8 August 2015 NZFT War Cry

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FAITH IN ACTION | 08 August 2015 | Issue 6623 | $1.50

‘DANCING WITH THE STARS’ SUCCESS FOR SIMON

WHY WE LOVE CATS

I’M NOT ONE TO GOSSIP, BUT …

MEET BARBARA HOWELL MAKING THE BIBLE FUN FOR KIDS ‘KEEP PRAYING!’ SAYS THE GENERAL


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Kia ora Boundless salvation WAR CRY

The Salvation Army Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji & Tonga Territory FOUNDER William Booth GENERAL André Cox TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Robert Donaldson The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination. War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission.

EDITOR

Major Christina Tyson GRAPHIC DESIGN

Lauren Millington, Amber Wilkinson STAFF WRITERS

Ingrid Barratt, Robin Raymond, Vanessa Singh CONTRIBUTORS

Martin Barratt (movie reviewer), Kris Singh (music reviewer)

PROOF READING

Major Jill Gainsford COVER

Photography: Brent Forrest OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 Phone (04) 384 5649 Fax (04) 382 0716 Email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department Phone (04) 382 0768 Email mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org $75 per year within NZ

It was an absolute privilege to be part of The Salvation Army’s international Boundless congress in London last month, serving as part of the international media team. The spectacle of our 150th celebrations was incredible, inspiring and unforgettable! Of course, the vast majority of Salvationists weren’t in London, which made it a priority for the writers, filmmakers, photographers and social media team to provide plenty of online content for ‘remote’ Boundless delegates to enjoy. Some is included in this edition—but I’d also urge people to head to www.boundless2015.org for much more, including video of all of the main worship sessions. This was only the ninth time in 150 years that The Salvation Army has met together as an ‘international Army’, with representatives from the 126 countries in which the Army serves. We’re still a growing Army. On 22 July, General André Cox announced that the Army has expanded into Slovakia, working with marginalised people from the Roma community. An estimated 200 delegates from New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga were at Boundless, and we were well represented by two performing arts groups. Our kapa haka group was especially busy. Not only did they inspire with their performances, but they also impressed those working back stage with their commitment and humility. Our children’s entertainment group Zoo Boogie were also great ambassadors. Every Boundless delegate will have their own special memories. Chief among those for me was the opportunity to spend special moments in prayer, inspired by the vision of an Army that while deeply appreciative of its heritage is firmly committed to the advancement of its God-given mission into the 21st century.

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Christina Tyson Editor

PRINT MANAGEMENT MakeReady | www.makeready.co.nz

BIBLE VERSE

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Ephesians 3:8 New International Version PAPER Novatech is an environmentally responsible paper manufactured under environmental management system ISO14001 using FSC® Certified, Mixed Source, ECF pulp from responsible sources and legally harvested forests. Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association. All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated. Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission. Publishing for 132 years

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‘Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ …’ Epeha 3:8

‘I hōmai ki ahau, ki te mea iti iho i te iti rawa o te hunga tapu katoa, tēnei aroha noa, kia kauwhautia e ahau i roto i ngā Tauiwi te taonga o te Karaiti e kore nei e taea te rapu …’ WISE WORDS

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One hundred and fifty years on, we are still an Army engaged in a fierce battle to rescue those who have been damaged by life, to protect the weak, to fight evil and injustice, to help establish and defend the values of the Kingdom of God here on earth. General André Cox Boundless Congress 2015

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Let’s Talk | 03

BY INGRID BARRATT

W

hen we catch up with Simon Barnett, it’s just days after he was announced the winner of Dancing with the Stars, and Simon is trying to get back to a sense of normality. He took his wife Jodi and daughter out for lunch in an attempt to get back into routine, but fell asleep at the restaurant table. It’s the end of an unrelenting three months of rehearsals for up to 50 hours a week, and the ‘trauma’ of the live shows on Sunday night. Monday morning Simon was up at 5 am to do his More FM breakfast show via Skype, and then it was back to rehearsals to start the process again. The moment when Simon was announced the winner was a ‘perfect storm of emotion, sheer exhaustion, unbridled relief, achievement and a sense of sacrifice as well,’ recalls Simon. Along the way, Simon became the nation’s sweetheart, labelled ‘the dad bod’ after baring his spray-tanned abs under a shimmery bolero. (There is no other context in which this sentence would be okay, but that’s the glorious spectacle of Dancing with the Stars.) ‘Well, it was definitely more flattering than being “the guy that ate all the pies,” ’ laughs Simon, who lost 7 kg during the programme. Although he’s quick to add that he ‘holds fame, for want of a better word, very lightly’. Simon made no secret that votes for him went toward supporting the work of The Salvation Army. ‘I know the story of William Booth and I’ve always felt that The Salvation Army gets its hands dirty,’ reflects Simon. ‘You have always taken great care of the poor, the under-privileged and the needy. You just get on with the job. ‘There is a deep respect from the public for The Salvation

Army, and the goodwill and mana you have is massive,’ he adds. Simon himself is no stranger to the Army, having spoken at local corps (churches). His daughters have even volunteered at their local Family Store. So, did God help him paso doble his way to victory? Simon says he felt God with him all the way. When he dislocated his knee in the second week, Simon describes his unusual recovery as somewhat of a miracle. ‘Usually you’re crumpled on the ground with a dislocated knee, and somehow it went back in and I was able to keep going. Every week my physio would say, “I can’t believe your knee is performing like this”—usually you’d be off your feet for six weeks with this injury.’ During intense rehearsals, Simon and Vanessa struck up a great friendship. ‘We had amazing discussions about faith,’ recalls Simon. He always prayed before they went on stage. ‘Mostly, I prayed for peace and that I would remember my dance moves! And for God’s grace to be upon us.’ Simon is now urging other Kiwi blokes to be brave and give the dance floor a go. ‘A lot of guys feel embarrassed, just like I did—but hey, I told myself a thousand times I can’t dance, and here I am.’ Simon and his wife Jodi will make their first appearance together as a dance couple at her brother’s wedding, later this year. Although the exact amount raised from votes for Simon will remain confidential, Public Relations Director Shane Chisholm says, ‘It will make a significant contribution to our mission. Simon and Vanessa have hugely helped us to help others, and we are so grateful to them and to God for this provision.’


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Bookshelf Children Will and Kate Dawn Voltz Unlike the other Will and Kate, the characters in this storybook are just ordinary kids. But through God, they grow up to do extraordinary things. The kids were, of course, William and Catherine Booth, and this is the story of the Salvation Army, told especially for children. A highlight of this charming book is the fun, quirky illustrations by Chris Green. While author Dawn Voltz keeps the characters lively and appealing to kids—‘Even as a boy, Will loved to be the boss,’ the story begins. And Catherine is described as a bookworm who loved animals. A great way to pass on our story to the next generation, and simply a delight. (Salvo Publishing)

Playlist

Salvationist Doctrine 21 Questions for a 21st Century Army Grant Sandercock-Brown This book is impressive for asking the difficult questions and avoiding simplistic answers. SandercockBrown asks if being a Salvation Army is still relevant. He tells the proud history of the Army structure, but warns that the activism of the Booths ‘hardened along military lines and became a hierarchy’. Brave words. He brings the same thoughtfulness to questions such as ‘are we a church?’, ‘who belongs?’, and, ‘are we missing out by not celebrating the Lord’s Supper?’ The answers are often unexpected, but there is always a depth of biblical knowledge, and a genuine love of the Army. (Vivid Publishing)

Devotional Holiness Revealed Amy Reardon US Salvationist Amy Reardon breaks down the sometimes difficult book of Hebrews into digestible morsels. Her stated aim is not to write a devotional that rushes to look within and ‘fix’ ourselves. But rather, to look at what God is revealing to us about who he is. The first chapter tackles such meaty issues as the meaning of ‘last days’ and the Trinity. The theme of the book is on who Christ is, and the depth of what his sacrifice means. It is interesting, then, that she calls the book Holiness Revealed, suggesting that a holiness movement may be more about who we believe in, than how we believe. (Wesleyan Publishing House)

Reel News

Salvation Army Worship transMission www.transmission.virb.com If you caught the Boundless Congress live stream, or were fortunate enough to attend the event in London, you may have noticed a much smaller and decidedly more electric band amongst the other ‘heavy metal’ brass. That band was transMission, a contemporary worship outfit hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The group is loud and proud Salvation Army. In fact, their 2013 release We Believe deals specifically with the 11 doctrines of The Salvation Army, and their message is highly missional. As a ministry of The Salvation Army, transMission exists ‘to engage The Salvation Army and the wider Church in new and revitilised expressions of worship and worship-driven ministry’. Their belief is that real worship and mission are inseparable—and that worshipping God through song has the potential to transform our world. It’s this approach to music that sets transMission up as a vitally important, contemporarily relevant form of musical ministry in The Salvation Army. The band is certainly up to the task: We Believe is a solid and wellconstructed contemporary Christian album that embraces musical diversity, strong lyrical content and brims with creativity. To put it in Boundless terms: transMission is commemorating the past, celebrating the present and is most certainly innovating for the future. And they’d like to share that with the entire Salvation Army world. There’s lots of FREE STUFF on the transMission website, including guitar charts and lead sheets. So, if you like what you heard at Boundless and want to hear it every Sunday, get your music team leader to head to the group’s website: www.transmission.virb.com.

