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BY LAUREN MARTIN When people arrive at Shire Salvos Miranda in southern Sydney on a Thursday afternoon, one of the biggest smiles that greets them is on the face of Alissa Mendez. She’s a passionate volunteer, and the Salvos hold a special place in her heart. “The Salvos have been helping me since I was 17,” Alissa says. “And I’m 33 now. So, for half of my life I’ve had Salvation Army involvement. I’ve always felt loved and supported by the Salvos. You guys just opened your arms and helped me for all those years with no judgement.” When Alissa left home and was starting to set up her adult life, she discovered a nearby Salvation Army low-cost food service. She has received support when needed ever since and when she moved to the Sutherland Shire and had kids, she reached out to Shire Salvos Miranda for friendship and support. “Whenever I’ve been in need, I feel like I’ve been guided to the Salvos.” Alissa volunteers at the Shire Salvos Miranda ‘Soul Food’ service. It’s a meal with a difference – different speakers share their experiences of faith, hope and transformation during the dinner. Often there is live music or times of prayer. “I love the people that share their stories,” says Alissa. “I’m learning even as I’m giving back by serving. I’m learning the meaning behind life – it’s not just sitting in church on a Sunday. If I have questions about God, I can ask the people here.” And she loves connecting with the community of people who visit Shire Salvos Miranda every week. “Talking to the older women and men and connecting with them on a weekly basis, just seeing how their week was, it puts a smile on my face and warms my heart.” When Alissa’s youngest child needed heart surgery at an early age, she found support through her friends at the Salvos, who listened, cared, and prayed over the family. “You guys have always just opened your arms to me.” Alissa has also connected with the Shire Salvos Menai playgroup, where she can take her kids and spend a few hours outside of the house having conversations with other mums with the same age kids. “It’s great!”

Each week throughout this year, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for a particular territory or region of The Salvation Army. Prayer requests are shared by the focus territory/region to help us pray with precision and power for one another. This week (20-26 May) we are praying for the Rwanda and Burrundi Territory. Pray for Rwanda and Burundi Territory We give thanks to God for: ·       The completion of the first phase of the Officers’ Training College ·       Territories that have agreed to support us in the construction of pre-schools in our territory ·       The success of all planned events that were accomplished last year. Please pray for: ·       Legal issues in the Burundi district to be sorted out ·       Good health for officers, employees and all Salvationists, and spiritual awakening among all ·       Funds for the second phase of the construction of the Officers’ Training College ·       A smooth transition for the change of leadership at territorial headquarters and the Officer Training College ·       God to open new opportunities in our territory. To find out more about the Rwanda and Burundi Territory, click here. For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar, click here.

We don’t seem to fire volleys as much as we used to. This may not be a bad thing, but I wonder if we simply need to repurpose it to bring it back into vogue. For those new to the Army and wondering what I’m talking about, in the early days of the Army, sometimes during a Sunday meeting, someone would call out, “Fire a volley!” and the congregation would enthusiastically reply, “Hallelujah!”. If the mood really called for it, someone would then call out, “And another!” and again the reply would come, “Hallelujah!”. It served as a rallying cry to offer some encouragement and support to what was taking place – a way of ‘charging up the troops’ – and was generally used after a rousing song. As a quirk of Army custom, it continued to be popular through the 1970s but then began to peter out as an anachronistic eccentricity. Having said that, you’ll still hear it called out occasionally, especially at more traditional corps. Long-time Salvationists will smile and call out “Hallelujah!” while new attendees will go wide-eyed and wonder what sort of militaristic cult they’ve joined. As I mentioned, I think we need to repurpose it so that Salvationists continue to fire volleys well into the future. My first suggestion is to call on it at times of road rage. If someone cuts you off in traffic or beeps their horn at you aggressively, don’t swear at them or curse, just yell, “Fire a volley!”. It will let you release some adrenaline, and it sounds like a suitably angry response without letting you slip into using profanities. The other driver will think he’s about to be fired on and hastily leave the scene. Similarly, you can use it whenever you have a need to blow off some steam. If you stub your toe or drop your coffee or step on some Lego – just yell, “Fire a volley!” and move on with your day. I’m also thinking – while not being a regular occasion for most of us – it would be a suitable thing to call out while cheering at a tennis match. For example, after watching a long, boring rally at the Australian Open, call out, “Fire a volley!”. No one will blink at such good strategic advice, and if you hear someone else reply, “Hallelujah”, you can wave to them and greet a fellow Salvationist. Mind you, there are probably times when it isn’t appropriate to fire a volley. Like when your wife’s just given birth. Or when you’re cheering at an Anzac Day parade with lots of old people with post-traumatic stress. Or at a cremation … especially if you have an Austrian accent and the deceased’s name is Wally. So be discerning. Volleys can’t just be fired off left, right and centre; they’re to be used responsibly. Perhaps every now and then, corps officers can try one mid-sermon, just to wake everyone up. – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

Have you ever experienced feelings of total inadequacy? In this Pentecost sermon, Adrian Kistan discusses how past failures impact our lives and prevent us from moving forward in God’s calling. The disciples’ journey was similar. Despite their firsthand experience of walking with Jesus, they felt utterly inadequate and fearful after Jesus ascended, unsure of how they could possibly continue his work on earth. Pentecost empowered the disciples beyond their own capabilities, allowing them to spread the word while living boldly and faithfully. The same Holy Spirit is available to us today, a purifying fire that burns away sin and fosters new growth in believers’ lives.

