By Lauren Hemenover, Contributing Writer
Once a semester, Asbury students in the Salvation Army Student Fellowship (SASF) spend a weekend in service, oftentimes traveling to cities across the nation. During the last weekend of October, the Salvation Army students made a trip to The Salvation Army National Capital Virginia (NCV) Division. Students were kept busy nearly every hour as they spent the weekend ministering in the Washington D.C. area.
“Wherever we go, we tell them we want to be used for the Kingdom of God, however you can use us,” said professor Nathan Miller, the Salvation Army Band’s director. “The Salvation Army’s goal is to preach the message of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination.”
The students started the weekend by serving at a camp at the NCV. Students served at a music clinic and helped lead sectionals and teach beginners how to play an instrument.
“We helped out with the divisional youth band and youth groups at the camp at NCV,” said Faithful class member Jeremiah Durham. “We put on a performance for them and helped them in different drama and singing groups. It was a great time to minister to the children of the area and spend time with them.”
That same evening, the band also put on an “open-air” performance at the Lincoln Memorial. They played an hour-long concert and shared the gospel to the public.
On Sunday morning, students got up early to play at the Marine Corps Marathon. The band played energetic marches to motivate and encourage runners.
“I really appreciated the veterans marathon,” said Cade Handy-Stevenson, a music education major and member of the Faithful class. “It really hit me when I saw people running with pictures of loved ones. All of it was really touching.”
Julian Lalanne, also a music education major and member of the Faithful class, said, “This weekend I saw something that I have never seen before, and it changed my perspective on our veterans. It got me thinking about what people do to sacrifice for this country. It made me feel more appreciative of all that our veterans do.”
To conclude the trip, the Salvation Army students visited Prince George’s County Corps, a Salvation Army church in the area, and assisted in their worship service.
While many of the students that went on this trip are part of the Salvation Army, events and trips put on by the Salvation Army at Asbury are not exclusive to just members.
“Anyone is [able] to participate in the Salvation Army, especially in the music and arts programs,” Miller said. “It’s a ministry program sponsored by the Salvation Army that is available to all Asbury students. Anyone can join us and be a part of what we do.”
