Jesus takes centre stage in Salvos Stores across the country
The photo above was a typical scene in Salvos Stores across Australia on Tuesday as staff, volunteers and customers stopped at 10am for a 10-minute Christmas Reflection. Salvos Online journalist LAUREN MARTIN reports on a significant occasion
Staff, volunteers and customers at Salvos Stores across the country paused at 10am on Tuesday 10 December, for a moving Christmas reflection.
The 10-minute reflection, conducted by store team members, leaders or volunteers of nearby corps, focused on Jesus’ centrality to Christmas. It included a prayer and scripture reading from the Gospel of Luke.
A powerful moment was a minute of silence, during which it was recognised that people within the store and the shopping community have experienced good times but also difficult times throughout the year.
During the silence, those present were asked to remember those friends or family members who were not with them this Christmas.
“This Christmas Reflection provides an opportunity for us to communicate the love, joy, peace and hope that the birth of Christ represents; and which is at the heart of The Salvation Army’s identity, mission and values,” said Major David Collinson, Salvos Stores Executive Officer for Mission.
Lieutenant-Colonel Lyn Edge, Corps Officer at Wollongong (NSW), said it was wonderful to be invited into her local store to lead the Christmas reflection.
“A group of staff, volunteers and shoppers gathered to hear the message, which I was able to share over the store PA,” she said. “As I was leaving, two separate shoppers came to tell me that they’d been listening from elsewhere in the store and how much they appreciated the message.”
Salvos Stores Regional Manager Jeff McCartney said of the Tempe event in Sydney: “It is really great for not only the team, but customers as well to understand the ‘bigger picture’ of The Salvation Army as well as the meaning of Christmas. Let’s look for bigger and better at Easter!”
A middle-aged couple in Queensland said they were on a “busy shopping spree” on Tuesday morning when they stopped by their local Salvos Store. “We walked in just as they were starting the little church devotion and we experienced something, I’m not sure what, but it was a very moving time. We’ve been invited to the Salvos Christmas church service so we might go along.”
The Salvos Stores Christmas campaign for 2024 is Gifts that mean more.
Click through the slideshow below to view more photos of Christmas Reflections in Salvos Stores across the nation:
