volume 7 number 31 29 August 2026
salvosonline.org.au print post approved PP100001474
FATHER’S DAY 2026
The gift of letting go Supporting our kids as they forge their own paths
6 A difficult day
10 It’s the little things that matter
10 Discovering his father’s heart
Thinking of those who struggle on Father’s Day
A father’s pride in who his children have become
A journey of faith and forgiveness
“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.” – Clarence Budington Kelland
29 August 2026
Editorial What is The Salvation Army? The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Vision Statement Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight alongside others to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus. Mission Statement The Salvation Army is a Christian movement dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus by: • Caring for people • Creating faith pathways • Building healthy communities • Working for justice The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders, past, present, and future. We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages, particularly children.
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Founders: William and Catherine Booth Salvation Army World Leaders: General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham Territorial Leader: Commissioner Miriam Gluyas Secretary for Communications and Editor-In-Chief: Lieut-Colonel Paul Hateley Publications Manager: Cheryl Tinker Editor: Simone Worthing Graphic Designer: Ryan Harrison Enquiry email: publications@salvationarmy.org.au All other Salvation Army enquiries 13 72 58 Press date: 7 August 2026 Printed and published for The Salvation Army by Commissioner Miriam Gluyas at Focus Print Group, Chester Hill, NSW, Darug Nation lands.
Positive impact Nathan retrained in his late 20s to become a high school teacher. He wanted a job that made a difference in the lives of young people. His special subjects were maths and science. What he wasn’t expecting, though, was the impact he would have on teenagers – particularly boys – through sport, informal chats on the playgrounds, and afterschool discussion groups. Many of the young people had loving fathers in their lives, but many did not. These young people were seeking a safe, caring, fun and engaged father figure who would listen to them, spend time with them and encourage them. Nathan was, and is, a positive influence in their lives. The same can be said of so many father figures – mentors, stepfathers, neighbours, pastors, grandfathers – those who show a safe and genuine interest in young people and can help support them as they navigate an increasingly complex world. As we celebrate fathers this Father’s Day, let’s also honour and appreciate these father figures, and remember those for whom the day is a difficult one. Simone Worthing Editor 3
Feature
Salvos Magazine
Learning to let them rise Supporting our children as they forge their own paths by Matt Cairns
In March this year, I had the absolute blessing of walking my first-born daughter down the aisle – I then got to turn around and do the ceremony! What a privilege. In the days leading up to the ceremony, I spent plenty of time reflecting on my time as her father – the time she would giggle as she sat in my hand, her whole being so small and perfectly formed. The times as a toddler she would collect flowers for her mum and me. The times as a kid she would snuggle with me on the couch to watch some TV. The times as a teenager she would ignore me but then interact just enough to know we were okay. Then, as she moved into adulthood, our relationship changing again – grown-up conversations, laughter and tears. My heart is bursting just writing these words. I now have three adult daughters (and yes, the jokes about my grey hair are valid), and I’ve been reflecting on what it has meant to raise, alongside my wife Kristen, three kids into adulthood. I sometimes find myself in conversations with other Christian parents about how one of their children is no longer practising faith and pondering ‘how they got it wrong’ and I don’t think that’s a helpful reflection. Perhaps we do get things wrong as parents – I’m sure we do – but as a child enters adulthood, they get to choose faith for themselves, and that choice is valid and not a fault of ours as parents. 4
My girls’ faith decisions are their own. Sure, they are shaped by us as their parents and the community around them, but ultimately their own. In thinking this through, I explored Jesus’ interactions with children and how he approached instructing them. There are a few examples, but instructions about kids are nearly always directed at adults. Except for the case of Jairus’ daughter, which we read about in Mark chapter 5. Capacity and strength Jairus, a local synagogue leader, comes to Jesus to seek healing for his very unwell daughter. Sadly, on their way to her she dies, yet Jesus continues to the family home to see her. In Mark chapter 5 verse 41, Jesus takes the 12-year-old girl’s hand and says directly to her, “Talitha koum” – Aramaic for “Little girl, I say to you, arise” – and to everyone’s astonishment she does – she raises to new life. What is fascinating to me is that the command is tied to healing/resurrection, but with an emphasis on her reaction – the miracle restores her capacity to stand and walk under her own strength, not just her pulse. That’s a striking contrast to a controlling, do-it-for-them kind of care that we as parents so often want to do for our kids. If that had been me, I would have done everything in the world to raise my daughter up – but in this story the arising is hers to do, even though Jesus is the one who makes it possible in a miraculous sense.
Feature
29 August 2026
Matt and his wife, Kristen, with their three girls. Matt and his daughter, Caitlin, on her wedding day. Matt is proud of his three daughters and the relationship he has with them.
Sometimes, caring and nurturing our kids means calling them into their own strength rather than acting on their behalf. It is not simply about moral or religious instruction; it is also about teaching them to rise into adulthood. It is interesting that in the story the girl is 12, right on the cusp of adulthood in first-century Jewish life. Was that an intentional lesson for us parents?
We need to teach our children well, but at some point we also need to let them rise into adulthood, to find their own way, and be there for them, whatever that path takes. It can be a hard lesson for us to learn, but I believe it is an important one. Aux-Lieutenant Matt Cairns is a Student Support and Higher Education Lecturer for The Salvation Army’s Eva Burrows College. 5
Feature
Thinking of you on Father’s Day
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Salvos Magazine
• To anyone who has lost a beloved father or father figure • To fathers who have lost a child or children • To those who have complicated relationships with their father • To fathers with strained child relationships • To those who don’t see their children • To those who have unhealed pain or trauma from their fathers • To those who had to be a father to themselves and siblings • To those who stand in the gap as fathers for others • To those who have chosen not to be dads • To those whose father is far away today • To those fathers who feel guilty for how difficult they find parenting • To those fathers who feel pulled in multiple directions • To fathers parenting through physical or mental illness • To fathers navigating neurodivergence • To single dads • To fathers of children who are ill or hospitalised • To new fathers struggling to adjust • To fathers caring for family members across multiple generations • To those who long to be a father • To fathers who adopted children • To stepfathers helping bring up stepchildren • To foster dads feeling pressured • To all dads doing the best they can but not always feeling it! • To anyone who needs a little extra love and kindness today!
29 August 2026
Feature
The gift of good dads and father figures With Father’s Day approaching, I’ve been contemplating what a gift it has been to have had a great dad (who is still around at 90). I don’t take it for granted that my dad was present, stable, kind and loving. Home was a haven of warmth, laughs and emotional support. I know many people who weren’t as fortunate. In 2018, an enormous study was released in the United States on race and economic opportunity. It revealed alarming impacts of racism on outcomes for black boys particularly. But a fascinating aspect of that study was that it clearly revealed the positive impact of the presence of fathers in a given neighbourhood. This was true, even for boys from families led by single mothers. Just having a good number of fathers around was enough to make a statistically significant difference in terms of how well the boys fared. Father figures It’s a salient reminder of the impact, for good or ill, you can have as a father, or importantly, as a father figure. Andrew McUtchen is the co-creator of The Father Hood, an online community supporting young dads to play that role as well as they can. Andrew believes that being a dad, or father figure, can often bring about a needed change in the adult too. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as motivated to be as positive a male as I am as a dad, because I have three daughters looking up to me every day, and I’m trying to live
my best life … to show them the kind of man that men can be,” he says. That brand of love – seeking the good of the other – provides lasting rewards, not only for the recipient, but the giver as well. – Simon Smart This article was first published by the Centre for Public Christianity (publicchristianity.org). 7
News
Salvos Magazine
On-site pharmacist for Project 614 On any given day at The Salvation Army’s Melbourne Project 614, visitors often arrive carrying more than just backpacks – they’re navigating complex physical and mental health challenges, including the often-overlooked challenge of managing their medications. But help is now at hand. Eakly Bun is the first pharmacist to join the Project 614 team through a partnership with the Wellness Partners Foundation. Eakly will provide holistic, wraparound support to vulnerable Melburnians two days a week. “We are thrilled to welcome Eakly and really excited about the opportunity to have a pharmacist based on site,” says Major Brendan Nottle, Project 614 Leader. “He will work very closely with the GPs, addiction specialists and mental health clinicians based here. “We want the pharmacist to build relationships with people, because that’s what we’re about.” It is hoped that by building those relationships, people will feel comfortable speaking with the pharmacist about health concerns they might otherwise feel embarrassed to raise. “The new pharmacist appointment is filling a major gap in medical care and medication management – an oftenoverlooked challenge, particularly as homelessness continues to rise,” says Wellness Partners Foundation founder and Clinical Pharmacist, Michael Bonner. Managing medication safely One of the main challenges for 614 8
(From left) Michael Bonner, the new pharmacist Eakly Bun and Major Brendan Nottle.
visitors is access to medication. Many do not have Medicare or concession cards. “The other barrier we’re seeing significantly, which we all take for granted, is that someone living on the streets or rough sleeping has a lot of trouble managing their medications,” says Michael. “They can get lost or stolen. Storage is very hard. It’s very difficult.” These realities sit at the centre of Eakly’s future role – supporting people to manage their medication safely day-to-day. – Lerisse Smith
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29 August 2026
News
Recycling partnership for Tassie
Salvation Army personnel with Glenorchy City Council Deputy Mayor Russell Yaxley (back left), Member for Elwick Bec Thomas (front centre) and TOMRA Cleanaway General Manager Corey Wingard (far right) at the campaign launch.