When six innocent people tragically lost their lives in the Westfield Bondi Junction massacre on Saturday 13 April, the horrific incident rocked the Australian community. Salvos Online writer LERISSE SMITH spoke with the Eastern Beaches (NSW) Corps Officers, Lieutenant Keven Williams and Captain Joanne Williams, about being on the frontline in the aftermath of the tragedy and how locals are healing. When Keven and Joanne Williams ventured over to Westfield Bondi Junction in the wake of the tragic event, little did they know that the ensuing seven days would unfold into an exceptional week unlike any other. As Australians united in their grief for the lives lost, injured and shattered, the couple joined forces with a chaplaincy team for the next week to stand amidst the immense pain, grief, fear and shock of the local community and to offer desperately needed comfort, support and a listening ear. It proved to be a godsend. “We answered the call and went straight up on the Sunday to just be there for people,” Joanne said. “One of the things that I really felt impacted by was when one of the Waverley Council rangers said to me, ‘Honestly, You’re a godsend. It was all chaos and everything like that before you came, and then you guys arrived, and everything just went all right.’” The Salvation Army had a significant presence during the difficult week, with about 10 to 12 Salvo chaplains working on a roster system to support the local community each day. They included council workers, the police and those gathered at the Westfield Bondi Junction precinct to grieve, process mixed emotions, talk, reflect and lay flowers. Keven and Joanne reflected on how they felt the peace and light of Jesus and his presence when supporting others in their hour of need. “I felt that whilst people were coming up to the flowers and laying flowers and being present and still in the moment, that we were part of something that God was trying to speak to people in a way that brought peace to the unrest,” Keven said. And some peace was desperately needed for a local community member who was inside the shopping centre at the time of the massacre. He followed police officer Amy Scott to try and help before the assailant, Joel Cauchi, was killed. The local community member literally saw everything unfold with the media, television and radio stations bombarding him to secure an exclusive interview. “We had the radio stations saying to us, ‘Oh, can you talk to the guy about this? Can you talk to the guy about that?’ And my response was just, like, leave the guy alone. He’s just witnessed everything that has just happened,” Keven said. “I thought to myself, wow, that’s pretty big for someone to have witnessed that. So, I sat with him and spoke to him. He wasn’t able to sleep. I was talking to him last week and since the whole episode, I think he’s had like six hours’ worth of sleep. He’s just been so traumatised by it. We are getting him into counselling and stuff like that, which is great (in helping him).” Keven and Joanne also held a church service on Tuesday morning after the major incident, during which they asked people how they were travelling. Joanne recalls thinking how it was like a microcosm of what was happening in society. One lady was frightened to go the shops; another remarked she wasn’t afraid to visit the shops, while another gentleman was triggered by seeing how the parents of Joel Cauchi were reacting and that his brother had schizophrenia, mental illness and drug addiction. Another gentleman texted Joanne, stating he had schizophrenia and was coming off medication. However, due to the Westfield incident, he had decided it was best to go back on medication, remarking “he didn’t want to do that” (in reference to the actions of Joel Cauchi). Promoting the vital message to the community that if people were struggling with mental health, they needed to reach out for help is of great importance to the couple. “I really do think there is something powerful about community coming together in a time of turmoil and a time of unrest.” While many tears were shed after the tragedy, some beautiful moments occurred, including when more than 1000 people gathered for the vigil at Bondi Beach. It represented the uniting of all during a week of great loss and shock. “I really do think there is something powerful about community coming together in a time of turmoil and a time of unrest,” Keven said. “I really do think it’s the peace and the love of Jesus, bringing everybody together in that moment. And the support that was shown not just by us but by other community groups. You name it, everyone was there, even the police were there.” Triggering moment Keven was also one of a chosen few to enter the shopping centre on the Thursday after the tragedy when they opened it for the media, staff and