Salvationist + Faith & Friends January 2021

A New Approach: From Lay Leadership to Gen Z

Four Cousins Train Together at CFOT

Stand Up, Step Up, Speak Up Against Human Trafficking

THE VOICE OF THE ARMY

January 2021

Salvationist.ca

Burnout in COVID

Inside the hidden mental-health crisis.

How the Army is helping people cope

January 2021 • Volume 16, Number 1

22

DEPARTMENTS 5 Frontlines 8 Not Called?

Complete Surrender

by Ken Ramstead

CONNECT ONLINE Visit Salvationist.ca to add your comments and read web-exclusive articles

9 Perspectives We Are The Salvation Army

by Lt-Colonel Fred Waters

@salvationistmagazine Follow us on Instagram for the latest and best Army photos. Tag your photos #salvationists

20 Global Focus From Kenya to the Caribbean Interview with Lt-Colonels Morris and Wanda Vincent

/salvationistmagazine Like us on Facebook for photos and updates. Interact with our community of 38,000+ fans

27 Cross Culture 28 People & Places 30 Salvation Stories The Ministry of Music

by Chris Lemon-Sarris

COLUMNS 4 Editorial Good Grief

by Geoff Moulton

5 Onward A Simple Answer

by Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd

24 Grace Notes The Winter of Our Discontent

by Captain Laura Van Schaick

25 Positive Reinforcements Reversing the Trend

by Majors Rick and Deana Zelinsky

FEATURES 10 The Language of Lament We can’t escape grief, pain or suffering—but Scripture gives us a way to respond.

by Captains Barbara and Mark Stanley

14 Up in Smoke How to prevent burnout while serving others in crisis.

by Kristin Marguerite Doidge

16 Family Business God’s call to officership brings four cousins to the College for Officer Training.

Interview with Cadets Kelsie Burford, Janelle Colbourne, Joshua Rideout and Matthew Rideout

@Salvationist Follow us on Twitter for the Army’s breaking news. Use hashtag #SalvationArmy for your own updates and photos issuu.com/salvationist Catch up on all the Salvation Army news and features on your tablet, desktop or smartphone.

Cover illustration: freshideas/ stock.Adobe.com

READ AND SHARE IT! More Than a Treat?

NFL’s Josh McCown

ARMY CARING P.5 OLDER AND BETTER P.10

Army’s Ellen Osler Home

A SAFE PLACE P.26

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

faithandfriends.ca

JANUARY 2021

18 Stand Up, Step Up, Speak Up Salvation Army launches modern slavery and human trafficking campaign.

by Major Ray Lamont

22 Defining Salvation It’s in our name, but what exactly does it mean?

by Donald E. Burke

A SALVATION ARMY FACILITY HELPED JASON BASS-MELDRUM FIND HIS PASSION P.16

Gateway to Healing

26 21 in ‘21

25

Evangelism starts with sanctification.

by Major Stephen Court Salvationist January 2021 3

EDITORIAL

Good Grief

T

his month, Salvationist is tackling some heavy topics: grief, stress, depression. Much of our current anxiety has been created by the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic, but even in “normal” times we often experience these challenges. How do we navigate these difficulties? And how can we help others without burning out ourselves?

In this issue, Captains Barbara and Mark Stanley take a look at lament, a common biblical theme, but one that is often overlooked (page 10). Lament is a faithful response to the pain of the world, a theology that holds reality in one hand and trust in a loving God in the other. We also consider many of the grief groups and counselling services that The Salvation Army provides at the ministry unit level, which are a lifeline for many who are struggling.

On a more personal level, in her Grace Notes column, Captain Laura Van Schaick describes her “wintry season of the soul” and how she leans in to God during difficult times (page 24).

And Kristin Marguerite Doidge teaches us how to guard our hearts and minds against burnout (page 14).

Elsewhere in the issue, we continue our Global Focus series with Lt-Colonels Morris and Wanda Vincent, who are serving in the Caribbean Territory (page 20). We meet four cousins who are cur-

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 (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Copy Editor and Production Co-ordinator (416-422-6112) Leigha Vegh Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 January 2021 Salvationist

rently enrolled together at the College for Officer Training (page 16). And we launch Positive Reinforcements, a new column from Majors Rick and Deana Zelinsky on the future of the Army’s engagement with Millennials and Gen Z as well as a new vision for local leadership (page 25).

Lastly, this month the Canada and Bermuda Territory launches its human trafficking awareness campaign: Stand Up, Step Up, Speak Up. Watch our social media pages for more information and join the movement to end trafficking.

know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Even amid grief, the light of God can still shine. In our darkest moments, his Spirit can come alongside to comfort us.

As Salvationists, we need to look out for each other and for those in our communities who are experiencing sorrow. As we begin a new year, let’s open our hearts to what God has in store.

GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Even amid grief, the light of God can still shine.

It’s healthy to express our emotions—even the painful ones.

Dare I say, there is such a thing as “good grief”? We often talk about the five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance—but some have posited that there is a sixth stage: finding meaning. There’s biblical justification for that view: “And we

Brandon Laird Senior Graphic Designer Hannah Saley 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.

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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

ONWARD

A Simple Answer To the one question that matters.

BY COMMISSIONERS FLOYD AND TRACEY TIDD

L

ast January, there were so many hopes, dreams and plans for 2020.

This year, it has been said that the most useless purchase for 2021 is a planning calendar. “Rather than hopes and resolutions for the coming year, I simply have a list of unanswered questions,” someone recently said to us.

Perhaps many of us feel that way— hesitant and uncertain about what 2021 will bring, with more questions than dreams as the year begins.

There is, however, one question—and one answer—that matters, that remains unchanging through time. The prophet Micah lived in a time of uncertainty, when people had many questions. He knew only one question mattered. And the answer was simple, yet profound.

“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

This was the question and answer put before the nation that God had raised up for his mission to redeem the world. And this question and answer are unchanged for God’s people today. Living a life focused on Jesus and his mission is possible even in a world with so many distractions, including our unanswered questions. It is possible, as we live out the answer to the one question that matters: act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. In his book, Christ at the Door, Commissioner Phil Needham outlines that living for mission as God’s people requires conditioning. He outlines that we condition ourselves for missional living through solitude and prayer. These past months of lockdown and self-isolation have provided opportunities to develop new disciplines. Conditioning our-

selves to live for mission also includes choosing to travel lightly, keeping it simple and willingly accepting sacrifices, Commissioner Needham continues.

Finally, he encourages us to put the teachings of Jesus into practice in our daily lives, including the practice of being at peace.

As we step into a new year, we acknowledge that there are many unanswered questions. Let’s focus, however, on the one question that matters and live out the answer God has given us to that question.

Let’s continue to condition ourselves for lives of mission-focus, committed to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly into this new year with our God.

Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd

FRONTLINES

Christmas Kettles Aid Poppy Campaign

T

he Salvation Army in Pictou, N.S., loaned veterans the iconic red Christmas kettles to help with their Poppy Campaign in November.

“This is the first request we’ve had of this kind,” says Major Daniel Roode, corps officer, Westville, N.S. “But we knew they were in need and we wanted to help.”

In October, Janice Watters, past president of Legion Branch 16, knew they were facing a challenge of how to collect funds for the Poppy Campaign at unmanned locations.

That’s when she remembered the kettles and decided to contact The Salvation Army.

“We knew we had strict rules to follow this year with some locations not allowing us to have a volunteer in the store,” Watters explains. “So, we came up with the idea to contact The Salvation Army to see if we could borrow the kettles.”

Major Roode was familiar with the concerns the Legion was facing around social distancing and unmanned displays because of his experience with the Army’s annual kettle campaign. “We knew the challenges ahead of all of us and if we could do something to help another community group, that’s what we were going to do,” Major Roode explains.

The kettles were used at two locations in the community—Sobeys and the NSLC. “The kettles were vital to the success of our Poppy Campaign,” says Mike Murdock, president of Legion Branch 16.

To show their appreciation, Legion members also volunteered at the kettles as bell-ringers for the Army’s campaign.

By working together, The Salvation Army and Legion Branch 16 raised funds to help their community during a difficult time.

“We were glad to help another partner agency in a time of need,” says Major Roode. “We have a long-standing relationship of goodwill and service with the Legion. I’m glad we could help each other.”

From left, Mjr Daniel Roode and Mike Murdock share the Christmas kettles to support veterans and people in need

Salvationist January 2021 5

FRONTLINES

Coats for Kids Program Celebrates 26 Years

S

ince starting 26 years ago, The Salvation Army and the Coats for Kids program in Ontario’s Northumberland County, which includes several Salvation Army centres in Cobourg and Port Hope, have given out more than 15,000 winter coats.

Winter gear, including mittens, hats, scarves and boots, is also collected for distribution.

The program began when local businessman Rod Baker of Bakers Cleaners was moved when he saw schoolchildren huddled together without winter wear, according to Lisa Graham, community and family services manager in Port Hope. When he told a friend what he saw, his friend asked him, “Well, what are you going to do about it?” That’s when Coats for Kids was born.

“I clean the gently-used coats, and The Salvation Army distributes them,” says Baker, now 81 years old.

In the first year of the program, 75 coats were distributed.

By 2019, more than 600 coats were given out, and the numbers are expected to rise this winter because of COVID-19.

“People who once donated may now be asking for help. We don’t ask any questions. If you need a coat, you get one,” says Graham.

Commissioner Floyd Tidd prepares to lay a ceremonial wreath for Remembrance Day at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on behalf of The Salvation Army

Remembrance Day in Canada’s Capital

C The Salvation Army, in partnership with Coats For Kids, has distributed more than 15,000 winter coats in 26 years

ommissioner Floyd Tidd, territorial commander, laid a ceremonial wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on November 11 on behalf of The Salvation Army to commemorate Remembrance Day and honour the lives given in service to our nation.

The commissioner spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and separately with Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, both of whom expressed appreciation for the work of The Salvation Army through the years, but particularly during the current pandemic.

Partnering with Government in Prince Edward Island

T

he Salvation Army and Prince Edward Island’s Department of Social Development and Housing formed a partnership in November for the purpose of keeping Islanders housed from the winter cold.

The provincial government provided funding for three locations operated by the Army—Bedford MacDonald House men’s shelter, Smith Lodge, which is a 20-bed transitional housing complex, and the Community Outreach Centre.

“We have to do everything we can to make sure all Islanders have access to safe and affordable housing,” says Ernie Hudson, social development and housing minister. “This new funding for transitional housing, along with new affordable units, and 6 January 2021 Salvationist

financial help through mobile rental vouchers, will help meet the diverse housing needs of Islanders and keep people safe.”

Each location operates as a safe space for those experiencing homelessness in Prince Edward Island.

“The Salvation Army is honoured to be able to work with the Department of Social Development and Housing to provide these services to the community,” says Lieutenant Emily Newbury, corps officer, Charlottetown, P.E.I. “We see firsthand the need on the Island and, by working together, we can help those who need us now more than ever before.”

For additional information, visit PrinceEdwardIsland.ca.

FRONTLINES

Supporting Isolated Seniors During Lockdown

O

n November 24, The Salvation Army’s community and family services (CFS) in Mississauga, Ont., delivered Christmas dinners and gifts to 150 seniors, ages 60 and above, who are members of their Forever Young Inside (F.Y.I.) program. This event was made possible with a grant provided by The Community Foundation of Mississauga.

The original intention was to host a Christmas party for the seniors, however, due to COVID-19, the plans had to be changed. This is when Cousin’s Market in Mississauga stepped in to provide pre-made meals for delivery. Fifteen volunteers were recruited by CFS to deliver care packages to the homes of seniors, while keeping everyone safe and socially distanced.

“We aim to connect with and engage our seniors in healthy living, social inclusion and fun,” says Ann Pugh, program coordinator at Mississauga CFS. Many of the seniors live on modest incomes and are assisted through the food bank program. The CFS office in

Mississauga works toward helping them get through tough periods, encourages the seniors to volunteer, and strives to raise awareness in the community about issues that affect the elderly.

Essential Workers Fundraise for Virtual Santa Shuffle

Online Giving Helps Support Salvation Army Campaigns During COVID-19

T

en essential workers at The Salvation Army’s Lakeview Manor in Moncton, N.B., have participated in the Santa Shuffle for the last several years. Even when the event went virtual last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it didn’t stop them from lacing up their running shoes to help raise funds for their community.

“We wanted to help those in need in our community during Christmas,” says Mona, one of the Lakeview Manor team members. “The Santa Shuffle was perfect.”

Since taking part in the event, the Lakeview Manor team has been dedicated to raising funds through bake sales and turkey dinners. Now, they are one of the top fundraising teams for The Salvation Army in Moncton.

The Santa Shuffle started as a single race in Edmonton in 1990 when local Running Room members used their passion to raise funds to support The Salvation Army. Since 2001, it’s been an annual event across Canada.

The Lakeview Manor team strikes a pose with Santa at a Santa Shuffle event (photo taken before COVID-19)

Volunteers deliver care packages to the homes of seniors

T

he Christmas Kettle Campaign looked a little different this past year. In keeping with local pandemic health and safety protocols, and added safety measures for volunteers in locations that permitted kettles to be placed in stores and shopping malls, the campaign rolled out across the territory.

And in addition to the virtual giving option that continues to be available through FilltheKettle.com, contactless giving was made possible through tiptap terminals at kettle locations.

“For more than a century, The Salvation Army has raised funds through the annual Christmas Kettle Campaign,” says Major Jamie Rand, divisional secretary for public relations, Prairie Division. “This year was quite a challenge.”

One Manitoba native, who was unable to volunteer as a bell-ringer because of COVID-19 restrictions, reminisces on the campaign’s impact. “I’ve heard and seen first-hand how donations help,” Jayne says. “I hear a lot of heart-warming stories.”

Jayne used to volunteer at a Salvation Army kids’ club, where children from low-income families were picked up at their homes by bus, and were brought to the local corps for an evening of games, crafts and a meal to eat.

“One night there was a little boy who stayed at the front door, refusing to take his boots off and participate,” says Jayne.

“I soon discovered that he didn’t own any socks and was embarrassed. Once we provided him with a new pair, he was excited to join the fun.

“Every donation to a Christmas kettle matters,” she continues.

“There are needs out there that just won’t go away.”

For #GivingTuesday on December 1, 2020, The Salvation Army received $1,013,789 from online giving and through its national call centre. This was a 258-percent increase from 2019, and 10 times more than GivingTuesday in 2018.

Salvationist January 2021 7

NOT CALLED?

Complete Surrender Cadet Patrick Penton had to give up everything to pursue his passion for officership.

BY KEN RAMSTEAD

“God has blessed me, so much more than I ever deserved,” says Cdt Patrick Penton

P

atrick Penton was at the airport on the way home to Canada when it hit him.

“Everything that was home for the last 14 years—all was gone. I had to surrender my old life and depend on God.” First Encounter Penton was born in Bishop’s Falls, N.L. His mother and grandfather were Salvationists, but she’d married a Roman Catholic and left the church.

One evening, the Salvation Army corps in Bishop’s Falls held a concert, and his grandfather asked the 10-year-old if he wanted to attend.

“That was the first time I’d really heard the gospel preached,” Penton remembers.

“And that was also my first introduction to The Salvation Army.”

Cat Out of the Bag Unbeknownst to his parents, Penton started to attend Army church services.

“I sensed I might get in trouble with my parents, so I didn’t go inside,” he recalls. “Instead, I would stand under the window and experience worship that way.

If you talk to any of the older soldiers today, they’d tell you they remember my little head bobbing up and down at the window.”

Eventually, Penton did enter, and 8 January 2021 Salvationist

a couple of years later he stood up one Sunday and shared his testimony.

Of course, in a small town, news leaked out.

“We were shopping the next day and someone told my parents, ‘You must be very proud of your son.’ That’s when the secret got out.”

Change of Direction Penton’s father forbade him to attend Army services, but he continued. Matters came to a head one Sunday when Penton was caught sneaking into the house after a late-evening service.

“I was in big trouble,” he recalls.

The situation at home became difficult but, eventually, Penton’s father relented, and his mother even started to attend Army services with her son.

“From that time on,” he says, “there was a change of direction in our family life.”

“You Should Be There” Now a soldier, Penton realized officership was in his future.

“I had many preaching engagements during high school,” he says, “and it just felt right behind the pulpit. Seeing people coming to know the Lord, seeing the Spirit moving among his people, confirmed to me that this was the decision I needed

to make.”

Penton attended William and Catherine Booth College in Winnipeg— now Booth University College—and planned to attend the College for Officer Training (CFOT) immediately upon graduation.

But a year of travel turned into 14 when he secured a job with the Korean department of education.

Throughout that time, he was involved in ministry, leading English congregations and even leading worship at The Salvation Army’s Korea International Corps.

One morning at 3 a.m., Penton’s phone buzzed him out of sleep. It was a call from Canadian friends who were attending the Army’s international Boundless Congress, which took place in London, England, in 2015.

“It was as if I heard something in my mind saying, ‘You should be there.’ ” “I Need to Go Home” Penton made the decision to return to Canada.

“I had my work. I was travelling on speaking engagements three to four times a year. Everything seemed to be perfect.”

But when Penton prayed that year, peace did not come to him as it had every year before. “That’s when I knew I had a decision to make.”

In 2018, Penton called Major Terence Hale, territorial children and youth secretary and assistant secretary for candidates, and told him, ‘This is where God is leading me. I need to enter the 2019 Messengers of Grace Session. I need to go home.’ ” The interview process went smoothly, and Penton started at the CFOT in the fall of 2019.

A Passion for People Penton had a wonderful first semester, though it took him a while to reacquaint himself with Canadian culture. “For instance, I had to get used to not bowing to everyone I’d meet!”

At the end of the year, Cadet Penton was asked to take on a field-based appointment, and he is now the corps officer in Glovertown and Charlottetown, N.L. Cadet Penton still has his CFOT responsibilities on top of his corps duties, but he would not have it any other way.

“God has blessed me, so much more than I ever deserved,” he says. “But that can’t compare to the joy I receive when I see someone changed by the power of God.”

PERSPECTIVES

We Are The Salvation Army Illustration: Joe Marino, courtesy of SAconnects Magazine

Our ammunition is grace and mercy.

BY LT-COLONEL FRED WATERS

I

t seems like 2020 was a long year. The weight of last year won’t be soon forgotten. Most memorable events have a date: January 1, February 14, September 11, November 11, to name a few. The COVID19 crisis has challenged all of us to endure, to be purveyors of hope.

Giving Hope Today. It’s a phrase familiar to us all; perhaps too familiar. It is our brand promise, but also our commitment to community. Seeing it so often leaves us a bit blind to it. Like a familiar landmark we drive by every day, we know it’s there, but we don’t pay it much attention. But it’s

more than a brand promise—it provides us with a reminder of our work and our identity.

Did you know that it is part of a manifesto developed by the Canada and Bermuda Territory in 2006? The manifesto begins like this: “I believe in compassion. I rely on God’s strength. I live out my faith. I point people to hope.”

I point people to hope—of course, we believe that Jesus is the hope of the world.

Without him we are lost, and without that component in our work we fail completely.

The manifesto goes on to say this: “I feed

empty lives and hungry spirits. I rebuild hope from shattered dreams. I am a willing listener for a hurting person. I am a bottle of water for a weary firefighter.

I am a safe shelter for a weary traveller.

I am an opportunity for a child. I am an answered prayer. I am a second chance.”

Those are inspiring words, but note that all these statements begin with the word “I.” It must be me and it must be you. There is no passing it on to another, nor avoiding the call of those who need hope. For many, we are it. We are the hands and feet of Jesus, giving and going where others may not or will not. We are the willing listener and the opportunity for a child who finds the world hostile and dangerous. Our actions may indeed be prompted by God so that we become the answer to someone’s prayer.

I remember many times when I have arrived at someone’s home or hospital bed in what appeared to be a divine appointment; God had sent me along at just the right moment. I know you have those experiences, too. So, let’s each be the one who obeys the prompting of the Spirit of God. Note the last of those three words: Giving Hope Today. It’s today for us, it’s now for us, it’s immediate. We cannot put off until tomorrow what can be done today. It may seem endless, but that’s the nature of our mission. As we walk into 2021, we are reminded that we are still purveyors of hope.

The manifesto includes this reality: “I am an Army. Drafted by the Creator.

Commissioned by a Man who defied death. My enemies are despair and destruction. My ammunition is grace and mercy. My allies are generosity and potential. As I stand in solidarity with others, we all grow.”

These are days of deep need, but hope is the essence of our mission. We must use grace and mercy as the ammunition in this war on despair. But we can only do so if we, too, are relying on the daily work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Here’s how the prophet Isaiah puts it: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

I am The Salvation Army. Giving Hope Today.

Lt-Colonel Fred Waters is the secretary for business administration in the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Salvationist January 2021 9

The Language of Lament We can’t escape grief, pain or suffering— but Scripture gives us a way to respond.

BY CAPTAINS BARBARA AND MARK STANLEY

10 January 2021 Salvationist

What does the suffering voice of lament sound like?

Lament is not a word or place we visit much these days. But it was familiar, often-travelled terrain for our heroes of faith as they journeyed through the world. In the Psalms, we hear David’s anguish as he cried out: • “Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?”

(Psalm 44:24).

• “We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be” (Psalm 74:9).

• “All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan” (Psalm 90:9).

We can almost feel the sadness of Jeremiah’s lamenting: “This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears.

No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed” (Lamentations 1:16).

We are brought face to face with our suffering Saviour as he shared with his closest friends in the garden: “My soul is

overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38).

As you read these verses, perhaps you feel a connection with experiences in your life. If so, then you have shared in the language of lament.

How can our theology help us in our grief?

Our theology, as well as our Christian faith, practice and experience, provides us with a road map as we journey through grief, a journey that leads us straight to God. When grief hits us hard, such as with the loss of a loved one, and we are angry, hurt and in great pain, there is little comfort in saying, “God has a plan” or “Keep the faith.” Pretending that “all is well” doesn’t work, either. But in our grief, we can lament—bringing our cries and groans before God. In doing so, we acknowledge he is the Creator, Preserver and Governor of all things.

We cry out to God—we lament— when we sense that he has crossed the line, that he’s taken away something we love or added a burden that is more than we can possibly bear. The deep pain and suffering we feel needs more than trite answers. “As serious practitioners of

Photo: mgruenberg/stock.Adobe.com

W

hen life is good and things are going well, it’s easy to trust God. When our job is satisfying, our kids are doing well in school, our family is healthy, our finances are solid, our friends are near and dear, and we’re happy about how God is working in our world, our prayers are filled with thank you to God for being good, for blessing us and for loving us. And when things go bad, our songs of praise and thanks become questions and protests about what’s happening, why it’s happening and requests—maybe even demands— for all things to be well again. The good news is that this cycle of thanksgiving to protest to trust and back to thanksgiving is reflected in Scripture.

If we’ve learned anything from the COVID-19 nightmare of 2020, it’s that we can’t escape pain or suffering. This has been a year of suffering on a global scale, a year when we learned the true meaning of lament, described by theologian N.T. Wright as “asking the question ‘why’ in the midst of our suffering and not getting an answer.”

faith [we] do not flinch from despair or practise easy consolation,” writes biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann. We must go to the One who loves us the most: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).

Our theology, as well as our understanding of suffering, finds its strength in the cross of Christ. Can we make room for uncomfortable and mysterious truths of Scripture that affirm, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all”( Romans 8:32), and the verses that bring an uncomfortable alignment of fellowship and suffering—“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his Resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11)? If we reject the place suffering has in our life, what does that say about our view of the cross?

Why pray in times of suffering?

We pray because we believe that there is Someone and something greater than our own suffering. While we are in the grip of suffering, we end the day in a posture of trust in the Almighty because we have seen what it means to the world when someone chooses redemptive suffering.

Jesus Christ chose suffering and death (see John 10:18), and with that choice he changed the trajectory of the entire world; heaven and earth shifted toward full redemption and final resurrection.

What if our own suffering has the potential to change the trajectory of our lives, and the lives of others, as well?

What if our suffering binds us to the suffering Saviour (see Philippians 3:10-11)?

What if Christ’s suffering can flow into our lives so that his comfort can flow into others (see 2 Corinthians 1:5)? What if, in some mysterious way, our suffering declares the glory of God and the life, death and Resurrection of a suffering Saviour (see 2 Corinthians 4:10)?

What role does the body of Christ play during times of suffering?

It is challenging to be present with someone who is suffering—gut wrenching, in fact. Our empathy kicks in and we simply want to ease the suffering of our family, friend or neighbour. If we could find a “magic wand” to make it better, we would. But there is no easy remedy for

suffering, and little we can say to ease the pain of another. So, then, what is our task as followers of Christ within the suffering world? As members of the body of Christ we can be the “voice of those who know profound grief, who articulate it and do not cover it over,” writes Brueggemann. “But this community of hurt knows where to speak its grief, toward whom to address its pain. And because the hurt is expressed to the One whose rule is not in doubt, the community of hurt is profoundly a community of hope.”

The deep pain and suffering we feel needs more than trite answers.

What believers can do with suffering.

1. Practise lament. In our speech, our poetry, our music or art—our outward experience. Perhaps our Salvationist artists can lead the way, as Gowans and Larsson did in their composition, There Is a Time for Tears.

2. Allow ourselves to groan. Align our internal grief-experience with the Spirit of God and all of creation.

Allow the Holy Spirit to direct our thoughts and imagination to people, circumstances or places that are suffering. Sit with it for a while without distraction.

3. Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind those who are suffering. “O Christ on the road of the wounded, O Christ of the tears of the broken, I bring the needs of ____” (adapted from Celtic Prayers from Iona by J. Philip Newell). Perhaps write out a prayer and give it to them in a card or email.

4. Move toward others. We connect with suffering humanity as Jesus did, and rather than trying to insulate ourselves from suffering, we move toward others in their suffering. We offer hope as the antidote to despair (see Romans 15:13).

What believers shouldn’t say to those who suffer.

1. “At least.” “At least you have your health.” “At least she/he didn’t suffer long.” “At least you had that time together.” When we use these phrases, we diminish the legitimate pain that others are experiencing.

2. “God never gives us more than we can handle.” This is not true. God will allow difficult things to come our way that are beyond our ability to bear. “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God” (2 Corinthians 1:9).

3. “Everything happens for a reason.”

Though spoken to try and articulate God’s sovereignty, this statement offers little to those who grieve and is offensive to those on the receiving end of evil and injustice in the world.

4. “God is in control.” This statement is both unhelpful to the one suffering and confusing in terms of our understanding of God. Does it mean “God is in control so everything will work out fine”? Reflect for a moment on God’s measure of “control” in our own lives. God has given us free will to choose, and that free will extends to those around us—including those who choose to misuse that gift and do harm that results in our suffering.

It is theologically accurate to say that God’s power works with and through us in our weakness and suffering (see Romans 8:28), but it may not be helpful to speak it out loud to those in the midst of suffering.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 says it well. There is indeed “a time to weep and … a time to mourn.” If we are suffering, we can and should embrace lament. If we are companions or pilgrims together with those who suffer, let’s listen well, care deeply, pray often and find ways to serve. N.T. Wright reminds us that “When we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, then somehow, God is praying within us for the pain around us.”

Captain Barbara Stanley is the director of pastoral services in the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Captain Mark Stanley is the assistant to the territorial secretary for business.

Salvationist January 2021 11

The Women of Zarephath

An Elephant Never Forgets

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t Botwood Corps, N.L., a ministry called The Women of Zarephath offers care and support for widows. The group started in 2015, when Major Janice Rowe was the corps officer.

“There were a number of recent widows, and she picked up on the hurt and loneliness,” says Ruby Callahan, who had lost her husband a year earlier, after 44 years of marriage.

“We started meeting together every month, to share a time of worship, an uplifting devotional, conversation and a meal.”

About 12 people attend the group, which takes turns meeting in members’ homes. After the first series ended, Callahan stepped in to lead, even though her own grief was still fresh.

“I had just come through the journey of Alzheimer’s with my husband,” she says. “He was ill for four years and in longterm care for the last eight months. It was hard. When it was over, I was physically tired.

“But I felt this was important, and that I could help some of the others. And by doing that, I was helping myself.”

The group is named after the biblical widow who, in the middle of a drought and famine, shared the last of her flour and oil with the prophet Elijah. As she responds in faith and obedience, giving generously out of what little she has, she finds that her own needs are met—to overflowing (see 1 Kings 17).

“The widow of Zarephath practised hospitality in the most difficult of days, and I believe that is what Ruby did for this group of women,” says Major Rowe. “Even in her own grief, she stepped out in faith, giving of herself at a time when she felt empty. I know these women dearly appreciated how she reached out to them over the years and made a place where they could be filled with God’s love and peace.”

Ruby Callahan (far right) leads The Women of Zarephath, a group that offers care and support for widows at Botwood Corps, N.L.

12 January 2021 Salvationist

The Elephant Club at The Salvation Army’s Agapé Hospice in Calgary helps grieving children express their feelings through play, art and storytelling

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s my father dying? Is it because I was a bad child? What is cancer? Am I going to get the same illness? Where will he go after he dies?

Children facing the loss of a loved one have many questions.

That’s why The Salvation Army’s Agapé Hospice in Calgary started the Elephant Club, a grief support program for children under 13 who are connected to current residents.

“Children need a safe place to express their thoughts and feelings,” says Shizuko Boga, the social worker at Agapé Hospice.

“Elephants have big ears to listen, just like we do.”

The name of the club also comes from the poem, The Elephant in the Room, which describes the loneliness people can feel when others avoid their grief.

“When serious illness occurs in a family, adults often want to protect children from suffering,” says Boga. “And parents going through their own grief may not be emotionally available to help their child. A child’s experience of grief can be painful and isolating.”

While children are visiting the hospice, they have access to the Elephant Club room, stocked with toys, books and games, or they can keep a mobile cart with art and craft supplies in their family’s room. Elephant Club members, Boga and trained volunteers are available to provide immediate, one-on-one or small group support in a variety of ways.

Depending on the age of the child, conversation may not be the best approach, so Elephant Club members help children express their feelings and thoughts through play, art and storytelling. They may use puppets or stuffed animals, make something to give to the dying person or write them a poem or letter.

Creating unique rituals can also help honour memories, such as letting go of a balloon with a note in it or blowing bubbles and making a wish. One family found it comforting for a grandparent and grandchild to plant spring flower seeds in pots and display them in the resident’s room and the family home. When the grandparent passed away, they planted the flowers together at their home.

As well as giving children a safe place to grieve, Boga provides support for the adults in their lives. “Many have said that they don’t know how to speak to children about illness, death and dying,” she says. “But children can sense when something is wrong or has changed.”

She offers a listening ear and resources to help recognize grief in children—which is often expressed through changes in behaviour—and how to respond, according to their age, to help them cope.

“It is our hope that children begin the work of grieving alongside their parents while experiencing the same loss,” says Boga. “Children do grieve, and they want to be involved in the process, while receiving love and attention from a caring adult.”

Valley of the Shadow

“We were able to have a funeral,” says Kathy. “And find closure as best we could at the time.”

A few months later, friends at church recommended GriefShare, a grief recovery support program, and they found a group at The Salvation Army’s Northridge Community Church in Aurora, Ont. The 12-week program covers many topics related to grief—such as guilt, anger and answering the question why—from a biblical perspective, along with prayer support. Kathy and James attended five cycles, led by Jan and Gord Evans.

“The first time was kind of a blur,” says James. “It was a lot of information, and it was painful to open up and live through it again. But we stayed with it. Everyone was incredibly supportive.”

“We were in so much shock,” agrees Kathy. “It was hard to register everything. But each time we’ve come, a little more strength and healing has percolated into our thoughts, and eventually into our hearts.”

Although it was sometimes challenging to not only carry their own grief, but that of others, GriefShare gave them a safe place to be honest about their feelings, with people who knew what they were going through.

Photo: Giselle Randall

“We’re still on the journey, and there are still ups and downs, but thankfully the roller-coaster ride is not as perilous now.”

“We were thankful to know we could be ourselves and let down the mask we wore,” say Kathy and James Lewis, who participated in GriefShare at The Salvation Army’s Northridge Community Church in Aurora, Ont., after the death of their son, Garrett

I

n August 2015, Kathy and James Lewis were on vacation with their two sons, Garrett and Wesley, at a cottage on Lake Huron, Ont. After the family holiday, Garrett was planning to spend the last week of summer as a camp counsellor before going back for his third year at Carleton University, where he was studying civil engineering. Wesley, three years younger, was on the cusp of applying to the computer engineering program at the University of Guelph.

On Thursday, August 20, around 7:30 p.m., they were swimming near shore when a powerful rip current pulled Garrett under in rough water. As Wesley and his friend, Dani, along with James and other onlookers, desperately tried to reach him, he disappeared into the waves. On Sunday, August 23, around 7:45 a.m., Garrett’s body was recovered by Ontario Provincial Police divers.

“We were thankful to know we could be ourselves and let down the mask we wore,” says Kathy. “There aren’t a lot of people who understand what it’s like to go through the death of a child. So many tried hard to say the right thing but missed the mark. We spent a lot of time forgiving them, knowing they meant well. Unless you walk in someone else’s shoes, it’s hard to understand.”

GriefShare wasn’t only a lifeline for Kathy and James.

“Wesley was the last one to hold Garrett’s hand before he passed,” says Kathy. “He suffered with post-traumatic stress and felt frozen—he couldn’t move forward in life.”

But as Kathy and James slowly began to get stronger, so did Wesley.

“I think he sensed that he wasn’t going to hurt us, that we weren’t going to break,” says James. “He felt free to share more.”

“As much as we miss Garrett and want him back, Wes needs our support, so we’ve worked really hard to get healthy,” adds Kathy. “We’re still on the journey, and there are still ups and downs, but thankfully the roller-coaster ride is not as perilous now.

“We’re grateful to God that he allowed our paths to cross with so many others who helped us walk through the valley of the shadow.”

—Compiled by Giselle Randall

Salvationist January 2021 13

Up in Smoke How to prevent burnout while serving others in crisis.

BY KRISTIN MARGUERITE DOIDGE

14 January 2021 Salvationist

Illustration: freshidea/stock.Adobe.com

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he coronavirus pandemic. Wildfires and hurricanes. Home-schooling.

