FAITH IN ACTION | 25 January 2014 | Issue | $.
Life Beyond Burnout Talking Stuff-ups and God with Stan Walker Disciples of the Cross Commissioned, Win Stan Walker’s Latest CD
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Kia ora A new course of life 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, Josh Wyatt STAFF WRITERS
Ingrid Barratt, Martin Barratt, Emily Dimock, Jon Hoyle, Vanessa Singh PROOF READING
Major Jill Gainsford 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 SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department Phone (04) 382 0740 Email mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT MakeReady | www.makeready.co.nz
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It was a real blessing to be at the commissioning and ordination of the New Zealand Disciples of the Cross training session toward the end of 2013. It’s always refreshing to see the energy and enthusiasm of those who are starting out on this particular journey. I’ve been reading about Albert Schweitzer, who served as a doctor in Africa. At the age of 30, Albert wrote to his parents and close friends telling them he would be studying medicine with the idea of putting his skills to use in Africa. He had always had a sense of compassion for those that suffered, and one day he read a magazine about the needs of the Congo that said, ‘Men and women who can reply simply …, “Lord, I am coming”, these are the people the Church needs.’ Albert knew this was a call God wanted him to answer—and that God wanted him to do so as a doctor. Albert fought with family and friends over his plans. They felt that if he were to go overseas, it should be as a preacher, not a healer. He later said, ‘It amazed me to see them unable to perceive that the desire to serve with the love preached by Jesus may sweep a man into a new course of life.’ In this edition, we bid farewell to Emily Dimock. Emily has been the main person behind the Army’s social media channels for almost two years, but she has also written for War Cry and helped with many other writing and marketing projects. As Emily heads off to work at her church, we pray God’s blessings on her future and thank her for her dedicated service. Two things will help any of us make the most of the life we are blessed with: the first is to connect with God, granting God permission to reform and transform our thoughts and attitudes. The second is to be open to wherever God is leading. Are you open to God’s leading in your home, your church, your community and your workplace this year? And will you perhaps even grant God permission to sweep you into a new course of life? Christina Tyson Editor
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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 130 years
ISSN 0043-0242, Issue 6584 Please pass on or recycle this magazine
BIBLE VERSE Colossians 3:23 Contemporary English Version
‘Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master.’
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Korohe 3:23
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WISE WORDS
My soul has a purpose, it is to love; if I do not fulfil my heart’s vocation, I suffer. Thomas Aquinas
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or those few of you who have never heard of Grumpy Cat, firstly, kudos because you clearly don’t spend too much time online; and secondly … you’ve got to get online! Grumpy Cat is the very definition of cute, which according to urban mythology originally meant ‘ugly but adorable’.* Grumpies—the millions that have embraced the spirit of the Grumpster himself—celebrate the gorgeousness of being grumpy. The perfection of being imperfect. You won’t see Grumpies squeezing into lycra, chanting the mantra, ‘New Year, new you!’ No, it’s New Year, new … boo! It’s about accepting ourselves the way we are, where we are. It’s about celebrating our ‘ugly but adorable’ selves. That’s the joy of being grumpy. Holidays are a wonderful time of rest when we allow space for family, feel the sun on our face, spend all day in jandals, and find ourselves feeling more optimistic about life. But as soon as we’re dragged back to the world of work or study, with the same stresses and the old insecurities, we can find ourselves losing that optimism. We further clutter this time of year with promises to ourselves that we’ll have better habits, get up earlier, exercise harder, save more, earn more … be more. Rarely do we promise that we’ll work on liking ourselves more, or that we’ll accept our job as it is. We very rarely promise ourselves that we’ll do less, or even allow ourselves to be less.
In short, we easily lose the holiday spirit of rest, and with it, the enjoyment of life. I was recently intrigued to read about a ‘theology of sleep’ that, put simply, argues God has things to teach us about our sleep. ‘Insomnia is now the most widespread disability in Western countries and is seriously affecting people’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual capacities,’ says Robert Banks, author of Redeeming the Routines. ‘We need to identify not only its personal and social causes, but its spiritual roots as well.’ ‘In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety,’ says Psalm 4:8. God invites us to bring him into that space between wakefulness and sleep, receiving God’s calm and safety. This is a time when we may feel fears most deeply, or receive a hint of God’s calling for us. Rest is God’s daily gift for our lives. Banks issues a challenge for us to redeem those daily routines we think of as so mundane that we don’t even consider bringing them to God: our commute to work, shopping, debt, the way we dress, hobbies, and even waiting in queues. The beauty of God is that he can bring a sense of peace to those moments between moments. The joy of being grumpy is allowing God’s accepting presence among the fabric of our ‘ugly but adorable’ lives. And that will always make us smile. INGRID BARRATT *there’s no actual evidence of this, but moving right along.
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Bookshelf Cooking The Kitchen Therapist Jo Richardson Cooking and a love of food cooked well is all the rage these days. But grasping the tried and true techniques of cooking isn’t automatic, and tips and tricks once handed down from family to family are now unknown by so many. Jo helps readers get back to the basics with well-tested recipes and practical tips. The standout of this book is the ‘what went wrong’ suggestions so cooks can improve next time around. A great selection of standard recipes—toasted sandwiches, scrambled eggs, roast lamb, steamed rice, pikelets and chocolate mousse. Ideal for firsttime flatters. (New Holland)
Playlist
Business Remote: Office Not Required Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson Times are changing and technology is moving forward at a fast pace. Yet one thing that hasn’t changed is our working culture. We are all conditioned to believe that having everyone under one roof all the time is the best path to success. But is it? Fried and Hansson argue that going remote can allow the most talented people to produce their best work regardless of their location. Remote: Office Not Required explores how working remotely can increase productivity and innovation, and how it can be effective for any level, whether working as a manager, or as part of a team. (Vermilion)
Health & Wellbeing The Essential Guide to Burnout Andrew & Dr Elizabeth Proctor Economic pressures, family concerns, worries about jobs and health—many of us live with enormous amounts of stress, which can lead to burnout. This book provides the tools to prevent, or to take steps toward a full recovery if you are already suffering. The authors have years of experience in counselling, psychotherapy and psychiatry. Andrew Proctor served as a parish priest for over three decades, so there are many references to the stresses of church life for clergy and laity. Advice, exercises and case studies help people turn their lives around and prevent burnout in the future. (Lion Hudson)
Reel News
Pop/R&B Inventing Myself Stan Walker Inventing Myself is Stan Walker’s fourth studio album, and follows in the trend of his R&B/pop crossover style. There’s a fairly diverse range of styles across this spectrum, including hints of NZ roots, reggae and Latin-infused harmonies, and they work together well to produce a great album. Vocally, Walker is impressive, flitting between his higher register falsetto and the lows of title track ‘Inventing Myself’ with assured ease. There’s a certain growl on the edge of his delivery that is a refreshing change from the more clean-cut pop influences, and gives the synth-heavy arrangements especially a real flair. A solid and varied pop album.
Pop Loved Me Back to Life Celine Dion Loved Me Back to Life is Celine Dion’s 11th studio album. Dion’s undeniably powerful vocals dominate the 13 tracks, and her delivery is just as dynamic and moving as it always has been. This record also flirts with hip hop-influenced beats and large breakdowns, testing some uncharted waters in terms of Dion’s regular power pop style. While it’s an exciting change, these new influences only catch fire occasionally. Opener and title track ‘Loved Me Back to Life’ is the best example, mashing hi-hats and guitars, stuttered vocals and epic strings into a groovy and massive track. Great ideas are dotted throughout this album.
GIVEAWAY To win a signed copy of Stan Walker’s latest CD, tell us when Stan was born. War Cry Giveaway, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org. Entries close 10 February. Explore New Zealand winner is Garth Mander.
Drama/History The Book Thief Brian Percival / PG (violence) It couldn’t be called provocative to show World War II from the German perspective anymore, since others have attempted it before The Book Thief. But what is captivating about this story is the gentle and empathetic telling. Twelve-year-old Liesel, whose mother is identified as a communist, is sent to live with an impoverished couple and instructed to call them Mama and Papa—‘the man with the accordion heart and the woman cloaked in thunder’, she calls them. Absolutely stealing the screen is Geoffrey Rush, doing what he does best as the quirky but kind Papa. The story is brave enough to portray his ambivalence towards the Nazi regime. Maintaining principles is dangerous in their world, even if your heart is kind. Emily Watson, as Mama, is almost unbearably cold, but imperceptibly melts and softens towards Liesel, in a fine performance. The catalyst is Max, a young Jewish man who they hide in their basement. Max becomes like an older brother to Liesel, and the two form a deep bond as he encourages Liesel in her love of words. The Book Thief portrays ordinary Germans as victims of the war, as much as any other victims. But the real theme is that the lightness of the human spirit can crash through even the darkest situations. The film is narrated by Death, which sounds like a terrible idea, but actually works in highlighting the breath-taking power of our humanness. The film leans towards sentimentalism rather than reality, but why not be sentimental about love and life? It’s a story about how life is worth living.
