Capturing the moment

Coalface News | Diary Dates | Enrolments | Features | Mission Priorities | Opinion | Prayer Points | Promoted to Glory | Reviews

The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory September 2010 Volume 14 Issue 9

BATTLE RAGES IN FAR NORTH ARMY EQUIPPED FOR THE FIGHT RAISED UP WORLD YOUTH CONVENTION SOULS SCORED FOR CHRIST WORLD CUP MISSION

Capturing the moment

Sir Richard Branson joins Salvos’ fight against homelessness ARTICLES BY Commissioner

Linda

Bond

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Major

Lyn

Daines

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Lloyd

Hollingsworth

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Major

Chris

Witts

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Nathan

Moulds

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Editoria l

Keeping youth homelessness issue alive

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ver the past few years, Pipeline has dedicated a good many pages to the issue of youth homelessness.

It’s our cover story again this month, and we make no apology for that. The tragedy of thousands of the nation’s young people being forced to sleep on our streets is something we are duty-bound to keep at the forefront of public awareness.

Thankfully our feature article this month is a good news story. Sir Richard Branson, the charismatic founder of Virgin Group, recently chose The Salvation Army’s Oasis Youth Support Network centre in Sydney to propel his company into the fight against youth homelessness.

Virgin Group’s non-profit foundation, Virgin Unite, has chosen to support the youth homelessness cause in Australia, and in particular The Salvation Army’s Oasis program.

Sir Richard believes he can use the Virgin brand to create awareness of the 32,000 homeless youth in this country.

He has promised that all donations to Virgin Unite will be directed to work on the front-line.

That can only be a source of encouragement to those who work at the coalface of this issue; people like the Army’s Captain Paul Moulds who in recent years has come to epitomise the campaign against youth homelessness.

Contents The Salvation Army WILLIAM BOOTH, Founder

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10-11 CAPTURING THE MOMENT Sir Richard Branson joins The Salvation Army’s fight against youth homelessness. By Julia Hosking

18-19 RAISED UP Two Australian delegates to The Salvation Army’s World Youth Convention share their experiences

Linda Bond, Commissioner Territorial Commander Peter Sutcliffe, Major Communications Director

22-23 JUST CAUSE FOR MEN More than 180 people from across Australia recently gathered in Sydney for a Salvation Army men’s Bible conference

Scott Simpson Managing Editor Graphic design: Kem Pobjie, James Gardner, Dean Simpson

24-25 SOULS SCORED FOR CHRIST Mark Soper talks about the impact of being part of a mission team at the recent football World Cup in South Africa

Cover photo: Shairon Paterson

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28-29 IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL Salvation Army officers from the Australia Eastern Territory go on a pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey. By Major Chris Witts

Editorial and correspondence: Address: PO Box A435 Sydney South NSW 1235 Phone: (02) 9266 9639 www.salvos.org.au Email: eastern.editorial @aue.salvationarmy.org Published for: The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory

by Commissioner Linda Bond.

Printed by: SOS Print + Media Group 65 Burrows Rd, Alexandria NSW 2015, Australia Print Post Approved PP236902/00023

STORY

12-16 BATTLE RAGING IN THE FAR NORTH Pipeline reporters Bill Simpson and Julia Hosking see first-hand the progress The Salvation Army is making in Central and North Queensland

Shaw Clifton, General

Pipeline is a publication of the Communications Team

COV E R

Scott Simpson Managing Editor

FEATU R ES

International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria street London EC4P 4EP

Australia Eastern Territory 140 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000

Late last year, I attended a Christian media conference at which Captain Moulds was a guest speaker. He took questions from the floor and when asked what was the toughest thing about his job, responded: “There are many nights when our centre is full and all I can do is give a young person a blanket, some words of encouragement, and then watch as they walk off into the dark city streets to find somewhere to sleep. I then get in my car, drive to my comfortable home, and climb into my warm bed. I find sleep hard to come by on those nights.”

There was a simplicity yet power to his words as he implored those in the room to do all they can, through their roles in the Christian media, to continue to raise public awareness of an issue which threatens to spiral out of control.

We may not all be front-line workers – and we might not have the financial clout of a Sir Richard Branson – but there is no reason why we can’t play a part in the campaign against youth homelessness.

There are many ways to get involved.

Companies like Virgin Group are stepping up to the plate.

What about you?

R EGULA RS 3 EDITORIAL 5 TC@PIPELINE 6-7 MISSION PRIORITIES UPDATE 8-9 INTEGRITY COLUMN

Raising

30-40 FROM THE COALFACE

children in the

Lord

IN THIS MONTH’S

g Youn Women in Touch

Life rocks!

Life beyond domestic violence

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women in touch

Raising children in the Lord

Breaking free

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pipeline 09/2010 3

Itinerary for the visit of Salvation Army World Leader General Shaw Clifton and his wife Commissioner Helen Clifton to the Australia Eastern Territory in December

BRISBANE

Friday 10 December 7pm - Celebration Rally e 125th anniversary of Th land ns ee Qu in Salvation Army - Chandler Theatre

SYDNEY

Saturday 11 December 7pm - “The Night of a 1000 Stories” - Sydney Convention Centre Sunday 12 December ert 8.30am - Prayer Conc n tio en nv Co - the Sydney Centre 10am - Ordination and Commissioning of the ess Ambassadors of Holin dney Sy session of cadets Convention Centre ld at Kids Church will be he room e rat this time in a sepa at the centre r 2pm - “Celebrating ou the es Heritage” - includ appointments of the ess Ambassadors of Holin dney session of cadets - Sy e Convention Centr

Showing God’s love in seemingly hopeless places An emotional and enlightening evening at the movies has influenced Commissioner LINDA BOND to renew the call for Salvationists to venture into dark places to shine the light of God

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ecently I heard four champions give their testimonies.

The setting was most unusual – the Hoyts theatre in Sydney.

The place was in darkness. The movies showing were two short films of Ian Darling – Polly & Me and Wall Boy. It was raw and confronting. Ian Darling, the producer of The Oasis documentary, didn’t want us to lose sight of the perilous lives of the homeless and their reasons for taking to the streets.

No popcorn or Coke at this event. Who would have the stomach for them anyway? The stories were disturbing.

Following the films these four red-shirted witnesses were the panel of experts. No degrees to hang on their walls, no wellresearched thesis to offer, but four people who moved from tragedy to triumph.

The largest segment of the audience were the upwardly mobile, the well-to-do and perhaps the advantaged of society.

And they were hanging on every word of Ash, Damo, Bee and John, who were proof positive that despite the worst of circumstances, transformation is possible.

It wasn’t the first time I had seen these films, but it was the most moving. A reaffirmation, I suppose, of what was planted in my heart a few months earlier. When Polly & Me and Wall Boy were shown to The Salvation Army Australia Eastern territorial and divisional leaders at The Collaroy Conference centre, Captain Paul Moulds, Director of the Oasis Centre, followed them up by challenging us to go into the dark places, not just in Sydney but throughout the territory.

Somehow the Lord has used Paul’s concept of going into the dark places to grab my attention. The phrase that I have often heard in recent years is to find out where God is working and join him. To be honest, I have been in places and one in particular comes to mind where there was no indication of the presence of God. A community of drunkenness, violence and neglect of children gave no sense that something divine was taking place.

The phrase came to me recently as incongruous with our Army’s mission. What if God is recalling the Army to go the East End Londons of our cities and towns? Is it possible he may

be reminding us that we belong in the places where there is no apparent evidence of God working, the frightfully dark and seemingly hopeless places?

Perhaps our seven Mission Priorities need to be read as candles of the Lord. If all were embedded in the psyche of every Salvationist then we would be a people of light, hope and courage.

How can a holy, praying Army not be a light-bringer? How can an Army committed to evangelism, not want to reach those who sit in darkness? How can a corps truly be healthy if its ears are deaf to the cries of the desperate?

Equipping and empowering our people to serve the world means the world of the lonely, abused, the violated, the helpless and the hopeless. Can we possibly be passionate about bringing children to Jesus and not ache to search for the forgotten and neglected ones beyond our walls?

Many corps need to rethink youth work and release our young people to go beyond the youth group and become frontline servants in the hard places.

The call for more soldiers and officers must not be for numbers’ sake. It must be about a people mobilised who dare to act, believing a person, a family, a community, a nation can be changed because the Light has come.

Ian Darling helps us to see the face of darkness. The films Polly & Me and Wall Boy capture the tragedy and consequence of why people take to the streets, what it means to be trapped and how we can be a catalyst for change.

Major Joy Webb in her song asks, “Is there a light that’s strong enough to go and metamorphisise the darkness that we know?”

Yes, we know there is. Because the Light has come, we must go.

Commissioner Linda Bond is Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory.

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<— Transparent Logo

 MISSION PRIORITIES UPDATE

Shedding light on city’s dark places This month NATHAN MOULDS takes a look at the Edify program, a Streetlevel Mission initiative based in the inner-city area of Sydney

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ake a good look at this church (far right). Seem familiar? It’s St Mary’s Cathedral, the enormous church in the middle of Sydney. We all know it, but there’s a side to it I never saw.

Under this cathedral there’s a park, and in that park there lives homeless people. I know because I met them whilst doing Edify. A van pulls up and volunteers begin giving tea, coffee and biscuits out beside the huge glittering cathedral to a community of displaced people who seemed to have emerged out of the darkness. It was feel-good. But it was also ironic.

I had a lot of cups of tea that night as we walked around the city I thought I knew, but had never really seen. The pubs and clubs on Oxford Street, the CocaCola sign at Kings Cross, the brightly lit restaurants and shops of the city. I’d been here before. But I didn’t ever see past the lights and music.

There’s a laneway called ten-buck alley where a person in bright-red size-13 heels waited, her mouth covered with a veil. I never saw that. There’s a bridge on the way down to Woolloomooloo where those who don’t have a home sleep in ruffled bunches of blankets and beanies.

They called it the ‘bridge hilton’. I never saw that.

Near the city there’s a quiet building masked in red marble called Prodigal House. Inside are women who have seen hardship unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, who were displaced and powerless in this strange city and have

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now found a safe place. I met a woman there who was married in Thailand to a man who brought her to Australia, where she was forced to work from 6am till 10pm every day, not allowed to leave the house, made to sleep in the living room while her husband slept with his girlfriend in their bed. She had overcome the loss of her home, her family, her freedom, she had experienced all that and survived and she was only a few months older than me. We sat and drank tea together and we laughed about silly things, worlds apart but still the same.

There are people in this city that just get broken by life and I’m not okay with that. I learnt a million things that week,

little bits of wisdom that I’ll treasure for life. And a lot of them I learnt from these broken but beautiful people. I want to make it so that no kid ever ends up there in the broken dark corners of this city, and I want to be a place where kids can come to escape that darkness and become whole again. That’s what I realised at Edify and I hope that I carry that for the rest of my life.”

What you have just read is the testimony of a young woman who participated in the Edify Program. Edify is an initiative of Streetlevel Mission and is based in the inner-city of Sydney.

From humble beginnings under the brand 614:Edify in 2008, the program has

What people are saying about Edify

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ho in this generation will hear the Saviour’s call to go to the front lines of the war, to plunge into the dangerous sea, where the darkness is great, and lives are being destroyed and souls lost? Edify is being used by God to challenge this generation of Salvationists to equip and prepare them for service on the frontline.

The need has never been greater never have reinforcements been so

urgently required. But nor have the opportunities been more promising.

Get trained and equipped and join us on the front line!”

- Captain Paul Moulds AM “Sick of the predictable, the safe and the mundane? Join the “Salvation War” on the front lines for a messy, risky and shock-filled experience called Edify.”

- Major Bryce Davies

“William Booth said ‘Go for souls and go for the worst’. Edify equips you for such a task.”

- Captain Athol Harmer “Edify is ensuring The Salvation Army doesn’t take its eyes off our call to the lost, last and least and salvation for one second - the benchmark for practitioner-based discipleship.”

- Craig Stephens

since blossomed and developed into a genuine Australian expression of missional discipleship. At Edify our passion is to train, equip and empower all people (especially the next generation) to engage in a lifestyle of mission for the long haul.

We do this by fostering personal growth in individuals, connecting them with the poor and marginalised, and being a part in the rebuilding, restoring and renewing of broken lives and communities.

At Edify there are three different ways to get involved: 1. Certificate IV in Youth Work (CHC41808) - A nationally accredited qualification offering a holistic approach to youth work from a Christian world view.

2. Internship - A 10-month residential gap year where you will live, breathe, eat and sleep mission, whilst also undertaking accredited study.

3. STUMP (Short Term Urban Mission Project) - A week-long mission trip in the inner city giving people the chance to experience mission in their own backyard.

In 2010 alone we have had more than 40 young people/adults undertake STUMP, and we are training five students in our Cert IV Course. Additionally two of them are being discipled and empowered through the Edify Internship.

We are committed to training and sending youth to the frontline of mission.

Where else would you want to be?

How to get involved

STUMP is happening all the time (there’s even one starting in Brisbane) so check the Edify website for dates and details.

Applications are also being taken for the 2011 Internship and Certificate IV in Youth Work course. Checkout the website: http://salvos.org.au/edify.

Nathan Moulds coordinates Streetlevel’s Edify program

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Imparting God’s grace The desire for relationship is at the core of every human soul and, according to Territorial Seniors Ministry Coordinator Major LYN DAINES, the practice of mentoring not only fulfils this yearning but also passes on knowledge to the next generation “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

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Proverbs 27:17

arlier this year, a survey was commissioned by the Territorial Seniors Ministry Department of The Salvation Army’s Australia Eastern Territory and the responses overwhelmingly centred on one theme – relationship.

It was called the “Over 50s Ministry and Lifestyle Survey” and more than 250 people took part, the results indicating that, above all, we value relationships whether it is a positive outcome or not.

I believe we need people to care about us and people for whom we can care.

With so many experienced elders in our corps, we have an opportunity to learn from them while they are still with us. For my generation, having had 30 or more years of experience as a mature Christian we, too, have the opportunity to help a younger generation to discover what God requires of them and to encourage them.

