17 June 2017 NZFT War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION  17 JUNE 2017 | Issue 6669 | $1.50 On the Spot with John Campbell

Kim Workman: A Vision for 21st Century NZers Salvation Army Values:

DO THE RIGHT THING

Salvation Army Expands Horse Racing Chaplaincy

Is Everybody Sexting?!

The Lost Children Imagining a World Without Down Syndrome

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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

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

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All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated.

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Navigating the Down Syndrome world I met Jo when she was a teenager and I was serving with The Salvation Army in Australia. Jo was 23 when her second child was born with Down syndrome, just a few days before her eldest child’s first birthday. As well as being Down syndrome, Jo’s son is autistic and also has a severe congenital visual impairment.

When asked what it’s like to be the mum of a Down syndrome child, Jo says, ‘I have learnt to trust my instincts. If something doesn’t seem right, I listen to that feeling. That intuition has saved his life on several occasions, such as when a seemingly mild illness has turned out to be far worse.’

Jo says she’s become more accepting of people because of her son—more patient, more determined and more accepting of her abilities. ‘As a parent, I feel less competitive than what I see amongst my peers.’

Any of us would see that raising a Down syndrome child isn’t an easy road, but Jo says it’s brought far more positives than negatives. ‘I have met some of the most amazing people, not least of all my beautiful son. My life is richer because of him. My relationships are more real because of him. My other children are more compassionate, and generally more tolerant, than I ever could have imagined. I firmly believe I am a better person because of him.’

As debate grows around whether science will make Down syndrome a thing of the past, it’s important to hear from people like Jo. ‘A diagnosis of Down syndrome is not the end of the world; it’s the beginning of learning about a whole new one reserved for only a few. I almost feel privileged that I have had a chance to see into that world, and to walk with my son as he learns to navigate ours.’

Christina Tyson Editor

Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission.

Publishing for 133 years | Issue 6669 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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I don’t have a dis-ability, I have a different-ability.

Robert M. Hensel

Psalm 139:14 New International Version I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made …

Ngā Waiata 139:14 Ka whakawhetai ahau ki a koe; he mea whakawehi, he mea whakamiharo tōku hanganga …

Photo: David Wiltshire/Massey University

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rime and punishment reformer Dr Kim Workman, a good friend of The Salvation Army, received an honorary doctorate from Massey University last month. He put forward his vision of what it means to be a 21st century New Zealander. (Adapted with permission.)

I first came to Massey to study in 1974. As a Senior Sergeant of Police, and a Māori, I found myself caught between the competing factions of the decade on such issues as race relations, the anti-war movement, Māori development and women’s rights.

It was a decade of active listening, debate, reflection, and the occasional sound of a penny dropping.

In 1983, I took a paper in Women’s Studies. As the only male in a class of 68, I made myself invisible, listening as the women discussed the way they were routinely patronised and treated as less important than men by society, politicians and the media. It caused me to reflect on my personal attitude toward my wife and daughters, on Police reluctance to intervene in cases of domestic violence, and the lack of women in senior management.

That experience taught me two things. First, we need opportunity and space to talk within our own communities of interest—to raise consciousness and plan for challenge and change. Second, we need to create places to listen to ‘communities of the other’ —to constantly challenge our own attitudes.

So often, social policy is formed in the absence of external dialogue. No government in the past 30 years has, in developing criminal justice policy, seen fit to consult with prisoners. As a result, we have developed a ‘criminology of the other’, in which offenders are stereotyped as members of a dangerous underclass.

When we engage with others, miracles occur. Last year, I took part in conversations within the Mongrel Mob about gender awareness. A couple of months later, I was shopping at Countdown, and came upon a Mob leader pushing a shopping basket, mokopuna in tow. Mobsters don’t shop—that is for women.

I couldn’t resist and said, ‘Tama, you’re shopping!’

He replied, somewhat embarrassed, ‘Mātua, anything women can do, men can do better!’ I responded, ‘But you’re at Countdown—your whānau usually shop at Pak’nSave.’ He proudly produced his iPhone. ‘Ah, but I have this app. It tells me where the bargains are.’

At that moment, the shop supervisor rushed up. ‘Is everything all right, sir?’ she asked me. I was wearing a suit at the time, and Tama and I exchanged knowing glances. ‘No,’ I replied, ‘it’s not. My mate knows where all the bargains are, and he won’t tell me.’ At that we both cracked up, and the supervisor hastily retreated, not understanding we belonged to the same group.

There are people here who will scale Everest, who have the potential to be national and international leaders, and people of great influence. But we all have the capacity to lead. We may never see a nation fully restored. But from our own mountain top, situated in our own community, we can point the way for others.

Imagine the collective impact if each of us sought to change the way our community thinks and behaves. Imagine a nation in which strength is defined not simply by the capacity to engage in political and civil conflict, but by a determination to forge peace—a land in which all might come together in a spirit of unity.

BY KIM WORKMAN

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ONTHESPOT

QUIKQUIZ 1 Where in New

John Campbell National taonga John Campbell gives us a glimpse into his personal side.

Zealand are the Hundertwasser toilets located?

Secret indulgence Small things, like chicken fried rice from Happy Chinese Takeaways. And fish and chips from our local in Grey Lynn.

And bigger things —when he was little, my son and I would go down to Britomart and catch the first train that was leaving, then get off wherever he wanted, no matter what station it was, and then just walk and explore. He’s way too big for that kind of thing now. I miss it more than he does.

Celebrity Crush I have so many. Almost all of them musicians.

Music calms me, and makes me feel understood.

The great gift of music is when it speaks directly to a truth you had felt, but not understood well enough to articulate yourself. Sharon van Etten, Tiny Ruins, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Aldous Harding, the Flying Nun bands of my youth ... so many. I so often get crushes on musicians and bands. Unrequited, of course.

What I’m reading/watching I watch and read, constantly. Everything. Anything.

The discovery of something new and good is still a great joy to me. I’ve seen some great films this year: Moonlight was sublime. I’ve really enjoyed RNZ’s 9th Floor series. As an aside, TVNZ on Demand has some true local treasures: White Man Behind a Desk, Flat3’s Friday Night Bites, Auckward Love ... great indie work of a really high standard.

One thing I love Watching my daughter dance. Watching my son play rugby. Watching them both grow up.

One thing I hate I’m not a fan of bigotry. Or of people who lead privileged lives who are so lacking in intelligence and empathy that they don’t understand their good fortune is not universal.

Thing I most love about my job (as host for Radio New Zealand’s Checkpoint) The team I work with. And the people who let me tell their stories, who reveal themselves to be brave and big hearted. I’ve met so many. I can’t believe my luck. I’m immensely grateful to them.

Surprising thing about my job The Checkpoint team (there are eight of us) are absurdly noisy for such a small number of people.

And fuelled by cake.

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2 What comes after a million, billion and trillion?

3 What is special

about a manx cat?

4 What is the first name of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple?

5 What insect invasion made the Egyptian ground black?

Answers on page 22

Owning a cat can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by more than a third, researchers found.

