Self-Denial 2026: Introducing this year’s appeal

Salvationist introduces the 2026 Self-Denial Appeal, which focuses on the Army’s work in Estonia.

What gives you the hope to get out of bed in the morning? Is it knowing that God is with you in all circumstances? Is it trusting that he is at work in your life and in the world for a better future? Is it a confidence that you are joining in God’s transforming mission? Is it passion to share your hope with others? This year’s Self-Denial Appeal will see Salvationists around the world united by all of these, as they support the Army’s international work of bringing that living hope into people’s lives and communities.

As a global Movement, we are helping people to discover fullness of life with Jesus and supporting them to flourish – physically, professionally, socially and spiritually. That’s as true in the UK and Ireland as it is in Estonia. The Army’s work began there in 1927 and, after a time of prohibition that started with the Second World War and ended with the fall of the Soviet Union, resumed in 1995.

The 2026 Self-Denial Appeal focuses on the Army’s work across Estonia, including the Hope House Rehabilitation Centre in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city, and a summer kids camp for young people in Loksa.

The annual appeal dates back to 1886, when William Booth was trying to raise funds for The Salvation Army’s international work. An officer pledged to go without pudding for a whole year and give the money to the fund, and the idea of the Self-Denial Appeal was born.

Today, the appeal invites Salvationists across the globe to participate in sacrificial giving to support the Army’s work. Part of that money goes to mission partners – including Estonia, Denmark, Greenland, Finland, Ghana, Togo and Pakistan – and the rest goes via International Headquarters to places that need it most. Your offerings help to equip fellow Salvationists to share and live out a hope rooted in Jesus’ life-changing presence.

‘My life has changed dramatically, like a full 360 degrees,’ says Slava, who is one of many men helped by the Hope House Rehabilitation Centre. ‘Everything I had before and everything I have now are completely different.’

Today, Slava volunteers at the centre, paying forwards the transformational impact of the Army’s work and sharing his newfound hope with others – because when we encounter that hope for ourselves, we want others to experience it too.

Narva is a small city on Estonia’s eastern border, separated from Russia by a bridge that only allows pedestrians to cross. Many residents are dual nationals, but tensions are high between these neighbouring countries. The corps welcomes everyone, creating a space where people can feel care, love and joy.

Romans 12:12 encourages us to ‘be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer’. Our hope – having faith and a patient trust in God for a better future for ourselves, for others and for the world – leads us to joy and gratitude. That, in turn, sparks a generous passion to share it with others.

For many people in need, their hardship can feel endless. They might be navigating difficult circumstances, struggling with addiction or facing a lack of opportunity. They may not see hope, but we can. The Self-Denial Appeal is a way for us all to help others see that better future too. It is an opportunity to support and pray for our international Army’s work, to stand with people who are struggling, and to give generously and sacrificially from a place of joy.

It is a call to bring hope to the people and places that need it most. What will you give to give someone hope?