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Abridged from The Essential Guide to Burnout by Andrew and Dr Elizabeth Procter
Ed was looking forward to finally getting a holiday, but found himself returning to work more tired than he had been before. It’s a familiar tale. Ed was diagnosed with the clinical disorder called burnout. So when does busyness become burnout?
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urnout is an official disorder. It has a category in the latest International Classification of Diseases as a ‘life management disorder’. Burnout is big. A recent survey estimates that one-third of British business workers will suffer from it at some stage in their careers. Work-related stress accounts for 10 per cent of the workforce being ill and off work. This makes work-related stress the second largest category of occupational ill health in industry as a whole. Behind each of these statistics is a tragic personal story.
Ed’s story Ed is a tall man, and on the last day of a holiday with his wife and young family, he banged his head on one of the door lintels. It was not an unusual thing in itself; being so tall he was accustomed to banging his head. This time, however, the small incident proved too much for him. Without him realising it, he was on the floor, curled up in a ball, weeping uncontrollably. His wife had to take over, drive the family to the airport and get them home. ‘Once back in the UK, I continued to lose confidence in myself and went into a period of low mood and self-questioning. I suppressed it by working harder and managing to disguise the symptoms, but home was a different matter—I was impatient with my young children and getting more distant from my wife,’ recalls Ed. A long sequence of events led to Ed burning out. He had been under prolonged stress through overwork. He had been promoted to the board of directors at his firm while still a relatively young man, and was under intense pressure to perform. ‘Work was pretty much all there was,’ he says. ‘I realised I was treating my wife and family as trappings of the success of my career,’ he reflects. ‘A friend suggested I try writing down what I thought was my purpose in life. I was surprised when it didn’t mention work!’ This led to him reassessing his values in life. He spent a lot of time talking things through with a number of people, and in the end chose to change jobs. Ed now has a very good job, but with a very different, healthier outlook on life. He has new priorities, especially about his family and other close relationships. ‘I try to engage fully in all aspects of my life. I am less ambitious and see life as not simply being work-focused,’ reflects Ed.
What is burnout? Many things stress us physically, such as driving a car, getting a cold, or even eating a big meal. These are all part and parcel of daily life, and do not usually produce damage. Things that distress us and upset us are stressful, but so are good things, such as falling in love, going on holiday or a big party celebration. People’s general performance improves with the increased arousal produced by stress hormones, up to an optimum point. With too little stress we are bored and under perform. Moderate amounts of stress are stimulating and enable us to perform well. If the stress continues to increase above this level, or is chronic and ongoing in nature, we become exhausted, feel fatigued and our performance rapidly deteriorates. Eventually, if there is no reduction in the level
of stress, we become ill and break down, and are unable to function normally. Serious problems with stress begin when the normal ebb and flow of stress hormones is disrupted. This can happen when one demand after another is thrust upon us and we do not have the time or opportunity to rest properly in between them. Without time to unwind and relax, we never get back to our normal resting state, and we begin to live in a state of ongoing alert, with high levels of stress hormones circulating in our blood. The effect of these hormones is to make us feel tense and shaky, look pale, have muscle aches and pains and tension headaches. Our concentration will be poor, and we will sleep badly. We may end up going to see our GP with a variety of physical complaints that are really caused by the prolonged effects of stress hormones in our body. Burnout doesn’t happen overnight but is the end result of a long and often slow process. The International Classification of Diseases lists the following symptoms of burnout: physical and mental exhaustion and fatigue after minimal effort, muscle aches and pains, dizziness, tension headaches, sleep disturbance, an inability to relax, irritability, and an inability to recover after rest, relaxation or entertainment. To be classified as burnout, all these symptoms need to last at least three months, and cannot be explained by a different illness (such as depression). The stage before burnout has been dubbed ‘brownout’. Even though we have worrying symptoms, we are still holding everything together. We have not collapsed completely and have been able to carry on.
Instead of life having come to an end because of burnout, it could really be beginning. In this sense, burnout may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. Time to heal The immediate shock of realising we are in burnout (or brownout) is usually accompanied by an overwhelming sense of personal failure. The same inner voices that have driven us to burnout are now telling us that not managing to fulfil their impossible demands makes us utter failures. We need to stop listening to such lies and start opening up to seeing issues of success and failure differently. Instead of life having come to an end because of burnout, it could really be beginning. In this sense, burnout may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. The first step is to stop doing so much—indeed, stop being afraid of doing nothing. If you are in burnout, you may have little choice but to stop working. If you are in brownout, cut down as much as possible: take your lunch hour, take all the annual leave due to you, leave work on time, refuse to be contactable during time off, take proper sick leave if ill. ‘Although work burned me out, the paradox is that some
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elements built me up,’ says Ross. He recognised how much his selfesteem had been tied into his being successful in the work place. You may be tempted to show the world that you are not down and out—some people almost recreate the pressure they were in at work by throwing themselves into a new big project. These may be the right things to do in the longer term, but at the very first, it is vital to cut yourself some slack and not be afraid to do nothing much. If spending time slumped in front of daytime TV, getting up late, sleeping on the sofa or going for a walk is all you can manage, you shouldn’t be fazed. Body, mind and soul are beginning to relax after years of overstress. Don’t worry if recovery seems to take a long time. Burnout may have built up over a good number of years. You need space to do nothing at all taxing and take it easy. This is achieving a great deal: by doing nothing, you are allowing time to heal you.
Re-thinking your thinking Burnout has an element of denial. You may well have been in denial in a big way to get burnt out or browned out. Warning signals were coming in from all sides, but you were not listening to them: you felt under the weather, were susceptible to lots of minor illnesses. You may not have understood what your body was saying to you. In your unconscious mind, you couldn’t sleep properly and were having disturbing dreams, and in your conscious mind you had concentration lapses and became restless and hazy. Family and friends either told you directly or dropped hints, and you ignored them all. To recover, you need to stop ignoring the warning signs, listen to your body, listen to your mind—both conscious and unconscious —and listen to your family and friends. Gifted, idealistic and self-sacrificial people are most susceptible to burnout. No one comes to the point of burnout without having put in years and years of very sacrificial, highly skilled work in difficult circumstances. It is possible that fear of failure was instrumental in allowing the burnout to creep up on you. In fact, deciding to stop living such a driven, blinkered and destructive way cannot be a failure. It is a success to stop living like that. The success is to stop, to realise that you are a human being, fallible and with limits. Life is not all about achieving, under the terms that you may have believed when you were so driven. Don’t think of yourself as a failure, but as a highly gifted human being who has achieved great things but has finally come to a point where your outlook needs to change. You are on the brink of exciting new possibilities. Now is your chance to change, to make new choices. ‘I was surprised to find how supportive friends and even former clients were. I felt I would be a pariah, but people’s support was a major part of my rehabilitation,’ says Ross. ‘I slept a lot, didn’t take anything on and began to talk about my problems with my wife, my local vicar and a psychiatrist.’ I feel like I have gained from the experience. I had time to get to know my two small children. I am determined to keep time boundaries and not measure my effectiveness in hours worked.’
Recovering from burnout Be kind to yourself We need to reverse our habitual, emotional harshness and start being kind to ourselves. It sounds simple and obvious, doesn’t it? In fact, many, many people—especially those suffering burnout—drive themselves on remorselessly. We beat ourselves up mentally. We now need to start learning to be kind to ourselves.
Allow yourself treats Think of ways to treat yourself regularly. Make a list of easy things that you would really enjoy and have not allowed yourself to do with all the pressure of life, such as a luxurious hot shower, reading a novel, going to the cinema or enjoying a cup of coffee. The important thing is to punctuate your life now with feel-good things: allow yourself to feel human again, and to know that you deserve to be treated well.
Create a healthy routine After a time of stopping, hopefully a routine will emerge. Our bodies, minds and emotions will find their own healthy tempo if they are allowed to within a sensible overall life-view. Start with one thing. At some stage, you will want to do some jobs again. This does not mean going back to your old self, but something more creative for you.
Understand your personality At the early stage of burnout you are too tired to do anything. But as energy returns, you might need to be aware of which type of person you are. It’s no good an extrovert planning a routine of solitary things.
Relax from bodily tension The process that leads to burnout tends to make us lose the ability to relax, and our minds and our bodies race on. Stopping feels artificial and uncomfortable. Any physical exercise is good for relaxing, but don’t overdo it. Do simple relaxation exercises for 10-15 minutes, three times a day.