the families of the six people who died. He walked around with the particular community member who had witnessed the event unfold. The gentleman showed Keven where everything happened and how it happened so that he could feel it and experience what he experienced in some way. “It was triggering for me as I was around when the Lindt café siege happened [in December 2014 in Sydney],” Keven said. “I was working around the corner in a different job at the time. So, that triggered a lot for me even looking at those flowers. On the Thursday, when there were hundreds of flowers, I was looking at it going, wow, this brings me back to the siege. But again, it brings me back to the community spirit and the love, and just the camaraderie of everyday Australians coming alongside people just to be there for each other.” A vital part of their work supporting the community for Keven and Joanne was ensuring that The Salvation Army shield emblem was on full display because that attracted people to approach and talk with them. It also let the council and rangers know they were there to help and support others. The couple are also part of a pastors network on Sydney’s Eastern Beaches. Churches came together and especially supported another church directly situated within the shopping centre mall. “It’s better together than apart,” Keven remarked. The community’s banding together, and connection was a shining light for the corps officers in a week marred by deep grief and shock. Being involved in the tragedy also left abiding memories. For Joanne, it was the sense of community and the power of pulling together and looking after one another. “It’s extending the hands of peace,” she said. “Sometimes we think we have to have all the words and say the right things. But actually, we carry the presence of God within. It doesn’t have to be in words. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, there’s this light that just comes. We don’t even realise that light that comes into the darkness and touches the atmosphere.” Bringing closure The community vigil at Bondi Beach, which helped bring closure and a sense of moving forward, was also a special time for Joanne. A distressed young woman came up, placed her arm around Joanne, and thanked her for her work. “I think it was someone cared,” she said. “A small thing led to a beautiful moment, a beautiful encounter with someone.” For Keven, it was coming back to God and bringing hope where it’s most needed. “They were looking for hope, for peace, for closure. They were looking to be able to get out of the unrest,” he said. “It is going to take time, and it’s not an easy thing for people to deal with … but I think it’s the way Jesus holds people. Some of these people don’t know Jesus, but he is always close by. Even when we don’t feel it ourselves, he is there.”

Friends, How I thank God for each of you! So many of you pray faithfully for each other and for this movement. I can’t tell you how grateful and thankful I am for you and your prayers. We are a Jesus-centred, Spirit-led and hope-revealed movement. We don’t shy away from this in any way. In the language of Catherine and William Booth, the co-founders of our holiness movement, we are a “blood and fire Army” that believes Jesus will transform the world. We remember that in his death and resurrection, Jesus shared with the disciples his promise of the Holy Spirit. He asked them to go to the upper room and pray … so they did. It was when they obeyed the voice of God and waited on God’s power that the Holy Spirit came upon them! They were then propelled into the streets with the power to start the church and see the world transformed. Same Jesus, same Holy Spirit. A call to prayer Will you join me in focused prayer? Please spend some of your time praying with us on these specific points. Listen to God, and please let me know what you hear God say. God’s word says, “Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live” (Isaiah 55:3). Be confident because we know God speaks! We say, “I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants – but let them not turn to folly” (Psalms 85:8). Test what you have heard with godly people. I am very happy for you to feed this back to me. We are aware of so many problems, but we are listening to how God is sharing solutions so we can walk in God’s way towards the future. In these days, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12). First and foremost, we need to be ‘an Army on our knees’ and then rise and move forward into a world that desperately needs Jesus. So, this is what I am calling you to pray about: 1.     Pray that we would be, first and foremost, a Jesus-centred, Spirit-led missional movement, if we are to see God’s hope revealed. We know we are building on some great mission already happening and ask God for discernment on how to take back the ground that we have lost by our own negligence or the forces of the enemy. • What might that mean personally and as a movement? What is the Spirit saying to us? 2.     