Work deadlines. Doctor’s appointments. Checking in on neighbours.

Friends. Family. Children.

Ask yourself: When was the last time you came up on the to-do list?

If you paused as long as most of us did to think of the answer, you’re not alone. An estimated 40 million people were already serving as caregivers at home before the COVID-19 crisis took over, providing unpaid care of aging, disabled or other people who need assistance. And then there are many more also serving in a fast-paced caregiving role through The Salvation Army or another community or faith-based organization. That makes for a long day with seemingly no beginning and end for many parents, young adults and essential workers.

When caregivers neglect their own needs while serving others, stress, anxiety and depression can set in. Those experiencing caregiver burnout may even experience “a change in attitude, from positive and caring, to negative and unconcerned,” according to The Cleveland Clinic, an American academic medical centre, and some may become physically ill themselves. It can happen to anyone—and it’s especially harmful when left unresolved.

Some of the symptoms include: withdrawal from family and friends, feelings of hopelessness, and emotional and physical exhaustion.

“Fatigue can refer to something that is overused or overstressed,” says Dr. Jack Anderson, director of officer care and development for The Salvation Army’s U.S.A. Western Territory. “If you take a metal paper clip and bend it back and forth too many times, the metal becomes weak and will eventually break apart. Engineers have sophisticated ways to look below the

surface of metal to discover the level of fatigue, and thus when repairs are needed, prevent a breakage.”

People, on the other hand, can experience various kinds of fatigue: physical, mental and emotional, he says, and while our neurological systems are amazingly robust at handling stress in our lives, everyone has what might be called a “point of fatigue” or a breaking point.

That means remembering to care for ourselves has become increasingly important just as it is becoming more challenging. But there’s reason to have hope. Implementing some changes to our routines can make a big difference in mitigating fatigue, and potentially in preventing burnout altogether.

Here are five tips to keep in mind as you get started on your path toward more balance and grace.

face is that we don’t always have an accurate awareness of when we have overextended ourselves,” he says. That means we’re likely to extend ourselves beyond what is healthy. He explains it like this: If you aren’t in shape at all and go on a 16-kilometre hike with some friends, you might be sore for a week while your muscles recover. Your desire to be with friends and not miss out on a fun experience motivates you to go past your actual fitness level, but you might not feel the pain until the next day. If this happens too often or for too long, fatigue will eventually set in. Likewise, learning your body’s warning signs associated with caregiving fatigue, such as a negative mood, or changes in eating or sleeping patterns, can help you better assess your limits and potential for burnout.

1. Learn your own warning signs.

Anderson says caregivers often do not recognize their own limits because they tend to be highly motivated people. “One of the problems we

2. Seek help before you need it.

For Lieutenant Aline Posner, corps officer at Auburn Corps in California, that means seeking Christ through prayer. “I fully rely on Christ to get

through it,” she says. “That’s really where I get my strength from.”

Balancing two children, work and a spouse with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), she admits that finding balance can be tough. She says in addition to her faith, she relies on phone calls with friends for support, and she also tries to exercise twice a week. She and her husband, Lieutenant Jesse Posner, make it a rule to spend dinnertime talking about family rather than the workday.

Beyond family and friends, in the Canada and Bermuda Territory, confidential support and resources are available for Salvation Army officers through the pastoral care department, and for employees through Morneau Shepell’s employee and family assistance program (visit workhealthlife.com).

3. Lean on the community.

Engaging with other caregivers in your community is essential during these unprecedented times of isolation, says Chelsea Bowers, a social worker serving in homeless intervention services and a family caregiver herself.

“Increasing empathy for others ensures a welcomed environment for all and can help decrease burnout and fatigue that one experiences just by being able to have open conversations about how a caretaker is feeling,” she says. The Canadian Mental Health Association (cmha.ca) has resources to help identify issues such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. Advice includes staying in touch with friends, family and people who you rely on for support or, while social-distancing rules are still in effect, finding an online group or forum for support.

4. Remember to laugh.

Lieutenant Jesse Posner finds joy even while serving on the front lines of a crisis. “What a joy it is to see the excitement return to a child’s face in a time of uncertainty for them,” he shares, adding how his presence alone brought smiles to those who’d been homebound.

For Sydney Siegel, a clinical oncology social worker, giving herself permission to laugh is key to keeping stress at bay after a long day of providing for

others. “People often experience guilt when feeling a light moment in the midst of pain,” she explains. “Laughter and caring for oneself does not diminish the pain of those you care for. Instead, it is a way to pay tribute to the full range of human experiences and reminds us that on the other side of the pain spectrum lies joy, connection and humour.”

5. Just breathe.

It’s one of the things some of us are blessed to take most for granted: our ability to breathe. But research shows that simple deep-breathing techniques, like those associated with mindfulness meditation, prayer and yoga, can have big benefits. “Take time to breathe and listen to your own body,” Bowers says.

And Anderson reminds us the most important thing is to integrate rest into our busy routines as much as possible.

“The magic ingredient for our systems to stay strong is having a recovery period,” he says. “The healthy pattern is to have a period of exertion followed by a period of rest and recovery.”

Reprinted and adapted from caringmagazine.org.

Salvationist January 2021 15

Family Business God’s call to officership brings four cousins to the College for Officer Training.

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adet Matthew Rideout, Cadet Joshua Rideout, Cadet Janelle Colbourne and Cadet Kelsie Burford have a few things in common.

First, they’re all cadets at the College for Officer Training (CFOT) in Winnipeg— the first three in the Messengers of Reconciliation Session (2020-2022) and Cadet Kelsie in the Messengers of Grace Session (2019-2021). Second, Cadet Matthew and Cadet Joshua are brothers.

And third, Cadet Janelle and Cadet Kelsie are their cousins. Leigha Vegh, associate editor of Salvationist, interviewed the four family members to ask them about their journey to officership together.

What does it mean to you to do ministry with family at CFOT? Cadet Joshua Rideout: The opportunity

to share my training and ministry opportunities with my family at CFOT is a special privilege that few 16 January 2021 Salvationist

experience. Many people have asked me if I planned on going to CFOT with my brother, Matthew, and cousins, Kelsie and Janelle, and the answer is no. I never consciously made the decision to go with them. I ultimately felt God was calling me to go into training this year regardless of who was going to be there. That being said, I also believe that God has a specific purpose and plan for each of our lives and that it is not a mere coincidence that the four of us are here in training together. We all grew up together, not just as cousins, but closer to siblings. It’s something that we have never taken for granted. In this season more than ever before, with the stress of training, ministry, COVID-19 and everything else, it has been easy to see the intentionality of God’s hand at work. I mean, what are the odds of us all being here at the same time? All

in all, having a personal family within the greater CFOT family has been a blessing and I am excited to see what God has in store for the continuation of our training.

Cadet Matthew Rideout: Doing ministry with my family at CFOT has been

neat. All four of us are officers’ kids who were born into that life. Knowing that we are following in the footsteps of our parents to become officers in The Salvation Army is unique.

Out of my dad’s family, his younger brother and youngest sister were the three youngest out of six who became officers.

Back on Father’s Day, around 43 years ago, my grandfather accepted Jesus as his Saviour one Sunday night, after my dad and his younger brother went forward as young children to accept Jesus that same morning. I

From left, Cdts Joshua Rideout, Janelle Colbourne, Kelsie Burford and Matthew Rideout

know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. Because of the power of God at work in the life of my grandfather, I am here today at CFOT following Jesus, as well.

Cadet Janelle Colbourne: It is such a special gift to be here at CFOT with my

family. Some people have asked me if we planned it to happen this way. But the answer is no. Kelsie is a year ahead of the boys and me, and even though I knew they were doing their paperwork at the same time as me, I never could have imagined that our paths to CFOT would have synced up like they did. It truly is a blessing. Matt, Josh, Kelsie and I are all very close, and our bond often feels more like siblings than cousins. Even though our parents are officers, we were lucky to have lived in the same divisions as each other for most of our lives. It’s also nice to have family to lean on when things can get stressful. Attending CFOT is a busy time with our course load, but knowing that my cousins can relate to my situation is helpful. It has also been an added blessing to be here together as we near the holidays, since the pandemic has stopped us from being able to visit home.

Cadet Kelsie Burford: It has been an

absolute blessing to have my family here with me at CFOT. It’s a unique opportunity to have people that have always been such a big part of my life share in this important journey and time of transition.

What has your call to officership looked like?

JR: For quite a while, and even before I

could really name it, I had felt a calling to ministry. It took me longer to figure out not only was it a call to officership, but to something deeper. After I had figured it out and I was content with my calling, it was no longer about what I was called to do, but rather when I was to go to CFOT. After working with the Army as a youth director, it increasingly solidified the reason why I wanted to become an officer. It

had nothing to do with following my parents or the other officers within my family. It had everything to do with me feeling an unshakeable desire to do nothing else other than to share the love of Jesus with others in practical ways. It’s this desire alone that has fuelled me to follow the path that I am currently on.

MR: Three years ago, I was at a youth

Fuse weekend as a chaperone leader for my corps. There, the guest officer who was the speaker specifically said that 30-plus people present were going to become officers. I had heard many calls and challenges before about people considering officership, but this time was different. I knew God was speaking to me and that this was something he was calling me to.

The next two years I spent working in The Salvation Army’s finance department. Though I was still able to serve and contribute to God’s mission through my work and at my corps, I knew that God was calling me to something different. Not a better mission or work, but God’s call for me, which just happens to be as a Salvation Army officer.

Some encouragement I wish to share with those that might be considering God’s call to officership is that whatever God may be calling you to, don’t hesitate, and trust God’s timing as you follow him.

A Scripture passage that has helped me along the way to CFOT is Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT), which says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

I just hope for the future that God would have all of me and work through me to proclaim his love wherever I go, and that others would come to know him.

JC: If I am being completely honest

with myself, officership has always been what God has been calling me toward. But it wasn’t until the past

couple of years that I was in a place in my life where I was ready to listen to the Lord and my calling. A few years ago, I was in a low and difficult period of my life and really struggling. One night I just completely surrendered my life to the Lord and his plans for my life. I never had fully done that before.

I remember feeling God’s peace in that moment, which was exactly what I needed. It was shortly after that night when I really felt the Lord leading me to officership. I was scared and felt completely inadequate for the job. But I was reminded that God would not call me to something that he would not equip me for. My hope for my future in officership is that God would continue to use me as a vessel for furthering his kingdom. I also hope that one day my cousins and I can be officers in the same division, just like our parents were.

Another source of inspiration for me was our grandfather. He was a strong man of God. He was an encourager, a pillar of faith in his community and truly loved by all.

When our parents were young, our grandfather gave his life to Christ and I truly believe this impact was shown by our parents becoming officers.

Unfortunately, he passed away in 2017, but I know that he would be so proud to see four of his grandchildren being obedient to God’s calling. The way he lived his life for Jesus has impacted my life, and I’m sure my cousins’ lives, more than I can put into words.

KB: I became a cadet simply because

God called and I answered. I think that there are many moments in my life, looking back now, when God spoke into the call he placed on my life, even if I may not have seen it at the time.

His grace and provision are what has gotten me to this point. I hope that God continues to use me in powerful ways to build his kingdom and to help reveal the truth of who he is to others.

I believe God will use me to serve him and others.

Salvationist January 2021 17

Stand Up, Step Up, Speak Up Salvation Army launches modern slavery and human trafficking campaign.

BY MAJOR RAY LAMONT

A

s a young divisional youth secretary, I wanted to help bring awareness about modern slavery and human trafficking to the youth in my division. Despite being extremely interested in this social injustice, I didn’t know much about it except that I wanted to be part of the solution. I thought I had found the perfect way to accomplish this goal after I had watched the movie Taken, starring Liam Neeson as a gun-toting retired CIA agent who shoots his way across Europe after his daughter is kidnapped for the purpose of being sex trafficked. My plan was to show this movie at the next divisional youth conference, thus educating and bringing awareness in one sweeping motion to all the attendees. At that time, I thought it was a brilliant plan.

After years of growing, being formally educated, and engaging on the front line of modern slavery and human trafficking work, I have come to realize that this movie was a poor representation of this topic.

Steeped in sensationalism and making sweeping generalizations about human trafficking, some movies like this do more harm than good in helping everyday people like you and me understand what it is.

No matter where we live, it’s happening all around us. We must not only be aware of this egregious social injustice, but also be able to spot the signs, risks and methods associated with modern slavery and human trafficking (both sex and labour).

Although the presence or absence of any of these neither proves nor disproves that human trafficking is taking place, the presence of multiple indicators should be cause for notice.

Spot the Signs A potential victim of modern slavery and human trafficking may: • Not be able to leave or quit their work or change their circumstance if and when they want to.

• Be forced to work in degrading and unfair conditions.

• Be receiving little to no pay and have limited or no access to or control of their earnings, placing them in a situation of dependence.

18 January 2021 Salvationist

• Be living and working in the same location.

• Have had their personal identification documents taken and held by another.

• Show signs of physical violence.

• Fear for their safety and/or the safety of loved ones if they try to leave and/or if they do not engage in what the traffickers are forcing them to do.

• Be paying back a “debt” for being provided with work.

Spot the Risks Risk factors that increase an individual’s vulnerability to modern slavery and human trafficking can be seen in these six areas: • Poverty—Traffickers specifically target poor and marginalized communities to offer deceptive and/or exploitive opportunities to individuals who feel desperate to provide for themselves and their families to improve their circumstances.

• Limited Access to Education— Individuals with limited education or who are illiterate will likely have fewer income-generating opportunities, whether in the formal or the informal economic sectors.

This increases their vulnerability.

• Forced Migration and Displacement—People fleeing their homes in search of more stable or secure communities may instead end up homeless or in temporary settlements, unemployed, possibly unwanted by their host community, and without their familiar family and social networks. This makes them extremely vulnerable.

• Environmental, Relational, Situational Instability—Whether it’s a natural disaster, a hostile relationship or living space, or lack of affordable housing, people will make desperate decisions to fulfil their dream of a better life while putting their lives at risk.

• Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation—LGBTQ2+ adults and youth are susceptible to being bullied by their peers, ostracized by their community, denied access to service provisions, and victimized by acts of violence and hate. Traffickers will use this discrimination and stigmatization to their advantage.

• Vulnerable Minorities—This is a concern particularly for Indigenous and refugee populations. People who experience racism face systemic barriers, such as limited access to education, employment, housing and credit, making them extremely vulnerable to traffickers.

Spot the Methods Refers to different methods of recruitment relentlessly and ruthlessly employed by traffickers: • Pretending to Be a Boyfriend or Friend—Potential pimps will draw a person into their lives with promises of love and affection by offering them the illusion of a more glamourous lifestyle.

• Deceptive Job Advertisements— Some job postings use deceptive or manipulative promises to offer financial security, either locally or abroad, to people looking to better their situation in life. This usually results in a debt owed by the victim to the trafficker, which is attached to an impossible interest rate.

• Deceptive Educational and Travel Opportunities—Traffickers might use the promise of opportunities to obtain an education, which capitalizes on a family’s desire to improve their situation out of poverty, or to go on an adventure to see the world, to lure victims in.

• Sale by a Family Member or Trusted Individual—Family members may sell another family member to receive short-term and immediate financial aid. This may also relieve financial pressure on a family as

it is one less mouth to feed, body to clothe and provide medicine for. Sale of a service can be for the purposes of sexual or labour exploitation, such as to be sold to have sex with a family member’s friends, or to clean houses.

• Recruitment by Current Victims of Trafficking—In order to alleviate pressure on themselves or receive status and favour from a trafficker, a victim will recruit other potential victims by returning to their community and visiting locations where youth spend a lot of time, such as playgrounds, shopping malls and high schools.

• Online Recruitment—Traffickers will recruit, groom and control potential victims on various online sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Craigslist and online dating sites and chatrooms, by identifying vulnerable individuals through their social media presence and building a relationship with them.

through our SA justice—modern slavery and human trafficking webpage.

Starting January 11, check out our webpage at salvationist.ca/trafficking to get involved in this campaign.

Commencing in spring 2021, we will offer a free online modern slavery and human trafficking response certificate that is available to everyone. Comprised of four modules and webinars, participants will receive an overview of modern slavery and human trafficking, explore the different forms it takes in our territory, learn about using a trauma-informed approach and introduce our territorial fight for freedom strategy. Registration will begin in March on our website.

We want to be an Army that knows about the signs, risks and methods asso-

ciated with modern slavery and human trafficking—and if we see something then we say something. If you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking, call the Canadian National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.

May God continue to stir our hearts, minds and souls for this type of ministry within our territory. May he continue to raise up an Army of godly women, men, girls and boys who, like Isaiah, will respond to God’s call of “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” by passionately and resolutely vowing, “I’ll go. Send me!” (see Isaiah 6:8).

Major Ray Lamont is the modern slavery and human trafficking response co-ordinator in the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

The Takeaway While this is not an exclusive list of signs, risks and methods, it’s a great place to start. How can we learn even more about modern slavery and human trafficking to actively engage in this fight for freedom?

