Live updates from Sunday at Together 2023

Live updates from Croydon, South London, on the final day of Together 2023.

4.30pm

Celebrate Together and Together 2023 have just finished. What a fitting end to an amazing weekend!

The new lieutenants were warmly welcomed to the afternoon session with cheers, banners and air horns.

The Reflectors of Holiness, along with their families, played a central part in the afternoon, which included lots of audience participation, joyful dancing, laughter and music from the staff sections.

Major Wendy Stanbury (William Booth College) led an intergenerational Bible thought featuring diverse voices from William Booth College. The conversation was based on 1 Peter 1:13–16, the key text for the weekend, this time read from The Message paraphrase:

‘As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”’

Major Althea Bowden, assistant principal at William Booth College, closed worship by reminding us that God is able to do ‘immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine’ because his power, his holiness, is at work within us (see Ephesians 3:20).

Discover more Together 2023 content:

You can rewatch today’s sessions at youtube.com/salvationarmyvideo
Don’t miss this week’s Salvationist magazine, a Together 2023 special edition
Listen to Sunday Worship on Salvationist Radio, which features a Bible message from new Lieutenant Karen Barber and a testimony from new Lieutenant Stuart Turnbull – the programme is broadcast in full tonight at 6pm, Monday at midnight and Thursday at 9am, or you can enjoy highlights with the Sunday Worship podcast
Key an eye on salvationist.org.uk in the coming weeks for official Together 2023 photos and reports

As this is the last update, I’d like to thank my wonderful colleagues who have been supplying me with photos and videos for the website and Facebook Stories throughout the weekend. Thank you Sam, Julian, Simon and Ivan!

Good bye and God bless!

2.20pm

Following Commissioning, Bromley Temple Songsters and Staines Band provided musical accompaniment to people having lunch in and around Fairfield Halls.

Seats are now being taken for Celebrate Together, which will be an opportunity for The Salvation Army family to participate in intergenerational worship and explore the day’s theme, Blazing with Holiness, in creative and engaging ways.

Tune into the livestream via youtube.com/salvationarmyvideo:

1pm

The Reflectors of Holiness have been commissioned and ordained as Salvation Army officers. In a moving service of prayer, sung worship, testimony and dedication, Territorial Leader for Leader Development Commissioner Gill Cotterill gave a Bible message in which she considered what it means to be reflectors of holiness: ‘We all know the moon has no light of its own; it simply reflects the sun. For us who are reflectors, we can and we also must be possessors of the glory of God.’

Read testimonies from some of the Reflectors of Holiness in this week’s Salvationist magazine or subscribe to This is My Story, a new podcast from Salvationist Radio.

Meanwhile, more than 30 children have explored being Wholly Holy for themselves using the Five Ways to Wellbeing: giving, learning, connecting, taking notice and being active.

Chief Secretary Colonel Paul Main visited the session and put on a temporary tattoo as a reminder of the Five Ways.

There has also been a family room throughout the weekend, which has been well used by families needing space, with crafts and toys for young children and toddlers.

9.45am

Good morning and welcome to Sunday at Together 2023.

We're looking forward to the commissioning and ordination of the Reflectors of Holiness at 10.30am. Don't forget, you can tune in at home via youtube.com/salvationarmyvideo – British Sign Language (BSL) translation is available:

Our day here in Croydon began with morning prayers led by Captain Gary Lacey, Territorial Prayer Network Co-ordinator. He encouraged people to pray for the Reflectors of Holiness, and a massive move of the Spirit across the territory.