2 December 2017 NZFT War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION 02 DECEMBER 2017 | Issue 6681 | $1.50

Help! My Kids Love Technology

CADETS HEATHER & IVO PYPER

Give Hope: Support Our Christmas Appeal Meet the Messengers of the Gospel

Caring for the Environment: It’s No Joke!

Her Freedom Song Conference

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WAR CRY The Salvation Army

Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL André Cox | FOUNDERS William

& Catherine Booth

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 Sam Coates, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS Ingrid Barratt, Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford | COVER Cadets Heather and Ivo Pyper,

Photography: AJ Johnston

OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box

6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Fax (04) 382 0716, Email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org, www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone

(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org, $75 per year within NZ

PRINT MANAGEMENT www.makeready.nz | PAPER Sumo Offset

is an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from responsible sources and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

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 134 years | Issue 6681 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online www.issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry

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2 WarCry 02 DECEMBER 2017

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Calling rebels, movers and shakers Seven New Zealand Salvation Army officer leaders will be commissioned and ordained in Wellington next weekend, which is great. But we actually need 16 each year to keep up with retirements and resignations.

I’ve been an officer for 26 years, but I still remember when my best friend and I used to go to commissioning events and mock the invitation for people to become officers. Someone would say something like, ‘It’s dark up there at the back, but it’s light down here on the stage … and God will light your path as an officer.’ And we’d award eight points out of 10 for creative persuasion.

God never ‘called’ me to become a Salvation Army officer in the sense of hearing a compelling voice or sensing some spiritual sealing on this as God’s chosen path. I simply saw officership as something I could do and wanted to do.

I still feel that way. So, if you figure officership isn’t for you because you haven’t ‘heard the call’, I’d suggest exploring it anyway. You may find officership a great fit for your passion and talents.

I want to put out a challenge to Salvation Army critics in particular. How about pushing past the institutional irritants and helping us recapture our mission heart? Our origin is as a church (or more accurately, ‘a mission’) for everyone, but especially those who don’t fit so well anywhere else. We’re for people who want to see lives transformed, to see servants lead, and who love it when God uses them in new and creative ways. If you’re perhaps a rebel who sees how The Salvation Army needs to become better, you may be precisely the type of mover and shaker we need to lead the way.

Christina Tyson Editor

You are to be a worker together with God for the salvation of your fellowmen.

William Booth

Romans 1:16 (New International Version) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes …

Rōma 1:16 Kāhore hoki ōku whakamā ki te rongopai: ko te kaha hoki ia o te Atua hei whakaora mō ngā tāngata katoa e whakapono ana …

This Christmas, you can give hope to those who need it most.

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his year it’s the turn of my wife and I to organise Christmas for the extended family. I enjoy it, but wow, it’s busy!

There’s so much to decide, so much to do and organise. Where are we meeting?

When? What are we eating: ham, chicken, turkey, salads? Food allergies? Is it child-friendly? Are we bringing presents? When do we open them?

Christmas is stressful enough when you’ve got enough. Yet for a growing number of people, there’s barely enough to get through the week already.

Over and over again, when speaking to Salvation Army Community Ministries staff, I’ve heard the same story. A story of rising housing and living costs that have left more and more people struggling to pay their bills at the end of the week. A story of increasing numbers of homeless people coming in, of people having to choose between going to the doctor and eating.

From July to September, The Salvation Army in New Zealand saw more than 10,000 people needing food parcels alone—eight per cent more than the same time last year. Over the Christmas period, more than 17,000 families in crisis are expected to seek help from the Army. For those families, their worries and stress don’t stop on Christmas Day. I wonder what Christmas looks like for them.

One of the conversations that stuck most in my mind this year was with a corps officer who was telling me about the sudden rise in elderly people from their neighbourhood coming in for help. She talked vividly about the indignity for people who had

lived self-sufficient lives, but now needed support.

She told me about a lady in her late 70s crying because of the shame and powerlessness she felt because—for the first time in her life—she couldn’t keep up with her rent and power bills, and still put food on the table. The memory of that conversation still makes me angry and upset. And so I wonder what Christmas looks like for that lady this year.

As Major Pam Waugh, head of Salvation Army Community Ministries, says, ‘How can we sit down to a nice Christmas Day meal, surrounded by loved ones, knowing there are thousands of families without anything to eat, let alone gifts under the tree? It’s not right and it’s time for us to front up and act as a community.’

At Christmas we want to remember the ultimate gift from God—it’s a time of hope, of refreshment and new beginnings. It’s also a time when we give gifts. The best gifts are meaningful and have a lasting impact on those who receive them. And so, this Christmas, The Salvation Army is asking people inside the church and out to give such a gift through our Christmas Appeal. As we’re phrasing it this year, ‘This Christmas you can give hope to those who need it most.’

You can donate to The Salvation Army’s Christmas appeal online at salvationarmy.org.nz or by phoning 0800 53 00 00.

BY ROBIN RAYMOND

02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 3

GOODSTUFF

A Touch of Whimsy Author Jen Gibbs grew up in The Salvation Army, and her new children’s books tell positive life stories, with a touch of whimsy.

Fresh from last year’s launch of her first book, She, Jen Gibbs has released a delightful set of three children’s books.

The Whimsy Primsy Collection is a set of beautiful stories that will engage and encourage children to believe in themselves and others.

Jen and her two older children, Elodie (7) and Seb (9), illustrated the books themselves over the course of a year using an iPad and Apple Pencil, giving the pictures a delightfully childlike feel.

‘For me as a mum, it’s fantastic to bring my kids on this creative journey from concept, through writing and editing, through to illustrating and production, to the physical book that people actually want and are excited about,’ says Jen. Well-loved children’s author Joy Cowley says, ‘Whimsy Primsy is every child who needs a little reassurance. These delightful books are real and empowering.’

Any Kiwi in London can spot a newbie on their OE: as they get off the bus, they call out a merry, ‘Thanks driver!’

Most Londoners know that’s not the done thing, and shuffle off the bus in stern silence—as is the London custom.

But Ali Holt decided she wouldn’t change: she would change the custom. She kept thanking the driver, and something unexpected happened: ‘One by one the people following behind me to get off the bus also thanked the driver,’ she told Daily Encourager. Within a couple of weeks, many people on her route were in the habit of saying ‘Thanks driver!’

What a simple way to brighten everyone’s day—especially an unappreciated bus driver.

Just play. Have fun.

Enjoy the game.

Michael Jordan

In the first book, Whimsy Primsy Runs Her Race, we are introduced to Primsy, a whimsical girl who begins a running race but takes a few detours. This is a book that inspires readers to be themselves, not looking to the right or left.

In the second book, Whimsy Primsy: Sad to Glad, Primsy is encouraged that things will get better as her friends join her one by one. This is a book that gently instils hope and shows the power of friendship.

In the third book, Whimsy Primsy: Love You More, a conversation between Primsy and her dad reveals, in ways both funny and profound, the depth of their love for each other. A heartwarming story that adults and children alike will love to read and re-read.

Books can be purchased individually or as a beautiful boxed-set. | jengibbs.com 4 WarCry 02 DECEMBER 2017

Weird of the Week: A US park ranger Roy C. Sullivan holds the record for surviving the most lightning strikes—having been struck by lightning seven times, and living to tell the tale. (Although he died of a selfinflicted gunshot in 1983.) USA! USA!

Drama, Festival & Independent Waru (M, violence, offensive language, sex scenes & content that may disturb) Various directors

Waru is not one story but eight—each connected through one life-changing event—the death of a Māori boy at the hands of his caregivers. While the subject matter is challenging, the eight perspectives are moving, brave and beautiful. It’s an unusual approach to filmmaking, with each director creating a 10-minute window into how Waru’s death impacts on a particular woman.

Instead of making the film feel segmented, this approach produces a beautiful film that’s seamlessley woven together. A brilliant cast of seasoned actors and first-time child actors give the stories authenticity. Waru is an emotional rollercoaster that challenges cultural assumptions, shows the connectedness between people, and the power of love and loss. A must watch!

QUIKQUIZ

1 Who is hosting the 2018 Football World Cup? 2 Who wrote Murder on the Orient Express?

3 What is ‘A & P Show’ short for?

4 Which reality TV show often uses Pacific Islands for filming locations?

5 Who did Peter heal of long-term palsy?

Answers on page 22

ONTHESPOT

Andy Murdie We’ve finally recovered from The Block final, so we thought we’d catch up with the winner.

Celebrity crush: Keanu Reeves. He gives a lot of his wage to the workers of the movies— eg, sound, camera, makeup—has also battled with massive personal tragedy, and still takes public transport to work!

What I’m reading: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

One thing I love: Snowboarding. I love the freedom and the crispness in the air.

One thing I hate: Loud eating or drinking drives me insane!

One thing that would surprise us behind the scenes of The Block: The amount of people that go into making the show and the awesome relationships you build with the camera person, sound guys and girls, and producers. It really is like being in a big family for three months!

Plum Tarte Tatin 600g ripe mixed-colour plums 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 120ml maple syrup 320g sheet of all-butter puff pastry (cold) 6 large scoops of vanilla ice cream

Serves 6 Total 24 Minutes

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Place a 26cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat.

Halve and destone the plums, add to the pan with 30ml of water, and cook for 1 minute. From a height, sprinkle over half the cinnamon, then evenly pour over the maple syrup. Place the pastry over the plums, using a wooden spoon to push it into the edges of the pan, and trimming off any excess to patch up little gaps, if needed.

Bake at the bottom of the oven for 16 minutes, or until golden and puffed up. Making sure you use oven gloves to protect your hands, confidently and very carefully turn the tarte out on to a plate bigger than the pan.

Dish up with nice round scoops of ice cream, sprinkle over the remaining cinnamon from a height and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Calories

Fat

Sat Fat

Protein

Carbs

Sugar

Salt

Fibre

297kcal

11.4g

2.7g

35g

13.9g

12.2g

0.9g

5.8g

5 Ingredients by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House © 2017 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited Photographer: David Loftus

02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 5

Heather and Ivo Pyper met (and fell deeply in like) when they were 14, but life took them on different and winding paths. Still hurting from previous marriages, and both with young children, they found their way back to each other. Next year, they will be appointed corps leaders at Upper Hutt Salvation Army, while in their second year as cadets.

BY INGRID BARRATT

H

eather and Ivo’s stories are as divergent as their characters.

Heather holds a quiet spirit and is slow to speak, while Ivo can easily spin a yarn. They come from differing backgrounds, and their journeys of faith took them in opposite directions. But today they stand as one, preparing to follow God’s calling to become Salvation Army officers.

Heather was brought up in a Salvation Army family—her parents Neil and Merle Adams are retired Salvation Army officers. Her brother Robert Adams and sister Christine Foreman are both officers as well. Was it just a matter of time until she, too, drank whatever was in the water where they grew up in Napier?

Surprisingly, Heather admits she struggled to believe in God as a young girl.

‘I grew up learning about God, but I questioned it a lot. I struggled to believe because God wasn’t tangible to me and I couldn’t see and touch God,’ she recalls.

Not that she outwardly rebelled.

It was at youth group that she first met Ivo and they dated for an entire year.

Ivo looks a little shame-faced as Heather jokingly describes how Ivo ‘dumped’ her.

Neither was heartbroken—they were 14 and simply got on with being teenagers.

By the time Heather was 20, she was dating someone else. She still attended the corps, and it still didn’t entirely ring true. All that changed during a ‘weird time’, when she was doing a stint as a counsellor at a US Salvation Army camp.

‘There was a lot of spiritual stuff going on at that camp,’ describes Heather. ‘It’s not surprising because we were trying to input spiritually into kids’ lives.’ One day, Heather walked in on a séance. Other strange things happened too.

‘I didn’t have a very strong faith at the time, but I remember waking up and feeling this presence on me. It was really scary, but I prayed and felt this release, and this peace came over me. I felt like some unhealthy things in my life were broken, and that completely changed me. I needed that tangible experience, and at that moment my faith became real to me,’ says Heather.

She married her boyfriend at the age of 21, and her faith continued to grow—she even went with her husband to Russia as a missionary.

How great thou art Ivo and his parents emigrated from the Netherlands when he was six. They were never interested in Christianity, ‘except with fists up in the air at anything religious’.

02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 7

But, when Ivo was nine, his mum started attending the local spiritualist church in Napier. ‘They would run church meetings on Sundays, and we would sing old school songs like “How Great Thou Art”. We did healing with crystals, and would pray that God would protect us from the evil spirits,’ he recalls.

Ivo has a vivid memory of a spirit channelling through one man. ‘He had a naturally high-pitched voice and all of a sudden his eyes rolled back and this big booming voice came out, giving a message. Everyone thought it was fantastic to be used in the spirit world like that.’

Yet Ivo does not judge. ‘They were just normal people, seeking,’ he says. Ivo recalls seeing people’s auras, and told his friends that he was psychic—much to their amusement.

But when Ivo was 14, his mother quite suddenly and radically came to faith through Christian radio station Radio Rhema. She tuned in to the local Napier station one day and rang up to ask for a pamphlet. The guy at the other end of the phone drove straight around and took her through a prayer of salvation. In a beautiful twist, it was a friend from her spiritualist church who invited her to The Salvation Army.

Ivo remembers his mum fully embracing her new faith and ‘throwing herself into church life’.

THERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN I FELT THIS PEACE THAT I CAN’T EXPLAIN, AND I FELT EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE OKAY …

One day, Ivo’s mum asked him to come along to church as a Mother’s Day present (very cunning, Mum!). After that, Heather’s brother Robert—the corps youth worker—invited him to a youth service. ‘There were all these girls there and I got heaps of attention from them, so I loved it. The guys were really friendly, and Robert was into surfing, so I thought he was really cool,’ recalls Ivo with a laugh. Robert hooked Ivo up with the local Christian Surfers group, who picked him up every Saturday at 6:15 am for a surf.

Ivo’s faith grew, and he committed himself to Christ. He starting dating Heather, and was quick to share his faith with 8 WarCry 02 DECEMBER 2017

friends, who also started going to youth group. But by the time Ivo left school, he says, ‘Youth group became a bit naff. I got more into surfing and went to polytech and drifted away.’