January is Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The Salvation Army will be launching a campaign called “Stand Up, Step Up, Speak Up.” Each week from January 11 to January 31, the Canada and Bermuda Territory will highlight one aspect of this campaign.

Week one is “Stand Up,” where we will raise awareness about modern slavery and human trafficking by encouraging people to get to know the facts through statistics, our Spot the Signs series, our top 10 modern slavery and human trafficking books for adults and children, video/ documentaries, and the release of The Salvation Army’s Anti-Human Trafficking Devotional.

Week two is “Step Up,” where we will share resources and ways to help people in corps and social mission units get involved in this fight in practical and realistic ways.

Week three is “Speak Up,” which will encourage us to involve others in the fight for freedom by engaging in the End It Movement on social media and Salvationist January 2021 19

GLOBAL FOCUS

From Kenya to the Caribbean Canadian officers serve faithfully wherever God sends them.

Lt-Cols Wanda and Morris Vincent share a happy moment with Salvationists during their tenure in the Kenya West Tty

turned out the lights when I suddenly screamed. Morris quickly sat up straight and discovered there was a lizard crawling up my leg. Every night after that we double-checked underneath the sheets and bed before turning in.

MV: While English is the working

language in Kenya, the nationals often naturally default to speaking Swahili with each other, during coffee breaks or when driving in a vehicle together.

We often wished we were more gifted in speaking their language so we could understand their conversations and not feel so much like the outsiders.

WV: We never felt that the colour of

our skin was a barrier, but we were sometimes amused when children wanted to touch us. While at a supermarket one day, a little girl kept reaching for Morris’ hand. He initially thought she was just being friendly, but soon realized she wanted to touch his light-coloured skin to see if it felt different!

What are some of the challenges faced by the Army in Kenya West?

MV: One of the biggest challenges in

I

n response to the Lord’s call to go wherever they are needed, the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s Lt-Colonels Morris and Wanda Vincent have been serving internationally with The Salvation Army since January 2017, when they were appointed as chief secretary and territorial secretary for women’s ministries, respectively, in the Kenya West Territory. In August 2020, they were transferred to the Caribbean Territory, where he is the chief secretary and she serves as the territorial secretary for women’s ministries and territorial secretary for program. Features editor Giselle Randall connected with Lt-Colonels Vincent to learn about their international ministry experiences.

20 January 2021 Salvationist

What were some of the adjustments you made or cultural barriers you encountered while serving in Kenya?

Lt-Colonel Morris Vincent: The biggest

adjustment was living far from family, our support systems and everything that had shaped us for most of our lives.

There were differences in food, language and leadership styles, and even in worship. In Kenya, we learned to dance in worship but didn’t quite have the African rhythm!

Lt-Colonel Wanda Vincent: A practical

adjustment we made quickly was sleeping under a mosquito net. One night when we went to bed, we had just

Kenya is ensuring people on the front lines are resourced and empowered for sustainability. So many officers are surviving on very little or no salary and many of them are living with the adverse effects of poverty. Beyond just the officers, sharing resources and empowering people is important in the broader community. One of the areas most affected is in the northern part of the country, in Turkana. The extreme heat and desert-like conditions result in very difficult living conditions. It was startling to visit this region and to find the resources necessary to assist on an ongoing basis. Another big challenge in Kenya West is supporting more than 400 schools sponsored by The Salvation Army. So many of the schools have

GLOBAL FOCUS

structural and personnel deficits with an overflow of students. Sanitation and clean water accessibility are among the many needs that the territory tries to support.

What social issues is the Army engaged with in the Kenya West Territory?

WV: The greatest overarching social

issue is poverty because it is so vast in scope and in its effects on people’s social and economic livelihood. Thankfully, the Army is working hard with locals and partners around the world to help reduce poverty. There are projects that establish microcredit systems, empowering women in financial management with the goal of increased confidence and independence. Many agricultural and community projects help locals make better use of their natural resources. A health-based project called the “Mother-Child” program, which is supported by the Canada and Bermuda Territory, is providing critical health care for pregnant moms and newborn babies.

Women’s ministries created vast opportunities to teach and train women in life skills, personal and household hygiene, and vocational aptitudes.

How does the Army in the Kenya West and Caribbean territories live out integrated mission?

MV: The Salvation Army is present in

the community, not just in the church.

In Kenya, Christian faith is lived out in the markets and schools through practical everyday life and caring for one another. It is a natural communitybased culture where they work together with resourcefulness and resilience.

WV: In the Caribbean, there is a

balanced cross-section of ministry for how the Army meets human needs and shares the gospel of Christ. Community-based programs for children, the elderly and people suffering addictions, health clinics, feeding and education programs, outreach to the homeless, and more, provide opportunity to fulfil an integrated approach to mission. Some of these are incorporated with the corps and many of the corps programs engage in outreach to the community.

What do you find most challenging about cross-cultural ministry?

Lt-Cols Vincent plant a tree in Mautuma District, Kenya, a traditional activity for visiting leaders

MV: The need to understand and be

understood while working side-by-side with the locals is critical and requires a concentrated effort. Our common Salvation Army international creed unites us, yet there are differences in what is “normal” in every culture. We know we are the visitors in the land and have learned to listen carefully, remain curious and ask lots of questions.

We must find the balance between respecting the local culture and remaining true to our biblically based kingdom culture.

What shapes your approach to leadership?

WV: We are guided by the servant-style

leadership of Jesus, which is seen most profoundly just before his Crucifixion in John 13. When Jesus stoops to wash the disciples’ feet, he not only models how to lead as he does, he also eradicates the lines of hierarchy in leadership and manifests a “servant of all” pattern. This is the model we strive for. We want to minister and lead in any context where the Army gives us opportunity as servants of others above all else.

How has international service changed you?

MV: The richness that comes when you

serve outside your homeland is the expansion of your heart, mind and soul. In our hearts, we hold images of children and other vulnerable people whose basic human needs are not guaranteed. We are inspired by the resilience of women who walk miles to carry firewood, work tirelessly to care

for their families and who are eager to participate in empowerment programs to create a better life. We understand more clearly the complexities, injustices and inequalities of global wealth distribution. We are more cognizant of how the Army operates in developing countries and what it means to be partners together. Being stretched beyond our comfort zone, we lean more into our faith and remain open to how God daily shapes our souls.

How can people support and encourage you?

WV: We are firm believers in the power

of prayer, for ourselves and the people we serve. People can check out the Caribbean territorial Facebook page to see what’s happening in the territory or connect with us personally through our social media platforms. I am also writing a blog which people can access at mwvincent.blogspot.com.

What gives you hope as you participate in God’s mission?

MV: What gives us hope is the promised

presence of God to sustain us, the evidence that he is at work around the world, and the truth that he is in control.

Our faith is unshaken.

WV: We are encouraged by the

commitment of those who remain engaged in the mission, sharing Jesus in word and deed. Lives are being transformed, even in the toughest of circumstances, and God is not finished yet.

Salvationist January 2021 21

Defining Salvation It’s in our name, but what exactly does it mean?

BY DONALD E. BURKE

Illustration: Kevin Carden/stock.Adobe.com

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e are The Salvation Army.

But if we were to ask a random sample of Salvationists what the word “salvation” means, either in our name or on its own, I think we would have a wide range of responses, many of them quite muddled. To me, this confusion about the meaning of the most foundational word in our theological vocabulary—to say nothing of our name—is not just unfortunate; it is catastrophic for our identity and mission.

Yet, this lack of clarity is understandable and longstanding.

On the one hand, the focus of “salvation” in our 11 doctrines is the preparation of individual persons for an afterlife with God in heaven. Consistent with our revivalist and Wesleyan heritage, a strong emphasis on conversion as well as holiness of heart and life is foundational.

Total depravity, justification, regeneration, entire sanctification, judgment and eternal happiness as presented in the doctrines are all focused on the “salvation” of individuals.

But on the other hand, especially 22 January 2021 Salvationist

since William Booth’s articulation of the mission of the Army as “salvation for both worlds” in 1890, our mission has expanded to include not only the deliverance of individual persons to heaven, but also the transformation of the conditions in which they live in this world. The co-founder, reflecting upon more than 40 years of ministry, said it this way: “As I came to look more closely into things, and gathered more experience of the ways of God to man, I discovered that the miseries from which I sought to save man in the next world were substantially the same as those from which I everywhere found him suffering in this, and that they proceeded from the same cause—that is, from his alienation from and his rebellion against God, and then from his own disordered dispositions and appetites.... But with this discovery there also came another, which has been growing and growing in clearness and intensity from that hour to this; which was that I had two gospels of deliverance to preach—one for each world, or rather, one gospel which applied alike to

both. I saw that when the Bible said, ‘He that believeth shall be saved,’ it meant not only saved from the miseries of the future world, but from the miseries of this [world] also. That it came from the promise of salvation here and now; from hell and sin and vice and crime and idleness and extravagance, and consequently very largely from poverty and disease, and the majority of kindred woes.” This statement is astonishing for both its clarity and expansive vision.

Expanding the Scope of the Doctrines While our doctrines focus on the deliverance of individual persons to a heavenly reward, our mission as articulated

by William Booth in 1890 evidences an expanded understanding of “salvation” that moves beyond individuals and our future in the world to come to include the conditions in which people live in this world. Increasingly, Booth recognized that salvation embraces both heaven and earth, both this world and the next.

Nevertheless, the underlying ten-

sion between salvation as focused on the deliverance of individuals to the heavenly realms and salvation as the transformation of the world to resemble the kingdom of God remains largely unresolved. I think that, in part, this is because while Booth expanded the scope of the mission of the Army, he did not follow through and expand the scope of our doctrines. But perhaps even more fundamentally, we have not articulated the biblical resources that are available to help us enlarge our understanding of salvation to include “salvation for both worlds.” Is there biblical and theological support for the broad mission of salvation for both worlds? I am convinced that there is, and that Booth got it right in 1890. With this in mind, I want to offer a few observations.

1. The doctrines as we have them, with their emphasis on the salvation of individuals for holy living in this life and preparation for the next, are foundational.

Shaped as they are by the classic themes of Christian theology through the centuries, our emphasis upon human sinfulness, which separates us from God and distorts our life together on the one hand, and divine grace, which delivers from sin and prepares us to live as God’s children on the other, must remain central.

2. We must hear clearly the Bible’s repeated emphasis upon the renewal of all of creation as God brings to reality a new heaven and a new earth (see Revelation 21). The Christian gospel is comprehensive.

It embraces not only the restoration of humanity to the fullness of our relationship with God, culminating in lives of holiness and eternal rest with God, but also the redemption of all of God’s creation to serve its intended purpose. This emphasis is embedded in the very structure of the Bible which opens in Genesis 1-2 with the creation of all that there is and concludes in Revelation with the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.

3. The central message of Jesus, which was focused upon the kingdom of

God, provides us with a more social understanding of Jesus’ mission.

When the Gospels summarize the mission and message of Jesus, they do so by linking it to the kingdom of God. Thus we read in Mark 1:14-15, “Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news’ ” (NRSV). A kingdom is not focused on a single individual or individuals as autonomous actors; a kingdom, by definition, is a society, a community of people who are joined together in allegiance to the “monarch,” in this case, God. Further, a kingdom should resemble or reflect the character of its king. For this reason, justice, holiness, mercy and compassion are united in the kingdom of God.

We have not articulated the biblical resources that are available to help us enlarge our understanding of salvation to include “salvation for both worlds.”

4. The Bible’s central term for the social character of human society under God is the Hebrew term shalom, which is most often translated as “peace.” However, such a translation does not capture adequately the full range of meaning of this term. It describes much more than the absence of conflict. Some have attempted to express its meaning by describing it as “human flourishing.” But even this is an inadequate expression if it is focused exclusively on human life in this world. For the biblical vision

of peace embraces all of creation (see Isaiah 11:6-9), not just human beings. Just as God’s mission to save the world is comprehensive, so, too, is the vision of shalom.

Our Transforming Mission So, what does the “salvation” in our name mean? It refers to the comprehensive mission of God to deliver the world from the distorting, debilitating and destructive forces of sin and to restore the world to its closest, most intimate relationship with God. It is the salvation of individual humans for lives of Christian holiness; but it is also a “full salvation” in the sense that it is a salvation for the world, for all of creation. This salvation includes the transformation of society, countering dehumanizing systems of injustice, and the construction of social structures for shalom. It is for this reason that Booth organized the Army’s social initiatives into the Social Reform Wing, emphasizing the transformative focus of our mission.

As The Salvation Army, we are called to this comprehensive salvific purpose of God; to lean forward into the kingdom of God; to live in anticipation of the glorious vision of a new heaven and a new earth that emerges in Revelation 21. We are called to create communities in which we live out the challenge of Galatians 3:28, where there is neither Jew nor Greek, that is no distinction or discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity; there is neither free nor slave, that is to stand against the injustices inherent in societies and places where economic and social oppression crush human lives and destroy the environment; and there is neither male nor female, that is to strive to ensure that every human person has the opportunity to reach their potential as a child of God. For we are all one in Jesus Christ.

As The Salvation Army, yes, we strive to save souls; we cannot compromise on this point. But we also strive to save communities and to reform the world so that it more closely resembles the kingdom of God. This is the “salvation for both worlds” of which William Booth wrote in 1890 and of which Scripture speaks.

That—and nothing less—is the mission of The Salvation Army.

Dr. Donald E. Burke is the interim president of Booth University College in Winnipeg.

Salvationist January 2021 23

Photo: mikdam/iStock via Getty Images Plus

GRACE NOTES

The Winter of Our Discontent We need a spirituality that sustains us through these dark days.

BY CAPTAIN LAURA VAN SCHAICK

I

n 2004, psychologist Cliff Arnall christened the third Monday in January “Blue Monday.” According to him, a mix of winter blues, debt from the holidays and broken new year’s resolutions culminate in what has been dubbed “the most depressing day of the year.”

Many psychologists now say the formula Arnall used has been successfully discredited and claim there is no such thing as the most depressing day of the year.

Except for me, it hasn’t been debunked.

I live with a condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Each year, as the weather turns colder, I am plunged into a winter of the soul, coloured by depression.

Anxiety clouds my decision-making, my productivity suffers and some days it’s all I can do just to get out of bed. All of this affects the health of my relationships and my sense of self-worth. And while exercise, a healthy diet, regular check-ins with friends, vitamin D and light therapy all 24 January 2021 Salvationist

help, the truth is that some days are darker than I’d like, and Blue Mondays abound.

In these dark days, I sometimes feel like the Psalmist, whose soul groans: “Has [God’s] unfailing love vanished forever?

Has his promise failed for all time?” (Psalm 77:8). For me, the hardest part of this disorder is that there are times when I feel as if God is distant, far off, out of reach.

Historian and theologian Martin E. Marty notes that we all need what he calls “a wintry spirituality” for times when the warmth and joy of life is taken away from us and a sunny disposition or positive thinking are not enough to bring them back. Like the season itself, a winter of the soul is bleak, cold and dark. He shares that “in the discussion of the absence of God is where [his] presence is most felt, that in the wintry spirituality, one sees more clearly. You see the structure of the tree when the leaves are gone. You see the full horizon when all the bushes are down.”

This has also been my experience.

On those days when I lack the energy to engage in activities that just recently filled me with joy, I feel called to take a posture of respite as I lean into God even more.

And so, I imitate much of creation in the winter months: I do less, I rest more, I hold on, I wait for spring. If the trees and animals can hibernate, perhaps I can, too.

And it is there that I am reminded of God, and I remember that it is God who sustains me throughout this season.

This also proves to be true for the Psalmist, who lays his soul bare before God, and then turns toward trust: “Then I thought … ‘I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago’ ” (Psalm 77:10-11).

In a wintry season of the soul, when we can’t sense God’s presence or feel spiritual growth within us, it can be helpful to remember the ways God has been there for us in the past, and to trust that God is with us still.

My home is full of mementoes of remembrance—travel photos and old journals, memorabilia from my grandparents, and canvases with acrylic prints of my children’s feet. On dark days, these remind me of God’s faithfulness and goodness.

And I read Scripture. When my soul feels empty, I read and remember the stories of days past. I often recite the prayers recorded in the Psalms when I don’t know what to pray myself.

Somewhat paradoxically, in those days when God seems distant, it is then that I draw even closer to him. Because when I need to rely on God just to get out of bed in the morning, when I need to look to God for grace and assurance every time depression takes away my ability to contribute to my family or community, God uses those moments to strengthen my faith.

Our God, if we let him, uses the difficult, bittersweet moments in our lives, including depression, to remind us that he is with us always. His light shines brightest in the darkest moments, and we can see how goodness and blessing are present in the most difficult of times.

I once heard a rewriting of the famous Footprints poem. This time, rather than footprints in the sand, it was footprints in the snow. The image made me weep, because I know it to be true: in those wintry moments when I am too weak to walk, it is Jesus who carries me.

Captain Laura Van Schaick is the divisional secretary for women’s ministries in the Ontario Division.

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENTS

Reversing the Trend From lay leadership to Gen Z, we need a new approach.

BY MAJORS RICK AND DEANA ZELINSKY

E

arlier this year, the Canada and Bermuda Territory announced the creation of two new appointments to invest in lay leaders and young adults.

