A full house in The O2’s Building Six enthusiastically greeted the hosts before the chat show-style event introduced the all-age crowd to performance guests for the night.

First on, the Amsterdam Staff Songsters coolly swayed while engaging the audience with a medley of familiar tunes. Their unassuming manner hit a note with the crowd, many of them singing along and tapping their feet while others reached for their timbrels. Later the Indonesian Bamboo Orchestra intrigued with their unique sound as they played traditional instruments of varying sizes. To add to the atmosphere the orchestra accompanied a soloist as her beautiful voice filled the room.

In an interactive part of the show, the Hawai’i Hula Halau group captivated everyone, not only with their colourful outfits but also with their elegant and expressive hand movements while dancing. After rousing applause, the four hosts joined in the hula fun before the dancers scored their efforts, crowing Kelly Zvobgo the winner.

An interview with Congress Coordinator Lieut-Colonel Eddie Hobgood revealed his hopes for congress. An enthusiastic Eddie admitted that although dealing with different countries, languages and time zones had been challenging, he is convinced that God will have his way. ‘People will come to know Jesus, and God will allow us to be his witnesses,’ he said. Eddie hopes that Boundless will be the catalyst for revival in many parts of the Army world.

In a segment named ‘Mejee, My-selfie and I’, a humorous video was shown featuring full-time Boundless volunteer Mejee Lutcher. Mejee has been making his way around The O2 with the aim of taking a selfie with a delegate from each of the countries in which The Salvation Army is at work. The audience were encouraged to seek him out to help him complete this daunting task.

At the heart of the evening, General André Cox was challenged to distil his message from the earlier main arena session down to 150 seconds. The General gloriously completed his sermon with 65 seconds to spare, remarking, tongue-in-cheek, that he had to learn to be brief as he lived in a female-dominated household.

In the final moments of the show, the entertained crowd showed their appreciation by singing the Army classic ‘We are an Army Fighting for a Glorious King’ with a twist – in country and western style – drawing the successful first Late Night Alive to a close.

This article was included in issue three of Boundless Today. Click to read all issues of Boundless Today.