This Harmony Week, we celebrate God’s beautiful, culturally diverse community. Chrissy shares her story of coming from a small village in Bali to Australia and facing cultural differences, bullying and personal hardships. Through The Salvation Army, Chrissy found hope and her true identity in Jesus. Chrissy’s heart for the broken took her to Bible college and chaplaincy, which opened doors that she didn’t even know existed. Today, Chrissy is dedicated to her role in chaplaincy and the spiritual care of women recovering from domestic violence. Back in her home village in Bali, Chrissy founded Ruth and Naomi, a Christian community centre that supports widows and children. Chrissy says that her greatest desire is that “people would fall in love with Jesus”. For more information about Ruth Naomi, visit https://www.worldfamilies.org.au/indonesia/house-of-ruth-and-naomi/

To read Barry’s Promoted to Glory notice, click here

Youth & Young Adults Specialist  John Marion and Mission Events Co-ordinator  Sarah Manase at the Victoria Division Summer Party at Funfields Themepark in Whittlesea. BY ANTHONY CASTLE   Hundreds of young people gathered across the Australia Territory in February to kick off 2025 with Summer Party events.   “Summer Parties across Australia were a fun way to start the year and launch our new youth music initiative, Salvos Youth United (SYU),” says Melissa Purcell, Territorial Youth and Young Adults Secretary.   “Our hope is that these events help young people feel comfortable bringing their friends to hear the good news of Jesus.” More than 860 young people gathered at theme parks and Salvo churches in different states and divisionsfor the events. Evening rallies provided a chance for young people to share a meal, worship God, and hear the Good News of Jesus.   “Thank you to our incredible leaders for giving their time to make our young people feel so welcome and to meet them where they’re at,” said Claire Castley, Youth and Young Adults Secretary for WA.   “We’re so excited for what’s to come for our ministries to youth and young adults in 2025.”   READ MORE: New Salvos youth music launches across the summer Young Salvos in Victoria spent the day at Funfields Themepark, before heading to Craigieburn Salvos for dinner and worship.   South Australian youth went to Waterworld Aquatic Centre and then finished the day at Golden Grove Salvos for worship. Young people having fun at the South Australia/Northern Territory Division’s Summer Party worship night. “We had an awesome day with just on 100 youth and leaders gathering for Summer Parties in SA,” says Marj Rava, Youth and Young Adults Secretary for SA, NT, and TAS.   “There is something good about coming together, having fun, worshipping and listening to God's word.”   In New South Wales, more than 300 young people gathered at Jamberoo Action Park before heading to Wollongong Salvos for a rather large dinner order. Wollongong Salvos was pumping for the NSW/ACT Division praise and worship evening. “After the park closed, we made our way to Wollongong Salvos, where their incredible volunteer team cooked over 300 burgers for our dinner,” said Sarah Walker, Youth and Young Adults Secretary for NSW/ACT. “And we had a fantastic time worshipping together with Salvos Youth United (SYU).”   Western Australian young people met at Kings Park, spending the evening at the Salvos’ Third Place in Subiaco.   Queensland youth met at Wet N’ Wild and then went to Gold Coast Salvos for a worship evening. Young people enjoy the dodgem cars at the Victoria Division Summer Party day at Funfields Themepark (above) before heading to Craigieburn Salvos for worship (below).

Salvation Army delegates at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, with Australia's Amanda Brummell Lennestaal in the centre. Image: Salvation Army Women Facebook page This week, Salvationist representatives from across the globe have gathered in New York for the 69th session of the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69). The main focus of the event has been the reviewing and appraising of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995. Amanda Brummell Lennestaal, General Manager for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at The Salvation Army Australia Territory, is a commission delegate. The 1995 adoption of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action was a vital step in developing a comprehensive international policy framework on women's human rights. The Beijing Platform for Action included 12 critical areas of concern, including both women’s human rights and violence against women.  This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, and the commission’s focus is on evaluating progress made to date.  In his opening address, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reminded those in attendance that the Beijing Platform for Action had promised “equality, development and peace for all women, everywhere”. “We always knew that would never happen overnight – or even over years,” António said. “But three decades on, that promise feels more distant than we might ever have imagined.” António also said that women’s rights were under siege, the poison of patriarchy was back, and back with a vengeance. He accused this system of slamming the brakes on action, tearing up progress and mutating into new and dangerous forms. “But there is an antidote,” he said. “That antidote is action.” Throughout this week, Salvation Army representatives from across the world will attend both in-person and virtual meetings to discuss moral and social issues of gender inequality. The Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission (ISJC) will host many of the in-person events. The Salvation Army also participated in three parallel events, two of which can be viewed here . These events focused on issues of gender roles and equal opportunity, and modern slavery. Grace Murray, Salvation Army Administration Assistant for Queensland Divisional Headquarters, has been attending online meetings for the Commission and its parallel events. She said it has meant a lot to her to be involved, as it had been amazing to see the work of women, girls and men around the world seeking to create healthy and encouraging spaces for women to be women. "It has been very informative and encouraging hearing about the different contexts of women around the world, what challenges they face and how these challenges are being addressed for future women to be raised in cultures that promote equality between both genders and positive talk around what it means to be a woman," she said. "[And] that it isn't a 'lesser than' role, it is equal to a man." The Salvation Army ISJC has requested prayer for all delegates as they continue to engage in dialogue and learning at this significant event. This article was amended on 20 March to include comments from Grace Murray. All images courtesy The Salvation Army Women Facebook page.