GIVEAWAY To win a copy of Will & Kate, tell us what it is about their story that inspires you. War Cry Giveaway, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org. Entries close 24 Aug.

Christian Drama God’s Not Dead Harold Cronk / M (Adult themes) God’s Not Dead tells the story of student and devout Christian Josh, who finds his faith challenged on the first day of his Philosophy class by his argumentative professor. The professor tells his students that they will need to deny the existence of God or face a failing grade. Thus, Josh finds himself at a crossroads, having to choose between his faith and his future. If Josh will not admit that ‘God is dead’, he must prove God’s existence by presenting well-researched, intellectual arguments and evidence over the course of the semester, engaging the professor in a head-to-head debate in front of the class. God’s Not Dead does not completely meet the stereotypes many people assume about Christian movies being of mediocre quality. Indeed, the production values were high for a Christian-themed movie, and the acting and direction were also reassuringly good. However, God’s Not Dead still paints a very clichéd picture in which true believers are portrayed as essentially without moral faults, while unbelievers are portrayed as essentially devoid of redeeming traits and leading empty lives. The film also takes every available chance to unfortunately stereotype (almost to the point of offensiveness) every people group represented. It would be pleasing to see a Christian movie take a less negative approach in their presentation of non-Christians. Overall, the film does offer a look at apologetics that will be helpful for some, but despite this it’s still a missed opportunity. God’s definitely not dead, but movies like this don’t help his cause.

Go to

salvationarmy.org.nz/saresources


Feature | 05

In the final session of the Boundless international congress, General AndrÊ Cox envisages a Salvation Army that is still battling for people’s lives, and reaching out a helping hand for those who are drowning in sin, despair, injustice and greed.


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hat has this celebration been all about? What is going to change as a result of the fact that we have gathered here in London for these five days? What is God calling you to do? I dream of a committed Army, rooted and confident in the Word of God, and on its knees. But if we ever think we can do it by ourselves, if we ever place our confidence in our own abilities, then we are doomed to failure. This dream will only become reality if our own lives, our own hearts, are impacted, changed and transformed by the Holy Spirit. It was Charles Spurgeon who said, ‘Holiness is the visible side of salvation.’ What we do is much more important than what we say. So, what does our commitment to the cause of Christ look like? Does the public persona of our dedication and commitment to serve the marginalised, match the very deepest motivation of our hearts? The reality in some places around the world is that we are being cowed by materialistic and social values that are in direct conflict to the values of the Kingdom of God …

Surrendered lives We need to be totally committed to the task that has been assigned to us. We cannot be a people who serve with divided hearts; it requires surrendered lives. It’s one thing to be convinced about our calling, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If we’re truly convinced about our calling, it will be evidenced by the fact that we live lives that are fully surrendered to the will of God. The apostle Paul appeals to the Roman Christians—and to us—that we should live our lives in total commitment. ‘Therefore I urge you,’ says Paul, ‘in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1–2) His argument is logical, it’s simple: because of what God has accomplished for us, we can, in turn, do no better than give ourselves fully to him as living sacrifices. Of course, this goes against the culture of this world. [And] that is exactly the challenge you and I face: we are to live counter-culturally to this world, seeking to live in a similar way to our saviour, Jesus Christ … There needs to be a sense of sacrifice. There needs to be a surrender of our lives to fulfil God’s plan for each one of us.

Re-capturing the vision If we have a sense of calling and we live surrendered lives, we also need to have a sense of urgency. There is a world out there that is mired in sin. There is a world out there where there is so much injustice, hate and war. You and I have a job to do, and that job requires a total commitment from each one of us. As I travel around the world, I see many great initiatives, but I sometimes wonder if we are truly driven by a sense of urgency. Do we still have a vision for a world in peril that is sinking in sin, despair, injustice and greed? What are we doing about it? What should we be doing about it? Over 100 years ago, William Booth had a clear vision of the moral bankruptcy of his generation. He urged his Army—The Salvation Army—to rescue victims of vice and poverty from the raging sea. [In his vision, he saw] images of lifeboats, a life house, and soldiers simply lending a hand, saving those who are perishing

… These are moving images of an Army at war against sin, darkness and despair. I ask myself the question today: how mobilised is our Salvation Army in responding to such distress, suffering and pending doom in the world around us? It’s not a work just for our specialist social services, it’s not a work just for our trained disaster responders; this is something that must engage everyone! If there’s one thing I fear, it’s that we have become comfortable, settled and contented within the middle class in our ranks—that we have become detached from the suffering of the world around us today.

There is work to be done [Suffering] is not just something that affects far away nations. It’s shocking to recognise that there are millions of children growing up in the United Kingdom in families mired with poverty. We’ve had to introduce ‘breakfast clubs’ in schools in this great land, because we’ve become increasingly aware that there are many children that would have nothing to eat at the start of the day without them … There are some 16 million children struggling with hunger in America. Then there’s the scourge of human trafficking, modernday slavery, and the plight of the working poor, and before long we can paint a picture as dramatic as William Booth’s day. There is work to be done. We cannot sit in comfort, pandering to our personal fancies. As we look at the state of the world, we see the fallen state of mankind, we see around us people that are incomplete. The reality is we are all still works in progress. There is always room for growth and development. We see around us people that are broken—so many people are damaged by abuse, disease or relationship breakdown. The Bible is unequivocal that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God … and because of that we would be alienated from him. Nothing we can do can change that reality, which is why God sent us a saviour. We see all around us people who are poor, and in the 21st century it’s unacceptable that people are living in poverty or exclusion caused by inequality, exploitation and victimisation. People in our world feel rejected and alone. In our comfortable, materialistic, Western society one of greatest problems people face today is the problem of loneliness. So many people are bereft of family and friends …

You and I have a job to do, and that job requires a total commitment from each one of us. Engaging in the battle In the vision of William Booth, we see Salvationists manning the lifeboat, we see Salvationists rescuing those who are perishing in the stormy seas. It’s an image of Salvationists all engaged in this rescue. That image is powerful. It’s a powerful reminder that 150 years on, we are still an Army engaged in a fierce battle to rescue those who have been damaged by life, to protect the weak, to fight evil and injustice, to help establish and defend the values of the Kingdom of God here on earth. Everyone is engaged in this mission. No matter what situations we face, we have to be in that raging sea with Jesus, helping people to the shore.


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We ourselves are not yet a perfect people; we are not better or superior in any way to those whom we serve in this rescue mission. We have to acknowledge our own imperfection and brokenness, but our lives can point to Christ! We are working for the day when we will stand with God in the fullness of his eternal Kingdom and experience full restoration. We may not yet be fully what God knows we will become, but we must ever be an Army that is pointing people to Christ. We must be an Army that is inviting others to walk with us on our journey towards healing and wholeness. And, ultimately, our journey towards the heavenly city, when all things will be fully restored to Christ.

If we are to be the generation that writes the pages of history going forward from Boundless 2015, it will take nothing less than a total surrender of our lives to the will of God … We have found a saviour, so we can man the lifeboats. We can be involved in the rescue mission. It’s not for the elite few or the specialists. It is something for each one of us. This is a mission in which we are all engaged, and requires a total mobilisation of the Salvation Army.

A dream for the Army You have seen my dream for the Salvation Army (see box). Will that dream ever become a reality? I see some people content, yet others are struggling and wanting a better life. We want to be more engaged with the lives of people, and help them realise their hopes and dreams for a better future. We want to be more focused on positive and lasting outcomes for the poorest and marginalised. All of our many programmes are but gateways in the battle for the hearts and minds of people. It is our desire that all may come to know what those engaged in the battle already know: that wholeness and fullness can only be experienced in a restored relationship with God. This is made possible by the grace of God. When this transformation occurs there are no limits to what God can do in us. This is boundless salvation! There are those who laud us for our good works. But as we engage in the battle, we must be planting a cross in the middle of the battle: this is our sign of victory. Those engaged in the battle tell of him who gave his life so that all may have new life. The cross is the symbol of the one who draws all people to himself. This is boundless salvation! We must all be engaged in the battle, telling how we have found Christ, and how he has transformed our lives. We have been saved not only from poverty and brokenness, but he has filled our incompleteness and our aloneness.

We must tell others how our relationship with God has been restored. But we can only do that if it is true, and a reflection of our personal experience. If we are to be the generation that writes the pages of history going forward from Boundless 2015, it will take nothing less than a total surrender of our lives to the will of God, and an unswerving commitment to the mission to which God still calls us today. I ask you, Salvationists of today, what will your answer be? Will you be part of that great throng entering Heaven to experience the joy of our saviour? It will be so, if we rely on the one who has called us. And though we are called to battle and to fight, we can win nothing on our own strength. If we are to win this battle, we must bow the knee.

