17 February 2024

Belonging and Believing: Continuing the conversation

Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe

A photo of two people in conversation at Riverbank 2023.

Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe shares an update on the Membership Working Group and what to expect from Belonging and Believing: The Big Conversation.

I want to start by saying thank you! More than 2,000 people responded to last autumn’s membership survey, and hundreds more took part in group conversations facilitated by corps and divisions. The data is currently being analysed by the Research and Development Unit and we’ll be presenting the initial findings at The Big Conversation (1–3 March).

This weekend at the University of Warwick will offer further opportunities to listen and explore how the UK and Ireland Territory can shape exciting discipleship, with a radical vision of belonging, committing and serving the Kingdom of God.

As the Membership Working Group has journeyed together over the past year, we have been reminded of our need for Holy Spirit wisdom as we move forwards.

We need to create safe spaces where people can express different views with honesty and sensitivity, respect and kindness, especially when feelings are strong. This isn’t easy, and in recognition of this we will be making space over the weekend to lament the times when we have got this wrong and to hear from God about how we can do better. We encourage you to pray into this, to continue to share what God is laying on your heart, and to be mindful when you are listening to and speaking with others.

We want to engage a diverse range of perspectives to help inform the Membership Working Group’s recommendations, which will go to territorial leadership this summer. Over the weekend we will be considering themes such as Jesus and discipleship, membership and the body of Christ, and calling and covenant. We will also look at the subject through the lens of the territory’s vision, mission priorities and shared values, and hear personal stories of belonging to The Salvation Army.

While the event is now fully booked, you can join the conversation wherever you are. Articles in the 2 March issue of Salvationist will follow topics from the event programme, and audio recordings and papers from speakers will be available to you after the weekend via salvationist.org.uk.

I look forward to continuing the conversation together!

Share your thoughts by emailing belonging@salvationarmy.org.uk.

Territorial Prayer Co-ordinator Major Gary Lacey shares some points to pray into the weekend wherever you are.

Before the weekend

Prepare our hearts

Pray that our motives, our stories and our beliefs are ready to share in a thoughtful and coherent way. Pray that we are ready to share straight from the heart while being totally mindful of other people’s views.

Set our minds

Set our minds, in prayer, on the face of Jesus, not on earthly things (see Colossians 3:2). Pray that God’s power will fall in clarity on a pathway forward for belonging and believing in the UK and Ireland Territory.

Set our attitudes

Set our attitudes with grace. Pray that we will not carry our own agendas but seek to find grace in our attitudes towards each other, and bring Godly respect into everything that happens going forward.

During the weekend

Lamenting

Pray a passionate expression of sorrow for the times we have let our own agendas overtake our hearts. Pray that a fresh start in our thinking and discussions will be a gentle and graceful venture.

Speaking

Pray Ephesians 4:29 over ourselves and the conversations going forward: ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.’

Listening

Pray that our hearts and our ears will be opened by the Spirit of God to absorb, hear and respond appropriately to other people’s views and thoughts. Pray that we will listen especially to the voice of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.

After the weekend

Change

Pray that change will come as we look to the now and to the future of the UKI Territory with regards to belonging and believing. Pray for God’s navigation as we journey through change.

Transformation

Pray that we will all be transformed as we move forward. Pray that we will allow God to shape our future and the future of the territory ahead of our own agendas.

Travel forwards

Pray for a holy excitement to overtake the difficulties that we all face going forward as we journey together. Pray that we remember that God always wins!