New people, new places, new ways: a look at some of the exciting, pioneering work that The Salvation Army is undertaking in communities across Europe.

William and Catherine Booth established The Salvation Army in East London in 1865, when it was initially known as the East London Christian Mission. It soon started to expand throughout Europe and the world. Today, The Salvation Army is active in 35 countries across Europe – and in 134 countries globally. In Europe, the newest expression of Salvation Army work is in Bulgaria, which was inaugurated in March 2021.

Europe is increasingly becoming more diverse and, on the surface, less committed to the more traditional expression of faith. The Salvation Army is on a journey to explore new forms of church relating to the local communities in which we work and to become more aware of what God is doing in people’s lives.

This exhibition focuses on some of the pioneering work (fresh expressions) taking place within the zone. In some areas, this can be in the form of a new expression of work within a traditional Salvation Army corps. In other neighbourhoods, it is restarting the work in communities where The Salvation Army was formerly present, as well as becoming established in completely new communities.  The featured countries are Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden, but the ministry is growing, and exciting projects have been planted throughout the zone.

Germany: The Limelight Collective

Nestled in Berlin’s artistic hub, The Limelight Collective aims to introduce individuals to the gospel through artistic expression.

Located in a former Salvation Army corps building, The Limelight Collective invites participants to explore or deepen their Christian spirituality through artistic processes, aiming to reveal God’s presence through art. Additionally, it fosters an environment where artistic individuals can authentically express themselves within a church context. It supports Christian artists in secular spaces, and endeavours to create a receptive place for God’s message within the hearts and minds of art consumers.

The Limelight Collective present 'Ritual', a dance production exploring facets of Christian spirituality

The Limelight Collective strives to reach non-Christian individuals through artistic offerings, providing performances or visual art as pathways to Christian spirituality.  It also seeks to enable Christian artists to embrace their faith within their creative pursuits.

Interactive worship services and prayer groups include ‘Soul Space’ sessions during Sunday worship, encouraging artistic reflection and expression inspired by biblical teachings. The development and performance of dance productions showcase artistic excellence beyond Berlin’s borders. The project engages closely with the local community, through hosting exhibitions and performing events, but also through active participation in neighbourhood festivals and markets, which includes special events during Christmas.

The Netherlands: Faith in the Community

In 2020, The Salvation Army in The Netherlands launched the Geloven in de Buurt (Faith in the Neighbourhood) programme.

The aim is to build strong social networks in Dutch neighbourhoods, resulting in fewer people experiencing livelihood insecurity and having to seek professional help. Since the scheme began, about 25 new locations have opened, including a series of fresh expressions (pioneer projects). Faith in the Neighbourhood is a collaborative project of The Salvation Army Church and the Army Welfare and Health Foundation, which includes both corps and community rooms. 

Because it’s not possible for everyone in The Netherlands to be reached through a community centre or corps, a total of seven fresh expressions or pioneer projects were started. Most of these innovative communities focus on teenagers and young adults. Projects include:

Sweden: Micro Churches Network

The Salvation Army in the Swedish city of Helsingborg is a network of various fresh expressions of church referred to as micro churches, missional communities or good news initiatives, with the aim to bless different people, places and needs.

These missional communities are simple in form, built on the foundations of worship, fellowship and mission. Once a month, all the groups from around the city meet for a shared service. The Salvation Army in Helsingborg supports and trains people and the church to start micro churches that serve their context. The micro churches include:

Denmark: Steps of Faith and Transformation

In January 2021, The Salvation Army initiated a partnership with Tønder Municipality in Southern Jutland, Denmark, using the name ‘The Family Workshop’, and created a programme for vulnerable families with a particular focus on family life, education and jobs.  

The project has the goal of offering 125 adults and 125 children a targeted and family-friendly helping hand over a five-year period. To date, a total of 117 adults and 104 children have been supported by the programme. The work has outgrown the facilities in Tønder and has expanded with a project at the opposite end of the municipality in Toftlund, which has been holding a weekly family workshop since the end of February.

