This Is Us: A message from the territorial leaders

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Territorial Leaders Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main introduce the theme for Together 26. 

Paul Today, we’re excited to introduce you to the theme of our next territorial event Together 26: This Is Us. It’s the story of The Salvation Army right now. It’s a journey of hope, boldness and community, with every person playing their part.

Jenine Across the territory, in all sorts of places and contexts, The Salvation Army is breaking new ground and bringing hope. We’re not just an organisation – we’re a Movement of people, called by God, grounded in his presence, and energised by faith.

Paul At the heart of This Is Us is our identity. We’re a people shaped by Christ, renewed by the Holy Spirit. Our faith isn’t just something we talk about – it’s what guides us. How we live, worship and serve every day.

Jenine We seek what God wants, listening and praying, open to where the Spirit leads us. Everything we do begins with this foundation, giving us strength and vision for the future.

Paul Our ministry is all about sharing God’s love in real, practical ways. We reach out to our communities, welcoming people from every background. 

Jenine At Hackney Mare Street Corps in east London, you can see these values in action.

Paul At this family fun day, people come together and bring hope to their community in creative ways. This really is breaking new ground. Gav and Mary Dunn are the church leaders here. 

Mary Our corps is a very open and welcoming space for people to come in. Because there’s so much diversity in Hackney, you have to think outside the box. Instead of saying ‘come and fit in what we’ve got going on’, we kind of look at what the needs are within our local community. 

Jenine They’ve recycling started a sewing and upcycling group. It’s a way to connect with new people.  

Mary Some people come because they’ve got children and they need to adjust their clothes for, because they haven’t got money to buy new ones. The cost of living crisis is really hitting people hard in Hackney. Some people come because they just enjoy being able to get out and be with a group of other people that are like-minded, that are creative. Other people just want to learn a new skill. Some people just want to come and have a cup of tea, and that’s completely fine. 

Paul They’re focusing on practical, accessible activities that bring the community together, and it seems to be working well. 

Mary It all fits together, about meeting people’s need for the fullness of life, for Jesus, and we think that’s where the hope comes for our community – that they can come through the doors and just feel loved by this community here and by everything that we have going on.

Jenine By being open and flexible, this is a living example of what it means to be ‘us’. 

Paul The Salvation Army isn’t defined by its structures – those simply help us serve the mission. What matters is the Movement, working together as a community, supporting one another and sharing leadership. 

Jenine By focusing on what matters most and avoiding overload, we can commit to a mission that’s meaningful and sustainable. Flexibility helps us respond to the needs around us and allows God’s Kingdom to flourish. General John Larsson once said: ‘An Army that doesn’t adapt doesn’t win battles anymore.’ 

Paul So we’re bold enough to step out in faith, ready to change and take risks when that’s what God asks. There’s a place for everyone to belong and flourish. 

Jenine So this July, we invite you to join us for Together 26. We look forward to seeing you there. Let’s celebrate what God is doing in and through The Salvation Army. This is us – today, and into tomorrow.