To read Mary’s Promoted to Glory notice, click here

An artist’s impression of the new Bramwell House facility in South Australia. Inset: Manager Alex Joseph. Bramwell House is a residential centre in South Australia that supports women and children escaping family violence. The crisis accommodation service is undergoing changes to its facilities and programs, innovating the way it provides safety and case management for those who have experienced abuse. Salvos Online journalist ANTHONY CASTLE spoke with the new manager, Alex Joseph, about the changes at Bramwell House and how it offers not only an escape from violence but also a pathway to a new life. Salvos Online: There are changes taking place at Bramwell House, including new accommodation spaces but also putting new specialists on site. How have you found the process, coming on board and overseeing so much change to the service?   Alex Joseph: I’ve been in the manager role now for eight months. I manage all the staff and volunteers, with a duty of care to clients, and work with our partnerships. I am a victim-survivor myself and bring that perspective to the work. It’s asking questions like, ‘Are the services that we are providing fitting in best practice ? Are we providing clients a space to thrive?’   Parts of Bramwell House have been demolished to make way for more accommodation. Are the refurbishments just about increasing the rooms, or do they reflect other changes?   When victim-survivors come, we do intensive case management with specialist practitioners. We do safety planning, building capacity to be aware of danger, what to do what to do in an emergency. We are refurbishing the old Bramwell House to create better exit pathways for those who are moving on.   Instead of having to wait for housing trust, victim-survivors have a quicker exit strategy, and we can take in more. There is still case management for the women and children who have moved on, but it is less intensive than in the crisis model. They are now on their journey, so we want to empower them on a needs-only basis.   For many, everything falls apart when they leave a violent environment, so when they come to us, we consider goals with them, looking 12 months ahead. Instead of giving them directives, it’s a conversation about their journey.   You spoke before about giving victim-survivors the space to thrive. How do the new programs and specialist roles support that capacity building?   There’s very little understanding of what happens in crisis accommodation. People think it’s intense work, but it isn’t just about the crisis but the exit pathway too. We can have victim-survivors for up to 12 months, and we look at all parts of their life, their wellbeing, the justice sector, drugs and alcohol, we look at health, we look at children.   That’s the primary role of the child specialist, to provide therapeutic intervention and a platform for the children to talk about what they’ve witnessed. Let’s reconnect the children with school, making sure their hitting their developmental milestones. Now they’re in a safe environment, let’s put them back on track.   I’ve done a lot of work in the last six months, developing partnerships with the sector, asking what programs can I bring on site. If women aren’t able to leave, we have to bring certain things here. We are pet-friendly now, and we don’t make victim-survivors choose between safety and leaving a pet behind.   We have a health service that comes for check-ups, blood tests, pap smears. Bunnings comes on-site and runs workshops, something creative that taps into points of interest. We have a volunteer who runs a community group once a week, with a playgroup, activities, coffee and cake. It’s victim-survivors creating community, sharing about their journeys.   Change is often difficult. What impact do these changes to the service have in people’s lives?   I think it’s been an interesting time. I have to acknowledge there’s grief and loss around change, as things grow, but the change has been well-received. This is going in a good direction. The feedback has been well-received by The Salvation Army and the sector.   Sometimes, services can be providing victim-survivors with more isolation. It was around changing the mindset, aligning things with providing clients a space to thrive. They’ve left a hostile environment, so what can we do within our service to get them to a point where they can leave with independence? We have lots of clients who come back to visit and say thank you, to thank the place as a pivotal part of their journey.

