet, visit salvationist.org.uk/discipleship.

SATURDAY 10 JANUARY – COURAGEOUS DISCIPLESHIP

We hear your call to us, The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland Territory, to be your bold and faithful followers whose lives embody and enact the grace of God in every aspect of life. Give us courage to attend to the deepening of our inner lives, to make room for the work of your Spirit and to invite others to encounter you, as we obey your call to make disciples of all people.

SUNDAY 11 JANUARY – THE RESOLUTION TO BE INTENTIONAL

Today is Covenant Sunday. The theme, Break Ground, Bring Hope, is an invitation to be courageous disciples. Courageous discipleship is about being energised by faith. It’s the slow work of spiritual formation. It’s about seeking what God wants, not just what feels comfortable or familiar. It’s about having an outward focus, to notice, to serve, to respond. based on Covenant Sunday resources from tsa.link/covenantsunday26

MONDAY 12 JANUARY: HARD GROUND – NEGLECTING GOD’S WORD

Father God, forgive us when we’ve tried to discern your will without taking time to read, study and meditate on your word given to us in the Bible. Forgive us when busyness or boredom have thwarted our intention to root our lives in Scripture. Forgive us when fear of disagreement or controversy has made us hesitant to discuss your word in our communities. Give us grace and perseverance to discern together what your word is saying to us.

TUESDAY 13 JANUARY – PRACTISING BEING INTENTIONAL

When we decide to take a step forward, explore a spiritual practice or take up a new discipline, we usually do it to benefit our own growth. But what if we were to consider our community when we make those decisions? What does your team or church community need to grow in? Which practice or discipline might you start doing – or start doing more of?

WEDNESDAY 14 JANUARY – THE RESOLUTION TO VALUE INTUITION

The word ‘intuition’ might suggest something rather opaque, even a bit mystical, but the root of the word is simply ‘inner teaching’. We learn through experience; and through our relationship with God we store up insight that is vital to hearing God. The Holy Spirit ignites the deep stores of knowledge and understanding within us and turns them to divine wisdom. God, help us value our intuition.

THURSDAY 15 JANUARY: HARD GROUND – INSECURITY

Creator God, forgive us when we doubt what we know. We acknowledge that we too easily belittle ourselves, lacking faith in our ability to hear you. Yet the psalmist tells us that your voice can strip forests bare (see Psalm 29:9). Help us relish the adventure of learning to recognise your voice.

FRIDAY 16 JANUARY – PRACTISING INTUITION

Explore your relationship with your own intuition: Do you trust your gut instincts? How might you value this source of deep knowing, but also weigh what it is saying to you? What intuition or deep knowing do you think your community has gained over the past few years?

PRAYER REQUESTS

Do you have something or someone you’d like us to pray for? Email salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk with ‘prayer request’ in the subject line.

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Courageous discipleship calls us to break ground, facing what hinders growth and making space to bring living hope. ”

What is Covenant Sunday?

Covenant Sunday provides the time, space and opportunity to respond to God’s covenantal promises. The invitation to respond is available to all. It is not an exclusive offer available for certain people or dependent on how long you have been a Christian, or if you have entered into a covenant with God in any capacity before. Download a Covenant Sunday card to pray and sign at home at tsa.link/covenantsunday26

Break ground, bring hope

Territorial Leaders Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main reflect on

Covenant Sunday 2026

AS we approach Covenant Sunday 2026 we pray that it will be deeply significant to everyone connected to The Salvation Army. We are grateful for God’s ongoing call, bringing people together to help shape our future.

Covenant Sunday is not exclusive: it’s a calling to us all, however we are involved, to consider how we are going to make the availability of the Kingdom of God a reality in our own lives and in our communities. It’s a time to reflect and look forward, considering God’s purpose in our lives.

We were so encouraged to see how last year’s theme – Step Up, Stand Out – caught the territory’s imagination. This year, the theme is Break Ground, Bring Hope. It continues to be about courageous discipleship, the kind Paul spoke of when he wrote: ‘God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and self-discipline’ (2 Timothy 1:7 Tree of Life Version).

Courageous discipleship is about living with conviction and Spirit-empowered boldness. But here’s the challenge: timid discipleship can creep in quietly. Faith becomes maintenance instead of mission, attending but not engaging, believing but not acting.

This Covenant Sunday, we are asking: What does it mean to break ground in our lives, to clear away what hinders growth and make space for God’s renewing work?

Hosea 10:12 says: ‘Break up your unploughed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord.’ We encourage you to look at the unploughed ground in your life and identify what needs to be cleared away. Spiritually, those rocks might be fear, pride, past wounds or simply complacency.

We can explore how spiritual practices – confession, prayer, silence, service and Scripture – can create space for God’s transforming presence. Breaking ground isn’t easy; it takes courage. But when we do, something powerful happens, hope begins to grow.