In the first of a six-part series, Majors Rick and Deana Zelinsky share how The Salvation Army is developing a strategy to reimagine leadership and reach the emerging generation.

Photo: Grizzard

The smell of a brand-new car; the anticipation that comes from seeing spring flowers break the soil; the return to school in September. Fresh starts and new beginnings orient us to the goodness of God. The start of a new year is no different as we anticipate and hope for God to do a new thing in our lives, in his church and in our world.

Although finding our way through a pandemic seems to require most of our attention, our territorial leaders have not lost sight of the challenges and concerns that negatively impact our congregations and mission effectiveness overall, referring specifically to the vacant leadership positions in our local ministries and the number of young adults leaving our corps.

In response, The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda is taking a “glass half full” approach, with creative and innovative new initiatives to address these concerns.

For some time, officer retirement in

our territory has outpaced the number of new officers being commissioned.

Praise God there are signs of this trend abating, however, our need for spiritual leadership in corps and ministries across our territory remains significant. At the same time, our territory has seen a recent resurgence of interest in lay ministry opportunities.

As we lament our shrinking officer force and recognize The Salvation Army’s need for spiritual leadership, we are being called to consider something new and to re-vision the way lay Salvationists can provide leadership within the organization.

Doing something new is part of our movement’s DNA. It is demonstrated in our ability to adapt to the changing world around us, something we have been doing in our territory specifically since 1882!

For example, one does not need to look far to find evidence of new ways corps leaders are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, discipling God’s people and caring for the needs of their neighbours during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is with this same dynamic spirit that the territory has embraced the new rank of auxiliary-lieutenant: a full-time, short-term, non-officer contract position for those considering spiritual leadership.

It is designed especially for Salvationists desiring practical mission or ministry experience and those who want to con-

sider and confirm a calling to officership.

Another area requiring our thought and attention is in relation to the emerging generation (ages 18-38). In the past 10 years, the Western church has experienced a 60-percent loss of adults from this demographic. This is compounded by a projected 30-percent loss in the church population post-pandemic. The Salvation Army has witnessed this decline in our churches, giving rise to a sense of urgency, and providing the impetus for creating a strategy to reach and retain young adults.

In collaboration with a Generation Z and Millennial working group from across Canada and Bermuda, we have just completed a survey with representative input from the 18-38-year-old age group.

We asked them to cast a vision for their church that is relevant, missional and engaging. It is exciting to hear the voices of people who love the mission of The Salvation Army express hope for how we, as the body of Christ, can grow the church and influence our communities with Jesus’ love.

In February, our working group will embark on a virtual listening tour across the territory. We are taking an approach that is by us and for us as we host focus groups to seek input and from which to inform a strategy.

In subsequent articles, we will explore the opportunity before us to find new ways of developing leaders and engaging a lost generation in the mission and life of the church. Ours is the hope of prophets, apostles and Jesus for all of God’s children to have “ears to hear and eyes to see,” which are “gifts from the Lord” (Proverbs 20:12 NLT) and the encouragement of the writers of Scripture. John, in the Book of Revelation, gives us a glimpse into the future of the church and concludes with an encouragement to us as we begin 2021: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:29).

Major Deana Zelinsky is the area commander, Ontario Division, and the territorial training and development officer. Major Rick Zelinsky is the Millennial project officer.

Salvationist January 2021 25

21 in ’21 Evangelism starts with sanctification.

Photo: SDI Productions/E+ via Getty

BY MAJOR STEPHEN COURT

T

his is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated new year of the millennium. Most of us were happy to bid farewell to 2020 by Founders’ Day on July 2!

The social restrictions prompted by the global pandemic—from lockdowns to distancing to mask-wearing—overflowed into many spiritual practices, including evangelism. But with 2020 firmly in hindsight and gusts of fresh hope billowing through and flipping the page of the calendar, it’s time to dust off our passion for the Great Commission.

Let’s be intentional. What would happen if each of us reading this aimed to personally introduce 21 people to Jesus in 2021? It would be a vast number. And behind each number would be a story of transformation—lives cleaned up, characters reconstructed, relationships reconciled, families restored.

Easily said. But how? Our first encouragement for evangelism is sanctification.

That is, get holy. As the Apostle Paul famously instructed, “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). While this is basic for every Christian, you might wonder how it particularly helps evangelism. It does, in four ways: 1. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to the disciples: “I will send him to you.

26 January 2021 Salvationist

When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-8). Yes, the Holy Spirit does the convicting. But in some sense, as the Holy Spirit is filling us, he is convicting people of their guilt concerning sin.

2. Holiness is equated by the apostle John with “perfect” or “complete” love: “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: in this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:17-18).

One of the big arguments against evangelizing is fear. Perfect love—or, enacted holiness—drives out fear. In this context, holiness equals fearlessness. Impediment gone.

3. We don’t have to guess or rely on our own skills and abilities. We can more ably and appropriately partner with the Lord. This is how Jesus describes it: “‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). As the Holy Spirit is filling us, we can more clearly see what the

Father is up to in our daily comings and goings. And so, as we’re looking to evangelize, we can pray, based on this verse, “Help us to see what you’re doing and do what we’re seeing.” This helps turn good intentions into divine appointments.

4. Holiness removes the concern that we might be embarrassed or offended. Forensically, the negative side of holiness is the neutralization of our sinful nature, our natural inclination to act selfishly (see Romans 6:6). This is most famously, in Salvation Army circles, celebrated in an old Sunday school lesson based on Paul’s testimony: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). So, if we’re dead to sin and our life is Jesus living in us—then there is nothing in us to be offended for being insulted or mistreated or ashamed or embarrassed. Holiness makes us offence-proof.

Why not stop now and repent of anything dodgy you’re involved in? Why not renounce anything questionable that makes you vulnerable to attack? Why not consecrate every area of your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why not ask the Holy Spirit, right this minute, to invade and fill your whole life?

Now 21 in ’21 doesn’t seem like as much of a stretch! Now that we’re relying on the Holy Spirit to convict people of their sin and need; now that we’re missionally fearless; now that we’re seeing Jesus better and following his lead; now that we’re offence-proof; now that God’s love is saturating and overflowing us to others, it only seems (super)natural that we will have all kinds of opportunities to represent the Lord Jesus Christ, with his love and plan, to all kinds of people over the 365 days that will compose 2021.

Salvationists presume everyone we meet needs to get saved unless and until they demonstrate otherwise. We presume every social interaction is a divine appointment. Filled with the Holy Spirit we spread Jesus’ love everywhere we can and introduce everyone we can into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Major Stephen Court is the evangelism consultant in the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

CROSS CULTURE

IN REVIEW

IN THE NEWS New Report Considers Economic Impact of Faith in Canada

The Lord’s Prayer Drawing Heaven and Earth Together

by Donald E. Burke

T

he Lord’s Prayer holds an important place in Salvationist spirituality. Many of us grew up memorizing and praying the Lord’s Prayer with others. We have prayed it so many times, however, there is a danger of praying without being fully attentive to its words. Dr. Donald Burke, interim president of Booth University College, has written a book that addresses this concern.

In his book, The Lord’s Prayer: Drawing Heaven and Earth Together, the author considers each phrase of the prayer, in light of the wider biblical story. For instance, when we address God as Father, we draw on the story of God’s parental love for the nation of Israel, including those moments when God agonized over that relationship. We especially address God as Father because this is the way Jesus addressed God. Notice, however, that when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we do so corporately. In Burke’s words, “By addressing God as ‘Our Father’ we are stepping outside the individualism of our culture to identify God At a time when, not as a personal possession, but rather as the Father of a larger as Canadians, we community.” are confronted As the Lord’s Prayer shifts to our needs, we pray that God with our colonial would “forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.” This past, we pray, phrase is related to the Year of “Forgive us our Jubilee, which was a mechanism in Israel to prevent inequities debts, our sins.” from dividing the community.

Leviticus 25 outlines the kind of forgiveness that would help to level the playing field and create a new beginning within the nation. The opening of Matthew’s Gospel portrays Joseph naming the infant child “Jesus,” for “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 2:21). This background informs the kind of forgiveness Jesus expressed to individuals and expected from his followers.

At a time when, as Canadians, we are confronted with our colonial past, we pray, “Forgive us our debts, our sins.”

Forgiveness has to do with justice. What might happen if we pray this prayer as Salvationists in the Canada and Bermuda Territory? “Our Father, give us, forgive us, lead us”—it might just result in “bringing heaven and earth together.”

The Lord’s Prayer: Drawing Heaven and Earth Together is available at Amazon.ca.

Major Ray Harris is a retired officer in Winnipeg.

R

eligious organizations account for nearly $67.5 billion of economic activity in Canada each year, according to a new study from Cardus, a faith-based Canadian think tank.

The hard-dollar contributions from faith-based charities, organizations and congregations contribute about $31 billion to the economy. There is an additional $37 billion in “halo effects,” which considers the economic impact of services, such as substance-abuse support, or the sales of religious foods, such as kosher or halal.

Of the $31 billion direct economic contribution, publicly funded Catholic schools make up $14.5 billion, congregations contribute $7 billion and health care $4.7 billion. The remainder is from independent schools, charities, higher education and religious media.

According to the report, what makes up the most important part of the estimate is the “halo effect” contributions.

“It shows the broader public benefit of religion to Canadian society as a whole,” says Brian Dijkema, vice-president of external affairs at Cardus. “We’re talking about $35 billion worth of activity that takes place simply because these religious communities are committed to making the lives of their members and their community that much better.”

The report outlines that understanding the socioeconomic value of religion to Canadian society is especially important in the present era, which is characterized by disaffiliation from organized religion.

Canada has nearly 38 million people, and roughly half, or 55 percent, are Christians according to a study done by the independent think tank PEW in 2019. Twenty-nine percent are agnostic, a vast increase from 1971 when this group reflected only four percent of the population. Eight percent make up other religions, such as Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist.

The report also outlines other economic benefits of religion, such as religious employees who pay taxes, congregations spending in local economies, and church activities such as weddings and social services. Forty-seven percent of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings happen in churches, according to Cardus.

“Often when people think about religion, they think about people praying privately, but what the study shows is that religious character of many communities in Canada has vast and underappreciated public effects,” says Dijkema. This includes housing, food banks, care for immigrants and refugees, care for those who are in abusive relationships and so much more.

Cardus compiled charitable returns, school and religious healthcare financial documents and religious publication revenues to come up with estimates for the study.

Repurposed from National Post.

Salvationist January 2021 27

Photo: Osarieme Eweka/iStock via Getty Images Plus

REVIEWED BY MAJOR RAY HARRIS

PEOPLE & PLACES

RETIREMENT

TORONTO—The City of Toronto has renamed a street in honour of the late Ronald “Jimmy” Ashford Wisdom, a prominent leader in the city’s Caribbean community and a faithful senior soldier at Yorkminster Citadel.

Jimmy Wisdom Way is located in the Little Jamaica area of Toronto where Wisdom owned and operated a

barber shop and beauty salon for many years. Members of Wisdom’s family proudly hold the new street sign in front of a mural painted by local artist Adrian Hayles.

From left, Wisdom’s son, Anthony Wisdom; daughter, Ninfa Wisdom; wife, Merva Wisdom; and grandson, Chase Wisdom.

After 34 years of active service, Majors Ken and (Dr.) Beverley Smith retire on January 1. Commissioned in 1986 as members of the Proclaimers of the Gospel Session, the Smiths served in corps appointments in Alberta and Ontario, as well as on training college staff in St. John’s, N.L., and in New Zealand. From 1998 to 2015, Ken served at territorial headquarters in the personnel, editorial and music departments, also playing in the Canadian Staff Band. During this time, Bev was able to use her medical skills in appointments at the Scarborough Grace and Toronto Grace Hospitals, specializing in palliative care. Retiring from their final appointment as corps officers at their home corps of North Toronto Community Church, they look forward to spending more time with family.

GAZETTE INTERNATIONAL Appointments: Comr Bronwyn Buckingham, World Secretary for Spiritual Life Development; Mar 1—Mjrs Elder/Roxana Dinardi, CS/TSWM, South America East Tty, with rank of lt-col; Apr 1—Cols Kenneth/Cheryl Maynor, principal/assistant principal, International College for Officers; Lt-Cols Steve/Wendy Morris, TC/TPWM, Japan Tty, with rank of col

HAZELTON, B.C.—Siblings Michelle and Alex Stoney hold some of their artwork and photos that they donated to the Hazelton Salvation Army harvest auction. These items, along with donations from the corps and community, raised a record-breaking $3,840 for Home Missions in the first-ever livestream auction.

LONDON, ONT.—Caroline Pugh-Roberts, a peer support worker with The Salvation Army’s correctional and justice services (CJS) in London, has received the 2020 John Robinson Award in recognition of her front-line work in response to modern slavery and human trafficking. PughRoberts is also a member of the Phoenix AntiTrafficking Project—Prevention, Healing and Recovery From Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation, a collaboration between the London Abused Women’s Centre, Youth Opportunities Unlimited and the Army’s CJS. The award is given in honour of the late John Robinson, who was an inspector with the London Police Service and a founding member of the London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse.

28 January 2021 Salvationist

TERRITORIAL Birth: Lts Stefan/Tinisha Reid, son, Tommy Philip Levi Reid, Nov 2 Appointment: Mjr Florence Andrews Borgela, associate CO, Montreal Citadel, Que. Div; Mjr Stephen Manuel, community ministries officer, North Toronto CC, Ont. Div (temporary appointment); Mjr Shona Pike, associate director of non-residential training, CFOT (additional responsibility) Long service: 35 years—Mjr Dale Pilgrim Retirements: Mjr Lyndon Hale, Mjrs Ken/(Dr.) Beverley Smith Promoted to glory: Mrs. Mjr Lillian Hammond, Nov 16

CALENDAR Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd: Jan 7 Territorial Executive Conference (virtual); Jan 12-14 Canadian Council of Churches church leaders’ retreat*; Jan 26 Earl Robinson Memorial Lectures, Booth UC (virtual); Jan 28-29 National Advisory Board, Toronto Colonels Edward and Shelley Hill: Jan 7 Territorial Executive Conference (virtual); Jan 9 Ethics Centre board meeting (virtual)**; Jan 22-23 Booth UC board of trustees meeting (virtual)**; Jan 24-25 Sunday worship and lecture, CFOT (virtual); Jan 28 National Advisory Board, Toronto; Jan 29 National Advisory Board** (*Commissioner Floyd Tidd only; **Colonel Edward Hill only)

PEOPLE & PLACES

TRIBUTES CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, N.L.—Maizie Bishop was enrolled as a soldier in 1966 at the Conception Bay South Corps (formerly Long Pond). She and her late husband, Walter, were stalwarts of the corps. Maizie enjoyed being a songster, a volunteer with the school breakfast program, and was a faithful member of the home league. Together with Walter, she gave many hours to community care ministries and the Christmas kettle campaign. They were great encouragers to everyone they met.

Maizie was kind, generous and always ready to help, and there was always extra room at her kitchen table. She will be greatly missed by family and friends at the corps. Left with cherished memories are daughters Roslyn (Ralph) Cooper, Major Lorraine (Roland) Shea, Marilyn O’Brien and Rosemarie (Nic) Dobson; son, Paul; 11 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; brother, Malcolm; many extended family members and friends.

CHANCE COVE, N.L.—Major Leah Snook was born at The Salvation Army Grace Hospital in St. John’s, N.L., in 1936 to Harry and Beatrice Penney. Growing up, Leah attended the Mundy Pond Corps before entering training college in 1956 as part of the Faithful Session. Following commissioning, Leah served as corps officer in Phillips Head, King’s Point and Glovertown, N.L., before her marriage to Donald Snook in 1961. Together they served as corps officers in Britannia, Peterview, Gander, Deer Lake and Bishop’s Falls, N.L., and at Kingston Citadel, Ont. Appointments in social services took them to Toronto, Vancouver, Saint John, N.B., Calgary and St. John’s, where they opened the Harbour Light Centre. They served as chaplains at the Grace Hospital in St. John’s, and as territorial evangelists for Canada and Bermuda for 10 years before retiring in 1998. Leah is remembered for her kindness, compassion and quiet humility. She was often heard singing songs which expressed her faith in the Lord. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her. Predeceased by her husband, Donald, Leah is lovingly remembered by children Donna, Delrie and Donnie; grandchildren Victoria and Emma; great-grandchildren Amelia and Isabelle; and sister, Jessie.

WINNIPEG—Jean Robson was a lifelong Salvationist and a soldier at Winnipeg’s Heritage Park Temple at the time of her promotion to glory. Born in Brandon, Man., in 1925, she spent her formative years in Dauphin, Man. Over the years, Jean played in the band, taught Sunday school and was a long-serving home league secretary. She moved to Winnipeg in 1946 to train as a nurse at The Salvation Army Grace Hospital. Jean worked at the Grace and finished her nursing career at Bethania Personal Care Home. Her working life was interrupted by the raising of children Gary, Pat McCallum, Wendy Clark, Dave, Kerry Kowalski and Jan Janzen. It was completely in character for Jean to decide that, at the end of her life, her body was to be donated to the department of anatomy at the University of Manitoba for the education of future doctors.