The General’s Dream I dream of a committed, effective and joyful Army, rooted and confident in the Word of God and on its knees. I dream of an Army that truly reflects the mind of Jesus in its commitment to the poor and the marginalised. I dream of an Army that practices what it preaches from the top leadership down; an Army that is a visible and living example of kingdom values. I dream of an Army that values its youth, where young people feel that they have a voice. I dream of an Army with strong, relevant and streamlined administrative structures, and a more effective use of its financial and material resources. I dream of an Army where all cultures are equally accepted and celebrated through the spiritual ties that bind us together. I dream of an Army that shuns the culture of dependency. To achieve this will take more than mere words or even an international congress. If we’re going to be an Army that lives up to its God-given potential, we must put our money where our mouth is and live up to the things we believe and preach to the world around us. The Salvation Army should be above reproach in the way it deals with people, the way it handles it finances and in its transparency and accountability. We owe it to our people, our donors and, most importantly, we owe it to God to be above reproach. As we work to build his kingdom here on earth, I pray that we will be a people who live in hope and that this hope will give us the courage to live differently in the world. Proverbs 29:18 says, ‘Where there is no vision the people perish.’ My challenge to you is to consider these dreams with proper reflection, pause and think about what you need to change to make these dreams a reality in your own lives and in the world around you.


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HEALTH

LIFESTYLE

The Benefits of ‘Fat’ Milk

Making the Bible Fun for Kids

Why full-fat milk might be better for you than skimmed … New research has found that full-fat milk and yoghurt might actually be better for your waistline than the reduced fat versions. A review published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that people who eat full-fat dairy are no more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes than people who eat low-fat dairy. And the news gets even better: the review found that when it comes to weight gain, full fat might even be better for you. Of the 25 studies included in the review, 18 reported lower body weights, less weight gain, or a lower risk for obesity among full-fat dairy eaters. The other seven studies were inconclusive. Dr Mario Kratz, review author and nutrition scientist, found that ‘when it comes to obesity … [there is] no support for the notion that low-fat dairy is healthier.’

‘Bible Bedtime’, a new free app from the Bible Society, is helping bring the Bible to life in imaginative new ways for kids. Last month, the Bible Society New Zealand launched an exciting innovation that will help children have fun, while discovering classic Bible stories. The new app, called ‘Bible Bedtime’, is free and can be downloaded from Google and Apple app stores.

The reason may be that reducing the fat in dairy strips it of fatty acids that lead to a sense of fullness. People who eat full-fat may be eating smaller portions and staying full for longer. And although Kratz admits we don’t know anything for certain, dairy’s fatty acids may also crank up how much energy your body burns, or limit the amount of fat your body stores.

Bible Bedtime re-tells five classic Bible stories for 5–7 year olds: Adam and Eve, Jonah, Easter (in two parts), and the Prodigal Son. The app allows children to replace the images with their own pictures and photos to illustrate the story. Kids can also colour in or create their own images. Try these ideas with your kids:

This evidence, of course, needs to be weighed against the old ‘everything in moderation’ adage. None of the research supports going on a full-fat frenzy! Fruit and vegies are still the most important food in terms of fibre and nutritional value.

ΕΕ Print out the basic black and white pictures of the stories to colour in. ΕΕ Grab some paper and get your child to draw their own picture. ΕΕ Build a model from Lego, plasticine or cardboard, or maybe create a scene with their toys.

But it does add to a growing weight of evidence that fat isn’t the baddie it was made out to be for the previous few decades. Instead, it seems portion size and foods that provide the greatest sense of satisfaction are essential to a balanced diet.

ΕΕ Take a photo of your scene or drawing, go to the app and click ‘change picture’ to make your masterpiece part of the story! The Bible Society is also planning an app for 8–11 year olds, and will be adding more stories to their 5–7 year-old range. It’s all part of the ‘Pass It On’ campaign to get more than 19,000 Kiwi children engaging with the Bible. As well as these apps, 4000 Bible storybooks are being distributed to families that don’t have access to digital devices.

Many nutritional experts still advocate for low-fat dairy, for its nutritional value without the calories. However, a growing chorus of experts are saying that adding satisfying protein to every meal (which includes dairy) is more important than fat content.

The campaign was developed after Nielsen research found the majority of Kiwi kids didn’t know classic Bible stories like the Good Samaritan and Daniel in the Lion’s Den. But the survey also found that 46 per cent of parents felt their children would benefit from knowing Bible stories, and that children were more likely to engage with the Bible via digital devices.

Go to www biblesociety.org.nz and click on ‘Bible Month’ to find out more about the app and sign up for updates.

Boiled Fruit Loaf

Alison started making this just after she was married, following the instructions to slice only after 24 hours. But as the years went by, loaves would completely disappear before the 24-hour mark! 1 cup water ¾ cup sugar 1 cup sultanas or dried fruit 25g (2 Tbsp) butter 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp salt 1½ cups flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda

Turn oven to 180°C, or 170°C if fan forced. Put first eight ingredients into a medium-sized pot. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally, then simmer gently, uncovered, for 5 mins. Cool to room temperature, stirring now and then. (This step is important!) While you wait, sift or thoroughly stir the remaining ingredients together, and line long sides and bottom of a loaf tin with baking paper. When mixture in pot is cold, carefully stir in mixed dry ingredients. (Mix only enough to blend.) Bake for 45–50 mins, or until centre springs back when pressed and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. If you can, leave for 24 hours before cutting, so your loaf is firmer and easier to cut in thin slices. You may not, however, consider this essential!

From Best Baking by Simon and Alison Holst. Go to www.holst.co.nz


Lifestyle | 09

Q&A Why do we love cats?

Why do humans, as a species, find cats so irresistible? If you’ve ever been owned by a cat, you’ll know what we’re talking about. Despite being infamously aloof, we can’t get enough of them. Videos of cats are the most viewed on YouTube. Remember Grumpy Cat? Nawwww. Dr John Amodeo, relationship expert and cat lover, suggests why we love cats. Stroking a cat is therapeutic. The repetitive movement and feel of their soft fur is like meditation, and scientifically proven to lower stress levels. But it goes deeper than that. Dr Amodeo argues that a cat’s ability to receive love is exactly what makes them so loveable. He says, ‘I believe that a major reason we love cats is because of an uncanny ability that few humans possess: they register our tactile presence in a deeply felt way. They really know how to let us in! They’re right there in the delectable moment receiving our touch.’ Humans can learn from cats that it’s not only okay, but deeply appealing, to let others in and delight in their companionship. It’s okay to let go of past hurts—when you stroke your purring cat, they’re not holding on to resentment against you! They are able to be present, in the moment. Of course, cats that have been hurt by humans can be anxious and timid—much like humans that have been hurt by humans. We can have blocks to receiving love and affection because of past hurts. We may find it difficult to be vulnerable because we have been rejected. Owning a pet can teach you how to love and be loved in a completely safe way. ‘If you’re fortunate to have an affectionate cat in your life, notice how he or she receives your affection. How do you feel inside in such times?’ asks Dr Amodeo. ‘Similarly, when someone who you like gives a hug or offers affection, experiment with letting it in. Be a cat. Get out of your head, take a deep, easy breath, and be mindfully present with how it feels in your body to receive a hug and affection from a loved one. Whether from a cat or human, letting in love just might heal you.’

Testify In 30 years of officership, Colonel Barbara Howell has learnt that she wants to live with a grateful heart, and eyes wide open to God’s goodness. I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home with Salvation Army officer parents. I clearly remember the time, at six years old, of asking my mum to go with me to the altar, where I knelt down with her and asked Jesus into my life. When I was 18, I was on my way to university. During that time I went through a period when I felt really lost. I desperately wanted to know that there was a purpose to my life. While listening to a message on the topic ‘Destinations’, I heard this Bible passage from Proverbs 3:5–6 (The Message): ‘Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own … He’s the one who will keep you on track.’ That was when I felt my journey with God really began. As I have been on this journey with God, he has allowed me to pass through many experiences along the way. One key experience was my opportunity to work as a respiratory therapist before becoming an officer. God used that time to teach me about taking care of people, both physically and spiritually. While working in a children’s hospital, I had the opportunity to comfort families and children who were dying, through sharing the hope and comfort of my God. I also

learned that there were times to simply sit quietly with them, ministering through presence alone. Over the more than 37 years that I’ve been married to my husband, life has been filled with countless experiences. I am blessed that throughout our officership journey, Willis has always supported and encouraged me to excel in and use the gifts that God equipped me with. There was a season, however, when I lost my inner joy. I learnt that seeking happiness will never be enough—it’s flimsy, unreliable, and based on our situation or our surroundings. I am learning how joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, and the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right. With that understanding, I now choose to praise God in all things, even in the messy circumstances. It brings us through both pain and sorrow. Joy is sustaining, deep and long lasting. Currently, my journey with God has brought me here as the Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, where one of the opportunities that I have is focusing on valuing, encouraging and equipping women to be exactly who God created them to be. God has blessed me with the opportunity to share with

them the joys of having their own personal experience with Jesus Christ. So, no matter where my ‘stops’ are along this journey, I want to choose to love every moment of life that God gives me, and to be part of making a difference in others’ lives. ‘Honour God with everything … give him the first and the best’ (Proverbs 3:5–12, The Message).