That’s the second part of the theme: Bring Hope. Hosea 10:12 promises that God will shower his righteousness like rain bringing life to dry soil. This is active hope, rooted in Christ. In Colossians Paul calls it: ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ (1:27).

This hope isn’t vague optimism. Peter calls it living hope – a hope anchored in the resurrection of Jesus (see 1 Peter 1:3). Because Christ lives, hope lives.

We can embody this living hope in everyday life. Hope that moves beyond church walls. Hope that looks like compassion in action, grace in hard conversations, kindness in ordinary moments.

So courageous discipleship calls us to break ground, facing what hinders growth and making space to bring living hope. This hope empowers us to bring light and restoration to fragmented communities.

Because it’s not just about our inner lives. It’s also about breaking up the unploughed ground where we live, work and worship, and living out the hope that transforms us. Our prayer is that, in the ever-changing landscapes of our communities, people will see how we live authentic with-God lives.

Covenant Sunday gives us the opportunity to listen deeply to God. It’s a moment to pause and ask:

What obstacles harden my heart or hold me back from deeper intimacy with God? What spiritual practices can help

me create space for his transforming work? And how can I be part of breaking ground missionally, bringing living hope and restoration to others?

On this Covenant Sunday may we be ready to seek the Lord and step into his transforming work as we Break Ground, Bring Hope!

• Watch the territorial leaders’ video message online at tsa.link/covenant sunday2026

Covenant Sunday prayer

Loving Father, the depth of your unconditional and unceasing love is beyond my understanding, but today I respond to that love. Break down the areas of my heart that have become hardened. Transform what resists you, so that I may be one with you. As your love lives in me, may my thoughts, words and actions courageously flow and radiate this love outwardly in my community. Energise my faith, so that through me your Kingdom may come. May this Covenant of Love inspire me to break ground and bring hope in my life and this community. Amen.

Break ground

Major Gordon Cotterill challenges us to surrender

the hardened areas in our lives to God

TODAY, agriculture is highly mechanised. Farmers use GPS‑guided tractors, automated ploughs and soil sensors to prepare fields. But ancient farmers would have used simple wooden ploughs, often pulled by oxen or donkeys, sometimes tipped with bronze or iron for durability. Preparing the field involved removing large rocks that could obstruct ploughing or hinder seed growth. Labourers walked the fields, lifting or prying out stones and stacking them along the edges.

Hosea’s call to ‘break up your unploughed ground’ is more than a farming metaphor; it’s a spiritual invitation to clear away what hinders growth, making space for renewal, righteousness and the hope of transformation.

It takes courage to face the hidden obstacles that harden our hearts. As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:7, God gives us a spirit of power, love and self discipline – not timidity. True discipleship is Spirit empowered boldness shaped by Jesus, focused on growth and transformation. It is energised by faith and aligned with the pursuit of God’s will. It is a life modelled on Jesus, driven by a desire for growth and maturity in Christ.

Covenant Sunday each year reminds us of our need to continually rely on God, to allow his Holy Spirit to mould our hearts and lives and empower us to bring hope to those around us. It is an opportunity to begin reflecting on our heart state and timidity levels, to confront what stands in the way of the with God life – doing everything in our lives with God.

These obstacles might include

something hidden or unaddressed, blocking intimacy with God. Perhaps it’s a refusal to surrender or admit our need, preventing transformation. Fear and insecurity can keep us from stepping out in faith or trusting God’s goodness. Holding on to past wounds can create spiritual resistance, while a lack of desire or intentionality in seeking God can leave the soil of our hearts untouched.

It then takes time and intentionality to work on softening those areas and allowing the Spirit in. Confession and repentance invite us to name and release what’s blocking growth. Through prayer and silence, we create space for God to speak and soften the heart. Community and accountability help us identify and remove what we might not see on our own, while engaging with Scripture allows God’s word to expose and uproot what lies buried within. Together, these practices prepare the soil of our lives for transformation and fruitfulness.

In Celebration of Discipline, Richard J Foster writes: ‘A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain… This is the way it is with the spiritual disciplines – they are a way of sowing to the Spirit… By themselves the spiritual disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done.’

What habits or areas of your heart feel like unploughed ground? What fears or hesitations might hold you back from bold obedience? Where is God inviting you to be courageous and dig deeper, clear away resistance, and make space

Surrender to God

Hold out your hands. Start with both hands out and fists closed.

What things are you holding on to? What are you trying to keep away from God? Why are you holding on to the things God can take away?

Unclench your fists and spread out your fingers with your palms facing down.

Release your control and give it to God. Allow him to take whatever it is from you.

Turn your hands over so your palms are facing upwards.

Be open to receive God’s guidance and blessings. Replace your hidden fear with God’s grace and hope.

for renewal in your lives, relationships or community?

