The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity providing services in the community, particularly to those who are vulnerable and marginalised. Motivated by our Christian faith, we offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK to all who need them, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. To find your nearest centre visit salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church
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 7504
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 Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies Published weekly by The Salvation Army ©The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland 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 Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell, on sustainably sourced paper
Your local Salvation Army centre
INFO 2 • War Cry • 12 December 2020
EDITOR From From the editor’s desk
MANY children will soon be hoping to find their name on Father Christmas’s good list. But last week, we discovered that Santa himself tops another list. Speaking on Radio 5 Live, the deputy chief medical officer for England, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, said that the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisations had made ‘a very special case’ for Father Christmas receiving the vaccine for coronavirus. ‘He is absolutely at the top of the list,’ said the professor. Thousands, perhaps millions, of children will sleep more easily knowing that the man in red can safely deliver their presents. For their parents, though, there may still be some sleepless nights to come. Christmas can be a tough time for many people. Thousands, perhaps millions, of adults will have concerns about paying for presents and food. They will rely on food parcels and toys provided by organisations such as The Salvation Army. For others, particularly those facing the first Christmas without a special loved one, there will be emotional hardships. The grief will be tangible despite the turkey and tinsel. Grief is something with which the Rev Richard Coles is familiar after the death of his civil partner last December. In an interview in this week’s War Cry, Richard says that he had to go from caring priest to being cared for. ‘I put myself in the pastoral care of other people,’ he says. ‘I knew that even though I couldn’t pray, they could and would and did.’ Those prayers made a difference to Richard – just as prayers have done for thousands, even millions, of people through the centuries. If you are going through a tough time and would like people to pray for you, then you can contact our Prayerlink service (the details of which are on page 12) or speak to any member of The Salvation Army. You will find prayer can make such a difference.
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Contents
What is The Salvation Army?
At the War Cry, we put faith in great journalism. Dating back to 1879, The Salvation Army’s Christian weekly features human interest stories, celebrity interviews, TV, film and awareness campaigns, all for less than £1 a week. Buy a Christmas present that your loved ones can enjoy all year round. Subscribe at: sps-shop.com/war-cry-m *Monthly subscription costs £4.08, or you can pay a lump sum of £49 for the year. This subscription offer applies in the UK and Republic of Ireland only
FEATURES 3
Is the game up?
Trouble in store for toymaker
4
‘My scars tell my story’
Vicar on ministering with a disability
6
Creating a scene
Card illustrator draws on her faith
8
Rev-elations
What happens when there are three
vicars talking
10
Carrying a tune
How pregnancy inspired a Christmas EP
REGULARS 12
Team Talk
13
Bible Series
14
Puzzles
15
War Cry Kitchen
Front-page picture: GARETH GATRELL/Netflix