I want to choose to love every moment of life that God gives me.

Let’s Talk I would like: to explore what it means to follow Jesus information about Salvation Army worship and activities prayer for the following needs: NAME: ADDRESS: Please post to: War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org


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Advice

CROSSWORD 1

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I’m Not One to Gossip, But …

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How to stop listening to, and passing on that juicy, juicy gossip.

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A very dark grey Transmits Charges Get by Barbecue fuel Shows credits and debits Opposes Rides up and down Taking a breather Beats Atoms Fast moving Apparition Played with bat and ball Cliched movie ending Specialised doctors

Possibility Character sets Small fragments Masters Awe Picture Pleasing to the ear Rolled items Pick apart US Natives Suggests Played on lots of open ground Email Pursues Have the throne Pine, e.g.

QUICK QUIZ Who is the world leader of The Salvation Army? From which movie does this line come: ‘Nobody puts Baby in a corner’? What is the name of the NASA spacecraft taking photos of Pluto? Which of the X-Men characters does Hugh Jackman portray? Who would not believe Jesus was resurrected until he saw him again?

But the Bible warns that what may start out as a choice morsel will rot in our stomachs. The Bible calls a person who gossips a ‘fool’, someone who ‘separates friends’, and warns us not to associate with ‘babblers’. James goes so far as to say that if a person cannot reign in their tongue, their ‘religion is worthless’ (1:26). Ouch. Yet gossip is addictive because it can make us feel important—we have something other people want to hear. It makes us feel popular and is a way of ‘getting in’ with people. Gossip is an easy way to feel accepted, and we all want to feel accepted. But long-lasting friendship is only forged out of integrity and authenticity. Gossip will always backfire, and as the Bible says, will ultimately ruin friendships—not bring people together. Most of us want to have friends that are trustworthy—and the best way to get that is to be a trustworthy friend yourself. To do this, we need to discipline ourselves not to speak. ‘Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut,’ says Proverbs 10:19 (NLT) bluntly. In the moment, it can be hard to keep your mouth shut. But

Find more Cartoons by McKerrow on www.facebook.com/cartoonsbymckerrow

the only thing that feels better than sharing a ‘choice morsel’ is the deeply satisfying feeling that you’ve been a good friend. Avoid the temptation to justify gossip. If you’re passing on other people’s private news, you are gossiping—whether or not they have told you to keep it a secret. If you are listening to gossip, you are also prolonging it. Don’t encourage the gossip, simply say nothing, or say, ‘Oh, I really feel for them.’ End of story. If you have been told something distressing, it may be appropriate to talk this through with a neutral person—de-briefing is not gossip. Ideally, you should let the person who confided in you know you will do this. If you want to pray about it with someone else, only do that with their permission. We’ve all shared gossip, but we’ve probably also been the subjects of gossip. Being gossiped about is deeply hurtful and distressing —you will feel betrayed, and may feel like you are being misjudged. Don’t gossip back—that will just keep the fires burning. Allow your integrity to speak louder than gossip. If you don’t fuel it, the fires of gossip will soon die out. ‘May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you,’ cries out David in Psalm 25:21. Whether you want to stop gossiping, or have been on the receiving end of gossip, look to the Lord. Integrity will stop you from gossiping; and will not give people reason to gossip about you.

Crossword Answers: Across: 1 Charcoal, 5 Radios, 9 Appoints, 10 Manage, 12 Coals, 13 Statement, 14 Reacts, 16 Seesaws, 19 Resting, 21 Metres, 23 Particles, 25 Swift, 26 Spirit, 27 Baseball, 28 Sunset, 29 Dentists. Down: 1 Chance, 2 Alphabets, 3 Chips, 4 Artists, 6 Amazement, 7 Image, 8 Sweetest, 11 Oats, 15 Criticise, 17 Americans, 18 Proposes, 20 Golf, 21 Message, 22 Stalks, 24 Reign, 25 Scent. Quiz Answers: 1 General André Cox, 2 Dirty Dancing, 3 New Horizons, 4 Wolverine, 5 Thomas (John 20:28).

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‘The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts,’ says Proverbs 18:8. Hmmmm tasty, tasty morsels. Let’s admit it, when we get a piece of info that’s so delicious, it can be hard to keep it to ourselves.


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Photography: Switzerland, Austria & Hungary Territory.

BY CHRISTINA TYSON

‘Keep Praying!’ says Salvation Army General The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary celebrations come at the end of a year of non-stop prayer. Boundless—The Whole World Praying began at International Headquarters on 1 July 2014 with four days of 24-7 Prayer. The prayer wave then swept across the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory, before heading to Papua New Guinea, Australia, Indonesia and around the world. Finally landing in London 12 months later. ‘The response towards Boundless—the Whole World Praying has been overwhelming,’ says Lieut-Colonel Deborah Cachelin, International Secretary for Spiritual Life Development. ‘The majority of territories, commands and regions have really engaged with it, with children, youth, adults and elderly people taking part. We believe that something has happened, is happening and will continue to happen as a result of the prayers prayed during this time … for salvation, holiness and justice within The Salvation Army and throughout the world.’ Lieut-Colonel Cachelin says the 24-7 Prayer concept was enthusiastically embraced. ‘As great and important as it is to be praying alone, there is also power in praying with others and knowing you are part of a global prayer chain. One of the main responses from those taking part was that the time went by so quickly.’ In the New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory, prayer rooms were established and half-night and whole nights of prayer held. In Papua New Guinea, territorial leadership hosted an opening ceremony to mark the start of Boundless—The Whole World Praying, with officers taking turns in their prayer room. The Australia Eastern Territory set up a text-message prayer chain, with topics texted from one person to another, while the Indonesia, and Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar territories held prayer concerts. The Bangladesh Command held their first prayer breakfast, and the Pakistan Territory passed the prayer baton to the India Eastern Territory with a Skype call and a short meeting led by both territories. Children from Salvation Army hostels and homes took part in the India South Eastern Territory’s prayer meetings. Latin American territories organised days of prayer. The USA Southern Territory held a prayer breakfast, and the USA Eastern Territory created a video series to mark each day of their prayer time. The Eastern Europe Territory’s prayer focus started with a Skype call between its five countries. Young people from Italy and Greece were on late-night prayer slots, interceding via text messages. In the Spain and Portugal Command, Salvationists of all ages gathered to pray with and for one another.

In Uganda, all corps doors were open for one hour of prayer in the morning. The Nigeria Territory organised seven days of prayer and fasting. The Southern Africa Territory assigned days of prayer to each division and institution, with some locations holding half nights of prayer. The Ghana Territory held prayer nights and prayer concerts, and its territorial headquarters foyer became a house of prayer. Over the final month ahead of the international congress, Salvationists in Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, France and Belgium were at prayer. The final prayer prayer vigil fell to the United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland Territory.

We depend always and utterly on God, and if we ever forget that we are doomed to fail! Boundless—The Whole World Praying ran alongside The Salvation Army’s Worldwide Prayer Meeting, which began in 2012 and is held on Thursday mornings in every Salvation Army territory and command. Because The Salvation Army serves in so many time zones, the Worldwide Prayer Meeting means the Army is at prayer in some part of the world for most of every Thursday. ‘It is vitally important that The Salvation Army’s passion for prayer continue to grow,’ says General André Cox. ‘I want to encourage Salvationists around the world to continue praying—personally and corporately—for the worldwide mission of the Army,’ he says. ‘I encourage all Salvationists to join wherever they are in the Worldwide Prayer Meeting as it spans the globe. We are seeing incredible spiritual victories and evidence of lives being touched and transformed through this essential ministry. ‘There is a danger that we can become complacent and think we can do everything in our own strength. But we are a people who daily depend upon God’s presence, mercy and grace—and we do well to remember that. In and of ourselves we can do nothing. We should not allow ourselves to bask in the praise that we regularly receive from people for the “good work” of the Army. We depend always and utterly on God, and if we ever forget that we are doomed to fail!’