Dallas Willard once said: ‘Grace is not opposed to effort. It is opposed to earning.’ Will that reshape the way you approach spiritual growth in the year ahead?

• Based on Covenant Sunday resources, available at tsa.link/covenantsunday26

This is not the end

Ivan Radford encourages us to live in hope and bring that hope to others

WHAT gives you hope? On a gloomy January morning, with only a sliver of light on the horizon, it can be hard to muster hope in the darkness – browsing through the negative news headlines in your social media feed is called doomscrolling for a reason. But hope, real hope, is something that we can claim, as followers of Jesus – who, in his very name Immanuel, is with us.

Hope starts with our salvation. As the song ‘Cornerstone’ begins: ‘My hope is built on nothing less/ Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.’ Brought into personal relationship with our Saviour, the very Creator of the universe, we know that there is a place for us in Heaven – and that Jesus has had the final victory over sin.

This victory is profound and eternal. It’s already happened. It’s ahead of us. And yet we can only experience life chronologically: even though we know how the story ends, we still have to turn each page. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that ‘right now three things remain: faith, hope and love’ (International Standard Version). While Jesus’ love endures for ever, right now, we have faith and hope. In our time-bound existence, they help us through each twist and turn by anchoring us in God’s love.

Even though news headlines can tempt us to feel like it’s the end, like the worst has happened and things can only get even worse, we have this truth to hold on to: this is not the end. Despite all appearances, doomsaying,

rage-baiting and fear-mongering, the story of God’s creation and redemption of humankind does not stop right now. What, then, can the darkness of the world do to us? Psalm 27:1 declares: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?’ And 1 John 4:18 elaborates: ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.’ Let’s be frank: hope does not mean things are not difficult. Hope does not mean we will never experience pain, temptation or doubt. Hope does not mean there is no suffering or injustice. But hope is not merely a noun: it is a verb. Peter describes it as a ‘living hope’ (1 Peter 1:3). It is an active state of seeking Jesus’ presence in all circumstances – because we do not face anything alone – and doing so with confident expectation, without fear. Romans 8:28 promises us that ‘in all things God works for the good of those who love him’. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that this includes God working in us: ‘I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns’ (New Living Translation). As Colossians 1:27 describes it, ‘the secret is simply this: Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you bringing with him the hope of all glorious things to come’ (JB Phillips New Testament). Christ in us! Even amid darkness, we can trust that transformation will follow – transformation in us, when we let Jesus into those dark areas and seek his forgiveness and strength, and in our communities, as

he works through us to build his Kingdom here.

The secret isn’t one to keep to yourself. The fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22 and 23) is the unmistakeable mark of this living hope, and it echoes the attributes of God’s glory, as revealed to Moses in Exodus 34:6 and 7 – compassion, grace, patience, abundant love and faithfulness. When we live in hope, showing kindness, forgiveness and grace to those around us, we make God’s love visible. When we are present with people, living hope in difficult situations, we bring this hope to others. When we hope for a better world, and a better version of ourselves, we join in God’s transforming work.

Hope is not a passive optimism, but a committed decision, a choice, to see the world through the lens of God’s love, to trust in God’s overarching story. It is not reliant on something temporary, like the weather, but built on the unshakeable cornerstone of Jesus. Because he lives, we can face tomorrow. Because he lives in us, we can reflect his goodness. Because hope, real hope, is something the world is crying out for, and it’s yours if you want it. Have you claimed it? Are you living it? Are you going to keep the secret to yourself?

IVAN RADFORD Managing Editor Salvationist

Carols for peace

WESTMINSTER HALL

TERRITORIAL Leaders Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main joined MPs, peers, staff members and guests for the 2025 parliamentary carol service.

An ensemble from the International Staff Band presented ‘The Everlasting Light’ and ‘Mid-Winter’, before Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons Canon Mark Birch welcomed the hundreds of people present.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, read Isaiah 9:2–7, and Commissioner Jenine read Luke 2:4–14. The Lord Speaker, the Rt Hon Lord McFall of Alcluith, read ‘Love Came Down at Christmas’.

The Parliament Choir sang ‘Infant Holy, Infant Lowly’ and Chief Secretary Colonel Peter Forrest shared a prayer.

Congregational carols included ‘Deck the Halls’ and ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’.

