“I’d always gravitated toward children with special needs, children who are extremely vulnerable,” teacher Lori Barry explains. “These children need so much attention, but they often fall between the cracks.” Lori has been teaching now for 30 years, most of that time in special education. “I’ve spent a career teaching the children that no one else wanted to teach, that no one wanted to commit to—and they’ve changed my life.”

While the drum has always been an important part of the Salvation Army musical tradition, for Salvationists, it has always been more than an instrument. From the beginning, the drum’s supreme function was as a “mercy seat” in open-air meetings. 

Corps across the territory are incorporating Alpha into their ministry strategies, from group gatherings over shared meals to outreach efforts for youth.