Staveley: Resilient and rallying

Staveley Corps share how they are stepping up and raising young people who shine.

Stepping up to shine

The Salvation Army has had a presence in the area for the past 28 years, under the leadership of Territorial Envoy Pamela Ripper, who retired as corps leader at Easter. Although currently without officer leadership, the corps continues to grow and be a beacon in the community, under the organisation of Corps Sergeant-Major Jean Yates and her husband, Graham. They are assisted by Community Care Ministries Secretary Patricia Revell and several recently commissioned local officers and corps members.

Raising up young people

We have a group of young people that we still call ‘corps cadets’ – originally started by Jean and now led by Margaret Skelton. The group have learnt how to write sermons and put meetings together. They take turns participating in meetings and have led meetings as a group. It really helps build their confidence. Our young people need to be fed so that they can feed the corps. One of our young people did a gap year at Addlestone Corps and this month we’re commissioning young Beverley as our recruiting sergeant.

Growing together

We have a wide range of ages at the corps. We enrolled a junior soldier this spring, have another young person going through junior soldier classes and an older junior soldier who’s 16. There are teenagers and people in their twenties, thirties and forties, right up to folk in their nineties.

We used to have Sunday school in the morning and a meeting in the afternoon. With fewer young children presently, we made the Sunday morning a ‘learn and grow’ session for all ages. We’ve continued the afternoon meeting too, as people like to attend, and different members help. We work closely with other churches and nearby corps, joining together for events, and we receive good support from DHQ.

Out and about

The corps is on a recruitment drive for new members and volunteers. We’ve delivered leaflets, which have brought in one new person so far, who has been attending weekly. We have a small band, songsters and a timbrel group, who will all take part in a special weekend this month, which we hope will attract more new folk.

The council has agreed we can do monthly open-air outreach in the town, so we’ll be taking the band out on the second Sunday of every month. We’ve only ever done Good Fridays outdoors, so it’s a new mission venture. We played some tunes on Remembrance Sunday, which was also a first.

We do carolling at nursing homes, Christmas fairs and events, but this is the first year we’ve been asked to play for a lights switch-on ceremony. We’ve also been asked to do a talk at one of the care homes.

We always do something big, just before Christmas, and usually have a full hall for that.

Expanding programme

Patricia runs our coffee morning and handles heralding, food parcels and care home and hospital visits. At the end of the month, we usually have food left, which we’re going to use to provide meals for people in need.

Our monthly Cameo includes crafts, games and Temple Spa, where people can relax and have a spa day. It’s all Christ-centred. In November, someone from the Soldiers’, Sailors’, and Airmen’s Families Association spoke about Remembrance Sunday.

We recently held a flower festival led by Chaplain Major Vicky Owen (Youell Court Care Home). We finished the week with a pie and peas supper for the corps, which 36 people attended, and our Harvest festival, led by Jean.

God is faithful to us and is working in this place. Pray with us for our continued ministry and mission.

• From a conversation with Corps Sergeant-Major Jean Yates and Community Care Ministries Secretary Patricia Revell.