The Salvation Army has been selected as Tasmania’s Recycle Rewards charity partner, with a goal of raising $10,000 through community recycling of containers and cans. The Recycle Rewards ‘No Family Deserves to Go Hungry’ campaign, in partnership with scheme operator TOMRA Cleanaway and scheme coordinator TasRecycle, was launched on 29 June. Tasmanians are encouraged to donate their empty bottles and cans to the Salvos by selecting ‘donate’ when they recycle at a container refund location. “We’re proud to be part of a program that not only reduces litter and benefits the environment, but also strengthens our ability to support individuals and
families doing it tough,” said Amelia Natoli, The Salvation Army’s External Communications Manager in Tasmania. Under Recycle Rewards, Tasmanians can receive a 10-cent refund for each eligible container returned, or donate their refund directly to one of many registered charities and community groups. The Salvation Army is the partner charity until 4 October. TasRecycle CEO Ken Roughley said the campaign is an easy way to make a real difference in the lives of Tasmanians doing it tough. “It’s a great example of how small actions can add up to make a real difference for both our communities and our environment.” – Lauren Martin 9
Faith Talk
Salvos Magazine
It’s the little things that matter A father’s pride in who his children have become by Dean Simpson
I have two children, both in their 20s. The older they get, the prouder I am of them. My daughter, who works in a pharmacy, has just graduated from university with honours in psychological science, while my son is a junior tennis coach and an ultra-trail marathon runner. They have both achieved a lot in their young adulthood. I am obviously proud of their achievements; however, I’m prouder of who they have become as people. When they were born, my wife and I had very little knowledge of how to be new parents. We read a lot of books and watched what other parents did, but there was an overwhelming sense of 10
‘winging it’ to get through each day. However, it was a piece of advice from my grandmother that stayed with me. A woman of God, a prayer warrior with a gentle spirit (and a love of the King James Version of the Bible), she passed on a verse from Proverbs: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” She would say to us: “All you need to do is teach them to love God, love others ... and simply love them.” So, we did ... well, tried to do. Of course, there were the usual ups and downs as they progressed through infancy, primary school, high school, and all the emotions of teenagehood.
29 August 2026
Faith Talk
But all along, we tried to adhere to those biblical principles my grandmother had suggested years before. And now, as young adults, I see my children coming into their own. It’s not their personal achievements, but how they carry themselves and interact with others that fills my heart with contentment.
And a friend of mine told me he saw my son helping an elderly man cross a busy intersection at a local shopping centre, then carrying the man’s groceries to his car. “I was very impressed with your son for doing that,” he remarked. Two small incidents that made a father very proud.
Reasons to smile In the past few weeks, I’ve had two reasons to smile to myself.
Two small incidents that stemmed from a grandmother’s advice to “train up a child in the way he should go”.
An elderly member of our church said she had a lovely interaction with my daughter at the local pharmacy. “She just radiates Jesus ... her smile and her warm demeanour made my day; I can really see God’s spirit in her,” the church member said.
There is another verse in Proverbs that says: “Parents rejoice when their children turn out well; wise children become proud parents. So, make your father happy! Make your mother proud!” Amen to that! 11
My Story
Salvos Magazine
Discovering his father’s heart
A journey of faith, forgiveness and understanding by Naomi Singlehurst
Growing up in Nowra, New South Wales, James Condon describes his father as a hardworking but emotionally distant man who left home before dawn each morning to work as a milk inspector. “My dad would finish work, go to the local pub, have his beers and by the time he got home his dinner was in the oven,” James recalls. “He’d eat and go to bed.” “We never really connected. We never had any in-depth conversations.” Discovering God as Father As a teenager, James drifted away from church. “Those years away from God and the church were very difficult years,” he says. “I contemplated suicide. I didn’t see myself as a person of value and worth.” Everything changed when he attended a youth rally at a Salvation Army corps (church). That night, a young woman stood and shared how God had transformed her life. “I remember saying to myself, ‘I want what she’s got,’” James says. After surrendering his life to Jesus, James’ life changed in many ways, but he continued to wrestle with feelings of inadequacy. “I absolutely now see God as my Father,” he says. “But it’s been a journey.” 12
Along the way, James married Jan, who became not only his wife but a faithful partner in life and ministry. Together they have shared more than five decades of marriage, raised two daughters, welcomed four grandchildren and served in ministry across Australia and overseas. Moments of grace Despite the distance he felt from his father, there were moments James treasured. One came on his wedding day. During the reception, his father stood to give a speech and, as part of it, said: “I’m proud of James.” Simple words, but some of the only words of affirmation he heard from his dad. Years later, James was leading a Salvation Army event in Brisbane when his mother called. His father was in intensive care and asking for him. “I got there, walked over to the bed, and he just burst into tears,” James recalls. His dad’s emotions showed a love his words couldn’t. At the funeral, James was invited to read the Scripture (John chapter 11, verse 25): “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” “When I was reading that, I felt God say, ‘That’s your father’,” James says.