Practice pausing Create mental space to practice mediation and reflection. Each day, let your mind wander on the previous 24 hours, and think of one nice thing that happened. Build pauses into your day, so that if you notice something that touches you, stop to drink it in.
Extracted with permission from The Essential Guide to Burnout by Andrew and Dr Elizabeth Procter. Published by Lion Hudson and distributed in New Zealand by New Holland, $24.99.
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HEALTH
ENVIRONMENT
Golden Glow
Create Your Own ‘Living Wall’
Sunscreen is essential in our warm, balmy, hole-in-the-ozone layer sunshine. Here’s what you need to know to get the most out of your slap. And remember to slip and slop, too.
Horizontal is so last year. A vertical garden, often called a ‘living wall’, creates a beautiful space, and is perfect if you’ve got a small section.
What is sunscreen? Sunscreen protects the skin by blocking or absorbing the harmful rays from the sun. According to the New Zealand Dermatologist Society (NZDerm), the ‘near ideal sunscreen’ are the blockers ‘titanium dioxide’ and ‘zinc oxide’. This is the white or fluro stuff you see on cricketers. But since most of us don’t want to look fluro, many brands have refined the ingredients to make them more absorbent. What is UVA and UVB protection? Sunshine generates the infra-red warmth and light we can see, as well as ultraviolet light we can’t see or feel but that can penetrate deeper into our skins—causing burning, aging and possibly cancers. These harmful wavelengths are Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B (UVA and UVB), so choose sunscreens labelled ‘broad spectrum’ that protect against all ultraviolet rays.
How to: You can buy a vertical garden set, with pockets for each plant and inbuilt watering and feeding systems, but there are far less expensive versions. A shoe holder that would normally fit to your wardrobe door converts beautifully into a vertical garden—just be sure to thoroughly waterproof it. You can also attach old guttering in rows.
What is SPF? This is the ‘sun protection factor’ that tells you how long you could expect to be exposed to UVB before burning, compared to wearing no sunscreen. For example, if it takes 10 minutes to burn without a sunscreen and 150 minutes to burn with a sunscreen, then the SPF is 15. A sunscreen with SPF 15 provides about 94 per cent protection against UVB; SPF 30 gives 97 per cent protection, and SPF 50+ provides 98 per cent protection.
Why to: Apart from the fact that it looks funky (and Pete and Andy did it on The Block NZ), vertical planting means all your plants get exposure to the sun. And as you start watering at the top, the water trickles to the bottom, creating an effective irrigation system.
So, how should I use it? It takes about six teaspoons to adequately cover your body with sunscreen, but tests have shown that most people only use about one-third of this thickness. For this reason, NZDerm suggests that higher SPFs will give you a better safety margin.
What to plant: You need plants that will thrive with shallow roots and that won’t become so big that they overtake the other plants. Succulents, ferns and herbs are all ideal. How to plant: Make sure you pack the soil down snuggly enough to keep your plants secure. Other than that, you don’t need to do anything differently from normal planting. They simply require sun, shelter and water—just like any other plant. Creative ideas: • Use cylinder shapes, cutting out space along one side to plant in. Cylinders look great standing upright against the wall, or vertically as a table centrepiece. • Make an indoor wall—the concept is exactly the same, but simply attach a tray under the wall to catch moisture. This is especially great in winter, as your herbs will continue to thrive. • Convert an old packing pallet by lining it with tarpaulin and stapling all the way around the edge of the wooden pallet. This creates a pocket that you can fill with soil. Plant in between the slats and attach to a wall.
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you Charlotte Whitton
Ginger Crunch A perennial family favourite—to make this extra special, sprinkle partly set icing with chopped nuts Base 125g butter ¼ cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup standard (plain) flour 1 tsp ground ginger Icing* 2 Tbsp butter 2 tsp ground ginger 2 rounded household Tbsp golden syrup 1 Tbsp water 2 cups icing sugar * for a thick icing, use one-and-a-half times the icing recipe
Heat oven to 180°C (170°C fanbake) with rack just below middle. Line a 18x28cm pan with baking paper, allowing extra on sides to lift out cooked slice. For base, cut cold butter into nine cubes, then process in brief bursts with remaining base ingredients until it is the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. If mixing by hand, warm butter until soft, mix with sugar, then stir in dry ingredients. Press mix into pan firmly and evenly. Bake for about 10 mins. It should still feel soft. For icing, measure butter, ginger, golden syrup and water into a small pot or microwave bowl. Heat, without boiling, until melted. Take off heat, sift in icing sugar, and beat until smooth. When base is cooked, remove from oven, pour warm icing onto hot base and spread to cover base evenly. Leave to cool and set before removing from pan.
From 100 Favourite Muffins & Slices by Simon & Alison Holst. www.holst.co.nz
Lifestyle | 09
Q&A Are you a shop-o-holic?
The season of giving is behind us, but its ugly cousin, mass consumerism, keeps on keeping on. Boxing Day sales merge into New Year sales, which merge into summer sales … and it’s all aimed at keeping us spending. A young pastor once made a pact with himself not to spend any money for a month. Although he would never have called himself a shop-o-holic, he discovered that his urge to spend could be surprisingly strong: ‘I would want to go to the petrol station and buy a bottle of water, just to get the feeling of buying something,’ he said. He observed that ‘even the least consumer in our Western culture, is still a major consumer’. But the good news is that, like this pastor, there’s a growing awareness that we need to break the spending habit. Here’s some things you can do differently this year: Go on a shopping fast: One of our War Cry team decided to not spend any money on clothes for six months. The idea scared her, which confirmed it was something she needed to do. She pulled out old clothes from her wardrobe and re-styled them, which was creative and satisfying. At the end of the fast, she realised she didn’t need half of the things that she had thought she needed.
Testify! Janet Green is starting a new season in her life as a Salvation Army officer. I was a fearful and anxious child, and this continued into adulthood. I was raised a Christian, but there have been times when I have disobeyed God. One such time brought me to my knees. I heard Jesus say it was time for me to get serious and that he had called me to be his disciple. Through this encounter I understood I was called to be a ‘whole-hearted’ follower of Jesus Christ, not part-time, not half-hearted. I could no longer have a Monday to Saturday life, with church on Sunday. God wanted all of me. So I started a journey that continues today. I used to hide behind my home and family—I was afraid of everything outside this. I would hardly talk to anyone and was good at staying in the background. But God knew there was gold in me. He sent Salvation Army officers Ivan and Glenda Bezzant into my life. They saw gifts and abilities in me that I had no idea were there. God used them to stretch and grow me, and through this to deepen my relationship with God. God stretched and grew me through some difficult times. This included the breakup of my marriage. God taught me to use these storms to grow spiritually and walk closer with him. People had suggested Salvation Army officership to me over the years, but I had a strong ‘no!’ for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was that it meant leaving Napier, where I’d spent all my life.
However, three years ago, someone I really respected told me I needed to take the ‘no’ out of my answer to officership. So I started to talk to God about it. God directed me to Genesis 12:1-3, where Abram is called to leave his country and household and go to a new place under God’s blessing. I knew God was asking me to leave family, friends, and a city I had called home for 50 years to become an officer. I shared this with my two adult sons, asking them to pray and come back to me with what they felt God was saying, because there were big implications to our family if I moved. I think I was hoping they would say, ‘Don’t go!’ But both emphatically came back with support and the word ‘go’. So I started the process, asking God to open or close the doors. All
God stretched and grew me through difficult times
Let’s Talk
Say no to advertising: Marketing works by making us feel that we need something we never knew we needed. The best way to break this cycle is to say no to junk mail and adverts, and to take a break from browsing in shops.
I would like: to explore what it means to follow Jesus information about Salvation Army worship and activities prayer for the following needs:
Give it away: For everything you buy, give something away. If you buy a new shirt, find one you don’t wear anymore and donate it to The Salvation Army Family Store. Find free ways to nurture yourself: We can get addicted to anything that gives us a high when we’re down. Shopping is just one of those things. Think of positive ways to nurture yourself instead—it could be reading, learning to relax, going for a walk, having a cuppa with a friend. Anything that is healthy for your soul, as well as your mind, body and bank balance.
the way he opened the doors and confirmed my calling. And so here I am, by the grace of God, starting my first appointment. There is the unknown, but I know God will walk with me, continuing to stretch and grow me and deepen my relationship with him. God has a plan, purpose and a call on your life, too. So get rid of your ‘no’, lay down your ‘never’ and allow yourself to hear where it is that God is calling you. It may be to the education field, to the business world, to the political world, or sciences, art, media or medicine. People are needed to take the kingdom of God to all areas of life. God calls us all to be wholehearted followers of Jesus Christ. Don’t let anything keep you from answering ‘yes’ to God’s call.
