Salvationist August 2019

Letting Go of the “Perfect” Body

Timothy Camp Program Mobilizes Youth Leaders

Nigerian Couple Makes New Life in Canada

THE VOICE OF THE ARMY

August 2019

Salvationist.ca

B.C. Congress and Commissioning Highlights

BETTER TOGETHER D.L. Deeks Insurance and The Salvation Army form a winning partnership.

Introducing the Group Auto & Property Insurance Program for officers & soldiers of The Salvation Army.

To receive a FREE no obligation quote on your AUTO-HOME-CONDO or TENANT Insurance through our Salvation Army partnership, please get in touch with one of our friendly customer service advisors.

Also, find out how you can earn AIR MILES® Reward Miles±.

Call 1-800-240-5283 or visit www.deeksinsurance.ca

D.L Deeks Insurance Services Inc. (“D.L. Deeks Insurance”) is a licensed insurance intermediary. Home and auto policies are underwritten by Unifund Assurance Company (“Unifund”).

Described coverage and benefits applicable only to policies underwritten by Unifund in Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Eligibility requirements, limitations, exclusions or additional costs may apply, and/or may vary by province. D.L. Deeks Insurance and Unifund share common ownership. D.L Deeks Insurance Services Inc. and logo is a registered trademark of D.L. Deeks Insurance. ±AIR MILES® Reward Miles awarded only on regular home and auto insurance policies underwritten by Unifund. At the time the premium is paid, one (1) Mile is awarded for each $20 in premium (including taxes). Miles are not available in SK or MB. ®TMTrademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co. and JI (for Unifund).

0229_0418

CONTENTS

Salvationist August 2019 • Volume 14, Number 8

Departments

20

North Korean Defectors Welcomed in Toronto

Ministry Continues for Chance Cove Retirees

What Does the Public Think of the Army?

THE VOICE OF THE ARMY

July 2019

Salvationist.ca

A Soldier in Two Armies

Sheldon Fox II serves at North Street Citadel and in the Royal Bermuda Regiment

Ke e p Connected

The Sound of Music

SAVED BY THE BAND P.16

Refresh Your Patio

Ke e p Connected

Dreams Into Realities

GREAT OUTDOORS P.23

ARMY HELPS P.19

Faith&Friends I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G

faithandfriends.ca

SUMMER 2019

Salvationist July 2019

Faith & Friends July 2019

Spider-Man:

• Santiago will never forget his summer at The Salvation Army’s Lac l’Achigan.

Far From Home

• Jeanette Levellie’s church had a choice: get irritated or help a needy soul.

WILL OUR FAVOURITE WEB SLINGER COME TO THE RESCUE? P.12

5 Frontlines

• Salvation Army camp is a powerful tool for evangelism and discipleship, says Lt-Colonel Lynn Armstrong.

Back in Action

In Far From Home, will Spider-Man come to the rescue?

• God didn’t promise that life would be easy—he promised he would be with us.

Dreaming of Freedom

Defectors from North Korea find faith, hope and community with The Salvation Army.

16 Not Called?

The Sound of Music

No Excuses

by Ken Ramstead

26 Cross Culture 27 People & Places 30 Salvation Stories

4 Editorial The Whole World Redeeming

by Geoff Moulton

13 Onward Shine Like Stars

by Commissioner Susan McMillan

17 Viewpoint

Find the two identical caterpillars.

This Month:

Hi kids!

Did you know that a butterfly doesn’t start off as a butterfly?

Every butterfly begins as a tiny egg that hatches into a caterpillar.

The caterpillar grows until it’s time to build a hardened shell around its body, called a chrysalis. While the caterpillar sleeps inside the chrysalis, its body changes and grows new parts. When it comes out, it has become a beautiful butterfly, quite a different creature from a caterpillar!

Did you know that you can become a new creature, too? Becoming a Christian means being more like Jesus. It means loving people, not hurting them; helping others, not being selfish.

When we follow Jesus, our lives can be beautiful.

In this issue of Just for Kids, you’ll meet the Apostle Paul. He was a follower of Jesus, but he didn’t start that way. At first, he didn’t like Christians. How did he transform into one? Read the story to find out.

ISSUE

28

• Get to know “Will and Kate,” founders of The Salvation Army.

• Try awesome summer activities.

Butterfly Bible Verse

Match the symbols to the words of 2 Corinthians 5:17.

who

creation

Christ

a

in

Anyone

believes

new

is

___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________

Your friend, Kristin

• Find out how Paul became one of God’s messengers.

• March into the Promised Land with Joshua and God’s people, the Israelites.

• Plus stories, puzzles, colouring, jokes and more!

Keep Connected

All God’s Children

by Kim Park

Columns

Just for Kids July 2019

This month on Salvationist.ca, catch a glimpse into life in Turkana, the poorest region in Kenya, through the eyes of Lt-Colonel Wanda Vincent, territorial secretary for women’s ministries in the Kenya West Territory.

24 Core Values

Home Truths

by Nico Avery-Weitzel

Thanks to The Salvation Army’s Canadian Staff Band, a couple turned to God.

Home Mission

The calling continues for retired officers in Chance Cove, N.L.

Answer: Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation

From Music Camp to Boot Camp

Sheldon Fox II shares his journey from Salvation Army junior soldier to colour sergeant in the Royal Bermuda Regiment.

Features 8 Messengers of Compassion Commissioned Canada and Bermuda welcomes 13 officers during visit of the General at British Columbia divisional congress.

by Pamela Richardson

Want to highlight Army ministry at your worship meetings? Take advantage of our “Keep Connected” promotional materials.

They include PowerPoint slides for on-screen announcements and bulletin inserts that summarize all the great articles in Salvationist, Faith & Friends, Foi & Vie (French version of Faith & Friends) and Just for Kids.

When the threat of violence forced Harrison and Evelyn Umudi to leave Nigeria, they made a new life in Canada.

by Kristin Ostensen

Download the materials at salvationist.ca/editorial/ promotional-material or write to ada_leung@can. salvationarmy.org.

18 Lead Like Timothy

Cover photos: Timothy Cheng

14 God’s Timing

The Salvation Army’s Ontario Camping Ministries mobilizes youth in leadership.

by Brianne Zelinsky

Read and share it!

25 Grace Notes

19 In the Drink

Daring Greatly

by Captain Laura Van Schaick

The Ontario government has made changes to the Liquor License Act—but who are these changes good for?

by James Read

Faith&Friends

Weighty Matters

by Darryn Oldford

16

Mouse in the House

EEK! P.5

Army Helps Mom

BABY SILAS P.14

Making a Difference

THE RIPPLE EFFECT P.22

I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G

faithandfriends.ca

AUGUST 2019

20 Options Open When Raqiya struggled to find a way forward after immigrating to Canada, until The Salvation Army gave her a Pathway of Hope.

by Kristin Ostensen

22 Crossing Boundaries The father who risked everything.

by Donald E. Burke

RICH FRONING JR. DIGS DEEP TO FIND HIS STRENGTH THROUGH FAITH. P.16

CrossFit Champ

Salvationist August 2019 3

EDITORIAL

The Whole World Redeeming

T

he General knows who delivers his pizza. When he calls up Hussein, the conversation is not just about pepperoni and cheese.

They joke around. He wants to know how life is going for Hussein and how his daughter is doing. His point? We need to form relationships with our neighbours—especially those who may be different from us.

“Who on the fringes of your world needs to know that you belong to the Lord Jesus?” challenged General Brian Peddle. “Do you have the desire to introduce them to the love of God?” A call to “embrace with grace” was the core of his Sunday message at the British Columbia Divisional Congress and Commissioning weekend. In June, we welcomed the General and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, World President of Women’s Ministries, to their home territory for the ordination and commissioning of the Messengers of Compassion Session of cadets.

For me, the most striking thing about the weekend was the rich diversity that was celebrated. The Friday welcome meeting opened with an Indigenous drama presentation that included drumming, dancing and singing in the Nisga’a tongue, an appropriate way to commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day. Later, in a historic moment, General

Salvationist

is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Brian Peddle General Commissioner Susan McMillan Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel John P. Murray Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Copy Editor and Production Co-ordinator (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 August 2019 Salvationist

Brian Peddle presented the first Indigenous Salvation Army shield.

It was created by Salvationists Alex and Michelle Stoney, and received

by Simogyet (Chief) Axigigii of the Gitxsan Nation, in response to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Another highlight of the weekend was the enrolment of 40 new soldiers, many of them from New Life Church, a ministry out of Vancouver’s Southmount Citadel to Chinese Salvationists in the Mandarin language. Also enrolled were Maan and Marwah Dabbagh, who escaped the devastation in Aleppo, Syria, with their two children for a new life in Canada. Look for their story in the next issue of Salvationist.

If you missed the congress and commissioning events, you can read the report on page 8 and watch the livestream videos at Salvationist.ca or our Facebook page (facebook. com/salvationistmagazine).

The diversity in our ranks is not limited to British Columbia.

In this issue of Salvationist, we also profile Raqiya, who immigrated to Canada from the United Arab Emirates and found support through The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope program in

Timothy Cheng Senior Graphic Designer Brandon Laird Design and Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769.

Member, The Canadian Church Press. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) © 2011.

All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory and can be reprinted only with written permission.

Edmonton (page 20). Elsewhere, we share the amazing journey of Harrison and Evelyn Umudi, Nigerian immigrants at Bloor Central Corps in Toronto (page 14).

Canada has often been likened to a cultural mosaic. It’s also an apt description of The Salvation Army. It takes people from all backgrounds to make up this Army of compassion.

GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Subscriptions

Annual: Canada $30 (includes GST/ HST); U.S. $36; foreign $41. Available from: The Salvation Army, 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto ON M4H 1P4.

Phone: 416-422-6119; fax: 416-422-6217; email: circulation@can.salvationarmy.org.

Advertising

Inquire by email for rates at salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org.

News, Events and Submissions Editorial lead time is seven weeks prior to an issue’s publication date. No responsibility is assumed to publish, preserve or return unsolicited material. Write to salvationist@can.salvationarmy.org or Salvationist, 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto ON M4H 1P4.

Mission

The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world. Salvationist informs readers about the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. salvationist.ca facebook.com/salvationistmagazine twitter.com/salvationist youtube.com/salvationistmagazine instagram.com/salvationistmagazine

FRONTLINES

Salvation Army Honoured by Canadian Church Press •• Service Journalism: Hope for the Hopeless by Brandalyn Musial •• Edition Layout and Design: November 2018. Designer: Timothy Cheng 3rd Place •• From the Editor: Armed and Dangerous? by Geoff Moulton •• Department: Ethically Speaking.

Articles by Major Doug Binner, Lieutenant Crystal Porter and Dr. Aimee Patterson •• Personal Experience: Defining Disability by Dion Oxford •• Front Cover: November 2018.

Photographer: Akil Simmons Faith&Friends

T

Salvationist.ca

1st Place •• General Excellence: Website Honourable Mention •• Use of Social Media: Editors: Kristin Ostensen and Giselle Randall. Designer: Brandon Laird

Faith & Friends

Salvationist

1st Place •• Biblical Interpretation: The Perils of Power/Daring to Lead by Dr. Donald Burke •• Interview: Holy Protest by Kristin Ostensen •• General Excellence: Magazine 2nd Place •• In-Depth Treatment of a News Event: Messengers of the Gospel by Pamela Richardson

•• Original Artwork: Defining Disability. Illustrator: Marc Audet •• Feature Photo: Kenya Dreaming.

Photographer: Joel Johnson •• News Photo: Who We Are. Photographer: Giselle Randall •• Feature Layout and Design: Kenya Dreaming. Designer: Timothy Cheng

COVER STORY

Rock of Ages HEAVY METAL LEGEND ALICE COOPER’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL ACT IS DEDICATING HIS LIFE TO GOD.

by David Goodwin Photo: Julien Zannoni © The Canadian Press

T

he Salvation Army’s magazines and website won 21 awards at the Canadian Church Press convention in May, honouring work published in 2018. Salvationist took home 14 awards, including first place in the General Excellence category; Faith & Friends received five awards and Salvationist.ca received two honours.

The Canadian Church Press includes representatives from approximately 50 member publications, including mainline, Catholic and evangelical churches.

Member publications were invited to enter in 32 categories. The awards were judged by accomplished journalists and academics from both the religious and secular media. All of the winners can be read at Salvationist.ca.

Music Man Alice Cooper in concert at the Salle Pleyel in Lyon, France, this past December

16 • AUGUST 2018

I faithandfriends.ca

faithandfriends.ca I AUGUST 2018

Rock of Ages, a Faith & Friends article about Alice Cooper, won first place in the feature layout and design category

• 17

1st Place •• Feature Layout and Design: Rock of Ages. Designer: Brandon Laird 2nd Place •• Biographical Profile: Fiddles and Family by Kristin Ostensen •• Photo Essay: Coffee, Cookies and Christ by June Li. Designer: Brandon Laird •• Humour: Article: Two Missiles to Paradise by Phil Callaway •• News Story: From Armoury to Sanctuary by Linda Leigh

Thrift Store Opens in Verdun, Quebec

he Salvation Army’s National Recycling Operations (NRO) opened a new thrift store in Montreal in May. With this store, located in the Verdun neighbourhood, the Army now has seven locations in the city.

Shoppers packed the store on opening day, after NRO personnel and Cédrick Beauregard, representing the local member of the National Assembly, cut the ceremonial ribbon.

“Thrifting with us is more than the feeling you get when you find a special piece; it’s also that feeling of knowing you are helping a neighbour who may have fallen on hard times,” says Michele Walker, director of retail operations for NRO. “We are so excited to be offering not only unique finds to add to your vintage collection, but to be supporting the young adults and families that have transformed Verdun in recent years,” Walker adds.

The Verdun shop is the second new Army thrift store location opened in Montreal within the last year, with plans for further development coming soon.

Cutting the ceremonial ribbon to open the new store are, from left, Michele Walker; Mark Pantrey, retail district manager for Quebec, NRO; Ted Troughton, managing director, NRO; and Cédrick Beauregard, director of constituency office and policy advisor for Isabelle Melançon, member of the National Assembly—Verdun

Salvationist August 2019 5

FRONTLINES

Conference Prepares Territory for Disasters

O

ne hundred and fifty Salvation Army personnel, representing all nine divisions of the Canada and Bermuda Territory, convened in Ottawa at the end of April to attend Mobilize 2019, an emergency disaster services (EDS) conference.

At Mobilize 2019, participants had the opportunity to receive training from the National Disaster Training Program, including operations, logistics, emotional and spiritual care in disasters, incident command system, and disaster food service and canteen operations. There were also various workshops on topics such as leadership, disaster fundraising, recruiting and retaining volunteers, and working with Indigenous people.

In addition, Mobilize 2019 delegates were inspired by a number of keynote speakers, including Dr. Frank Stechey, a forensic dentist who identified victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack. As he shared his experiences, he expressed his gratitude for The Salvation Army’s support during that time, saying, “You people are the only ones who got me through that. The Army was the only service organization in the pit with us.”

On the final night of the conference, several Salvation Army personnel were honoured for their exceptional service as the Sleeves Rolled Up awards were presented. Perron Goodyear, territorial EDS director, handed out awards to Ken and Cindy Wolfe (western region) and the Retired Ottawa Firefighters Association, represented by John McCarthy and Don Smith (central region). Louise Armstrong (eastern region), EDS coordinator for Saint John, N.B., was also honoured, but was not present to receive the award in person as she was leading an

I

EDS operation in her province.

John McEwan, divisional director of EDS, British Columbia Division, was given the territorial Sleeves Rolled Up award for his decades of distinguished service, receiving a standing ovation as he collected his certificate.

“With significant flooding in various parts of the territory, including Ottawa, the Mobilize 2019 conference was very timely,” says Goodyear. “Some delegates even stayed behind after the conference ended to assist with local EDS efforts, putting what they had learned into immediate practice.”

As part of the conference, Salvation Army personnel were honoured with Sleeves Rolled Up awards. From left, Perron Goodyear; John McEwan; Cindy and Ken Wolfe; and Lt-Col John Murray, secretary for communications

Mississauga Army Hosts Race for Hope

nspired by the popular television show The Amazing Race, The Salvation Army’s community and family services in Mississauga, Ont., held its first Race for Hope in May. This scavenger hunt-style race raised $4,500 for the Army’s food bank, which serves 300 families each month.

Six teams with five participants each competed in the race, representing ESC Corporate Services, Franceschini

Brothers Aggregates, Elevation Church, WynnFitness Club, The Taylor Made and Chan Real Estate Companies. When the teams arrived at Mississauga Temple Community Church for the race, they received a “passport” that outlined their destinations, leading the teams to various locations around Mississauga where they had to complete a challenge. One memorable challenge involved singing to seniors at a long-term care facility.

Participants in the inaugural Race for Hope gather at Mississauga Temple CC

6 August 2019 Salvationist

At the conclusion of the race there was a time of fellowship that included lunch, a presentation to the winning team and individual prizes. The winning team this year was ESC Corporate Services, which is also a major sponsor of the Army, donating $10,000 to the Christmas kettle campaign in 2018.

“The day was filled with enthusiasm, laughter, heartfelt giving and team building,” says Elena Pugh, fundraising and promotion co-ordinator. “Due to the success of this race, we have decided it will become an annual event, getting bigger and better every year.”

Along with raising funds, the race also raised awareness about The Salvation Army and its mission as people from the neighbourhood asked questions when they saw the racers.

“Raising hope and awareness for our community was at the heart of this event,” says Joel Binner, director, community and family services.

FRONTLINES

R

Ground-Breaking for Supportive Housing

esidents of Barrie, Ont., will soon have new options for supportive housing, thanks to a joint project of The Salvation Army and Redwood Park Communities.

The Army’s Barrie Bayside Mission and Barrie Citadel, along with Redwood Park, held a ground-breaking ceremony in May to mark the kickoff of the Family Short-Term Supportive Housing project. The $3-million housing project—a two-storey building featuring 12 fully furnished two-bedroom apartments—is being built by Redwood Park on Salvation Army property behind the citadel. Construction of the building is expected to take 18 months.

May’s ground-breaking ceremony included celebratory comments from city officials and staff from The Salvation Army and Redwood Park, along with key campaign donors.

“It’s an exciting day for us here in Barrie,” says Jeffrey Robertson, area director—public relations, Ontario CentralEast Division. “Joining forces with Redwood Park Communities

allows us to turn this community need into reality.”

The Barrie Bayside Mission will oversee the intake of families and provide formal case management and programming, and Redwood Park will care of the building, while offering supports through its family support team—a team that currently assists residents at their other 34 affordable housing units throughout the city.

“We are grateful for Redwood Park, the Bayside Mission and the Barrie Citadel family who, together, will help create a ‘family’ for those who call this community home,” says Robertson.

Regina Hosts First Hope in the City Event

T

he Salvation Army in Regina held its inaugural Hope in the City (HITC) event in May, welcoming donors, volunteers, politicians, religious leaders, business owners and influential community members to the Conexus Arts Centre for an inspiring dinner. The event was a celebration of lives changed through The Salvation Army’s community, family and social services in the city. It was hosted by Brit Dort, CTV’s Morning Live co-host/anchor, and featured guest speaker Meagan Jasper, who shared her personal story about her experience at Kate’s Place, which provides supportive housing for women enrolled in the Regina Drug Treatment Court.

Guests also heard from Mark Docherty, member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly—Regina Coronation Park; Major Shawn Critch, divisional commander, Prairie Division; Major Bruce Mac Kenzie, corps officer, Regina’s Haven of Hope Ministries; and Major Mike Hoeft, area commander, Prairie Division. Musical entertainment was provided by Big Sky Brass.

Representatives from The Salvation Army and Redwood Park Communities take part in the ground-breaking ceremony

Mjr Shawn Critch; Mark Docherty; Meagan Jasper; Brit Dort; Mjr Brenda Critch, DDWM, Prairie Div; and Mjr Rob Kerr, then DSPR, Prairie Div, share a moment at Regina’s inaugural Hope in the City dinner

Salvationist August 2019 7

Messengers of Compassion Commissioned Canada and Bermuda welcomes 13 officers during visit of the General at British Columbia divisional congress.

BY PAMELA RICHARDSON, PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY CHENG AND RAY SHUM

Commissioner Susan McMillan recognizes the first appointment of Lts Joel and Lynn Torrens

G

od is calling us to do more!” declared General Brian Peddle to Salvationists gathered for the British Columbia Congress and Commissioning 2019, held June 21-23 at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts in Vancouver. “We, his people, have to be battle-ready.”

The General and Commissioner 8 August 2019 Salvationist

Rosalie Peddle, World President of Women’s Ministries, returned home to the Canada and Bermuda Territory to share with Salvationists and lead congress events. Supporting them were Commissioner Susan McMillan, territorial commander, Colonels Edward and Shelley Hill, chief secretary and territorial secretary for women’s ministries,

and Lt-Colonels Jamie and Ann Braund, divisional commander and divisional director of women’s ministries in the British Columbia Division.

Musical contributions from the Canadian Staff Band (John Lam, bandmaster), the Mandarin Choir from New Life Church in Vancouver (Ling-Li Shieh, leader), the B.C. Lower Mainland

The Messengers of Compassion recite The Salvation Army’s 11 doctrines

Youth Chorus (Jon Michel, leader) and Regional Singing Company (Loriann Blackman, leader) added to the weekend’s celebrations.

Celebration of Diversity “Welcome to beautiful British Columbia and congress and commissioning 2019,” said Lt-Colonel Jamie Braund to the crowd gathered for Friday evening’s wel-

come meeting. “Tonight we will highlight the peoples of British Columbia, their music, gifts and talents.”

The program featured a tribute to National Indigenous Peoples Day as Indigenous Salvationists took to the stage for a dramatic presentation with drums and singing. Damian Azak, corps leader in Gitwinksihlkw, B.C., waved the Army flag as he led congress leaders to the stage, each of them with their arms outstretched as they joined the dancers i n a t rad it iona l celebration. “May we learn about the Indigenous peoples

General Brian Peddle shares his Call to Mission with the congregation

in the areas where we serve,” Azak said as he addressed the congregation, “and may we learn from each other.”

Captain Jason Dockeray, divisional youth secretary in the British Columbia Division, prayed God’s blessing on the weekend and thanked him for what he is doing “in our lives and in this great province of British Columbia.”

Responding to their introduction by the territorial commander, Commissioner Rosalie Peddle spoke on behalf of herself and the General. “There is a fresh wind of God’s Holy Spirit moving across our international Salvation Army. God is doing some great things.”

The General and Commissioner McMillan then stepped forward to

Commissioner Rosalie Peddle expresses her excitement at being home in Canada

Salvationist August 2019 9

Mjr Andrew Morgan, training principal, commends the Messengers of Compassion to the territorial commander

Headquarters and will be displayed in corps in Gitsegukla, Sik-e-Dakh and Hazelton, B.C. The international leader presented a plaque with the new shield to Simogyet (Chief) Axigigii of the Gitxsan Nation, the grandmother of Indigenous Salvationists Alex Stoney, who envisioned it, and Michelle Stoney, who crafted it. The design represents Salvation Army ministries within the Gitxsan Nation. It was fitting that the Canadian Staff Band then played Major Len Ballantine’s Nisga’a Lullaby.

Dedicated to God’s Work “God is calling upon you to shine like stars in the universe, to permeate the darkness, to somehow bring the balm of Gilead to the brokenness of the world,” General Brian Peddle told the Messengers of Compassion following their ordination and commissioning on Saturday evening.

The sacred service began with Colonel Edward Hill leading a responsive call to worship before the Messengers of Compassion entered the auditorium behind their sessional flag. The cadets took their places on the stage as the

Photo: Kristin Ostensen

present two individuals with special awards recognizing the contributions they have made to The Salvation Army.

The Distinguished Order of Auxiliary Service was presented to Andrew Lennox, chair of the National Advisory Board, and an Award of Exceptional Service to Salvationist David Kang for his faithful ministry in Toronto and Korea.

The General and Commissioner McM i l la n a l so u nvei led a new Salvation Army Gitxsan Shield which has been approved by International

Lt Kassie Van Every delivers the valedictory address on behalf of her session-mates

Colonel Edward Hill stands before the cadets as they recite the Army’s 11 doctrines

10 August 2019 Salvationist

General Brian Peddle walks Heather Ramsay through her Junior Soldier Promise

Canadian Staff Band played Beauty for Brokenness. The congregation stood to sing with the cadets the prayer found in the words of the song: “God of the poor, friend of the weak, give us compassion we pray.”

Major Andrew Morgan, training principal, commended the Messengers of Compassion to the territorial commander. “I believe these cadets are equipped to meet human needs and to offer hope and a message of salvation through Jesus Christ,” he said.

Cadets Joshua Cain, Angela Kerr and Nancy Studiman presented the Officer’s Covenant that had been signed by each Messenger of Compassion as they concluded their 22 months of intensive study at the College for Officer Training (CFOT) in Winnipeg. The chief secretary then stood before the Messengers of Compassion as they recited the doctrines of The Salvation Army in their Declaration of Faith. The cadets moved to the mercy seat to kneel in prayer as an act of dedication of their lives to God’s work.

“As Salvation Army officers, you will be called upon to put others first and to be intentional about mending a broken

The General and Commissioner Susan McMillan present the Distinguished Order of Auxiliary Service to Andrew Lennox (second from left) and an Award of Exceptional Service to David Kang (second from right)

world,” Commissioner McMillan told the Messengers of Compassion as she prepared to ordain and commission them as lieutenants.

Later in the service, the first appointments of the newest Salvation Army officers were recognized and celebrated by the crowd gathered for the occasion.

In his message, the General encouraged the congregation to join the new lieutenants in bringing God to the world: “Stand for him…. Plant your feet and

The General unveils the new Gitxsan Shield. From left, Commissioner Susan McMillan, General Brian Peddle, Simogyet (Chief) Axigigii of the Gitxsan Nation, Alex Stoney and Michelle Stoney

point people to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”

Many responded to the General’s invitation to stand on the stage indicating their willingness to serve as officers in The Salvation Army. With 27 cadets preparing to enter CFOT in September, it will be the largest session in recent years in the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

John Lam with members of the Canadian Staff Band

The General enrols more than 40 soldiers during Sunday morning’s worship celebration

Salvationist August 2019 11

Other weekend events included a mission connection walkabout in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, officers’ councils, welcome banquet, prayer walk, workshops, candidates’ luncheon, family carnival and a youth event that gave young people the opportunity to spend time with the international leaders. On Saturday morning, delegates attended a prayer breakfast that focused on the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s four core values: hope, service, dignity and stewardship. Commissioner Peddle shared her message of the power of prayer: “If we truly believe the words of Jesus and commit ourselves to fervent, passionate prayer, I believe there is no limit to what God can do.”

A Clear Mission Salvationists gathered on Sunday morning for a time of praise and worship as congress and commissioning events drew to a close. The call to worship

featured young people from across the British Columbia Division, each sharing in one of the many languages spoken throughout the province, including English, Mandarin, Nisga’a, Spanish and French.

Children in attendance at congress events participated in Co-Mission: I.N.G., a vibrant and interactive kids program developed and presented by the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s youth and children’s ministries department.

During each meeting, the young people had fun being agents in the “secret service” as they solved undercover missions and learned how to become Messengers of Compassion.

A highlight of the meeting was the enrolment of 40 senior soldiers and one junior soldier by the General. It was a poignant moment when General Peddle knelt on one knee to speak directly to Heather Ramsay, the “bravest junior soldier in British Columbia,” as she recited

the Junior Soldier Promise.

Following a time of praise and worship led by the officer staff from divisional headquarters, Commissioner McMillan recognized the recipients of the Fellowship of the Silver Star, people who have made a spiritual impact on the lives of the new lieutenants. Following the service, a luncheon was held in their honour. The summer assignments of the Messengers of the Kingdom were also recognized.

In his message, the General encouraged those gathered at the Chan Centre and the many people watching the weekend’s events online via livestream to “take responsibility” for growing the kingdom of God. “Our mission is clear,” he said. “We share Jesus Christ.” Many responded to the General’s invitation to kneel at the mercy seat to dedicate themselves afresh to God, allowing them to return to their home corps revitalized for mission and ministry.

Lt Nancy Studiman with her parents, John and Bev Studiman, at the Fellowship of the Silver Start luncheon

Indigenous traditions were woven into the welcome meeting celebrations

The Mandarin Choir from New Life Church in Vancouver performs Lord, It Is Good to Sing

Children participate in Co-Mission: I.N.G., a vibrant and interactive kids program

12 August 2019 Salvationist

ONWARD

Shine Like Stars Keep pressing on for the sake of the gospel.

Photo: MarioGuti/iStock via Getty Images

BY COMMISSIONER SUSAN McMILLAN

I

t’s a strange feeling to be coming to the end of my leadership as territorial commander and territorial president of women’s ministries. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to visit so many of our corps and ministry units across the territory, and to see the dedication of Salvationists to the mission of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are memories I will long cherish.

Although I’m used to moving on (as an officers’ kid, I don’t know any other way of life), in this case I’m not moving away. At the end of September, I will hand the leadership of this great territory over to someone else and take up new responsibilities with the business section of International Headquarters, based in Canada.

As I sat to write this final column, I read through Philippians 2. It is a fitting message to share with you at this point in my ministry, and I invite you to open your Bible and read it now.

Paul is writing this letter because he has been taken prisoner in Rome and is unable to visit the church in Philippi.

He wants to impart some words of wisdom that will encourage them in their spiritual walk and move them to action for the sake of the gospel. I hope to do the same for Salvationists in the Canada and Bermuda Territory through this humble offering.

Paul asks them to fulfil his joy by living up to the teaching they have received.

My friends, there is nothing more effective than a church that lives up to what it teaches and preaches. So I ask you to

fulfil my joy and continue to grow in God’s grace and in the knowledge of his Word so that you (and I) can be his faithful representatives.

We are encouraged to be respectful of each other and, at the same time, to serve others. Paul describes this way of life as having the same attitude as Jesus and, just in case we don’t know what that attitude is, he describes it for us in verses 5-11—verses that have come to be known as the Christ Hymn. They tell of Christ’s humility and suffering, his power and his glory. We are to assume the same posture of humility and to endure with grace any hardships that come our way.

We need to be obedient to the will of our heavenly Father, as he was, and to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. It’s a great hymn, but it’s meant to be lived out, rather than sung.

Paul doesn’t mince words with the Philippian Christians, and I think his words are appropriate and important for us to hear and put into practice.

He wrote: “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” (Philippians 2:12-16).

We may be living in an even more warped and crooked generation today,

and so it is really important for us to shine. To do that, we need a renewed focus on holiness. May God help us to become the people he meant us to be, blameless and pure, so that we can have a transforming influence on this generation.

We know that we can’t do that on our own; we need the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to come back to the cross and ask God to touch us again and fill us to overflowing with his love. I’m convinced that the direction we have set for our territory with our strategic priorities over these last years is the right one for us. That direction is toward the cross of Christ, and may we bring along as many as we can in the process.

If that is the direction that The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda continues to take, my joy will be complete, and I will be able to say with Paul, “I did not run or labour in vain” (Philippians 2:16) and, I am “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

God bless The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Commissioner Susan McMillan is the territorial commander of the Canada and Bermuda Territory. Follow her at facebook.com/ susanmcmillantc and twitter.com/ salvationarmytc.

Salvationist August 2019 13

God’s Timing

When the threat of violence forced Harrison and Evelyn Umudi to leave Nigeria, they made a new life in Canada.

Harrison and Evelyn Umudi with their corps officer, Mjr Doug Hammond

F

or the first 16 years of his life, Harrison Umudi didn’t know who his father was. “I’m from a polygamous home,” explains Harrison, who was born and raised in Nigeria. “My father had many wives and 33 children. He wasn’t even married to my mother, and that was why my mom never stayed in his house.”

While polygamous relationships are not officially recognized under Nigerian civil law, the practice is not uncommon among people who hold to traditional beliefs and practices.

“Where I come from, it’s a source of pride when you have more than one wife and many children because it shows how wealthy you are,” Harrison notes.

So when Harrison and his wife, Evelyn, were not able to have any children after several years of marriage, their situation was not simply unfortunate—to Harrison’s family, it was unacceptable.

“Not having children is a big deal because they believe that the family name must 14 August 2019 Salvationist

be carried on,” says Evelyn. “If you don’t even have one, it becomes a problem.”

That “problem” would eventually force them to leave their family and home country behind—after years of suffering, they immigrated to Canada in 2017. But now members of The Salvation Army’s Bloor Central Corps in Toronto, Harrison and Evelyn say it was God’s perfect timing.

Blessings and Challenges Harrison was raised by his mother and grandparents, who took him to church from a young age. However, the faith he experienced was syncretistic. “For some people back home, going to church is what you do because that’s what everybody is doing,” explains Evelyn. “But you don’t really deviate from your traditional way of living.”

It was only after he moved away from his family as a teenager that Harrison developed a relationship with Jesus. He became involved with Scripture Union

and Youth for Christ, and when he met Evelyn as a university student in 2005, he was already the pastor of a church he started on campus.

“The first time we met, she started preaching to me, asking me, ‘Have you given your life to Christ?’ ” he recalls.

“I said no because I was curious. In my country, it’s rare to see young ladies talking to men about Christ!

“So I played along, asked lots of questions, and I gave my life to Christ again that day,” Harrison smiles.

The couple were married in 2008.

“We had so much hope that this marriage would produce a lot of things, and the blessings came early,” Harrison says. “I was still a pastor and I had a good business going, too, on the side. But then we had the challenge of childbearing.”

In their second year of marriage, Evelyn became pregnant, but lost the child after six months. Two further miscarriages caused more heartbreak for them.

“That was when I began to have a problem with my family,” Harrison says.

Taking a Stand After he met his father at the age of 16, Harrison still had little contact with that side of his family. When he did, there was often conflict.

“My father and I had lots of disagreements when it came to the issue of faith and some of his practices,” Harrison says.

Polygamy and child marriage were among those contentious issues. “When one of his business associates owed him money, he said, ‘Let’s settle—give me one of your daughters,’ ” Harrison notes. “He also married a girl when she was just a baby—he paid the dowry and when she was 12 years old, he picked her up and brought her to his house. These were some of the beliefs I couldn’t cope with.”

When Harrison and Evelyn were unable to have children, the family began to take an interest in their lives and pres-

Photo: Timothy Cheng

BY KRISTIN OSTENSEN

sured them to try traditional methods wife through all this?”

“The doctor didn’t have my medical of encouraging conception. Such rituals A caseworker at the shelter advised records from Nigeria, so she wanted to included prayers and incantations, as them to call Toronto’s Central Intake, start everything all over again,” says well as consuming food and drinks preand with persistence, they were able to Evelyn. “I would have to run copious pared in ritualistic ways. secure a place at the Christie Refugee tests.”

“Today, it’s one thing; tomorrow, it’s Welcome Centre. Once they settled Her follow-up appointment to get the another thing,” Harrison notes. “Even there, they immediately started looking results of those tests was booked for two though they knew that we had made for a church. A woman they met at the months later. But as it turned out, she up our mind, that we didn’t want to do centre suggested they try The Salvation didn’t need them. these things, they were not discouraged; Army, which is a 15-minute walk from “The next time I called her, I said, they kept coming at us with new ideas.” the shelter.

‘I’m pregnant!’ ” Evelyn smiles.

“To take a stand against the tradThey walked over on a weekday and “When Evelyn showed me the test itional beliefs is not common,” says though the church itself was not open, that said we were expecting a baby— Evelyn. “In fact, it’s seen as you being the office was. “We went in and we met wow!” says Harrison. “We knelt down stubborn. You will attract some kind of Cedric,” Harrison recalls, “and he was so and thanked the Lord for this blessing.” repercussion from the gods if you don’t welcoming. I said, ‘This feels like home.

Though the Umudis were excited, do these things, so they feel that they This feels like what I’m used to.’ ” they also had mixed feelings. are helping you.”

The following Sunday, Harrison and “I was happy, but I had this fear,” The final straw for Evelyn was when Evelyn were the first people to arrive Evelyn explains. “Is this really happenthe family tried to force female genital at Bloor Central Corps, where Majors ing? Am I going to lose this one? And mutilation on her. “They had then God told me that this the belief that to get pregwas what he wanted for us. nant, you needed circumAfter that, I was not stressed; cision, and I didn’t want to I was strong.” get involved in that.”

The couple decided not For Harrison, it was the to tell anyone that they were constant pressure to take expecting, but it didn’t stay another wife. “They were a secret for long. blaming Evelyn for not hav“The next time I saw ing a child, saying she’s not Evelyn, she looked like the fertile, but I said, ‘No, I won’t cat that swallowed the cando that,’ ” Harrison says. “It ary!” says Major Doug with may be in my father’s blood, a laugh. but it’s not in mine. Christ The child, Kairos, was has cleansed that part of life born on June 24, 2018. away from me, so I’m a new “Kairos is a Greek word creation.” meaning ‘the right opporOnce t he y de c ide d t u ne t i me,’ or ‘Go d ’s to leave Nigeria, it took Kairos Umudi-Harrison is dedicated at Bloor Central Corps in October appointed time,’ ” Evelyn them six months to scrape explains. “After 10 years together the money they needed to buy Doug and Karen Hammond are the of marriage, Kairos came, at God’s plane tickets. But on May 9, 2017, they corps officers. “Major Doug was talkappointed time. He’s a miracle.” arrived at Pearson International Airport ing about hope and not giving up, and Kairos was dedicated at the corps last in Toronto, starting their new life in I thought, God, it’s like you sent us here October, with the Umudis and Major Canada. to hear these words,” says Harrison. “It Doug wearing matching purple robes. was very encouraging and inspiring. We “It was wonderful and it was colourLike Home left motivated, knowing that God had ful,” remembers Evelyn. “A lot of people Harrison and Evelyn were fortunate to ordered our steps here.” came.” already have visas for Canada because From that day on, they became regu“God answers prayers in this place,” they were planning to attend a couslar members and volunteers at the corps. says Harrison. “God has showed himself in’s wedding. Still, when they landed, so strong and mighty on our behalf since they had limited funds and no local Surprised by Joy we’ve been coming here, and I thank knowledge. After two nights in a hotel, To the Umudis surprise, the immigration God for this. The Salvation Army is a they ended up staying at a shelter in process was very smooth—by August, all blessing to us.”

Mississauga, Ont. their paperwork was complete.

Major Doug says the blessing goes “It was the worst experience of my As part of the process, they both both ways. “We loved them from the life,” Harrison says. “We were separated needed to undergo government-manmoment we got to know them,” he says. for the first time—they took her to the dated medical exams. Because Evelyn “This isn’t where their story ends, it’s female section, and I went to the male indicated that they still hoped to have where it begins. It’s a reminder—one section—and I was filled with guilt and children, she was referred to a gynecolothat we desperately need—that God can shame, feeling like, Why am I taking my gist to explore her fertility options. work beyond our imagination.”

Salvationist August 2019 15

NOT CALLED?

No More Excuses

Amy Patrick knew officership was in her future. How long could she put it off?

BY KEN RAMSTEAD

I

t was a sweltering four in the morning when Amy Patrick stepped off the plane at the Sri Lankan airport, on her way to two months of mission work.

“There were people everywhere around me and none of them spoke English,” laughs Patrick now. “There were no signs that I could understand; I was in this sea of people with no idea who would be meeting me.”

But as Patrick turned a corner, she saw some people dressed in Salvation Army saris who had come to pick her up.

“At that moment, I knew I was home and that I was safe.”

And it was at that point that she realized God had bigger plans for her life.

Fateful Trip Born and raised in Calgary, Patrick’s home corps is Glenmore Temple.

“My grandparents are retired officers and my dad and step-mom attend the corps. There was never any pressure on me to become a soldier,” she explains, “but they were pleased with the decision I had made to become a member.”

Having grown up in the Army and seeing the example her grandparents set every day, “I appreciated what the Army stood for, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Patrick became a senior soldier in 2013, right around the time she graduated from high school.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do beyond high school,” she says. “All my life, I wanted to be in a helping profession, but what that would look like, I wasn’t sure.”

Patrick’s grandparents suggested a trip to Sri Lanka, where they had been stationed.

“I was exposed to a different culture, a different way of being and a different way of thinking,” says Patrick. “And it all started at that airport.”

Patrick’s Sri Lankan trip was a turning point. By then, she was a soldier but wasn’t wearing a uniform, and it was in Sri Lanka that she appreciated the Salvation Army uniform for the first time.

“In Sri Lanka, which is predominantly Buddhist, people come right up to Salvationists and thank them,” she says. “They’re so appreciative of the Army and the work that they do there.

“I realized I needed to wear my uniform,” she says. “By doing so, I am proclaiming my faith.”

Decision on a Sunday While the trip to Sri Lanka was formational in her appreciation of the importance of soldiership and the responsibilities a 16 August 2019 Salvationist

Amy Patrick

I realized I needed to wear my uniform. By doing so, I am proclaiming my faith. uniform entailed, Patrick’s decision to become an officer was gradual, with “nudges” along the way.

Another “nudge” was her time at Booth University College in Winnipeg, where she completed a degree in social work.

“By then, I was wearing my uniform and I was around other Salvationists as the College for Officer Training (CFOT) was right next door,” Patrick says. ”I got to see how the Army works viewed from that different perspective.”

She was leaning toward officership but she wanted to make sure that it was actually a calling and not just something she thought she could do. But the call was getting stronger.

That came right after her graduation. Patrick was back in Calgary, serving as community outreach co-ordinator at her corps, and unsure of her next step.

“I was feeling unsettled,” she says. “I had thought my future was overseas but I’d started looking at other options.”

One Sunday, she was at a service listening intently to the corps officer deliver a sermon about a month before the Officership Information Weekend at CFOT. Very distinctly, she heard a voice tell her, “Stop making excuses. This is going to happen. This is where you need to be going.”

“That did it,” Patrick smiles.

She was accepted to the candidates’ fellowship and will be attending CFOT next month.

“I’ve always had a passion for mission but I know that as an officer, I will be able to help people in a way that I never could as a layperson,” Patrick says.

“I look back now and I see God’s provision over my life and all the different roads that I’ve been on and where they’ve led me. I know I have been called.”

VIEWPOINT

Weighty Matters Struggling with body image.

S

ummer is an especially difficult time for me. I have struggled with my weight my entire adult life, and currently consider myself fat. When I compa re mysel f to people on TV or social media, it causes feelings of insecurity—never more apparent than when the weather is warm and more skin is exposed. I can’t speak to serious eating disorders that require professional help, but what I can share is my internal struggle to try to be comfortable in my own skin.

When faced with the need to get in shape—what sometimes feels like an insurmountable task—I tend to alternate between three categories, two of which I know are not healthy.

The first category is gluttony and sloth, my go-to when I am struggling.

A feeling of helplessness and apathy can take over when I see my weight going up. The question then becomes, “Why bother?” If I’m already fat, what harm does a second slice of cake do? Why can’t I have doughnuts for breakfast every morning if it makes me happy?

In truth, I often feel miserable in this stage, but try to convince myself otherwise. The phrase “We are what we eat” doesn’t only apply to food, but also to attitude. Sugar and fat make me feel good in the moment, but soon I realize how malnourished I am, physically and spiritually, as I approach life from a place of helplessness. It’s easy to wallow here for a time, but eventually I desire change.

The second category I struggle with is

envy and vanity. I have friends from many walks of life, including bodybuilders and models. With a career based on how they look, they put full-time hours into keeping in shape. Every calorie is counted, every workout is intense and, many admit, every photo they post on social media is edited.

Although I realize the image they present to the world is not the whole picture, it’s hard not to aspire to this “perfection.” I want the rippling muscles, square jaw and full head of hair, even though some of these things are completely out of my control. Just like the first category, I tend to feel helpless as my goals for how I want to look are completely outside the realm of what I can achieve.

The third category, and the one I’m trying to achieve, is health and wholeness.

I am working with a nutritionist who shares my philosophy of not weighing myself. Perhaps that sounds strange for someone who wants to lose weight, but the most important thing I’m trying to accomplish is to feel comfortable in my

own skin. Regardless of whether I gain or lose weight from one week to the next, what I am working toward is happiness.

And I’m finding that happiness comes from moderation. It means taking care of my body by eating healthy foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables. It also means having an occasional chocolate bar as soul food. Happiness means going to the gym and getting regular exercise, making sure I don’t stay on the couch all day.

But mostly, it means treating myself with kindness. Understanding that whether I lose or gain weight, those who truly know and love me won’t care as long as I love myself and the body I am in. I am at constant war with myself, but it is one I am happy to fight.

1 Corinthians 9:25 speaks to athletes in ancient times: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” My body is many things, including the temple of the Holy Spirit, the earthly container of my soul and my vessel for seeing and experiencing the world. I have been given this amazing gift of life and I am grateful for the body that I have, as it allows me to do kingdom work on earth. I will continue to improve myself, but for the time being, the beach is going to get whatever body I have— because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Darryn Oldford is a senior soldier in Toronto.

Salvationist August 2019 17

Photo: SIphotopraphy/iStock.com

BY DARRYN OLDFORD

Lead Like Timothy

The Salvation Army’s Ontario Camping Ministries mobilizes youth in leadership.

Photo: Brianne Zelinsky

BY BRIANNE ZELINSKY

The Timothy leadership development program recognizes the valuable contributions that young people can make

I

n July 2010, The Salvation Army’s Ontario Camping Ministries (OCM) launched the Timothy program to provide leadership training and experience for young people.

Our goal is to see them grow in their relationship with Christ and live out the mission of The Salvation Army, with a servant heart, soldier spirit, positive attitude and moral compass.

At the heart of the program are the Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

OCM believes that young people don’t need to wait to lead in the church—they can start now.

The program is divided into two parts, spread over two years: Timothy 1, a four-week camp to introduce high school students to Christian leadership; and Timothy 2, an eight-week internship that incorporates mentorship, Bible study and hands-on ministry opportunities.

Timothy 1 campers live in a village of canvas tents at Jackson’s Point Camp on the edge of Lake Simcoe. In addition to team-building activities and nightly campfires, they take part in community outreach initiatives near the campground and in corps across southern Ontario.

They also spend a week in Algonquin Park, where they paddle open waters, portage canoes and pitch tents. The goal of this trip is to help them develop 18 August 2019 Salvationist

leadership skills in a tight-knit community where they rely on each other to survive. When you take 20 teenagers out of the city and into dense forest, it allows them to disconnect from their phones and civilization and better connect with creation and their Creator.

In recent years, the Timothy program has partnered with the world missions department to support The Salvation Army’s Mombasa Children’s Home in Kenya. We wanted our campers to gain a sense of global citizenship, to leave the program feeling part of both the local and global mission fields. In 2017, Timothy 1 campers sold handmade crafts and T-shirts, raising $7,000.

Upon graduating from Timothy 1, campers return the following summer and join the Timothy 2 junior staff team, taking on various roles with OCM’s two adventure camps.

I participated in the first-ever Timothy 1 session in my first year of high school, and returned as the program co-ordinator six years later. One of the highlights of that summer was a four-day urban mission trip to Toronto, where our campers served meals and engaged with people over ice cream, Frisbee and board games.

Perhaps the most significant memory was watching them lead worship at Bloor Central Corps. Most of them had never participated in leading corporate worship and, for the first time, they designed what they wanted church to look like. From

preaching to taking up the offering, the youth did it all.

To me, this service was a clear image of God’s vision for the church: young people bringing the gospel message through sign language, tap dance, old hymns, contemporary worship and vulnerable, yet honest, prayers. Putting a teenager in the pulpit can be messy, unpredictable and a little awkward at times, but I believe the church can handle that.

The Timothy program recognizes that young people aren’t just the future of The Salvation Army—they are the Army of today. They have something to offer, so we place them in roles that demonstrate this. The real challenge is getting corps and ministry units comfortable with youth in leadership. It’s up to mature church leaders to give them a platform. When youth know they have a place in church, they know they have a place in the kingdom of God. We tell our youth that they are important. More than that, we show them that others are more important and challenge them to give back to their local communities. Above all, we encourage them to seek God and lead with integrity, knowing that he is the most important relationship they can invest in.

Brianne Zelinsky was the Timothy program co-ordinator for Ontario Camping Ministries from 2016 to 2017 and currently works as a youth co-ordinator for The Salvation Army in Toronto.

The Ontario government has made changes to the Liquor License Act—but who are these changes good for?

BY JAMES READ

T

he Ontario government has decided to “liberalize” the rules around when and where people can drink alcohol and how much it will cost, arguing that citizens should be free to make “responsible choices that work for them.” Freedom to make choices—even bad ones—is a good thing. If a change in public policy increases the range of choices, that’s a powerful point in its favour.

What the government doesn’t mention, however, is that this new policy will also increase opportunities for the alcohol industry to make money, and for the government to increase its tax revenues. Since there won’t be a limit imposed on the total amount of alcohol that can be sold, an increase in access will mean an increase in advertising. And advertising will increase sales.

The Ontario government’s own public health branch notes that “alcohol advertising is pervasive in today’s society and consists of sophisticated and integrated strategies aimed at creating positive beliefs about alcohol products and perceptions about its effects.” In other words, advertising works by biasing choices.

For some people, increased alcohol advertising will actually decrease choice. And for addicts, the decrease in choice will have severe consequences. To be addicted is equivalent to being unable to resist. With more places and times to drink and more inducement to do so, alcoholics will have fewer moments and places where they can live free.

There is good science that tells us (citizens, industry and government) of additional negatives. As the Public Health Agency

Dr. James Read is the executive director of The Salvation Army Ethics Centre in Winnipeg.

Salvationist August 2019 19

Photo: fiorigianluigi/iStock.com

In the Drink

of Canada says, “increased exposure and access to alcohol are linked to increased drinking,” and increased drinking leads to greater burdens on the health care system. Worldwide, 3.8 percent of women’s deaths and 12.2 percent of men’s deaths are attributable to alcohol use. That’s three million every year.

In Ontario alone, drinking is directly responsible for more than 5,000 deaths and 33,000 hospitalizations a year. The latest conclusion of scientists (according to the leading medical journal, The Lancet) is: “no level of alcohol consumption improves health.”

Ontario policy-makers know all of this. If asked, their response would surely be that every policy decision has plusses and minuses, costs and benefits, and they have to be balanced.

Which sounds right. The question we need to ask is—how do we strike the balance?

One classic answer appeals to the principle of “the greatest good for the greatest number.” Perhaps doing the greatest good would explain the Ontario decision. Increased deaths, hospitalizations, addictions and constrained choices affecting a few thousand on the one hand, balanced against increased individual choice, increased enjoyment, increased jobs and increased dollars affecting a few million on the other.

One could toy with the calculation, suggesting, for instance, that the “greatest good” would be even greater if the alcohol industry paid for the rise in ill health and deaths. Still, finding the maximum aggregate would be the sole metric.

Is this principle really a sufficient guide for public policy?

A more radical approach would be to argue for a “preferential option for the poor.” Many Protestant and Catholic ethicists contend that while the impact of a public policy must take everyone into account, the impact on those who are especially vulnerable—those who are already short on power or respect or material resources—should carry extra weight. If that were applied to the alcohol policies proposed for Ontario, it would conclude that the consequences for people at risk (e.g., those who have addictive personalities, young people and poor people) should be considered first. This principle may be better, but I question its sufficiency, too. When Jesus introduced the principle of “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40), I think he was calling attention to an attitude, as well as a quantitative measure.

I am a parent of three and I know how much children demand fairness—I know what it is to wrestle with what constitutes equal measures. But the decisions I needed to make were for my children and not just three objects of my benefaction. The decisions could never be reduced to a mere economic metric.

It is hard—perhaps impossible—to put into words what it is to treat another person as a brother, sister or neighbour, but I suggest that is where public policy-making in a Christian spirit has to begin.

This applies equally if we are talking about government policy-making or Salvation Army policy-making. Do government alcohol policies and Salvation Army rehabilitation policies look any different, we should ask, if they are made with brothers and sisters in mind, not only consumers, taxpayers or beneficiaries?

Options Open

Raqiya struggled to find a way forward after immigrating to Canada until The Salvation Army gave her a Pathway of Hope.

N

BY KRISTIN OSTENSEN

ot impossible, but challenging. That’s how Raqiya describes her experience of immigrating to Canada from the United Arab Emirates in 2016.

“You start from nothing,” she says.

“You don’t have an income, you don’t know the country yet, you’re adapting to new situations—and you don’t have family or anyone who can help you or babysit for you while you do things. It is hard.”

As time passed and the balance in her savings account dwindled, anxiety started to overwhelm Raqiya. She feared she would no longer be able to buy basic necessities such as bread and milk for her three children.

That was when she discovered The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope.

Cheerleaders and Coaches Pathway of Hope (POH) is a case management system that helps clients such as Raqiya break the cycle of poverty by setting and achieving goals.

“It’s a one-on-one approach, which is fantastic because each step is custommade for the individual client or family,” explains Christina Clapham, community support services and volunteer manager, Edmonton Centre of Hope. “We don’t have a cookie-cutter approach. They design goals for themselves, based on their strengths, and we’re here to be their cheerleaders and coaches. We will advise them, connect them with resources and give them options, but ultimately the choices are in the hands of the client.”

Originally developed by the U.S.A. Central Territory, POH came to the Ontario Central-East Division as a oneyear pilot project in 2016. Following the project’s success in that division, Canada and Bermuda officially launched POH as a territory-wide initiative in October 2017, with the Edmonton Centre of Hope coming on board in January 2018. Since then, Edmonton’s POH program has 20 August 2019 Salvationist

“That feeling that I’m alone here and I don’t have anyone—that’s gone,” says Raqiya

had 25 participants—10 are currently enrolled in the program and 11 have successfully completed POH, meaning they have achieved the goals they set.

Stuck Raqiya was one of the first clients to join POH in Edmonton. Like so many others, she immigrated to Canada hoping for better opportunities for her family.

“In a Third World country, the economic situation is very bad, so people try to go to other places where they can make a good living,” she says. “Not necessarily a lot of money, but an improved

quality of life—having access to education, health care and so on. Because I have kids, these things are important for me.”

But when the better opportunities she hoped for failed to materialize, Raqiya didn’t know what to do or where to turn.

“When I heard about POH, I was living in fear and confusion,” she recalls.

“I was so scared, wondering, How is this going to work out? That made me sometimes unable to think clearly or plan things or do anything.

“Back in the UAE, I had help and suddenly I was alone and I had to do

everything on my own,” she continues.

“I felt stuck.”

Goals Raqiya connected with The Salvation Army in the middle of a cold Edmonton winter. “I came from a place where we basically have one season—summer,” she says. “Here, the seasons change and every season I ended up buying clothes for my kids that they would not use the next year because they’d grow out of them. That was eating up my money.”

One day, she met a woman at a park who told her The Salvation Army could help her with clothing for her children.

When Raqiya came to the Centre of Hope, she met Olayinka Dipeolu, POH case worker, who invited her to take part in the program.

“Honestly, at the beginning I did not know how she was going to help me,” Raqiya admits. “But I continued on with the meetings and we worked out a plan.”

With the support of Dipeolu and the staff at the centre, Raqiya set three goals. The first was to improve her mental health. Through POH, she was referred to a counsellor at Catholic Social Services who helped her learn to better manage her anxiety.

Her second goal concerned education. Raqiya is a medical technologist, but is not licensed to work in Canada.

“She was looking at retooling, but there were so many options, so many different avenues, and she didn’t know which one would provide a good, sustainable income for her family,” explains Clapham. “We helped her narrow down her options and develop an action plan.”

With support from her case worker, Raqiya had her English skills assessed and she enrolled in an ESL program at Solomon College. “It has been great,” she says. “I’m in my third and final term now.”

With her language skills greatly improved, Raqiya is already working on her next steps. “I’m applying for jobs now and I hope that I get one soon,” she says, “but if I finish this ESL course and I don’t have one, then I will go for more training.”

Raqiya’s third goal concerned her housing situation. “My rent was expensive, so Olayinka advised me about my options,” she says. “We looked at buildings and checked rent in different areas, and I applied for subsidized housing.”

Raqiya is now waiting for her application to be approved.

Though she’s graduated from Pathway of Hope, Raqiya receives ongoing support from staff at the Edmonton Centre of Hope, including chaplain Doug Schultz

Stronger Raqiya graduated from POH in September 2018 and had the opportunity to share her experiences with the program at the Centre of Hope’s inaugural Sally Ann Spring Brunch event in April, which raised more than $20,000 for the Army’s programs.

“She was so brave,” says Clapham.

“There were 200 people present at the event and she was very open with her story and did a fantastic job.”

“That was an emotional experience,” Raqiya reflects. “It was amazing because everyone there was supportive. Many people came up to me and encouraged me, saying that I was a good mom and that the immigrant experience is actually hard for everyone, that I was not weak.

They wanted me to feel good about it, not to feel bad.”

Raqiya says that completing POH has made her much stronger. “That feeling that I’m alone here and I don’t have anyone—that’s gone,” she says. “I feel more focused, more confident in what I want to do, and I know more about what kind of help is available for me if I need it. I’m not stuck—if there is a problem, I can find a solution to it.”

Though she has completed her goals,

Raqiya keeps in touch with her network at the Centre of Hope, grateful for the support they offer her and other participants in POH. “The Salvation Army is an amazing organization,” she says. “I’m glad that they are doing this for a lot of other people as well. If The Salvation Army is able to help these families and kids, and give them a better quality of life, that is a miracle.”

Pathway of Hope Since Pathway of Hope was introduced to the Canada and Bermuda Territory in 2016: • 29 ministry units have taken the training • 5 divisions have ministry units with training • 83 participants have enrolled • 64 participants have developed an action plan • 26 participants have completed Pathway of Hope *As of March 31, 2019. Five new ministry units in the Ontario CentralEast Division received training in June.

Salvationist August 2019 21

Extravagant Love The father who risked everything.

I

remember the night well. It was New Year’s Eve 1990 and we were waiting for the birth of our first child. It had been a long day. After an ultrasound in the afternoon, the doctor decided that Sherilyn should be admitted to the hospital in the evening. I slept on the living room floor that night, close to the telephone, waiting for a call to tell me that Sherilyn’s labour had 22 August 2019 Salvationist

Illustration: © ConradFries/iStock.com

BY DONALD E. BURKE

begun. My thoughts were full of anticipation—and apprehension—because the next day our lives would change forever.

We would be parents!

It’s such a common experience. I suspect that ours was not much different from most parents. Yet something changed in me that New Year’s Day when our daughter was born. I became a father, yes, but I didn’t really know

what that entailed. I didn’t know the joy that our children would bring us; I also didn’t know the worry and heartache that would come. I didn’t know the fears for them that would overtake me; I also didn’t know the depth of love that would overwhelm me, a love that exceeds anything I had ever experienced.

One of the consequences of being a parent is that I now read Jesus’ parable

of the Prodigal Son much differently (see Luke 15:11-32). Previously, I saw the story as focused on the younger son who lost his way and then came home. Now I read the parable with a focus on the father. I can imagine the fears and sadness that must have overwhelmed him when his younger son asked for his portion of the family inheritance. The father in Jesus’ story agreed to the younger son’s request and gave him his inheritance. We don’t know how old the son was, but surely the father must have thought that he was too young, too inexperienced, too impulsive to manage such a sum. At least, that’s what I would have thought.

When the younger son left home, his father’s worst fears came true. First, there was the deep sense of separation, the feeling that he had lost his son. The father probably experienced nostalgia for earlier and simpler days, wondering where the relationship had gone off the rails, thinking, What have I done wrong?

What could I have done differently?

Second, the younger son squandered his money in riotous, impulsive, selfindulgent living. Today, the son could well be one of the victims of an overdose. But in Jesus’ parable, when all of his wealth had evaporated, the son fell upon hard times. He was homeless and hungry, lost in a strange land, far away from his father’s love.

For his part, the father knew nothing of this situation. The silence from his son must have been crushing. It would be better to lose his own life than to lose a child to thunderous silence.

As Jesus tells the story, when the son finally came to his senses and decided to return home—not as a son, but rather as a servant—his father saw him from far away. He had probably been looking toward that horizon every day for hours on end, desperately longing to see his child in the distance. I can feel just a fraction of the ache in the father’s heart.

I can hear the father’s silent questions: When will my son come home? Will he ever come home?

This is how I picture the scene. When the father first catches sight of someone on the horizon, he experiences the first hints of hope that it might be his son returning home. There had been false alarms before, when a figure in the distance turned out to be someone else. But this time, it is his form, his gait.

The father rushes forward, abandoning his reserve. He runs faster than he has ever run in his life. He can’t wait to hear his son’s voice, to have him close, to shower him with love. He brushes aside his son’s words of apology, his acknowledgment of guilt. This is his son! He has come home! Nothing else matters. He calls out, “Bring a special cloak, a ring, kill the fatted calf. We must celebrate— extravagantly!” The father’s joy overwhelms him. His son has come home!

The thing is, when I read Jesus’ parable now, the father is not some fictional character in an entertaining and instructive story. I can imagine myself as that father. I become the one who has been waiting for my son to appear on the distant horizon. I feel the deep ache of

having a son lost far away. I understand the overwhelming love of the father for his son. I can identify with it; I can feel it as though I am the father in the story.

But Jesus’ parable does not leave me there. It pushes me to recognize that the father in the story is, in fact, our Father.

The love that I feel for my children is just a shadow—a faint echo—of God’s extravagant love for those of us who don’t deserve even to be his slaves, but who are nevertheless God’s children.

I now see God’s grace through a new lens; one which draws upon my experience as a father who would withhold no good thing from my children. I have come to know the heartache that our drifting away from God to live in a faraway country causes our heavenly Father; I can begin to appreciate the deepest longing of God’s heart as he waits— patiently, longingly and hopefully—for us to come to our senses; and I can begin to experience the joy of God when one of his lost children comes home.

There is a wideness in God’s grace far beyond any respectable or even responsible measure. Beyond what is deserved, expected or reasonable. Perhaps even beyond what we can fathom. Our Father waits for us to come home. I think I understand that a little better every day I am a parent.

Dr. Donald E. Burke is a professor of biblical studies at Booth University College in Winnipeg.

This is the second in a series of three articles.

SHARE Salvation Army Publications WITH A FRIEND! ❏ Salvationist (includes Faith & Friends)

From:

(Canada $30; US $36; other countries $41)

Your name: ���������������������������������������������

❏ Faith & Friends

Address: __________________ Town/city: ��������������������

(Canada $17; US $22; other countries $24)

Province/state: ____________ Postal/zip code: ���������������

❏ Foi & Vie (French version of Faith & Friends)

Phone: ____________________ Email: �����������������������

(Canada $25; US $30; other countries $32)

❏ Just for Kids (Canada $12; US $15; other countries $17)

(Attach a separate sheet for additional subscriptions) Send a gift card ❏ Yes ❏ No

To:

Payment: ❏ Cheque (Payable to The Salvation Army) ❏ Visa ❏ Mastercard

Name: �������������������������������������������������

Name on card: ������������������������������������������

Address: __________________ Town/city: �������������������� Province/state: ____________ Postal/zip code: ��������������� Phone: ____________________ Email: �����������������������

Card #: ___________________ Expiry date: ������������������ Return to: The Salvation Army, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P4 or contact 416-422-6119; circulation@can.salvationarmy.org; salvationist.ca/subscribe Salvationist August 2019 23

All God’s Children Serving those living with a disability means putting the person first.

BY KIM PARK

R

ecently on America’s Got Talent a young man with amazing singing abilities blew away the judges. It sounds like a normal situation for such a show. Unfortunately, the headline read: “Autistic Contestant Stuns on America’s Got Talent.” His incredible voice should have been the focus of the story. Instead, they spotlighted his disability.

In our social media world, the story went viral. Is it because people are amazed that someone with autism could be so talented? If the person had another type of disability, would the title have been “Diabetic Contestant Stuns Judges”? Couldn’t the headline simply have read: “Contestant Stuns on America’s Got Talent”? While we have come a long way as a society in avoiding discrimination, there is still room to grow.

Service in Faith More than 650 million people around the world live with disabilities, with most experiencing some type of discrimination. Community Venture is a ministry unit in Winnipeg in the Prairie Division, providing services and meaningful supports to those living with a cognitive disability. We strongly identify with The Salvation Army’s new core values, particularly “Service: We reach out to support others without discrimination.”

Mother Teresa said, “Give your hands 24 August 2019 Salvationist

to serve and your heart to love.” But is it really that simple? How do you do this without discrimination when a person is living with a disability? How do you do it in faith?

Opening our hearts provides opportunities to lose oneself in the service of others while discovering our own lives and happiness. This is truly the definition of service without discrimination.

Service by the heart is service in faith.

Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (ESV).

Service Versus Support What’s the difference between service and support? Service is the product we provide while support is the way we do it. Since everyone is unique—how we communicate, our mobility, what needs are specific to us—the support we give should be designed to the individual.

There is no cookie-cutter approach.

Creating an environment of support allows people to flourish to their full potential, and more important, it lets them know that they are being seen as a person.

So how do we move from service to support? How do we provide for people without discriminating? How do we help them reach their goals? Make the person

the focus. “Person First” is the guiding principle on which Community Venture bases its services. We see beyond the disability to the true person.

Part of that involves using inclusive language. Years ago at Community Venture, we stopped referring to individuals as clients. We wanted a word that would acknowledge that the individuals were the ones in charge. Words such as customer or consumer were tossed around before we decided member was the best fit. Membership means belonging. For us, it indicates that a person has made their own choice to be part of Community Venture.

Dreams Fulfilled When we put the focus on the person, we allow them to dream. We all have dreams! A disability does not prevent people from dreaming. It doesn’t stop them from being singers or artists. It doesn’t stop them from learning or being part of a community. Support is about creating a partnership in which members give the direction and we provide the ways to reach their goals and dreams. It’s about developing strategies to address the obstacles that are preventing them from living to their fullest potential.

This often means taking small steps and adapting to needs. Each success is a celebration. What one may consider a small accomplishment to another is a huge achievement. For example, we had an individual in a wheelchair who wanted to be independent. The day he was able to hang up his jacket by himself was one of his proudest moments. And we all celebrated.

As a society and as The Salvation Army, we must continually challenge the way we think. We need to be there for people so we can address what is making them vulnerable. We need to be open to all, remembering that, at any time, any one of us could end up in a similar position. In the Army, our services should always reflect our core values of service without discrimination. After all, we are all God’s children.

Kim Park is the executive director of Community Venture in Winnipeg.

This is the third in a series on the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s new core values: dignity, hope, service and stewardship (visit salvationist.ca/ corevalues).

Illustration: timsa/E+ via Getty Images

CORE VALUES

GRACE NOTES

Daring Greatly Why vulnerability is key to the Christian life.

BY CAPTAIN LAURA VAN SCHAICK

Photo: © jacoblund/iStock.com

W

hen I was in high school, I joined the swim team. I wasn’t a strong swimmer, but I needed a sport on my resumé if I was going to qualify for scholarships. So I tucked my long hair into a swim cap and hopped in the pool. I qualified for the team because they were desperate for participants. My coach assigned me the 100-metre breast stroke. I came last almost every race, but each and every time, I got off the blocks.

That’s vulnerability.

I resonated with bestselling author Brené Brown’s story of her daughter’s struggle with the 100-metre breast stroke in the Netflix special The Call To Courage. Vulnerability, Brown shares, involves exposing yourself emotionally at the risk of getting hurt. At my swim meets, I risked being teased for my poor performance. I never did excel at the sport, but rather than attracting ridicule, I succeeded in making lifelong friends.

Brown’s TED Talk on vulnerability is one of the most watched of all time. In it, she identifies vulnerability—the willingness to try something even when there is no guarantee of a positive outcome—as the key to living a whole-hearted life.

This is especially important when it comes to relationships—the thing that makes us uniquely human. Vulnerability in relationships, Brown says, requires three things: Courage—the ability to tell the story of who we are, including imperfections.

Compassion—being kind to ourselves and to others, accepting imperfections.

Connection—an authenticity that releases any expectation of who we should be.

Becoming a Christian requires vulnerability, because Christianity is all about relationship—relationship with God and with others.

Becoming a Christian requires admitting our sinful tendencies. We are imperfect people; all of us have done things to harm the perfect world God created. Acknowledging this leads us to a place where we can admit our need of the saving grace of Jesus. It requires the courage to tell God our story, even the ugly parts, and to repent of our wrongdoings. This is courage.

Becoming a Christian requires being kind to ourselves and to others. It requires coming to a place where we not only acknowledge our need of salvation, but feel worthy and willing to accept the love of God and desire to share that love with other imperfect people. This is compassion.

Becoming a Christian requires taking seriously Jesus’ call to love others and to make disciples. It requires seeking out authentic relationships, letting go of who we thought we should

be and embracing who we are as children of God. This is connection.

As Brown says, “To practise courage, compassion and connection is to look at life and say, ‘I’m all in.’ ” Authentic Christianity—being “all in” for Jesus—should be infused with vulnerability: •• When we evangelize, we do so with the courage to authentically share the story of Jesus’ presence in our lives without knowing if our efforts will be embraced or rejected.

•• When we pray for someone, or ask for prayer in return, we share our imperfect story and acknowledge our need of compassion and connection.

•• When we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, we let go of any expectations of how we thought our days would turn out and follow God’s call on our lives.

Each of these are examples of vulnerability, and they are all marks of a vibrant spirituality.

Getting off the starting block at a swim meet required me to be vulnerable. I risked failure. But in a much greater way, so did accepting Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, sharing my faith with family and friends, and accepting the call to officership.

If I hadn’t risked being vulnerable, I would have missed out on the greatest adventure I could ever have imagined—living my life for God and in the service of others.

If you want to have a real connection with God and with those around you, embrace vulnerability. We were created for the purpose of connection with God and with others, and openness to risk allows us to achieve this in full. It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it.

Captain Laura Van Schaick is the women’s ministries program and resource officer.

Salvationist August 2019 25

CROSS CULTURE

IN THE NEWS

ON THE WEB

Photo: Courtesy of Alan Doyle/Twitter

A “Great Big Sea” of Support for Harbour Light

Alan Doyle, frontman of the East Coast band Great Big Sea, made a generous contribution to The Salvation Army’s Harbour Light facility in Vancouver in May. The singer announced he would be donating $15,000 to the Army through his A Dollar a Day Foundation.

Great Big Sea frontman Alan Doyle (right) “[Harbour Light] announces his support for The Salvation is dear to my heart Army on News 1130 because I walked past it every day. We spent a pile of time last year recording at the Warehouse Studio right in the heart of Gastown,” Doyle told News 1130. “And I just thought that would be one of the places that, if we ever got this foundation up and running, that I would want to support.

“They’re really at ground zero, and doing the hardest work there is, right in the middle of the problem.”

The funds will support Harbour Light’s addiction treatment program.

The Bible Project THEBIBLEPROJECT.COM The Bible Project has more than 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube and over 90 million total views on their videos. Watch one of their videos and it’s not hard to see why. The Bible Project is a non-profit animation studio that produces short animated videos “to help people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus.” The Bible Project’s flagship series explores each book of the Bible individually, from Genesis to Revelation.

The studio has also made videos on various themes, such as sacrifice and atonement, the Holy Spirit, spiritual beings and more. The videos are stylish, highly informative and come in at an easily digestible length—typically around six to eight minutes long. The studio’s work is crowdfunded and, as a result, all of its videos, podcasts and other resources are free.

A depiction of the Crucifixion of Jesus in a video titled The Story of the Bible

IN REVIEW Go For Souls!

When I Pray for You

Overcomer

BY FRANCES LONGINO AND STEPHEN COURT “Go for souls and go for the worst.” Many Salvationists would recognize this well-known quote from Founder William Booth. But how can we make Booth’s directive a reality? A new book from the late Brigadier Frances Longino and Major Stephen Court is here to help. Go For Souls is a practical evangelism manual for Salvationists who want to share their faith but aren’t sure where to start. It’s based on an earlier booklet by Brigadier Longino called A Guide for the Salvationist Soul-Winner, which has been expanded and updated by Major Court, territorial evangelism consultant. Along with advising readers on what they need to be a soul-winner, a significant portion of the book is dedicated to responding to objections with answers from the Bible.

As General Paul A. Rader (Rtd) writes in the foreword, “this guide is a gift” for the modern-day evangelist.

BY MATTHEW PAUL TURNER “From the moment I saw you, I started to pray. Big prayers and small ones I have sent God’s way.” So begins When I Pray for You, a new children’s book from Matthew Paul Turner, author of the bestselling When God Made You. When I Pray for You takes readers on a journey through the different stages of a child’s life, as the parent lovingly watches the child grow up and experience the world in all its everyday beauty.

“My hope is that this book will offer kids a tangible celebration of prayer, how it looks when you’re not gathered around a dinner table or outside of a house of worship,” explains Turner in an interview with Caring magazine. Turner’s words are complemented by Kimberly Barnes’ vivid and playful illustrations, bringing his lyrical prose to life.

DIRECTED BY ALEX KENDRICK Known for faithbased films such as Fireproof and War Room, brothers Alex a nd St ephen Kendrick are giving audiences a new inspirational story in Overcomer. In the film, high school basketball coach John Harrison (Alex Kendrick) and his team face an uncertain future when their town’s largest manufacturing plant shuts down unexpectedly, causing hundreds of people to move away. After he reluctantly agrees to coach crosscountry—a sport he doesn’t know or like—John is frustrated and starts questioning his worth. But that changes when he meets Hannah Scott (Aryn WrightThompson), an unlikely runner who is struggling with her own journey. With humour and heart, Overcomer centres around the theme of finding one’s identity in God.

A Guide for the Salvationist Soul-Winner

26 August 2019 Salvationist

SUSSEX, N.B.—These are exciting days at Sussex CC as two adherents and five senior soldiers are enrolled. From left, Lt Monika Gillard, CO; Sydney Gailey, adherent; John Gailey, Kathy Gailey and Melissa Mowbray, senior soldiers; Wendy Virtue, holding the flag; Vanessa Parlee and Ernest Nelson, senior soldiers; Elijah Gillard, adherent; and Lt Lance Gillard, CO.

GAZETTE

ST. ANTHONY, N.L.—St. Anthony Corps celebrates as five young people are enrolled as junior soldiers—the first in 15 years. Standing under the flag held

by Elias Burden are, front, from left, Brooke Humby and Alexis Burden. Back, from left, Cpt David Rideout, CO; Tyler Snyder; Irelyn Gilbert; Tori Pilgrim; Cpt Melanie Rideout, CO; and Hannah Rideout, who stands in support of her newly enrolled fellow junior soldiers, holding a Bible like the one presented to each of the new junior soldiers.

INTERNATIONAL Appointments: Sep 1—Lt-Col Bente Gundersen, CS, Norway, Iceland and the Færoes Tty, with rank of col; Oct 1—Cols Wayne/Robyn Maxwell, IS/ ZSWM, South Pacific and East Asia Zone, with rank of comr TERRITORIAL Appointments: Cpts Leonard Heng/Peck Ee Wong, training principal/CO, William Booth Corps, and territorial Chinese ministry co-ordinator (additional responsibility), Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Tty; Mjrs Richard/ Elaine Honcharsky, corps and community services officers, Simcoe CC, Ont. GL Div (designation change); Mjr Beverly Ivany, territorial secretary for spiritual life development, THQ; Oct 1—Lt-Col Brian Armstrong, executive officer of the Canadian Staff Band, THQ (additional responsibility) Long service: 25 years—Lt-Cols Morris/Wanda Vincent, Mjrs Collin/ Jacqueline Abbott, Mjr Phyllis Blundell-Colbourne, Mjrs Curtis/Cindy Butler, Mjr Stephen Court, Mjr Lorraine Hart, Mjr Margaret McLeod, Mjrs Wycliffe/Shirley Reid, Mjr Paul Rideout, Mjrs Dale/Deborah Steward, Mjr Denise Walker; 30 years—Mjr James Anderson, Mjr Joy Angel, Mjr Rex Colbourne, Mjrs Brian/Deborah Coles, Mjr Donald Feltham, Mjrs David/Lynn Grice, Mjr Marie Hollett, Mjr Michael LeBlanc, Mjr Dale Lewis, Mjr Frederick Pond, Mjrs Bruce/Marilyn Shirran, Mjr Darryl Simms, Mjr Brian Slous, Mjr Sandra Stokes, Mjrs Mark/Isobel Wagner, Mjrs Garry/Sandra Ward, Mjr Brian Wheeler, Mjr Colleen Winter; 35 years—Cols Wayne/Deborah Bungay, Col Deborah Graves, Mjr Carolyn Doonan, Mjrs Larry/Judy Goudie, Mjrs Donald/Elizabeth Grad, Mjr Michael Hennessy, Mjr Deborah Hilliard, Mjrs Darrell/Lise Jackson, Mjr Martin Ketteringham, Mjrs Rene/Wanda Loveless, Mjrs Frank/Rita Pittman, Mjrs Paul/Gloria Wood; 40 years—Commissioner Susan McMillan, Mjr Luanne Barrow, Mjr Malba Holliday, Mjrs David/Beverly Ivany; 45 years—Mjr Wilson Perrin, Mjr Patricia Tuppenney Retirements: Mjrs Ronald/Tonilea Cartmell, Mjrs Tony/Patricia Kennedy, Mjr William King, Mjrs Anthony/Yvonne Ledrew, Mjrs Dale/Deborah Steward, Mjrs Garry/Sandra Ward, Aux-Cpts Randy/Diane Kirby Continuing active service: Mjr Caroline Braddock Promoted to glory: Mrs. Mjr Dorothy Millar, Jun 10

CALENDAR OSHAWA, ONT.—Oshawa community and family services has received accreditation from the territorial social services department for meeting and exceeding organizational standards of mission delivery. Holding certificates presented during a Sunday morning service at Oshawa Temple are Leigh Rowney (left), CFS director, and Denise Handy, counselling and program co-ordinator. Pictured with them are staff and volunteers from CFS.

Commissioner Susan McMillan: Aug 25 50th anniversary Territorial Music School, JPCC; Aug 26-28 Imagine Canada’s 2019 Sector Champion Executive Roundtable, Winnipeg; Aug 31 final program, 50th anniversary Territorial Music School, Scarborough Citadel, Toronto Colonels Edward and Shelley Hill: Aug 1-4 camp meetings, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, U.S.A. Eastern Tty; Aug 23-25 A Celebration of Culture (family gathering and pow wow), Pine Lake Camp, Alta. & N.T. Div

Salvationist August 2019 27

PEOPLE & PLACES

OFFICER RETIREMENTS

ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—St. John’s West Corps tried something new to raise awareness about this year’s Partners in Mission fundraising campaign. Joni Burry, with the help of Leanna Warford, created a prayer quilt. Each week throughout the campaign, children at the corps tied a knot in the quilt and prayed for those who would receive the money raised, the congregation and the individuals who would receive the quilt. The corps raised $10,650, exceeding their annual goal of $10,000. At the end of the campaign, the quilt was given to a couple in the corps who are experiencing health concerns.

WINNIPEG—From left, Noella Moulton, Kaelyn Kerr, Jordyn Kerr and Miah Boermann proudly display their Junior Soldier Promises as they are enrolled at Heritage Park Temple. Supporting them are, from left, Cpt Josh Howard, CO; Jonathan Bagshaw, holding the flag; JSS Debbie Clarke; and Cpt Tina Howard, CO.

OTTAWA—Surrounded by her colleagues, Michelle Duperron (centre), a behavioural support personal support worker (PSW) at Ottawa Grace Manor, celebrates being named PSW Advocate of the Year by the Ontario Personal Support Worker Association. Duperron, who also works at the Royal Ottawa Hospital as a personal care attendant for patients with dementia, has worked at Grace Manor for nine years.

28 August 2019 Salvationist

Majors Roy and Charlene Randell retired April 1 following 43 and 41 years of officership, respectively. Roy was commissioned in 1976 in St. John’s, N.L., as part of the Overcomers Session, and Charlene in 1978 in Toronto as a cadet in the Disciples of Jesus Session. After marriage, they served as corps officers in Bayview, N.L., in Montreal, where they oversaw the amalgamation of two corps, and in Ottawa and Huntsville, Ont. Roy and Charlene served as the community and family services officers in Belleville, Ont., along with Salvation Army ministries in nearby Campbellford, Ont. They spent nine years in Barrie, Ont., where they were executive directors of Barrie Bayside Mission and both received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for their “significant contribution to the City of Barrie.” Roy was the last Salvation Army chaplain at the Don Jail in Toronto before it closed and Charlene was a chaplain at the Scarborough Hospital. Retiring from their final appointment as corps officers in Fenelon Falls, Ont., they are grateful for God’s blessings and the faith of their four children. The Randells look forward to spending time with family and friends and further opportunities for ministry.

Majors Garry and Sandra Ward retire August 1 from their final appointment as corps officers at Trinity Bay South Corps in the Newfoundland and Labrador Division following 60 combined years of service.

Commissioned in the Ambassadors for Christ Session in 1989 from the College for Officer Training in St. John’s, N.L., Garry and Sandra feel privileged to have ministered in five corps appointments across Newfoundland and Labrador. The Wards believe they have proven the truth of Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will hold you with my righteous right hand.” Garry and Sandra are grateful for the many marvellous people God has brought into their lives, and for the overwhelming encouragement they have received. “God’s truth has not failed us,” they say. “He is faithful.” In retirement, Garry and Sandra look forward to spending time with their son, Jeremy (Lori-Ann) Ward; daughter, Pamela (Michael) Cull; and grandchildren Cassandra, Carter, Aiden, Dilana and Nate.

Advertise with

Salvationist

Visit Salvationist.ca for rates

PEOPLE & PLACES

TRIBUTES

ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Young people at St. John’s West Corps receive certificates for completing the junior action program. From left, Jack Randell; Mjr Phyllis Blundell-Colbourne, CO; Rachel Randell; Natalie Parrell; Jaxon Parrell; Jordan Denine; Evan Chaytor; and Jennifer George, acting JSS.

CORNER BROOK, N.L.—Following 25 years of faithful service as a local officer at Corner Brook Citadel, Kimberly Warren receives a certificate of appreciation and a bouquet of flowers from Mjrs Edward and Luanne Barrow, then COs.

PARRY SOUND, ONT.—The community care ministries group at Rainbow Country Church is strengthened as six people receive certificates for completing the CCM training course. From left, Lt Cathy Allen, then CO; Charles McKinnon; Teri Salt; Linda Hudson; Gail Galley; and Carol King.

POWELL RIVER, B.C.— Powell River Corps and Cpt BJ Loder (centre), then CO, celebrate with Tim and Kerrin Fraser as they become members of the candidates’ fellowship, a network of Salvationists around the Canada and Bermuda Tty who are committed to pursuing the possibility of officership.

OSHAWA, ONT.—Major Douglas William Charles Marshall was born in 1925 in Brantford, Ont., the only child of William and Elizabeth. Moving to Toronto with his parents, Doug grew up at Lisgar St. Corps, where he was a Cub Scout, played in the young people’s band and eventually became bandmaster of both the young people’s and senior bands. After graduation from school, he worked with his father at the Canadian National Railway. Doug met and married Ruth Barfoot, and they welcomed three children, Ted, Sandra and Lynda.

Commissioned in 1959 as a cadet in the Pioneers Session, he ministered in Fort MacLeod, Alta., North Battleford, Sask., Montreal, Charlottetown, P.E.I., Oshawa and Cobourg, Ont. Prior to his retirement, Doug served for 17 years in the finance department at territorial headquarters, during which time he attended Earlscourt Citadel (now Yorkminster Citadel) and played in the band. In retirement, Doug moved to Sutton, Ont., where he played in the corps band and also served in the reservist band for many years until his eyesight made it too difficult to read the music. For the past 15 years, he has lived in Oshawa with his daughters. Doug enjoyed being a grandfather to Andrew, Len, Beth and Paula, and delighted in being Grandpa (GoGo) to Xavier and Felix.

TORONTO—Major Ralph Godfrey was raised in The Salvation Army and entered the Shepherds Session in 1953 from Hamilton Temple (now Meadowlands Corps), Ont. After commissioning, he served in corps in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. In 1965, he married Shirley Howells from Paris, Ont. Together their corps appointments included St. George’s, Bermuda, Sydney, N.S., Barrie, Niagara Falls and East Toronto, Ont. Ralph loved many aspects of ministry and used his creative gifts to write and produce full-length dramas that were a witness to the Resurrection and a blessing to the participants and their audiences. He retired in 2001 from Toronto Grace Hospital where he served as director of pastoral care and chaplain to the palliative care unit. Ministry to staff and patients was a source of great joy. Ralph’s love of people and desire to share in their lives continued into retirement as a faithful soldier of North Toronto Community Church, where he enjoyed contact with people of all ages and welcomed new friends from around the world, entertaining many at home. Predeceased by his 23-year-old son, Dale, Ralph is dearly missed by his wife, Shirley; daughter, Miriam; and grandchildren Desiree (Jordan), Caleb and Mason, to whom he was an amazing Poppa.

WINNIPEG—Mrs. Major Dorothy Pearl Millar (nee Knaap) was born in Toronto in 1926, where she attended Danforth Corps. In 1947, Dorothy married fellow Salvationist Len Millar and together they entered the College for Officer Training in the King’s Messengers Session. Following appointments in Canada, Dorothy and Len spent many years in Africa, including in South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and Liberia, where they pioneered the work of The Salvation Army.

Dorothy was a published author of two books about their experiences in Africa. She was an accomplished pianist, playing for many groups throughout her life. Dorothy was also a talented seamstress, sewing clothes for their children when they were small, as well as all of her daughters’ wedding dresses. Dorothy loved to knit and crochet and made special gifts for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her faith in God shone through and helped her throughout her life. Predeceased by Len, her husband of 70 years, Dorothy is survived by her brother, Walter Knaap; sister, Marjory Ueckert; children Major Len (Ros) Millar, Major Jo (Dale) Sobool, Major Cath (John) McFarlane and Pat (Cyril) LeBlanc; 11 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Salvationist August 2019 29

SALVATION STORIES

Home Truths I lost my mother and my husband, but God never left me.

BY NICO AVERY-WEITZEL

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

—Joshua 24:15 KJV

T

his verse has always hung in the entrance to my home, reminding me that I need not worry because God is in control. There is comfort in knowing you are never alone. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a Christian. That’s not to say things always went the way I wanted, because that is not part of God’s promise.

When my mom died of breast cancer, I was six years old, and couldn’t believe that God could get it so wrong. Then I thought Jesus would return to earth before the funeral service and we’d all be together again. But he missed that, too.

Obviously, God had not been listening to me very well. God’s grace was to bring my mom release from a terrible situation, but when you’re six, life is all about you. Eventually, though, I came to understand that God is good, and that he always blesses his children.

Trusting in God is not the same as expecting God to give you everything you want, but it does mean you can see how things could have been so much worse. In my darkest moments, I was not alone.

When my husband passed away suddenly of a heart attack, I was 40 years old with two young children. Whatever I had expected life to dish out, this wasn’t it. I was afraid, alone and 230 kilometres away from our kids, who were being watched by a friend. Prayer carried me the whole way home, as I asked for the words to help them understand that Daddy wouldn’t be coming back.

Thank God I had gone with him that day. Thank God the children were not with us. Thank God he simply collapsed and there was no drawn out suffering. Thank God we had not waited until the weekend to celebrate our son’s seventh birthday. Thank God for the wonderful morning we had as a family, the last memory the children would have of their father.

This is how God gives us strength and helps us understand that he is holding us, even in the pain.

Christ gives us everything we need. If we simply let go and let God, trusting him in all things, it might not always look how we expect or even want, but we won’t be alone. You can rest assured that the outcome will be the best possible.

There is one more chapter in my life where God has blessed me. After my husband’s death, I thought I’d have to go it alone, just me, the kids and God. But like so often before, God’s plan looked different and was better than mine.

About six years later, I met Bob, the only one who responded 30 August 2019 Salvationist

“God always blesses his children,” says Nico Avery-Weitzel

to my plea in the church bulletin for a kidney for my niece.

Although he had his own challenges, suffering from hereditary spastic paraplegia, a chronic progressive condition that kept him wheelchair-bound, it did not slow him down when it came to reaching out to his neighbour or, in this case, my niece. Bob clung to Christ and his promise, and lived his life as an example of love.

This year, we will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.

We have since retired, moved to Maple Creek, Sask., and joined The Salvation Army’s Maple Creek Community Church. A few months ago, we enrolled as adherents. It’s a church that fits with our understanding of what God asks of us, and what God gives in return—always enough. God provides us with all we need, and more, allowing us to praise God through blessing others.

We can never give back everything that God has given us.

We can’t even begin to clear the tally, but then, we are not expected to. We are simply to love the Lord our God with our whole being and love others as ourselves. How great is our God! Whatever chapters are still to come, one thing is sure—those who come to our home will be welcome, and will find in our entrance hall a declaration of what to expect.

IF IT DOESN'T SIT RIGHT, STAND UP.

BOOTHUC.CA

EDUCATION FOR A BETTER WORLD Salvationist August 2019 31

Check out

›

Salvationist.ca All the Salvation Army news, features and resources in one website. Created for Salvationists, employees and volunteers with an accessible design for all your devices.

/salvationistmagazine @Salvationist /salvationistmagazine @salvationistmagazine

For address changes or subscription information contact (416) 422-6119 or circulation@can.salvationarmy.org. Allow 4-6 weeks for changes. PM 40064794 For address changes or subscription information contact (416) 422-6119 or circulation@can.salvationarmy.org. Allow 4-6 weeks for changes. PM 40064794