29 August 2026
My Story
Commissioners Jan and James Condon with their daughters, Alyson (left) and Sharon.
A father to many James and Jan poured their lives into others as they served God through The Salvation Army. During their years leading The Salvation Army in Papua New Guinea, they opened their home to young leaders for Bible study, mentoring and fellowship.
The words were simple. “Well done, son.” “There were no more powerful words that could have been spoken to me,” James says. Looking back on the life he and Jan have shared, he smiles.
The same heart can be seen every Tuesday evening at Just Men, a men’s mentoring and support group at Caloundra Salvos that James started and continues to lead.
“We’ve had the most wonderful, blessed adventure with God,” he says.
For James, one of the most rewarding aspects of the ministry is seeing men discover God as their friend and as Father.
For the full version of this story, go to salvos.org.au
‘Well done, son’ Earlier this year, while attending an interdenominational faith event, a young man he had never met prayed for James and shared what he believed God wanted to say to him.
“And it’s not over yet.”
Commissioner James Condon served as a Salvation Army officer for more than 50 years, including as leader of the former Australia Eastern Territory. Since retiring in 2016, he has remained highly active through The Salvation Army and the wider Christian community. 13
Taste of Life
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Dad’s favourite charcuterie board
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Salvos Magazine
Quiz
1. How tall can a coconut tree grow? 2. What is the name of the outside layer of a coconut? 3. What is the liquid inside a coconut known as? 4. Can coconuts float? Ingredients Salami slices; Prosciutto slices; red or green grapes; berries; tasty cheese, cubed; Swiss cheese, sliced; water crackers; optional: cherry tomatoes, olives, nuts, dried fruits, fruit slices, vegetable sticks, dips, jam or honey. Method Using a serving board/tray/plate, prepare enough food for the number of people attending your event. Start with placing meats and cheeses, then fill the gaps with grapes and berries, placing water crackers onto the plate right before serving. To serve more than two people, use toothpicks or small forks.
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Believe in Good: Tips
“Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.” Ephesians chapter 4, verse 29 Good News Translation 14
5. What can coconuts be used for other than eating?
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Did you know?
The earliest known handwritten letter, written on a clay tablet, dates back to 500 BC in Persia. Ancient Egyptians used papyrus to write letters; these were rolled and sealed with clay. Romans were among the first to use tablets made from wax for writing letters; these could be reused by smoothing out the wax. In medieval Europe, animal skins were often used as parchment to write letters on.
Take Five
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Have a laugh
I got my dad a book on anti-gravity. Now he can’t put it down. Why did the golfer cry? He was going through a rough patch. My dad used to be addicted to the hokey pokey.
But then he turned himself around.
My father spilled invisible ink all over himself. He’s at the hospital waiting to be seen. My dad bought a pair of camouflage pants.
Now I can’t find him.
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Tum-Tum
On which page of this week’s Salvos Magazine is Tum-Tum hiding?
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Answers
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29 August 2026
Word search
H H V Z N H K I G U I D I N G I H E U S A X U A M S G D F E J N I U L S T X C WD T R R A K F S C X G P B E D A O R A I T P Y P A F M S F A P R O O N V H A D I R H S F U U N D F N D I E T E R I L T F C P L D A G A N R I P I N Q E K K L P V A D D G O E E N G C O Z I Q E O H I L F U N N G K X E Y N F E V R H T C U T D U F H P D D F Q F E T O R G N A U O G O D F A T H E R I N X T B M V D A D J O K E S S M V E D L F M F U N C L E H WI S E E S E V R O L E M O D E L A X D U R T Y V L C WG E N E R O U S K U K X Words are hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, forwards and backwards. Enjoy! Caring Clever Dad Jokes Dependable Driving Father Fun Generous
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Godfather Grandad Guiding Helpful Honest Hugs Husband Inspiring
Kind Patient Role Model Stepdad Strong Supportive Uncle Wise
Bible byte
“Worry is a heavy burden, but a kind word always brings cheer.” Proverbs chapter 12, verse 25 Contemporary English Version 15
Tum-Tum: is hiding behind Shieldy’s leg on page 9.
Quiz: 1. 30 metres 2. The husk 3. Coconut water 4. Yes 5.Historically as bowls, utensils and cups; more recently as bowls, candles and plant pots.
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