Uplift our finances. “He owns the cattle of a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). The resource will be there for what God is asking. If we asked God to let things fall away that are not of him, and keep the things that are, what might that look like? That is a brave, bold prayer. We don’t have the resources we once did, and we do need to advance spiritually and missionally. God may ask us to change our footprint and the spaces and places in which we minister. •       Will we be a faith-filled Army that seeks God first? •       Will we do whatever God asks? •       What might that look like? What is the Spirit saying? 3.     Uplift the next generations. Pray for our Millennials, Gen Z and Alpha (Gen Beta will be the children born from 2025 onwards). For the ones who are here in our movement, we thank God for you. We love you! We want waves of these generations coming to know the Lord and raised up as disciples. How might we be part of that? We also know how many of our beautiful young people, young adults and young families have left The Salvation Army. Some have gone to other churches (and we thank God they have found their place in the Body of Christ). Some have left the faith altogether. What part have we played in this? (To be honest, this one breaks my heart). I believe they have The Salvation Army DNA – many love the Word and want to be engaged in something bigger than them. •       Perhaps God is challenging some of us to be part of this, even in a new way, and there might be a calling for some to start new ministries that are needed. Maybe that is you? •       What is the Spirit saying? 4.     We uplift spiritual warfare with spiritual wisdom. I ask that you pray about how we learn again that “we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of this dark age” (Ephesians 6:12). We are engaged in a spiritual war, and we must battle the right things. We need to stand together, lifting up holy hands, clean and pure. •       What is the Spirit saying? I am grateful to people of prayer who pray every day, prayer warriors who hear God so clearly and share and encourage, and prophets who share what the Lord is saying. I am so grateful for all of you because I believe you want this Jesus-centred, Spirit-filled movement to become all God wants it to be. So, I call you to focused prayer, invite you to engage and ask you to seek the Lord and share what he is saying. Are you ready? These are urgent and exciting days. Hope will be revealed! Bless you, friends. Commissioner Miriam Gluyas Territorial Commander

As Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, Salvation Army corps, staff, volunteers and supporters continue their ministry, despite the continual dangers of bombs, missiles, drones, attacks – and their aftermath (In March alone, there were 2209 aerial bombardment alerts across Ukraine). The Kropvinitsky Corps recently hosted a lecture and training session, conducted by Humanity & Inclusion, an international organisation that works alongside people with disabilities and individuals living in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. The topic of the session was: ‘Learning about explosive risks and armed conflict: How to prepare and secure yourself.’ The corps’ scouts also visited a State Fire and Rescue Squad to learn about the work and challenges of first responders and their teams – essential in times of war. Captain Daria Bessmolnaja, Kropvinitsky Corps Officer, thanked the chief who led the visit, and his squad, for “your tireless work, strength, skills, time, for saving those who get into trouble! For our scouts, you are a model of selfless service, professionalism, dexterity, kindness, humanity, willingness to come to help! Thank you for being there!” The city and region of Kharkiv, the scene of a new front in the war experiencing intensifying Russian attacks, is also where Salvation Army outreach is active. Last Sunday, “a lot of people were worried about whether there would be a service,” said retired officer, Captain Irina Khokhotva. “Glory be to God; we held the service. There were a lot of people. If God is for us, whom shall we fear? This was my first sermon in Ukrainian. I talked about two students who went to Emmaus.” In Dnipro, corps leaders Lieutenants Dmytro and Natalia Rak, regularly ask for prayers for their Bible studies, children’s work and other activities, due to the risk of bombs and missiles. During a recent open house at the corps, two rocket launches hit nearby, taking out water and electricity. The reality of war is experienced every day. “We are asking for prayer support,” said Dmytro.