Theology Lies We Believe About God Wm. Paul Young

The film version of Wm (William) Paul Young’s first novel, The Shack, was recently released in New Zealand—perhaps more interesting for its theology than its storytelling. And this is where Young shines—making difficult concepts about God accessible. That’s what this book is all about. It helps us puts words to misconceptions that can shipwreck our relationship with God. Some of the lies Young discusses include: ‘God loves us, but doesn’t like us’, ‘God is a prude’, and perhaps most controversially, ‘God is a Christian.’ Fascinating stuff, written with compassion. (Simon and Schuster)

Action Superhero/Fantasy (M, Violence) Patty Jenkins

If the latest, and vastly superior, incarnation of Wonder Woman doesn’t immediately become a feminist icon, then Xena was not a warrior princess. Director Patty Jenkins re-imagines Wonder Woman as Diana, goddess of the Amazons—fierce, strong and pure heroine. There are many subversive moments—like Diana being patronised by men she could literally crush under her killer heels. And I can’t help wonder whether a male director would envisage a frumpy secretary as the most likeable and scene-stealing character. Perhaps most subversive, though, are the spiritual undercurrents. When Aries, God of War, tells Diana that all of humanity is depraved, she answers, ‘Everything you say is true and more. But it is not what you deserve that matters, it is what you believe.’ (Reviewed by Ingrid Barratt)

Should We Be Working Less?

As society speeds towards ever-increasing productivity, economists are saying a shorter working week can actually strengthen the economy.

Earlier this year, Sweden finished a cluster of long-term trials experimenting with six-hour working days. The most prominent was with about 70 assistant nurses, who worked six-hour shifts for almost two years, for the same pay as their usual eight hours. One of those nurses, Emilie Telander, told the BBC that ‘during the trial all the staff had more energy. I could see that everybody was happy’.

This was backed by the research, which found that the nurses—working at an aged care home—‘logged less sick leave, reported better perceived health and boosted their productivity by organising 85 per cent more activities for their patients,’ according to the BBC. While the trials were criticised for costing too much for the economy, they also created more jobs and greater productivity.

The New Economics Foundation, based in the UK, has long been a supporter of a shorter working week—advocating for an even more extreme 21-hour week. ‘A normal working week of 21 hours could help to address a range of urgent, interlinked problems: overwork, unemployment, overconsumption, high carbon emissions, low wellbeing, entrenched inequalities, and the lack of time to live sustainably, to care for each other, and simply to enjoy life,’ it argues.

Show this story to your boss and watch them laugh. But seriously, perhaps it’s time we thought of our lives as less about producing—and more about living.

GOODSTUFF The ancient art of lamentation is being re-discovered as a way to process grief. A lament is a way of crying out our pain, and the tradition is being renewed in music therapy. Many of our most popular songs are modern-day laments—Adele’s songs connect with many because they express the raw emotion of lost love. The Bible is full of laments that speak of human grief. In Lamentations 3, the writer cries out that he is downcast, besieged and his ‘teeth have been broken by gravel’.

But he concludes, ‘Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.’ Therapists are discovering an ancient truth: that crying out our pain brings hope.

Don’t try to be perfect; just an excellent example of being human.

Tony Robbins 17 JUNE 2017 WarCry 5

The Lost Children With advances in screening for unborn children with Down syndrome, the future of genetic selection is now. This offers up grave questions about the value of people with Down syndrome, and of what it means to be human in the 21st century.

BY INGRID BARRATT

It’s estimated that around 60 per cent of pregnancies diagnosed with Down syndrome in New Zealand are terminated. This figure is likely to go up, with the Ministry of Health looking at introducing a new, cutting-edge screening programme.

Non-Invasive-Pre-Natal Testing (NIPT) has been hailed with excitement among the medical community, since a simple blood test can screen for Down syndrome with 99 per cent accuracy. In countries where NIPT is well established, rates of babies born with Down syndrome has reduced even further. In Europe, around 92 percent of pregnancies diagnosed with Down syndrome are terminated. And in Iceland, not a single baby has been born with Down syndrome in the past five years. Genetic selection is no longer the stuff of sci-fi. It is real, and it is here.

In New Zealand, the Ministry of Health is ‘currently undertaking policy work to consider the inclusion of NIPT’ in its public screening programme. Already available privately in New Zealand, it appears just a matter of time before this is publically funded. Which has left the Down syndrome community ‘sick and scared’, according to Mike Sullivan, head of advocacy group Saving Downs.

It’s hard to escape the irony that we are celebrating Disability Awareness Sunday on 18 June, while endangering the very people we claim to celebrate.

Genetic selection has profound implications not just for disability in New Zealand, but for us as a society.

Meet Vincenzo Vincenzo Vaccarino, 22, describes himself as a people person. ‘I am caring, helpful, independent and hardworking,’ says Vincenzo, who has Down syndrome.

He recently got engaged to his long-time girlfriend, with a proposal worthy of the silver screen. ‘It was a picnic at sunset in the rose garden at our local park.

I asked my friends to help me change the words of a Bruno Mars song, which they sang to Rachel. I also gave each member of our families a letter that spelt out “Will You Marry Me?”, and then I knelt down and asked her to marry me.

It was such an amazing feeling when she said yes,’ he recalls.

Vincenzo dreams of being a public speaker, advocating for people with Down syndrome. When it comes to the topic of termination on the basis of Down syndrome, he doesn’t mince words: ‘I think it is cruel. People should consider the rights of people with Down syndrome. We have rights —human rights!’

He adds, more reflectively, ‘It makes me feel bad and I feel very uncomfortable and very sad to hear that parents choose not to have babies with Down syndrome. I think people should let people be who they are, they shouldn’t judge people or try to modify people.’

Vincenzo doesn’t see himself as a person with a disability. ‘I am proud to have Down syndrome,’ he says. But adds, ‘Some people do [see it as a disability].

Some people bully me.’

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In the Western medical and economic model, there is an unspoken preference for people who contribute financially to society. This is often referred to as ‘ableism’ in the disability sector. According to Mike, this was formative in the genesis of prenatal screening, first introduced to New Zealand in 1968.

‘A lot of it was driven by economics, the cost of social care for people with disabilities, and the idea that people needed to be working and paying taxes in a functional, utilitarian way,’ he says.

GENETIC SELECTION IS NO LONGER THE STUFF OF SCI-FI. IT IS REAL, AND IT IS HERE. The Medical Model Ministry of Health policy states that ‘health practitioners must respect and support any decision made by women throughout the screening process’. But disability advocates argue that there is an inherent bias in the system.

If a woman is diagnosed with a Down syndrome pregnancy, it is mandatory for her to see an obstetrician who will inform her of the risks. But there is no mandate for her to connect with a support group. ‘Ninety-five per cent of what it is like to live with the condition can only be communicated by other people who have lived with the experience. If you’re not mandating any social support, how is that women are ever going to be fully informed before making the decision?’ asks Mike.

This means that for many women, the decision on whether to terminate is driven by fear and frightening statistics. It’s widely acknowledged within the Down syndrome community that many parents have felt pressured into terminations, and Saving Downs is currently gathering testimonials to present to the Ministry of Health.

Zandra Vaccarino—Vincenzo’s mother and national executive officer of the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association—agrees with Mike’s concerns. ‘We are extremely concerned by the prenatal experiences parents are sharing with us, as it indicates that screening is presented in ways that discriminate against people with Down syndrome.’