Recently, I went to a funeral of a beloved uncle. He was not much of a church-goer but he certainly understood the concept of passing on his gifts and skills of “fixing things” to others.

Over the years he has built, created and fixed all sorts of furniture and objects, but that’s not all. He also shared his knowledge and taught his children, grandchildren, and basically anyone who wanted to know, what they could do when a handyman crisis came their way.

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True, he was a gifted handyman, but he was glad to show us the easiest way to do any of those jobs, even if we didn’t have this gift. He wouldn’t think of himself as a mentor, but that’s exactly what he was.

made the most mistakes, that have the most to offer in a mentoring relationship.

Again, Paul is a great example of this.

Before he became a Christian, he actually killed Christians for a living. If Paul can be a mentor, pretty much anyone can.

Art of mentoring

Spiritual commitment

Most of us know about the great artist Michelangelo, but few know about Bertoldo, his teacher. There’s a debate in art circles about who was the greater – Michelangelo, the pupil, or Bertoldo, the mentor, who himself was a pupil of Donatello. Throughout the centuries, the student went on to become the teacher as he learnt to pass on his skills to the next generation.

Mentoring is not a new concept.

Tradesmen, artists and craftsmen have been engaged in mentoring for centuries, passing on their skills to apprentices.

Mentoring can be described as someone who has “been there and done that”, taking someone else who is “still getting there” under their wing. I define mentoring this way for two reasons.

First, mentoring isn’t as much about age as it is about experience.

As Barnabas mentored Paul, the two men could very well have been similar in age. But Barnabas had the experience of a relationship with God that Paul didn’t have.

Second, often when we think about being a mentor, people are very quick to discredit themselves because they haven’t “lived a good enough life”. In reality though, it is often the people who have

Scripture teaches us that mentoring, or one-on-one discipleship, is an important spiritual commitment each of us can engage in, to develop excellence in one another and to utilise our experience for the benefit of others.

The truth is mentoring is a very significant role that many Christian disciples can fulfil irrespective of age or experience.

It is not restricted to “giants of the faith”.

None of us have “arrived”, we are all “on the journey” in our spiritual lives.

Christian author John Mallison suggests that “Christian mentoring is a dynamic, intentional relationship of trust in which one person enables another to maximise the grace of God in their life and service.”

Mentoring for him is defined by the following characteristics:

• • • •

Dynamic – active, growing, flexible, stimulating, empowering Intentional – with purpose and direction – orderly Relationship – connection, bond, affinity, mateship, concern, commitment Trust – rely upon, put confidence in

Integrity

Growing Saints

through mentoring • • •

Enable – give the means to make possible Maximise – make the most of Grace of God – all God freely offers us in Christ

As an internationally known Christian educator, Mallison is a specialist in enabling Christian leaders to develop personally and spiritually, and in equipping them for service.

A key aspect of this is mentoring, which he is passionate about. He mentors a wide cross-section of Christian leaders both nationally and internationally.

Throughout the Scriptures we see examples of teacher/pupil relationships.

One example is 2 Kings 2:1-15, where Elijah passes on his ministry to Elisha so he can, in turn, minister to his own generation. This is one of the most spectacular stories in all of Scripture. It is the changing of the guard, the passing on of the role. It is the transfer of the anointing from one generation to the next.

The people of our generation in The Salvation Army are called to be the Elijahs; to pass on our “mantle” to the next generation so that they can minister to the Elisha generation.

In this Scripture passage, Elisha not only recognised that he needed Elijah’s “mantle” to be passed on to him so that he could minister in the future, he also recognised that he needed twice as much of the spirit, or passion, of his mentor, to make a difference to his generation.

“When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ Elisha replied: ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit’.” (2 Kings 2:9).

Another teacher/pupil relationship was Paul and Timothy. However, Paul developed the relationship even further and treated him as his son.

“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good

fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” (1 Timothy 1:18,19).

“But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father, he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” (Philippians 2:22.).

The mentor-pupil relationship that Paul and Timothy enjoyed was not about the greatness and experience of Paul, nor was it about the talent and potential of Timothy. It was about the two of them working together for God. It was all about spreading the Good News, both verbally and by example, of Christ’s death on the cross and how a relationship with God and forgiveness for our sins is available to all who seek it.

‘Adoption’ process

Having a mentor and being a mentor is a blessing for our spiritual lives. To find both opportunities of mentoring and being mentored, we need to look no further than where we sit every Sunday morning.

Around us are handfuls of people who have “been there, done that” and handfuls of people who are “still getting there”.

You may have already experienced the benefit of mentoring whether it be teacher-pupil or leader-apprentice. When my husband and I were new Christians, a loving couple “adopted” us and our children. They simply spent time with us and through their lives we learnt a lot about how to live the Christian life, each and every day.

Are there people around you – young mums, teenagers, people starting out in ministry – who you could “adopt”, listen to, guide, encourage, or maybe just share in their life experiences?

The challenge for all of us is to prayerfully consider these two questions: “Who could God be asking me to mentor?” and “Who could God want me to seek out as a mentor?”

One thing that we are guaranteed is that in both roles, we will be challenged and shaped a little more into the likeness of Christ.

Territorial Seniors Assembly

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he Territorial Seniors Assembly will be held at Forresters Beach Resort on the Central Coast of NSW from 25-29 October this year.

The special guest speaker for the annual event will be the Territorial Commander, Commissioner Linda Bond. The Sydney Staff Songsters will also perform during the assembly, while other speakers have been invited to lead four workshops over the course of the week. Among the workshops will be a session on mentoring led by Major Maree Strong.

Spaces are limited so register now. Bookings close on 17 September. The all-inclusive cost of $500 per person includes accommodation and all meals.

The cost for a day delegate is $240 which includes lunch and dinner, and morning and afternoon tea.

For more information, please contact Major Lyn Daines on: lyn. daines@aue.salvationarmy.org or phone 02 9266 9598.

Major Lyn Daines is Territorial Seniors Ministry Coordinator for The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory.

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Sir Richard champions youth homelessness cause Sir Richard Branson has chosen The Salvation Army’s Oasis centre in Sydney as the main focus of his support in the fight against youth homelessness in Australia. Pipeline’s JULIA HOSKING went along as the Virgin Group founder dropped

by Oasis for breakfast

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ir Richard Branson became an honorary member of the Oasis Youth Support Network’s Champions Program when he attended a special breakfast at the Surry Hills centre in Sydney.

The Virgin Group founder was on hand to launch a fitness centre for disadvantaged youth at Oasis as part of his commitment to reduce the number of homeless young people in Australia.

Oasis Champions is a program which encourages previously disadvantaged young people to become advocates for the issue of youth homelessness.

“I’m greatly honoured to be made a Champion today,” Sir Richard said to the crowd gathered in The Salvation Army centre’s courtyard on Thursday, 29 July.

He went on to say that the Virgin Group’s non-profit foundation, Virgin Unite, had chosen to support the youth homelessness cause in Australia, in particular The Salvation Army’s

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Photo: Shairon Paterson

Photo: Shairon Paterson

Photo: Shairon Paterson

The Salvation Army’s Oasis centre in Sydney was a hive of activity when Sir Richard Branson dropped by for breakfast and to confirm his commitment to helping reduce the number of homeless young people in Australia. Oasis director Captain Paul Moulds (above left) expressed his appreciation in a speech, while (above right) Sir Richard chats with Chief Secretary Colonel James Condon.

Oasis program, believing he can use the brand to create awareness of the 32,000 homeless youth in this country, and empower Australians to reduce that number.

All of Virgin Unite’s overheads are covered by Sir Richard and the Virgin Group, meaning all donations are directed to work on the frontline.

Another arm of Sir Richard’s empire, Virgin Money hosts a monthly breakfast or lunch at the centre, and his visit coincided with the gym’s opening.

“We are very excited by the partnership and commitment from Virgin to assist not only Oasis, but other organisations across Australia that work with disadvantaged and homeless young people,” said Captain Paul Moulds AM, Director of Oasis.

“Already we are seeing some great results and opportunities and it’s only the beginning.”

Many of the youth at Oasis were thrilled to have met Sir Richard as he served them a bacon and eggs breakfast. Jason, who left school in Year 9, was particularly excited. For years, Jason did not believe he had anything to look forward to in life, however after reading Sir Richard’s autobiography, Jason was inspired.

“He dropped out of school when he was 15 as well,” said Jason. “After reading his book, I was like wow, I can actually make something of myself and there are still ways of doing things. I’ve come to Oasis and I’m

looking to be a project manager or a property developer, so that’s what I’m aspiring to be. And with motivation from his books, it’s just making it seem more and more likely that I can get there.”

Sir Richard was very encouraging to the youth and their mentors at Oasis. “I want to say congratulations to Oasis and congratulations to all the people from Virgin who’ve come and helped out,” he said. “And congratulations all the kids who are trying to get themselves back on their feet again – and best of luck to you.”

In his speech, Captain Moulds expressed his appreciation to the Virgin Group for supporting the fitness centre to help the disadvantaged youth “feel great, live longer and have fun”.

In particular, Oasis director Captain Moulds was grateful to Anton Brown, the National Marketing Manager for Virgin Active who had the vision for the gym and coordinated partnerships with Nightlife (suppliers of music and video), Technogym and PT Academy.

Virgin Active is about making positive changes to people’s lives.

Mr Brown explained to Pipeline that when Virgin Active was developing its Pitt Street Mall health club, it was only natural to also launch a miniature version at Oasis due to Virgin Unite’s existing connections with the youth centre.

“This is a philosophy that we’re

now going to be putting in throughout our business,” said Mr Brown. “The vision is ... to identify an Oasistype environment in which we can get involved within the immediate vicinity where our clubs are.”

Virgin Active prides itself on relationships, not memberships; a philosophy carried to Oasis by ensuring the relationship is continued beyond the installation of the gym equipment.

Consequently, one of Virgin Active’s partners, PT Academy will be closely involved with training people to use the Technogym-supplied gym equipment, and visiting the gym at least once every six weeks to set up exercise programs and talk about positive lifestyles.

Furthermore, PT Academy has provided a scholarship worth $4500 for an individual who engages with the fitness programs and wants to pursue a career in personal training.

This assistance from PT Academy is one of the many aspects to the partnership between Virgin Unite and the Oasis Youth Support Network, and Captain Robbin Moulds (Mission Officer for Sydney Streetlevel Mission) is grateful for it all.

“Partnerships are really important,” she said. “[Sir Richard] has such wealth – not only in money – but in his staff and his company’s ethics. [Virgin Unite] … will make a great impact into youth homelessness in Australia and in Sydney.”  pipeline 09/2010 11

Battle raging in the far north

The Salvation Army is making progress in the Central and North Queensland Division under the guidance of divisional leaders Majors Rodney and Wendy Walters. JULIA HOSKING and BILL SIMPSON visited the region to see for themselves the exciting ministry developments taking place

By JULIA HOSKING

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ommunities in the Cairns region have been transformed since the beginning of the year due to the grouping of all Salvation Army ministries in the area as part of the Far North Queensland Cluster.

The cluster incorporates Cairns Corps (Majors Colin and Pam Robinson, Captains Gaina and Jenny Vali), Atherton Tablelands Corps (Lieutenants Rick and BJ Moulder), Centennial Lodge (Major Hector Crisostomo), Cairns Women’s Programs (Major Melba Crisostomo), welfare (Major Anne Gumuna), court chaplaincy (Major Gumuna) and public relations.

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“None of us can take the credit for it,” said Major Colin Robinson, Far North Queensland Cluster Leader and Cairns Corps Officer with his wife Major Pam Robinson. “It’s got to be God. We’re not doing anything in any great way that wasn’t happening last year.”

All these areas of ministry adhere to the mission statement: “The Far North Queensland Cluster is a team of like-minded officers accountable to each other in working together beyond their appointments; creating responses to mission opportunities in building up the Kingdom of God in this part of Queensland.”

In turn, the overall vision for the cluster is to see people and communities

transformed by the saving grace of God – something that is already starting to occur.

“God is doing some great things in the lives of people; [it’s exciting] just to see the growth in such a short period of time,” Major Colin Robinson said.

A church for all nations

Cairns is highly multicultural city and the corps has earnestly endeavoured to reach this demographic since mid-last year.

This focus has been stepped up since the Robinsons commenced their appointment at Cairns Corps in January.

“It’s a very exciting time for our multicultural ministries. And the whole of Cairns is feeling the difference,” Major Rodney Walters, Divisional Commander

Major Rodney Walters (left) is overseeing some heartening developments in a variety of ministries in the Central and North Queensland Division with emphasis on multi-cultural ministries, especially in Cairns, and the Unlimited conference (above). Photos: Shairon Paterson

of the Central and North Queensland Division, observed. “Each different culture is recognised and that’s done in the safety and environment of The Salvation Army, in a worship service.”

Previously, Cairns Corps held various culture-specific church services on a Sunday evening – Papua New Guinean one week, Filipino the next. This year the decision was made to have one combined Sunday night multicultural service fortnightly with leadership shared between the Robinsons, Valis and Crisostomos. Currently, attendance is around 120 people with more than 10 cultures represented including Aboriginals, Filipinos, Papua New Guineans, and Torres Strait Islanders.

“Everything we’re looking at, we have to think multicultural,” Major Colin Robinson said. “If we’re only going to run a traditional Salvation Army Europeanstyle corps, we’d be back to about 35 fairly quickly. Most of the people in our corps are from some other nation. And actually, we don’t use the word ‘multicultural’ now; we’re calling ourselves ‘a church for all nations’. That seems to be working better with people.”

Furthermore, the changes and developments are reigniting the corps members’ enthusiasm. “It’s been exciting to hear some of the people that have been there for years being excited that we now get 90 people to a Sunday morning or a hundred to the night time where they’ve

been used to way less than that,” Major Robinson said.

Youth and children

Cairns Corps is situated beside a school of 1000, an ideal starting point for building relationships with children and youth in the community. With this in mind, Mitchell Jackson commenced as a temporary youth ministry assistant in June to create a youth group, build children’s ministry and be a school chaplain alongside Major Colin Robinson and Captain Gaina Vali.