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Part 3 of 3

In a society that seems increasingly fearful, how does the concept of showing hospitality to strangers sit with the Christian church? asks Coralie Bridle. The earlier parts of this series considered two voices that can help the church better extend hospitality to strangers in its midst. In part one, Coralie considered how philosopher Richard Kearney critiques the way the West has traditionally dealt with strangers, foreigners and notions of ‘otherness’ and suggests that fostering ‘a radical attentiveness to the stranger [can function] as a portal to the sacred’. In part two, Coralie considered the biblical witness to the importance of hospitality as discussed by Christian ethicist Christine Pohl. When my three children were young, I was a mother committed to an open-door policy toward their friends. Blinded by a type of selfrighteousness mixed with maternal absolutism, I thought this to be a rather magnanimous disposition. Gradually, though, I noticed that two of my children were always playing in the homes of other people and that seldom were the neighbourhood kids gracing my door. One day, my ‘protective bubble’ was shattered by the innocent words of a six-year-old lingering on the doorstep of our home. When I graciously welcomed her and tried to coax her into the house, she promptly replied that she didn’t want to come in because ‘that strange boy lives here’. ‘Stranger danger’ was thriving in yet another context.

Meet Samuel Samuel Bridle—or ‘that strange boy’—is now a 25-year-old young man living with profound and complex disability. He is seemingly confined to the cognitive capacity of a baby. Conceptual realities, communicating through language and social relating, are concepts and realities that fall outside his mode of being. Samuel’s physical body is incapacitated by spastic quadriplegia, cortical blindness, epilepsy and global developmental delay. Like every other human being, Samuel’s life depends on support of one sort or another. Yes, he does look different but, identical twins withstanding, everyone looks different. What the child on my doorstep noted was the differences rather than the commonalities. What the child on my doorstep needed from Samuel and me was a diffusion of the anxiety we experience whenever we encounter difference. Samuel, created in the image of God, with the dust of humanity slightly rearranged, carries the desire for welcome, inclusion and embrace that is the longing of every human being. It is therefore my contention that Samuel and his ‘story’ expands our notion of what it means to welcome the stranger. Strangers come in many guises. Christian ethicist Christine Pohl comments that ‘strangers’ are generally identified as those disconnected from relationships that provide a secure place for them in the world. Those with profound cognitive and physical disabilities would fall within this broad definition. As speech and language therapist Dr Rozanne Barrow observes, ‘Traditionally, Western society values those who are independent and who are able to walk, talk, hear and see and who have mental agility. Indeed, our society is designed

around people who have these abilities.’ In such a setting, Samuel is expected to live a tension between visibility and invisibility. On the one hand, his difference marks him out as a highly visible ‘stranger’; on the other, his disabilities, in a society that values cognitive and physical agility, confine him to invisibility. Samuel is different, and the different occupy the margins. Samuel has thus become both a highly visible and simultaneously invisible stranger—potentially occupying no secure place in the world. This tension of ‘visible and invisible stranger’ broadens our definition of the stranger and alerts us to the fact that both are a reduction. Both positions hold the capacity to render Samuel less than human. In the first, he is simply the sum of his function; in the latter, he is the sum of his lack of function. This double reduction of the stranger leads to a frighteningly global dehumanisation that is anathema to the gospel. To welcome the stranger is to seek after a comprehensive vision of humanity.

My ‘protective bubble’ was shattered by the innocent words of a six-year-old lingering on the doorstep of our home … she didn’t want to come in because ‘that strange boy lives here’. God as ‘stranger’ There is a degree to which God might also be seen as ‘stranger’, and Samuel’s situation helps us recognise that. To claim that we ‘know’ God and that he is thus not a ‘stranger’ is a theological claim fraught with tension. It is here that blind worship at the altar of rationality carries the potential to lead us astray. A position that holds that to know God is to understand him at an intellectual level automatically alienates the intellectually impaired. The God who says in Isaiah 55:8–9, ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways’ is not a God given to full disclosure. At some level, his unknowability maintains his stranger identity. What we know about God we have received as gift. Christ and creation form part of that knowing. Samuel and his incapacity to ‘know’ in the cognitive sense opens the infinitely more glorious dimension of the reality that we are known by God. Our response entails an act of reception, participation and presence. Samuel is incapable of ‘hosting’ or ‘welcoming’ in a thin understanding of the notion. He cannot make a cup of tea or offer a biscuit. However, there is a tension resident at this juncture as well. Confined, as he is, to a wheelchair and unable to verbally indicate his willingness to engage, he has no choice but to welcome the stranger into his orbit. The only obvious tool at Samuel’s disposal to avoid this is to avail himself of sleep. To welcome Samuel is to learn the grammar of unconditional love. Authentic welcome can flow from no other source. It is a welcome that does not count or consider what it can receive out of the interaction. It


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is a welcome that does not try to change the other into a mirror image of myself. Samuel teaches us this concept well. He has no power to influence how, or for what purpose, he will be welcomed. I suggest that Samuel is therefore representative of what the contemplative tradition understood as loving God for God’s sake. When we encounter the stranger, love dictates we love them for their sake. To welcome Samuel is to make space for him. This involves the more overt signals of welcome, such as building accessibility and appropriate facilities, along with the less obvious. In a church setting: does the preaching welcome Samuel? If the notion of salvation is restricted to the four spiritual laws and a confession of faith then Samuel has not been made welcome. Perhaps Samuel will worship differently, engage more loudly or not respond to the traditional overtures. To welcome the stranger is to reconfigure space so that the other might have access to simply dwell.

The praxis of welcome Articulating a holistic understanding of what it means to welcome the stranger is just a beginning. To theorise over how it might feel to be a stranger will not be as illuminating as to actually experience the reality. It is one thing to claim an attitude of hospitality; it is an entirely different thing to reorder our home, church or community life. As Pohl comments, ‘Hospitable attitudes, even a principled commitment to hospitality, do not challenge us or transform our loyalties in the way that actual hospitality to particular strangers does. Hospitality in the abstract lacks the mundane, troublesome, yet rich dimensions of a profound human practice.’ When we welcome the stranger, both guest and host potentially bring new life to each other. It is therefore a precious and fragile process, a process that cannot be manipulated. In the church I attend, we had a practice of attaching a small red rose to the lapel of strangers as they came into join us in worship. The argument for this practice was that we would then be able to easily identify the visitors and make sure they received an appropriate welcome. Although I understood this practice on one level, it was deeply disturbing on others. First, it indicates that those already part of the community were not well known to each other in the first place. Genuine community implies that we recognise each other and thus strangers would be immediately noticeable. Secondly, it makes highly visible those who may wish to remain invisible. The stranger is in a sense ‘marked out’. I would suggest that this denies the stranger a certain freedom. Genuine hospitality does not take charge of people but provides a space in which the guest can locate herself in the midst of others. The praxis of welcome to the stranger must be directed away from the notion of instrumentality with ‘strings attached’. Within the church, for example, to welcome the stranger should not mean implementing church growth strategies. Pohl warns that when we use hospitality as a tool, we distort it. Amongst ancient philosophers, hospitality was considered a principal virtue, but it also stressed the notion of ‘reciprocal

benevolence.’ This notion is rejected in the Gospel. It is those who can hold no hope of responding in kind that are welcomed to the banquet table of God (Luke 14:12–24). The praxis of transformative welcome toward the stranger calls for a posture of humility in tandem with a willingness to acknowledge wrongdoing. As Kearney points out, we are quick to scapegoat, adept at forgetting and slow to repent and seek forgiveness. But to lay down one’s pride, confess injustice and repent of judgemental attitudes and actions is to pull the weeds and till the soil in which genuine and longlasting relationship can be forged. To welcome the stranger challenges familiar ways of being in the world. It calls us to examine underlying assumptions about ‘my way being the right way’. A genuine encounter with the stranger will call summon us to a new frame of reference. As Amy Oden comments in And You Welcomed Me, ‘When we realise how we have inflated our own frame of reference and imposed it on all of reality, we know we have committed the sin of idolatry, of taking our own particular part and making it the whole.’ In regard to the welcome of God, Samuel, for example, has no use for being told about it. Concepts such as salvation, obedience or the Lordship of Christ hold no meaning for him. God’s welcome needs to be experienced in the welcome of those who share, live, care and minister to him. This is the welcome that the church is called to live in the world as a both a sign and a foretaste of the eschatological reality that will be consummated at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). This eschatological hope, is described by John, ‘After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands’ (Revelation 7:9).

When we encounter the stranger, love dictates we love them for their sake. We have considered the question ‘What does it mean to welcome the stranger?’ from three different perspectives. Kearney challenges us to dismiss clichéd or minimalist approaches to this question. He calls us to self-examination, to dismissal of our scapegoating tendencies, to recognise portals to the sacred and to the observation that hospitality is a wager in which nothing is a fait accompli. Pohl charts the comprehensive biblical narrative that begins with the welcome and incarnation of God and extends through to the practice of welcome in his body, the church. Samuel reimagines our understanding of the nature of welcome and the identity of the stranger. I remain challenged by the story Kearney relates of Etty Hillesum, who wrote the following words in a concentration camp shortly before she died: ‘You, God, cannot be God unless we create a dwelling place for you in our hearts.’ Similarly, strangers cannot be made welcome unless we create a dwelling space for them in our hearts.


