Page 2—New Frontier CHRONICLE •January 2014
ON THE CORNER BY BOB DOCTER
Reinventing ourselves
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here is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens (Eccl. 3:1). First of all, you need to know I really love the Army—I mean really love it. I love the foundation principles of the organization in William Booth’s interpretation of Wesleyan holiness and his cab horse charter that implies you must feed a hungry person food before trying to feed the soul. I love how we trust people to grow, our willingness to forgive and provide second chances, and the way we fly to humanity’s fires and quench them with a cup of cold water. Most of all, I love that which motivates us— the expression of love in the cause of Christ. On Feb. 1, 1983, New Frontier presented its first edition to Salvationists in the USA Western Territory and around the world. In these past 32 years, our pages have sought to remind us who we are as an Army, to focus on our historic, yet unchanging identity—an identity forged in a cauldron of human despair that was London’s East End. It’s a holistic message that links and preaches both spiritual and social forgiveness, new beginnings. We’ve always had one goal: to publish timely, readable and visually appealing stories about the Army’s march toward mission fulfillment. We are a publication of the USA West, but we are internationalists. This is One Army, and so we cover the span of this movement’s reach into the hearts and souls, the lives and traumas, the hunger and hopes of humanity everywhere. It all started in 1983 when Commissioner Will Pratt, then territorial commander, approved of the plan to record the events of this vast territory. He even thought of the name—New Frontier—to communicate energy, ac-
We’ve always had one goal: to publish timely, readable and visually appealing stories about the Army’s march toward mission fulfillment. tion, and uniqueness. “From its first chortle in the crib, New Frontier excited me,” Pratt wrote in our 25th anniversary issue in 2007 (vol. 25 no. 13). “And every succeeding issue has borne the unmistakable hallmark of the West: flare, excitement, cheek, enthusiasm, pride, energy, vision.” Since that first issue, we’ve had several changes in format, design, personnel and style. Now, New Frontier Publications aims to tell the Army story with New Frontier Chronicle, Caring, Vida, and Frontier Press (visit newfrontierpublications.org). Today, we look a little different, but our motivation remains the same. The Army was created as a church for the poor, the desperate, the disenfranchised, the hungry, hopeless and hurting of society. We’re still at it, and New Frontier Chronicle will keep telling the story.|NFC
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PEACOCK REMEMBERED I was deeply saddened to read about the promotion to Glory of Ray [Lt. Col. Raymond Peacock] in the Dec. 6 edition of New Frontier (vol. 31 no. 20). He and I shared the same positions in our respective territories, the USA West and Canada and Bermuda, as territorial social service and program secretaries. We met from time to time for meetings with other colleagues at the USA National Headquarters. Apart from the successful outcome of our meetings we became kindred spirits and I valued both his experience of devotion to God, The Salvation Army, and our personal relationship. Raymond Peacock, servant well done! David Luginbuhl, Lt. Colonel Calgary, Alberta, Canada We want to hear from you We value you as a reader and want your input. Tell us what you think of an article, or submit one of your own. Stay in touch:
newfrontierpublications.org new.frontier@usw.salvationarmy.org newfrontierchronicle @nfchronicle
EMPOWERING TODAY’S READERS H I S C A L L | H I S P E O P L E | H I S S E RV I C E
January 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 11
Education 4
Boot Camp 20
Inside the ring 3
The Salvation Army intervenes for PG&E customers short on payment.
KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON T
October 10-12, 2014 | Anaheim Convention Center e-Waste 6
Honduras 13
ARC 24
BY JARED MCKIERNAN
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow healso firstmembers of the month is citizens with God's people and of his household.” – Eph. 2:19
NEW FRONTIER
a tense time for Ronnie Ramirez. The 59-year-old Atwater, Calif., resident suffered a massive heart attack a few years ago that left him dealing with a host of medical conditions and unfit to work a fulltime job. He
JANUARY 2014 Volume 32, Number 1
INSIDE this issue: Empowering readers
More on New Frontier Chronicle, the source of news and networking for The CHRONICLE PAGE 2 Salvation Army.
has since struggled to find work as an auto mechanic and had to supplement his wages with his Social Security check to stay afloat. His wife is unemployed and hampered by her own stockpile of health issues, and he’s left scrambling to scrounge up money for rent and utilities each month.