BELLEVILLE, ONT.—Dr. Helen Patterson was promoted to glory following a brief illness. Helen gave her heart to the Lord as a young child and her life to the service of others in his name. She spent several years in Canada and overseas as a nurse and was an encourager to all. She was kind and the very essence of a Christian, living that truth with a focus on helping others. While attending Toronto Temple, Helen was involved with community work and leadership of the musical sections, and is remembered for her ministry as a pianist and soloist at Belleville Citadel, Ont. A lifelong musician and researcher, Helen graduated from Queen’s University with a bachelor of arts degree. Later at the University of Toronto she obtained a master of arts degree and a doctorate of philosophy with a thesis on ancient Celtic music. Helen’s academic studies were an expression of worship to the Lord she loved. Predeceased by her father, Captain Bill Patterson, Helen is lovingly remembered by her mother, Captain Sally Patterson;

brother, Michael; sisters Carol and Beverley Voisin (Steven); niece, Jocelyn; nephews Spencer and Jeremy; extended family in Northern Ireland; and many dear friends around the world.

GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, N.L.—Born in Grand Falls, N.L., in 1942 to Harold and Elizabeth Dawe, Major Shirley Dawe accepted Christ at an early age. Shirley entered the College for Officer Training as a member of the Heroes of the Faith Session in 1962 and was commissioned in 1964. The journey of officership in obedience to God’s call contributed to a very fulfilling life serving in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. All appointments added a richness to her life while she served as corps officer, schoolteacher and staff member at the College for Officer Training in St. John’s, N.L. Subsequent appointments were in the field of health and social services where Shirley served as executive director of teen and women’s residences in Montreal, mental-health programs in Toronto and the Children’s Village in Alberta. Shirley retired from active officership in 1997 as divisional secretary for business administration at divisional headquarters in Quebec. A rich, fulfilling and caring ministry describes her experience in all aspects of officership.

TORONTO—Major Ann Christina Grace Murray was born in 1936 at The Salvation Army Grace Hospital in Hamilton, Ont., to John and Christina Zarfas, and promoted to glory from The Salvation Army Meighen Manor in Toronto. Always conscious of her calling to be an officer, Ann entered Toronto’s College for Officer Training with the Pioneers Session in 1957 from Earlscourt Citadel. In 1963, Ann married Captain Paul Murray and the happy couple served in corps, correctional and justice services, THQ information services and editorial department appointments before retiring from the Heritage Centre in 2000. Before her retirement and for almost 20 years, Ann was trained and served as a hospital chaplain at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She reveled in this demanding work and made numerous lifelong friends through this unique ministry. Mourning the loss of a beloved wife, mother and grandmother, but rejoicing in the memory of her faith in Jesus and the confidence that she is in his presence, are Ann’s husband, Major Paul Murray; children Lt-Colonel John (Lt-Colonel Brenda) Murray and Jennifer (Blair Meakings); grandsons Zachary, Liam, Kieran and Nathan Murray, and Brock, Russell and Cole Meakings; sisters Ceny Bond (Keith) and Cathie Zarfas (Tom), and their families.

TORONTO—Lillian Knapp was promoted to glory from The Salvation Army Meighen Manor in Toronto. She went through life with a “song in her heart” that carried her through every experience of nearly 105 years of life. As a little girl of seven in Glace Bay, N.S., Lillian took the hand of her little brother, George Harney, and together they knelt at the mercy seat to accept Christ. Never wavering in her love for the Lord, Lillian trained as a cadet in the Enthusiasts Session (1937-38). In 1946, she married Captain James Schwab and God blessed them with a daughter. They served as corps officers in St. Mary’s, Tillsonburg and Newmarket, Ont., until James’ promotion to glory in 1952. Lillian served at the Toronto Children’s Home and Toronto Grace Hospital while continuing to raise her daughter. It was during these difficult years that her faith in Christ made an impression on many. Lillian met and married Mervin Knapp, who loved to minister with her at the Toronto Harbour Light where she played the piano. Left with fond and loving memories are Lillian’s daughter, Major Bonnie Lynn (Les) Bussey; grandchildren Major Crista-Lynn (Stewart) Dalrymple, Envoy Steve (Sharon) Bussey and Melody (Chris) Cameron; and seven great-grandchildren.

Salvationist January 2021 29

SALVATION STORIES

The Ministry of Music I came to The Salvation Army through banding, but I found so much more.

BY CHRIS LEMON-SARRIS

Photo: Holly Perry

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sometimes go through hard times just trying to get by, and music is a way to minister to them. Playing in a room full of people yearning to hear it, I felt like we had made a difference. There is no greater gift than using my abilities to worship God and helping others to do the same.

y first visit to a Salvation Army

building was for a Kiwanis Music Festival in Grade 8. As I played my trumpet in the sanctuary at London Citadel, Ont., I had no idea that The Salvation Army was more than just a charitable organization.

Throughout high school, I had some amazing teachers and role models, including John Lam, the bandmaster at London Citadel and the Canadian Staff Band. He invited me to Thursday night rehearsals, no strings attached, to be part of a group with similar musical interests. Soon, I was also playing floor hockey on Wednesday nights and going to services on Sunday.

A year later, in 2012, I was invited to attend National Music Camp. I was so excited for a week away, a week of making music with my friends. I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to experience. It was the first time I felt such a deep and strong connection to God, and I gave my life fully over to the Lord.

Nick Simmons-Smith, bandmaster of The Salvation Army’s Southern Territorial Band, was the special guest that year. Not only is he a talented musician, he is a wonderful Salvationist and spiritual leader who took the time to explain the meaning and importance of the words behind the music.

Playing Wilfred Heaton’s Just as I Am—“Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bid’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come!”—marked the defining moment when I realized God has a plan for my life. These words have been engraved on my mind and heart ever since.

I knew that the life I wanted to live fit the

role of a soldier in The Salvation Army, 30 January 2021 Salvationist

Although I’ve had struggles with my

“There is no greater gift than using my abilities to worship God and helping others to do the same,” says Chris Lemon-Sarris

and I was enrolled at London Citadel on April 28, 2013. Shortly after, I was invited to join the band on second cornet, and later soprano cornet.

Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to share my gifts through annual concerts in and around London, as well as trips to Kentucky to perform alongside Canadian trumpeter and guest soloist Jens Lindemann, and a tour of the southern United States, from Atlanta to Dallas.

Everything came full circle for me as we met Nick Simmons-Smith in Atlanta for the first leg of the tour.

This was a life-changing trip. It wasn’t about the travel, the time away from school, the concerts or the crowds. For me, it was about why we play the music.

Both John Lam and Nick Simmons-Smith have always reminded us that using our gifts to glorify God has much deeper meaning than just a band concert.

On this tour, I realized that people

spiritual and musical journey, the countless moments of fellowship at London Citadel have always kept me close. There are so many people who have supported and helped me when I was down by simply grabbing my hand, taking me to Tim Hortons and just talking with me. This helped a lot after I decided to take a step away from studying music at university and chose a different education and career path.

This has been a tough year, with a global pandemic and lots of personal change, and it hasn’t always been easy to stay positive. But I’m thankful that God has a plan for me, and that if I keep listening, he will lead and guide me. Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

As a Salvationist, I focus my ministry abilities on brass banding. It’s how I came to the Army and music is how I feel most connected. I continue to play in the band at London Citadel and I also assist the youth bands. I do my best to share my story and be an example, as others have been for me.

Sometimes I try to put the puzzle together, of how I ended up where I am now. But truthfully, it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad that it did.

Adapted from MAGAzine.

Earl Robinson Memorial Lecture Series: Christian Faith in the World

Join us online for three engaging webinars.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021 – 7:00 PM CST Dr. Michael Boyce presents “A Final Frontier? The Uneasy Tension between Science Fiction and Faith”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 – 7:00 PM CST

Dr. Rebecca Carter-Chand presents “Historical Perspectives on War and Peace in The Salvation Army”

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021 – 7:00 PM CST

Dr. Andrew M. Eason presents “George Scott Railton: Father of Salvation Army World Missions”

To register visit: boothuc.ca/earl-robinson-memorial-lecture-series

BOOTHUC.CA

E D U C A T ION F OR A B E T T E R WO R L D

Visit

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Salvationist.ca

All the Salvation Army news, features and resources in one website. Check out our newest subsites for Music and Gospel Arts, Public Affairs and Volunteer Services.

/salvationistmagazine @Salvationist /salvationistmagazine @salvationistmagazine

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

More Than a Treat?

NFL’s Josh McCown

ARMY CARING P.5 OLDER AND BETTER P.10

Army’s Ellen Osler Home

A SAFE PLACE P.26

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

faithandfriends.ca

JANUARY 2021

A SALVATION ARMY FACILITY HELPED JASON BASS-MELDRUM FIND HIS PASSION P.16

Gateway to Healing

“You Look Marvelous!”

In an old Saturday Night Live skit, Billy Crystal imitated actor Ricardo Montalbán. He looked straight at the camera and said those words.

“ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”—Ephesians 2:10

You may not feel the same way when you look in the mirror on New Year’s Day. But just remember this: you are a masterpiece. God created you as His crowning glory, so put away the self-pity, the doubts, the feelings of inadequacy and live your life as God intended, with joy and love.

You’ll never see yourself in the same way again!

To learn more about God and His hopes for you, visit our website (www.faithandfriends.ca), contact us at The Salvation Army Editorial Department, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P4 or visit your nearest Salvation Army church.

January 2021

VOLUME 24 NUMBER 1

COMMON GROUND 5 Just a Bag of Popcorn?

For many essential workers on the front lines of COVID-19, it was much more than that.

LAUGHING MATTERS 8 A Word of Thanks

One single expression can be the key to facing perilous times.

10

GAME-CHANGER 10 More Than a Football Player

The NFL’s Josh McCown is not getting older, he’s getting better.

FEATURES More Than a Treat?

NFL’s Josh McCown

ARMY CARING P.5 OLDER AND BETTER P.10

Army’s Ellen Osler Home

A SAFE PLACE P.26

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

faithandfriends.ca

JANUARY 2021

14

A SALVATION ARMY FACILITY HELPED JASON BASS-MELDRUM FIND HIS PASSION P.16

Gateway to Healing

COVER STORY

16

22

On-Screen Salvation

Army in Cobourg, Ont., supports newcomers.

Gateway to Healing

A Salvation Army facility helped Jason Bass-Meldrum find his passion.

Ready to Rumble

New movie is billed as biggest underdog story ever.

Well, David and his slingshot might have something to say about that.

SOMEONE CARES

Cover photo: Justin Jasmins Photography

26 A Safe Place

The Salvation Army’s Ellen Osler Home in Dundas, Ont., helps people like Terri to start over.

LITE STUFF 28 Eating Healthy With Erin

Sudoku, Quick Quiz, Word Search.

22

NIFTY THRIFTY 31 Thinking Inside the Box

A storage-themed DIY to help organize and pack your festive decor. faithandfriends.ca I JANUARY 2021

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Faith&Friends

FROM THE EDITOR

Reaching Out

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reelance writer Melissa Yue Wallace got to experience Jason Bass-Meldrum’s “bedside manner” first-hand while she was interviewing the Toronto public health nurse for this month’s cover story.

“He is such a patient and kind person,” she says.

“When we started the interview, we briefly chatted about our respective children going back to school during this time of COVID-19, and I expressed how uneasy I was about putting my twins in class. After the interview was concluded and before we hung up, Jason asked if he could pray for my family right there and then.”

During the prayer, Jason even mentioned Melissa’s children by name.

“I was so surprised by his attentiveness to detail and his boldness to pray for a complete stranger,” says Melissa. “I could see how God was using his interpersonal skills to go above and beyond what one might expect.”

Jason’s story is on page 16.

When is a bag of popcorn more than a bag of popcorn? For two Salvation Army pastors in Newfoundland and Labrador, it is when the popcorn and other bags of treats are used as a humble way to say thank you to essential workers in their community who go out each day to face the unknown. For the family of one worker in particular, that simple gesture spoke volumes.

Their story is on page 5.

Elsewhere in this issue of Faith & Friends, you’ll see how one woman’s life was changed by a Salvation Army facility in Hamilton, Ont., see our take on the new Rumble movie and find out how one single expression can be the key to facing perilous times.

Ken Ramstead 4 • JANUARY 2021 I faithandfriends.ca

Mission Statement To show Christ at work in the lives of real people, and to provide spiritual resources for those who are new to the Christian faith.

Faith & Friends is published monthly by: The Salvation Army 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto Ontario, M4H 1P4 International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4P 4EP, England William and Catherine Booth FOUNDERS

Brian Peddle, GENERAL Commissioner Floyd Tidd TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

Lt-Colonel John P. Murray SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS Geoff Moulton, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ken Ramstead, EDITOR

Brandon Laird SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Hannah Saley DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Pamela Richardson, COPY EDITOR, PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR

Ada Leung CIRCULATION CO-ORDINATOR

Leigha Vegh STAFF WRITER, PROOFREADER

Giselle Randall STAFF WRITER Scripture Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from New International Version Contact Us P. (416) 467-3188, F. (416) 422-6217 Websites faithandfriends.ca, salvationist.ca, salvationarmy.ca Email faithandfriends@salvationarmy.ca Subscription for one year: Canada $17 (includes GST/HST); U.S. $22; foreign $24 P. (416) 422-6119 circulation@salvationarmy.ca All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada & Bermuda and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064794 ISSN 1702-0131

Faith&Friends

COMMON GROUND

Just a Bag of Popcorn?

For many essential workers on the front lines of COVID-19, it was much more than that.

by Lisa Hillier

It’s in the Bag Thirty-five bright orange gift packages were The Salvation Army’s way of bringing hope during the time of COVID-19

“

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hat are we going to do with all of that?”

That was my initial response as my husband, Morgan, planted three large bags of treats— consisting of popcorn, chocolate, potato chips and candy—onto our church gym floor.

We were about two weeks into the COVID-19 lockdown, and a local store had donated all this to The Salvation Army, and this was our church’s share.

As I surveyed all the snacks, my

thoughts began to race. How could this be used in ministry?

The struggle of reaching out to our congregation and community of Mount Pearl, N.L., had been real and challenging in those first weeks of COVID-19. As pastors, we had been cut off from the people we were there to serve—connecting was so challenging as people were hurting, anxious and fearful.

My daily prayer was: How can we minister to them? How can we bring hope?

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Faith&Friends

COMMON GROUND

Knock Knock Major Lisa Hillier makes a special—physically distanced—delivery

Door-to-Door Gratitude But Morgan and I realized that God had given us a loud and clear answer as we transformed the generous donation into 35 bright orange gift bags. These we would drop off to essential workers associated with our church—nurses, firefighters, pharmacists, store workers and others who had no choice but to go to work each day and face the unknown.

My husband and I delivered them throughout the city—physically distancing, of course. Many expressed their gratitude directly and through

6 • JANUARY 2021 I faithandfriends.ca

social media, but one note that came six months later from the wife of a first responder left the greatest impact.

Brightening a Dark Time She wrote: Thank you. During the dark time when COVID-19 was new and very scary, when everything was shut down, watching my husband, Pat, walk out the door to go to work was difficult. Our boys felt it, I felt it and Pat especially felt it, with no idea what he would face, no idea what he would bring home.

As pastors, we had been cut off from the people we were there to serve—connecting was so challenging as people were hurting, anxious and fearful. MAJOR LISA HILLIER And even though it was Pat who actually left the house, it was the boys and I who were left behind with the worry. Pat working during that time affected us all.

The doorbell rang one day, breaking the silence.

Who is out there? I asked myself. Don’t they know there is a lockdown?

But on the other side of the door was a friendly face and a gift bag of treats thanking Pat for his service. This package of kindness sustained us. And not just for what it contained but for what it signified: that there is still lightness, still goodness in all our hearts.

“It was a bit like Christmas morning, all of us sitting around hauling out a special treat. It is

strange how the package contained a favourite treat for each of us, almost as if we had placed an order. Candy for Mitchell, chocolate for Brandon, sour-cream flavoured chips for me, and kettlecooked chips for Pat. I wanted to personally thank the church and its fabulous members for thinking about us and making that dark time just a little brighter.

The motto of The Salvation Army is “Giving Hope Today,” which was indeed the purpose of these treat bags, to show appreciation and to brighten a dark time for those who were giving of themselves. It is amazing how God used bags of treats, given in His name, to do just that.

(left) Major Lisa Hillier and her husband, Major Morgan Hillier, are the co-pastors at The Salvation Army’s Mount Pearl Citadel church in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Faith&Friends

LAUGHING MATTERS

A Word of Thanks One single expression can be the key to facing perilous times.

by Phil Callaway

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hoever said, “May you live in interesting times” certainly got his wish.

During March of 2020, peace and comfort were in shorter supply than toilet paper. Ramona and I selfquarantined and, after praying at breakfast together, I tried to think up something to make her laugh.

One day, I said, “Honey, you’ve always been there for me. During the energy crisis of the ’70s, we met.

During the recession of the ’80s, we married. We weathered Y2K together. And the crash of 2008.

And the Great TP Shortage of 2020.

And now here we are hunkered

down indoors, two metres apart, together. I may be wrong, but I think you’re bad luck.”

Thankfully, she laughed. That laugh is one of a hundred things I’m grateful for in times like these.

