Southern Territory Music and Creative Arts Department

TMI REGISTRATION IS LIVE!

TMI is from July 26-August 2. Signup today! You will not want to miss what will be an INCREDIBLE week!

Register now at www.ussmusicandarts.org/tmi

The Southern Staff Band will be performing in concert at the Salvation Army Kroc Center tomorrow evening at 7pm in Greenville, SC!

If you are in the greater Greenville or surrounding area, we would love to see you!

Praise Concert — Central Territorial Staff Songsters

Join us for an uplifting afternoon of sacred choral music with the Central Territorial Staff Songsters of The Salvation Army.

You’ll hear powerful voices, rich harmonies, and music filled with hope, faith, and joy. Whether church is part of your life or you simply enjoy live music, this is a chance to come, listen, and be encouraged.

This concert is free and offered as a gift to the community.

🗓 Saturday, March 7
🕓 4:00 PM
📍 The Salvation Army — New Albany Corps
2300 Green Valley Rd
New Albany, IN 47150

All are welcome. Bring a friend and join us for an afternoon of music that lifts the spirit.

The Territorial Arts Ministries Team led workshops in Tampa this weekend for the women of the Adult Rehabilitation Center. Using a bouquet of flowers to represent sharing God’s love with others, the women presented a beautiful and meaningful reading of 1 Corinthians 13 during worship on Sunday morning. It was a joyful weekend for all involved!

Join us as the Southern Staff Songsters lead worship tonight at the Oklahoma City 614 Corps at 7 pm central time!

One of the most impactful moments for the Southern Staff Band while visiting South Africa was getting the opportunity to spend some time at a couple of children’s homes operated by The Salvation Army.

On one occasion, a sextet was able to visit some children age 0-2 years old. Despite the music from the band being initially ✨unwelcome✨ by the audience, they eventually opened up and had a great time of fun while singing and dancing!

Later in the week, the whole band was able to visit another home with children age 0-17. Even now, weeks later, it is impossible to not feel emotional thinking about those few hours spent in that home.

After a brief tour of the campus, the SSB opened the concert by playing “There’s No One Like Jesus.” Immediately, the room erupted with praise:

“There’s no one, there’s no one like Jesus.
There’s no one, there’s no one like Him.

I’ve walked and walked all over, over.
I turned and turned all over, over.
I’ve searched and searched all over, over.
There’s no one, there’s no one like Him.”

Later on, we played a medley of songs featuring “Nara:”

“You’ve done so much for me
I can not tell it all
If I had ten thousand tongues
It still won’t be enough

What shall I render to Jehovah?
For He has done so very much for me
What shall I render to Jehovah?
For He has done so very much for me”

Those songs of praise echoed by each child in that room rang as a challenge to every member of the band. God has blessed us beyond measure and will meet our needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. All who have hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure.”
- 1 John 3: 1-3

In South Africa, between worship services, ministry opportunities, and music camp classes, it was made clear to us that we needed to experience the beauty and culture around us.

One night at camp we were able to celebrate the diversity and heritage that makes up the Southern Africa Territory. We got to witness the unity of multi-culturalism and the coming together of many different nations in a country once identified with a strict division under apartheid.

While we got to experience this beauty informally through playing soccer or by getting to see the wildlife that South Africa is known for, we also got to learn about the Soweto Uprising and stand in the spot where nearly 20,000 students protested before the sobering events of the day unfolded in which hundreds of children were killed—just a few blocks from the homes of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

How blessed are we to serve a God that unites Jew and Gentile, enslaved and free, male and female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus. May His truth, grace, and mercy be evident in our lives through the way we love each other.

Last weekend, the Territorial Arts Ministries Team had a rare opportunity to retreat to New York City for a meaningful weekend of reflection, training, and creative revitalization! Here are some highlights:

🙏🏼 In team devotions, we dedicated significant time to “altar building:” remembering the countless times when God has been powerfully present in our ministry and in our lives. We serve a faithful God!

🎭 We spent time with our Eastern friends, RePlay! After seeing them in action at the Manhattan ARC on Friday night, we spent Saturday learning the art of Playback Theater. We are excited to explore how we can use this new skill in our ministry here in the South. We serve a creative God!

🤍 We joined the Times Square Corps for worship on Sunday morning and performed Psalm 139. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” We serve a loving God!

The TAM team returned home full and rejuvenated, ready to continue serving with creativity and joy in our various corps, divisions, and fields. We praise God for this opportunity!

The Southern Staff Songsters have been busy preparing for music ministry this weekend in Biloxi, MS. Following a full day and a half of rehearsals, they were blessed to sing for the talented choir of the First Missionary Baptist Church just around the corner from the Kroc Center. Please join us in prayer for their continued ministry tomorrow and Sunday in the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast community.

And join us live tomorrow, Saturday, October 18 at 6:00pm central time for a concert of worship and praise at the MS Gulf Coast Kroc Center.

Our time at Music Camp in South Africa ended with a final concert of praise!

All of the students at the camp were able to participate and show what they learned throughout our time together. The Lord honored the few days we had together and the growth in each delegate was evident!

We were blessed to be able to give away a few instruments to some stellar students playing on some not so stellar horns. A simple gift met with tears of thanks.

Of course a meeting wouldn’t be complete without a spontaneous eruption of singing and dancing!

The Southern Staff Band has been home for a few days now, but there are still plenty more photos to come! Stay tuned and be in prayer for those whom may have been touched by the band’s ministry in South Africa. And please be in prayer for the band as we rest, recover, and reflect on a truly special time with the Southern Africa Territory.

We have had so much fun at camp with the Southern Africa Territory these past few days!

This music camp is the first territorial music camp to take place in the territory since 2006 with delegates traveling in some cases over 25 hours to worship and learn together.

Delegates are able to participate in Band, Dance, Timbrels, Chorus, Drama and so many more electives and workshops.

But we are not just here to learn about music and creative arts—we are here to connect with God in a new and meaningful way. Each morning camp starts with devotions where Major Mike Harris and David Delaney have been able to share the Word to a group that is hungry for His truth.

The days are long and the nights are short, but in each moment of silence and raucous praise, we are able to witness the grace of God moving in this place!

Please be in prayer as we come to our final concert this afternoon as the young people prepare to head back home and share their gifts with the world.

“Unleashing artistic expression of praise”