Ivo met the girl who would become his wife and they moved to Waiheke Island together. He was drinking and drugging, but never doubted the presence of God. ‘They say that Johnny Cash was the only one who could love Jesus and cocaine at the same time, but that was a bit like how I felt,’ he says. And God never stopped walking with Ivo—the week they moved to Waiheke, he met the local AOG pastor, who gave him a job as an outdoor plasterer and became a mentor and friend.

With two small children, Ivo found his way back to church.

Then, ‘just out of left field, my marriage busted up’.

Things fall apart In Russia, Heather was crying out to God as her life unravelled around her. She had just had a new baby, Noah, when her marriage broke up. ‘It was a difficult marriage, but in saying that, it was still a real surprise to me when [the break-up] happened. I didn’t have any support, but in some ways that was good because I just cried out to God and fully relied on him.

As I cried, there was a moment when I felt this peace that I can’t explain, and I felt everything was going to be okay no matter what the outcome.’

Returning to New Zealand, Heather found support and comfort in her family. She moved back to her hometown of Napier, taking a job nursing part-time, raising Noah, and rebuilding her life. One day, a blast from her past plonked himself down beside her at church. It was Ivo. He had been on his own bittersweet journey. ‘I remember being so angry when my marriage broke up, wanting to control the situation and not being a very nice person,’ says Ivo honestly. ‘I was just trying to stop the world from falling down around me.’

Every day, after working as a builder, Ivo would get home to an empty house, down some beers and ‘top shelf’ and ‘just lick my wounds’. ‘One day I fell to the ground and cried, “Oh God, I can’t do this anymore, I give you my wife and boys,” and I heard, “Stand up!” I felt instantly sober, and then saw in the Spirit this presence coming down over the whole room. And as it hit my head all these words came through like: “Forgiven, redeemed, if I am for you who can be against you, I love you, you’re my son.” It went down to my feet and back up again, and as it lifted off I felt light, like the burden was lifted.’

Ivo and his boys.

It’s a moment that profoundly shaped Ivo’s faith, knowing God’s love is there, no matter what. Like Heather, he began to rebuild his life. His ex-wife and two boys moved back to their hometown of Napier, and Ivo decided to move there to be closer to the kids. One Sunday morning, he visited Napier Corps, and there he saw a familiar but long-lost friend.

The fairytale

ONE DAY I FELL TO THE GROUND AND CRIED, “OH GOD, I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE, I GIVE YOU MY WIFE AND BOYS,” AND I HEARD, “STAND UP!”

From Ivo’s perspective it was love at first sight (the second time around). ‘There were butterflies, there was definitely still a spark,’ he grins. They met up for lunch with family and reconnected. ‘We made our intentions known towards each other pretty early on,’ he says. They had children to think about, and were burdened about ‘doing the right thing’. It was messy.

‘But it was a fairytale really,’ sums up Ivo. They have now been married for 11 years, and have had three more children together.

Finally, life was good. Ivo and Heather moved to Kaitaia to live the dream—with a house, fishing, a warm climate, good schools for the kids, and a nice plot of land. But there was a knocking at their door.

‘When we moved to Kaitaia we both separately had a very clear word from God about surrendering everything to God,’ recalls Heather. ‘Including everything I do and don’t like about The Salvation Army,’ adds Ivo. Heather had always felt that officership hung somewhere over the horizon. ‘It was something I always felt I would do.

Sometimes I thought, “Is it just a family thing?” But then I thought, “No, it’s more than a calling to The Salvation Army; it’s a call to God’s work, and he’ll use the vessel of The Salvation Army as our path.” ’ Ivo recalls standing on his deck in Kaitaia asking God for some kind of sign. “It wasn’t until [Salvation Army officer] Glenton Waugh told me to “shut up and listen to that still, quiet voice” that I stopped and I thought, “Well, I don’t want to be 67 and think, “I wonder if I should have become an officer.” ’ They decided to give it a go and see if the door opened. Fastforward to over a year later, and they are coming to the end of their first year as cadets at Booth College of Mission. It was a

shock to recently be told that from January next year they will finish their training as leaders at Upper Hutt Corps.

‘It was overwhelming,’ says Heather. ‘But I laid it bare to God and he gave me a clear word that he would be running the corps, not Ivo and I.’ Heather’s passion is simply to ‘see more and more people falling in love with God. That is the bottom line.’

Although they often feel inadequate, adds Ivo, he reflects on the Israelite tradition of reciting all the things God had done for his people in the past. ‘Even when I had little understanding of God, he was still there. Even though I haven’t always been faithful, God has been faithful. He hasn’t changed. So I can stand with Heather and the family, because I know who God has been in my life.’

For info, go to www.salvationarmy.org.nz/SayYes 02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 9

Help, my kids love technology!

We tend to freak out about our kids’ obsession with technology, but expert John Parsons says that keeping kids safe online is more about family values than screen time.

‘The best firewall a child has online are family values and a sense of self-worth,’ internet safety consultant John Parsons recently told Radio New Zealand.

It’s a surprising piece of advice. ‘It’s starts off line,’ adds John.

‘Being raised in a family where they are loved, compassion is used every day and parents self-regulate. A lot of the teaching occurs away from cyberspace, so when they do pick up technology, children use it more appropriately.’

According to the famous Dunedin longitudinal study on children as they grow up, self-regulation is one of the key factors for success in all areas of life. In layman’s terms, self-regulation is the ability to control your emotions, rather than be controlled by them. It is the ability to ‘act in your long-term best interest, consistent with your deepest values’, according to psychologist Dr Steven Stonsy. When a child takes this key life skill into the online space, they will be better judge of characters and at regulating their own responses.

At the same time, it’s important to allow children to make mistakes—whether online or in real life, adds John. ‘When you say, “You’ve put that picture online and you’ve ruined your life”, that’s not the way to deal with a victim. We need to demonise technology less, and become less dramatic when a child does make a mistake.’

Instead, John advises that parents nurture a home environment where children feel safe talking about what is going on in their lives. ‘Sit down at the dining room table and be open and talk to them, and ask them what is going on in their life. That’s a conversation we should be having throughout their lives,’ he says. Then, if their behaviour changes or you are worried for them, you can walk closely with them and talk to them about what is going on.

Parental protection software is easily available at any computer store—and parents should make use of these aids. In addition, ensure computers are used only in the lounge or shared living space. When children become teens, they will want more privacy, but by then you have already provided the guidance and foundations that will keep them safe online. The real work has already been done, away from the screen.

10 WarCry 02 DECEMBER 2017

How much screen time should my child have?

Brace yourselves parents, the American Academy of Paediatrics has recently put out guidelines about how much screen time our children should have each day.

0-2 years: Children under two should have no screen time! The main concern is that screen time can cause a disconnect between parent and child, so perhaps more realistic advice is to never use screen time as a replacement for your time together.

2-5 years: One hour a day. Children at this age can’t distinguish between cartoons, real life and advertising, so choose quality programmes like Sesame Street.