Canon Mark gave a Christmas blessing, before everyone sang ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’. The band concluded the service with ‘Christmas Praise’. – AR

NUNHEAD The corps held its annual Carols on the Green as more than 200 people gathered to listen and sing together. Staff and volunteers from the corps charity shop provided hot drinks and festive treats and the corps handed out copies of Kids Alive! and War Cry. The Christmas story was presented and children attending were delighted to receive glow sticks. The deputy mayor, Councillor Sabina Emmanuel, attended as well as families and teachers from a local school. The highlight of the event was seeing the children gather in front of the band to sing and dance, bringing a smile to everyone’s faces. – KS

LEIGH-ON-SEA During a carolling session, the band and collectors were greeted by David Burton-Sampson MP. He enjoyed listening to the music and was given an update on our busy weekly community programme. He thanked us for all that the Army does within the community. – RD/CD

NUNHEAD The corps received a huge number of donations from Morrisons in Peckham via their community champion. These donations enabled the corps to make food parcels extra special at Christmas. – KS

LEIGH-ON-SEA The corps supported Southend city council’s Holiday Activity and Food programme for families in need. Parents and carers signed up for the free holiday scheme during parent-and-toddler group, preschool and coffee morning. – RD/CD

ABERTILLERY The corps charity shop has closed but, when the town’s Winterfest was held, the shop opened for a final time to attract many townspeople and children inside. Children’s crafts were provided and remnants of shop stock were offered on a donation basis. Majors Kim and Steve Wilson (Wales DHQ) supported the event with Major Steve making animal balloon shapes. The project involved a lot of hard work from volunteers but it was made worthwhile with favourable comments about the Army’s work locally and further afield. – AB

EMERGENCY AID

SRI LANKA The Salvation Army mobilised swiftly to provide assistance after Cyclone Ditwah left catastrophic flooding, landslides and loss of life in its wake. The Army distributed hot meals and clean drinking water, and local centres opened their doors to shelter families. The Army also responded to urgent requests to support blood donation camps replenishing critical blood supplies, and distributed hygiene kits while aiding medical teams working to safeguard community health. – AR

HASTINGS TEMPLE More than 200 angels from the realms of Hastings were knitted by corps members for distribution by corps leader Major Karen Smith and helpers. Each angel had a small but important message attached, proclaiming the birth of Jesus. They were placed near school gates, so that children would take them home. Pictured are a group at the corps Safe Place outreach programme adding the finishing touches. – MS

DROITWICH SPA Some of our preschool children attended our Friendship Group to perform their Nativity play. The children cast as Mary and Joseph were unable to attend so, at the last moment, two Friendship Group members stepped into the parts. Both the children and the grown-ups loved being part of an intergenerational Nativity play. – SC

INTERNATIONAL

Celebrating 130 years

JAPAN

INTERNATIONAL Secretaries for the South Pacific and East Asia Zone Commissioners Widiawati and Yusak Tampai stepped in to lead celebrations recognising 130 years of Salvation Army mission and ministry in Japan.

The 130-year milestone event featured an uplifting Bandraising charity concert, led by the former bandmaster of the Chicago Staff Band, Dr William Himes, held at Tokyo’s Nihonbashi Town Hall.

The theme of the weekend was working in partnership to strengthen the Movement’s work into the future. The commissioners addressed officers from across the territory, emphasising the importance of trusting the certainty of God’s promises and upholding their identity as God’s servants.

During a meeting focused on united worship and commitment, children wearing traditional Japanese dress presented gifts to the commissioners. The celebrations also brought into focus the importance of younger members and their role in continuing Christ’s work in Japan. At a Sunday worship concert at Territorial Headquarters, pastor and worship leader Takafumi Nagasawa preached passionately on the saving grace of Jesus. Many young people knelt in prayer to seek renewal and demonstrate their commitment to Christ.

Although unexpected because of General Lyndon Buckingham’s illness, the visit of Commissioners Widiawati and Yusak became a time of strengthened unity, renewed vision and a positive step towards a new horizon of the Army’s continued mission. – AR

LONG EATON Everyone was encouraged to join in Christmas Jumper Day as corps members generously donated gifts for families in need and brought and placed decorations on the Christmas tree. Corps leader Captain Anna Maslenikova spoke of peace and how, without it, the shepherds would have been too overcome by fear to receive the message about the Saviour of the world. Captain Anna encouraged the congregation to receive the peace of the Holy Spirit. – CW-H

COMMUNITY

LEIGH-ON-SEA The Smiley Preschool welcomed the police to talk to the children about what they do and how the children can stay safe. Afterwards the police led a surgery at the corps coffee morning, where people shared their concerns. It is hoped that there will be more police surgeries in the future. – RD/CD

CHRISTMAS

CHESTER-LE-STREET North East Division Fellowship Band presented Sounds of Christmas with support from the songsters and vocal soloist International Staff Songster Caitlin Hedley. The band played and also sang ‘The Star in the East’. The songsters offered ‘It’s Simply Jesus’ and Caitlin sang ‘Somewhere in My Memory’. It was an evening full of blessings. – NS

