ROOTS, the annual Christian festival organized by the Salvation Army starts today. The event will be held throughout the whole weekend till 3 May at the town of Southport, a coastal town on the west Coast of northern England. It will gather people from all over the UK and beyond to God’s work and to be challenged to be Jesus in our local and global communities.

ROOTS exists to call Salvationists to biblical Christianity, radical discipleship, contemporary communication of the gospel and a passion for the lost, which are at the 'root' of The Salvation Army and the Christian Church. Over the past 10 years, ROOTS has grown from a gathering of a hopeful few into a global movement of spiritual renewal and mission in The Salvation Army.

ROOTS offers distinct programmes to cater for all age groups, from the youngest to the oldest. A combination of worship and bible study is the format of the gatherings. Seminars speakers include Jeff Lucas, an international bible teacher carrying a specific vision to encourage and equip the church; Bart Campolo, President of Mission Year focusing on youth works in partnership with strong local churches and many other famous leaders.

Even Graham Kendrick, an internationally renowned Christian songwriter is invited to lead the worship. For the youngster, they must be excited seeing the performance of One Hundred Hours.

The ROOTS Resource Zone is set up, offering a huge range of information about a wide variety of mission opportunities and organisations.

With a loyal heart to serve the Lord, “with all our hearts, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23) is the belief that made the organising committee of Salvation Army searching for excellence in everything they do.

“I’ve attended and taken part in more large Christian conferences, both inside and outside the Army, than I can remember. But never before have I been to an event where there was such an obvious hunger for fellowship with each other and intimacy with the living God,” commented Chick Yuill, a Salvation Army officer for 28 years.