6+: At this stage, gauge your child’s screen time around their overall wellbeing. Healthy kids need 8–12 hours of school, homework, a least an hour of physical activity, social contact and play dates—as well as a good night’s sleep. If all else is in balance, some screen time can be part of their down time.

TESTIFY! If we all saw ourselves as humble learners, we would get on together a whole lot better, says David Wardle, education officer at Booth College of Mission.

I see life as a constant learning journey.

In fact, learning has been a theme of my life, having spent my career working in the teaching profession. I believe we start learning from our mother’s womb, and continue throughout life. Who we are today, is not who we were 10 years ago.

I was brought up in the very nurturing and loving environment of Oamaru Salvation Army Corps. It was a wonderful family environment and had a strong internal culture. I left to study at the University of Otago and Dunedin Teachers College. It was the first time I found myself in an environment where God did not seem to be valued or even considered.

Suddenly, I was in crisis because some of what I was being taught appeared to clash with Christianity. The wonderful, thinking people at Dunedin North Corps allowed me to wrestle with these ideas, until I realised they didn’t clash at all. Christianity actually fits really beautifully with science. But this time of questioning built a strong foundation for my faith.

IT’S VITAL THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO SERIOUSLY QUESTION THE ISSUES THEY ARE GRAPPLING WITH.

As a young man, I became very interested in children’s work—I taught Sunday school and ran after-school programmes. It felt natural to become a primary school teacher, and I still feel like teaching is a calling for me.

be in my family line. This is something that still lingers and I deal with on a daily basis. Caroline has been wonderful, but my family have suffered with it a lot.

There have been tough times. It takes its toll, but it makes you better, wiser.

I met my wife Caroline at my cousin’s house, literally across a crowded room.

It was love at first sight. I thought, ‘Man alive, she’s nice’, so I asked her out. Caroline is a teacher, too, so our lives have really been about education and learning.

It’s often the difficult things that strengthen our faith. That’s why it’s so unfortunate when churches discourage questioning. It’s vital that young people are able to seriously question the issues they are grappling with. Whether they’re social issues, science, the environment or sexuality—if we allow them to question, they can start working out their own theological beliefs and it

Years later, when I was working as a principal, I went through burnout. It triggered depression, which appears to

won’t be a shock to them when they are confronted with different ideas.

Yes, there is only one truth—we understand there is a creator God, who loves humanity, who saves and redeems humanity, and indeed the whole of creation—but how do we explain that to people brought up with a different world view? The church has always used different metaphors and analogies to make theology accessible, emphasising different things according to the context it finds itself in. So we need to ask ourselves: how do we point people to God in a way that is meaningful today?

That’s what we’re trying to do at Booth College of Mission. We are strongly teaching ancient truths and Salvation Army tradition, but we’re also giving cadets the ability to learn and find solutions to these sorts of issues.

I reckon if we all saw ourselves as humble learners, trying to figure all this out together, it would solve a whole lot of problems in terms of how we get on together. We are all on the journey of learning who God is, and what that means for us.

02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 11

When Jesus Gets Personal

BY SHAR DAVIS

If someone had told 14-year-old Chase Popping that by the time she was 20 she would be married, working in a local high school, running a church youth group and studying theology, she probably would have assumed you were under the influence of something!

Twenty-one-year-old Chase grew up in Te Awamutu, a small town near Hamilton. She’s one of six kids, three boys and three girls. A big and really close family.

None of her family is Christian, but Chase went to Catholic and Anglican schools. ‘I think my Dad liked the morals and values of Christian schools and the idea of me attending and learning in that environment. So I always knew who Jesus was, but I never had any kind of personal relationship with him. It wasn’t something my family knew about or what we did.’

She went to Waikato Diocesan School. And despite what some of us might think, you can’t earn easy NCEA credits for memorising the Bible. ‘We did stuff like look at different religions, but there weren’t many girls who were actually Christians,’ Chase remembers.

Chase met her husband Dan in 2011 when they were both 15. He invited her along to The Salvation Army’s Grandview Corps youth group where Captains Sue and Simon Stevens—corps officers at the time—began to mentor her, along with Dan’s family. ‘They all started speaking positively into my life and it felt a little weird at first. I wasn’t sure what it was all about, but I quite liked it,’ says Chase.

EASTER CAMP ‘I went to Easter Camp and then, with Sue’s help, started exploring what a relationship with Jesus looks like. In 2012, I decided I’d like to follow Jesus and make that commitment for myself—I wanted that personal relationship I’d been hearing so much about.’

Going to school with her new-found faith was a bit of a challenge at first, Chase says. ‘Going from a non-Christian to a Christian is really hard, because people have already formed their opinions and trying to change their ideas or views was quite hard. Having the friend group I did definitely had an impact on my Christian life.’

When Chase looks back on her life, she can always see moments in her life where Jesus was already present. ‘I used to go to Totara Springs Christian Camp and they would send me these blimmin’ Tim Hawkins prayer journals and activities in the mail. I’d be like, “Stop sending me these books!”, but I can see now 12 firezone.co.nz 02 DECEMBER 2017

that even with little things like this, Jesus was always trying to break through. But I was never ready; I was like “nah.”’

God definitely has a sense of humour, because in 2015, Chase met Tim when he was speaking at a Salvation Army Youth and Children’s Ministry conference. ‘It was a pretty surreal moment getting to chat with him. I would never have guessed I’d one day meet the guy from those “annoying” activity packs!’

Chase began volunteering at youth group in 2013 and really loved it. ‘It helped my faith grow heaps,’ she says. After finishing school she did a semester at Waikato Management School and was quite good at it.

‘But it always felt wrong and not what I really wanted to be doing.’

As with many of us, there were lots of different things speaking into Chase’s life and Jesus was trying to say ‘no’ to her plans she had for herself. ‘The more I tried to ignore him, the louder he got. He was saying, “You’re doing the wrong thing.”’

I WANTED THAT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP I’D BEEN HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT. YOUTH INTERNSHIP Grandview Corps had created the opportunity for a number of youth to become youth interns, which also meant doing some study at Carey Baptist College.

Chase signed up as one of three interns and was soon studying towards a degree in applied theology and youth pastoral leadership. All of this just two years after becoming a Christian.

‘I didn’t even know half the classic Bible stories,’ she laughs. ‘I would sit in class and go, “Yeah ... I ... know ... that.” I still don’t think I have as good a base of knowledge as those that grew up in the church in Sunday school. It’s been hard going from opening the Bible and finally knowing what Easter was, to having to do an exegesis [a critical explanation or interpretation] on a passage.’

Chase and Dan have been working both in their corps and at nearby Fraser High School. ‘I work 10 hours with each. Dan and I have been working at Fraser for three years as 24/7 youth workers. We do mentoring, youth development programmes and hang out, and Dan also coaches rugby.

It’s been a really cool way to connect with people from school and then at church as well. It’s allowed us to be a bit more in our local community and to be outward focused.’

These opportunities have worked because they tap into Chase’s main passion: working with young people.

‘I’m passionate about young people—young people not being defined by their backgrounds or upbringing. I’m passionate about the least, the last and the lost—but not in a really cliché way, I believe that is what Jesus has called me to.