BY ANTHONY CASTLE Jesus Theatre is a creative presentation of the gospel for children. First developed for Salvation Army summer camps in the United States, the performances include actors, theatre and visual arts elements. Brought to Australia by Shushannah Anderson, a Worship Arts Coordinator for the territorial Worship Arts Team, Jesus Theatre has connected with young people across the country. “I was praying about what drama ministry in Australia could look like when God put Jesus Theatre on my heart,” Shushannah says. “I was chatting about it and thought, ‘Although it’s designed for summer camps it could work here’. God’s hand has been all over this project.” Shushannah’s skillsets are in drama and the arts, spending a year at The Salvation Army’s theatre-based ministry in New York, The Glory Shop. The Jesus Theatre performances became so successful in their American summer camp context that they became a territorial initiative with different productions developed each year. “In the past year, the theme was ‘Bounce’, using yoga balls to tell the gospel story,” explains Shushannah. “Our relationship with God is represented with a yoga ball. In the beginning, when our relationship with God is good, the yoga ball is inflated. It’s fun, you can throw it up, you can bounce it. But the enemy comes, tempts us to move away from God and deflates our yoga ball, representing a now broken relationship with God. You can’t do nearly as many fun things with a deflated yoga ball. Until Jesus comes, he offers to take our deflated yoga ball – our sin, pain, hurt, brokenness – and gives us an inflated one instead. He restores our relationship with God again.” The Jesus Theatre performances typically run for 30 minutes. They use metaphors such as books or kites to explain the gospel, and popular music is woven throughout them. Jesus Theatre productions have run for nearly 10 years now, and over 50,000 children have responded to the gospel message. “There’s a discipleship element for the cast members as well,” explains Shushannah. “Jesus Theatre also preaches the gospel to the people who are acting it out. When you’re a cast member, you experience the story for yourself during rehearsals and the performance. God can reveal things in a new way when you physically act out the story. The cast then becoming living testimonies on stage.” Jesus Theatre has been performed at Salvation Army events across Australia, such as JCAC and Connect Camp in Victoria, Boost Camp in South Australia and potential performances coming up in Western Australia and NSW/ACT divisions. It has also been taught at Equip NSW/ACT and Equip Queensland. The performances end with a response time for the audiences, where children can choose from a range of options to express how they feel about faith, validating all the places people can be on the journey. “I was nervous at first,” Shushannah says. “There are similarities between American and Australian culture but there’s a whole bunch of differences too. However, it has been really well received, and the opportunities God has opened up have been amazing. The first time we did the performance, the kids loved it. Adults love it as well and have found it really powerful. Since that first Australian performance we have had a number of children become ‘friends of Jesus’ for the first time. I praise God for the way he is using Jesus Theatre to reveal his love for people and draw them into a closer relationship with himself, whether for the first time or 100th time.” The Worship Arts Team is excited to see Jesus Theatre utilised across Australia more and more and is working towards performing the new Jesus Theatre piece in July. “Jesus Theatre works well in camp spaces, but it can also work well in church services,” Shushannah says. “It can replace a sermon, and although geared towards children, it is great for all age groups. If people are keen to hear more or want to have Jesus Theatre at their church or event, please email me.” For more information, email shushannah.anderson@salvationarmy.org.au, and visit the Jesus Theatre Homepage from the USA Eastern Territory: https://arts.saconnects.org/jesus-theater/

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), commemorated on 17 May each year to celebrate sexual and gender diversity. In support of IDAHOBIT Day, The Salvation Army Mission Resources team has released a prayer written by Major Jenny Begent, Head of Salvation Army International Development. The prayer is a beautiful opportunity and reflection honouring the diverse tapestry of humanity. To read the prayer, click here In July 2021, The Salvation Army Australia released its National Inclusion Statement, a commitment to welcome all people in every engagement they have with us and to ensure they feel respected and safe. To read our Inclusion Statement, click here Bam’s Story Bam came to Australia to study, fell in love but ended up fleeing domestic violence. Being a trans woman, it was hard for her to find a place to go. She called The Salvation Army's Samaritan House who accepted her wholeheartedly. This is her story of survival. To view the Salvos Studios video, click here

BY LAUREN MARTIN Two Salvationists and a long-term supporter of the Red Shield Appeal have been honoured at the Illawarra Red Shield Appeal launch in Wollongong, south of Sydney. Bill Dowson OAM, a long-term chair of The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal Illawarra residential doorknock committee, was honoured with one of The Salvation Army’s highest honours – the Eva Burrows Award. In presenting the award, The Salvation Army’s General Manager of Community Fundraising, Andrew Hill, said the award honours individuals who make a genuine difference in the lives of Australians. “We present the Eva Burrows Award to Mr Bill Dowson OAM, in recognition of his dedicated and loyal service to The Salvation Army in the Illawarra region for more than 30 years.” It is estimated that in his time as Chairperson of the Residential Red Shield Appeal Committee, Bill has assisted The Salvation Army in raising more than $3 million for people in need across the Illawarra. “I can’t comprehend the amount of lives you have impacted by raising those funds,” said Andrew. “You are an absolute legend in The Salvation Army.” In accepting the award, Bill said he was surprised to receive such an accolade for doing something he loved, which brought him immense joy. “I have been able to spend time with the cleverest and most benevolent people,” he said, also paying tribute to his wife Lee, recalling that “we climbed Bulli Pass together one year to collect for the Red Shield Appeal.” Salvationists Lyn Mather and Amy Seymour were also honoured at the event with local awards for their service to The Salvation Army through the Red Shield Appeal. Bill presented the awards and said he was “honoured to recognise two of the amazing souls who gave up so much time with their families … as they turned their attention and commitment to the [Red Shield] Appeal.”