NAME: ADDRESS:
SALVATION ARMY JOB OPPORTUNITIES ONLINE Go to salvationarmy.org.nz/employment
Please post to: War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wgtn 6141 or email: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org
10 | WarCry¨25 January 2014
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Delight ‘For shame!’ (3-3) Closer As a rule Kind of microscope Cloth-covered frame Peek Let in At once More beautiful Relies Genuine Beneficial Authority
Let’s get quizzical … 1 2 3 4 5
How many players in a netball team? What is the national sport of Ireland? Who is the patron saint of hopeless causes? On what date is ANZAC Day observed? Which book of the Bible depicts Wisdom as a woman?
Operation Starfish: Every Life Counts Attending an Alpha Course can make a life-long, worldchanging difference in a friend’s life … but people sometimes feel nervous about inviting friends along. The Operation Starfish campaign will help your church build enthusiasm for your next Alpha Course.
For more info, contact the Alpha office www.alpha.org.nz
Living above the Shop Modern technology is making it harder for people to leave work behind. BY CHRISTINA TYSON As a Salvation Army officer (minister), together with my Australian husband, our first posting was to a new Salvation Army church in Western Australia. There was no church hall, just a large house and a shed on a five-acre block. The long-term plan was to build a church and community centre on site. Plenty of activities were run from our home and the semidetached room four paces from our sliding kitchen door. As an introverted person, having so many people coming and going from where I lived took some getting used to. Especially as our first child was born a few months after we arrived. Sometimes it was hard to know where work ended and life-beyond-work began—the physical boundaries were just not clear. Our second posting was to a congregation with a 75-year heritage. They had a new and well-appointed worship and community centre—a busy place. This time, our back door was maybe 30 paces from the church building, but there still wasn’t a lot of privacy. With a few more years’ experience behind us, it was easier to put some boundaries in place, but there was still the temptation to allow work tasks to squeeze out family and relationship time. There was still the question of where work ended and home began. It’s known as ‘living above the shop’ when we live and work in more or less the same location. Clergy have been used to this arrangement for a long time, but plenty of other professions also live above the shop. The British Prime Minister, for instance, and some small business owners. Recently, UK designer Sir Terence Conran proposed a modern twist on this old model when he suggested customising flats for young workers in Britain’s largest towns and cities so they could live in the same buildings as they worked. The idea of getting rid of the tedious commute was attractive, but generally people were horrified. One young woman said, ‘I like my colleagues, but not enough to live with them!’
Close Up | 11
Most people didn’t like the idea of merging work and home, which they feared would make them feel as if they never really left work. Some complained they were already spending too much time tied to their desks and that this would only make things worse. This is the most obvious pitfall to living above the shop: it presents a danger to a healthy work/life balance—especially for those not good at establishing healthy boundaries. In The Essential Guide to Burnout (see this edition’s feature), authors Andrew and Dr Elizabeth Proctor suggest that living above the shop is becoming the norm for lots of people. Most people today have a mobile phone and laptop, and are expected to be available 24-hours a day—for no extra pay. ‘It is not unusual for employees to receive emails and phone calls well outside of office hours, and to be expected to respond to them,’ say the Proctors. ‘We feel the need to check for emails constantly, and are not really able to switch off mentally and forget about work.’
We feel the need to check for emails constantly, and are not really able to switch off mentally … New Zealand workers were among the first to claim the right to an eight-hour working day in 1840. One hundred years later, the 40-hour working week was almost universal in New Zealand. Yet, in the 21st century, we are in danger of making the loose-edged day (perhaps inhabited by fray-edged people), the norm. Some of us would even struggle to imagine what it might be like to leave our workplace and switch off from work completely. Perhaps the closest we get to knowing how that feels is when we holiday somewhere with no mobile signal. At which point there’s either a delighted shout of joy, or a dismayed cry—perhaps accompanied by a rush of guilt or worry at our being ‘out of touch’. But the Proctors emphasis how vitally important it is to be able to switch off mentally as a protective measure against stress-related illness. ‘In fact,’ they say, ‘one of the symptoms of impending burnout is an inability to switch off from work and relax and unwind even when the opportunity is available.’ They note that those working in the ‘caring professions’ may find this hardest of all. That’s because they face high expectations from three directions: themselves, their employers, and from the general public. Add to that the expectations from family and it can be very hard to live balanced lives. There’s an increasingly blurred line between home and work, productivity and play these days. And it’s easy for some workers to give too much, and for some employers to ask too much. Of course,
we could wait for employers to draw the line for us, but it’s not a bad idea to be the one to erect and police our own boundaries. Suggested strategies include keeping work files on a work laptop, and engaging in the more fun and relaxing technology activities (like playing games or watching DVDs) on a tablet or home PC. Separating work and home emails is a definite must-do. And in these days of cheaper cell phones, some people might want to have a personal phone as well as a work phone. No matter how close to the office we work (and with a growing movement toward people working remotely, there are likely to be more people working from home), we need to know when to put down the tools and walk toward the rest of our life. There’s a good reason why those in the past fought for legislation that enshrined the principle of a working week with maximum limits. So, even if you are working above the shop, don’t be too slow to clock off.
Better Work–Life Balance Prioritise what matters Set aside time to jot down what matters most in your life and then rank those items. Sometimes, seeing what matters on paper can help you make it a priority.
Ditch the unnecessary If you’re involved in several extracurricular activities, start by dropping just one of them, then think of those things that come up (like events) and prioritise them. Each time you receive an invitation, remember that you have a choice to go or not—and if you have to say ‘no’, that’s okay.
Plan for more enjoyment Stop planning your schedule only with required activities; inject a little relaxation and enjoyment, too. If you can’t get out of menial commitments, add more activities that you will enjoy. This way you have the positive to look forward to.
Rely on a support system It is perfectly reasonable to accept help from others. You may have a parent, family member or friend that can help with tasks so you can spend more time with your child or spouse, for instance. If you want to create more balance in your life, it’s a good idea to speak with those close to you first. You’d be there for them if they were in the same situation, right? Source: eHow.com (used with permission)
12 | WarCry 25 January 2014
Commissioning 2013 | 13
14 WarCry¨25 January 2014
New Officers Committed to Advancing Christ’s Mission
(front, l-r) Cadets Daryn and Jess Bishop, Nathan and Jess Bezzant, Daniel Buckingham, Janet Green, Karl and Christine Foreman, Nathan and Naomi Holt, Steve and Faye Molen, and Aux-Capts Robert and Maureen Gardiner ahead of their commissioning and ordination There was a full hall at Hutt City Salvation Army for the Booth College of Mission graduation on Friday 6 December 2013. Awards were presented to 20 people, including 12 cadets of the Disciples of the Cross Session, three School of Bible and Mission students, two auxiliary captains, and the territory’s first two youth work apprentices. Territorial Youth Secretary Captain Rebecca Gane was awarded a Bachelor of Ministries. Everyone graduating received a study Bible from the Bible Society, the sixth year that the Bible Society has made this presentation. Commissioner Robert Donaldson, chair of the Booth College of Mission Governance Board, presented the college’s annual report. He noted that 2013 was the 30th anniversary of the college’s opening on its Upper Hutt site. Its mission is to inspire and enable men and women ‘to develop the knowledge, skills, spirit and character to sustain and advance the mission of Christ in today’s world’. Alongside providing academic and ministry formation training for future Salvation Army officers, the college’s other faculties were also extremely busy in 2013. The School of Bible and Mission offered the Diploma of Biblical Studies courses in conjunction with Laidlaw College to one full-time and five part-time students. Judith Moody, Scott Noakes and Christine Wakefield had completed their studies and were graduating. The Centre for Leadership Development provided short courses to 266 delegates in 2013. Over 60 officers and lay people received academic scholarships for study in such fields as theology, counselling, social work, addictions and management. The Youth Training faculty celebrated the graduation of its first two Youth Work Apprentices as Serrina Henry-Martin and Michael Shore received their Salvation Army Certificate in Youth Work Training. This qualification commenced in 2011 to train people for youth work as a long-term vocation. Eight new apprentices commenced training toward this qualification in 2013. Vicki Duburguet and Christine Bland, long-serving teachers at the William Booth Educare early childhood centre, retired in 2013. Emma Cripps joined the centre as its new supervisor in May. William Booth Educare is available for children of those studying at Booth College of Mission and is also appreciated by the wider Upper Hutt community. Its strength is providing an excellent centre where Christian faith and values are interwoven into the centre’s everyday programme. For the final six months of the year, a volunteer from Upper Hutt Corps provided valued chaplaincy support to parents and children.