MAIDSTONE Four different carol services celebrated God with us. With Trumpet and Voice featured the songsters and South London Fellowship Band. The audience loved the excellent music and the words of the Advent poems. Carols by Candlelight was an invitation from the songsters to glimpse things from the donkey’s point of view, read by 12-year-old Faith. Music Man Project participants and the band featured in the next carol service. Led by Andy Millest and Sarah Mann, accompanied by Sue King on piano, the participants played drums, bells and tambourines with great gusto, heartily encouraged by everyone, including the mayor, Councillor Martin Round. Salvationists Christine Gerring and Lorraine Munn were thanked for raising £1,080, split between the Music Man Project and Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex. The young people’s carol service saw Victor light the Advent candles, Jhadey read from Isaiah and Gemma read prayers for peace. We pondered that God is with us as we visited prayer stations around the room. – GP

RISCA The annual community carol service featured Risca Primary and Ty Sign Primary school choirs. A capacity congregation also heard the band and songsters and readings from Corps Sergeant-Major Jan Zidani and corps leaders Majors Kingsley and Paula Layton. Bandmaster Adrian Browning led the service and the guest speaker was the Rev Nicholas Gill from St Mary’s Church. – JB

BURNLEY The SATCoL Donation Centre held a shoppers’ carol service. Staff, volunteers and members of the community joined with officers and Salvationists from Burnley and Nelson Corps to share the Christmas message. – LK

section of Clowne Band bring Christmas joy to shoppers at a

NOTTING HILL From collecting days at Paddington Station to Saturdays on Portobello Road, the corps has taken every opportunity to share the good news. Saturdays included sale tables, collections and free soup and refreshments, with Harlesden Band supporting one week. More than 300 people were helped by Kilburn and Notting Hill’s Christmas Gift Hub, which was coordinated by adherent Audrey Phipps. More than 50 people attended a community Christmas dinner, annually prepared by BDO Global, with Opera Holland Park as guest entertainers. New faces were seen during Advent worship gatherings. – AR

children and young people lead Belfast Sydenham’s

BELFAST SYDENHAM The band and songsters led an evening of Christmas music in the majestic Great Hall at Stormont, Northern Ireland’s seat of government. A capacity audience joined in singing carols and appreciating the musical items, which included solos from Ian McIlwrath (cornet), Anna Pentland (vocal), Nathan Thompson (cornet) and Chelsea Stubbington (piano). Corps leader Major Keira Wood, in her epilogue, reminded everyone of the Christmas message. A retiring collection supported The Salvation Army’s community work. – PP

STEPNEY Friends, members, officers and employees of the different expressions of The Salvation Army in Tower Hamlets, held their annual live Nativity at Stepney City Farm. More than 100 people gathered to listen to the Christmas story and sing carols as they journeyed around the farm. – HS

FAULDHOUSE A capacity crowd gathered for a Bohemian Rhapsody Nativity. There were soloists and a chorus, telling the Christmas story through a parody of numerous Queen songs. There was lots of humour and great fun was had by all, with the real message of Christmas clear and well presented. – RR

ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE An ensemble from Music and Creative Arts and Regent Hall Corps supported the Judicial Office Choir at a carol service for the judiciary, staff and visitors. Solos included ‘Christmas Joy’ and ‘Mid-Winter’, with choir leader Rhoda Atkinson (Croydon Citadel) performing ‘It Is Christmas’. The choir sang ‘Sweet Mary’s Boy’ to a brass accompaniment written for the event. Readings were brought by the Lady Chief Justice, the Rt Hon Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Chancellor of the High Court, Sir Colin Birss, and President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane. More than £750 was raised for the Alzheimer’s Society and The Salvation Army. – RA

SUNDERLAND CITADEL The congregation were invited to sign their names on a banner to acknowledge that they belong in a service themed around Belonging. Corps leaders Majors David and Meshiel Brown stated: ‘We want The Salvation Army here in Cairo Street to be relevant for the people who live in these long streets. We want everyone to know that here is a place to belong to a community, a family.’ This invitation was also given to anyone who attends activities throughout the week – to date we have 78 names on the banner. We will repeat this next year to acknowledge what has changed. We are a praying corps. We praise God for our church family and the community in which we serve. The congregation also wrapped Major David in wrapping paper during the service to remind everyone of the greatest gift given to us all, Jesus. – JJ

EASTBOURNE CITADEL A moving and joyous service honoured the 201 years of life-saving service by the Eastbourne Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The mayor, Councillor Margaret Bannister, joined the congregation in offering her thanks and support. Corps leader Major Ralph Walker led a moment of prayer, blessing the crew, their vessels and their vital ministry. It was a heartfelt celebration of courage, service and community. – RW

SALISBURY The corps enjoyed a fantastic response to its Christmas Messy Church, with 75 people attending, most of them new to the corps. The afternoon included a pop-up Nativity play, sensory church activities, Nativity-themed crafts, a snowman-building competition, and a Christmas buffet. ‘Our volunteer team really excelled themselves and made everyone so welcome,’ said corps leader Captain Martin Davison. ‘The level of engagement from the participants in the activities and carol singing was unexpected and a great joy.’ The corps plans to hold similar events at Easter and during the school holidays. – MD