The case for online ministry
“In every way possible, we’ve become a corps like a local corps...” TECHNOLOGY PAGE 6
Mockabee takes reins as new SAWSO director
Reinventing the bridge from territorial funds to high-impact projects overseas PROFILE PAGE 13
Kenya holds first disability day
Salvation Army brings together many of its 12 schools and 12 units for the KENYA WEST PAGE 12 disabled. newfrontierpublications.org new.frontier@usw.salvationarmy.org newfrontierchronicle
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|Getty Images
Shelter from the cold
Escaping
conditions and finding community.
BY JOSIAH HESSE
W
henever a deep-sea diver travels too deep into the water, it’s essential that he come back up slowly. If he ascends too quickly he’ll suffer from the bends, a trauma that requires therapy in a recompression chamber. Similarly, the chronically homeless often have trouble dealing with transitioning from the independent yet insecure life of the street to the responsibilities and consistencies of a home and job. They need to come up gradually under the right conditions, and trying to manage
a compression chamber filled with 300 men all in different stages of that process requires a delicate and nuanced director. “There are guys who will come here and stay for a week or a month and leave, and then there are those who will stay for a year or more,” says Carlton Jackson, manager of The Salvation Army Crossroads Shelter for men in Denver, Colo. “But those guys who stay will often be the more stable part of the population.” Carlton explains that there are three residency levels at Crossroads. The unestablished newcomers will wait in line outside the building at 4 p.m., SHELTER PAGE 8
ADDRESSING PTSD P.O. Box 22646 Long Beach, CA 90802-9998
Bell Shelter introduces neurofeedback study as part of national movement. The Salvation Army
The whole goal is to help the client get
in 2013, the situation worsened. For more information“ILate visit our website: www.arcsalvationarmy.com sold our coffee table so I could get money for
BY VIVIAN GATICA Removed from battle, veterans face the emotional scars of war. Many face post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Salvation Army Bell Shelter in Bell,
Calif., houses 350 homeless men and women, of whom 100 are veterans. This got the attention of Carol Kelson and Ben Miller, founders of Advance Neurofeedback, who wanted to conduct a neurofeedback study on veterans with PTSD. According to Miller—who now volunteers at Bell Shelter as neurofeedback coordinator—the process measures the electricity within the brain via electrodes affixed to the
head of the patient. The measurements are displayed through video and sound, showing the brain what it is doing and teaching it to self-regulate when it is not functioning properly. “What we’re essentially doing is measuring the electricity given off by the brain at different wavelengths, feeding it through an amplifier, which then feeds it into the computer, and then we show it to them through a video game or movie,” Miller said. “The brain recognizes that it’s seeing itself moment to moment.” PTSD PAGE 14
gas,” he said. For years, Ramirez had known Steve Shelton, director of family services for The Salvation Army of Merced County. When Ramirez’s bills became unmanageable, Shelton suggested he apply for assistance through The Salvation Army’s Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) program. Formed in 1983, REACH is a utility assistance program operated by The Salvation Army that offers one-time grants of up to $200 to low-income households in danger of having their power shut off. The administrative branch of the program is entirely funded by the PG&E Corporation and Foundation while the program support come from PG&E customers, employees and shareholders, according to Nancy Udy, REACH executive director. REACH is based in San Francisco, yet service areas run to the Oregon border in the north and to Santa Maria, Calif., in the south, spanning across the Golden State, Del Oro and Southern California divisions. Since its launch, REACH has disbursed more than $105 million to more than 600,000 households through 170 Salvation Army service centers, making it the largest single-utility-funded assistance program in the country. Shelton said he directs about five to 10 Merced County residents a week toward REACH and that without it, a lot more people would be in trouble. Merced County is one of the poorest in the PG&E service area and all of California. Without the help Ramirez received through REACH, “I would have had no power or anything,” he said. While REACH was designed to benefit PG&E customers, 10 percent of the budget is allocated to assist clients using vendors other than PG&E. REACH beneficiaries can receive assistance up to once every 18 months. If they owe more than $200 on a bill, the assigned caseworker may pool resources with another utility assistance program in that area to cover the remaining balance on the bill. PG&E customers can also donate to REACH through their monthly bills.