One innovative children’s ministry program that started this year is a percussion band for children aged six to 14. It started in response to seeing children lining up to play the Cairns Corps drumset every week after church. A 13-year-old Zimbabwean boy – who is an exceptional leader and encourager – leads the class of enthusiastic children, teaching beats on a mixture of buckets and donated drums.

A supportive community

Cairns Corps is receiving tremendous support for their ministries from the community, notably from the local Hilton Hotel. For three hours on a Thursday, Hilton employees distribute tea and coffee that they have donated to Salvation Army welfare clients out the front of the building as part of an initiative called “Coffee With A Smile”.

Coffee With A Smile helps to eliminate fear, aggression and stress in clients who

are – many for the first time – seeking welfare. Additionally, earlier this year, the Hilton Hotel repainted the graffitied corps building and installed and fixed several lights, at no cost to the corps.

The crisis accommodation centre in Cairns, Centennial Lodge, runs a monthly breakfast for children. Of the 120 children that attend, the majority are from the families accommodated at the lodge, and others are picked up from around the community and bussed there by the Robinsons. To further enhance the link and build bridges between the corps and the people at the lodge, the Robinsons dine once a week with the residents, and when relationships are developed, invite them to church services.

“We’re just starting to see one or two turn up, so that’s encouraging,” Major Colin Robinson said. “We’ve got to build the bridges before they’ll walk over them.”

Women’s Program Coordinator Major Melba Crisostomo said: “[At] the lodge, we have seen how God moves in the lives of our clients through acceptance and love.

“It is accepting them as who they are and loving them as God sees them. It takes a lot of patience, understanding and enduring love to break the bondage from their past and start anew in life.”

The Divisional Commander and the officers within the Far North Queensland Cluster have many dreams for what God can do in the area.

One of Major Rodney Walters’ >>>

pipeline 09/2010 13

dreams is to further The Salvation Army’s work and ministry in the rural areas of Queensland by sending lay Salvationists to isolated and Indigenous communities to act as chaplains, providers of welfare and youth and children’s ministry leaders.

“We have a lot of different Indigenous communities in those areas, plus isolated, lonely, struggling Australian families as well,” Major Walters shared with Pipeline. “[We need to] find out what the needs are, find out how the Gospel can be proclaimed, how in a Christian sense love can be shared, and build trust back into the relationships.”

Another way that Major Walters would like to reach isolated communities and individuals who cannot access churches is to stream church services from other corps (for example, Cairns) via satellite or the internet.

Often people make connections with The Salvation Army through rural chaplains or disaster relief personnel, but once the ministry worker leaves, the isolation continues.

Referring people to a sermondownload facility would consequently maintain engagement with The Salvation Army and, hopefully, with Christ. Just as a helicopter is transforming the Outback Flying Service’s rural ministry, so, too, could the streaming of church services transform rural chaplaincy.

Standing in the

gap for Mt Isa

By BILL SIMPSON

I

t was an unexpected moment in Mt Isa, in the north Queensland outback.

The streets were strangely silent.

Most of the shops were closed. It was Sunday afternoon in mid-winter – but the temperature was still in the mid-twenties.

A pleasant escape from the Sydney cold!

Mt Isa Corps Officer Major Dennis Bryant was posing for photographs for

Positive developments

While the cluster is still only new and being developed and refined, Atherton Tablelands Corps Officer Lieutenant BJ Moulder is encouraged by its current situation.

“Being new to officership, it has been very reassuring to have a formalised system of meeting together monthly to share and to support one another,” she said. “It is great to be able to seek direction and on site support from officers who have been on the journey for a lot longer than us.

“Together we are starting to find focus areas in which we can work together, and we pray in expectation, believing God will continue to open doors of opportunity, and we will see Kingdom growth in this part of our territory.”

Major Melba Crisostomo echoes Lieutenant BJ Moulder’s sentiment and sees a positive future ahead. “The cluster has made our ministry stronger,” she said. “In partnership, we are all building the Kingdom of God here in the Cairns community together.” 

Julia Hosking is a writer for Pipeline and its supplements

14

Photo: Shairon Paterson

this Pipeline article (below). He stood at a makeshift collection point outside one of the many closed shops in a very quiet inner-city street. There were no shoppers in sight.

Unexpectedly, a middle-aged couple, oblivious to the photographic set-up, approached, placed a donation in Major Bryant’s bucket, expressed words of encouragement and moved on.

“See,” said Major Bryant, “this is what

The Salvation Army’s Mt Isa Corps which is under the leadership of Majors Dennis and Genne Bryant. Photo: Shairon Paterson

I love about this appointment. It’s exactly what I was trying to explain to you before.

I see my ministry here as ‘standing in the gap’,” – a reference to Ezekial 22:30-31, where God seeks someone to “stand in the gap”.

Majors Dennis and Genne Bryant are under no illusions about their Mt Isa appointment. “We’re here, firstly, because it was difficult to get somebody to come,” he says. “We’re here, secondly, because we want to be. And were here, thirdly, and most importantly, because we believe God has got something for us to do here.”

Mt Isa is a tough appointment. Mt Isa is a tough place; the biggest producer of copper, lead, zinc and silver in the world.

The mine is right there in the centre of the city of 23,000. You can’t miss it. It dominates Mt Isa. The Mayor, Councillor John Moloney, proudly explains that Mt Isa exists because of the mine. When the mine was established 85 years ago, he says, the miners came – from everywhere. There were no houses, so the miners erected tents beside the mine.

As the miners remained and increased in number, they built their own homes in newly constructed streets close to the colliery. That’s why the mine is still in the city. To say that Mt Isa is a mining town is an understatement.

Mt Isa is also a town of continuously shifting population. It seems that almost every second person has come from somewhere else. Hotels and shops are staffed with people from overseas and

interstate. They’re either partnered with a mine employee or are there for the outback experience.

As the population shifts, so does The Salvation Army’s Mt Isa Corps membership. On the Sunday morning that Pipeline visited, there were only 17 people in the congregation, five of whom were visitors.

Most Sunday mornings, there’s the Majors; their daughters Karen, 21, Michelle, 18, and Katie, 13; Flying Padres Simon and Natalie Steele and their two young children, Isabel, 6, and Joel, 4; and Kevin and Peggy Robinson, both in their late 70s and faithful soldiers for 46 years.

“We’ve seen them come and we’ve seen them go,” says Kevin, who, with Peggy, joined The Salvation Army almost 50 years ago because the corps, at the time, assisted them with a river-bank Sunday school when their own church wouldn’t.

Kevin recalls times when the corps had two Sunday meetings with 100 people in each. “But this is a typical mining town,” he says. “A few mining families bring a few dozen with them when they come into the town for work and they take a few dozen out with them when they move on.

You get used to it.”

The Mt Isa Corps has also been through some tough personal issues and is still undergoing community acceptance rebuilding.

“That’s how Genne and I see our role here,” Major Dennis tells Pipeline. “We’re here to help in the rebuilding process.”

Ironically, a Bible text in big type on the

front inside wall of the worship centre was already in place when the Bryants arrived with rebuilding on their mind. Previous officers had placed it there.

The text reads: “For I am going to do a brand new thing ... see, I have already begun” (Isaiah 43:19). Sitting beside Major Dennis during worship on the Sunday morning, he points to the sign and says: “That’s what gives me encouragement. As soon as I saw that text on the wall, I knew without doubt that we were here as part of God’s rebuilding plan.”

The Bryants moved to Mt Isa after seven years at Kalbar, in the state’s southeast. They had sensed their season at Kalbar was coming to an end. “God was telling us to take whatever appointment was offered next,” Major Dennis says.

Mt Isa was “the offer,” with an official explanation that they were not the first to receive it. Others had declined.

“Genne and I talked and prayed. I was aware of the isolation and heat. I had spent three years here with the magistrate’s court before officership. As we talked with our daughters, Katie said she would agree on three conditions – that it wasn’t a big city, and our house would be split-level and in a quiet cul-de-sac. We already knew Mt Isa was not a huge city, but when we checked on the house and found it was split-level and in a quiet cul-de-sac, we knew the appointment was right.

“Genne and I believe that when you have a relationship with God, you just know that he wouldn’t send you where he didn’t want you to go.” >>>

pipeline 09/2010 15

Major Genne, who also manages The Salvation Army’s Serenity House emergency accommodation complex for women and children, says she and Major Dennis are expectantly watching for God to show himself through their work in Mt Isa. “Despite the low numbers at the meetings, being here is still very exciting,” she says. “Maybe Mt Isa Corps has had to get to this level to allow God to do what needs to be done.”

For the moment, the Bryants are enjoying their new environment and, in some cases, workload. While Major Genne has been busy establishing an expanding Serenity House, Major Dennis has been taking things a little quieter than in Kalbar.

“We went to the Mt Isa Show last night,” he says. “I didn’t know anybody.

In Kalbar, I knew everybody. But I am loving having more time with God. While lots of people go to church on Sunday to get their ‘fresh bread’ from God, I get mine

delivered to my bedside every day.

“For me, it’s a time of spiritual refreshment. For Mt Isa, I am hoping it will be a time of spiritual renovation.

“That’s why I see my role as ‘standing in the gap’. I go into the shopping centre not to ask for money, but to stand in the gap; to point the way to Jesus. If I can achieve that, I will be satisfied; no matter how many people come to our corps.

“I’m a God chatterer. That’s my gift.

Standing in the gap is where I want to be.” 

Building relationships in Atherton

Atherton Tablelands Corps officers Lieutenants Rick and BJ Moulder with Major Hilda Sigley (left) a retired officer who is a tireless worker as a member of the corp pastoral team and overseer of a family store. Photo: Shairon Paterson

By JULIA HOSKING

B

uilding relationships with the congregation and the community has been the key focus for Lieutenants Rick and BJ Moulder since their January appointment to Atherton Tablelands Corps.

They have also intentionally taught their corps about holiness and prayer, and have recommenced Junior Soldiers and a youth discipleship course to help their young people develop their faith in Christ and learn more about The Salvation Army.

The lieutenants believe these few things are the keys to achieving their Godinspired visions.

16

“As people are willing to step out in faith and commit themselves to God’s plan here for the Tablelands, then we will see vision and the further plans for the Tablelands become a reality,” Lieutenant BJ Moulder said.

The vision for the Tablelands area includes developing young people to have a deep faith in Christ, and then empowering them as leaders.

Additionally, dreams exist for creating small groups and worship services in the outer regions of the Tablelands, and having a full-time chaplain for indigenous and rural communities in the Far North Queensland Cluster (currently the Moulders are also the rural chaplains for the area).

“In time, we would also love to set up mission opportunities in [the] more remote areas,”said Lieutenant BJ Moulder.

“This could be done in a number of ways; by providing a family day in the park, helping farmers on the properties or holding a retreat weekend for women, men or families in these outlying areas – the possibilities are endless.

“The bottom line is, we can’t do it alone.

“We will continue to pray that God will open the eyes of our people and the people within our communities; that their hearts will be softened to mission opportunities and a passion for evangelism will stir within them to see God’s Kingdom extend into these outer areas.” 

Kingdom come sydney 2011

10-13 January 2011 • The King’s School Sydney Australia

www.KingdomCome.com.au The Salvation Army’s T3 Youth Congress

pipeline 09/2010 17

raised up In mid-July, 1100 invited young Salvationists converged on Stockholm, Sweden, for The Salvation Army’s World Youth Convention, with the Australia Eastern Territory represented by 15 delegates. A variety of sessions were held over the four days of the convention focusing on topics including commitment, sacrifice, discipleship and holiness. Two territorial delegates, BRAD CLARKE (Tuggeranong Corps) and Cadet RACHAEL McMURRAY, who also attended the Time to be Holy 458 and Time to Serve 24-7 conferences in the lead-up to the youth convention, have written about their experiences for Pipeline

The 15 Australia Eastern Territory delegates who attended The Salvation Army’s World Youth Convention in Stockholm, Sweden in July.

18

Brad Clarke

L

ooking out the plane window as we left Stockholm, I was reminded of how good God was to us – the delegates – at the World Youth Convention. I thought of the lessons we learnt, the friendships we made, and the ideas and teaching we would bring home.

God was moving in a powerful way in Sweden during the World Youth Convention as we heard some powerful messages from General Shaw Clifton on holiness. General Clifton challenged us to strive for holiness 24/7 and he spoke of the Army’s unique action on holiness in relation to the phrase “heart to God, hand to man”.

One of the biggest lessons of the weekend for me was the realisation of how big and wonderful our God really is. To sit in an auditorium with 1000 other young Salvationists dancing and praising God in their own language was a real eye-opener.

In Australia, where we all speak English, it can be easy to lose sight of the global nature of God. We saw Africans dancing, Indians singing and the British with their brass instruments, yet the most amazing part is that God speaks each and every one of those languages.

Throughout the weekend, delegates attended ‘Focus Groups’, seminars that discussed various topics of The Salvation Army – from music styles to the importance of the uniform, social justice, sports ministry, other religions and holiness.

Captain Andy Millar, of the USA Southern Territory, led one of the groups I attended on worship in modern Salvation Army churches.

Captain Millar reminded us of the

The opportunity to praise God through dance and song was a highlight for many delegates to the World Youth Convention.

roots of music within The Salvation Army – it was so that we could be heard. God has used many different styles to accompany his message through the Army and we, as his soldiers, should be ready to sing, dance, play or shout at his call.

Captain Millar reminded us that it is not the style of music that we are worshipping, but God. The content of the songs is more important than the volume of the bass guitar or the cornet.

The conference created an amazing opportunity for the young people of The Salvation Army to network.

Within the space of four days, I was able to gain an insight into The Salvation Army in many different countries such as America, Britain, Ghana, South Africa, New Zealand, Zambia, Spain, Korea and even European countries once part of the Soviet Union.

On the Saturday afternoon, all delegates were given the opportunity to practice The Salvation Army’s open-air heritage with a gathering in Kings Garden in the centre of Stockholm.

The General capped off the convention with a paraphrase of Micah 6:8 “Be humble, love deeply, focus on the cross and be holy”.

Cadet Rachael McMurray

H

oliness is something I’ve heard about here and there.