I think that’s why I was brought to The Salvation Army as my first church to grow up in as a Christian.’

BELONGING FIRST Chase’s journey speaks to a common experience for many people today. They feel a sense of belonging in a church long before they actually believe in Jesus.

It’s from that place of belonging that belief happens, and then behaviour changes to reflecting a developing relationship with Jesus.

A number of young people from Fraser High School and the local community have started attending youth events at Grandview Corps, and mirroring Chase’s own experience, they have experienced a sense of belonging before coming to faith in Jesus—which a

number did at this year’s Midland Division youth councils.

We should never underestimate the power of belonging and mentoring in someone’s journey towards a personal relationship with Jesus. Dan extending that initial invitation to Chase to come along to youth group, and Chase having corps officers and significant others who were willing to speak into her life totally transformed her world.

So … whose life are you speaking into? Who can you extend an invitation to? How can you help someone belong before they believe?

02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 13

Chonny & Mike Bryan Children: Walter, Stuart, Eric & Paddy Entered training from: Far North (Kaitaia) Corps Appointment: Corps Officers, Papakura Corps

On Saturday 9 December, cadets of the Messengers of the Gospel, Ngā Kārere o te Rongopai, Session will be commissioned and ordained for ministry as Salvation Army officers in Wellington. This comes at the end of two years’ residential training at Booth College of Mission in Upper Hutt.

14 WarCry 02 DECEMBER 2017

Sung Woo (Beany) Cho Entered training from: Wellington City Corps Appointment: Assistant Officer, Waitakere Corps

Serving in Uganda

Andrew & Maree O’Brien Children: Jonathan-Caleb Christopher, Jesse-David, Christie Maree & Sarah Rebekka O'Brien Entered training from: Waitakere Corps Appointment: Corps Officers, Manukau Central Corps

Grant & Lynda Pitcher Children: Samuel, Eli & Kathleen Entered training from: Hastings Corps Appointment: Assistant Officers, Nelson Tasman Bays Corps

Leo Siwi Entered training from: Surabaya Corps, Indonesia Territory Joyful Intercessors Session

A well of living water is the latest step on a Salvation Army mission with a Kiwi flavour helping one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

Kiwi Salvation Army officer Major David Bennett and Major Peter White from Australia have been working with a Ugandan Salvation Army team in the Adjumani District of Northern Uganda to bring relief to thousands of refugees and the community they are living in. More than 1.3 million refugees and asylum seekers—mostly from South Sudan— are in the country, with thousands arriving monthly into northern Uganda escaping famine and war.

The team is working in three refugee settlements digging boreholes, and providing toilets and essential non-food items, including cups, plates, bowls, jerry cans for water and cooking pots. In Adjumani District, it is providing 76 toilets at Pagirinya settlement, home to about 34,000 people, and non-food items to 300 families at Maaji III settlement, home to about 17,000 people. They are also working at a newlyestablished settlement called Lamwo, in the neighbouring Gulu District, where all new refugees are sent. There they will be digging eight boreholes and providing 74 toilets and non-food items for 1200 newly arrived families. Lamwo has a population of about 35,000. A road washout on the most direct route means that it is a five-hour drive each way.

The team is also digging an equal number of boreholes for the wider community. The boreholes were a hugely valuable and life-changing part of their work—as they found when they finished their first borehole, David said. ‘We were able to be present when they flushed the pipes and declared the water clean. There were members of the community there who advised us more than 500 people will benefit.’

The team faced almost a month’s delay with paperwork problems when David and Peter arrived and some delays with the arrival of toilets and non-food items, but David said all the supplies have now arrived and distribution was well under way.

‘I like walking and maintain that the way to understand the people and community is to walk around it. I appreciate the smiles of the people and their warmth and friendliness —the children ask “How are you?”, want to touch my hand, and then run their hands up and down my arm. They have so little, yet are so happy.’

02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 15

Her Freedom Song Challenges In 2013, after being confronted about the extreme oppression women face around the world, Captain Sammy Millar created the ‘Her Freedom Song’ conference to challenge those injustices, raise awareness and spur people to action.

The third and final conference, held in Christchurch in October, gave 86 women a space to learn, grow, heal and connect through keynote speakers, workshops, worship and meals together.

This year’s theme was ‘Made for Freedom, Fighting for Freedom’, with guest speakers Sarah Scott-Webb, Carla Lindsay, Captains Hana Seddon and Sammy Millar. Commissioner Yvonne Westrupp and Lucy AitkenRead were among the workshop presenters.

Sarah, a global anti-trafficking and exploration advisor for SIM (Serving in Mission) opened the conference by reminding delegates that justice is a really big deal to God so it should be to us. ‘It’s not something that we can excuse because it’s “not my calling” or something we can just choose to let others do … we are called to seek justice in our own lives and the lives of others.

And where we seek justice, freedom will always come.’

The challenges kept coming as Carla asked ‘how did we end up here?’ She described some of the injustices experienced by many women and children around the world. ‘The world as described is not God’s plan. We need to ask [how we ended up here] because we need to make sure we don’t ever go back there,’ said Carla.

Using the opening chapters of Genesis, she unpacked God’s plan and how humans have distorted it over centuries. ‘Every human being stands on equal ground before God,’ said Carla. She challenged people to do their research, speak up and draw people back to God’s original plan.

examples, she called delegates to pursue change. ‘We have the power to change situations if we personally and collectively begin to work together … and become interested in what’s happening for people.’

On Sunday morning, Sammy declared that ‘fighting injustice is an act of worship’. She called for a unified approach that is motivated by love. ‘We rise up, we stand together and we fight against injustice,’ she said.

Sammy said this year’s conference was extremely challenging for many of the delegates as they grappled with the reality of what women around the world and in our own backyard face. ‘The success was twofold: a number of women stepped into and experienced personally the freedom that Christ offers, and many were inspired to fight for the freedom of others.’

Each conference raises funds for a specific project to improve the quality of life for women somewhere in the world. This year there were two projects: The Salvation Army’s awareness recovery programme in Northern India, and the Army’s Sisters Cafe in Kathmandu. Through some rigorous competitive bidding on art and jewellery throughout the weekend, as well as sales from Sydenham Corps’ Family Store, almost $3000 was raised to support these projects.

‘My hope is that through Her Freedom Song, women have been filled with faith, anchored by God’s hope, transformed by his relentless love and strengthened by his Spirit so they can fight against injustice and change the world,’ said Sammy.

In her second keynote address Sarah revealed the harsh realities of human trafficking—an industry that is about business, dollars and profit. ‘Human trafficking is the second most profitable illegal business in the world,’ she said, adding that trafficking is expected to take over from the trade of drugs and arms as the most profitable illegal business in the next couple of years.

Hana spoke from Amos 5:21–24 and asked what a ‘river of justice’ looks like. Drawing on her own experiences and bicultural

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Lt Naomi Holt & Capt Hana Seddon leading worship at the conference.

Love Changes Lives A weekend of building stronger relationships through recreation and sharing meals together was enjoyed by 180 people from The Salvation Army Hamilton City Corps at Totara Springs Camp, just out of Matamata. The theme of the weekend was ‘Love Changes Lives’, with the feeling of being part of a huge extended family commented on by many.