The Plowman Resource Centre at Booth College of Mission continues to provide excellent service to the college and the wider territory. The centre has the best theological library in the lower North Island and is looking to expand its holdings in the areas of Wesleyan perspectives and the Church in the South Pacific. The college’s library catalogue went online this year, making it more accessible. Significant giftings of material to the Heritage Centre and Archives continues to strengthen its collection. A focus on preserving and promoting the Army’s history has been boosted with the addition of an archivist in 2013. Pip Harrison has brought a higher level of expertise in describing, cataloguing and preserving The Salvation Army’s rich and diverse history. There is a busy year ahead for Booth College of Mission in 2014, with four new officers joining the staff, and 30 cadets entering training—nine in the Suva campus in Fiji and 21 in Upper Hutt. Valedictory speaker Cadet Naomi Holt reflected on two years that was ‘long and slow, and gone in the blink of an eye’. She thanked the staff for their teaching and behind the scenes work, their encouragement and prayers. Addressing the graduates, Commissioner Robert Donaldson said that Catherine Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army, had used the words ‘head, heart and hands’ to describe the training process for Salvation Army officers. ‘Today, ministry formation is often described using an educational, spiritual formation and ministry skills construct that has been summarised as “knowing, being and doing”,’ he said. ‘But however they are described, these three elements are crucial to any person who is involved in spiritual ministry to people. ‘Head, heart and hands—this foundation needs to be developed throughout your ministry if you are to fulfil God’s plan for your lives and reach the potential that God has placed within you. An integrated “head, heart and hands” approach to your ministry formation has got you through your yesterdays and to this significant day. Only a continued and integrated ‘head, heart and hands’ approach will sustain you for all of your tomorrows and forever.’ Silver Star Fellowship A Saturday morning brunch at Booth College of Mission was the opportunity to celebrate the contribution of parents and other significant individuals to the Disciples of the Cross session. Commissioner Janine Donaldson welcomed them into the international Fellowship of the Silver Star. ‘Thank you for allowing your children to follow the call of God on their lives,’ she said.
Our Community | 15
Representative speaker Cadet Jess Bishop said her parents had taught her what it meant to love God with all her heart, soul and mind. On behalf of her session mates she thanked the parents and others who had helped form them into the men and women they had become. ‘Thank you for investing in us. Thank you for the time you have spent with us on your hearts,’ she said. In a brief devotional message, Colonel Wynne Reddish encouraged those who were being commissioned to make their home in the love of Jesus. ‘When God holds our heart, it’s safe for us to hold the heart of others,’ she said. She knew that the cadets’ parents would continue to support them in practical ways, but urged them to keep praying for their children, too. Commissioning and ordination Saturday afternoon’s commissioning and ordination service was held at Wellington City Corps. There was joy and celebration, but most of all there was a deep sense of solemnity. The auditorium was a holy place as the Disciples of the Cross cadets and Auxiliary-Captains Robert and Maureen Gardiner were commissioned and ordained as Salvation Army officers. Following a mihi whakatau by cadets of the first-year Heralds of Grace/He Tukunha Tomairangi session, the cadets and auxiliary captains knelt at the mercy seat and the Territorial Commander prayed for them. Commissioner Janine Donaldson read a message from General André Cox reminding the cadets that they were called to be ‘disciples of the cross’ for the rest of their lives. The General asked them to learn more each day about the cross, the risen Christ, and ‘the skill of communicating the message of the cross to a needy world’. A video presentation conveyed the strong support that each cadet had from their children. The Booth College of Mission children spoke about some of the things they’d most enjoyed over the previous two years, and shared what they were looking forward to in the future. Training Principal Major David Noakes presented the cadets and auxiliary captains to their territorial leaders for ordination and commissioning. He wished them ‘grace and wisdom’ as the realities of Salvation Army officer mission and ministry intersected with the foundations established during their training. The Territorial Commander asked the congregation to respect the moments that followed as sacred, restraining their applause until later in the service. Each cadet and auxiliary captain then stepped forward to be commissioned and ordained, receiving a Bible verse from Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson to take into their officer ministry. Later, the cadets were joined on the platform by their children to receive ‘marching orders’ to their first appointments. In a salvation-focused Bible message, Commissioner Robert Donaldson emphasised the salvation story: that Jesus came as a sacrifice to open the way for people to have a relationship with God. He called everyone to live out the life of the cross—the life of discipleship—every day, inviting people to come forward and Cadet Jess Bishop (second from left) with her parents, Mjrs Kath and Keith Wray, and Comm Janine Donaldson at the Silver Star Fellowship brunch on Saturday morning
pray to affirm their discipleship or respond to the love of Jesus. The Territorial Commander’s final challenge was for more people to become leaders within The Salvation Army. ‘Is God calling you out, to separate yourself for a specific ministry as an officer or a local officer?’ he asked. ‘We find it so hard to believe that you [God] would entrust us with this mission,’ Commissioner Robert Donaldson prayed, ‘but you equip and empower us to take your message of love to the world. Help us as a Salvation Army to be everything we are called to be —that communities would be transformed by our simple lives. Use us for your glory!’ Sunday celebration service Sunday morning’s worship service celebrated God’s faithful provision of leadership within The Salvation Army. Lieutenant Nathan Holt prayed, ‘Let us be an Army that goes into the streets and says, “No one misses the grace of God.” Fill us up and send us out so that no one misses the grace of God!’ Commissioner Robert Donaldson expressed thanks to Wellington City Corps for hosting the weekend’s commissioning activities. He welcomed back to New Zealand Colonels Bronwyn and Lyndon Buckingham, who were home from Singapore for the commissioning of their son, Lieutenant Daniel Buckingham, and for Daniel’s impending marriage to Lieutenant Juanita Jamieson. The Territorial Commander also noted recent news of the overseas appointment of Lieut-Colonels Andy and Yvonne Westrupp, who will take up leadership of the Papua New Guinea Territory in April. In the children’s segment, Cadet Jenny Ratana-Koia invited Emma Buckingham, a soldier at Wellington City Corps, to talk to the children about what it was like to be an ‘O.K.’ (Officer’s Kid).
Comm Robert Donaldson preaches at the commissioning and ordination service on Saturday afternoon Cadet Jenny Ratana-Koia leads the children’s segment on Sunday morning with help from junior soldiers of Wellington City Corps
16 | WarCry¨25 January 2014
Emma encouraged them to be part of what their parents were doing for God, reminding them that God would always be with them to help them. Junior soldiers from Wellington City Corps then presented gifts to the children of the territory’s newest officers. Major David Noakes spoke briefly about the Heralds of Grace/ He Tukunga Tomairangi session. Fifty per cent was Māori, and in future, the names of all New Zealand training sessions would also be translated into Māori, he said. Another first for the college was that it was the first time a mother and son had trained at the same time, with Lieutenant Janet Green commissioned and Cadet Andrew Green entering his second year of training. There were also three grandchildren at the college with their grandparents. It was good to see that the bi-cultural and multi-cultural nature of New Zealand more fully reflected in the New Zealand training college, with the next training session having a strongly Pacifika influence. Lieutenant Janet Green and Lieutenant Karl Foreman both shared their testimonies. Janet talked about God’s transformation of her from a shy and insecure person to someone convinced of God’s calling on her life to serve as a Salvation Army officer. Karl talked about being drawn to hurting people and of his determination to share with them the free gift of God’s grace. Six officers were recognised for their long service: Colonel Graeme Reddish (40 years); Lieut-Colonels Jenny and Rod Carey, Lieut-Colonels Ian and Lynette Hutson, and Major Jill Knight (30 years); and Major Gill Waugh (25 years).
Commissioner Janine Donaldson rounded off the weekend’s events by reminding the congregation that ‘all the riches of God’ were available to them because of Jesus. She challenged her listeners to be unselfish, noting that ‘rich people give and give and give, because they have so much to spare’.
Long-serving officers (l-r) Mjr Jill Waugh, Lt-Cols Jenny and Rod Carey, Lt-Cols Lynette and Ian Hutson, Mjr Jill Knight, and Col Graeme Reddish
Tonga Struck by Powerful Cyclone The Kingdom of Tonga was hit by one of the most powerful storms on record during the second weekend of January. The most serious damage from Cyclone Ian occurred on the island of Ha’apai, where many buildings collapsed and one person was killed. The closest Salvation Army corps to Ha’apai is the Vava’u Corps Plant, led by Captains ‘Ofa and Sinoti Tomu. When the cyclone struck, the captains were in the capital city of Nuku’alofa for the installation of new regional leaders Captains Sila and Malia Siufanga by Commissioners Robert and Janine Donaldson. Captain ‘Ofa Tomu says people in Vava’u were very frightened, but thankfully the damage on Vava’u was not as severe as on Ha’apai. The Salvation Army will initially focus its support on ensuring that children in the most affected areas are well equipped to return to school, by replacing school uniforms, stationery and supplies lost in the cyclone. The logistics for the delivery of these items will be managed from Regional Headquarters in Nuku’alofa. Captain Siufanga (pictured left) says, ‘It is clear that an immediate need for students in the first few weeks is their education. This is an area where The Salvation Army can be most helpful. We welcome donations that will help us to buy and deliver supplies to make the start to the new school year less traumatic for children whose lives have been turned upside down by Cyclone Ian.’ Donations to support the Tongan Relief Work can be made online at salvationarmy.org.nz/HelpTonga or by phoning 0800 53 00 00. Please specify that your donation is for the ‘Tonga Cyclone’.