The Australia Territory has 32 Aussie officers serving overseas this year, one at International Headquarters in London but based in Australia, and 10 overseas officers serving in different appointments here. Over the coming months, Global Focus will feature many of these officers – who they are, where they’re serving, the joys and challenges they face and what life looks like for them in their unique corners of The Salvation Army world. We begin our series with Captain Kris Halliday, a corps and regional officer in Amsterdam, part of the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Slovakia Territory. How long have you been in Amsterdam? I arrived at the end of August 2023 and began my appointment as Corps Officer Amsterdam West on 1 September. What were some of your first impressions of the city/country? I instantly felt at home here. While serving in Sweden a few years ago, I had visited Amsterdam and participated in ministry activities in the city, and I have some friends here, so there was a sense of familiarity. The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated places on earth. The country is about two-thirds the size of Tasmania but has a population of 18 million people. You can feel that right away. There is no such thing as personal space (especially in the supermarket!), and you are instantly aware that there are always people around you. That said, you also notice that the city is set out well. Medium-density apartment living is common, excellent bike infrastructure makes transport easy, and shared public spaces, like parks and gardens, are numerous. What years were you previously in Europe? My service in Sweden was in 2019 and 2020 – cut short by the pandemic. I was just about to take up an appointment in the Arctic Circle! What has your appointment been in Amsterdam, and what does that entail? For the past eight months, I've been Corps Officer at Amsterdam West. It is a large, traditional Army corps made up mostly of Salvationists from previously closed city corps. Almost all Sunday attendees are older, long-term Salvationists who travel from across the country for the service. We’re situated in one of the most disadvantaged and youngest areas in the Netherlands – a majority Muslim area where 75 per cent of residents are non-Western migrants, and over half are under 45. The area is affectionately known as ‘Little Ankara’. I’m often the only non-Muslim at the store or market. It’s a fascinating place to be, a cultural immersion within a cultural immersion. Over the past few months, we’ve been on a journey as a corps to rethink our mission and ministry with a neighbourhood-oriented relational approach, asking big questions such as “What does it mean to be The Salvation Army in this area?” What is your new (additional) appointment, and what will that look like for you? From 1 July, I’ll be the regional officer for Amsterdam, responsible for the corps and community centres in the region, identifying new mission opportunities, partnering with the social services as well as things like PR and corporate and government relations. There is a great legacy of incredible work among the most marginalised in Amsterdam, including well-known work in the red-light district, and across the region with people who are homeless, trafficked people and refugees. I'm looking forward to supporting and joining the teams who are continuing and building on that legacy, working together on how we can, as Salvationists, best live out and share the values of God’s Kingdom, stand with and for the marginalised and share the inclusive love of Jesus across Amsterdam. How are you settling into your new roles and life? You realise when you move to another country the things you take for granted. Speaking freely, using humour, making sense of the train system, or reading information at the store all start off as a challenge. You miss, too, the simple things like catching up with a friend or knowing where to go to wind down. When work is your main context and there aren’t familiar histories or even pop-culture connection points, there is a process of working to remind yourself who you really are and how to ‘be’ other than in a TSA context. There have been some deep moments of connection with God these months. When everything else is stripped away, and you are left without the usual support networks, prayer and experiencing the love of God has been both important and incredibly special. What does a ‘typical’ day look like for you? It’s been an intensive period of getting to know the neighbourhood, and the city, making connections with everyone from corps members, participants of our day programs, the local store owners, neighbours, other community workers and faith leaders. The corps is busy through the week with activities and meals for a wide range of people. I’ve tried to meet and hear from as many people connected to the corps as possible, especially important as we’ve begun this significant change process. Hearing people's stories and experiences over the past eight months has been a real gift, and I hope we can use everything I’ve heard and learnt, from the corps and the neighbourhood to create an impacting, sustainable, mission-oriented, relationship-based corps for the next generation of its life. What do you love about your new roles and home? There is a fantastic, almost palpable