out of a one-time emergency situation so that they can start off with a zero balance on their bill.’ —NANCY UDY
“It’s just something that they know is there, that can help them through a rough spot and get them back on their feet again,” Udy said. “The hope is that we help them so they won’t need assistance again.” While that’s not always the case, Udy said it usually gives clients time to save money to prevent future emergencies. “The whole goal is to help the client get out of a one-time emergency situation so that they can start off with a zero balance on their bill,” Udy said. “So that they can hopefully then have at least a month or two before they get another bill on their account.” Shelton said many of the people in Merced County—where one in four residents live below the poverty line—call to apply for REACH assistance after they have already received their 48-hour shutoff notices. “We’re really the last resort for a lot of people,” Shelton said. “Other than church, family and friends, it’s just The Salvation Army.” And while Ramirez, like many of the thousands of others helped by REACH, is still fighting just to provide for his family, he’s grateful for the timely boost. “I was in a bad spot; I still am,” he said. “We’re surviving on my salary and my Social Security but I just thank The Salvation Army for how they helped me.”|NFC
Applicants are eligible for REACH assistance if they have a residential account with PG&E in the name of an adult living in the household; demonstrate an uncontrollable or unplanned change in their ability to pay their PG&E bill; do not live in subsidized housing (exceptions: seniors, permanently disabled or terminally ill); have not received REACH assistance within the past 18 months; and do not exceed the REACH income guidelines, which are 200 percent above the federal poverty guidelines
THE SALVATION ARMY’S RELIEF FOR ENERGY ASSISTANCE (REACH) Launched in 1983 | Can assist with $200 of a single utility | Helped more than 604,000 households through $105 million in assistance | Assitance offered once every 18 months | Offered through 170 Salvation Army Centers
January 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 17
Page 12—New Frontier CHRONICLE •January 2014
50BOOKS
Through its schools, The Salvation Army in Kenya gives children with disabilities the opportunity to reach their full potential.
EVERY SALVATIONIST SHOULD READ
BY KEVIN JACKSON, MAJOR
(Frontier Press, 2013) by Rob Birks.
Somebody has to be no. 50. It’s not Bonhoeffer, but its postmodern approach introduces a new generation to some of the greatest poetry/theology in our history. Good stuff. 49|Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World
Children from the Kibos school for the visually impaired. FAR RIGHT A child creates beadwork with his toes at the International Day of Persons with Disabilities event.
(Baker Academic, 1999) by Robert Webber.
One of the first books to consider doing Christian ministry in the postmodern age.
| Photos courtesy of the Kenya West Territory
48|Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty
BY JOLENE HODDER, COMMISSIONER
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he Salvation Army in Kenya has a nearly 70-year history of service to disabled persons, particularly disabled children who are often rejected by their families and communities and unable to attend school. The Army runs a number of schools specifically for them, a place for each one to achieve his or her full potential. The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey estimates that over 10 percent of the nation’s population is mentally or physically disabled. According to the World Health Organization, this is primarily due to accidents (road and domestic), malaria, measles, congenital diseases and leprosy. The issue is compounded by a lack of adequate health care and the risk of abuse. The Lancet, a leading general medical journal, reported in 2012 that disabled children worldwide are at nearly four times greater risk of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or of neglect than children who are not disabled. Within this context The Salvation Army began work in Thika among the disabled in 1946 when it sought to assist soldiers blinded during World War II. That program grew into the country’s first education and training center for the blind. The Army’s Thika School for the Blind was so successful that it led to the founding of many different institutions across East Africa. In the Kenya West Territory alone, the Army today operates or sponsors 12 schools and 12 units for the disabled. While these programs are registered with the government, countless unregistered schools are run or supported by the Army as well. Many lack running water, electricity, books and other fundamental resources. Some schools do not have enough beds or adequate food for the over 5,000 children who come for help annually. Since 1992, the United Nations has promoted an International Day of Persons with Disabilities to encourage an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Thus, to highlight the Army’s work and empower its children the Kenya West Territory held its first International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebration on Dec. 3, 2013. Under the leadership of Major Eleanor Haddick, territorial social and sponsorship secretary, the students planned and led the event. They provided translation, music and enter-
(Beacon Press, 2009) by Mark Winnie.