GAZETTE Bereaved Comm Alistair Herring and Mjrs Roger and Malcolm Herring of their mother, Mrs Eileen Maud Cresswell (aged 94) on 16 Dec. The funeral was led by Mjr Anthony Stone. Please remember members of the family in prayer at this time of loss. Retirements Mjr Barbara Sampson entered retirement on 18 Jan, having completed 30 years of service. Barbara entered training with her husband Kingsley from Gore Corps in 1973, in the Followers of Christ session. Following their commissioning, they were appointed to overseas service at Chikankata Secondary School in Zambia.
Returning to New Zealand, Barbara served as an assistant in the Youth Department, Secretary to the Public Questions Board, in the Chief Secretary’s office and as Assistant in the Education Department. She and Kingsley were then corps officers at New Lynn and Sydenham Corps before being appointed to the training college in 1991. Barbara served for a number of years as author of Words of Life and then as team leader for the Officer Support Unit. Mjr Kingsley Sampson retired on 18 Jan 2008. Barbara was appointed as Director of Community Ministries, Hornby, in Dec 2010. Her retirement service was held on 19 Jan, led by Mjr Tanya Dunn. It is with sincere thanks that the territory honours Barbara
for her loyal, faithful service, and prays God’s blessing on her retirement. Mjr Shirleen Bradley enters retirement on 31 Jan, having completed 29 years of service. Shirleen entered training with her husband Peter from Aranui Corps in 1983, in the Servants of God session. Together, they served at Balclutha, Greymouth, Clifton, Nelson, St Albans and Wairarapa Corps. In 2007, the Bradleys were appointed to Territorial Headquarters, with Shirleen as Assistant Officer, Archives. In 2011, she became Territorial Secretary for Retired Officers. The territory honours Shirleen for her loyal and faithful service, and prays God’s blessing on her retirement.
Appointments Effective 9 Jan: Lt-Col Rebecca Yousaf, Territorial Silver Star Secretary; Mjr Beverley Price, Divisional Missionary Secretary, Southern Division (additional). Resignations The Territorial Commander announces with regret the resignation of Mjr Peter and Captain Gayle Roberts, effective 5 Jan, and thanks Peter for his 28 years of service and Gayle for her 14 years. We pray God’s blessing on their future. International College for Officers Capt Allan Clark is appointed to the International College for Officers and Centre for Spiritual Life Development, Session 225, from 15 April to 8 June 2015.
Lifestyle | 17
Strategic Mission Fund
CALENDAR JANUARY 24–26: Parachute Music Festival / Mystery Creek 27: Auckland Anniversary
TERRITORIAL STRATEGIC MISSION PLAN
FEBRUARY 3: Nelson Anniversary 3–5: Youth Work Apprenticeship Retreat 5–8: National Māori Ministry Hui / Waitangi 6: Waitangi Day 8: Youth and Children’s Training / Tonga Region 9: Youth Mission Team / Central Division 10–11: Personnel Conference 12–14: Women’s Retreat / Fiji Division 13: Orientation for New Officers / Northern Division 13–16: SpiritSong Rehearsal Camp 14: DHQ Retreat / Southern Division 15: Safe to Serve ‘Train the Trainer’ / Northern Division 16: Welcome to New Officers (Southern) / Central Division 16: Welcome to Cadets / Fiji Division 16: Tertiary Students Gathering / Northern Division 17: DHQ Planning Day / Midland Division 17–19: Summer Councils / Southern Division 18–19: DHQ Retreat / Northern Division 19: New Plymouth Golf Day / Midland Division 19: Officers Councils (Levin) / Central Division 21: Youth Rally / Tonga Region 21: Regional Lunch (Auckland City and Auckland South) / Northern Division 21–23: Father and Kids Weekend / Blue Mountain Adventure Centre 23: Divisional Welcome Meeting / Midland Division 23: Welcome Meeting (Northern) / Central Division 23: Blaze Youth Event / Central Division
OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS
At last year’s Congress, territorial leaders announced that $2 million was being put into a new Strategic Mission Fund (SMF). Details of this fund have now been released: 1. Most of the money is being allocated to starting new Salvation Army faith communities. This is not just new corps plants—if you have ideas for new congregations within your corps or centre, please talk to your corps officer/ centre manager. 2. New Academic Scholarships are replacing the previous ‘Unleashing Fund’ scholarships. A limited number of these scholarships will be allocated to Salvationists that can demonstrate tertiary study with the clearest mission intent. Applications are required at your divisional headquarters by 15 February. 3. New Mission Leader Development Scholarships are being introduced. This is to support people already involved in leadership that would benefit from some form of development opportunity, such as attending a course or conference, site visits, internships, etc. Applications are required at your divisional headquarters by 15 February. For more information or to access scholarship application forms, please contact your corps officer or centre manager.
Interested in Social Justice? Check out The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit website for reports, regular newsletters, challenging articles and Salvation Army government submissions. Go to www.salvationarmy.org.nz/socialpolicy
To advertise your event, email: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org
Find SALVATION ARMY JOB OPPORTUNITIES online:
Commissioners Robert (Territorial Commander) and Janine Donaldson (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 6 February: Waitangi Day Commemoration, Government House 11–17 February: Fiji Division 21–24 February: Northern Division (various engagements) 25: Addictions and Supportive Accommodation Services Retreat
salvationarmy.org.nz/employment
GET THE LATEST NEWS For Salvation Army local and international news:
salvationarmy.org.nz/news
Colonels Graeme (Chief Secretary) and Wynne Reddish (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries) 5–8 February: National Māori Ministry Hui, Waitangi
PRAYER FOCUS Crossword Answers: Across: 8 Clause, 9 Solemnly, 10 Bacteria, 11 Caring, 12 Guttural, 13 Rolled, 14 Rewards, 17 Unhappy, 20 Farmer, 22 Educated, 25 Static, 26 Elements, 27 Labelled, 28 Uncles. Down: 1 Pleasure, 2 Tut-tut, 3 Nearer, 4 Usually, 5 Electron, 6 Umbrella, 7 Glance, 15 Admitted, 16 Directly, 18 Prettier, 19 Depends, 21 Actual, 23 Useful, 24 Agency. Quiz Answers: 1 Seven, 2 Hurling, 3 St. Jude, 4 25 April, 5 Proverbs (chapter 8).
Please pray for: Winton, Albany Bays, Auckland City, Auckland Korean and Belfast Corps, The Salvation Army’s reintegration work, The Salvation Army in Kenya.
Advancing Christ’s Mission in Today’s World Study Full-time or Part-time at Booth College of Mission The Salvation Army’s Booth College of Mission in Upper Hutt helps men and women develop the knowledge, skills, spirit and character to advance the mission of Christ in today’s world.
personal growth and skills for ministries, pastoral care, worship and preaching, spiritual formation and mission.
Study with us to achieve a Diploma of Biblical Studies (DipBS)—a one-year programme (or equivalent part-time) of 120 credits at Level 5 in partnership with Laidlaw College.
Contact Dean of Studies Lt Bryant Richards (e: bryant_richards@nzf.salvationarmy.org), or Academic Registrar Alison Hobbs (e: alison_hobbs@nzf.salvationarmy.org.nz), or p: (04) 528 8628.