BIRTHDAY

GLOUCESTER Many friends and family filled the hall for the eagerly awaited 100th birthday celebrations for Kath Robinson. Kath has been unable to attend meetings due to ongoing poor health, but watches recordings with keen interest every week. She has always been known as a prayer warrior, with a long prayer list referred to her Lord every morning. Social media holds no fears for Kath and she uses the email system to send birthday wishes to former and present young people of the corps. A very strong Yorkshire woman, she has lived in Gloucester since 1966, when she moved in with her late RAF husband. She is a special, unique example of someone who lives her life hand in hand with her Lord and leaves a warm feeling with those who meet her. – AB

BURGESS HILL

JANE English was enrolled as a soldier by corps leaders Majors Bramwell and Rhonda Hayes. Jane grew up in the Army and, after many years away, felt an urge to return. She spoke of God’s guidance in her life and her desire to serve him. Also pictured is Colour Sergeant Paul Metcalfe. – BH

LEAMINGTON SPA

THE corps was delighted to welcome Brighton, Chipo, Cheryl and Courtney Chimusaru to the family fellowship. They transferred their senior and junior soldier memberships from Harare Citadel, Zimbabwe, and made the corps their spiritual home. Praise God! The family are pictured with corps leader Captain Sarah Johnson. – SJ

ANN Marie and Michael Hart were welcomed as adherents by corps leader Major Vaughan Bovan. In his testimony, Michael said they came two years ago looking for somewhere to worship. The openness, love and integrity they found kept them coming. Ann Marie and Michael are pictured with Corps Sergeant-Major Frederic Wheeler. – VB

DIVISIONAL leaders Majors David and Jane Alton enrolled Claire and Eammon Griffin as soldiers. Claire and Eammon had no prior contact with the Army; they simply felt the impulse to come to a Sunday meeting and have been attending ever since. They both enthusiastically help in all sorts of ways, from washing up to laying a wreath during last year’s Remembrance Day service. Claire joined the singing group, which sang ‘One Life to Live’ as part of the enrolment ceremony. Also pictured are Ruth Unwin holding the flag and Marilyn Harvey. – HP

ISLE OF WIGHT

CLIVE and Pauline Burt were re-enrolled as soldiers by corps leaders Lieutenants Luke and Rachel Furlong. Clive and Pauline have been regular corps members for many years but felt the time was right to re-enrol and make public declarations of their faith in God and desire to live out their faith as Salvation Army soldiers. Clive and Pauline were joined, in a full hall, by their family, friends and corps family to witness their re-enrolment and promise to support them in the next stage of their journey with the Lord. Clive and Pauline gave sincere and moving testimonies, which blessed and encouraged their corps family. As they prayed at the mercy seat, the corps stood with them, surrounding them in love and prayerful support. A wonderful time of worship, love and commitment. – LF

Find out more about formalising your membership of The Salvation Army and ways in which you can make a spiritual commitment at salvationist.org.uk/membership

JERSEY

BANDSMEN Dennis Short, Graeme Guy and Lennard Renouf were presented with certificates in recognition of long service by corps leader Captain Richard Nunn. As a group, they have collectively served for more than 225 years, with Dennis having completed 80 years earlier in 2025, Graeme with 75 years, and Lennard with more than 70 years. They have held all the local officer posts at different times, with Dennis holding the offices of bandmaster, corps treasurer and corps secretary at various times, Graeme as YP band leader and then bandmaster for 29 years, and Lennard as corps sergeant-major for 50 years. Throughout this time, they have been committed, exemplary members of the band and corps. All three were born on Jersey and were evacuated from their island homes in 1940 due to the imminent German invasion of the Channel Islands. During the celebration of their long service, memories were shared of bands from Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey, and a video message was played from Dennis’s daughter, Major Mel Smith, who is currently serving in Latvia. A common theme was the humility and kindness with which they have served and shared with others. – RN

FOLKESTONE

ASSISTANT Divisional Commander

Major Tracey Palmer presented Retired Bandmaster David West with a certificate and a ribbon in recognition of his 75 years of service with the band. David was introduced to the corps by a school friend, aged 14. Since then, he has played a central role in the ministry of the band and, although the band is much smaller now, he continues to play and take an active part. David said that every morning he thanks God for another day to serve him. David is pictured with Major Tracey and Band Leader James West. – PW

of work with young people in the North Scotland Division. Donnie is pictured with corps leaders Majors Bruce and Isobel Smith. – BS

AVERIL Wade was presented with a certificate by her daughter, Songster Leader Jan Saunders, recognising her 70 years’ service as a songster. The certificate was presented with the instruction: ‘This doesn’t mean you can retire!’ Also pictured is corps leader Major Julian Short. – JS

