INTERVIEW alive
CHRISTMAS 2020
Sharing the good news
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Salvationist 5 December 2020
The Young Soldier
– Issue No 7235
Urban conservatio n project makes a
salvationarmy.org.uk/kids
grow of it
21 November 2020 20p/25c
Salvationist talks to Wimbledon herald Richard Smart WAS looking after heralds as part of my job in THQ’s Publishing Department,’ recalls Wimbledon herald Richard Smart. ‘So naturally, I wanted to see what it was like for myself. The War Cry editor said: “Give it a whirl.” I’ve never looked back.’ Since Richard began volunteering several years ago, he says that he’s enjoyed lots of things about the role, including ‘the unearned gratitude that you receive’. He elaborates: ‘The Salvation Army has got such a good reputation for the work it’s done over the years. And it’s touched so many people’s lives. When people buy a War Cry or Kids Alive! they’re often doing it to express their thanks for some service they, their relatives or their friends have received from the Army in the past. ‘There have been incredible stories over the years. One woman came up to thank me for the assistance she’d received from The Salvation Army’s TLC drop-in centre at Mitcham, which helps women that have been abused. Another person told me that when her husband was experiencing homelessness, the Army helped him get back on his feet. Sometimes you even get people running down the street after you so you can say a prayer for them.’ The papers are a great launchpad for conversations. Research carried out by the Publishing Department found that if people buy a War Cry, they will read it. ‘The War Cry is the gift that follows their donation and opens up doors to have a chat with them about Jesus, which you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do,’ explains Richard. ‘It’s a good way of sharing Christianity with others in a non-demanding situation.
Kids Alive! – formerly
In the running for a personal best 800m champion Daniel Rowden on his goals after getting through tough times
A fel feline feelgood
film fur Christmas
Richard and Jennifer Smart ‘The message they get inside the covers is, if you like, Christian-lite. The War Cry is something that’s easy to pick up and read, and it’s challenging to a sensible extent. It can make them actually start a new process of thinking, especially at Christmas.’ Kids Alive! is also a hit with members of the public, says Richard: ‘Children often stop when they see that we’ve got Kids Alive! so their parents stop as well. You end up giving out one copy for each of their children. People who wouldn’t normally interact with you stop for the comic.’ Richard says he’s keen to return to selling Kids Alive! and War Cry when the lockdown is lifted in England.* ‘Provided we’re given the all clear, we’ll go back out – I can’t wait. My wife, Jennifer, and I go out every Saturday and we have our regulars who know us. They chat to her even more than to me – she’s a better listener!’ He outlines the special precautions he’s taking to respect government guidelines and keep himself and the people he interacts with safe: ‘I’ve got a wheeler that I take out with me, so I’ll be able to put the newspapers on top of that. I’ve also got a visor mask, which will help me as well. So I’m using a bit of common sense and hopefully it’ll go well.’ This all benefits the corps coffers, he adds: ‘Christmas is the best time of the year for donations. I would say at least 40 or 50 per cent of our donations come in at Christmas. People come out
in their droves, and so it’s a great thing for collections with our special Christmas issues.’ Such donations can make all the difference. ‘We’re a small corps – there are only about 20 of us,’ he says. ‘So that extra £2,000 that we make through paper sales is actually very important. It takes the budget over the top. There’s a small incentive for the heralds – a voucher they can spend at SP&S – so everybody has a share in it.’ What advice would he give people who are looking to become heralds? ‘Just go and do it,’ he encourages. ‘Ask your corps officer to order a sensible number of papers and go out at a regular time when the same people are out shopping, and then they will stop regularly for you.’ Richard emphasises that this year the work of heralds is more important than ever: ‘What we’ve seen over lockdown is a huge engagement with the Church. There are a lot of people who are on the edge of Christianity that need a bit of encouragement. If heralds are coming back, what better time to do it than at Christmas?’ *At the time of writing, the lockdown in England was set to end on 2 December, but other restrictions were to be introduced. Please adhere to your national government’s restrictions. If these prevent you from selling papers on the high street, why not deliver copies to a Salvation Army food bank or your neighbours?