Select papers from the following fields: biblical studies, Christian thought and history,
Talk to us about study options for 2014
www.salvationarmy.org.nz/boothcollege
18 WarCry¨25 January 2014
LEADERSHIP LINKS
Accepted for Training The Great Commission charges me to show others the love of Christ
Don’t you just love New Year’s resolutions? Or maybe not! One of my New Year’s resolutions is to be better at losing games! But however we feel about resolutions, the opening of a new year is always a good time to reflect on the year just past and to look to the future. I have been reflecting on the wonderful occasion celebrated late in 2013 when the Disciples of the Cross session of Salvation Army officers was commissioned and ordained. Events such as this remind me of what I have been called to be. They also turn my thoughts to ‘the Great Commission’ that Jesus gave to his disciples: Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28:18-20). How does this call look for me in my own life? Firstly, it is a co-mission. Jesus has charged me to share this mission with him, promising to be with me always. He reminds me that he won’t abandon me on this quest. Secondly, I am reminded that while Jesus instructs us to take this mission to ‘the ends of the earth’, this actually starts at home: in my family, in my neighbourhood, in my community. When I look at the life of Jesus and the heart of the Great Commission, I see that it is about forming relationships with all people—those who are like me and those who are not. The Great Commission charges me to show others the love of Christ. Christianity is a highly relational faith. Much of the teaching of Jesus is about human relationships. Above all else, we are called to love people, to care for them, to be humble, putting their interests before our own. Jesus gives us specific instructions about how to live out the Great Commission. Now, I am not always so good at instructions—sometimes I don’t listen, sometimes I forget instructions, and sometimes I doubt that I am being led in the right way. Even when listening to the GPS navigation system in our car I can still manage to get spectacularly lost! So it is important for me to closely follow Jesus’ instructions: ‘teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And I am with you always, even to the very end of the age’. The lesson for me here is: if I profess my Christian faith, I must also obey Jesus’ teachings. And when I do, I can know with certainty and with great faith that Jesus is with me. The Great Commission is a personal calling, we are each called to step out in faith and proclaim the gospel. But we can do this with confidence, assured of Jesus’ presence. He knows the best way for us to go. Commissioner Janine Donaldson Territorial President of Women’s Ministries
Messengers of Light Session Kaikarere O Te Māramatanga 2014–2015
GAVIN AND VERONICA RIVETT Gavin, Veronica and their three children Brooke (9), Jacob (7) and Aidan (6) are from Auckland City Corps. Gavin is a computer engineer and Veronica is a teacher aide at their children’s school. She is also a pianist who has recently been studying for her grade six piano exam. The Rivetts are actively involved in the life of their corps and have been serving as youth leaders there. This has been a wonderful experience for them, and they have thoroughly enjoyed leading the youth in their spiritual walks. Veronica has for some time felt God’s calling on her life to Salvation Army officership, but didn’t pursue it as it was not something Gavin felt led to do. Last year, however, God began to soften Gavin’s heart to the idea, and during the weekend of congress Gavin knew God was calling him to serve as an officer. It has been a bit of a whirlwind journey for the couple since then, from starting the application process through to being accepted as candidates. However, both agree it is simply amazing to look back and see God’s hand in it all. ‘We just know that God will continue to help us through the rest of our Journey through College and beyond. We serve an amazing God!’
Following the Call An officer is a senior soldier who has responded to a calling from God to devote all their time and energies to the service of God. The road can be hard, but it brings incredible joy and immense fulfilment. Catherine Booth said, ‘If God is calling you to become a Salvation Army officer, you will never find any peace or power till you become one. Never! “Oh but,” you say, “we don’t know what he will want next.” No, we none of us know that, but we know that we shall be safe in his hands.’ God will confirm if he is calling you to officership in a number ways. He may speak to you through Scripture, through the Holy Spirit, or through people and circumstances. Register your interest Speak to your local Divisional Candidates Secretary or talk to your corps officer. The application process that follows gives time and space for God’s will to be tested and confirmed. Go to
salvationarmy.org.nz/officership for more information
Mission Matters 19
God at Work A small group course from Alpha focused on living every working day with purpose BY CHRISTINA TYSON Finding purpose at work is one of the greatest challenges in the world today. Based on Ken Costa’s book God at Work, Alpha’s ‘God at Work’ course equips Christians to find purpose in the workplace. The course is comprised of six sessions, and is designed to be run weekly. South African-born Ken Costa worked as an investment banker in London for over 30 years. He is now chair of Alpha International, which promotes the Alpha course—an introduction to the Christian faith attended by millions of people worldwide. Ken says people often ask him how he reconciled his career as a banker with his faith as a Christian. ‘There is a widespread view that God and business simply don’t mix,’ he writes in God at Work. ‘The competitive, cut-throat demands of the marketplace are seen as the obvious enemy of Christian compassion and love. But I have also found that the God who created and sustains the world is also the God of the workplace. If the Christian faith is not relevant in the workplace, it is not relevant at all.’ In God at Work and the accompanying course book, Ken offers practical advice on living out our Christian faith in the workplace, speaking openly of his struggles with ambition, money, relationships, success and failure. His own faith came alive after an internal struggle to decide whether God would be in charge of all of his life, or just some of it. ‘Many people accept just enough of Christianity to be miserable,’ he says. ‘I was in that camp. The struggle encapsulated itself in a vivid image of control drawn from the very marketplace where I would spend the next 30 years: it was as if my life had shares and God wanted 100 per cent control of it. A divine tug-of-war ensued. Why would God want all of me? Could there be a joint venture? Could I carve out a special deal to suit me? What about a partnership? Was 50-50 not a good arrangement? It became clear that true freedom was to be found in full surrender to the love of God.’ This realisation came in stages. Ken began by praying that God would take 51 per cent of his life—control but not whole ownership. But this wasn’t satisfactory. ‘I saw then, and recognise now more fully, the arrogance of negotiating with God,’ he says. It was then that Ken gave all of himself to God. ‘What struck me at once was the immediate change in every area of my life. My internal wrestling on the meaning of life ceased, peace with God and with myself grew, and my life was redirected with a new passion.’
Ken came to see God as a party to his life decisions—including his career choices—and not merely an observer. Since early on in his working life, he has prayed at work most days. ‘These times,’ sometimes snatched between meetings or while travelling, ‘have equipped me for my work and reminded me daily of my reason for living and my dependence on God.’ Living as a Christian today ‘is like living on a knife edge’, with no easy answers to the many dilemmas people face at work each day. However, in the God at Work course, Ken attempts to provide a Christian perspective on some of the most common challenges of the workplace, including: • God’s purpose for our work • ambition and life choices • making tough decisions • stress and work-life balance • failure, disappointment and hope • money and mission. The workplace is a tough place, and faith doesn’t give anyone immunity from making wrong choices sometimes ‘We are tested and refined, and interact—testily or graciously—with colleagues, or press our own selfishness ahead of the common good, or forget gratitude and miss God completely in the day-to-day frenzy of work,’ Ken observes. Yet, he describes the life of the Christian at work as ‘a leaning towards goodness’. ‘Day by day we can sense God’s presence as we avoid the darkness,’ says Ken. ‘We try to walk along this narrow divide, straining towards the light.’
God at Work can be run in churches and workplaces. If your workplace is already running Alpha in the Workplace, Alpha recommends this course as an ideal follow-up. It is ideal if course participants have both a ‘guest manual’ and the God at Work book. Order from shop.alpha. org.nz or p: (09) 522 1360
GOD & FAITH
Talking Stuff-ups and God with Stan Walker Since War Cry last caught up with Stan, he’s starred in his first movie (Mt Zion), judged The X Factor, released a new album that debuted at number three on the charts, did a World Tour of New Zealand, and even opened for Beyonce. That’s quite the list for a 23-year-old who admits he stuffs up a lot. ‘For everything good in my life I’ve got to give glory to God,’ says Stan. ‘And everything else in my life, well, that’s just me—the flesh. ‘Everyday life gets tiring and gets hard. I stuff up. Not just a little bit, I stuff up heaps. But somehow God keeps using me. I don’t know, he must like stuffed-up people.’ As I’m interviewing Stan, I think to myself that that last sentence of his would make the ideal summary to the whole story of the Bible. It’s the perfect answer to any question about God, theology or church: Why did the Son of God come to Earth and die on a cross? I don’t know; God must like stuffed-up people. Why is the Bible full of stories about people messing up? I don’t know; God must like stuffed-up people. Why does God want to make his home in our hearts? I don’t know; God must like stuffedup people. Anyway, amidst all the glitz and glam of Stan’s life as an entertainer, he manages to keep his feet firmly cemented to terra firma. Even when interviewing him you don’t feel like you’re talking to New Zealand’s highest profile male artist. Stan could be your mate from youth group or Tuesday night touch. And it’s not hard to see that the reason he is so grounded is that, as he says, Stan credits the successes in his life to God and also admits his failings while understanding that God has those covered as well.
when I had my first taste of God,’ says Stan, ‘but it wasn’t until I was 18 that I gave my heart to the Lord. ‘My youth pastor—who is one of my good friends, the person in my life who got me to where I am today— said, “Come to this youth camp.” I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to be around Christians or anything. But I said to God, “This is your last chance to get me now and show me that you’re real.” And he did. ‘From then on, it’s been the best and hardest decision I’ve ever made.’ One of the motivations for Stan doing what he does on stage, on TV and in the movies, is a desire to inspire others. So I ask him, if time travel was possible, how would he go about inspiring his former self when he was 13 or 14, before he met Jesus. ‘I don’t know. There’s a lot I’d love to say to myself … warn him?’ he says tentatively. ‘But at the same time,’ continues Stan more boldly, ‘everything I’ve been through has been character building. If I didn’t go through what I went through as a kid and as a teenager I wouldn’t be the man I am today.’