Models from Parramatta Corps’ craft group took part in an International Women’s Day fashion parade, showcasing clothing from Salvos Stores. Here, they are pictured with Eco fashion warrior and stylist Faye De Lanty who styled the event. BY LAUREN MARTIN   More than 100 women enjoyed a morning filled with fashion, fun and good food at Parramatta Salvation Army in Sydney’s west, as the corps teamed up with their local Salvos Store to host a fashion parade and high tea event.   Eco fashion warrior and stylist Faye De Lanty dressed 10 models, who were volunteers from the corps’ weekly craft group. Each wore clothes from Salvos Stores to highlight that you can be stylish without a big price tag and do your bit to divert clothes from landfill. Eco fashion warrior and stylist Faye De Lanty speaks at the International Women’s Day fashion show at Parramatta Corps in western Sydney. Many guests at the event, held on International Women’s Day in early March, had connections with Parramatta Salvos through its programs and support services. Roza Gutschow, community programs coordinator for Parramatta Corps said the event was “a great sign of a thriving and diverse community, and I am very proud of the wonderful women we get to interact with every day and on special occasions like this, celebrate the resilience of all women.”   This was a free event aimed at celebrating women who typically wouldn’t find themselves on the guest list at other International Women’s Day events or who might be unable to attend due to costs.   Much of the food was baked in home kitchens across the Parramatta region by staff, volunteers, and community members, while Salvos Stores generously donated all the teaware. Guests could buy their teacup and saucer with a gold coin donation. Parramatta Corps Officer, Major Kylie Collinson (left), interviews Eco fashion warrior and stylist Faye De Lanty during the event. The theme of the morning tea was ‘You are Wonderful’, derived from the World Day of Prayer theme, reminding the community of Psalm 139:14: “I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made ...”   A Salvos Store pop-up shop was available for guests to be able to purchase clothes, shoes, bags and jewellery at very low cost.   Mark Spokes, Area Manager for Salvos Stores, said it was as fantastic example of Salvos Stores collaborating with the local Salvation Army corps.   “The room was full of love, laughter and cheer, as the ladies cheered on fellow community members as they strutted down the catwalk wearing incredible outfits pulled together from Salvos Stores.”   While this event was scheduled to coincide with International Women’s Day, similar events could take place at any time of the year, with corps partnering with local Salvos Stores to fulfil The Salvation Army’s mission pillar of ‘creating healthy communities’. What a fantastic idea!   Parramatta Corps hall was filled with women from the corps and community who gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day at a fashion parade event. Click through the slideshow below for more photos: Parramatta Corps’ Kathy, Melinda and Keira model at the International Women’s Day Salvos Stores fashion event.