It is a word that appears in a lot of songs, or a title given to our morning meeting on a Sunday. But until recently, I had not properly considered what holiness meant and its implications for my life and the body of Christ.

Time to be Holy 458 was an

opportunity for me to learn about holiness and to experience it in a new way.

I was one of 26 young people from 20 countries, who were invited to participate in a time of teaching, prayer, worship and fellowship. Held in the beautiful surroundings of the International College for Officers in London, the theme and title was taken from The Salvation Army songbook song 458.

Over two weeks we were blessed by great teachers such as LieutenantColonels Richard and Janet Munn, Major Stephen Court, Major Danielle Strickland, General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton.

We explored The Salvation Army’s theology and the scriptural message of holiness. We practiced spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, which help us in our personal life of holiness. We also learned, and experienced through living together, the importance of holiness in community.

There was freedom in worship as we came to seek God and his touch on our lives. I loved how we could pray or sing in different languages and yet understand each other; it was a small taste of the Kingdom of God. We were reminded that although God is the one who makes us holy – he initiates and empowers – we have a part to play. We have to walk in the way of holiness, making right choices and developing spiritual habits.

After two weeks in London, our teaching was put into practice as we headed to Denmark for Time to Serve 24-7. Joined by new delegates from Congo Brazzaville, we divided into teams and headed out to different parts of the country. We were involved in evangelism and acts of service; our aim was to share Jesus with people in

a relevant way and to take holiness to the streets.

My team went to a town called Ordense, where we worked with the corps officers Frank and Elsebeth Jakshoj. Our focus was making the local community aware of the nearby Salvation Army, to build relationships, and – in a country that is somewhat disinterested in church or religion – to break down some of the misconceptions about church and Christians.

The highlight for us was when a young friend of the corps, who has been journeying to faith for some time, said: “I’ve had the best week of my life. You’ve shown me that it’s ok to believe in God.” It was then on to the World Youth Convention in Sweden.

The air was full of excitement as 1000 Salvationists from all corners of the globe arrived at the venue. I was amazed by the diversity of uniforms, culture and language, and I was reminded of the beautiful creativity of our God. We spent four days celebrating, worshipping and learning together.

Themes included commitment, sacrifice, discipleship and justice. We also attended some great workshops to equip people for life and ministry.

The teaching from some of our best speakers can be viewed at www. raisedup.org. It is a fantastic resource for people who want to pursue holiness for themselves.

I feel really blessed to have been a part of this significant time and to see the great thing God is doing across the earth!

I’m challenged to live a life worthy of him who called me, “if we are not holy how will our world see the Lord?”  pipeline 09/2010 19

Set my people free Salvation Army Indigenous Ministries Consultant LLOYD HOLLINGSWORTH discusses the intervention, God and justice

E

arlier this year, I was in the Northern Territory visiting The Salvation Army’s corps and programs and meeting my Indigenous brothers and sisters.

As I travelled through Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs the common talking point was the Federal Government’s intervention into Aboriginal communities, the quarantining of welfare payments and the enforced policing of shopping. The message from Indigenous Australians was very clear: “It’s not on.”

Our Indigenous people are calling for liberation. In Alice Springs, I met assistant Corps Officer Lieutenant Amanda Vaarzon-Morel, who has been touched by God to help us. Her heart is open to reconciliation with our people and to the outpouring of the spirit of God on the nation.

In her role as corps officer and court chaplain Lieut Vaarzon-Morel has access to several of the “town camps”, informal living places for Aboriginal people with varying standards of housing. She took me on a tour of these places and I cried out to God. I wouldn’t even allow my dogs to live in one of these town camps, let alone women and children.

I called a prayer meeting that night.

It was an open-house event attended by white and Indigenous Australians.

We prayed knowing that it is going to take God’s intervention to abolish the government intervention. While we were praying I broke down before the Lord. I echoed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying “Not my will, Lord, but yours”.

The Lord said to me: “This is my heart; these are my people. Go to them.” It was the fulfilment of a dream and prophecy God had given me in October 2009, before I started working in my current role.

I lay prostrate in prayer, groaning and crying out to God. The experience has changed me forever.

20

The message to the church?

Please, cry out to God. May the chains be broken from the lives of our Indigenous peoples – they must be set free.

Our people are more downtrodden than others I’ve met and worshipped with overseas. I am familiar with most of the Aboriginal communities in Queensland, but there is nothing like the level of despair and disadvantage I have seen in the Northern Territory.

Yet, in the midst of their pain and sorrow, there is an undying spirit. In their oppression, many still love Jesus with all of their hearts.

God has heard their cry. I believe he is going to give a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They are the people and the sheep of his pasture.

I believe the women I prayed with are going to take God with them out into the camps and release his love and salvation among their people.

In the Walpari camp, south of Alice Springs, I was blessed by how they received me. I went to serve them, to lift them up and bless them in their ministry. This is what God calls The Salvation Army to do.

Yet in the midst of their faithfulness, they are so beaten down and broken. Many people in these townships and camps find it hard to imagine a different reality. I am amazed at how they survive; I would go crazy in one day. Yet by God’s grace, they survive.

They may have a roof, but no electricity. No running water. No heating or cooling. It is a disgrace.

The word from my people is that they wait. They wait and they want the intervention lifted off their backs.

They have been stripped of their dignity. They go to a supermarket, grown adults, citizens of this nation, and are governed by a green card.

Choice is no longer permitted.

The way they are controlled is the government saying: “We know what is best; we know better than you. We’ll tell you what to do and where to go.”

The majority of our national Indigenous leaders are calling for the end of the intervention. Our people in Darwin and Palmerston originally supported it. They now recognise that it is a bad thing for them. They didn’t realise that at the start. The people are saying: “Please, come talk to us first; sit down, we’ll talk to you.”

Flying from Darwin to Canberra, I was praying, asking God how the churches can become involved or more involved. The Lord said to me: “The church in this country has to take ownership of this injustice. To the extent to which it does so, God will honour the church.”

The church will be empowered by the Holy Spirit, to the extent to which she takes up this challenge.

The Bride of Christ must prepare for the Bridegroom. This entails true reconciliation happening between us, with us, all of us together in unity, love, respect and honour. I believe this will bring the manifest presence of Christ among us, his people.

This article has been used with permission from On Fire magazine

Lloyd Hollingsworth is Territorial Indigenous Ministries Consultant for the Australia Southern Territory.

Father’s Day

Sunday 5 September

Family comes first for father of three

By JULIA HOSKING

M

arty Herring is emotional when he discusses his three young children’s future.

This is because he passionately loves fatherhood, and wants Lucy (5), Simeon (3), and Sigrid (11 months) to all grow up with a healthy understanding of their identity, and his love for them.

In particular, Marty wants Lucy and Sigrid to embrace their femininity.

“I want them to know that they are beautiful, that they are loved and that I’ll be there for them. At the moment I think of them as my princesses,” he shares.

Likewise, Marty hopes Simeon understands his masculinity.

“I want him to know that I love him, and I value him, and I believe that he has what it takes to someday be a man.”

Due to their own personal faith in Christ, Marty and his wife Kylie share a strong desire that their children will one day accept Christ as their Saviour.

To help their kids on this journey, family devotions are prioritised and the Herrings have recently started occasional mid-week family singing times using church songs.

Prayer is also a strong component of family life.

“We pray for our kids, and sometimes at night when they’re asleep and I’m going to bed, I’ll go into the room and pray over them, and pray something specific for them,” Marty says.

Marty and Kylie also encourage Lucy and Simeon to pray. “[Occasionally] they pray really beautiful prayers, and they just blow me away with what they can say in their prayers,” says the proud father.

In addition to desiring his kids to know Christ, Marty desires they will want to always know him. He is particularly challenged by Harry and Sandy Chapin’s song, Cat’s in the 21

Family man Marty Herring with his three children Simeon (3), Sigrid (11 months) and Lucy (5). Marty is committed to raising them in a godly home.

Photo: Shairon Paterson

Cradle, which portrays a dad never having time for his son, and then the son, when older, not having time for his dad. Spending time with his three children, if he wants to have a positive long-term relationship with them, is a lesson Marty learnt from his own father, John.

“I appreciate that I still have an ongoing relationship with my dad,” Marty says. “When I need to go and talk with my dad, it’s not a problem.

He is willing to make time for me.”

Marty wants his son and daughters to say that about him down the track, and he knows the work starts now.

“One of the emails [from Dads4Kids] said: Kids spell love t-im-e,” he shares.

“You’ve got to be intentional about spending time with kids.”

This is particularly challenging as

Marty and Kylie are both involved in full-time study as cadets at The Salvation Army’s School for Officer Training. This commitment, and the future commitment as an officer, leads Marty to note the need to be well organised.

“I see myself as a husband, [then] I’m a father, and then comes the job that I do, whether that be an officer or some other role,” he says.

“I need to make sure that we’ve got time together as a family ... and it’s okay to guard that carefully.”

Marty has also discovered how important it is to have a strong relationship with Kylie, because it influences their children.

“If we’re naturally acting lovingly towards one another around them, they just seem to settle ... the family home is a healthy place to be.” pipeline 09/2010 21

Just cause for men The Salvation Army’s Australia Eastern Territory Director of Men’s Ministry Major KEITH HAMPTON gives an insight into last month’s Just Men Conference where more than 180 delegates from all over Australia gathered in Sydney

T

here was a delegate from Perth, a busload from Noosa and carloads from all over the Australia Eastern Territory, but the warmth of fellowship was felt immediately as men congregated at the Collaroy Conference Centre in anticipation of an inspiring weekend.

Friendships were renewed or formed as men from various-sized corps across the country came to hear

what God had to say on the theme of “Judgment Day Integrity”.

The schedule revolved around keynote speaker Mike Raiter, who is Principal of the Bible College of Victoria, with a guest-speaking spot

by Salvation Army Chief Secretary Colonel James Condon.

Music was provided by a very tight and competent worship band led

by Major David Godkin.

Kevin Reddie (Gosford Corps)

I

found the 2010 Just Men Conference both challenging and encouraging. I was especially encouraged to hear both Mike Raiter and Colonel James Condon speak about issues of real relevance and concern for men living in a world which, sadly, seems to be losing its way in many areas.

Integrity seems to be increasingly hard to find today and so often God’s ways seem to be ignored or deemed irrelevant.

The main theme for the Conference was “Judgment Day Integrity”. There was much to think about over the weekend. The dot points below were just some of the issues highlighted in the different sessions: • Judgment Day Integrity – living lives of integrity and making choices now in the light of that all-important day.

• Judgment Day will be a great

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• • •

• • • • •

•

day when the righteous will be acquitted and the guilty held accountable.

Hypocrisy/integrity – the world hates hypocrisy and the Lord even more so.

It is liberating to be free from the concern of what people think.

An audience of one – God sees us from the inside as well as the outside and his assessment is unfailingly accurate.

We have been forgiven much. We have forgiven how much?

Keep trusting in Christ. Live lives of integrity. Travel wisely and arrive safely.

In God’s economy, the smaller you are the closer you get to God (eg Jesus’ concern for children).

A continuing “makeover”, transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.

“Disney” Christians can choose to play games, but God wants men who finish the race in spite of the pain and hurt.

Jesus walked the road to Calvary and he calls us to walk with him.

Dozens of testimonies could be published from the men’s experiences over the weekend, but I have asked two delegates to paint a picture of what challenged, impacted and inspired them.

The first is Kevin Reddie from Gosford Corps and the other is Captain Zane Haupt, who is the Vocational Training Officer at Booth College.

I was greatly encouraged to see men from very different walks of life sharing about their Christian journey.

Some of these men have been Christians for many years while others have known Christ for only a short time in their life.

The conference provided challenges and encouragement for all through the formal sessions, the singing, the meal times and times for informal chatting.

The conference centre itself, set in a delightfully leafy environment, is also a beautiful reminder of God’s handiwork and his countless blessings.

May we all live lives of integrity and make choices now in the light of that Great Day, remembering always that our reason for living is to worship God.

Captain Zane Haupt (Booth College)

T

hey say “what happens on camp should stay on camp”.

While this might be true of things in a secular world, when you have spent a weekend with men who are on a journey with Christ there should be much to shout about.

For me, the 2010 Just Men Conference was a weekend filled with many special God moments – many in the form of a challenge.

From the outset, Reverend Mike Raiter challenged all who were present to live lives of “Judgment Day Integrity”. This is not something that we hear much about these days, but the challenge in those three words has had a lasting impact on my life.

What does it mean to live a life of judgment day integrity?

To borrow another phrase Mike introduced over the weekend, it means to “live before an audience of One”. We only fool ourselves when we think that we can be one person on Sunday at church and the antithesis of that when we are at home. We might be able to convince our friends of our “Sunday facade”, but God sees all.

Mike’s sessions were complemented by a session from

the Chief Secretary Colonel James Condon who spoke on the subject of “Extreme Makeovers”. He expressed the need for us to have a makeover of the spiritual kind so that we can be beautiful in the eyes of Christ. The Chief’s use of imagery was superb in that many of the images will be imprinted in my brain for a very long time.

Great worship sessions were led

by Major David Godkin and Captain Steven Smith. Steve sang a powerful solo based on the chorus To Be Like Jesus which brought tears to many eyes.

If I had to describe the weekend in just a few words, it would have to be “Good food, great fellowship and a generous and loving God”.

Yes, we were challenged over the weekend and yes we had a good laugh, but the best results will be to come as we make the changes in our lives to lead a life of judgment day integrity.

M

ajor Keith Hampton (pictured) is the Australia Eastern Territorial Director of Men’s Ministry.

Last month he was given the additional responsibility of overseeing the Blacktown City Corps until the end of the year, an appointment that has created some confusion over his ongoing position within men’s ministry.

Major Hampton will continue to fulfil both roles, working three days a week from Territorial Headquarters in men’s ministry and organising the remainder of his time to be at Blacktown City Corps where he will also lead the Sunday services.

Special guest speaker Reverend Mike Raiter brings another challenging message to delegates at the Just Men Conference at Collaroy, on the chosen subject for the weekend “Judgment Day Integrity” .

