Salvos 'hope tent' a hit at Tamworth Country Music Festival
Salvos 'hope tent' a hit at Tamworth Country Music Festival
31 January 2017
A Moneycare team joined the 'hope tent' at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The Salvation Army introduced a “Mobile Community of Hope” during the Tamworth Country Music Festival last week.
In previous years the Salvo Country Band performed in the streets of Tamworth as a way to minister to the community. In lieu of the band attending this year, North/Northwest NSW Area Officers, Majors Norm and Isabel Beckett, set up a “hope tent” for the first time to connect with festival attendees.
From 20-29 January, the Becketts ran the tent for six hours each day, handing out balloons, Kidzone magazines, Scripture verses and notepads as a way to begin conversations.
“We wanted to be part of the community, connect with the community. We wanted to chat with people and, if the opportunity arose, show compassion to them by offering to pray for them,” said Major Isabel.
Major Isabel said she was given many opportunities to pray with people and, on occasion, offered them assistance or connected them with a particular Salvation Army service.
A prayer wall and prayer well was available for festival attendees to submit a prayer. Teams from Gunnedah and Armidale corps also joined the Becketts in their hope tent, ministering to people as needed. In addition, Moneycare set up a stall and handed out leaflets to those interested in the Army’s financial counselling service.
Tamworth Corps once again hosted the Australian Bush Balladeers Association festival at their building. The festival featured performances by a number of country artists and the corps offered catering to those who attended the festival.
Major Isabel said she hoped to expand their ministry at the festival in future years.
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