The medical profession currently finds itself in a situation where it can save the life of one child, while terminating the life of another. Kim Porthouse, a midwife who is also the 8 WarCry 17 JUNE 2017

mother of a child with Down syndrome, has experienced this up close. ‘I’ve seen women who are 23 weeks pregnant terminating a baby with a diagnosis of Down syndrome. At the same time, if someone miscarries at 23 weeks, we’ll do everything we can to save the baby.’ The official age of viability in New Zealand is 20 weeks.

Beyond Eugenics The end game of ‘ableism’ is ‘eugenics’—a belief that humanity benefits by improving the genetic quality of the human population. We don’t need to look too far in our past to see that a eugenic view has grave consequences. Eugenics was one of the ideas at the heart of the Holocaust, which saw the attempted eradication of the disabled, along with Jews, Roma (‘Gypsies’) and homosexuals.

We currently stand at the crossroads of history. On the one hand, we have learnt its lessons—we are more inclusive and accepting of people in all areas of life. Those living with Down syndrome have better life outcomes than ever before. In the 1980s, life expectancy was only 25, but with increased support, community inclusion and participation in mainstream education, life expectancy today is about 60.

Yet, selective termination for Down syndrome and other disabilities is modern eugenics in practice. In our culture, terminating a pregnancy based on gender or race is considered abhorrent—and rightly so. But ‘that in itself is a bias,’ explains Mike. ‘If you don’t terminate for gender, but do for Down syndrome, it is discrimination. It reinforces the view that certain types of lives are more important than others.’

Screening for autism is currently being developed. Will we begin screening out autism, just as we are beginning to understand it? This is the big black hole of genetic selection. In the future, will we screen out blindness and deafness? Unwanted facial features? An obesity gene? Will we live in a dystopian reality when only so-called ‘perfect’ human beings get to survive? This may seem alarmist, but we must develop a robust ethical framework to match the rapidly developing science.

And for people with Down syndrome, being screened out of existence is not alarmist, it is happening.

A hopeful alternative The worldview of Abrahamic faith communities offers a hopeful alternative. Since the foundational belief of Christianity, Judaism and Islam is that humans are made

in the image of God, these faiths give humanity an intrinsic value. Not every person can contribute equally, but every person is equally valued.

When I ask Mike what value people with Down syndrome contribute to society, he challenges the belief behind the question. ‘My worldview is that people are valuable for who they are, so the question of what value they bring to the world doesn’t seem like a legitimate question. You don’t have to defend who you are. Everyone has their strengths and challenges.’

But it is Vincenzo who answers the question best. ‘I don’t understand. What do you mean?’ he asks. What value another human life has is not a question we have the right to ask.

The New Zealand Down Syndrome Association Our Vision: People with Down syndrome are valued and equal members of their community, fulfilling their goals.

Our Mission: To work alongside families, whānau and carers to support and empower people with Down syndrome to realise their potential and aspirations through all life stages and within all communities.

Our Essence: Accept, understand, connect. www.nzdsa.org.nz

PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME. WE HAVE RIGHTS—HUMAN RIGHTS! Kim’s Story It was as a student nurse that midwife Kim Porthouse had her first experience of people with Down syndrome.

She did a placement at the Kimberly Centre in Levin, a home for the intellectually handicapped. ‘I was shocked by how all these people were in relationships, walking, talking, functioning well and shut away from society. It really challenged my beliefs, and I thought, “Why are they not in the community?” ’ When she became pregnant with her second child, Kim already knew that she would not be taking part in the screening process.

Her son Brendon was born prematurely at 35 weeks, after a traumatic emergency c-section that meant Kim had to go under general anaesthetic. ‘My first memory was being wheeled in to see Brendon in an incubator and asking, “Does he have Down syndrome? The doctor looked like he’d been slapped in the face with a wet fish,” ’ laughs Kim. This is something a lot of parents recall—the apologetic look on the face of professionals, when parents should be being congratulated.

Kim’s world fell apart. Brendon was born with a congenital heart condition—like nearly 50 per cent of babies with Down syndrome—and was confined to an incubator, fighting for his life. ‘Every mother has an idea of the life she is going to have with her baby, and I grieved the loss of the child I thought was coming. I asked, “Why me, why us, why my baby?” ’ But as she watched Brendon, tremoring and shaking, fighting to survive, Kim began to realise she did not want a life without him.

After three days, Kim was able to hold her son for the first time. ‘When I held him, all the tremoring, shaking and agitation just stopped and he relaxed. I realised that he knew me, and I just fell in love with him. I was besotted from that moment.’

Today, Brendon is 19. He loves music, swimming and woodwork—having completed coffee tables, bookshelves and planters. But his passion is cleaning—‘I get my house vacuumed nearly every day,’ laughs Kim. Brendon is currently doing work experience cleaning at three different facilities, and is living his dream of cleaning professionally.

‘I see the person, not the disability,’ sums up Kim. ‘He’s very expressive of his love, he’s very empathetic. He has abilities and things he struggles with—like we all have —and he deserves to be valued. Like we all do. His life brings me immeasurable joy.’

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People Pleasing We all like to get on with other people, but what do we do when we realise we’ve fallen into the trap of being a ‘people pleaser’?

Jesus went so far as to say, ‘Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you’ (Luke 6:26). Trying to please everyone all the time steals our time, energy and focus. And Jesus implies that even if we could manage to please everyone, it wouldn’t be good for us!

In his book Never Go Back, psychologist Dr Henry Cloud tells about when he visited US megachurch Willow Creek, which focuses on welcoming people who might think church is a boring or irrelevant place. Before the visit, Willow Creek and its founder Bill Hybels had been blasted by another church leader for being ‘shallow’ and ‘unbiblical’.

ALL OF US WANT TO BE LIKED, APPRECIATED AND VALUED.

Cloud quizzed Hybels about what he thought of this criticism, which was all over Christian media. Hybels said he hadn’t been aware of it. ‘I don’t pay attention to that stuff. Too many other things to do … I have to do what I feel God is telling me and Willow [Creek] to do and not worry about all of that junk. People are going to say what they’re going to say.’

When it’s Smart to Make an Unpopular Choice

Soon after, Cloud talked with another church leader who had been criticised. This man was spending lots of time phoning people to persuade them that he was a good guy. He had to have them like him, says Cloud, so defending himself had become his main thing.

Standing up to addictions or abuse, even if the addict/ abuser gets upset

These contrasting ways of responding to criticism caused the two men to expend different amounts of energy. One yawned and paid no attention, while the other was so consumed by the criticism that he spent all his energy trying to combat it, even though this distracted him from his real purpose. His critics had gained control of how that man spent his time and energy simply by criticising him.

The most important difference between the two, Cloud says, was that ‘one man believed he had to please people—all people; while the other focused only on pleasing God’.

All of us want to be liked, appreciated and valued. But that doesn’t mean that we must please everyone or have everyone like us! We all have different agendas, tastes, interests, beliefs and experiences. It is impossible to make everyone happy, even amongst your closest friends, Cloud says. That’s the reality of life!

‘Basically, the only way to avoid upsetting anyone is to believe, say or do nothing. Not a good option. Once you realise that, and really, really get it, something happens—you give up what is impossible, and begin to focus on what is good.’

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Choosing a profession that’s right for you, even when people want you to do something else

Leading teams and organisations so they reach their vision, even if people don’t get what they want Saying ‘no’ to a child who wants to do something that’s not good for them Making decisions that are right for your family, even if it upsets parents or in-laws Refusing to do an unethical, immoral or illegal thing that someone with power wants you to do Source: Never Go Back: 10 Things You’ll Never Do Again, by Dr Henry Cloud (Howard Books)

Smile at a baby, and you will get a different response than if you frown at him. But that does not mean that everyone who frowns at you for the rest of your life should all of a sudden become your master.

Dr Henry Cloud

TESTIFY! After 26 years in international development around the world Salvation Army Social Housing (SASH) National Director Greg Foster says he’s excited to make an impact back home.

After studying in the United States, my wife Fay and I worked in development in Bangladesh, Jordan and Tanzania before moving to South Africa, and Slovakia with Habitat for Humanity.

In Bangladesh, we worked on jobcreation projects focused on empowering women—you can still find products from these projects in Trade Aid stores in NZ today. In Jordan, we worked locally and in Iraq. Those were the days of the sanctions and no-fly zones in Iraq, but we managed to travel there regularly with medicine and food for those in need.

I have many Iraq stories, including from a time I was in Southern Iraq talking to farmers in a field. To get to the field we had to walk past piles of cluster bombs, and during the conversation an American plane flew over. Unbeknown to me, some Iraqi soldiers were nearby and they started firing at the plane, which returned fire. The farmers continued to talk as if this was part of their normal life. There wasn’t anywhere to run anyway! Never a dull moment.

In Tanzania, I was involved in a large micro-finance project before managing a Ministry of Health malaria project, where we gave out vouchers to pregnant women so they could buy discounted, treated mosquito nets. That project saved thousands and thousands of lives.

For every thousand nets you distributed, you saved at least three lives a year. We distributed over five million nets.

I then joined Habitat for Humanity, looking after their work in East Africa and the Middle East. Later, I headed up the Africa region, and then had Europe and Central Asia added. The region included 34 countries where we had operations.

Photography: AJ Johnston

HOUSING IS A HUGE CHALLENGE HERE … THE GREATEST DRIVER OF INEQUALITY. While with Habitat, we built thousands of houses, advocated for governments to accept pro-poor housing policies, and worked with many banks and micro-finance institutions to help them develop pro-poor housing products.

Seeing the difference housing makes in people’s lives is extremely motivating.

In Africa, we often worked with families impacted by HIV/AIDS. We’d be building houses for a grandmother looking after 20 grandchildren. Seeing them living in—you couldn’t even call it a shed, just something made of plastic—and being able to build them a concrete block home, it motivates you to want to do more.

I was doing a lot of travel for that job and we have family, including a grandchild, here in New Zealand, so we decided last year it was time to come

home. Soon after, a Salvation Army job came up in Wellington, which was where we wanted to be, and it was working in housing with a Christian organisation.

My job is to help look after the Army’s social housing portfolio of 322 social housing units, and grow this portfolio sustainably. We’re also exploring a huge number of partnership opportunities.

Our aim in Salvation Army Social Housing is to provide housing to the growing number of individuals and families that are in need of a decent place to live.

Housing is a huge challenge here, and in my opinion is the greatest driver of inequality. It is great to be a part of an organisation that wants to do something about this.

Getting individuals and families who were living in a garage or car into housing is, I believe, helping bring God’s Kingdom amongst us. This is what The Salvation Army and our Social Housing arm is all about.

FIND OUT MORE about The Salvation Army’s Social Housing | salvationarmy.org.nz/SocialHousing 17 JUNE 2017 WarCry 11

Is Everyone

Sexting?

BY INGRID BARRATT

It’s out of control, right? Everyone is sexting!

Well, no, actually. But sexting does raise important issues about our sexuality.

It’s easy to get the impression that sexting is everywhere, and everyone is doing it. Except you.

But heaps of studies have shown that hardly any teens are actually sexting.

Sexting has different meanings to different people—it could be a naked or partially-naked photo sent from your phone or online, it could just be a suggestive or flirty pic, or some steamy texting.

But when it comes to sending naked (or partnaked) pics, studies found only between 3–7 per cent of teens sext. So, whether you’re a Christian or not, you’re probably not sexting. Which is good because, honestly, it’s a dumb idea!

YOU ARE NOT AN OBJECT Here’s why it’s a dumb idea, number one: it turns you into an object. We tend to think of sexting as mainly guys looking at photos of girls. But, actually, among the few who are actually sexting, both guys and girls are doing it at about the same rate. The really surprising thing is that guys who sent sexts of themselves say they became more body conscious and worried about how they look.

When we put ourselves out there to be looked at like an object, we allow people to see us as just a body, and to be judged as just a body.

But we are so much more than that! We are intelligent, humorous, we have personalities and feelings and thoughts and spirituality. When we rob ourselves of all these other parts of who we are it badly affects how we see ourselves.

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SHARING IS NOT CARING Here’s why it’s a dumb idea, number two: you can’t control who sees it. There is a (very wrong) assumption among some guys and girls that if you send a sexy pic, you’ve given permission to share it.

Plus, guys and girls can sometimes feel pressured to prove themselves to their mates, and be persuaded to showing them a pic they know is meant to be private.

That could be one reason why it seems like everyone is sexting. Because even if only one student in your class has done it, a lot more people may have seen it.

It’s really important not to lay blame only with the person sending the sext. When we look at something online, it’s easy to comment on it, show it and joke about it, without giving any thought to how the person in the photo might feel. But how you treat other people online—even people you don’t know—says a lot about you as a person. Every human being is a child of God and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

THE MOST POWERFUL WORD This issue is actually a whole lot bigger than a photo or online comment. It’s the issue of consent!

If a person has not given you permission to share photos or anything personal about them, you’re violating their privacy and dignity when you do. And this is a form of harassment that hurts people.

Talking about a girl or a guy at youth group in a sexual way strips her or him of the power and ability to say ‘no’ to what you’re doing. It’s not over-the-top to say that, at its most extreme, this kind of behaviour leads to a culture where rape is considered okay.

SEXTING IS A DUMB IDEA! IT TURNS YOU INTO AN OBJECT, YOU CAN’T CONTROL WHO SEES IT, AND IT HURTS PEOPLE. LEARN THE POWER OF SAYING NO! The most powerful word in your vocabulary is the word ‘no’. You have the right to say, ‘No, I don’t want to look at that picture’, ‘No, I don’t want to look at your porn’, ‘No, I don’t want a beer, thanks.’ If someone tried to pressure you, that’s on them.

You don’t need to be awkward. Like, if they’re saying, ‘Whoa, sweet mangoes!’, you could say, ‘And great brains too!’ But if you need to take a more serious stand, do it! Remember, you’re the one who is being brave—you’re the one who can be proud of yourself.

If you’re in a relationship, never assume it’s okay to start anything intimate or sexual without asking first. If you want to kiss someone, ask, ‘Is it okay if I kiss you?’

Only if they say yes, should you go ahead. If they are unsure, or seem hesitant, consider that a ‘no’!

And if you’re the one who wants to say no, don’t worry about hurting their feelings. Don’t allow yourself

to be manipulated if they say things like, ‘What’s the matter, don’t you like me?’ You can like them and still not want to get into anything sexual. That is your right.

Learn the power of saying ‘no’ while you’re young and it will protect you until God brings along the person you want to say ‘yes’ to. That’s what marriage is—saying yes to each other, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Until then, there is a healthy way to express your sexuality that will feel safe and pure.

If you like someone and want to make a move …

• ASK whether it’s okay • LISTEN to their answer • RESPECT what they say and don’t try to change their mind.

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BUSINESS LEADERS DIG DEEP TO HELP END POVERTY It’s a hefty goal to end poverty in New Zealand over breakfast, but business and community leaders set out to play their part last month.

Journalist Mike McRoberts highlighted the human face of poverty in New Zealand as guest at this year’s Red Shield Appeal Breakfasts, attended by a total of around 340 people in Auckland and Wellington.

Mike was used to scenes of poverty and despair from reporting on war and famine zones around the world and had always felt lucky to come back home. ‘But what we’re seeing in New Zealand is a widening of the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

‘We’ve very, very lucky to live in New Zealand—but we need to ensure it’s lucky for everyone. And those who have been struggling to keep their heads above water in the past are now sinking.’ Abject poverty extinguished hope and left people without opportunities, he said.

Mike interviewed Nathan, a 28-year-old former methamphetamine addict who had struggled to get free from drug addiction after serving a prison sentence.

‘I was able to use The Salvation Army as my survival tool, instead of methamphetamine,’ Nathan said.

When Mike noted that a lot of people only sought help when they reached rock bottom, Nathan said his rock bottom had come ‘every second week’, with life becoming ‘an endless pit of despair’.

Nathan’s fears about his and his family’s future motivated him to reach out for help. ‘I realised quick smart I had to make a decision.’ His wife had accessed the Army’s welfare services in the past and she introduced Nathan. This led to recovery from addiction, stable housing and a healthier family life. His children now had respect for him and Nathan had seen positive changes in their lives too.

14 WarCry 17 JUNE 2017

Mike interviewed Sue Ellis, of The Salvation Army’s Royal Oak Community Ministries in Auckland. She and her husband were instrumental in Nathan’s turnaround.

‘I constantly marvel at the fresh start and the second chance,’ Sue said, describing their work as ‘a small link in a chain of Salvation Army services that give people that step up that is crucial’.

A television commercial created for the 2017 Red Shield Appeal re-enacted the true story of Rata, who struggled to build a life for her children in South Auckland. Sleeping in their car at a local park had seemed like ‘camping’ to the kids for a while, but Rata found a better solution once The Salvation Army became involved. She was helped into a house, provided with food and given support with budgeting and other needs.

Simon Marsh of Media Works, long-time host of the Red Shield Appeal Breakfasts, was at his polite but persuasive best as he asked the business and community leaders to open their hearts and wallets to help The Salvation Army fight poverty. ‘The Sallies are the doers, we’re the facilitators,’ he said.

His words were echoed by Sir Anand Satyanand, Chair of the Commonwealth Foundation and a past Governor-General of New Zealand. ‘The Salvation Army is surely one of those organisations with whom all New Zealanders can be comfortable and proud. Thank you from the community.’

Salvation Army Territorial Commander Commissioner Andy Westrupp thanked business leaders for joining the Army in its work. ‘The Salvation Army is made up of people like Nathan who have had a tough start, but have been able to lift themselves out of a dark place into the light. We could not do this without you!’

The People’s Pantry

Seen on Facebook

A new model for food bank services in West Auckland is restoring dignity to clients who visit ‘The People’s Pantry’.

Waitakere Community Ministries remodelled their food bank area into a supermarket-style setup, allowing clients greater choice about the food they receive.

After completing the interview process, clients receive a certain number of points per person in their household to spend.

With their points, clients can select toiletries, toilet paper, dairy products, frozen goods, and food stables such as bread, cereal, rice, sugar, flour and canned goods.

Operations Manager Naomi Layzell said clients really like the system, although some need encouragement about choosing what works for their family. Often families in poverty had choices prescribed for them and were ‘berated for making a bad or wrong choice or decision’. The People’s Pantry gave them a lot of dignity back, she said.

Staff also provide on-the-spot meal planning guidance, helping people to know what they can do with various ingredients. ‘It’s highlighted the need for a healthy cooking course, which we are now looking at doing in conjunction with our Money Mates programme,’ said Naomi.

The centre received a grant for the initial remodel of their food bank space, and a donation from Countdown allowed them to buy fridges and freezers to store products donated through The Foodbank Project (www.foodbank.org.nz).

The empowering supermarket model for food banks has been successful overseas, and it was a visit by previous manager Rhondda Middleton to Surry Hill Community Ministries in Sydney that inspired Waitakere to try it.‘The response we got from client feedback in our pilot trial was great. They loved being able to choose and plan their meals with the goods available.

They felt there was a lot less waste, as in the past they would have been given items that they would never use,’ said Rhondda.

Community Ministries (Social Services) and Māori Ministries teamed up to deliver 70 care packs to families in Whangarei, as well as providing a sausage sizzle for the Headley neighbourhood. This is set to continue fortnightly on Wednesdays.

The team at Booth Café in Mt Wellington (Auckland) decked out to support Pink Shirt Day and say NO to bullying.

Gregory Fortuin (National Director of Education & Employment), dropped in to show support.

A wonderful creation from the birthday celebration for Nelson Tasman Bay Corps (28 May). The theme for the celebration was New Life in the Spirit.

Happy faces from Suva Central Corps kids at this month's Eastern Regional Children’s Camp. Organised

by Lieut Visa Takayawa and team, with Capts Toloi Epi and Sera Toloi as speakers —‘changing lives and shaping saints.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK | SalvationarmyNZFijiTonga

GAZETTE

(l–r) Waitakere team members Christina Fa’avae and Deborah Ngaro.

Appointment: Effective 3 July, Addiction, Supportive Accommodation & Reintegration Services (ASARS): Capt Hana Seddon, Hēkeretari Manatū Māori ASARS (Secretary for ASARS Māori Ministry).

Capt Seddon will be relinquishing the appointments of Divisional Missionary Fellowship Secretary and Divisional Silver Star Secretary from 3 July 2017.

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Horse Racing Chaplaincy Expanding His partner phoned me and said, “Is there any way you can help him?”’

Andrew had been discussing the possibility of offering reduced bans to riders who agreed to do a drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme, and managed to arrange a trial for the jockey.

‘He’s coming up a year sober now and he’s riding like a young fella again.

Over the years alcohol was plaging him, but he’s just not looked back.

If I had to walk away from all this tomorrow, I’d be satisfied we were able to be part of his journey.’

It’s just one example of how the chaplaincy works, Andrew says.

And his ministry is starting to take off, having doubled in the past four months.

‘It’s huge, it’s growing and it’s getting more urgent. This is an industry of tens of thousands of people and there’s not one intentional Christian saying this is their place of mission —that’s massive potential.’

The country’s first racing chaplain is going full time as part of a growing Salvation Army work in the racing industry.

Based in Christchurch, Chaplain Andrew McKerrow became the country’s first horse racing chaplain two years ago, working part time before been appointed to work full time in the industry this year.

Through Andrew’s work, The Salvation Army Bridge has also signed a partnership with the Racing Integrity Unit (RIU)—which oversees rules and regulations for harness racing, greyhounds and thoroughbreds nationally—to be its provider of drug and alcohol rehabilitation services.

The agreement has seen a Salvation Army drug and alcohol worker in the Waikato appointed on an 18-month trial to work full time in racing, helping people in racing who fail drug tests, 16 WarCry 17 JUNE 2017

or are struggling with addiction issues and to support the board in its policies.

‘The board was saying they have a responsibility to police this issue and they were in a position where they were just punishing people, but not able to help them. I came in and said, “I’m really confident we can provide that part for you,”’ Andrew said. ‘As far as I’m aware there isn’t another sporting body that’s tackled this head on like this.’

The start of the agreement was a good example of the success of Andrew’s work, coming after one of the country’s best jockeys unexpectedly failed a drug test.

‘The positive test was confusing to him. He had an alcohol problem, but didn’t take drugs. He had probably been drinking the weekend before and unknowingly taken something.

In addition to going to race days, Andrew jokes that his work involves a lot of hanging around, talking to people and offering them chocolate.

He visits three or four stables regularly, as well as going to the jockey apprentice school and working one-on-one with people. ‘I have got about 15 or 16 people I’m working with individually on life issues.’

Although he started on his own, Andrew said he’s been inspired by the large and active racing chaplaincy community in the United States, which has welcomed and encouraged him.

He has worked hard developing a strong model of racing chaplaincy so others can take it on and help it grow, and is excited to see what the new role will bring.

‘I said when I started, “Give me six months, and if it’s not working send me packing.” The acceptance and the trust from the industry is huge. I’m confident we’re making a difference and excited about the opportunities in front of us.’

Leaders Recharge at Wairarapa Retreat A five-day retreat for officers and leaders took place at the Magnificat Retreat Centre in the Wairarapa from 22 to 26 May. The retreat is offered annually, with this year’s theme being ‘Homecoming’.

The rural setting and warm hospitality of retreat centre staff supported the desire for a change of pace and intentional time to meet with God, said coordinator Major Heather Rodwell (Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development). Daily teaching was given by a team of four spiritual directors around the theme of ‘Homecoming’.

‘Everyone was grateful for the opportunity to step back from the usual demands of their appointments to be renewed and rested through the focus of the week,’ said Heather. ‘The retreat offered participants space and time to explore their current journey with God, and also the opportunity to explore spiritual practices such as silence and new forms of prayer.’

Battling it Out at the Taupō Sevens The weather forecast was for heavy rain but nothing short of snow and hail would delay the start of this year’s Taupō Sevens sports event, says Major Robert Cope, Divisional Youth and Candidates Secretary for the Midland Division.

The combined North Island event on Saturday 29 April drew teams from as far away as Albany Bays and Miramar, and from New Plymouth to Gisborne. People played with passion, with pride in their corps, and for fun—and all without too many injuries.

‘It was a joy to see the spirit the teams brought to the field and the dedication of their leaders who invested so much in their people and the day. A true spirit of sportsmanship seemed to pervade the day, and respect for each other, the refs and organisers was notable and appreciated.’

The day’s trophies went to: • The Wooden Spoon: Hamilton City Corps (although the lowest scoring team, this is still a highly valued trophy!)

• Social Grade: Kilbirnie Corps • Recreational Grade: Hastings Corps • Competitive Grade: Miramar Corps (who defeated Johnsonville Corps after an epic game of football).

Sunshine and Sports at Southern Sevens The sun came out for the Southern Sevens and stayed out for the entire day—unlike 2016 when the entire event had to be cancelled. There was fierce competition, but a good spirit of sportsmanship and lots of corps support cheering teams on.

Nine corps participated in this year’s competition held at Timaru Girls High School on 22 April, with the Tasman Tacos

from Nelson Tasman Bays Corps coming first. The runner-up was Horsing Around from Sydenham Corps, with the Fair Play Award going to SLAM from Linwood Corps.

Timaru Corps ran a cake stall, with proceeds going to this year’s Territorial Women’s Ministries project in Sri Lanka.

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Care Follows UK Terrorist Attacks Commissioners Clive and Marianne Adams, The Salvation Army’s territorial leaders for the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, spent a day in Manchester to offer a listening ear to those in need of support after a suicide bomb attack on 22 May in which 22 people lost their lives. Commissioner Clive Adams said, ‘Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who have died, and our best wishes to those who are injured.’

A further Salvation Army presence was evident at St Ann’s Square in the city, a focal point for people mourning and paying tribute to those who were killed. Because many of those who lost their lives were children and young people, Divisional Youth Specialist Jonathan Hampton and a number of young Salvationists were present to offer support to the city’s young people.

Following the 4 June terrorist attack in London, Captain Ashish Pawar, whose Southwark Corps hall is five minutes’ walk from London Bridge—where the attack was centred—described the ‘blessing’ of being able to help people. Eight were killed and 48 injured when three men attacked members of the public.

When Ashish heard about the attack on Saturday evening, his first thought was, ‘We need to do something.’ He and his wife, Captain Sandra Pawar, opened the hall and prepared beds

Comm Clive Adams pays tribute to Manchester victims.

for those unable to get to their homes or hotels. Police used the corps’ toilet facilities, with others stopping by for hot drinks took the opportunity to charge their mobile phones and call families. ‘It was a privilege just to be available,’ said Ashish, telling people, ‘We’re open. You’re welcome into this place. No matter who you are or what your story is, just come on in and we’ll serve you.’

Church Calls G7 Leaders to Address Famine Not nearly enough is being done to save the lives of the 20 million people who face famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria. Among them are 1.4 million children, who are at imminent risk of death unless aid reaches them immediately.

The international leader of The Salvation Army, General André Cox, has added his voice to those of other Christian leaders in a strongly-worded appeal to G7 representatives as they met for a summit in Italy last month.

Co-signed by heads of the World Council of Churches and World Vision International, the letter said, ‘In this day and age, famine cannot be tolerated, not just because every human being is valued in God’s sight and has the right to eat but also because starvation singles out the weakest and most vulnerable from among us. It is the moral duty of wealthy nations to do all they can to provide life-saving funding and assistance and to work to end the underlying conditions that drive starvation: conflict, poor governance and climate change.’

To help turn its prayers into action, The Salvation Army is responding practically to address food and water security across Africa. In the Nigerian states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno, 40,000 people are experiencing the effects of famine—a figure feared to grow to 120,000 within one month.

A Salvation Army rapid-response team is focusing its initial efforts in a community that is hosting a camp for internallydisplaced people who have fled conflict and persecution.

Immediate food aid—rice, beans, wheat, noodles, cooking 18 WarCry 17 JUNE 2017

oil and salt—will be provided to 300 of the most vulnerable refugees. A full needs assessment is then planned of a further 18,000 residents in the host community who are also experiencing severe hunger.

Captain Godspower Anozie, Emergency Disaster Services Coordinator for the Nigeria Territory, says this was not just about food, but about ‘restoring hope for living’. The distribution will ‘save lives and preserve dignity’—particularly among females, many of whom had been sexually exploited and faced with the horrific choice of whether to sell their bodies for food or starve.

Meanwhile, thousands of famine-affected refugees from South Sudan will be helped by a proposed Salvation Army project in the Pagirinya settlement in the Adjumani district of northern Uganda. New boreholes will be drilled to provide access to safe drinking water. After training has been provided, the infrastructure will be handed over to a new community-led water management committee.

Around 2200 families will have improved sanitation because of the initiative, which also includes the provision of containers to store water safely and kitchen utensils to help improve nutrition and health. The borehole initiative follows the newly-finished construction of 20 toilets in the settlement, a project that will increase hygiene and safety.

Read the full text of the G7 letter | http://sar.my/geng7ity

Accepted into Training 2018 Andy and Lexee Dunlop, Gore Corps

Andy and Lexee grew up in Pukekohe.

They have been married for three years and currently live in Gore with their cat Toast.

Lexee started attending The Salvation Army Pukekohe Corps at 15 after her mother saw its sign one Sunday morning.

This was the first church Lexee had attended and a few months later she decided to become a Christian.

Andy and Lexee share a love of music and met through an orchestra they both played in. When they began dating Andy came along to Pukekohe Corps, and at around 19, he became a Christian too.

Andy was an apprentice mechanic when he first felt God call him to serve as a Salvation Army officer. He saw a poster of Lieut-Colonel Rod Carey’s call to officership, with the quote: ‘Instead of fixing brokendown cars, God placed a passion within me to fix broken-down lives.’

In 2014, Andy and Lexee moved to Winton where Andy worked on a dairy farm and Lexee trained to be a veterinary nurse. In some ways, this was an attempt to ignore God’s call to officership, but the call only got stronger. After a literal mountaintop moment, the couple fully surrendered their lives to God and said ‘yes’ to whatever God wanted them to do.

They feel privileged to have been able to serve as Mission Team Leaders at Gore Corps for the past two years years.

Andy and Lexee have had many blessings in Gore and have learnt a lot from the challenges they’ve faced, but they are excited to see what God has in store for their lives in the future.

INTERESTED IN EXPLORING OFFICERSHIP | salvationarmy.org.nz/SayYes

WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CRAWL DOWN OFF THE ALTAR. I love oxymorons. You know, those little phrases where two opposing words are put together in one phrase. Like ‘my sweet sorrow’, ‘seriously funny’ or even ‘military intelligence.’

The greatest oxymoron in the Bible is found in Romans 12:1, ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.’

Sacrificial animals in the Old Testament were skinned, sliced and then burnt at the altar. They were anything but ‘living’. Yet as Christians, we’re called to give ourselves to God as ‘living sacrifices’. And for a good reason! Unlike slaughtered lambs or bulls, we have the ability to crawl down off the altar.

I grew up in a small Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga that often sang the chorus ‘I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.’ This ends with the words ‘no turning back, no turning back’. I wish this were so, because in reality, we turn back regularly.

For even the ‘righteous fall seven times’, says Proverbs 24:16.

Because of our ongoing battle with sin and self, we always have the option to retreat. That is why Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’ (Luke 9:23).

No one knew better the pain of crucifixion than first-century Christians. They were eyewitnesses, and some were unwilling participants. Although the pain was considerable, at least the victim could only be tortured once. But the disciple of Christ must torture his selfish will ‘daily’.

Sometimes we—soldiers, officers, Christians—speak of this returning after a retreat event as ‘a rededication’, but perhaps this is far too beautiful a description for the painful re-crucifixion that must take place in our life.

Every day we must echo the apostle Paul’s declaration: ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loves me and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20), and ‘I die every day’ (1 Corinthians 15:30). Daily we ‘living sacrifices’ must determine to place our lives on the altar of God and remain there.

It is only on the altar that we are truly pleasing to God. So, as we strive to achieve our 2016–2019 territorial goals of Living like Jesus and Doing Mission Together, let us be ready to look deeper into our lives, our roles, our family, our corps, our division, and our calling. Are there areas where we need to return to the sacrificial altar and prayerfully offer ourselves again before Christ’s throne?

Captain Sila Siufanga Regional Commander, Tonga 17 JUNE 2017 WarCry 19

Trusted to do The Right Thing The Salvation Army value ‘Do the Right Thing’ sounds straightforward, but unless we allow ourselves to be guided by a clear standard, it’s so easy to get things wrong.

BY BEN MAXWELL

As someone with a university education in a humanities faculty, from my first day of learning I was taught that right and wrong are subjective and we exist in a word of moral ambiguity. As a law student, I was taught the existence of a ‘natural’ right and wrong that transcends all belief and philosophy—a common ground everyone can inherently agree on. Yet despite this, there’s much debate around what form such natural right and wrong takes and how it actually looks.

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Christians are fortunate to have a clear standard of how to live. It’s found in the life and teachings of Christ. Jesus provided the ultimate insight into how we should live, love and interact with others.

We are further blessed to have the Holy Spirit constantly guiding or nudging us in the ‘right’ way as we navigate situations and interact with people.

We are called to live the ‘right’ way by doing the ‘right’ thing. At no point do I claim to have arrived in terms of doing things right all the time, but it is something I aim for. And I’m thankful we serve, worship and love a patient saviour who chooses to persist with us even when we get things wrong!

God’s stewards When it comes to understanding what it means to do the right thing, an important

starting point is to acknowledge that God is the true owner of everything and is generous in allowing us some freedom to be stewards (or caregivers) of creation (Genesis 1:26–30; 2:15; Psalm 24). The Bible talks about how stewards have a certain level of expectation that they are faithful and can be trusted with what comes under their influence and control (1 Corinthians 4:2).

As part of being stewards of everything within God’s creation, we are blessed with resources of finances, talents, people and property. We’re expected to make responsible decisions in the way we look after these resources and act toward others. This mission value is therefore focused on how we behave in regards to these responsibilities, encourages us to do the right thing with the resources that God has put at our disposal.

In the book of Matthew (25:14–30), we are presented with an interesting parable that outlines something of God’s expectations around how we should use our gifts and resources. Three servants are given different amounts of money.

Two of them invest the money and make a significant return, but one buries it.

When their boss returns to find out what has come of his investment he is not impressed with the servant who did nothing and punishes him.

It can be hard for me to reconcile myself with this parable because I’m risk averse.

On some level, I think it was smart for the third servant to ensure he didn’t lose his master’s money. But that is not the key message Jesus wants us to take from this parable. Jesus wants us to understand the fact that, like each of the servants, we’ve been blessed with skills, resources and opportunities that God doesn’t want us to waste.

Since God has ownership of everything and we are only stewards, we should act in a manner that sees us utilise resources for God’s purposes and glory, not squander them. Good stewards will feel a compulsion to do the right thing with all that God has given them.

What about me?

I recently moved into a beautiful new flat in Wellington’s Island Bay. It has amazing views, but cops a fair whacking when those southerlies fly through.

One of the challenges in this new flat is our power bills. They have been increasingly going up, so I’ve been talking to my flatmates about being more power conscious. Now, I could let them cut down on power usage and not change my own behaviour, but that would not be the right thing and it wouldn’t show integrity. The greater challenge is leading through my own choices and behaviour, utilising our shared resources in a way that reflects character and discernment.

This is the right thing to do.

Prior to arriving in Aotearoa, I went through a period of unemployment —a hard period of my life. One thing I had to come to terms with was tithing (giving to church) when I wasn’t getting an income. It was easy in my mind to not give and keep living as normal. I had to consistently remind myself that the money I had was all God’s first and

that I needed to trust that God had my every provision covered. This was the right thing to do.

Working for The Salvation Army, I am constantly reminding myself that we need to be wise with the money that we have and use it in a way that ensures its maximum value. It’s easy to get caught up in an ‘entitled’ mentality and think we ‘deserve’ this or that, when really every resource is a blessing that needs to be treated wisely and with gratitude. Every camp, every work trip, every meeting is an opportunity to do the ‘right’ thing, to be wise in the use of our finite resources.

This is the right thing to do.

On the flip side, doing the right thing also involves acknowledging when we have done wrong. I’m not perfect, and when I feel I haven’t done the ‘right’ thing with my gifts, talents or resources, I ask for forgiveness and try to remedy this. Sometimes, this involves placing myself in the shoes of those affected by my decisions and asking: ‘How would I feel if this decision had affected me?’

JESUS PROVIDED THE ULTIMATE INSIGHT INTO HOW WE SHOULD LIVE, LOVE AND INTERACT WITH OTHERS. The importance of accountability So, here are some key things we can do to make it more likely that we really will do the right thing:

• pray about every decision • check out what God says in the Bible • be intentional about who speaks into our lives—seek good advice.

At work, I consult with teams and individuals to ensure good use of Army resources and that we give beneficial opportunities to empower people. I have a mentor back in Australia who keeps me in check to ensure my attitudes and behaviours reflect that of Christ. He will often suggest ways I can do things better or cut back on things that aren’t a good use of my time and efforts. Sometimes he asks questions that cut close to the bone but encourage me to be a better steward of all that God has entrusted into my life. All of this means I’m better placed to do the right thing.

I’ve been appreciating the informative reports that have been coming out about the Army’s Accountability Movement (http://accountability.salvationarmy. org). It’s great to see a priority is being placed on ensuring our Army structures are transparent and that we demonstrate integrity at every level.

I’m on a journey to continue to discover God’s will and leading for my life. Part of this involves exploring how to do what God wants in the ‘right’ way. I don’t think I’ll ever be in a place where I’ve reached the destination of always doing the right thing, but I’m comforted in the knowledge that God has this covered. I know that the more I become like Christ and surrender everything to him, the more confident I will be of doing the ‘right’ thing for God and others. Most of all, I’m humbled and blessed to know that God trusts us to do his will.

Ben Maxwell grew up in Australia. He works at Territorial Headquarters as Youth Programme Coordinator for The Salvation Army in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.

Learn more about our Mission Plan & Values | salvationarmy. org.nz/ MissionPlan

That last point is an important one.

Who around you is helping keep you accountable? Do you have people who encourage you to behave in the right way when it comes to your use of skills and resources, and in your dealings with people?

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Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 18 June: Upper Hutt Corps 20 June: 10-Year Review Dinner, Booth College of Mission 21 June: Spiritual Day, Booth College of Mission 21–22 June: NZ Women’s Leadership Symposium, Auckland (TPWM) 26 June: National Council of Women Workshop, THQ (TPWM) Colonels Willis Howell (Chief Secretary) and Barbara Howell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries) 30 May–14 June: Footsteps of Paul Tour

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Booth College of Mission, Upper Hutt

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Ending in itself Concurred Gains by contest Gathered money Unsightly Coaching Sources of information Bountiful Hog home

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Explanation Bowlers Like some glances Young plant

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Being Book before Romans Exceptionally tense Uses a lens Feigning

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Brave women Connections Improbable Weather Spread out Many layered vegetables 20 Restaurant activity 22 Place for portraits

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Gore, Grandview, Greymouth, Hamilton City, Hastings; Defence Force Chaplains; The Salvation Army in Zimbabwe.

www salvationarmy.org.nz/employment

Keeping Children Safe Training Mon 24 July,

Territorial Headquarters 22 WarCry 17 JUNE 2017

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salvationarmy.or.nz/shop Quiz Answers: 1 Kawakawa, 2 A quadrillion, 3 They have no tail, 4 Jane, 5 Locusts (Exodus 10:15). Crossword Answers: Across: 7 Circular, 9 Agreed, 10 Wins, 11 Collection, 12 Uglier, 14 Training, 15 Encyclopedias, 17 Generous, 19 Pigpen, 21 Definition, 22 Hats, 23 Stolen, 24 Seedling. Down: 1 Living, 2 Acts, 3 Electric, 4 Camera, 5 Pretending, 6 Heroines, 8 Relationships, 13 Incredible, 15 Elements, 16 Expanded, 18 Onions, 20 Eating, 22 Hall.

Find SALVATION ARMY JOB OPPORTUNITIES online:

Exploring the relationship between host and guest, and what our willingness (or otherwise) to make space and offer kindness says about our identity and practice as people of God in an increasingly extreme and self-interested world. Registrations open 1 July.

Thought Matters is hosted by the Tri-Territorial Theological Forum.

For more info Visit salvationarmy.org.nz/ThoughtMatters

Are you a Salvation Army officer or a manager in a Salvation Army social service centre?

Do you work with families in The Salvation Army? Does your role involve working with under-18s alone or with primary responsibility in a group setting? This training will give you vital information about how to recognise, respond and report if you suspect a child or young person is being abused or neglected.

‘This training was really good and exceeded my expectations. I didn’t think it would be relevant to my work, but it was and is. Thanks!’

‘Thank you for the session today—the training was thoughtful, informative and sensitive. Well done to the training team! This makes me proud to be part of a church that is taking this so seriously and with great, professional care.’

The Salvation Army is committed to ensuring that all children and youth who engage with our services are protected from abuse while in and outside our care.

To register, go to ‘Training’ on keepingchildrensafe.sarmy.net.nz

time to colour!

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. … It also loves peace.

It thinks about others. It obeys. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is fair.

It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not.

James 3:17 NIRV

God made our beautiful world— the things we see on land and the amazing creatures beneath the sea. And God can make our lives beautiful too!

All of us do ugly things sometimes.

We might say something mean to our brother or sister, get grumpy with Mum or Dad, show off to our friends, or ignore what a teacher tells us. When we take time to think about our words and actions we wish we’d been kinder.

But because Jesus is our friend we can ask him to help us spread the beauty of his love and kindness wherever we are. We can choose to make the world more beautiful by living life Jesus’ way.

Dear Jesus, I want to be someone who is kind and loving. Some days I need your help to do that. Help me spread beauty in the world by living for you every day. Amen.

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