Rev Raiter is the Principal of the Bible College of Victoria, a position he has held since 2006. In demand as a conference speaker, Rev Raiter is also the author of the several books including Stirrings of the Soul which was awarded the 2004 Christian Book of the Year.

pipeline 09/2010 23

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Souls scored for Christ on World Cup football mission

During the recent football World Cup, a squad of 25 Salvos from Australia took to the mission field in South Africa. Among them were eight men from Menai Corps in Sydney, including MARK SOPER who has written for Pipeline about the experience

I

n mid June, five young guys – Josh Kinder, Josh Lambert, Andrew McComb, Matt Lucas and Blake Cugley – and three slightly older blokes – Daryl Lambert, Matt Godkin and myself – from the Menai Corps of The Salvation Army flew to South Africa as part of the Australian Mission Team for the football World Cup. We spent two weeks based in the Army’s North Kwazulu Natal Division in Vryheid, about five hours’ drive from Johannesburg, and were hosted by the Khambi and William Booth corps. Both these corps are very remote, about an hour’s drive from any shops.

The following is a summary of just some of our life-changing experiences.

The poverty: One of the first things that hits you is the poverty, yet the amazing thing is the people are all so generous and welcoming. On our way to Vryheid there were a lot of little kids standing by the side of the road selling fruit or chips. One child came up to our bus and Josh Kinder bought a packet of chips from him. They only cost 3 rand but Josh gave him 50 rand.

24

When the boy realised he could keep the change a huge smile spread across his face. That smile will stay with me for a long time, and I’m sure the money would have gone a long way to helping feed the rest of his family.

Kids Club/football matches: The afternoons were spent at the local football field, which was primarily an area of dirt with some patches of grass on it. More than 100 kids would turn up and we played games, sang and taught them stories and memory verses from the Bible. We would give away prizes and when a child was handed a football all the kids would scream and celebrate.

On most days we would give the kids a piece of fruit, a drink, a sandwich and a lolly. They were always so friendly and thankful.

We discovered on our second day there, that it had been advertised in the town that the team from Australia was going to play the local Khambi side in a game of football. A lot of the kids and people from the town came to watch.

We sang the national anthems of both countries and gave them a set of

jerseys donated by the Barden Ridge Football Club in Sydney.

Evangelism: Evangelism was a big part of the trip. One day the eight of us split up and, accompanied by an interpreter, went into the community to spread the great news of the gospel.

Often people would just want prayer.

I found myself praying for children who had been lost or taken from families; for comfort after the death of a loved one; to heal a woman’s leg that was disfigured; and on one occasion for a lady who had cancer and was dying but could not afford to get proper treatment.

The corps officer, Lieutenant Sharon, invited us to attend a traditional Zulu funeral. We squeezed into a little hut and the body of the deceased lay on the floor behind a sheet, with the mourning family sitting nearby. Lieut Sharon gave a message and we sang for more than two hours. After the funeral, the family – who didn’t have much money – invited us to stay for lunch.

They wanted to say thank you for coming to grieve with them. Their faith and hospitality amazed us.

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Need for Bibles: Many of the people we met would ask for Bibles.

Our team was challenged about this and because of the generosity of some Menai Corps members, we were able to buy more than 200 Zulu Bibles to distribute. The people of these rural communities are open spiritually yet because Bibles aren’t readily available, many don’t know the truth of the gospel. Instead, they can easily get caught up in witchcraft.

Church/worship: Church and worship were amazing. We ran the service at Khambi Corps on our first Sunday and the only instrument they had was a bass drum. Despite that, those three hours were amazing.

We even had to limit how many testimonies could be shared because everyone seemed to have something to say about what God was doing in their life.

When the appeal time came, within seconds people had flocked to the mercy seat; they all seem so desperate for more of God. Youth councils: Near the end of our trip, we attended Y-Connection which is the equivalent of our youth councils. There would have been about 500 young people from all around the division, some who had travelled days to get there.

Matt Godkin spoke on the Sunday and we ran a couple of prayer times during the weekend. This time will long remain in our memories because we saw God’s Spirit move as we have never experienced before.

Mark Soper (facing page) with a group of children he ministered to during the World Cup mission tour. (Above from top): The fields were dusty and patchy but the enthusiasm was always high as football took centre stage; Seven of the eight members of the Menai Corps amongst a group of players from the local Khambi village before their impromptu football match (look for the white Aussies from left): Blake Cugley, Matt Lucas, Matt Godkin, Andrew McComb, Daryl Lambert, Josh Kinder and Josh Lambert; African children flocked to the Australians, here Matt Godkin is giving the thumbs up with some new “fans”.

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Lasting impact: I believe God has changed each member of our mission team for the better. We’ve all been challenged in different ways: to live simply, to be more generous to those in need, to be happy with what we have, to serve God in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, and to be ready to share our testimony. Most of all, I believe God is calling us to become more passionate about the work of the Kingdom and to reclaim the territory which Satan has taken.

There are so many more experiences that I could share, but God is moving in a mighty way in South Africa through The Salvation Army. 

pipeline 09/2010 25

Book Review

Study guide reaffirms Army’s stance

By Major ALAN HARLEY

L

ike many of the creeds produced in the 19th century, ours lacked a statement regarding the church.

We now have such a statement with the publication, two years ago, of a small, tri-lingual book, The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ. With an economy of words it sets forth, in clear and simple language, both the place of the Army within the church universal and the Army as a church in its own right.

Now we have a companion work, The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ Study Guide.

Printed in the same pocketsized format as the earlier work, it is designed for small groups, personal study, preaching, or congregational engagement.

The study guide contains 12 sessions in which the sub-statements found in the initial work are explored.

In these sessions participants are invited to ‘tell their story’, reflect on the subject matter, explore further the meaning of ideas and terms, and engage in group discussion.

Like The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ, the study guide is irenic throughout.

There is no criticism of the traditions and practices of other churches. The place of the Army within that wider fellowship of churches is affirmed. At the same time

the distinctive witness and ministry of the Army is upheld.

The work is doctrinally solid and biblically-based. In each session there is a discussion regarding the session’s key word, followed by a study of God’s Word as it relates to the subject.

These are followed by opportunities for discussion, reflection and prayer.

A study plan such as this comes at just the right time. There are Salvationists who are unsure of their movement’s ecclesiastical status. This frequently results from their having made comparisons between the Army and the traditions and practices of other denominations and feeling that somehow these are the ingredients of a “real” church.

In so doing they miss the important point that the Army came into being within the context of revival and with a fervent desire to reach the world for Jesus. This is in contrast to those bodies which exist chiefly to perpetuate a form of worship or to defend a theological confession.

The study guide develops the insight of General Orsborn that “the Army is a permanent mission to the unconverted”. In this the Army is unique and should this insight fade the Army will lose its reason for existing.

The study guide is designed to enable the people called Salvationists to affirm and, if needs be, recapture the reason for which God called the Army into being.

Up to 2,000 Australians die through suicide every 12 months.

Around 16,000 Australians are left affected.

YOU can help.

In less than an hour you can learn how to become aware of the warning signs that someone’s in trouble and possibly considering suicide.

Everyone should learn – one day you might save a life.

To find out more go to suicideprevention.salvos.org.au 26

The work, which has its origins in the Australia Eastern Territory, presents a vision of a movement which is empowered by the Holy Spirit, composed of Spirit-filled disciples and utterly committed to the message and ministry of ‘Christ for the world; the world for Christ.’

Most importantly, it shows how these things can be a reality in our lives, our corps and our Movement.

Make sure your corps has a good supply of The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ Study Guide.

Stephanie will bring hope to life in new role

By BARRY GITTINS

S

tephanie Wilks says she has been soundly prepared for her new role as national coordinator for The Salvation Army’s suicide prevention and support program.

The Hope For Life program is based at the Oasis Youth Support Network centre in Surry Hills, but Stephanie stresses her job is national.

“My role now is to get the word out,” she says. “When I was asked to take this role I decided to do so to try to help promote and develop The Salvation Army’s approach to suicide prevention. The Salvos have a huge reach in this nation and I’m committed to this work.”

Stephanie brings an impressive wealth of experience into the job.

Study and work as a teacher preceded stints with various organisations, predominantly in Melbourne, including The Salvation Army’s 614 Melbourne Corps, St Vincent de Paul Society, Brunswick Corps’ Youth Services, Lifeline Australia and SANE Australia.

During this time she has trained welfare workers and various groups in suicide prevention and issues concerning mental illness. But the most valuable experience, she says, has been “taking the journey” with people in deep need.

Stephanie says the Hope for Life program has helped renew the Army’s approach to suicide prevention and bereavement support but admits her job is a huge undertaking.

Every five hours an Australian dies from suicide. There were 2191 deaths attributed to suicide in Australia in 2008 (75 per cent of them male) and Stephanie prays that programs like Hope For Life aims to reduce that number.

For every Australian who dies from suicide, another eight people are directly affected.

Go to the Hope for Life program at salvos.org. au/suicideprevention and call the national hope line, 1300 467 354, if you or someone you know needs counsel.

The World Health Organisation estimates, overall, that one million people die from suicide annually.

Complicating this tragedy, historically there has been institutional and theological prejudice against people who attempt or who do die by suicide.

Rejection, stigma and judgment have proved to be cold comfort for those who have lost loved ones or survived suicide attempts.

Suicide is often seen from a medical viewpoint or in a religious context, but Stephanie says there is another overwhelming factor.

“I believe suicide is best discussed within a social framework,” she says.

“If we only look at things medically or religiously, we risk leaving people out, and this is a really misunderstood area.

“Suicide happens inside and outside of the Christian church and other faiths. I am comforted by the fact that people who contemplate or attempt suicide aren’t just ‘out there’ – they are from all walks of life, from all ethnicities, creeds, religions and cultures – everyone is affected.

“We are often afraid of the issue, and affected by a lot of myths and stigma. It was only in the 1980s that suicide was decriminalised in this country.

“Training and education,” she adds, “are absolutely vital. For you and me, that enables us to care in an effective way. We don’t need to have the answers or to ‘fix it’, but we need to be available.

“Our support of survivors and bereaved people is essential and as a nation we need to be aware of the need to fund early intervention, training and prevention programs in many areas.”

Asked about concerns between the links between coronial records of overdoses and suicide, and the contentious and empirically fraught question of intentionality, Stephanie acknowledges that “we don’t know the human heart”.

Data concerning deaths attributed statistically to intentional self harm may, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, ‘be affected by the length of time required for the coronial process to be finalised and the coroner case closed’.

“With the use of alcohol and drugs, and reckless behaviour, unfortunately someone who needs to try to escape pain will ‘self-medicate’,” Stephanie says.

“They may or may not mean to die, but some people do end up dying. We have to pay genuine attention to these cries for help.” pipeline 09/2010 27

In the

footsteps of

Paul

A group of Salvation Army officers from the Australia Eastern Territory embarked on a pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey in June.

Major CHRIS WITTS relates his experience

Commissioner Barry Pobjie (centre) in a moment of prayer with Captains Polis Pantelidis and Maria Konti-Galinou in Thessaloniki.

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ollowing in the footsteps of the apostle Paul was a memorable experience for the 31 officers who undertook a 14-day study tour, but a major highlight of the trip was meeting with two captains pioneering The Salvation Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in Greece.

The group, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Wilfred Arnold (New Zealand Territory) and Lieut-Colonel Brian Hood, had the opportunity to visit Captains Polis Pantelidis and Maria Konti-Galinou in Thessaloniki.

Before a fellowship lunch was shared, Lieut-Colonels John and Pam Hodge led devotions and, on behalf of the group, said they were thrilled to meet the officer couple.

Commissioner Barry Pobjie then offered a prayer and Captain Konti-

28

Galinou brought an update on their exciting ministry.

The study tour group (for Australia Eastern Territory Officers who had completed 36 years of service or more) had arrived in Athens five days before, on Tuesday, 1 June.

On day one, Lieut-Colonel Arnold conducted an orientation meeting where he explained the group would be following in Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s footsteps on his missionary journeys. It would be, he said, a Christian pilgrimage to experience and understand the context of Pauline literature, visit significant sites for biblical reflection and participate in devotional sharing. Devotions would be held each day, given by the officers.

The hectic schedule commenced with a half-day visit to Corinth before a tour the

following day of Athens sites, including the Acropolis and Mars Hill.

The next stop was Kalambaka in Northern Greece. In the area of Meteora the group visited some of the Byzantine monasteries built high atop enormous rocky pinnacles. After a short stop at Berea the coach travelled on to Thessaloniki.

The next day, being Sunday, provided the opportunity for a visit to an Orthodox church before a meeting with the Salvation Army officers and a short tour of the city.

After an overnight stay in Kavala, a port city on the Aegean Sea, the group arrived at the Baptistry of Lydia in Philippi, where they were thrilled to sit for devotions by the stream where it is believed Paul and his companions met with a group of women, including Lydia. This was followed by a tour of the

Once in a lifetime experience

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he officers who went on the trip were: Majors Rodney and Leonie Ainsworth; Colonels James and Jan Condon; Lieutenant-Colonel Lynette Green; Majors Bruce and Lillian Hodges; Lieut-Colonels John and Pamela Hodge; Majors Kevin and Valmae Holland; Majors Peter and Eileen Holley; Majors William and Judith Hutley; Lieut-Colonels Peter and Jan Laws; Commissioners Barry and Raemor Pobjie; Majors John and Narelle Rees; Majors Robert and Evelyn Sneller; Major Christine Stiles; Majors Bob and Estelle Strong; Majors Rodney and Denice Strong; Major Annette West; Majors Chris and Laurel Witts.

Above is a photo of the group outside the Baptistry of Lydia in Philippi. Lieut-Colonel Lyn Green was absent for the group photo. Tour leader Lieut-Colonel Wilfred Arnold is front left. Photo: Lieut-Colonel Brian Hood

archaeological site of Philippi, and on to Alexandroupolis.

After crossing the Turkish border and changing coaches, a stop was made at the Gallipoli Peninsula. Five locations of importance to the ANZACS were visited including Anzac Cove and a short Anzac devotional service was held.

That evening the coach boarded a ferry for the 28 minute trip across the Dardanelles to Canakkale, entering Asia.