Devilish Memo According to several studies, anxiety and gratitude have trouble co-existing in the human brain. I mentioned this to friends, and they said things such as: “I’m thankful for a slower pace.”

“Time with family.” “Church this morning in our jammies.”

In C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, a senior devil sends letters to

Lovebirds Ramona Callaway’s laugh is one of a hundred things her husband, Phil Callaway, is grateful for in times like these

8 • JANUARY 2021 I faithandfriends.ca

his evil understudy.

“Plagues are a most effective weapon,” the senior devil writes.

“Normally, Christians are quite comfortable. But if you can stir up hysteria by means of a plague so that they cut themselves off from God’s gifts to them, the torment of isolation will drive them to despair.

Get them to forget about their usual practices of prayer and alms-giving, thinking only about themselves.

Storing up treasures that we can send moth and rust to destroy.”

Thankful Word During the challenges of these difficult times, my friend, James, put one word on a Post-it note and stuck it to his nightstand. He sees it before he flips off the light. It’s there when he wakes in the morning. It says: “Thankful.”

Like nothing else, this is the key to facing perilous times. It produces the peace and abiding joy of knowing that God is at work in us, even in the hard days.

The Psalmist wrote, “I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 9:1).

In 1 Chronicles 16:34 we read, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all cir-

cumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Counting One’s Blessings I asked my Facebook friends what they were thankful for in these difficult times.

Elaine said, “I’m thankful for hot water and soap.”

This is from Carrie: “I miss my job, but I’m thankful for more time with family!”

Shirley says, “Life, salvation, family, friends, health—and your humour, too.”

John said, “I’m thankful for a faithful God of amazing grace.

When I became an invalid, unable to walk, I found out I have more friends than I knew. They don’t consider me a burden; they are honoured to serve the weaker vessel.”

Belinda, who battles multiple sclerosis, says, “The forever hope that comes from my faith and belief in Jesus.”

Enid said, “So glad that God assures us of His love. We have His Word and His promises.”

And what do I count when I count my blessings? Food. My next breath.

We didn’t hoard a thing and we still had enough toilet paper. I’m thankful for FaceTime with grandkids.

The chance to share God’s love with others. The hope of eternity with Jesus. And I’m thankful I went into the bank this morning with a mask on. And wasn’t arrested.

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Faith&Friends

GAME-CHANGER

Stepping Up “What Josh McCown brings to the table, even as a No. 4 quarterback, is inarguable,” said Michael Blinn of the New York Post

More Than a Football Player The NFL’s Josh McCown is not getting older, he’s getting better.

by Jayne Thurber-Smith

10 • JANUARY 2021 I faithandfriends.ca

Eagles all season,” wrote NFL writer Kevin Patra.

That’s Gonna Hurt It was later disclosed that Josh had torn his hamstring off the bone in the second quarter, but that didn’t stop him.

“My injury happened early in the game,” he remembers, “but in the moment, there are so many other things going through your mind other than the pain. With our situ-

Photos: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles

I

n the Philadelphia Eagles’ wild-card game last year, Josh McCown became the oldest quarterback to make his post-season debut. At the age of 40, he strode into the huddle to replace an injured Carson Wentz.

“McCown, seemingly putting his entire body into every throw, made some strikes and managed the offense. The backup, however, couldn’t do enough with decimated weaponry that has plagued the

ation what it was, there was no one else to step in, so I played through it. The adrenaline rush helped. It felt a lot different by 11 that night, though!”

Although the Eagles came up short that night, Josh kept his team in the game the entire time, giving his all on the biggest stage of his career.

“I did my best to help the team,” he says, “and we all fought hard.

Coach Doug Pederson and my teammates helped me stay calm. I felt ready for the opportunity, because when you’re helping other guys prepare like I did with Carson, there’s an internalization of the game plan that you benefit from.

“Plus, I’ve done football a long time.”

From Starter to Backup And for a lot of teams. Drafted in 2002 by the Arizona Cardinals, Josh has played for 11 different NFL teams and, in 2010, played a season in the United Football League. At that time, he didn’t know for sure if his NFL days were over or not.

“That was one of the critical moments for both my wife, Natalie, and me,” he recalls. “Looking back on it, I compare it to the Bible story of David hiding in the cave, after living in the palace. The world as you know it has changed. You’re reasoning with God and spending a lot of

Walking With God “I knew I could do all things through Christ, no matter what team I was on,” says Josh

time learning about who you really are.”

During that season, Josh never gave up hope. He did wonder if it might be time to start looking in a few directions other than pro football, however.

“I got more involved in my church, trying to keep busy at first, and then I found peace connecting with God,” he says. “I believe that allowed me to play at a higher level, and I’m thank-

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Faith&Friends

GAME-CHANGER

“No matter the role, when you’re a part of a team, you bring value every day.” JOSH McCOWN ful I did get to return to the NFL the next year.”

With only a year here and there with each team, it was hard to hang on to starting quarterback status.

That can be tough on a guy who loves being in the game.

“It’s frustrating to go from starter to backup, but both positions can contribute to any game,” Josh says.

“I embrace that, rather than focusing on not playing. No matter the role, when you’re a part of a team, you bring value every day. It helps when you know your identity as a person, because I know I’m more than a football player.”

Ups, Downs and Sideways With all the relocating from town to town, Josh greatly valued the

A Quarterbacking Family Josh is the older brother of former NFL quarterback Luke McCown and younger brother of former Texas A&M quarterback Randy McCown

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support he always found on the home front from his wife and four children.

“I appreciate Natalie first and foremost for the type of person she is,” he says. “I didn’t always move my family with me whenever I ended up on a new team, especially those last seven years when the kids were older. Natalie ran our home so well and always kept us organized. Giving me the peace to just go play was huge. I’m thankful for her management of our home and support of me.”

Josh grew up in a Christian home, but early on in their relationship, he and Natalie made their faith their own rather than a hand-me-down.

“In the beginning, we had a faith background, but not to the degree we have now,” he says. “We knew

Team Player Josh has spent most of his career as a journeyman quarterback, playing for 11 teams

we needed to decide how we would walk it out for ourselves and what was going to be different for us.

That included developing more of a personal relationship with God. We wanted it to be real, and we made faith an important part of our home.”

Another important part of their home is a room filled with echoes of Josh’s journeyman career. Natalie had every one of his team jerseys framed and that takes up a whole lot of wall space. They are a testament to the ups and downs and sideways turns Josh was able to experience with God’s help.

Walking With God Just before the 2020 NFL season started up, the Eagles announced that Josh would be wearing their

jersey for another year.

“Josh McCown, who came out of retirement last season to sign with Philadelphia, will become the oldest practice squad player in NFL history at the age of 41. What McCown brings to the table, even as a No. 4 quarterback, is inarguable,” said Michael Blinn of the New York Post.

“I really like the verse Philippians 4:13: ‘I can do all things through Christ,’ ” Josh says. “In the context of what Paul was saying in the previous verses, about being content with having a little or a lot, it’s very meaningful to me. It’s all about learning how to walk with God in any situation. That’s something I identified with early on in my career.

I knew I could do all things through Christ, no matter what team I was on.”

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

On-Screen Salvation ARMY IN COBOURG, ONT., SUPPORTS NEWCOMERS TO CANADA.

by Caroline Franks

Strangers in a New Land Eduardo and his family are grateful to The Salvation Army for the help they received

A

s newcomers to Canada, a family from Ecuador is adjusting to life in a new country with support from The Salvation Army in Cobourg, Ont. 14 • JANUARY 2021 I faithandfriends.ca

Internet Search Eduardo, his wife and two young children, who are one and four years old, arrived in Canada in early December 2019.

“ The people at The Salvation Army have a true heart. They are humble and have helped us a lot.” EDUARDO “One of the first challenges we had was the weather,” says Eduardo.

“We were not used to the cold but in time we started to learn more about the country, and we really like the environment and its people.”

Because the family had not yet received a work visa, they struggled financially and didn’t know where to go for help. The COVID-19 pandemic also delayed the processing of their immigration documents.

“After a few months, we learned about The Salvation Army, who helped us a lot,” says Eduardo. “One day, we were searching the internet to learn more about Canada and The Salvation Army appeared on our screen.”

Courteous Treatment The Salvation Army in Cobourg is there for anyone in their time of need.

“We are providing the family with both physical and emotional support,” states Edward Nkyi, community and family services director at The Salvation Army in Cobourg.

“If we don’t have the means to help, then we partner with another local agency to make sure we can.”

“As a newcomer family of Canada, The Salvation Army has assisted us with rent and utility payments,

immigration information assistance, food vouchers, gas cards and so much more,” says Eduardo. “The people at The Salvation Army have a true heart. They are humble and have helped us a lot. We are very thankful.

Their treatment toward our family has been courteous and all of them are very amiable.”

“A Big Thank You” Until they receive a work permit, Eduardo and his wife cannot work or volunteer. Eduardo is an engineer with experience in the automotive industry and is anxious to begin working. His wife is taking English classes to help her settle into the community.

“We knew there was a lot we could do for the family. We helped them put food on the table and connected them to local resources,” says Edward.

Eduardo and his wife want what all families do, to provide for their children, to send them to school and to have opportunities open to them.

“Our family is really happy. Life in Canada is very different. Here, there is a lot of safety for my family,” says Eduardo. “A big thank you to the amazing team of staff and volunteers at The Salvation Army in Cobourg.” faithandfriends.ca I JANUARY 2021

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

Gateway to Healing A SALVATION ARMY FACILITY HELPED JASON BASS-MELDRUM FIND HIS PASSION.

THE START OF THE SCHOOL year in Ontario was fraught with worry for families and teaching staff alike, with many parents making last-minute changes to avoid packed classrooms or, alternatively, an online environment. But while some students were being reassigned out of schools, Jason Bass-Meldrum, a nurse with Toronto Public Health, was preparing to go in.

A Changed Trajectory As a COVID-19 school liaison public health nurse for East Toronto, Jason is responsible for 14 schools, where he meets with principals to ensure pandemic protocols are being followed, links cases with investigators and deals with outbreaks.

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It’s a role that requires flexibility and calm, one he has been well-equipped for over his 12-year career—assisting new Canadians experiencing hardship, and people suffering with bed bugs, living in squalor without health insurance, affected by tuberculosis and, most recently, isolated because of COVID-19.

“I started following health-care workers and high-risk individuals who had COVID-19 through daily phone calls, and I felt God had put me in a place where I had the opportunity for great one-on-one conversations,” says Jason. “I don’t often lead with my background, but if a client opens up that door, I can talk about my faith and, more often than not, it will lead to an opportun-

Photos: Justin Jasmins Photography

by Melissa Yue Wallace

On Duty “I’ve learned that if you sit with people and genuinely treat them as a person, giving them respect and dignity, you can get all the information you need for their care, and they feel valued,” says Jason Bass-Meldrum of his job as a public health nurse

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

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One Happy Family Jason and Heather with their three children: Josiah, Grace and Elizabeth

ity to share the gospel, pray for and encourage them.”

With his easygoing demeanour and empathetic personality, Jason puts clients at ease, telling stories and sharing experiences they can relate to.

It’s a skill set he developed while working at The Salvation Army Gateway, a 120-bed emergency shelter and drop-in for individuals experiencing homelessness in Toronto, where he worked from 2002 to 2010.

“I learned in the first few weeks that I couldn’t chalk up somebody as looking a certain way when they’re experiencing homelessness,” he says.

“One moment in time can change the trajectory of someone’s life.”

Jason should know. He was in Grade 10 when his life took just such a turn.

Losing Everything Jason’s parents worked hard to provide for their four children while living in an apartment in Scarborough, Ont. Jason’s dad worked at Canada Post and his mother worked odd jobs from time to time. They didn’t have a lot of money, but his parents invested in their children’s faith, putting all four

in Christian school.

In 1991, after his grandmother had a fall, Jason’s parents decided to renovate her semi-detached home so the whole family could move in and help take care of her. But that decision would cost the family in more ways than one.

“Over the next 10 years, my parents would lose everything financially as the home sat as a building lot,” says Jason. Their life savings were depleted, and things worsened when his dad was hit on the picket line during the 1991 Canada Post strike. He didn’t qualify for the Ontario Disability Support Program, and the family ended up on social assistance. Jason and his siblings left their Christian school to start fresh at a public school.

“The only good thing about that year was that on Christmas, The Salvation Army brought a gift basket and each of us kids had a $50 gift voucher to what was then Woolco (now Walmart),” says Jason. “I have very fond memories of that.”

From Tyndale to Gateway Jason didn’t always aspire to be a nurse. When he was a child, he read books about David Livingstone and faithandfriends.ca I JANUARY 2021

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

“ I had this profound thought as I was sitting at the table that, if there was any place that Jesus would be, it would be at The Gateway.” JASON BASS-MELDRUM dreamed of serving as a medical missionary. He attended the University of Guelph in 1995 with this dream in mind, but found it shattered as his depression about unresolved family and relationship issues resulted in failing grades. He eventually graduated with a biology degree.

Unsure of next steps, Jason enrolled at Tyndale University in Toronto, hoping to teach in some capacity. A friend of Jason’s was working at The Gateway and told him to consider applying.

draw out their strengths,” says Dion.

“He went over and above the call.

“I knew whatever he would end up doing, he would give 100 percent of his gifts to being the presence of Christ in the best way he knew how.”

“I started as a casual front-line relief worker, and those first couple of shifts, I wondered what I had gotten myself into,” Jason says. “But then I had this profound thought as I was sitting at the table that, if there was any place that Jesus would be, from what I know in my head and from Scripture, it would be here.”

Over and Above Dion Oxford, former director of The Gateway, remembers hiring Jason and being encouraged by his servant heart and genuine care for people in need.

“He focused on finding out more about who they were as human beings, what their gifts were and how we could walk alongside them to

A Dream Revived While working at The Gateway, Jason listened to stories the men shared about their plight into homelessness and was touched by their vulnerability. Since The Gateway sat in a catchment area for services, a community health centre provided a nurse who would come in twice a week to care for men at the

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Embracing Happiness While walking to class at Tyndale University, Jason clearly heard God’s voice.

“All I could see was the back of Heather and I heard the Lord saying, ‘You’re going to marry her,’ ” he says

shelter. Jason recalls watching the nurse addressing the men’s physical needs, usually wound dressings and medication monitoring.

“A lot of individuals on the streets are, unfortunately, victims of violence or participate in violence, so they may be discharged from hospitals with staples or stitches and need to get them removed,” he says.

“Wounds don’t heal very well when you’re not in a clean environment.”

Jason became interested in nursing and realized that, with his biology background, he could care for people in a way that would allow him to demonstrate compassion and be present with people.

“I found that maybe this dream

wasn’t so lost,” he says. “God was leading me.”

Jason enrolled in nursing college, graduated and has been working ever since. He also pursues his passion for teaching in his roles as a clinical instructor at various universities and colleges.

“I’ve learned that if you sit with people and genuinely treat them as a person, giving them respect and dignity, you can get all the information you need for their care, and they feel valued,” says Jason.

“And just as we engage with others on a daily basis, we need to engage with God, and it will equip us to not burn out and have the most impact for Jesus.” faithandfriends.ca I JANUARY 2021

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FEATURE

Ready to Rumble

NEW MOVIE IS BILLED AS BIGGEST UNDERDOG STORY EVER. WELL, DAVID AND HIS SLINGSHOT MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT.

by Diane Stark

R

umble, in theatres this month, is a computer-animated comedy from Paramount Animation and WWE Studios starring WWE superstars Becky Lynch and Roman Reigns. The film is set in a world where monsters are professional athletes and watching them compete is a favourite pastime for humans.

Overcoming the Odds A new global sport has emerged: Monster Wrestling. Everyone wants 22 • JANUARY 2021 I faithandfriends.ca

a piece of the action, including Steve (voiced by Will Arnett), a clumsy, out-of-shape, giant reptilian monster. He’s an amateur wrestler whose deepest longing is to go pro and become a champion.

Winnie (Geraldine Viswanathan) is a teenager who aspires to be a monster wrestling trainer, just like her dad. The unlikely pair team up, and their training regimen is as unusual as they are. To build his strength, Winnie brings in a female monster who easily outweighs Steve

Photos: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Faith&Friends

Training Day Winnie believes Steve has what it takes to be the champ

The stakes could not have been higher. Not only would the loser die, but his fellow soldiers would become slaves to the winners. and demands that the two practise and perfect the famous lift scene from the ’80s hit, Dirty Dancing.

To become a champion, Steve will have to beat the reigning champ, Tentacular (Terry Crews), a sharkheaded monster with six tentacles and popping pectoral muscles. The human fans worship him. At the giant Monster Wrestling stadium, the announcer asks, “Is there a challenger out there with the hunger, the drive and the discipline to become the next champion?”

Steve doesn’t think that he has any of those things, but Winnie is sure enough for both of them. In his match against Tentacular, Steve will be the biggest underdog Monster Wrestling has ever seen.

Can he overcome the odds to beat Tentacular and become the new champion?

Come-From-Behind Win There’s a saying that everyone loves an underdog. That might be true after the big upset, but before an

underdog wins, most people doubt that person and some even mock him or her. Being the underdog isn’t usually the most favourable position to be in when entering a contest of any kind, but especially one where the fight is to the death.