energy and enthusiasm in The Salvation Army here. People are passionately sold out to seeing change in their neighbourhoods and connecting with the people around them. There are a lot of creative approaches to ministry across the country under the banner of ‘Faith in the Neighbourhood’. Enthusiasm and opportunity are not in short supply, but officers are, so it’s great to be here to support the great work happening in the Netherlands. I am loving the ability to connect and collaborate with people who are fired up for the mission and driven to seeing people, especially those who are often forgotten in society, cared for, welcomed, supported, included and affirmed. As corps officer, I get to share life with, and bring together, a most diverse range of people, looking for commonality and placing the love of Jesus at the centre of all we do. As regional officer I’m looking forward to supporting others and joining alongside them as they think about how best to share the hope, joy and love of Christ. What are some of the challenges? Even though the Dutch are known as the best non-English-speaking English speakers, and I’m doing a lot of Dutch language study, language can be a challenge, especially in pastoral conversations with older people. I’m a pretty fast-speaking guy, so the need to always go slowly and think about words, whether in English or Dutch can be a challenge (for me and the people I’m talking to!). A significant challenge for us is what does it mean to be a corps in a majority Muslim area. There are a high number of refugees in our neighbourhood and a huge social need. Most people around here, whether migrants or Dutch, either have had no connection with the Christian Church or have a negative view. In many ways, we need to go back to the beginning, showing that Christians, The Salvation Army, and us as Salvationists can be trusted, by participating in the community, meeting people where they're at and inviting people to participate in and feed into our corps who we may not otherwise have connected with. It’s a long-term endeavour for the corps and while it’s challenging to know I'll likely only be here for the start of the process, it’s also a great privilege to be here for this part of this journey. What do you miss about Australia? Good coffee! But, of course, really, the distance is hard. To be so far from family and friends is tough. Thankfully in the age of FaceTime and Messenger it is possible to stay connected.

The Federal Budget handed down by the Albanese Labor Government last night was largely as expected with its focus on the cost of living, but it provided little new funding for addressing financial hardship, according to The Salvation Army’s General Manager of Policy and Advocacy. Jennifer Kirkaldy said she welcomed the efforts made to address cost-of-living pressures, such as the increase to Commonwealth Rental Assistance, energy concessions and funding for financial well-being and capability services, but she warned that it would not be enough to address the significant need in our community. Jennifer said the decision to leave JobSeeker and related payments well below the poverty line was “very disappointing” and against the overwhelming evidence from those who deliver services in the community sector, leading economists, and the government’s own expert panel*. “Charities do their best work when they are guardrails at the top of the cliff, but we are forced to be the ambulance at the bottom,” Jennifer said. “Every day, The Salvation Army is working with people who simply cannot make ends meet when relying on working-age payments. In every community in Australia, we are seeing people make impossible choices between food and rent, medication and warmth. “The fact is, no matter how careful they are, an individual cannot budget away poverty – but the government can.” The Salvation Army’s Secretary for Mission, Lieutenant-Colonel Gregory Morgan, focused on the Jobseeker payment in his response. “Since 1994, when JobSeeker was last close to adequate, The Salvation Army has had to step in over 32 million times to help people who are struggling. Between now and the next Federal Budget, there will be at least another two million added to that total,” he said. “It’s no surprise then that 94 per cent of those reaching out to the Salvos for help are struggling to afford essentials, such as housing, groceries, medical care and utilities.” Each year, through The Salvation Army’s nationwide network of over 400 centres and 2000 services in areas such as homelessness, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, youth support, family and domestic violence, financial hardship and much more, the Salvos provide**: • Assistance to one person every 17 seconds. • More than 1.67 million sessions of care to over 250,000 people in need. • Over 1.2 million bed nights to people who need accommodation. • More than 1.63 million meals to people who access our homelessness services. • Assistance to more than 10,000 women and their children at risk of experiencing family violence, including more than 123,000 nights of emergency accommodation for women and children impacted by violence. To view The Salvation Army’s brief on the 2024-25 Budget Measures, click here *Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee 2024 Report to Government **The Salvation Army Annual Report 2022-2