A stopover in Canakkale preceded a busy day with an unscheduled stop at the ruins of Alexandrian Troas, the ancient Acropolis of Pergamum near modern Bergama and an overnight stay in Dikili.

On Thursday 10 June, the group stopped at Thyatira and Sardis (where ruins of a large synagogue has been uncovered and partly restored) before

travelling to ancient Philadelphia.

A stay in Pamukkale provided views of spectacular calcium terraces, as well as ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis.

At Laodicea the group observed excavation work in progress, before visiting the mound of Colossae where excavations had not yet commenced.

Using Kusadasi as a base, the group left early for a morning tour of the ruins of Ephesus, spending time to walk the marble-lined streets and experience seeing the well-preserved reminders of what this great city had been in the past. In nearby Selcuk a visit was made to the Basilica of St John.

Leaving Turkey by ferry on Sunday morning, 13 June, the group arrived on the Greek island of Samos, where time was spent before transferring to Patmos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; also

an island in the Aegean Sea â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for a twoday stop-over. This time included a tour of ancient sites on the island and a visit to the monastery of St John and the cave of the Apocalypse.

On the final evening, a farewell meeting was held at the hotel by LieutColonel Hood before a late-night ferry was boarded to travel overnight to Piraeus, the port of Athens, ending a memorable 14day study tour.

Major Chris Witts is the Territorial Coordinator for Pastoral Care.

pipeline 09/2010 29

Fr o m t h e c o a l f a c e L O CA L A N D I N T E R N AT ION A L N EW S

News FEATURE

Leadership changes at Territorial Headquarters

T

he leadership of The Salvation Army’s Australia Eastern Territory will undergo significant change later this year.

Chief Secretary Colonel James Condon and his wife Colonel Jan Condon, the Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, have been appointed to roles at the Army’s International Headquarters (IHQ) in London.

Colonel James Condon has been appointed as International Secretary for the South Pacific and East Asia, and Colonel Jan Condon as Zonal Secretary for Women’s Ministries – South Pacific and East Asia. They will take up their new appointment responsibilities, each with the rank of commissioner, in November.

Commissioner Robert Street, a former Chief Secretary of the Australia Eastern Territory, currently serves as International Secretary for the South Pacific and East Asia, while his wife, Commissioner Janet Street, is Zonal Secretary for Women’s Ministries – South Pacific and East Asia.

The Condons have been in their respective roles at Australia Eastern Territorial Headquarters since March 2008.

“I feel humbled to be given such a position of responsibility and look forward to serving the South Pacific and East Asia zone and its leaders,” Colonel James Condon said.

“I also count it a privilege to be working at International Headquarters seeking to advance the mission of The Salvation Army, but at the same time I have mixed feelings about leaving the Australia Eastern Territory at such an exciting time for it.”

Moving into the positions vacated by the Condons will be Majors Wayne and Robyn Maxwell, who have been appointed as Chief Secretary and Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, Australia Eastern Territory, respectively. They will take up their new Colonels James and Jan Condon will take up new appointments at International responsibilities each with the rank of colonel.

Headquarters in November, with the rank of commissioner.

“While it may seem unique to jump from being a major to a colonel and from being a divisional commander to Communications Secretary, IHQ, while Lieut-Colonel Simone is chief secretary of a territory, it is not,” Territorial Commander presently serving as International Literature Programme Officer, Commissioner Linda Bond said. also based at IHQ. “The Maxwells have strong divisional leadership experience A number of other officers and Salvationists from the – they’ve served as divisional commanders for more than a Australia Eastern Territory will be heading off on overseas decade now – and the fact they have lived close to the front line service in the coming months. for so long will be a valuable asset to be bringing to Territorial Majors Robert and Leanne Duncan will take up Headquarters. appointments in the Taiwan Region from 1 November. Major “Also, Robyn has a very strong passion for women’s Robert Duncan will be the Regional Mission and Resource ministry and given that I must combine my role as Territorial Officer (Programme Development) while Major Leanne Duncan President for Women’s Ministries with my job as Territorial will assume the role of Regional Mission and Resource Officer Commander, it’s important that we have a strong Territorial (Social Programme).

Secretary for Women’s Ministries. Robyn will bring that quality Majors Norm and Isabel Beckett have been appointed to the to this role.”

Sweden and Latvia Territory for a three-year term of service, Laurie and Simone Robertson, two other officers of the effective from 1 September. Major Norm Beckett will be the Australia Eastern Territory, have also been promoted, from Training Principal in Latvia while Major Isabel Beckett is the major to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Lieut-Colonel Laurie, Education Officer in Latvia. currently serving as Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary, Salvationist Narelle Gurney left Australia late last month to International Headquarters, is appointed additionally as begin missionary service in the African nation of Malawi.

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Fr o m t h e c o a l f a c e L O CA L A N D I N T E R N AT ION A L N EW S

Cleaning up your part of the world

By GARETH REES

A

ustralians will get the chance to join 35 million people across 120 countries in cleaning up their world when the annual Clean Up The World Weekend is held on 17-19 September.

Clean Up the World Weekend is an initiative of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) which empowers communities all around the world to clean up our environment and preserve it for future generations.

This environmental weekend has been running for 18 years after the continued success of Clean Up Australia Day prompted UNEP to get involved in supporting activities, including cleaning up local creeks, beaches and parks.

The theme for Clean Up the World Weekend 2010 is “Communities Caring for Nature” in the International Year of Biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of life – plants, animals, micro-organisms – and the ecosystems in which they are found.

Australia possesses an abundance of iconic plant and animal species; however many of these species are under threat because of human influences. This year’s Clean Up the World Weekend aims to help local communities take action to regenerate and restore our environment for the protection of our amazing biodiversity.

Aside from participating in locally organised activities on Clean Up the World Weekend, there is a range of things that we can all do on a regular basis to ensure we preserve the environment for future generations, including reducing consumption of materials that have to go to the landfill; reusing products and materials where possible; recycling everything that can be processed by the local waste transfer station; always throwing rubbish in the bin – stormwater drains lead to watercourses, creeks and oceans; avoid using plastic bags.

For more information on Clean Up the World Weekend, please visit www.cleanuptheworld.org To recycle your mobile phones, please contact The Salvation Army’s International Development Office on 02 9266 9775 or aue-said@aue.salvationarmy.org

Fishing for souls serious business at Streetlevel M

ajor Bryce Davies, Team Leader at The Salvation Army’s Brisbane Streetlevel Mission, took four men on a unique fishing experience to Fraser Island in late July.

The four, who are all involved at Streetlevel, were Shannon Spicer, Trevor Warren, Matthew Ellems and Josh Perry.

They joined a group of more than 20 experienced fishermen who each year travel to Fraser Island to fish, camp and share in Christian fellowship.

The week-long, four-wheel-drive adventure was unfortunately marred by poor weather and uncooperative fish for the first four days, but then things certainly livened up for the rest of the trip. The Streetlevel crew ended up with a total catch of about 50 good-sized tailor and 40 dart along with a few trevally and a terrific bream. The haul may not have been a patch on the other, more experienced teams, but it was an encouraging start for the rookie fishermen.

Matthew proved to be the group’s star fisherman, showing great touch and finesse with the line, while Shannon was the dark horse with his unusual casting techniques which, surprisingly, produced effective results.

Peter Janetzki, who hosts the Talking Life program on Brisbane Christian radio station 96.5, has been a long-time organiser of the annual trip and this year extended an invitation to The Salvation Army to be involved.

“The experience of learning new skills and just being with mature and supportive guys from the group was good for us all,” Major Davies said.

“The influence of the men on the Streetlevel guys was significant, but not forced.

“One of the Streetlevel guys said when asked what the trip meant to him: ‘Well, I’ve been clean from marijuana now for six days and feel good about getting my life back on track.’ I spoke to this fellow a couple of days after the trip and he was arranging new accommodation away from his old ‘using’ mates and had set up a job interview. He is obviously motivated for change, praise God!” Major Davies is keen to make the fishing trip an annual event at Streetlevel and would like to hear from anyone who can donate surf fishing gear or camping equipment to the mission.

He can be contacted on 0414 458 015.

Candidates accepted into training college A

t a recent Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territorial Candidates Board meeting, a further eight Salvationists were approved to enter the School For Officer Training in 2011.

The eight are: Timothy and Ayly Girling (Woden Valley Corps); Envoys Sean and Cassi Everitt (Tuggerah Lakes Corps); Matthew and Kate Ryan (Bayside Corps); and Steve and Lydia Spencer (Maclean Corps).

It brings to 14 the number of people so far accepted to enter the training college next year as part of the Proclaimers of the Resurrection session of cadets.

Territorial Candidates Secretary Captain Craig Todd says that number is likely to increase over the next few months with a number of new applications for the 2011 session currently being processed.

Major Bryce Davies (left) with Streetlevel fishing team members Shannon Spicer, Trevor Warren and Matthew Ellems, show off some of their catch.

pipeline 09/2010 31

Fr o m t h e c o a l f a c e L O CA L A N D I N T E R N AT ION A L N EW S

Oasis launches new youth foundation

By JULIA HOSKING

O

n Thursday, 5 August, The Salvation Army Oasis Youth Support Network launched a foundation dedicated to supporting new initiatives with a vision to assist disadvantaged young people.

The Oasis Youth Foundation will collect funds to develop programs within The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory specifically for homeless, disadvantaged and “at risk” youth.

Additionally, the foundation will use the vast experience and knowledge of the Oasis centre at Surry Hills in Sydney to support the new outreach services as they recruit staff and volunteers, and build relationships with the youth in the community.

At the launch – hosted by Network Ten news presenter Jessica Rowe and attended by 400 key donors such as Member for Manly and Shadow Treasurer Mike Baird, fashion designer Carla Zampatti, and representatives from Westpac, Woolworths, Foxtel, the Seven Network, and Sydney Water – the Oasis Youth Foundation appealed for five years of funding in five chosen project areas to bring about lasting community change.

Moree/Narrabri, Berkeley, Auburn, Brisbane and Townsville are the five areas where the Oasis Youth Support Foundation will offer funding and support with the money raised at, and as a result of, the launch.

These areas experience (among other social problems) high levels of unemployment, drug use, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, welfare dependency, crime, and/or youth delinquency.

To help address these problems, funding will supply an outreach van (if one does not already exist) and a full-time outreach worker to help connect with the community.

In conjunction with the Oasis Youth Foundation launch at Moore Park in Sydney and appeal for donations to aid the work of the foundation, Shark Island Productions released two short films.

The films, Wall Boy and Polly and Me, which address issues of prostitution, drug use and domestic violence, were created in response to the stories shared with the film-makers while producing the AFI award-winning documentary The Oasis.

More than 100 guests filled out pledge cards on the night and took a copy of the two short films to help spread the message of light in dark places to others.

Christian book of the year awards L

osing My Religion, Tom Frame’s masterful survey of changing religious belief, identity and behaviour in Australia, has been named the 2010 Australian Christian Book of the Year.

The Australian Christian Literature Awards were announced and presented on 10 August at a gathering of writers, publishers and readers in Melbourne.

The Australian Christian Book of the Year Award recognises a work written by an Australian author and published by an Australian publisher.

Second prize was won by the internationally acclaimed book, The Trellis and the Vine, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne.

The mature and gritty first novel, Desolate Beauty, earned Trudy Adams third prize.

Jack Burnham won the 2010 Young Australian Christian Writer Award for an unpublished manuscript by an Australian under the age of 30. Sarah Longden won the 2010 Australian Christian Teen Writer Award.

Certificates of Commendation went to Carol Azzam, Caroline Dehn, Emily Hong, Anne Johnston, Zoe Krisnadi, Stephanie Ling Ling Choo, Skye Parry-Jones, Nicole Jasmine Rach, Daniel Terrington and Christy Tobeck.

32

Author of the 2010 Australian Christian Book of the Year, Tom Frame (left), receives his award certificate from SPCKA National Director, Michael Collie.

Fr o m t h e c o a l f a c e L O CA L A N D I N T E R N AT ION A L N EW S

Salvationists take part in memorial dedication

M

ore than 200 people crowded the Blacktown RSL Memorial Park on Sunday 25 July, for the unveiling and dedication of The National Servicemen’s Association Of Australia (Cumberland Sub Branch) memorial to the National Servicemen who served between 1951 and 1972.

The Prayer of Remembrance (written by Lieutenant-Colonel Don Woodland) was read by the Padre of the Cumberland Sub Branch, Salvationist Warren Freeman. Major Robert Holley then read the Prayer for Peace.

The hymns for the occasion were led by Salvationist Bryon Stoodley and accompanied by The Blacktown Citadel Band (Bandmaster Doug Hardy).

The Mayor of Blacktown, Councillor Charlie Lowles, brought a short address and then, assisted by Allan Holloway, President of the Cumberland Sub Branch, unveiled the memorial.

Padre Freeman concluded the dedication of the memorial: “For all National Servicemen who were called, who served, and who made the supreme sacrifice whilst serving our nation, and for their families who committed their loved ones to the protection of God.” The Last Post and Reveille were played by bugler, Salvationist John Arthur.

As well as accompanying the singing, the band also provided a prelude to the service.

Research project to unveil missional understanding S

treet Level Mission in Sydney city, Macquarie Park in Sydney’s west and Eastlakes Corps in Newcastle will be the focus of a new research project to help clarify God’s call to mission on The Salvation Army.

The project, called “The Whole World Redeeming”, has been approved by The Salvation Army and will be headed up by Armen Gakavian.

Mr Gakavian is an adherent of Ryde Corps in Sydney and previously was the manager of the Social Inclusion Research Unit at Macquarie University in Sydney.

The Salvation Army’s Territorial Mission and Resource Director (Social), Major Cec Woodward, said Mr Gakavian and his team will be aiming to explore what it means to be church in community and a physical presence in the midst of spiritual darkness. The team will also be examining the effectiveness of various activities and programs within Salvation Army corps and social centres.

Mr Gakavian, a passionate Christian who lives out what it means to be a disciple, has recruited 11 volunteers from four universities who, on a report-time basis, will provide research support.