The weekend started with groups playing sport in the gym, people chatting over cups of tea, and others lazing in the pool.

Fathers were spotted strutting their sporting prowess against their teenagers at the start of the evening, but soon becoming spectators as their weary bones succumbed to injury and fatigue.

On Saturday morning we enjoyed the competition of a ‘Top Town’-style event with a mix of age groups in each team. There were balance activities, throwing challenges and relays involving water. Competition was fierce.

In the afternoon we headed down to the river where everyone enthusiastically took part in activities from kayaking, river tubing and swimming, to sitting under a tree chatting with new and old friends. The weather was spectacular, and it was great to see all the age groups enjoying each other’s company in such a fantastic relaxed setting. The faces of those who battled the strong current in their kayaks showed a sense of relief and pride as they reached the still water further up the river. This was a great practical lesson in resilience, and the strength we can have when encouraged by others who love and care for us.

Anyone who has visited Totara Springs will know about the challenge of jumping off the bridge into the river. It’s one of those experiences that rattles nerves, raises adrenaline levels and provides a huge sense of success once the challenge is overcome for the first time. Others recalled the significance of overcoming challenges like this from their past.

The Saturday night talent show was spectacular, with HipHop moves, singing, gymnastics, acting, dancing, ukuleles and card tricks. This was an opportunity for anyone to share their talent in an encouraging environment, and it was great family entertainment.

During the interactive worship time on Sunday, Captain Marcus Collings led a spontaneous, modern-day drama about the Good Samaritan related to the theme of ‘Love Changes Lives’. We were challenged about how this could relate to how we live our lives today, and as a follow-up activity made gifts for our neighbours back home. Worship closed with a Godhonouring time of small-group ‘Popcorn Prayer’. Since the camp, this concept has been taken on board by families, including those involved in our Changing Places and Parenting Dynamic Families programmes. Popcorn Prayer involves anyone in the group sharing a short thank-you prayer in spontaneous order, just like a bag of corn popping.

Campers said they enjoyed the feeling of being part of a community that really cares, with others saying it was a great opportunity to meet new people. Parents appreciated having the time to interact with their children without the distractions of meal preparation and chores. One person said, ‘Camp has completely changed how our family get on. I am so thankful for the opportunity. We feel like a family for the first time.’

BY CAROLYN SMITH 02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 17

Kia Kaha Tokoroa A practical adult discipleship programme—inspired by The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award and The Salvation Army’s junior soldiers programme—is having a positive impact in Tokoroa. Kia Kaha is a three-level programme where participants are required to complete a set of tasks and get them signed off by a mentor of their choosing. Each person is given a journal and encouraged to use it to record their thoughts, prayers and reflections.

The first level (Kauri) involves tasks such as explaining the meaning of six memory verses, choosing one spiritual discipline to work on, attending a home group at least twice over eight weeks, and participating in Sunday worship by taking up the offering or reading the Bible. Upon completion of level one, each person receives a Salvation Army tee-shirt.

Corps Officer Captain Steve Molen said the course is basic, but is having a great impact. ‘Each stage is progressively harder. For example, the next level (Tōtara) has generosity projects, reading through the book of Mark and then taking a quiz,’ said Steve.

The motivation to create the course was realising the corps had a ‘back door’ problem. ‘People were coming into the church and then disappearing out the back door without really committing and getting involved. It was a way of stabilising our congregation.’

Corena Tawhi-Amopiu is completing the final level (Rimu), and its impact on her own whānau is significant. She began the programme with her mentor and found it challenging and helpful.

Understanding the Bible and how to read it for the questions she had was a challenge. Her confidence in reading the Bible and

praying increased over the stages of Kia Kaha. ‘One of the challenges was to read the book of Mark. I was like, “Oh no, I’m going to have to read a whole chapter and have a test afterwards!” That was a big challenge.’

The role of the mentor makes a big difference said Corena. ‘You really need the mentoring part because it helps you know that you are on the right track, and if there’s something bothering you you can always talk it over with them.’

Mentor Riti Leilua said the change Corena Tawhi-Amopiu, in Corena is really evident to others.

Kia Kaha participant.

‘When she first came here she was a very shy person—she smiles a lot now. She’s confident in the way that she knows who she is in God now—she knows right from wrong,’ said Riti.

Corena’s husband Phil is also involved in Kia Kaha and the change in his life is significant too, having grown up in the gang culture. One of the women in the corps is currently teaching him to read and write, to help him be able to read the Bible for himself.

Steve said the programme is really quite simple, ‘It’s built around trying to build up their spiritual life, give them some good disciplines and develop their personal spirituality.’

Prophecy Coming to Pass At the Northern Division Māori Ministry Hui, Maraea Korewha of Whangarei Corps said she was greatly affected by what she saw happening in Te Ope Whakaora (The Salvation Army).

When she was young, Maraea heard a prophecy given to the family of God in New Zealand by some Christian leaders from different overseas nations. The prophecy was to the effect that God, Wairua Tapu, would call Māori to himself, that God would be the kaikaranga (the one who makes the call of welcome) to the marae, and that his Word would be declared on the marae.

As Maraea shared this powerful prophecy—now many years later —it was with tears trickling down her cheeks. Many of the Māori community who were caught in a web of pain and suffering were hungry for truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and ready to hear it plainly if it was experienced in a place where they felt safe and accepted, she said. And while ‘many churches were not welcoming or accepting we Māori as we are’, Māori were being loved and accepted in Te Ope Whakaora.

Maraea was seeing many Māori overcoming the poverty, addiction, violence and the turmoil that had enveloped their lives. Jesus’ words This was a prophecy stating that God ‘would manifest his presence that ‘he had come that we might in the centre of Māori culture,’ she have life’ were coming true in said, adding that ‘the marae is our ‘the Army that brings life—Te Ope Whakaora’, she said. heartbeat’.

18 WarCry 02 DECEMBER 2017

GAZETTE

Appointment: Effective 11 Jan 2018: Capt Julie Badger, Assistant Divisional Youth Secretary, Northern Division.

Effective 22 Jan 2018: Capt Bradley Carpenter, Assistant Officer, Supportive Accommodation Addington.

Effective 25 Jan 2018: Mjr Joanne and Capt Ross Wardle, Corps Officers, East City Corps, Northern Division.

Conclusion of Envoy Service: Sharyn Saggs will conclude her service as an Envoy and appointment as Corps Leader, East City Corps on 31 Dec. Bereaved: Capt Malia Siufanga of her oldest brother, ‘Aloisio Takapautolo Mu’asika, on 9 Nov from Dunedin.

Capt Shane Healey of his father, Russell Healey (Corps Sergeant Major of Invercargill Corps), unexpectedly on 14 Nov from Otautau.

Cadet Andrew O’Brien of his brother, Nofoaiga Iosua O’Brien, unexpectedly on 13 Nov from the Gold Coast, Australia.

Mjr Glenn Anderson of his sister, Bronwyn Joy Wilson, on 15 Nov from Wanganui.

Please uphold the bereaved and their families in prayer at this time of grief and loss.