Since June 2022, in conjunction with The Family Workshop, an ‘outpost’ has been established in Tønder where, among other things, a church fellowship is invited to family services on the programme. Between 60 and 80 people attend the monthly family services, and so far seven residents have chosen to become adherents of The Salvation Army.

A COMMUNITY WITHOUT CEASING

The Salvation Army meets a fundamental need, enabling many participants to find new networks through the project. One of the encouraging outcomes is that lots of people are happy to enrol in the project and no one wants to leave when their goals have been met and aftercare has been received, leading to individuals taking the opportunity to participate as a volunteer.

This type of work is not possible without volunteers, and for many who have themselves received support it can be a positive experience to assist others in a vulnerable situation. One of the main goals of the project is to enable 25 per cent of the participants to gain employment and, for 75 per cent of the young people commencing work or education, volunteering helps them to achieve this. There are also 20–30 volunteers from the gymnasium (high school) working with children by helping in the learning café. This allows children and young people to receive encouragement and guidance from the high-school volunteers.

FASCINATED BY THE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

Professionally, Katja Quilty is an experienced social worker in both Denmark and Ireland, and it was by being part of the administration in Sønderborg Municipality, also located in Southern Jutland, that she met the Army in a similar co-creation project many years ago. It was her dream to work for an NGO (nongovernmental organisation) and she has since found that both her professional and spiritual understanding has been expanded through working for The Salvation Army, which is neither remote from the world nor value-neutral, with the result that she decided to become an adherent last year.

‘I think that the Christian view of humanity is wonderful, that everyone has value and something to contribute’

‘I have no doubt that it is an advantage for the project and myself that I have experience of being in a similar position, where I sat on the other side of the table in a municipality,’ says Katja. ‘I also find it very informative, using an approach where you work from a conviction.’

Katja continues: ‘I don’t have a Christian background, but I think that the Christian view of humanity is wonderful, that everyone has value and something to contribute. I am fascinated by Christian fellowship and what it means to people.’

In the volunteer contracts, there is a question about whether it means anything to people to be involved with a Christian organisation, and it turns out that it does. Katja openly admits to a personal search for a clarified faith in God: ‘I read a lot of books about Christianity and what it means to people, and as I work with other people’s development, I am in the process of reflection myself.’ Indeed, as part of her personal development a few years ago, Katja chose to be baptised. 

TRANSFORMATION AND DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE

Sofie Andresen’s transformation has resulted in a great commitment, where she, as a 20-year-old volunteer, helps daily with practical tasks in the house (the building in which the project is located). And on her own initiative, alongside other young people, she has also founded a local group in the outpost in Tønder connected to The Salvation Army’s Children and Youth Department, where she is chairperson.

‘Faith has also opened up for me gradually, which helps to give me a new view of the world’

In addition to this, she and four other young people from The Salvation Army in Denmark are part of a Nordic leadership development programme called LUP, which has also contributed positively both to her development and reflections on the future. ‘My plan is to train as a deacon and work with vulnerable young people,’ says Sofie. ‘But the longer I’ve been here, the more I’ve started to think that it could also be pretty cool to work for The Salvation Army.’

Sofie adds that it feels a bit like a journey where the destination is not completely determined: ‘This is how I describe my relationship to the Christian faith. It took a long time before I found out that the work here rests on a Christian foundation. Faith has also opened up for me gradually, which helps to give me a new view of the world. My family is also very happy about the development seen in me.’

HALFWAY AND WELL STARTED

It took a long time to see the youth café up and running. After getting through the first phase, it has become one of the best groups in the house, and today there are young people involved in the project too.

In Tønder, the project is only about halfway through, while in Toftlund it is well developed. Both places show that in the interaction between public and private social efforts, major steps of faith can be taken that create real transformation in the lives of vulnerable families.