Getting behind the Army
Show me you’re real, God
God is able to turn bad stories into incredibly good ones. It’s one of the reasons why Stan loves working with stuffed-up people. And it was when Stan recognised that this is what The Salvation Army is all about that he decided to put his face behind what the Army is doing.
Stan first got a sense of God’s ability to deal with the good and the bad seven years ago. ‘I was about 16
It started in Australia where his song ‘Take It Easy’ became the theme tune for the Red Shield Appeal. And now
Hayden Shearman
he’s doing the same thing back here in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. ‘Everyone knows who the Salvos are, but not really how much they actually do for the community,’ explains Stan. ‘I started to get to know them and had so much fun. I think the best thing for me was learning more about The Salvation Army, what they stand for, what they’re about, and how they began. They were a radical bunch back in the day. ‘I love it. They’re awesome as. They’re ruthless. They deal with some trippy stuff, eh? They’re strong people and selfless as. ‘[When The Salvation Army started] they were known as the radical bunch who went against tradition and conservativeness. They got the whole thing of pulling their sleeves up and not being afraid to get dirty and really get in amongst all the need, not just sending them money. ‘They’re helping people detox, they’re helping them recover, they’re helping people heal, they’re finding people at the lowest and helping them back up again.’ Stan’s youth pastor played that similar role for him when he was 18. He rolled up his sleeves and journeyed with Stan to see an upbringing that Stan compares to Once Were Warriors transformed into a life that God is using to touch millions. ‘[When I agreed to help The Salvation Army] they said that I’m a voice of the generation today, so hopefully we can collaborate and get more people of my generation to be a part of it,’ says Stan.
[The Salvation Army has] got the whole thing of pulling their sleeves up and not being afraid to get dirty and really get in amongst all the need …
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25 JANUARY 2014 | 21
Stan on his X Factor experience: It was a lot of fun and really challenging. But it was really awesome to have input into somebody and help them develop and find themselves as an artist. It was awesome to encourage the local talent, which I love to do.
Stan on becoming an actor (in Mt Zion): Oh man, I had so much fun on that film! It was a challenge because I’m not an actor and I had to do something that I’m not used to. I had to get over myself really quickly to do justice to the role. It was like learning how to sing in front of people all over again and getting over the nerves.
Stan on playing the support act for Beyonce: That was the highlight of my life! I have a lot of responsibilities and things I want to do, but then there’s that dream—she was that dream. She’s incredible. I just love everything, the way she runs her business. She’s a beast.
Stan on his future plans: A lot of stuff has already been booked in and planned, but I just take every day as it comes. I get a sore head thinking of all this stuff [laughing].
Stan’s Travel Guide to New Zealand After a 23-show tour of Aotearoa, Stan should be quite the expert on where to go and what to do, so we put some questions to him in case you’re planning your own summer road trip: Favourite town: Queenstown, everything about it, the view. Eating: Fergburger in Queenstown. Scenery: The whole drive of the South Island. Fav Road Trip Tunes: Rihanna. Car games: Always played cards. Ideal town to retire in: My home, Mount Maunganui, for sure!
Win a signed copy of Stan’s latest CD! See page 4 for details
Stan Walker gets behind the 2013 Christmas Appeal in a grocery grab competition against Tim Wilson from TVNZ’s Seven Sharp to promote Countdown’s Food Rescue campaign. Photography: Luke Tearle
FIREZONE.CO.NZ
ENGAGE | 22
Ready to Hit the Books? No one likes to think about school when they’re on holiday, but there’s no escaping the fact that within days at worst or weeks at best, we’re going to be hitching those school bags over our shoulders and settling down in the classroom again. So what can we do so study doesn’t get the best of us this year? A whole lot of stuff happens in life that none of us have any control over. And the same is true at school. We might get the awesome teacher, or the annoying one nobody likes. Our timetable might be epic, or it could suck. Come exams, we might have days between every test, or all our exams could be so close together that there’s no way last-minute cramming can save us.
One of the real keys to doing well at school is going along determined to learn. This is something you do; it’s not something a teacher or anyone else can do for you. If you have great teachers and supportive parents, count your blessings. But realise that if you don’t do so well, it’s not the fault of your teachers, your parents or your school. Your success this year mostly depends on you.
We can’t do much about some of this stuff, so we need to take control of what we can. Here are a few simple ideas to making this school year work out for the best …
Get a support crew
Check your attitude Think about why you’re going to school in the first place. Is it to get taught, or to learn? If it’s to get taught, you can just sit there like a sponge and wait for the teachers to pour a whole lot of stuff into you. Which means you’re totally at their mercy. Scary thought! If they’re great at their jobs, you might take notice and absorb some of what comes out of their mouths. But if they’re not so on to it or their teaching style doesn’t match your learning style, you’re out of luck. Except … you can’t use that as an excuse when your NCEA results aren’t good enough for uni, or when your uni marks aren’t good enough to get that job after you graduate.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength
like asking a teacher for help or talking to another student who seems to get it better than you. And take a look at how you’re studying —you may need to do things a bit differently to get your head back in the game. Are you studying on your bed instead of at a desk, for instance, or with loud music playing?
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you
JAMES 1:5
Be kind to yourself
Now, you don’t have to stay away from everyone who’s telling you to forget about your school work and have some fun, but you definitely need at least a few people who will encourage you to work. When you do well, rather than acting like it’s no big deal, celebrate your success— and cheer loudly for your friends who do well, too. This helps set a culture where everyone sees study as important.
Forgive yourself Expect to fail sometimes. Each new school year brings plenty of new stuff to get your head around, and it will take you a little while to work things out. Some topics, even in a subject we love, can be harder than we’d hope. But don’t give up. Tap into the resources around you,
Don’t call yourself a ‘dummy’ just because you failed a test or didn’t pick up some new skill quickly. Remember that failure is normal when we push ourselves beyond our comfort zones to learn something new. It’s only as you push past failures that you’ll realise just how amazing you are. This year, do yourself a favour and head back to school with an attitude that says, ‘I am here to learn!’ That way, you’ll be in control. And be greedy to learn. God made you with an amazing brain and the ability to learn lots of new skills and knowledge. Keep reminding yourself that you can succeed, that you can learn anything, and that with practise you’ll always get better.
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction
PHILIPPIANS 4:13 PROVERBS 1:7
PROVERBS 19:20
Fun4Kids | 23
BRAIN BENDER WEIRD CREATURES Find 10 differences
SAVE THE PRINCESS! Ask a friend to fill in the following words … and then enjoy the adventure story you’ve written together.
It was a (adjective) day and I was (verb ending with -ing) through (name of a place). Suddenly, I saw a (size) (creature) blocking my path. The (same creature) was tying up a (adjective) princess with a (object). I KNEW I had to do something, so I (verb) into action. I grabbed the magic (noun) from my (noun) and threw is at the (same creature), making it (verb). I (verb ending in -ed) over to the princess and asked, ‘What is your name?’ ‘I am Princess (friend’s name) the Fourth,’ she said. ‘Thank you for saving my life, (adjective) hero! How can I repay you?’
Can you answer this riddle?
Two fathers and two sons sat down to eat eggs for breakfast. They ate exactly three eggs, each person had an egg.
How do you explain this?
‘You could give me (number) (plural noun),’ I said.
‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ I said with a (noise).
READ IT
… let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. Romans 12:2 Contemporary English Version PRAY IT Dear God, I want to show that I am your friend by the things I think, say and do. Help me to make wise choices in life. Thank you for forgiving me when I do the wrong thing, and help me to do better next time. Amen.
Answer: One of the ‘fathers’ is ALSO a grandfather. Which means that the other father is both a son AND a father to the grandson. In other words, the one father is a son AND a father.
‘I can’t do that,’ said Princess (same friend’s name). ‘But my father, King (male celebrity) will want you to have my (body part) in marriage,’ she said.
TALK IT Junior likes to make wise choices because he knows the wrong choice can sometimes hurt people or make his own life harder. Some wrong choices would be bad for Junior’s body and his health, like smoking or eating lots of fatty or sugary foods. Some of the really wise choices that Junior makes all the time are to help his parents around the house, to say thoughtful and kind words instead of swearing, not to smoke cigarettes, and not to bully people. When Junior has harder choices to make, he uses some of the things God has given to help him—like the Bible, the Holy Spirit, other Christians, his parents, leaders at his church, and friends.
O God, early in the morning I cry to you. Help me to pray and to concentrate my thoughts on you; I cannot do this alone. In me there is darkness, but with you there is light; I am lonely, but you do not leave me; I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help; I am restless, but with you there is peace. In me there is bitterness. but with you there is patience; I do not understand your ways, but you know the way for me. DIETRICH BONHOEFFER