Accepted into Training 2018

THE WAY WE LOVE OTHERS IS REFLECTED FROM THE WAY WE LOVE GOD.

Charlene and Jonathan Whybrow, Tawa Corps

Since arriving in New Zealand from the United Kingdom, my mobile phone has been the lifeline connecting me with family and friends as we have crossed to the other side of our familiar world.

Jonny immigrated to New Zealand in January 2014 and met Char at the Amplify creative arts camp a week later. After travelling and working in New Zealand, they moved to England for the Boundless Congress in July 2015 and spent two years living in Essex with Jonny’s parents. They moved back to New Zealand at the end of July 2017 and got married in August.

Char grew up at Tawa Corps, having attended there since the age of four. She was employed at the corps as youth ministry coordinator and office administrator, and finished as a full-time youth pastor. She has also worked as a barista.

Jonny has attended several corps over his life as an officers’ kid. He moved to Reading for university in 2007 and soldiered at Reading Central Corps for six years, serving in several capacities including singing company pianist. Jonny qualified as a secondary school physics teacher in 2012 and has been teaching ever since.

While attending Rayleigh Corps in Essex, Jonny and Char led the youth group and sung in the choir. They also had opportunities to lead meetings and preach at several other corps. They currently sing with the ‘Soul Praise’ group at Tawa and are serving in other small ways before heading to college.

Jonny and Char are very excited to continue our journey and serve in God’s Kingdom as officers. They are passionate about introducing people to God, helping them deepen their relationship with him and realise their God-given potential. This is the centre of their calling to officership.

Interested in Exploring Officership? | salvationarmy.org.nz/SayYes

The mobile phone is said to be the new ‘garden fence’ for chatting and sharing conversation. One of the familiar aspects of life I recognise here in New Zealand is seeing people walking around with their mobile phones—talking, texting, sharing in FaceTime to connect with loved ones, friends, work and other people in general.

Never before have so many people been able to connect together in so many different ways, and yet I understand people feel more isolated and alone than they ever did in the past.

Steven Spielberg has said: ‘Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or daydream, to imagine something wonderful, because we’re too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.’ Spielberg says technology interrupts—or distracts us—from our own story. But equally concerning is the way that technology can distract us from the cares of other people.

As followers of Christ we are all called to connect with others. Many of us can probably recall the story of our Founder, General William Booth, when he wrote the telegram: ‘OTHERS’.

It was Christmas Eve, 1910. Booth was near the end of his life and unable to attend The Salvation Army’s annual convention. It was suggested to the General that he send a telegram to be read at the opening of the convention to the many Salvation Army soldiers in attendance as an encouragement for their hours of work serving others throughout the Christmas season and the cold winter months. Booth agreed and, wanting to keep the cost to a minimum wrote that one simple word: ‘OTHERS’.

In this season of Advent we will all be in contact with many different people. We will either meet them personally, connect through some social media, or we will pass people as we are going about our day. May our focus always be on OTHERS, that outward attitude or forgetting self.

Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas, reminds us all that: Jesus was born for OTHERS Jesus lived for OTHERS Jesus died for OTHERS.

• • •

The way we love OTHERS is reflected from the way we love God. In the gospel of John, chapter 13 and verse 35, we read: ‘Everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ Stay focused on God and you will find this naturally brings you closer to OTHERS as well.

Colonel Suzanne Fincham Chief Secretary 02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 19

Care of our earth The meeting was billed as ‘The Care of our Earth: Three Faith Perspectives’.

Those attending were invited to hear what the Abrahamic faith traditions have to say about our responsibility as human beings to care for the earth that our Creator has given us to live in.

A Christian, a Jew and a Muslim walk into a Salvation Army church…

BY CHRISTINA TYSON

No, that’s not the start of a really bad joke. It happened in March this year when Wellington City Corps played host to a public meeting of three faith perspectives on the topic ‘the care of our earth’.

There certainly wasn’t a packed house, and looking around the room I remember noticing it was a fairly elderly crowd.

Without meaning to be ageist (I’m not that young myself!), I felt like a spring chicken in comparison to many in the audience.

Perhaps this was testament to how most religious people approach the issue of environmentalism in general, sadly. It’s something tangential that just a very few care about (hippies, old people, Greenies …) It’s certainly not a central concern. In this, I count myself complicit in apathy. It’s taken me almost nine months to share my thoughts on that presentation.

And so I return to that March evening with a heavy heart but a convicted spirit.

20 WarCry 02 DECEMBER 2017

The speakers were Dr Paul Blaschke, a Jewish ecologist from Otago University; Catherine Gibbs of the Catholic Institute; and Tahir Nawaz, President of the International Muslim Association of New Zealand.

Paul asked whether God’s instruction for humankind to have dominion (or rule) over the earth (Genesis 1:26, 28) had become a root cause of the current environmental crisis. He said that Jewish law prohibited wastefulness and wasteful consumption that damages creation, and introduced the Hebrew concept of tikkun olam, which literally means ‘repair (or healing) of the world’.

This concept was a reminder that Jews are not only responsible for their own welfare, but they are also to act responsibly and ethically towards the welfare of society and the interests of the wider environment.

It was also important, he said, to remember that in Genesis chapter 2, God tells humankind to ‘tend creation’.

To me, that instruction comes with the clear implication that we are meant to be the earth’s caretaker or gardener. The

Māori understanding of kaitiakitanga (guardianship and conservation) has a lot to teach us in this regard. God clearly calls us to be stewards, not selfish consumers who plunder the planet’s supply.

Reading further on in Genesis to the story of Noah and the flood brought the reminder that sinful human actions do affect the world, said Paul. And although God had promised to never again send a flood to destroy the earth, this was no guarantee humans might not cause their own destructive flood.

Catherine picked up on the idea that everything in creation is connected and emphasised that love was the central force for a truly Christian understanding of creation. When it came to looking at God’s instruction to have dominion, it was important to realise this was not about ‘domination’, but subduing ourselves to God. She noted that Pope Francis had spoken strongly against consumer lifestyles that suffocated the earth and robbed the poor.

Catherine’s challenge to faith communities was to experience ‘an ecological conversion’, a change of heart and mind that accepts we have a moral duty to our neighbour and to the earth.

She said a central Christian concern was the justice question of ‘what will protect and enhance human life?’

Tahir emphasised that in Islam exploitation is prohibited and sustainability is promoted, with an

understanding that caring for the environment and planting for food and other purposes is actually seen as providing charity for others. Because all shared the right to share the world’s resources, it was important for people of faith to see themselves as cultivators, not destroyers. Tahir gave the example of an Islamic leader who said: ‘I was sent to teach you about the Prophet and to clean your streets for you.’

A Jewish woman in the audience said while living as part of a largely Islamic community, she’d seen evidence of an integrated faith expression in the way people cared for the environment.

This was not something she had seen so strongly in the Judeo-Christian tradition, where environmentalism seemed to be regarded as an interest quite separate from one’s faith.

A lasting takeaway for me from this presentation was the realisation that if our faith is to have an impact in the world, it must not be caged and compartmentalised. We are not meant to shut our faith away in our churches, temples or mosques. Faith is meant to overflow from those spaces and be evident in the way we care for other people and for our environment.