“The Salvation Army’s heritage is strongly grounded in ‘doing what the mission requires’,” Major Woodward said. “This is good but a result has been that when we want to develop our understanding of mission, we buy books. We rely on the conclusions of those who have observed mission in action by various congregations in various locations and have then published their insights.

“The end result we are striving for is not a book or a report but information. Information that can help us better understand God’s call to us today to be his people, his witnesses, his representatives in contemporary Australian communities. We know we can learn from each other.”

Major Woodward said the research project participants are eager to hear first-hand from people working “at the coalface” of these social ministries and how the Spirit is at work.

24-7 Prayer Roster (From left) Bryon Stoodley, Warren Freeman, Envoy Ivan Kelly, John Arthur, Major Robert Holley and Tom Kelly.

30 August - 5 September: Booth College 6-12 September: Territorial Headquarters 13 September - 3 October: North NSW Division

Walk to aid disadvantaged Indigenous children T he Salvation Army Aged Care Plus team and employees of Territorial Headquarters in Sydney will don their walking shoes on Friday 10 September, for a 6km stroll through the city to raise awareness and much-needed funds for disadvantaged Indigenous children living in Far North Queensland.

The Chief Secretary of the Army’s Australia Eastern Territory, Colonel James Condon, is the patron of this important event and is keen to ensure the fund-raising target of $10,000 is met.

The money will provide 200 Indigenous children from six Far North Queensland communities with basic necessities including school bags, books, pens, pencils and Bibles, to be delivered by The Salvation Army’s flying padre. Ten children from this region will also be given the opportunity of a holiday to Collaroy on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Territorial Commander Commissioner Linda Bond will lead off the one-hour walk which starts and finishes at Territorial Headquarters in Elizabeth St.

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Fr o m t h e c o a l f a c e L O CA L A N D I N T E R N AT ION A L N EW S

Academic honour for SFOT assistant principal M

ajor Kelvin Alley has been conferred a Doctor of Ministry degree by Fuller Theological College, Pasadena, United States.

The degree represents seven years of rigorous course work which culminated in the writing of a final thesis entitled “Discipleship Revolution: Reforming Ministry Mindsets of Church Leadership in The Salvation Army Papua New Guinea”.

Being a practical doctorate, the thesis dealt with the foundations of biblical discipleship in the raising of disciple leaders in the complex cultural context of PNG. Major Alley has served as a Salvation Army officer for 24 years serving in corps appointments, at Australia Eastern Territorial Headquarters and as a divisional commander. He also spent two years as Program Secretary in Papua New Guinea Territory, in 2008-2009.

Since returning from PNG, Major Alley has been serving as Assistant Principal and Academic Program Officer at the School for Officer Training in Sydney.

Meantime, Booth College School for Leadership Training has recently announced a new course offering a Certificate in Spiritual Formation.

It is a two-year course in which participants explore ways in which Christ is formed in us. Themes covered include the contemplative life, spiritual disciplines, being formed by God’s Word, prayer, biblical foundations for spirituality and the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

The course coordinator is Major Kerrie Farthing who studied spiritual direction with the London Diocesan Centre for Spiritual Direction and is completing a course in Spiritual Formation with Columbia Theological Seminary.

Classes start on 27 September and enrolment is ongoing.

Major Kelvin Alley receives his Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological College in the US.

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New corps launched in Brisbane (Majors David and Michele Terracini)

T

he newly launched Salvation Army Carindale Corps in Brisbane’s south shared an inspiring day on Sunday 1 August. It was a significant weekend, being the first anniversary of two corps, Carina and Mt Gravatt, amalgamating.

The spiritual leadership and ministry of Territorial Commander, Commissioner Linda Bond, was valued and inspiring. Her pastoral heart and passion for the ministry of The Salvation Army brought encouragement as she officially named and launched Carindale Corps.

God’s blessing was certainly on this time of unity and vision for what is to come in his name.

The corps looks forward to a future that is fruitful for God’s Kingdom, bringing blessing and challenge to all who share with it.

Generous response to Salvation Army appeals T

he Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal for 2009-10 has exceeded its $75 million target by $2 million.

The 12-month total has been finalised at $77,116,215, which is a little over 4 per cent above the goal and an increase of nearly $6 million on the 2008-09 result.

The doorknock appeal, held over the last weekend of May, raised a record $9.9 million, exceeding the target of $9.7 million.

“Our annual expenditure for the wide array of community and welfare services we provide totals between $500 million and $600 million, so it is imperative to us that, on behalf of those we seek to serve, we are able to raise as much money as possible through the Red Shield Appeal,” said the Army’s Australia Eastern Territory Appeals Director (External) Major Jeff Winterburn.

“To the tens of thousands of people who assisted in not only the annual doorknock appeal but also throughout the year in so many ways, The Salvation Army offers its heart-felt thanks. We salute you for the generosity of spirit which you display.”

The Red Shield Appeal state and territory totals were: NSW $25,306,854; Queensland $9,709,281; ACT $2,674,799; Victoria $22,236,770; Western Australia $9,646,078; South Australia $4,989,525; Tasmania $2,034,456; and Northern Territory $518,448.

The Salvation Army’s annual Self Denial Appeal also enjoyed a rise in giving. The appeal raised $2,162, 054 this year, an increase of almost $70,000 on the 2009 figure.

There was also a rise in the number of people donating to the people. There were 6275 individual donations in 2010 compared to 6164 last year.

“Our thanks goes to all those people who supported the appeal through their gifts, their giving enabling the international Salvation Army to further its work,” said the Australia Eastern Territory Appeals (Internal) Operations Manager Steve Burfield.

Fr o m t h e c o a l f a c e L O CA L A N D I N T E R N AT ION A L N EW S

Church in pub

Gowans-Larsson musicals return

(Lieutenants Jeff and Terri Goodwin)

T

he Mackay Corps of The Salvation Army has started Sunday afternoon church in a pub.

Langford’s Hotel in Mackay has welcomed The Salvation Army to play Christian songs and preach a message. The first service was on Sunday 8 August.

The praise and worship team consists of Terry Wright, Scotty Clifford, Sarah Goodwin and Kerry Young on vocals, Pam Young on guitar and Tegan Boois on percussion.

Mackay Salvation Army played four fast-paced contemporary songs with a short message in between by Corps Officer Lieutenant Jeff Goodwin.

The service was held in front of around 300 people; usually there are around 50 people for that afternoon session, but after the local newspaper ran a story about the Army going to Langford’s Hotel the numbers grew.

The music and the message were received well, with many in the crowd wanting the Army to return. In light of the positive reception, the Mackay Corps hopes to now hold a monthly service in the pub.

Lieutenant Jeff Goodwin preaches at the pub.

T

o make the songs of the Gowans and Larsson musicals available to this generation, General John Larsson (Ret.) is recording a series of CDs in which he plays piano arrangements of the main songs from the 10 musicals he co-authored with General John Gowans (Ret.) between 1967-1990.

Under the generic title of John Larsson Plays, most of these digital piano recordings, enhanced on some tracks by other instrumental voices, will feature songs from two musicals and come with a booklet containing the song lyrics by General Gowans.

The first CD in the series – John

Larsson Plays Take-over Bid and Hosea (CD cover pictured above) – has now been launched by SP&S (UK) and includes 28 songs from the first two musicals written by the duo, among them favourites like Someone Cares, Hundreds and Thousands, His Love Remains the Same and How Much More.

The composer hopes it will bring inspiration to those who never knew the era of the musicals. The first CD will be available this month from Salvationist Supplies in Sydney (www.salvosuppliessyd.com). Visit www.johnlarsson.com for further information and sample tracks.

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Chatswood mission trip to PNG (Captains Grant and Sharon Sandercock-Brown)

I

s it possible to build a Salvation Army corps meeting hall in less than a week? A team of seven from Chatswood Corps learnt that anything is possible in “the land of the unexpected”, Papua New Guinea, in July.

In 2009, two corps members, Dawn and Malcolm Beeson, moved to PNG to take two-year appointments with The Salvation Army. Not long after, Chatswood Corps decided it would personally support these Salvationists by sending a mission team to PNG to work alongside them. So, from 3–14 July Corps Officers Captains Grant and Sharon SandercockBrown, Major Karan Ross, Rochelle Beeson, Adrian Bowman, Trevor Whittaker and Cadet Cara Brackstone left Sydney bound for Port Moresby.

Over the past year, Chatswood Corps has organised a number of fundraisers to support projects in the PNG Territory, such as The Salvation Army health clinic in Boregaina and a street school in Lae. The purpose of the trip was to encourage and support these projects, and to get a better understanding of how to financially and practically give to these works.

Chatswood was also alerted to the need for a new corps building in Kware, a village in the Central Province of PNG. This village is so remote it is only accessible by a dinghy up the river near Boregaina. When the team arrived, the warmth of the welcome and the hospitality of the villagers was overwhelming.

There was an instant sense of teamwork and family between the team and the villagers. The men from the mission team joined the men of the village to build the corps building, while the female team members ran sports programs with the children and built relationships with some of the village women.

Through hard work, and a combination of Aussie and PNG building methods, the majority of the building work was completed by the end of the week.

Aside from the Kware adventure, the team also had a chance to visit Koki Corps, the Officer Training College, and Territorial Headquarters, all in Port Moresby. Two team members also visited the city of Lae where they enjoyed the hospitality of Sydney Salvationists Wayne and Janine Robins.

The specific purpose for this visit was to meet the leaders of the “school on the street” in Lae and identify how to best support this program.

LEFT: Captain Sharon Sandercock-Brown visits The Salvation Army’s “School on the Street” in Lae. ABOVE: Captain Grant Sandercock-Brown (far left), and Chatswood Salvationists Adrian Bowden and Trevor Whittaker (second and third from right in back row) with men from the village of Kware.

Homeless centre upgrade for Manly H omeless men and women will now have access to a warm shower and new kitchen at The Salvation Army’s refurbished centre at Manly on Sydney’s northern beaches.

“The opening of the new Salvation Army New Life Community Centre today shows what can be achieved when the whole community comes together,” State Member for Manly Mike Baird said at the launch of the new complex on 22 July.

“Manly is a beautiful place to live but ultimately it’s people’s efforts to support the most vulnerable that make our community.

“The work of The Salvation Army and the Rotary Club of Manly Sunrise, supported by generous donors and a State

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Government grant of $29,000, has made these facilities possible.

“Captain Brett Mitchell from The Salvation Army and Ted Waters, Vivien Coulson and Robert Steffens from Sunrise Rotary should be incredibly proud of the new centre. The turnaround in this project was incredible, with Rotary volunteers doing a lot of the hands-on work.

“There will be an enormous social benefit gained by the refurbishment of this centre and the community should be praised for making it a reality.”

The Salvation Army New Life Community Centre is at 59 Pittwater Rd, Manly.

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Noosa Corps

A

Albury Corps

ENROLMENTS

large crowd of family and friends witnessed the enrolment of three new Senior Soldiers - Elle Hall, Stephen Tamsett and Christopher Hodgekiss – at Noosa recently.

Elle testified that she had been challenged at a youth meeting not to be a lukewarm Christian and to make a positive decision in her life to follow Christ.

Stephen has been coming to the Noosa Corps for more than a year. During this time God has been speaking to Steve about stepping up to the challenge of being a Christian, prompting his decision to become a soldier.

Since graduating from the Bible college, Chris has become increasingly involved with The Salvation Army and made the decision to serve the Lord by becoming a soldier.

lbury Corps recently enjoyed two exciting weekends in a row.

On 27 June, three Junior Soldiers Tayajean Coggan, Zachary Lupis and Deyon Hewit - were enrolled. The enrolments were combined with Junior Soldier Renewal Day for Albury Corps’ one Junior Soldier who is excited to finally have some company.

The following Sunday, 4 July, Frances Goldie was enrolled as a Senior Soldier and shared an amazing testimony of God’s faithfulness in her life.

Stephen Tamsett, Christopher Hodgekiss and Elle Hall are enrolled as Senior Soldiers at Noosa.

Tayajean Coggan, Zachary Lupis and Deyon Hewit are enrolled as Junior Soldiers.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Army at work in flood-devastated Pakistan T

he Salvation Army is continuing to respond to the recent devastating floods in Pakistan that have affected more than 20 million people.

The Army in Pakistan has been distributing tents, bedding and cooking utensils to hundreds of families in various Residents from the riverside community of Aza khail which was devastated by the floods.

People gather at The Salvation Army’s distribution centre in the city of Charsada, to be given much-needed supplies.

locations through the flood-devastated region. In Charsada, the distribution team included Lieutenant-Colonel Yousaf Ghulam (Chief Secretary of the Salvation Army’s Pakistan Territory) and Lieut-Colonel Rebecca Yousaf (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries).

The first distribution, to 100 families, took place at Charsada Bible Church. Lieut-Colonel Ghulam spoke to community members, offering sympathy. The next distribution was in a hujra (an annex to a main building) in Charsada for 200 Muslim families.

One of the recipients of help in Charsada was student Noor Ali. He told The Salvation Army team that his family fled their home when the waters began to rise. When they returned home the house was full of water.

“We are determined to face this big challenge,” he said. “We will do hard work to reconstruct our houses. At the moment we are having problems but we are brave and we can fight.”

Imran Azm, a policeman who works in Peshawar, collected supplies for his parents, telling Salvation Army team members that he is determined to provide for his family.

Both Noor and Imran expressed their gratitude for what they described as a “token of love” given by The Salvation Army.

A team also visited the Army’s Academy Town Corps to meet affected families, and also made assessment visits to Nowshera, Pabi, Jahangia and Aza khail, all communities near the River Kabul.

In Aza khail the team saw people in desperate need. The community of around 15,000 people is near to the river and its houses were washed away. The people who remain explained that many bodies have yet to be found because they were swept away by the flood or buried under rubble.

World Youth Convention delegates respond to officership

By Major LAURIE ROBERTSON

O

ne of the most significant moments at The Salvation Army’s “Raised Up” World Youth Convention, in Stockholm, Sweden, took place during the final meeting when more than 200 of the 1100 delegates moved to the platform in response to General Shaw Clifton’s call to officership.

