What is The Salvation Army? The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.
WAR CRY Issue No 7640
Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight
From the editor’s desk EVERY day the news headlines remind us that individuals and families across the country are facing difficult and challenging situations. The cost of living is still increasing, as are NHS waiting times – so affecting more people needing treatment – and the effects of climate change continue to be observed. With these and other serious issues demanding so much of our attention, it can be easy to overlook how we can benefit from sometimes turning our attention to what can initially seem unimportant. In this week’s War Cry, we focus on the good that can come from music and from simply having fun. Every year The Salvation Army runs summer camps that allow 500 children and young people to enjoy activities including kayaking, mountaineering, silent discos and toasting marshmallows on a campfire. In this issue we discover how attending a camp allowed two sisters to take a break from a stressful home environment and, in the fun, find new confidence. But it is not only children who can benefit from engaging with the lighter side of life. This week we also report on songwriting workshops run in a prison in Scotland. These workshops have led to the creation of a record label, Conviction Records, to help give ex-offenders a chance of rehabilitation. The camps and the music initiatives are run by Christians. And it is these people’s faith that inspires them in their work. Christians believe that Jesus wants us to have a full and balanced life. When he was on Earth, he said of his followers: ‘I came that they may have and enjoy life’ (John 10:10 Amplified Bible). The news headlines are a reminder that there is much going on to concern us and which, in turn, may make our own lives difficult. But Jesus wants us to enjoy our lives as we experience him in all that we do – even the seemingly unimportant things. And that’s good news for us all.
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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Lyndon Buckingham Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper
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INFO 15 Your local Salvation Army centre
2 • WAR CRY • 12 August 2023
CONTENTS FEATURES
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Dramatic engagement Will wedding bells sound in Sanditon?
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‘Everybody is needed and valued’ Resources designed for people with learning disabilities
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Music in time Singer creates record label for prisoners
10 Pitching up for fun How summer camps are making a difference 13 The results are in A-level students to find out how their exams went REGULARS
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Team Talk and War Cry World
12 Moving Experiences 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV