EDITORIAL
Back to Church?
A
cross the territory, Salvation Army churches are springing to life again. We are seeing people cautiously return to in-person worship, and we pray the trend will continue as we face yet another variant of the virus. Last Sunday, our corps sergeant-major at North Toronto Community Church welcomed our diminished group to worship and spoke of a “rekindling.” That’s how it must start—slowly, steadily. How do we keep it all in balance? We must be careful to avoid complacency. The pandemic has caused many of us to turn inward and even shut down. It’s human nature, but we must increasingly find ways to reconnect. Last week, I read the following call to action from an anonymous writer on my Facebook feed: “As church attendance numbers fade across the nation and online services become very convenient, it’s important to remember why church attendance for you and your family matters so much. “You can’t serve from your sofa. You can’t have community of faith on your sofa. You can’t experience the power of a room full of believers worshipping together on your sofa. “Christians aren’t consumers,
Salvationist
is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Brian Peddle General Commissioner Floyd Tidd Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel John P. Murray Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary Giselle Randall Features Editor Pamela Richardson News Editor, Copy Editor and Production Co-ordinator (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 January 2022 Salvationist
either. We are contributors. We don’t watch; we engage. We give. We sacrifice. We encourage. We do life together. “The church needs you. And you need the church.” Yes, we still need to follow public health protocols. No, we don’t want to force people to return against their will. There are very legitimate reasons why Salvationists are still staying home. Some have underlying health concerns that prevent them from attending. Children under 12 are only starting to receive their vaccines. We have to remember that and be graceful in all of our interactions. It’s also crucial to encourage and remind each other of the importance of “doing life together” as a body of believers. The latest research from Statistics Canada shows that only 68 percent of Canadians 15 or older reported having a religious affiliation (down from 77 percent in 2018). In addition, only 23 percent attended religious activities, such as a church service, once per month. As religion becomes less important to Canadians, we must wrestle with the role of the church in society. As we begin a new year, Commissioner Floyd Tidd reminds us that prayer is paramount (page 5). As we move through the Mobilize
Lisa Suroso Graphic Design Specialist Rivonny Luchas Digital Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769. Member, The Canadian Christian Communicators Association. 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.
2.0 transformation project as a territory, things will inevitably look different. But this can be an opportunity for God to do a new thing in our movement. What can you do to rekindle the fire in your heart? What can you do to reach out to your neighbour—in person or virtually? Whether we are able to physically attend church or not, let’s reignite a passion for service. Let’s move forward with optimism, believing that God will continue to build his church. GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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