CORPS parish nurse Nia Heycocks was given the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse by the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing. The title is not an award for past service but indicates a commitment to high standards of patient care, networking opportunities and a shared professional identity. Chief Executive Steph Lawrence MBE said: ‘I would like to congratulate Nia and welcome her as a Queen’s Nurse. Queen’s Nurses serve as leaders and role models in community nursing.’ – MG

Appointed

Effective 1 January

CAPTAIN AMY-JO

BATTERSBY, Divisional Safeguarding Adviser, Central and Southern Scotland Division

CAPTAIN ANDREW MANLEY, Divisional Mission Officer (part-time), Central and Southern Scotland Division

MAJOR SUSAN McFERRAN, Divisional Mission Officer (part-time), Central and Southern Scotland Division

MAJOR MARK SELLERS, Divisional Mission Officer (part-time), Central and Southern Scotland Division

Effective 15 January

MAJOR ANN STEWART, Folkestone

MAJOR IAIN STEWART, Folkestone

Effective 26 February

CAPTAIN ANNMARIE COLE, Cwm

CAPTAIN PHILIP COLE, Cwm Promoted to Glory

CAROLE ADAMSON, Gateshead

MAURICE RODEN, Stafford, on 15 December

JOYCE CHEAL , Leigh-onSea, from Admiral Court care home on 16 December

COLONEL BRAMWELL

BOOTH from Graysford Hall care home, Leicester, on 16 December

Bereaved

LIEUTENANT JOHN

RAFFAN, Buckie and Findochty, of his stepfather

Maurice Roden, Jean Roden, Stafford, of her husband

COLONEL RUTH BOOTH of her husband Colonel Bramwell Booth, Svend Booth, Rachel Dockerill, Peterborough Citadel, and Yanette Read of their father

ICO delegates

The 264th session begins on 14 January

MAJOR DEBBIE SEROJALES, Australia

MAJOR SANDRA

MACDONALD, Australia

MAJOR CAROLYN REID, Canada and Bermuda

CAPTAIN NICHOLAS

SAMUEL , Canada and Bermuda

MAJOR AGATHA ESSEL , Ghana

CAPTAIN SAILAJA

THUMATI, India Central

MAJOR SAMUYELU

NATTALA , India Central

MAJOR LALMUANPUII

SAILO, India Eastern

MAJOR JEAN KATHELINE

LIMMA , India Northern

CAPTAIN AJESHKUMAR

JOSEPH, India South Western

MAJOR PRAFULCHANDRA

KHRISTI, India Western

CAPTAIN ISAAC MWENDWA , Kenya East

MAJOR DAVID ODANGA , Kenya West

CAPTAIN BO-BAE KIM, Korea

MAJOR GRACE JONATHAN, Nigeria

CAPTAIN SHAROON MATTHEW, Pakistan

CAPTAIN RIZZA MAY LAPLANA , Philippines

CAPTAIN NATALIA

VILLACREZ ROMERO, South America West

MAJOR ELISABETH GRAHN, Sweden and Latvia

CAPTAIN PHILEMON SANGAI, Tanzania

CAPTAIN ALISON HUTCHINGS, United Kingdom and Ireland

MAJOR LYNNE CLIFTON, United Kingdom and Ireland

MAJOR NICK HANOVER , United Kingdom and Ireland

MAJOR JEFFREY CARR , USA Central

MAJOR RACHEL STOUDER , USA Central

MAJOR DIANA PEREZRODRIGUEZ , USA Eastern

CAPTAIN ARNALDO PENA , USA Southern

MAJOR KARLA PEREZ , USA Southern

MAJOR DIANNE MADSEN, USA Western

CAPTAIN SEAN O’BRIEN, USA Western

MAJOR WEBSTER SANDUKINA , Zimbabwe and Botswana

ENGAGEMENTS

Territorial Leaders Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main

11 Jan Territorial Appointments Conference

15 Jan Sunbury Court (Welcome to ICO Session 264)

17 Jan – 18 Jan Hinckley

22 Jan William Booth College (lecture to cadets)

24 Jan Regent Hall (SC50: A tribute to Stephen Cobb’s 50 years’ service in the International Staff Band)

25 Jan Regent Hall (International Staff Band)

Chief Secretary Colonel Peter Forrest and Territorial

Secretary for Leader Development Colonel Julie Forrest

11 Jan Territorial Appointments Conference

24 Jan Regent Hall (SC50: A tribute to Stephen Cobb’s 50 years’ service in the International Staff Band)

25 Jan Regent Hall (International Staff Band)

NOTICES

Help shape the Army’s response to domestic abuse

The Family Ministries Department is inviting survivors of domestic abuse within The Salvation Army to share their experiences and shape the future of the Army’s response to domestic abuse. This is part of the next phase of PhD research into domestic abuse led by Amy Quinn-Graham (Research and Development Department), building on last year’s study into attitudes, beliefs and experiences. To find out more, visit tsa.link/da-research-take-part or email amy.quinngraham@salvationarmy.org.uk or praqg@leeds.ac.uk