As well as those who went to the platform signifying that they had a definite call to officership – including 80 who had not applied for full-time ministry before the convention – at least 60 delegates stood where they were in the auditorium, indicating that they had not yet made a decision but were prayerfully considering if officership was for them.

In the days and hours leading to the final meeting of the convention 129 delegates filled in the preliminary “Hands Up For Officership” form in the candidates information tent.

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Delegates worship during the morning service on the final day of the World Youth Convention. Photo: Major Mark Brown

Australia Eastern Territory Candidates Secretaries Captains Craig and Donna Todd coordinated the ministry within the tent, where hundreds of delegates visited and discussed the possibility of officership being for them.

Fr o m t h e c o a l f a c e L O CA L A N D I N T E R N AT ION A L N EW S

promoted to glory

A woman of strong faith

J

ean Gott was promoted to glory on 7 July, aged 84. A thanksgiving service was held at Parramatta Corps on 13 July, conducted by Major Edwin Cox (Corps Officer).

Eric Bailey read selected verses of Scripture, Gladys McComb gave a Parramatta Corps tribute, and Major Daphne Cox prayed.

Grandchildren Stewart Gott, Duncan Muir and Matthew Davis shared a tribute, as did Janet Muir and Sue Bailey (daughters). A combined band played several congregational songs as well as a band message, It is Well With My Soul, an arrangement by Barrie Gott (son).

Jean Hobson was born on 6 May 1926 in Sheffield, England. Her parents were unknown to her and aged nine, she was placed in an orphanage by her grandfather following the death of her grandmother.

In her early teenage years, Jean lived on the streets. Fortunately, The Salvation Army in Sheffield was contacted and she was taken in by Fred and Florence Gott because their two sons were away on military service in World War Two. On Fred’s (junior) arrival home following discharge from the Royal Air Force, he met Jean and in 1947 they were married in the Anglican Church, Sheffield.

In 1951, the family moved to Australia following Fred’s appointment as Bandmaster to Petersham Salvation Army Citadel Band. In 1954, their “Aussie baby” Susan was welcomed into their family.

Jean was an active Salvationist taking on roles with Sunday school, ladies evening fellowship and as Songster Sergeant at Petersham Corps.

After settling at Parramatta Corps, Jean became Home League Secretary.

With Fred’s full support, she thrived with numerous craft efforts and her famous Friends of the College Gala Day stall.

Jean’s work was always for the Lord and all money raised was for the Home League Missionary Box. During this time, Jean took on the responsibility of running the Divisional Trade Shop.

In recent years, Jean’s health deteriorated but her loving partnership with Fred and her strong faith in the Lord never wavered. She will be missed by Fred, children Barrie, Janet and Sue, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as all whom new her.

A lovely Christian lady

B

rigadier Mrs Mable Inmon was promoted to glory on 21 May, aged 94.

A funeral service was conducted

by Envoy Bev Clark on 24 May at The Salvation Army Beenleigh Corps.

Following a welcome by Envoy Clark and a song, The Lord’s My Shepherd, Dianne Crowther read selected verses from Psalm 91 and John 14. Doug Miles (son-in-law) read a eulogy and Mrs Major Veronica Tomlinson read a letter from the Territorial Commander, Commissioner Linda Bond.

In her letter, the Commissioner wrote: “[Brigadier Mrs Inmon’s] work among Aboriginals, boys and seniors would have called for compassion, a servant’s heart and a spirit of hope, for those whose lives she touched would have needed to see these gifts of grace demonstrated.”

Mabel Dorothy Prefke was born on 9 December 1915. In 1943, she entered Training College as part of the Valiant session. Her first appointment, as a single officer, was to the Purga Aboriginal Mission. Mabel was friendly with the Inmon family and after Charles Frederick’s (Fred) first wife died, Mabel married Fred in October 1945 and became stepmother to Glen and Bruce. Together Mabel and Fred had a daughter, Kaye.

Mrs Major Inmon was then appointed to Red Hill Men’s Eventide Home, followed by Townsville Peoples Palace, Dee Why Men’s Eventide Home, Indooroopilly Boys Home and Riverview Training Farm. After a December 1959 promotion to Mrs Brigadier Mabel Inmon, she took 10 years leave.

Brigadier Fred Inmon retired from officership in 1961, and he was promoted to glory on 20 September 1968. In January 1969, Brigadier Mrs Inmon commenced her final appointment at Riverview Eventide Home, before retiring in August that same year.

Mabel was a gracious, loving and beautiful person and Christian lady.

Loving and caring

M

rs Major Thelma Ward was promoted to glory on 27 July from Riverview, aged 83.

A thanksgiving service was held on 30 July at Bundamba Corps, after the committal service at Goodna.

Major Glenda Towerton prayed and Major Wayne Maxwell read a letter from Territorial Commander Commissioner Linda Bond. Scott Limpus read the Scriptures from 1 Peter 1:3-6, Ryan Limpus and Nathan Drury shared a grandchildren’s tribute, and Nathan Ward read a poem. This was followed by a vocal tribute, Now I Belong to Jesus, a Bundamba Corps tribute shared by Major Denice Strong, and a family tribute from Joy

Limpus and Rodney Ward.

Thelma Elizabeth Young was born in Normanton, North Queensland on 15 February 1927 to George and Elizabeth Young. The family moved to Cairns when Thelma was six, where they renewed their links with The Salvation Army. When Thelma was 12 her mother passed away and six months later her father also died.

Thelma was taken to live with her stepsister’s family on a cattle station at Mount Surprise. She stayed there until she was 15. At this time it was decided by her family that she should move back to Cairns. She worked at a milk bar and later as a nurse’s aid at Cairns District Hospital where she also found accommodation.

Thelma loved going to the local dances and while walking home she was drawn to a Salvation Army open-air meeting. She renewed her link with The Salvation Army and later committed her life to the Lord.

While worshipping at Cairns she was involved with the timbrel brigade and was the leader of the Sunday school. It was during this time she felt the call to fulltime service as a Salvation Army officer, and entered the Sydney Training College in 1948 in the King’s Messenger session.

Her first appointment was at New Farm Women’s Home. Keith Ward (also part of the King’s Messenger session) was appointed to the Riverview Boys Home.

After a courtship between Keith and Thelma, they were married at Brisbane City Temple in 1951.

Together they served the Lord at Bowral, Newcastle Peoples Palace, St Peters Men’s Home, Stanley Street Hostel, Collaroy Eventide Home, Tuggerah Welfare Farm, Moonyah Rehabilitation Centre, Indooroopilly Boys Home, and Riverview Eventide Home.

During these years they were blessed with the arrival of three children, Joy, Robyn and Rodney. Due to Keith’s ill health they retired in 1976 and moved to their retirement home in Bundamba.

Thelma remained involved in parttime work for The Salvation Army at Alkira, Chelmer, and later with Keith as chaplains at Riverview Gardens. Keith was promoted to glory in November 1997.

Thelma’s work in the Bundamba Corps involved Songster Sergeant, Corps Cadet Counsellor, Recruiting Sergeant and leader of Silver Service (over 50s group). On Australia Day 2010, she was recognised

by Ipswich City Council for her work with the Silver Service group.

Thelma often spoke of how rich her life was with family she loved dearly including seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She will be remembered for her love and care, and ability to make life-long friends.

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about people Additional Appointment

Lieutenant-Colonel Laurie Robertson, Communications Secretary, International Headquarters; Major Keith Hampton, Corps Officer, Blacktown City Corps, The Greater West Division (pro-tem), effective 6 September.

Appointments

Effective 29 July: Captain Michelle White, Team Member, Sydney Streetlevel Mission (pro-tem), Sydney East and Illawarra Division.

Effective 5 August: Major Allison Wiseman, Counsellor/Trainer, The Salvation Army Counselling Service, Rhodes, Program Administration; Captain Elizabeth Wiggins, Chaplain, Macquarie Lodge Aged Care Services, Aged Care Plus.

Effective 26 August: Major Colin Maxwell, Property Officer, Aged Care Plus, Territorial Property Department.

Effective 1 September: Major Norm Beckett, Training Principal, Sweden and Latvia Territory; Major Isabel Beckett, Education Officer, Sweden and Latvia Territory.

Effective 6 September: Major Elwyn Grigg, Divisional Secretary (pro-tem) and Second in Command, Sydney East and Illawarra Division; Major Raewyn Grigg, Director, Samaritan Services, Sydney East and Illawarra Division; Majors Robert and Leanne Duncan, Assistant Officers, The Greater West Division (interim appointment until embarkation).

Effective 1 November: Major Robert Duncan, Regional Mission and Resource Officer, Programme Development, Taiwan Region; Major Leanne Duncan, Regional Mission and Resource Officer, Social Programmes, Taiwan Region; Colonel James Condon, International Secretary, South Pacific and East Asia, International Headquarters, promoted to commissioner 1 November; Colonel Jan Condon, Zonal Secretary for Women’s Ministries, South Pacific and East Asia, International Headquarters, promoted to commissioner 2 November; Major Wayne Maxwell, Chief Secretary, Australia Eastern Territory, promoted to colonel 1 November; Major Robyn Maxwell, Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries, Australia Eastern Territory, promoted to colonel 1 November.

International Appointments

Effective 1 November: Commissioner Robert Street, International Secretary, Europe; Commissioner Janet Street, Zonal Secretary for Women’s Ministries, Europe; Colonel Birgitte Brekke, Territorial Commander and Territorial President of Women’s Ministries, Denmark Territory.

Effective 1 December: Colonel Clive Adams, Territorial Commander, Norway, Iceland and the Færoes Territory, promoted to commissioner 1 December; Colonel Marianne Adams, Territorial President of Women’s Ministries, Norway, Iceland and the Færoes Territory, promoted to commissioner 2 December; Lieutenant-Colonel Jan Peder, Chief Secretary, Norway, Iceland and the Færoes Territory, promoted to colonel 1 December; Lieutenant-Colonel Birgit Fosen, Norway, Iceland and the Færoes Territory, promoted to colonel 1 December.

Bereaved

Major Glenda Hentzschel of her father Envoy Bramwell Hoepper on 24 July; Major Lynette Rushbrook of her husband, and Captain Wendy-Sue Swann of her father, Major Alan Rushbrook on 27 July.

Promoted to glory

Envoy Bramwell Hoepper on 24 July; Mrs Major Thelma Ward on 27 July; Major Alan Rushbrook on 27 July.

Promotions

Major Lindsay Reeves, to that rank, effective 24 June; Lieutenant-Colonels Laurie and Simone Robertson, to that rank, effective 1 August.

Retirement

Major Louisa Timmer, effective 28 February.

SAGALA Awards

The following people have received the Commissioner’s Challenge Award: Hannah Green, Rebekah James, Maddison Williams, all Brisbane City; John Card, Katelyn Grimmett, Penny Lee, all Woodenbong Outpost Lismore Corps; Danielle Turner, Kalbar Corps. The following person has received the General’s Award: Christine Cannon, Caboolture.

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Study Success

Major Kelvin Alley has been awarded a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, California.

time to pray 5-11 September

Latin America North Territory; Redcliffe City Corps, Riverview Gardens / Warrina Village Aged Care Services, Roma Corps, all Qld; Rockdale Corps, NSW; Father’s Day (5); ACT and South NSW Division officers forum (6-8); Newcastle and Central NSW Division review (9); Sydney East and Illawarra Division officers development day (9).

12-18 September

India Eastern Territory; Rouse Hill Mission, Rural Mission North NSW Division, Ryde Corps, all NSW; Salvation Army Individual Lifestyle Support Service, Qld; Salvation Army International Development Office, THQ; Wider Cabinet, Collaroy (13-15); Divisional Mission and Resource team leaders forum (16); Booth College association lecture (16); Sydney East and Illawarra Division SAGALA camp (17-19); candidate’s weekend (17-19).

19-25 September

Major Alison Cowling, Canada and Bermuda Territory; Salvo Care Line, Samaritan House, both Qld; Salvo Stores, THQ; Salvo Care Line, Samaritan House, both NSW; ACT and South NSW Division women’s celebration (20); Sydney East and Illawarra Division review (23).

26 September – 2 October

Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Command; SAMIS Department, School for Christian Studies, School for Leadership Training, School for Officer Training, School for Youth Leadership, all THQ; Gospel Arts Camp, Collaroy (26 Sept-3 Oct); South Queensland Division women’s camp (5-8 Sept); Sydney East and Illawarra Division chaplains forum (30).

engagement calendar Commissioner Linda Bond (Territorial Commander) Bexley North: Wed 1 Sept – School for Officer Training lecture Parramatta: Sun 5 Sept – retirement service for Commissioners Barry and Raemor Pobjie Wagga Wagga: Tue 7 Sept – ACT officers’ forum Sydney: Thur 9 Sept – retired officers’ fellowship Redcliffe: Sat 11-Sun 12 Sept – corps visit Collaroy: Mon 13-Wed 15 Sept – Wider Cabinet Bexley North: Sat 18-Sun 19 Sept – candidate’s weekend Bexley North: Tues 21 Sept – Tri-territorial SFOT conference Canberra: Wed 22 Sept – Floriade rally Wyong: Fri 8 Oct – residential meeting Bankstown: Sun 10 Oct – corps visit

Colonel James (Chief Secretary) and Jan Condon Bexley North: Thur 2 Sept – Booth College review #Parramatta: Sun 5 Sept – retirement service for Commissioners Barry and Raemor Pobjie *Brisbane: Sun 5 Sept-Wed 8 Sept – women’s camp at Brookfield #Sydney: Mon 6 Sept – Sydney Advisory Board Newcastle: Thur 9 Sept-Fri 10 Sept – Divisional future strategy days Collaroy: Mon 13 Sept-Wed 15 Sept – Wider Cabinet Bexley North: Fri 17 Sept – School for Officer Training retreat day Bexley North: Sun 19 Sept – candidate’s weekend Kingsgrove: Thur 23 Sept – Sydney East and Illawarra Divisional future strategy day Rockhampton: Wed 6 Oct-Thur 7 Oct – Central and North Queensland Divisional future strategy days Wollongong: Mon 11 Oct-Thur 14 Oct – Territorial Headquarters officers’ retreat * Colonel Jan Condon only # Colonel James Condon only

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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