Hayley Fualau (right) baking up a storm with T21 resident Alayha Roy. Image: Supplied BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE  Today is World Social Work Day, and this year’s theme is ‘Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing’. This focus highlights the crucial need to cultivate care and respect across generations in order to build resilient communities, sustain the environment and share wisdom for a better future.  The Salvation Army’s work with youth and young adults experiencing housing insecurity in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, offers a hopeful vision of what such interdependence across different generations could mean.  Peninsula Youth Services’ Living and Life Skills trainer Hayley Fualau spends her weekdays with young people who, due to the circumstances of their childhoods, have missed out on key life skills. As part of this work, Hayley teaches such young people how to prepare simple, nutritious meals. Sometimes, she encounters barriers grounded in heartbreaking realities.  “I had a conversation with a young person last night,” Hayley says. “She was opening up a little bit more and I was trying to understand her food preferences. She’s like, ‘I don’t do lamb, I don’t do pork, I don’t do fish’. She said the reason why is because [she] grew up poor. [She] used to faint walking to school because [her] mum and dad [bought] drugs over food.”  Hayley gradually learned that apart from simple foods like chicken nuggets, the young woman hadn’t tried many meats and found the textures and tastes too unfamiliar. In instances like this, Hayley uses compromise and a little bit of mystery to help the young people experience new foods.  “So [with] the cooking, I'll get them to choose something [one week], and I'll also then suggest something a week after so they try something different as well,” Hayley says. “A lot of the times you try, you're not sneaky [about it], but you might not say what's in it. And then they're like, ‘Oh my God, that's so yum!’”  Rice paper rolls and homemade pizzas may not seem extraordinary to some, but it’s through these simple dishes that Hayley does her work of coming alongside young people who have missed out on mentoring from parents or other caregivers. Other skills Hayley has taught have included toilet cleaning, filling out forms, washing clothes and even brushing teeth correctly. Much of this work happens at T21, the Transition to Independence Unit transitional support program staffed by The Salvation Army, and the rest happens in various community-based settings, including the Peninsula Youth Services hub in Frankston.  But it isn’t always successful. Hayley says she often has to pick up unwanted food from the floor, or help those who feel too embarrassed to admit in front of others that they don’t know how to clean their units and later find themselves in too deep.  In the transitional accommodation centre, young people at risk of homelessness will generally stay for 12 months, during which they will gain these skills and obtain longer-term housing before moving out and beginning an independent life.   In talking to Hayley, it’s clear that she approaches her work with abundant compassion, empathy and love for the individual.   “They don’t know what they don’t know,” she says.   “[My] hope is just to see them happy and to [help them to] understand that their circumstances or where they've come from doesn't define them and that they are worthy of a good life, and that they deserve a good life. I am someone who will just tell them that and motivate them and do whatever I can to get them to believe in themselves again.  “You can’t help but feel emotionally affected by their success.”  “When it’s their birthday, we’ll take them out for a meal. A lot of them have never been made to feel special on their birthday. There’s some young people who will just choose the most expensive thing because they’re out and it’s free, then there’s others that are like, ‘I’ll just get a side’.”  Hayley says she will also notice how fast they eat, whether they know how to speak to a waiter or use cutlery. She said these cues tell a lot about the level of poverty or neglect in which they might have been raised.  Hayley says despite the challenges of her work, she loves the continuity it affords when working in the transitional support program, and the moments that make it worthwhile are “really beautiful”.   “Working out of T21 in living and life skills, you get to watch them grow over a period of 12 months,” Hayley says. “[When] someone who moves in who has been homeless secures accommodation, they land and they feel safe. [Then] most people will fall. And then you get to help build them up.   “Success isn’t always linear. They might go backwards, but it is really beautiful when they leave, and they’ve secured themselves an interest-free loan, bought themselves a car and got their driver’s license and they drive out of the driveway.   “You can’t help but feel emotionally affected by their success.”  Hayley says that occasionally she sees the young people she’s worked with afterwards and is always amazed to see them still thriving.  “They’ll tell you, ‘I went overseas. I upgraded my car, and I’ve got a [partner] now, and I've got a different job’,” she says.  “With the one-on-one group stuff in schools or in the community, you’re kind of only getting these little snippets, and you don't get to really see the difference that you make, and you often see people at their worst and or when they’re in crisis, and you don’t get to see them grow. I really love that natural progression over time because a lot of workers don’t get to have that time with someone.”  Towards the end of the interview, Hayley says it simply, a smile spreading across her face.  “I love my job. It’s a real privilege, and I don’t take [it] for granted.”

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Nuria Gonsalves (right) with corps officers and Salvationists from across the country. Image: Mission Support BY NURIA GONSALVES  For The Salvation Army to effectively serve a multicultural nation, we must make intercultural engagement an integral part of our ministry. Harmony Week offers a symbolic starting point, but true intercultural ministry goes beyond a single celebration. It means integrating diverse voices into every aspect of church life, from leadership and discipleship to community outreach and worship.  Many culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) community members already contribute greatly to our corps, but we must ask ourselves: how often are they invited to take on leadership roles? How are we equipping them to share their unique gifts and experiences with the wider church? This transformation requires courage and commitment, but it is essential to becoming a truly intercultural movement.  Fulfilling The Salvation Army's Mission  Harmony Week offers The Salvation Army an opportunity to reflect on how we can better live out our Four Mission Priorities by fostering intercultural relationships, empowering diverse leadership, and creating inclusive worship spaces. In doing so, we actively care for people, create faith pathways, build healthy communities, and work for justice.  This Harmony Week, let’s commit not just to celebrating diversity, but to building a future where our corps mirror Australia’s multicultural reality. Together, we can move beyond a one-off celebration and embed intercultural engagement into the core of our ministry. By taking these intentional steps, we grow into the church God calls us to be—one that reflects His love for all nations, cultures, and peoples.  Many culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) community members already contribute greatly to our corps, but we must ask ourselves: how often are they invited to take on leadership roles? How are we equipping them to share their unique gifts and experiences with the wider church? Practical Steps for Corps Leaders  Plan a Harmony Day event or service that celebrates and showcases cultural diversity within your congregation.  Nominate a CaLD member for the Emerging Leaders Training to support their development as a future leader.  Encourage community engagement workers and ministry assistants to participate in the CaLD Community of Practice to build skills in engaging with diverse communities.    Consider sponsoring a refugee family through the New Beginnings Project  as a way to live out our mission of caring for people.  Learn the Stages of Becoming an Intercultural Faith Community  to understand how to keep growing intercultural understanding and collaboration.  Start a conversation with Intercultural and Disability Inclusion team about becoming an intercultural church and how to better serve the diversity of your community.  This Harmony Day, let’s take meaningful steps toward a future where The Salvation Army in Australia reflects God’s heart for all nations, cultures, and peoples, demonstrating the unity that can only be found in Christ.  Nuria Gonsalves is CaLD Community Engagement Lead for the Mission Support Department of The Salvation Army.  MYSALVOS RESOURCES:  Harmony Week resources can be found here