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Boundless—The Whole World Redeeming SESSION 1: A JOYFUL ARMY With approximately 15,000 in attendance, the opening session of Boundless on Wednesday evening 1 July commemorated the joyful manner in which The Salvation Army has spread the gospel over the past 150 years and challenged delegates to continue that mission. After a spectacular opening sequence—blending video and live action—in which young people from around the world brought together the interlocking elements of the Boundless logo, the General and Commissioner Silvia Cox (World President of Women’s Ministries) entered the O2 arena to loud applause. ‘God has been faithful to generations of Salvationists over 150 years,’ the General said. ‘We come with open hearts to hear what God is saying to The Salvation Army in these days. You didn’t come to sit in a chair and be a spectator.’ Representatives from all five Salvation Army zones entered the arena carrying flags from each of the 126 countries represented at the congress. Each zone delivered a performance showcasing an element of its culture, including ballet dancer Shaw Coleman (Europe), the South America West Dance Troupe (Americas and Caribbean) and the New Zealand kapa haka group (South Pacific and East Asia). Three delegates, including Lieut-Colonel Mani Kumari of the India Central Territory, shared their testimonies. Mani was led to Christ after her son became ill and a doctor said he had no chance of survival. ‘The Lord saw each tear that fell. He saw my suffering and pain. His

unfailing love healed my son,’ she said. Cadet Chris Doborwicz recalled his journey into a USA addiction rehabilitation centre. ‘I was broken, suicidal and hopeless,’ he said. ‘I was at a place in my life where I honestly had given up, because I had spent years trying to get clean and sober. What could God do with someone like me—a junkie, a convict, a basket case? I finally came face-to-face with Jesus and I decided to entrust my life to him and him alone.’ He is now an officer cadet in the USA Southern Territory.

We come with open hearts to hear what God is saying to The Salvation Army in these days. You didn’t come to sit in a chair and be a spectator. In his Bible message, General Cox recounted William Booth’s fears for the 20th century: ‘I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God and Heaven without Hell.’ The General observed, ‘If William Booth came back tonight, he’d still say the same things. In this battlefield, we need soldiers to be mobilised to fight for what is right.’

General Sets Speed-Sermon Benchmark Late Night Alive was the late night chat show at Boundless —packed with great guests, live music and plenty of laughs. Expressions of the culturally diverse nature of worldwide Salvation Army worship were features of the muchanticipated first evening. An all-age full house in The O2’s Building Six greeted their hosts,

before a performance from the Amsterdam Staff Songsters. Later, the Indonesian Bamboo Orchestra intrigued with their unique sound. In an interactive segment, the Hawai’i Hula Hālau group captivated everyone with their colourful outfits and elegant and expressive hand movements. The four Late Night Alive hosts

joined in the hula fun before the dancers scored their efforts. Each night, the main arena speaker dashed over to Late Night Live to take on the ‘150 seconds of sermon’ challenge. General André Cox was challenged to distil his message from the first main Boundless session. The General gloriously completed his task with 65

seconds to spare, joking that he had learnt to be brief since he lived in a female-dominated household. Later in the week, some of the New Zealand kapa haka group performed the ‘I’ll Fight’ haka and waiata, with Late Night Live hosts getting into the spirit of things with some impromptu haka lessons.


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GRIPPING STORIES IN ‘COVENANT’ Real-life stories of 20th-century Salvationists were brought together in the musical Covenant—a visual treat for the eyes and ears. A cast of 53 from the USA Western Territory performed in vignettes of eight real-life stories about Salvationists across the world. Snippets of The Salvation Army’s work throughout the 20th century threaded together with scenes of Founder William Booth sharing his vision for the Army in his final days. ‘It’s about what is going on now but also for the past 150 years—how people stepped up to do what needs to be done,’ said Kevin Larsson, musical composer and director, who wrote Covenant with playwright Karl Larsson and lyricist Commissioner Keith Banks. A total of 16 tracks comprised a range of musical styles to reflect the Army’s journey around the world. Kevin was influenced by music by Russian composer Shostakovich for ‘In My Enemy’s Camp’ and researched Soukous style music, an African version of the Cuban rumba and the Paraguayan polka, among others. The rehearsal process started in January and, though exhausting, cast members say it was an enriched and joyous experience, prompting personal reflection. At the end of the show, audience members were invited to stand and read William Booth’s covenant together.

First-ever Salvation Army Film Festival Picture the scene: 12,000 Salvationists from every corner of Zimbabwe, pack into a venue with a capacity of 4000. They squeeze between the aisles and on any available floor space to witness the return of General André Cox to his birthplace. These and many other striking images featured in Homecoming Africa, a film produced in partnership between the International Headquarters (HQ) Communications Section and USA Western Territory’s SAVN. tv, just one of a number of films and documentaries to premiere at the Boundless Film Festival. The festival received 35 submissions from individual film-makers from Poland to India, France, Germany,

the USA, UK, Denmark and Switzerland. Congress team member Jeremiah Hinson worked with SAVN.tv and the USA Southern Territory’s Salvation Army Today to select those that screened at Boundless. In addition to the premier of Homecoming Africa, Film Festival audiences were able to watch a documentary about the Army’s diverse ministry in India and Ethembeni: A Place of Hope, which highlights a Salvation Army Army children’s home in South Africa that takes in ‘junkyard babies’, often suffering from HIV/AIDS, who are abandoned in junkyards and trashcans. All submitted films are on the Boundless YouTube channel.


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The Whole World Remembering serve the Kingdom of God by caring for one’s neighbour, especially the poor. Most of all, William and Catherine Booth had ‘a great loyalty to the God who redeemed them and who called them to bring an army of salvation into a world in need of redemption’.

It was a case of ‘back to the future’ at Boundless—The Whole World Remembering, the congress historical convention, with the surprise unveiling of an interactive William Booth hologram, brainchild of the New Yorkbased Salvation Factory. The evening formed The Salvation Army Historical and Philatelic Association’s 2015 convention. The association is the only international group devoted to Salvation Army history and memorabilia. It manages SAWiki, the largest visitor-edited site about The Salvation Army. The evening’s speakers were Dr Roger Green OF (vice president of the association), Envoy Steve Bussey (codirector, Salvation Factory, www.salvationfactory.org), and Jack Kerr (director, USA Eastern Heritage Museum). Dr Green spoke about ‘The Founders and Foundation’. The Booths had a clarity of purpose: for people to repent and believe the gospel, and

Envoy Steve Bussey runs what he describes as ‘an imaginarium’. Inspired by William Booth’s rallying cry that ‘we must have new inventions of every kind’, Salvation Factory forges creative ideas into reality, then distributes them for free. Steve emphasised the importance of rediscovering what The Salvation Army is and displaying it in the most creative, attention-grabbing ways—taking advantage of the technology and tools available. He then unveiled an interactive hologram of General William Booth and proceeded to ‘interview’ him. Jack Kerr has been a Salvationist for only nine years. His ‘first-generation’ passion for the Army’s mission underlies his work as director of the USA Eastern Territory’s Heritage Museum. ‘We teach people the history of The Salvation Army, but it’s just words,’ he said. ‘But when a Salvationist can get up close and touch that history, it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing!’ To join the association, make contact on Facebook/sahpa

SESSION 2: A UNIFIED ARMY Thursday morning’s second Boundless session, ‘A Unified Army’, was a moving reminder that the Army expresses God’s love in practical ways—through emergency response, a hospital, a children’s home, by the digging of a village well, in the ministry of a rehabilitation centre. ‘I have seen first-hand the results of bridges of love being built across the world,’ said session leader Captain Anne Westmoreland. She thanked those who gave time, treasure and talents to serve in partnership with God. ‘You are building bridges of love in your communities. Our ultimate mission is to win people to Jesus Christ —and this is often done through practical service.’

Are we building bridges of peace, love, care and reconciliation? The congregation heard about the Sand Dam Project in Kenya where, in 2013, The Salvation Army worked in partnership with the community to build a dam that provides enough safe water for 1000 people who previously travelled a long and dangerous path to collect often unhealthy water. Even children walked these long distances, instead of going to school. Captain Moses Njagi said the local corps wanted to show their community ‘in a practical way, that God loves them and cares about the things that they care about—even water’. The Sand Dam Project has strengthened the local Tawa Corps, which has grown by more than 30 senior soldiers and 50 junior soldiers. Other stories of changed communities took the audience to a clinic in Paraguay where the Army’s work has led to higher maternal survival rates for mothers and fewer childbirth complications for babies; a street hospital for drug users in Norway, where people were assured they were worthy of love even if others turned from them in fear or disgust; a Salvation Army children’s home in Kandhamal, India, where children were hidden in the jungle to escape anti-Christian violence before finding safety in a refugee camp; and to Qingquan Village in China’s Sichuan Province where, after a magnitude eight earthquake in 2008, The Salvation Army partnered with residents to build reservoirs to collect water in an area with dry soil. Captain Diana MacDonald, Territorial Secretary for Personnel in Pakistan and with wide Salvation Army healthcare experience, reflected on Jesus’ contact with the Samaritan woman at the well, noting he treated her with respect and built a bridge across a cultural divide. ‘Building a bridge can be difficult, but not impossible,’ she said. The captain challenged the congregation: ‘Are we building bridges of peace, love, care and reconciliation—without discrimination —wherever we are? The world has a deep spiritual need, so let’s show the compassionate face of Jesus Christ wherever we go.’