Food is quickly becoming a severe issue in the U.S. again. We serve people who live in food deserts and should seek better ways to provide healthy, clean food to the people who need it most.
EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN tainment, gave tours of the school, and displayed arts and crafts. In total, 389 students from 10 schools and three units gathered at Joyland Secondary School in Kisumu for the festivities. Roughly 175 invited guests joined them, including family members, teachers, headmasters and territorial headquarters staff. Lt. Colonels Edward and Shelley Hill, from the USA Western Territory, were the international guests. “This is our time to shine and to show that it is not our disability that should matter, but our abilities, for we have been blessed with many,” said the day’s emcee, Peter Otieno, a physically-disabled boy from Joyland. “Today no one is excluded, but all are included because we are all God’s children. He has a plan for each one of us, and as Scripture says, through God all things are possible.” Visually-impaired students from the Kibos School spoke. “Although we may not be able to see well with our eyes, we do see with the heart, and our other senses are all heightened,” they said. “So we can sense the presence of God, and we know that, if we let him, he will use us to bring blessings to others. We do not want your sympathy. We simply ask that we be given the same respect and opportunities as anyone else so that we can take our rightful place in society. We do not want to be treated as different, but as equals.” Through Haddick, mentally-challenged students from Kuywa School and Shavahiga Special Unit asked attendees to consider their situation: “If you have ever felt lost, confused or unable to understand a situation, instruction or task, then you too have been mentally challenged. Being mentally challenged does not mean we are stupid or incapable of learning. It just means that new ways are needed to stimulate our
Personally, I loved the opportunity to dance with the students. There is something almost magical about dancing with children who have no legs, or who cannot hear the music, for it is as if they are dancing with their hearts.’ —COMMISSIONER JOLENE HODDER
47|Somebody’s Brother: A History of the Salvation Army Men’s Social Service Department, 1891-1985
(Edwin Mellen Pr, 1986) by Ed McKinley.
50|OrsbornAgain
A great overview of The Salvation Army’s work in the field of addictions. It’s a little dry, but it’s hard to find a better story. 46|The Book of Leviticus Don’t laugh! If you want to understand holiness as it’s lived out in community, here’s your book. 45|Rich Christians in a Hungry World: Moving From Affluence to Generosity (Thomas Nelson, 2005) by Ronald Sider.
Groundbreaking work on poverty in the world. Not liberal. Not conservative. Just the facts accompanied by solutions that can be accomplished by people of faith. Sounds like us. 44|Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Zondervan, 2012) by Timothy Keller.
A great resource for doing urban centered ministry in the 21st century. 43|Catherine Booth: A Biography of the Cofounder of The Salvation Army (Baker Pub Group, 1996) by Roger Green.
Only the greatest woman in our history and not a bad biography. 42|A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems 1979-1997 (Counterpoint, 1996) by Wendell Berry.
Amazing poetry about private reflections. Written each Sunday as Berry strolled through the local landscape. An argument that we have to experience God’s creation to really experience him fully with beauty, humanity, death, and hope for the future. 41|The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila (Digireads, 2009) by herself.
Spiritual wisdom and prayerful advice to people of faith. A great book for personal reflection among the hectic world we minister in. 40|The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out (Multnomah Books, 2005) by Brennan Manning.
A great reminder about God’s grace, as we seek to serve him through our demanding efforts. 39|Indescribable: Encountering the Glory of God in the Beauty of the Universe (David C. Cook, 2011) by Louie Giglio.