Probably the most famous underdog story is the one about David and Goliath. The Bible says that Goliath’s height was six cubits and a span—almost nine feet tall (see 1 Samuel 17). For 40 days, he and his fellow Philistines taunted the Israelite army, asking who would fight him. The stakes could not have been higher. Not only would the loser die, but his fellow soldiers would become slaves to the winners.

The Israelites were terrified. But a young shepherd named David overheard them talking about Goliath and declared that he could defeat him. When David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard him, he got angry and told David he needed to stay with his sheep. He was the ultimate underdog, even in his own family. faithandfriends.ca I JANUARY 2021

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

David fought Goliath—and won— with a slingshot and five smooth stones.

Top Dog But was that slingshot his only weapon? David told Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45). David added, “The battle is the Lord’s.”

David didn’t look at how much taller and stronger Goliath was.

David didn’t compare Goliath’s sword and spear to his own slingshot. David trusted God to go before him in the battle. David, on his own, was the biggest underdog in history.

But with God on his side, he was the top dog, destined to win.

King of the Ring In the history of Monster Wrestling, there has never been a champion quite like Tentacular

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More Than Conquerors We all have our own underdog story, a time when we didn’t see a way to come out on top. It could be a story of beating an addiction or a life-threatening illness. It might even be persevering at school in spite of financial or personal difficulties. Or it could be a challenge in marriage or parenting.

When we find ourselves as underdogs, it’s easy to become fearful and doubt that God is with us. It’s easy to look at that Goliath in front of us instead of the God who goes before us. But Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

The world might view us as underdogs, but as the Bible tells us in Romans 8:37, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Faith&Friends

Faith&Friends

BEYOND BORDERS

MAILBAG

Back to the Beginning

BEYOND BORDERS

Doing Good in Zambia A video project in Africa gave me a new appreciation for the international work of The Salvation Army.

by Aaron Bowes

A Joyful Noise Salvation Army soldiers at the Army’s Livingstone Corps in Zambia

Photos: Courtesy of Aaron Bowes

How thrilling it was to read the O article about The Salvation Army in Zambia (“Doing Good in Zambia,” September 2020). It is encouraging to see the spontaneity of worship and the overwhelming desire to make God’s love known. How my heart was moved to see again the territory where my wife and I began our ministry as Salvation Army pastors.

Zooming In Aaron Bowes sets up a shot for an interview at Salvation Army headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia

n one of the last days of our campaign resource gathering visit to Zambia, our Salvation Army film crew wandered onto a field where a soccer match was going on. No fancy cleats on display, no team jerseys. Just kids of all ages kicking a threadbare ball around in joyous abandon.

As we were setting up to shoot some footage, a man started to march

toward us, obviously not liking the fact that we were going to film his friends. But his intimidating manner evaporated when he saw the Army shield on our jackets. “Oh, Salvation Army,” he smiled. “You’re free to come in here whenever.”

It was at that moment that it hit me: everywhere in Zambia, people understand the good The Salvation Army is doing.

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African Adventure As a Salvation Army digital media producer, I was asked to accompany a team from the world missions department on a fact-finding trip to Zambia earlier this year. I would help film a dozen or so videos that would highlight the Army’s work there.

While I was nervous about protocols for filming in public overseas, I was also excited to go as I’d never been to Africa before. Conversations with colleagues who had been on such trips before put my mind at ease.

Though the 30-hour trip from Toronto to Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was long, I couldn’t wait to start work. Lt-Colonel Brenda Murray, director of world missions and our team leader, told me later that I always seemed to have a grin on my face. And I did!

For me, it was more of an adventure than work, despite the

6 • SEPTEMBER 2020

gruelling 16-hour-a-day pace we set for ourselves.

Earned Respect Every day was an early start because we had four to five shooting locations on our agenda, each one telling a tale of the Army’s work. We’d assemble at the hotel breakfast bar, and the team would look to me for the overall shooting plan.

While we had a vague idea of who we were interviewing, once we got to the location, whether in a rural farm area or an inner-city informal settlement, we never knew who would show up or what was in store. But we stuck to the itinerary and everything worked out.

One of the places we visited was a Salvation Army church deep in the inner city of Lusaka, where we were privileged to take part in a church service. We also toured an Army-run

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—Lt-Colonel Lloyd Hetherington Faith&Friends

Rebuilding a Life

COVER STORY

One Strand at a Time

Victoria, you are a brave, courageous young lady (“One Strand at a Time,” September 2020).

Thank God for saving you from your oppressor and setting you free to be the beautiful person you are today.

God really cares and loves us just the way we are, even in our brokenness.

He can mend our broken dreams.

WITH THE HELP OF THE SALVATION ARMY, HUMAN-TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR VICTORIA MORRISON IS PUTTING HER LIFE BACK TOGETHER.

by Shannon Wise

LOOKING AT VICTORIA

Morrison now, you would never know she fell victim to human trafficking.

She is as strong and confident as they come—living proof that you can take your life back and transform despite your circumstances. Victoria is articulate, poised and resilient. It’s because of her powerful traits that Victoria has been able to help other victims. But there was a time when she was a victim herself.

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Speaking Out Victoria Morrison shares her story at The Salvation Army’s annual Hope in the City breakfast in Winnipeg last fall

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—Major Darlene Sutton

Thank you for sharing your story. I will continue to pray for those who are trafficked, to escape and rebuild their lives.

—Colonel Ann Copple Have a comment on any articles you have read? WRITE to us at Faith & Friends, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4H 1P4. EMAIL us at faithandfriends@ salvationarmy.ca or POST your comments at faithandfriends.ca.

Faith&Friends

FEATURE

Packed to the Brim Sandy Blackwell with her car full of donations

On a whim, she entered the store and found out that they had 400 packages of low-fat bran muffin mix (each package makes 24 muffins) plus 280 large cans of vanilla icing that were nearing their expiration dates in a month, though the manager assured her that they would keep for much longer. Lorraine promptly purchased the lot, and when the Home Hardware manager found out why she was buying them, he gave her a steep discount. Home Hardware staff even helped her place the boxes in her car.

Lorraine’s next step was to contact The Salvation Army’s divisional headquarters in Toronto to find out how she could donate all this food. The automated answering service frustrated her efforts, as she knew no one there, but after randomly pressing buttons in hopes of connecting to a “live” person, she managed to reach Vivienne So, a manager in employee relations.

“I was moved by her story,” Vivienne says, “and I wanted to see this donation put to good use.”

But she had only been on the job for six months and wasn’t sure what the protocol was.

“I didn’t feel right to just say ‘wrong number’ or pass her along,” Vivienne says, “so I decided to take care of this myself.”

After a number of inquiries, Vivienne was directed to the Army’s Railside distribution centre and passed on their contact information

to a happy Lorraine.

She, in turn, loaded her car up and drove to the Railside facility with the purchased and donated supplies.

“The staff at The Salvation Army were so amazing,” says Lorraine.

“Between Home Hardware and Railside, it was a team effort.”

Mixing Joy

It’s wonderful to read of Piece by Piece this generous T initiative in my home city of Toronto (“Piece by Piece,” August 2020). Our Salvation Army church’s food bank has distributed this muffin mix as well as the other items mentioned. Thank you to the donors.

LORRAINE BLUE KNEW THE SALVATION ARMY NEEDED HELP DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SO SHE DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

by Ken Ramstead

his past spring, Lorraine Blue was watching a Salvation Army commercial appealing for help with COVID-19. Sitting there in her living room, she thought, In the middle of this crazy world, what can I do right now, as one person, to help?

It was simplicity itself to pick up her phone and make a donation, which she did.

16 • AUGUST 2020

Team Effort But the next day, the thought persisted. Lorraine knew that there must be more she could do to help.

But what?

That afternoon, as she was passing Bailey’s Home Hardware store in Toronto, it hit her: “I’m sure that the Army is feeding a lot more people now thanks to COVID-19. They must need more food.”

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Kindred Souls Lorraine’s vision grew. “I realized I was not just helping those who were out of work due to COVID-19,” she says. “I was assisting others that the Army was looking out for: the homeless, the seniors, the disabled.”

When she returned to purchase

Happy Work A Bailey’s Home Hardware worker helps unpack a donated skid faithandfriends.ca I AUGUST 2020

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—Lt-Colonel Jean Moulton Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

A Week With Major Ann

A Week in the Life

Thank you for sharing this, Major Jim (“A Week With Major Ann,” October 2020). She was “Mrs. Murray” to me as a young member of the Salvation Army choir and vacation Bible schooler and eventually “Ann” in adulthood. I was never worried that Ann would receive the best care available at her final earthly home. Her son, John, described to me the unbelievable arrival of Salvation Army pastors at her facility—so giving, so generous. Thank you to you and your other fellow pastors and nurses for being with “Major Ann.” MY SEVEN DAYS ASSISTING IN A SALVATION ARMY LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY DURING COVID-19 CHANGED MY LIFE.

by Major Jim Mercer

THE CALL CAME LATE ONE

Friday evening this past spring from Salvation Army public-relations director Glenn van Gulik.

Salvation Army long-term care facilities were dealing as best they could with the COVID-19 crisis, but the hard-working staff needed assistance.

“Is there any way you can help?”

Glenn asked.

Photo: Caroline Franks

Faith&Friends

(left) Sacred Trust "I will never regard my calling as simply preaching on Sunday anymore," says Major Jim Mercer

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—Stuart Westcott

It is so wonderful to have read of your experience with long-term care patients. I have seen and been involved with this work for many years prior, and now as a nurse, I know it’s very humbling and hard work, but extremely rewarding. God can use us however we allow Him to. God bless.

—Cathy Harris

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Faith&Friends

SOMEONE CARES

A Safe Place The Salvation Army’s Ellen Osler Home in Dundas, Ont., helps people like Terri to start over.

by Linda Leigh

C

ulture shock. Depression.

Anger. Life after prison can be a difficult transition.

In Dundas, Ont., The Salvation Army’s Ellen Osler Home, a historic Tudor-style house, offers a safe living environment, life-skills programs and community referrals for federal female parolees as they work toward community reintegration.

“Ellen Osler Home gave me the resources, confidence and strength needed to lead a new and productive life,” says Terri, a former resident.

“Every day, I thank God for this opportunity to start over.”

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A Life Ruined “I remember the night of the accident,” says Terri. “My ex-boyfriend and I had been drinking. We hadn’t seen each other for four months and got into the car to ‘talk.’ I was driving over the speed limit when an argument ensued. I was hit in the face and knocked out. The next thing I remember is the paramedics cutting me out of the car.”

Terri was hospitalized for five days with a broken hip and pelvis, broken ribs and a concussion. Sadly, with the impact of the crash, her ex was thrown clear, run over and killed

by a passing car that fled from the scene. Following an investigation, Terri was charged with manslaughter and sent to prison.

“At 51 and with no prior criminal record, my life was ruined,” she says.

Healing and Growth A model prisoner, Terri was eventually released to Ellen Osler Home in January 2017.

“When I came to The Salvation

tion Army did for me. They provided resources every step of the way.”

Today, Terri volunteers at The Salvation Army’s food bank in Hamilton, Ont., tells her story of hope at faith-based programs and is working for her previous employer.

“The Salvation Army is where I gained strength, spirituality and great friends,” she says. “I have structure and routine in my life, and I’m in a better place now.”

“Ellen Osler Home gave me the resources, confidence and strength needed to lead a new and productive life.” TERRI Army, I was hopeless and afraid, anxious and isolated,” says Terri.

“Unpleasant memories of abusive relationships, alcoholism and flashbacks from the accident had taken their toll on me.”

At Ellen Osler Home, Terri learned how to rebuild her boundaries, trust again and surround herself with people who love, support and empower her. After more than two years at the house, she has adjusted well to life on the outside.

“It’s important to have a safe place to practise new, healthy habits before you return to real life,” says Terri. “That’s what The Salva-

A New Home “The Salvation Army is where I gained strength, spirituality and great friends,” says Terri

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Faith&Friends

LITE STUFF

Eating Healthy With Erin CREAMY BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD

Recipe photos: Erin Stanley

TIME 5 min MAKES 4 servings SERVE WITH hamburgers or hot dogs

500 ml (2 cups) broccoli florets 500 ml (2 cups) cauliflower florets 60 ml (¼ cup) roasted sunflower seeds 30 ml (2 tbsp) dried goji berries or cranberries 75 ml (1/3 cup) mayonnaise 45 ml (3 tbsp) milk 22 ml (1½ tbsp) sugar 15 ml (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar 1 ml (¼ tsp) salt

1. Combine broccoli, cauliflower, sunflower seeds and berries in a bowl.

2. Whisk together mayonnaise, milk, sugar and apple cider vinegar.

3. Add dressing mixture to salad.

4. Add pinch of salt. Cover and chill for one hour.

NEW YEAR’S GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES TIME 45 mins MAKES 24 cookies SERVE WITH tea or coffee

560 ml (2¼ cups) allpurpose flour 10 ml (2 tsp) ground ginger 5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon 5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda 1 ml (¼ tsp) salt 175 ml (¾ cup) softened butter 250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar 1 egg 15 ml (1 tbsp) water 60 ml (¼ cup) molasses 5 ml (1 tsp) maple syrup 30 ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar

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1. Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F) and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in bowl and set aside.

3. In large bowl, mix together butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in egg.

Combine water and molasses, pour into mixture, add maple syrup and stir well.

4. Slowly add sifted ingredients to molasses mixture until combined.

5. Roll cookies into 50-75 mm (2-3 in.) sized balls and space 50 mm (2 in.) apart. Flatten cookies slightly with the back of a fork and sprinkle with brown sugar.

6. Bake on middle rack for 12-15 minutes. Allow to stand for 5 minutes and then transfer cookies to cooling wire to cool completely.

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BOXING DAY P.5

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DECEMBER 2020

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Sudoku Puzzle

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Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 × 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

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QUICK QUIZ 1. What does the computer term PDF stand for?

2. What is tetraphobia the fear of?

3. What is the capital of South Dakota?

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© www.kevinfrank.net

HEAVEN’S LOVE THRIFT SHOP by Kevin Frank

Answers on next page.

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Faith&Friends

LITE STUFF

Word Search Kitchen Aid J R P C O L A N D E R U K X M V T D I M E A S U R I N G C U P E R M R P O V E N G L O V E S P A T U L A A B W H L O E Y W H L L N P G I O S Y X O R E P A P P W H Q G R F B M H L D V E R E U F O C X V D O G L Q E P H W C R N T B R E A D K N I F E R R D G I O E K O H O L L I M R E P P E P P R Z R T R S A L T S H A K E R D E D G E W K T U B T L T N P N D D L S U K O T L S U U K I I O S X F E O T Y L D Z F C C C E R Q N B N N Q H L B A V B Y I Z R E T A R G N E P T E E D R C A S S P E I M T U P G M O K I L N H G S P H I W P F R C I G P U B E A N P O T S M R C O T O M N X J Y S O C H R H E W H I S K M M Z K P J T Z C S S P W R Q K U D O W G K Q APRON BASTER BEAN POT BLOWTORCH BOTTLE OPENER BOWL BREAD KNIFE CAN OPENER CHOPPER COLANDER CORKSCREW CUTTING BOARD

FUNNEL GRATER LADLE MASHER MEASURING CUP MORTAR OVEN GLOVES PAN PEELER PEPPER MILL PESTLE PIE CUTTER

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POT HOLDER RICER ROLLING PIN SALT SHAKER SCALE SCISSORS SIFTER SPATULA TIMER TONGS TRAY WHISK

Quick Quiz Answers: 1. portable document format; 2. the number four; 3. Pierre.

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Faith&Friends

NIFTY THRIFTY

Thinking Inside the Box A storage-themed DIY to help organize and pack your festive decor.

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tarting the year off with some storage options thanks to your local Salvation Army thrift store is easy and affordable. After the festive season closes, we’re ready to pack up our ornaments, decorations, lights and maybe even a reusable tree. Fortunately, there are numerous organizational options available, from regular plastic bins to creative uses for familiar objects.

Big plastic bins are the norm for storing items. You can find them in various sizes and all you need to do is fill them, lid

them and then add a label for what’s inside.

Baskets of all shapes and sizes are another option. Use them to store your more delicate items, such as ornaments.

Document organizers are made for storing stuff elegantly, whether you use them for gift wrap, ribbons or stationery.

You can stack them, add a label and even dress them up with paper, paint or your crafty material of choice.

Tins, small boxes or glass containers are perfect for smaller items, such as ornament hooks, ribbons or stickers.

Pillowcases or duvet covers can be reused for protecting and storing your collapsed reusable tree, wreaths or larger hanging Christmas decor.

Makeup or pencil cases are a neat way to keep cables and plugs together.

And while you’re Marie Kondo-ing your festive decor, maybe think of decluttering. Your local Salvation Army thrift store is the perfect place for those old decorations you haven’t used in a while.

(left) Denise Corcoran (a.k.a. Thrifty By Design) is an author, upcycler, community builder and workshop facilitator based in North Vancouver. She shares her enthusiasm for crafting and upcycling by facilitating “Crafternoons” throughout Vancouver. She is also a creative expert for The Salvation Army’s thrift stores.

Find a thrift store near you at thriftstore.ca.

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