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OUR BOUNDLESS STORY Recently uncovered Getty photos, artefacts on loan from collectors and interactive videos took Boundless delegates on a journey through the history of The Salvation Army in ‘Our Boundless Story’, the Boundless historical exhibition. Ala Lloyd, an architect and production designer from Corporate Magic, the congress production company, helped craft the experience. ‘My job was to make sure the theatricalness came across,’ Ala said. ‘It is a positive, progressive experience, rather than just a bunch of old photographs. It’s an emotional journey. I’ve been really touched by some of the imagery.’ A self-led experience, Army historians were on hand to provide additional information. To highlight the Doughnut Girls and the Army’s wartime ministry, a canteen was situated inside the exhibition. The Salvation Army partnered with Krispy Kreme, which donated 20,000 doughnuts that were given out from the canteen.

SESSION 3: A SERVING ARMY The message from the Founders’ Day evening session of Boundless 2015 was clear: William and Catherine Booth began The Salvation Army exactly 150 years ago, but the call to win the world for Christ must be answered by today’s Salvationists. The programme began with a drama of a group of missioners outside the Blind Beggar public house in east London. When they asked a young William Booth to ‘have a word’, his reply was clear and loud: ‘SALVATION!’ General André Cox strode onto the stage and asked: ‘What better day than today to renew our commitment to salvation and the fight?’ Tribute was paid to Catherine Booth, an equal partner in her husband’s work. The recognition of one remarkable woman led to the honouring of another, with the admittance to the Order of the Founder of General Eva Burrows, who was promoted to Glory earlier this year. A medley of old-time Salvation Army songs led by Commissioner William A. Roberts (the Chief of the Staff) and a slick presentation by London Citadel Timbrels led to thoughts on music. ‘Music is something that touches the soul,’ said the General, launching the new Song Book of The Salvation Army. ‘Music can lift and inspire.’ As Korean Ayoung Lee sang ‘Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?’ the image of a stained-glass window appeared at back of stage, showing Salvationists counselling a seeker around a drum. As the song ended, the window came to life, with each of the characters stepping forward to read a Bible passage referring to blood or fire. Commissioner William Cochrane (International Secretary to the Chief of the Staff) challenged the congregation to give their all to God for him to use. ‘We need to stop being invisible,’ he said. ‘By wearing a uniform of some kind, but most of all by the extent in which people see Jesus Christ in our words, deeds and actions.’

Statue of Catherine Booth Unveiled Leaders of The Salvation Army met on Mile End Road in the East End of London on 2 July to commemorate Founders’ Day and unveil a statue of the Army Mother, Catherine Booth, next to one of William Booth erected in 1979. Known for her partnership in starting The Salvation Army, Catherine Booth is heralded for advocating for women’s equal rights to preach. The statue, a depiction of Catherine in bonnet, hand

extended and clutching a Bible to her chest, was funded by women of The Salvation Army in the USA. ‘One of the things that attracted me to the Army at age 11 was that both of the [male and female] officers were ordained and spoke at the corps,’ said Commissioner Debi Bell, USA Southern Territorial President of Women’s Ministries. ‘I felt a calling to be a woman preacher. Because of what Catherine did, I can do what I do.’


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SESSION 4: A CARING ARMY

Mind the Gap The ‘Mind the Gap’ sponsorship programme raised almost £150,000 to bring close to 1500 Salvationists from 82 countries to Boundless 2015. This covered every part of the congress experience, from obtaining passports and visas to arranging transportation, accommodation and meals. Lal Din Mawii, from Yangon, Myanmar, said she was grateful for the experience of the Boundless congress, which allowed her to see the bigger picture of The Salvation Army. She met the Army at the age of six when she was sent to its Yangon Girl’s Home after her parents had separated. She is now a university graduate

working at Myanmar Regional Headquarters as Project Bookkeeper and Secretary. Lal Din wants to fight for children’s justice and education. She was inspired by a congress presentation by Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant, Director of the International Social Justice Commission, on social justice and the #UpForSchool programme for underprivileged children. ‘I commit my life to God for children‘s ministries,’ she says. ‘I have discovered that I have so many things I can do for children, especially those who are poor. I must work for their education and health.’

The theme ‘A Caring Army’ marked session four at Boundless 2015, highlighting the compassion with which The Salvation Army serves. ‘The Salvation Army has credibility when we speak the gospel, illuminated by the ministry experience of people in communities, corps and centres around the world,’ said Lieut- Colonel Dean Pallant, Director of the International Social Justice Commission, which advocates for human dignity and social justice with the world’s poor and oppressed. More than six million people have signed the #UpForSchool petition that will be presented to world leaders at the United Nations this September. The Salvation Army has facilitated more than 67,000 signatures and Lieut-Colonel Pallant called on delegates to add theirs. ‘The challenge of social justice is to do something even when it’s not your problem,’ he said, noting that nearly 700,000 students attend 1600 Salvation Army schools around the world. ‘God has given us an incredible opportunity to show his love by helping young lives grow in body, mind, soul and Christ-like relationships.’ Cadet Surpiono Da Conceao Lopez, from the Indonesia Territory, is one such life. At 11, his family placed him in an enemy convoy truck, which led him to a refugee camp in Indonesia and then a Salvation Army boy’s home. He accepted Christ there, and met his family again 10 years later, sharing Christ with them. ‘When I see the faithfulness of God in my life, it makes me confident of God’s faithfulness for the future,’ he said. Previously a hairdresser, Supriono said he now gives haircuts as a way to witness in the streets, which is illegal in Indonesia. ‘This is how I can tell them my story of how God rescued me.’ ‘We want to be known as a caring Army, individuals and communities who understand God’s heartbeat and make his Kingdom a reality here on earth right now,’ said Commissioner E. Jane Paone (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary Territory). ‘Somehow, we’re conscious of other people who oppress, yet unconscious of the ways in which we ourselves oppress. So rather than just thinking of “social justice”, we need to remember God’s justice. It is a justice manifested and enacted in the cross.’ A polished performance of the ‘I’ll Fight’ haka by the New Zealand kapa hapa group received a rapturous reception. The group demonstrated that William Booth’s passion for The Salvation Army to fight on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people remains strong.


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SESSION 5: AN ALL-EMBRACING ARMY Marching in vibrant outfits, speaking various languages from cultures all over the world, Salvationists entered the O2 arena for session 5. Performances sampled the 126 nations where the Army is at work, including Hong Kong and Macau Praise Dancers, Ontario Central East Youth Chorus, Paduan Suara Korps Palu singers from Indonesia, Pasadena Tabernacle Songsters from the USA, LA Korean Fan Dancers, South America West Dance Troupe, Vasa Gospel Choir from Sweden, and Waverley Temple Timbrels from Australia. Major David Vandebeulque, from the France and Belgium Territory, preached in French (with English translation). ‘We have received this marching order to reach the whole world!’ he said. ‘And today, the world is on our doorstep. We may not all be called to personally go to the ends of the earth, but we are all called to stand up, to open the door in front of us. We must learn to know all cultures which exist in our communities to communicate the gospel in a relevant way. We must not value one culture and ignore another. The powerful message we can give the world is to live in community, with all cultures united.’ Adding to the hopeful theme, Ariana Calvo Jiménez, a Salvationist from Latin America North Territory, gave a powerful testimony. She was diagnosed with leukaemia at 11. Twenty days into her treatment, doctors told her parents she wouldn’t live more than 24 hours. ‘While this was happening, all of my family, people from The Salvation Army, our friends, everyone that heard my story began to pray to God for a miracle in my life,’ Ariana said. ‘To the amazement of the doctors, I began to improve little by little. God is the doctor of doctors.’ Three years after her last chemotherapy treatment, her marrow is clean.

WOMEN CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

‘We, the women of The Salvation Army, can change the world—one person, one family, one village, one community, one country at a time!’ declared Commissioner Silvia Cox (World President of Women’s Ministries) to the more than 2100 women at ‘Bound-Less’, the congress women’s gathering. Opening with an explosion of colour and energy, the African Praise-Hosho Timbrel Brigade sang and played to ‘O Boundless Salvation!’. The audience whooped with joy. A Boundless 2015 version of ABC Television’s The View panel —Commissioner Janine Donaldson (New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga), Major Maria Galinou (Italy and Greece), Dr Cathy Tsikirayi (Zimbabwe), and Captain Angelica Correa (Canada and Bermuda) —shared brief perspectives on ministry. They were supported by Major Kerry Coke (United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland). ‘We try to follow the Holy Spirit in what he is doing—this leads to

ministry everywhere!’ Major Galinou said. She talked about the Army’s work with women and their babies in Athens, noting that Greece started its first home league two months ago. ‘Maybe it’s a drop in the ocean, but drops make an ocean. And we’re going to make a difference!’ Major Kerry Coke said her passion for sewing turned into a ministry as she worked with women to make bunting and used it as an opportunity for people to share their stories. She thanked women’s groups from around the world that sent bunting to London for Boundless 2015. Commissioner Silvia Cox urged her audience to tell people about Jesus’ love. ‘We are Jesus’ mouthpieces,’ she said. ‘Your personal testimony is your best story, so tell people how you met God. Liberated, unrestricted, released—that’s what you are!’ Each woman secured a bracelet with the word ‘Bound-Less’ around her neighbour’s wrist, and then spent time praying for one another.