Online seminar on radical hospitality

Explore what it means for God to draw near in unexpected ways in this seminar by Dr Naar M’fundisi-Holloway (Research and Development Department) at 2pm on 19 January. Titled The Stranger Who Comes Close: God’s Nearness in Jesus and the Unexpected Other, the seminar will include theological reflection, biblical insight and Naar’s own story of living as a migrant across three continents. Register at tsa.link/ hospitality-seminar

SOUNDS

Sunday Worship

Join Salvationists across the territory in worship, with music, prayer and a Bible message from a guest speaker. This weekend’s Covenant Sunday message is from Secretary for Spiritual Life Development Major Gordon Cotterill (THQ). Can’t join us at 11am on Sundays? Catch up with the weekly podcast of highlights. Each week’s broadcast is repeated in full on Sundays at 6pm, Mondays at 12am and Thursdays at 9am.

• Listen online at salvationist.org.uk/radio

Morning Praise with Kids Alive!

Get your day started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles! Listen on Saturdays from 7.30am to 8am. Can’t tune in on Saturday morning? The broadcast is repeated in full on Sundays at 9am and Mondays at 7.30am.

• Listen online at salvationist.org.uk/radio

Sunday Wake-Up with Lyndall Bywater

Ease yourself into the day with a relaxed mix of music, chat and a few inspirational moments to stir your soul. Listen from 7am to 9am on Sundays.

• Listen online at salvationist.org.uk/radio

MAJOR ALMA BROWN

ALMA Brown (née Franklin) entered the world in Stockton-on-Tees in 1932, and from her earliest years her heart was drawn to the Lord. A simple open-air Salvation Army service became the spark that ignited a lifelong devotion – a journey of faith and service that would bless countless lives.

From childhood, Alma gave herself wholeheartedly to her local corps. Whether leading Cub Scouts with patience and wisdom, or taking on many other responsibilities, she carried a quiet strength and a clear sense of God’s call. That call led her into full-time ministry, a vocation she embraced for more than seven decades, serving faithfully in corps, divisional and territorial appointments, and continuing with undiminished enthusiasm even in retirement.

In 1952, Alma left Teesside for London to train at the International Training College, joining the Heralds session. There she met fellow cadet Jim Brown, and together they discovered not only love but a shared vision for ministry. Commissioned as lieutenants in 1953, they waited patiently until Salvation Army regulations allowed their marriage. From then on, Alma and Jim lived out a partnership where marriage and ministry were inseparable, each honouring the other’s gifts.

Their service was marked by dedication and joy – whether cycling across Norfolk to collect donations from farms or leading worship in settings ranging from humble cottages to grand civic halls. Wherever they were appointed, they encouraged, uplifted and remained attentive to the needs of others.

Beyond ministry, Alma’s greatest joy was her family. She was a devoted mother to Raymond and Dawn, a cherished grandmother to four girls, and a proud great-grandmother to seven. Her life was a testimony of faith, love and service, leaving an enduring legacy.

Though deeply missed, we rejoice in knowing Alma is reunited with her beloved Jim, celebrating together in the presence of the Lord. – RB/DP

New year. New reading list.

Continue your spiritual journey in 2026 with words to inspire and encourage you in your daily devotions and discipleship.

Silver Linings

£5.99

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Older People’s Ministries team shared daily devotions on social media, bringing glimpses of light into the gloom of isolation. This book gathers 60 of them together to encourage people to identify silver linings and find fullness of life.

Songs of the Faith

£6.99

BERYL PADDISON MARGATE

BERYL was born in 1943 to Salvation Army Assurance officers and moved around the country.

She played the tubular bells, piano and sang, featuring on many Army programmes. She trained as a nurse at Luton Hospital and was a member of the Salvation Army Nurses Fellowship.

Beryl met her husband, Peter, at Luton Temple, married there and then moved to Margate. She worked at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital and had two daughters, Marion and Maggie. She worked with the Sunday school and primary, looked after the cradle roll and sang alto in Margate Songsters. Beryl supported her husband, Peter, as corps sergeant-major until his promotion to Glory in 2006.

Beryl had four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, who all have special memories of their time spent with her. In recent years, Beryl’s health declined but her love for God shone through. Loved and missed greatly. – LC

Reflections

£9.99

The War Cry’s inspirational back pages have been pinned to noticeboards and even adhered to prison cells by toothpaste! This coffee table book offers thoughts alongside the images, with topics including joy, prayer and kindness.

Songs and hymns are faithful companions on our journeys of faith. These 52 devotions explore the stories behind well-loved songs, with questions for prayer and reflection.

Bridge of Songs

£6.99

Joy Webb’s autobiography is her personal testimony, including the moments of inspiration that produced some of her most popular songs.

HOSEA 10:12