In The Salvation Army, we focus on hard work to make the world a better place. Sometimes it’s good to escape to the stars, and there is no better book to consider the heavens. 38|Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community (HarperOne, 2009) by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
A classic guide to the Christian faith lived out in community. BOOKS PAGE 18
Welcome to New Frontier Chronicle, the source of news and networking for The Salvation Army. When New Frontier began publication in 1983 as a pioneer in Salvation Army communication, it had the chance to break Salvation Army news in print. It’s a different media landscape today and we are adapting. According to the Pew Research Center’s The State of the News Media 2013 report, more Americans get news online than in print, but newspaper circulation remained steady (down just 0.2 percent). Simultaneously, digital audiences increased 7.2 percent. Over the past year, we studied our own readers, completing surveys of Western Territory officers as well as the entire current readership. From that insight comes the New Frontier Chronicle. We are now focusing on a digital-first strategy, which includes a reshaping of the newspaper. A monthly 24-page print edition will provide context, analysis and the news behind the news that you already know as a complement to the online presence at newfrontierchronicle.org. Both have a fresh look to reflect modern tastes and reading habits. In print, we will aim to empower
readers to communicate The Salvation Army’s mission through actionable and applicable content. Look for information from across The Salvation Army world, investigative reports that analyze effective programs and identify the unique features and trends for what works, tips to help your local congregation better engage in the issues of today, and influential voices on relevant (and sometimes controversial) matters. We will also provide heightened coverage of the top three areas of concern—education, immigration and health—as identified in our readership survey. Find daily Salvation Army news at newfrontierchronicle.org and—since nearly 90 percent of our audience uses Facebook as their primary social network—an increased attention to networking there. To connect and engage with our readers beyond the publication, we are planning writer’s workshops throughout the territory and town hall style events to discuss issues that matter to The Salvation Army. We hope to connect with you at these events. As always, our goal is to deepen engagement with you and provide quality content for you. Visit us online and tell us what you think.|NFC
ENTER TO WIN In honor of the launch of New Frontier Chronicle we are giving away
50 BOOKS EVERY SALVATIONIST SHOULD READ See the list starting on page 17 then visit newfrontierchronicle.org/ top50books for your chance to win the entire collection.
is published monthly by The Salvation Army USA Western Territory P.O. Box 22646 Long Beach, CA 90802-9998 Commissioner James Knaggs, Territorial Commander Colonel Dave Hudson, Chief Secretary
newfrontierpublications.org Member of the Evangelical Press Association EDITORIAL STAFF Robert L. Docter, Editor-In-Chief 562/491-8330 bob.docter@usw.salvationarmy.org Christin Davis, Managing Editor 562/491-8723 christin.davis@usw.salvationarmy.org Erica Andrews • 562/491-8334 erica.andrews@usw.salvationarmy.org Vivian Gatica • 562/491-8782 vivian.gatica@usw.salvationarmy.org Karen Gleason • 562/491-8332 karen.gleason@usw.salvationarmy.org Major Kevin Jackson • 562/491-8303 kevin.jackson@usw.salvationarmy.org Major Linda Jackson • 562/491-8306 linda.jackson@usw.salvationarmy.org Jared McKiernan • 562/491-8417 jared.mckiernan@usw.salvationarmy.org Diana Sanglab, Intern diana.sanglab@usw.salvationarmy.org ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA Shannon Forrey, Web Editor 562/491-8329 shannon.forrey@usw.salvationarmy.org LAYOUT AND DESIGN Kevin Dobruck, Art Director 562/491-8328 kevin.dobruck@usw.salvationarmy.org Adriana Rivera, Graphic Designer 562/491-8331 adriana.rivera@usw.salvationarmy.org ADVERTISING/BUSINESS Karen Gleason, Business Manager 562/491-8332 karen.gleason@usw.salvationarmy.org CIRCULATION Arlene De Jesus, Circulation Manager 562/491-8343 arlene.dejesus@usw.salvationarmy.org
ISSN 2164-5930