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SESSION 6: A YOUTHFUL ARMY New Zealand children’s entertainment group Zoo Boogie was part of the exciting pre-show entertainment ahead of session 6, ‘A Youthful Army’. Blair Dale, who plays ‘Zookeeper Dale’, urged the audience to make the discipleship of children a priority. This was a theme the General picked up later in the session when he called those without development programmes for youth to fix that failing within a year. The session consisted of testimonies reflecting different youth perspectives: Major Janet Robson, International Youth and Children’s Secretary at International Headquarters; young Salvationist Mercy Gabriel Christian; Commissioner William H. Roberts (via video), Commissioner William A. Roberts (the Chief of the Staff), his son Bill Roberts and his grandson Noah Roberts; Major Stephen Yoder; and Desmond Thom from Zimbabwe. Captain Marion Platt presented delegates with a global challenge to ‘arise and shine’. ‘The light of Jesus shines even in the darkness [and] vibrant youth are our solution to the darkness of our time,’ she said. ‘I can see a youthful Army marching on in the light of God!’ ‘Young people are extremely precious,’ General Cox said. ‘I don’t believe they are the future of the Army—they are the Army of today.

These young people want to be mobilised!’

I can see a youthful Army marching on in the light of God! BOUNDLESS STREAMS TO 157 COUNTRIES At The Salvation Army’s previous international congress in the year 2000, Facebook and Twitter didn’t exist and internet usage was typically via slow, unwieldy dial-up connections. Since then, the web and social media have truly come of age—and their power was harnessed by the international communications team at Boundless. While all 126 countries in which The Salvation Army has an official presence were represented at The O2 arena, online participants added a further 31 countries. From Cyprus to Kazakhstan and Somalia to Saudi Arabia, the www.boundless2015.org website attracted more than half a million page views. People used the website to record that they had committed their lives to Jesus, rededicated themselves to God or responded to a call to Salvation Army officership. Live streaming of the main sessions was a popular part of the online coverage, with more than 50,000 viewers having watched the opening celebration live or via the ‘watch again’ facility (sar.my/ boundlessagain). Pre- and post-meeting broadcasts by SAVN.tv (USA Western Territory) sought further interaction from participants around the world, and facilitated small group discussion through live video links. Meanwhile, Salvation Army Today (USA Southern Territory) provided daily bulletins, capturing the atmosphere from events around The O2. The official Boundless programme and daily newspaper Boundless Today were made available online, helping ‘remote’ delegates feel part of proceedings as those present in London. A one-off ‘Thunderclap’ on Founders’ Day, 2 July, reached a million social media users across Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Subsequent sharing and retweeting achieved a social reach of 3.3 million people. The #Boundless2015 hashtag was seen by 16.1 million Twitter users—at one point a more popular online discussion topic than the Wimbledon lawn tennis championships, which was also on in London. A ‘social wall’ of photos and videos became a media-rich snapshot of Boundless from the perspective of delegates. Periscope, a new live-streaming tool from Twitter, was deployed to provide real-time coverage of late-night events and the historic march down The Mall.


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SESSION 7: AN ARMY OF INTEGRITY There was a buzz of anticipation as Salvationists packed into the O2 arena for the final Boundless session on Sunday morning, 5 July. The arena’s large screens displayed an international Army at prayer—and the sound of prayer continued as three delegates prayed in their own languages, before the Chief of the Staff asked God to ‘help us to listen’ and ‘help us to respond’. As Ayoung Lee started singing the great hymn ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ she was joined by a virtual choir of Salvationists from around the world, their images appearing on the screens. This virtual choir was swelled by the 16,000 people in the arena—a global anthem of praise. General André Cox introduced William Flinn of Pasadena Tabernacle Corps in the USA Western Territory, whose service has included many years of music leadership exemplified the spirit of Christian excellence in spreading the gospel message. The General admitted William to the Order of the Founder. The General then said that in the Army’s 150th anniversary year it was right that recognition go to a UK Salvationist. He invited divisional envoy Iris Jones of Murton Corps to join him, saying, ‘She has led the corps with strength of will, determination and almost single-handedly for 30 years … She continues to look at new ways to make the gospel attractive and relevant.’ For her voluntary ministry of sacrificial service and continued Kingdom impact, the General also admitted Iris to the Order of the Founder. The Bill Booth Theater Company focused on the subject of integrity in their sketch ‘Hold it Up to the Light’. Using the example of a cracked pot being presented as perfect, the question was asked: ‘If your life and heart were held up to the light, would there be cracks?’ A multimedia display depicted the General’s dream for the Army, on which all the main congress sessions were based, after which people were asked to consider what they needed to do to make the ideas of the dream a reality. [Ed—read the General’s full message on pages 5 to 7.] The session’s finalé delivered a focus on God’s Kingdom with ‘They Shall Come from the East, They Shall Come from the West’, capturing both the spirit of the congress and the Army’s hope for the future.

Panel Explores Justice and Accountability How can people of faith better fight for social justice in the 21st century? That was the topic for a panel moderated by International Social Justice Commission director LieutColonel Dean Pallant.

‘Social justice is at the very core of who and what we are as an organisation,’ General Cox said. ‘We should be willing to reach out to politicians and people of different faiths—we need to get out there!’

The panel included General André Cox, Andrew Felton (Head of the World Bank, London), Commissioner Robert Donaldson (Chair, International Moral and Social Issues Council), Commissioner Lalngaihawmi (India Eastern Territory), and Chris Brekke (Others: Trade for Hope).

A question-and-answer session included debate about religion and government, and whether the Army should get involved in abortion legislation in South Africa. The session ended with a question about the recent US Supreme Court decision to legalise gay marriage, how this could affect the work of the Army and how it managed its relations with the LGBTI community.

The session opened with a video greeting from former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown who commended the organisation for pledging its support to #UpForSchool, which demands that world leaders take immediate action to get every child into school. Andrew Felton spoke about the World Bank’s initiative to end extreme poverty by 2030. The plan includes ensuring more climate-smart agriculture, improving nutritional outcomes and strengthening value chains.

‘The decision does not affect the work of the Army,’ said the General. ‘The gospel is preached to whosoever, no matter race, culture, gender or sexual orientation. It is a hugely complex area, but if we are going to be true, we have to build bridges and engage in dialogue. We have to face we are all sinners, and we have received God’s grace and therefore we should offer God’s grace wherever we go.’


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MARCH DOWN THE MALL CAPS OFF CONGRESS Over 2500 representatives from each of the Army’s 126 countries marched from Horse Guards Parade Ground, down The Mall toward Buckingham Palace and then to Constitution Hill, with an additional 10,000 people cheering on the celebration. The 45-minute march was led by General André Cox, Commissioner Silvia , Commissioner William A. Roberts, and Commissioner Nancy Roberts. Behind them, were seven bands, as well as timbrelists, soldiers, adherents, and congress staff and volunteers. ‘In 1865, The Salvation Army was born on the streets of London,’ the General said. ‘It is entirely appropriate that we should return to those streets to conclude our 150th anniversary celebrations. We have

had a wonderful week of fellowship and worship at The O2, but now —as is our tradition—we want to share our joy and faith outside our own walls.’ Lieut-Colonel Seth Apeeteng of the Rwanda and Burundi Command said, ‘Everything about the congress was fantastic. My spirit was moved. Now, I’m going to call my people to go out into the streets and share Jesus Christ!’ The General said, ‘The march marks the end of the anniversary celebrations, but it is also a start—a launching point as members of God’s Army return to their homes and neighbourhoods across the world, ready to continue serving God and mankind.’

Relive Boundless Watch video of the seven Boundless sessions and read copies of Boundless Today on www boundless2015.org Films are hosted on the Boundless YouTube channel.

Visit www boundless2015. org/photos for photos. The Boundless Media Team comprised writers, social media and web staff, designers, photographers and filmmakers

from IHQ, the UK, Canada, the USA, Zimbabwe, Australia and New Zealand. [Ed—Congress reports in this War Cry are from Boundless Today.]


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Available from www salvationarmy.org.nz/ saresources


WE DEPEND ALWAYS AND UTTERLY ON GOD, AND IF WE EVER FORGET THAT WE ARE DOOMED TO FAIL!

Photography: Tim Schall

GENERAL ANDRÉ COX


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