Meet the Officer – Captain Danielle Cook

Captain Danielle Cook and her husband, Captain Peter Cook, the Corps Officers at Caboolture (Qld).

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it? 

I am currently serving as the Corps Officer/Team leader at Caboolture Corps in the Moreton Bay area of Queensland. Located halfway between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, this is a beautiful area to call home.

I have had the privilege of serving alongside the incredible team of people at the Caboolture Salvos for the past four years. The thing I find most satisfying about this appointment is very much aligned with the purpose and calling God has placed on my life. Early in my ministry training, I recognised that there can sometimes be a disconnect between church and community.  For whatever reason, church isn’t always a safe and welcoming space for everyone.

This is something that really resonated with me. I believe in those early days, God was planting a heart and passion within me to bridge that gap between church and community, where community and faith walk hand in hand, and journey every day together. A space for people to do real life, authentically sharing their struggles in faith and an opportunity to work through the tough stuff as a Faith Community. For every person to find a place of belonging and connection. And for me, Caboolture Corps is a beautiful place to live out this Vision.

Another rewarding part of my role has been connecting with the many incredible Mission Expressions of The Salvation Army. When I began, there were at least six operating across our community, each serving in unique ways. Over time, we have built strong relationships and now meet regularly, united by a shared vision to see ‘Hope revealed’ in our community. Through prayer, mutual support, and collaboration, we’ve been able to holistically care for many individuals together. I really love my role and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind? 

I love my family! It fills my cup when we get to spend time together. My husband, Peter, and I celebrated our five-year anniversary this year. We are a blended family with four teenagers/young adults. As our children get older, it’s becoming harder to get the family together. A tradition that has become a highlight of every week has been family dinner around the table every Wednesday night. No matter what’s happening or how full our ministry life is, our Wednesday night family dinner is a priority. I love cooking for our family, and often we share a roast meal together. Honestly, though, the food doesn’t matter at all, it’s simply about connection – sharing a meal together and catching up on how life is. Wednesday night has become such a beautiful part of our spiritual and family rhythm.  

I also love a bit of adventure! Getting out in nature. Experiencing and soaking in God’s creation. I take a retreat day once a month, which is an opportunity to get away from the normal routine and demands, and just spend intentional time with Jesus. In Mark 6:31, Jesus says, “Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for a while.” This is what a retreat day is all about for me.

3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it? 

A song we have been singing together as a Faith Community is Made for More by Josh Baldwin. A reminder that God has saved us and called us for so much more. He has a plan and a future for each and every one of us. The lyrics say:

‘I know who I am 'cause I know who You are The cross of salvation was only the start Now I am chosen, free and forgiven I have a future and it’s worth the living’

The first line ‘I know who I am, 'cause I know who You are’ has captured my heart and are words that I recite to myself over and over. If I am stepping into a situation that overwhelms me or I am not prepared for, these words remind me that God is present … that he is at work … that God is bigger than anything I will face …  that he has a plan and purpose in all things ... I know who I am, because I know who Jesus is.

4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be and what would you talk about? 

I would love to chat with Paul. His story embodies the possibility of radical change and transformation in Jesus. Before meeting Jesus, Paul – then known as Saul – was a fierce persecutor of Christians. But everything changed on the road to Damascus. In an incredible encounter with Jesus, Paul’s life was changed forever. His heart was completely renewed. He went from breathing threats and murder to preaching love and grace.

Meeting Paul would mean hearing firsthand how grace can break through even the hardest heart. Paul’s story reminds us that we have never messed up so much that God will not forgive us, and that transformation is always possible. That’s why I would want to meet him – not just to hear his story, but to be inspired by the depth of his conviction and the power of his redemption.

5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say? 

If it is God’s calling on your life, then I would say absolutely go for it. If it’s God’s purpose, then nothing else you do in life will fulfil you in the same way.

My biggest learning from my ministry journey so far is that it has to be in God’s strength and not your own. Operating in your own strength leads to exhaustion, burnout, frustration and sadly causes incredible hurt to those we are called to love and serve.

In God’s strength, ministry is rewarding, fulfilling, purposeful and life-giving.

I would also encourage anyone, regardless of your calling, to create spiritual rhythms in your life. For me, this has been scheduling retreat days, intentional Sabbath rest, and creating a prayer space in our home that has become our quiet sanctuary. These rhythms will look different for everyone, but it’s these practices that will continue to sustain you even through the hardest of ministry days. 

If God has called you to ministry in any capacity, know that he also goes before you and will sustain you when you remain in him.

To learn more about becoming an officer in The Salvation Army, click here