Why don’t we care?

And so I return to the question: why don’t more people in the church care about the environment and take action against climate change?

In October, The Salvation Army’s Moral and Social Issues Council (MASIC) invited Jonathan Boston, Professor of Policy Studies at Victoria University’s School of Government to talk to the council on the topic of climate change. Jonathan is a long-time environmental activist (since he was a teenager), yet confessed to having a heavy heart that Christians are not taking more of a lead on climate change. Even more concerning was that the overwhelming amount of Christians either didn’t seem to care or were sceptics.

He’d even been told that ‘creation care is not part of the gospel’.

Jonathan suggested that some of the theological roots of this disheartening reality are the church’s views on eschatology, the part of theology concerned with death, judgement, and the final destiny of the soul and of

FAITH IS MEANT TO OVERFLOW AND BE EVIDENT IN THE WAY WE CARE FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT. humankind. Because Christians have the view that everything ends up okay in the end (God wins and we get to escape this dying world to live in a new Heaven and Earth; see Revelation 21:1), we may believe it doesn’t matter what we do in terms of caring for the environment, because the end game isn’t saving this earth or its animals anyway; it’s living in the new earth to come.

Theological views related to God’s sovereignty are another influence on the church’s apathy, he said. Because Christians rightly see God as the ruler of the universe—and also because we see that God is just and loves his people—this can influence us to believe that God won’t let anything really bad happen to us. Or if bad things do happen, it’s not for us to question what’s going on; we should simply accept this as ‘God’s will’.

This flies in the face of both human history and everyday reality. Christians have suffered—and are suffering—and it is clear that many are not afforded God’s supernatural protection. Suffering also has much to do with human cause and effect. It’s not correct to imply everything that happens must be permitted through God’s sovereign will.

Jonathan challenged The Salvation Army to allow its preaching, prayer and Bible studies to be impacted by concerns for the planet.

Pacific problems If we want to be obedient to Christ’s teaching to love God and love our neighbour, then in this part of the world we must recognise our neighbours are facing some heavy duty climate-related issues.

In its 2016 State of the Environment Report for Oceania, Hungry for Justice, Thirsty for Change, Caritas (the Catholic agency for justice, peace and development) reminds us that 2016 saw Fiji face the strongest recorded cyclone in the southern hemisphere and that Pacific communities are losing ground to coastal erosion and flooding, disrupting

food gardens, cemeteries and homes.

‘As the sea continues to rise … Caritas continues to hear more stories of whole communities moving because of these rising seas and stronger king tides,’ says the report.

Island nations like Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga are especially vulnerable, particularly as they suffer the ‘accumulated impacts of multiple extreme events such as cyclones, drought and intense rainfall’. This is leading to malnutrition that will have long-term impacts on health and education.

The Caritas report notes that although the Paris Agreement and its unprecedented commitment to addressing climate change gave much hope in December 2015, this needs to be backed up with concrete action. ‘New Zealand and Australia are still doing less than their fair share to minimise emissions, support the most vulnerable in Oceania, and take practical steps towards inclusive, global development that cares for both the earth and the poor.’

An old Star Trek-inspired cartoon comes to mind. It’s a picture of our earth with a speech bubble coming from it that reads: ‘Beam me up, Scotty, there’s no intelligent life here!’ This is meant as commentary on the lack of intelligent reason evident across the planet on any of a range of issues and probably at any time in our history. But perhaps it also typifies the way in which many Christians contribute to the challenge of caring for the earth: we think God’s going to beam us up out of here anyway.

Not my problem!

I hope fewer of us believe that’s how God sees things. And that instead we realise our responsibility as stewards and caretakers of this beautiful world.

The challenges facing the world and its people require more than a simplistic or escapist application of our faith. We must not be content to walk on by while those on the other side of the road (or on some other island) retreat from the peril of rising waters.

02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 21

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 6, 8 December: Territorial Executive Council, Wellington 7 December: Covenant Day, Booth College of Mission 8 December: Booth College of Mission Graduation, Hutt City Corps 9–10 December: Commissioning Meetings, Wellington City Corps Colonel Suzanne Fincham (Chief Secretary) 6, 8 December: Territorial Executive Council, Wellington 7 December: Covenant Day, Booth College of Mission 8 December: Booth College of Mission Graduation, Hutt City Corps 9–10 December: Commissioning Meetings, Wellington City Corps 17 December: Big Carol Sing, Wellington

PRAY

Waitakere Central, Wanganui City, Wellington City, Wellington South and Whakatane Corps; Northern Divisional Headquarters; The Salvation Army in Germany, Lithuania and Poland.

Want to Know More?

I would like:

Labour Weekend

19–21 October 2018

to learn about who Jesus is information about The Salvation Army The Salvation Army to contact me prayer for the following needs:

Vodafone Events Centre, Manukau, Auckland Name

New Zeal coincides with the National Māori Ministry Hui. Hui delegates will be hosted on a marae and travel together to New Zeal, with some separate hui-only activities.

Email Address Phone Send to: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org or War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141

22 WarCry 02 DECEMBER 2017

GIVE A GIFT ONLINE AT JUSTGIFTS.ORG.NZ Quiz Answers: 1 Russia, 2 Agatha Christie, 3 Agriculture and Pastoral, 4 Survivor, 5 Aeneas (Acts 9:33–34).

GIFTS THAT TACKLE POVERTY & INJUSTICE

colour in by matching the dots!

Wait for the Lord.

Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14 NIRV

Advent is the time before Christmas when the church remembers the whole world waiting for Jesus to be born. It’s also a time when we think about how we’re still waiting for Jesus to come back as the world’s ruler.

copy the christmas penguin!

Christmas is exciting! School holidays, time with family, Christmas presents and special food. Some of us will go away, perhaps camping or to have fun at the beach. There’s so much to look forward to and we wish we could have all that fun TODAY. But we have to wait.

Waiting is hard. Most of us don’t like to be patient and wait until the right time comes. There are times when we pray and want God to answer our prayer NOW. But God tells us to wait.

As you wait for Christmas Day, remember that God loves you and that when we can be patient and wait for God to work, good things come.

Dear God, as I wait for the excitement of Christmas Day, help me to remember when the world waited for Jesus to come as a baby. Jesus was a gift waiting for! Help me to be patient as you work to make good things happen in my life and the life of my friends and family. Amen.

02 DECEMBER 2017 WarCry 23

Friday 8 December, 7pm

Saturday 9 December, 2.30pm

Sunday 10 December, 10am

BOOTH COLLEGE OF MISSION GRADUATION

COMMISSIONING & ORDINATION SERVICE

Hutt City Corps

Wellington City Corps

Wellington City Corps

Cnr Cornwall St & Kings Cres, Lower Hutt

CELEBRATION SERVICE* 92 Vivian St, Wellington

92 Vivian St, Wellington

*CELEBRATION SERVICE will also include the Territorial Welcome to Colonel Suzanne Fincham (Chief Secretary), Colonel Heather Rodwell (Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries) and Colonel Melvin Fincham (Territorial Secretary for Programme).