The Salvation Army in Lincolnshire offers more than just Christmas cheer

The image of a Salvation Army band playing carols on a cold, snowy night is a Christmas custom almost as much as tinsel and turkey.

But there is plenty more to this Christian group than playing musical instruments and fundraising through their charity shops.

An international church, the Salvation Army was founded in 1865 by Methodists William and Catherine Booth as ‘East London Christian Mission’, aiming to help those too poor and marginalised to even be allowed to sit on the pews in Christian churches.

They described their approach as ‘soup, soap and salvation’ and adopted a military structure and language, reflecting the vision of their church as an army working against oppression and poverty, which the Salvation Army has retained for the past 150 years.

There are now Salvation Army churches all over the world, and locally they can be found in Bourne, Grantham, Balderton in Newark, Sleaford, Boston and Peterborough.

Lieutenant Sarah O'Grady is based at the Salvation Army in Manning Road, Bourne, having previously worked as a teacher in Hampshire.

“I’m from a family who were already members of the Salvation Army, and as a teenager I felt I was being called by God to officership in the church,” she said.

“But I also knew there were other things I wanted to do. So, I became a sign language interpreter in a secondary school and qualified as a teacher, then, while I was on maternity leave I had a strong calling from God. A lot of things were happening that made me think, now is the time.”

There are different levels in the Salvation Army. People can be ‘friends’, ‘adherents’ or ‘soldiers’ and, after two years as a soldier, they can then move up the ranks.

Sarah took voluntary redundancy from her school role and began the long application process in the Salvation Army. She became a soldier, then undertook preaching and interviews to show her commitment to becoming a lieutenant.

“The whole candidate process is rigorous in testing your calling,” said Sarah, who also abides by the church’s strict sobriety rules.

“One of the things William Booth felt was, how can we help an alcoholic if we are drinking?

“We believe we are all part of the temple of God and we need to look after ourselves, as he would want us to.

“Some people think we’re forced to follow strict codes, because we wear a uniform and don’t drink or smoke. Some people also think that once you’re in you can never get out - that it’s cultish.

“But that’s not it at all. There is no commitment to stay, other than people wanting to.

“If I no longer wanted to be a part of it any more, I could hand in my notice and be on my way.”

Sarah admits her commitment to her position as an officer comes with some anxiety, because she and her husband have school-age children and she could be asked to move to any of the Salvation Army churches in one of 135 countries around the world.

“You don’t always know a move is coming, and you don’t know where you are going,” she said.

“However, we signed up for this life - and the Salvation Army makes it very clear.”

The Salvation Army’s work isn’t just in churches and their community halls, but on the frontline of wars and disasters.

The church supported people at Grenfell Tower for three months following the fire in 2017, and is currently helping people made homeless in Ukraine.

At Sarah’s current posting, in Bourne, there is worship and support available for people of all ages.

The Salvation Army hall in Manning Road offers a baby and toddler group on Wednesday mornings that attracts about 20 children, an equally popular after school club on Thursdays, and it has ‘Get Connected’ - an open house social club with a winter ‘warm hub’ on Fridays from 10am to 4pm.

There is also a group that meets on Thursdays at 10am for a gentle stroll around town followed by refreshments, and a community band and a choir that gets people together to enjoy music.

The church, meanwhile, holds services each Sunday at 10.30am, and has a fundraising charity shop called Sally Anne’s in West Street.

Ann Crump, 81, enjoys ‘Get Connected’ and has previously volunteered at Sally Anne’s.

“I just like people,” she said. “I live alone with my little dog, and so coming here offers company with a good mixture of different people. Not all of the people who come along belong to the church.”

Penny Harvey is newer to the social group, having previously attended Salvation Army church coffee mornings in Bourne. She was busy receiving a hand from Ann - who once worked in a bridal shop - to mend a dress.

Cherry Nellist, welcoming people into the hall and serving them refreshments, said she has been involved in the church since she was three. She’s now 86.

“I love the company and the music,” she said, adding that members from the Bourne church meet members of Boston Salvation Army for regular choir practice.

“Over the years I have been involved in lots of activities, including the baby and toddler group, the lunch club and the coffee mornings,” she said.

Janis Massam, treasurer for Bourne church, said being a part of its community means a lot to her.

“I lost my husband very suddenly seven years ago and the church gets me out of the house and meeting a lot of different people.

“We’ve started a lunch club on Fridays as part of the warm hub. It’s things like this that give life more purpose.”

Anyone interested in the Salvation Army’s activities can visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk to find a local branch.

People wishing to support the Salvation Army Christmas appeal can also do so through the website.