Each week throughout 2025, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for a specific territory or region of The Salvation Army.   The focus territory/region shares prayer requests to help us pray with precision and power for one another.   This week ( 17-23 March ] we are praying for the Bangladesh Territory.   The territory is led by Lieutenant-Colonel Elizabeth Nelson. There are 103 officers (98 active, 5 retired), 6 cadets, 32 corps and 22 outposts. There are 1449 senior soldiers, 1099 adherents; 171 junior soldiers and 112 employees. Cadets who were commissioned last December. Praising God for: · Commissioning – in December, we celebrated the commissioning of cadets. We thank God for helping three couples complete their officer training. · Territorial leadership – we are grateful that the Lord has given us strong and capable leaders in our territory. Please pray for: ·  Our retired officers – please pray for their health and the healing of those who are sick. ·  Our leadership – Territorial Commander Lieut-Colonel Elizabeth Nelson, Chief Secretary Major Gabriel Dewri and Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries Major Chaya Dewri. ·  Our newly appointed officers. ·  The spiritual development of our officers. ·  The peace of Bangladesh. To find out more about the Bangladesh Territory, click here . To download the 2025 International Prayer Focus schedule, click here . A family from the 2023-24 Defenders of Justice session in Bangladesh.

In Caloundra: (from left) Aux-Lieut Tim Clark, Ben Brewer, Belinda Hendrickson, Aux-Lieut  Karen Clark, Rene Ashford, Stefano Verrelli in Caloundra (Qld).   BY ANTHONY CASTLE   Doorways provides emergency relief and holistic case management for those who seek assistance from The Salvation Army.   In 2022, a national model was introduced to enhance the provision of services and support nationwide. As part of the evaluation of the national model’s implementation, a research team visited 22 Salvo sites across Australia and connected with 70 individuals to gain insights from those who have experienced these services firsthand.   “We actually engaged with hundreds of stakeholders over the course of the site visits,” says Belinda Hendrickson, Research Analyst with the Salvos.   “We spoke with Doorways workers, corps officers, volunteers and community members. To mitigate the risk of selection bias in the lived experience consultations and to improve the reliability of the findings, we looked at the compliments and complaints data in Solvsafety, as well as the data collected from the Emergency Relief Outcomes Measurement survey.”   Belinda has led the evaluation since November 2023. During the site visits, the research team heard from a diverse group of community members, which included 28 people with disabilities, nine refugees, asylum seekers or migrants, 18 First Nations people, and three people who identified as LGBTQIA+. In Alice Springs: (Back row from left) Paul Tanner, Mel Birch, Maria Anderson, Belinda Hendrickson, Andy Head. (Middle row from left) Lee Quan, Emma Scott, Emmanuel Migi, Anne Dunn. (Front row from left) Minn Sultan, Netty Sultan.  The key observations have been that it takes strength to ask for help, people value opportunities to learn new skills, and connecting with others is important.     “Where there is effective collaboration between Doorways and corps, we can see phenomenal holistic support provided,” Belinda says.   “Community members shared how participating in social activities, specific programs, or onsite case management positively influenced or impacted their lives. It was evident that these benefits are the result of effective collaboration between Doorways and corps.   “We saw improvements in community members’ life circumstances and in their overall wellbeing. People told us they felt more confident about managing challenges in the future. They also told us that having opportunities to connect with others reduced their sense of loneliness.”   Many participants shared that the simple act of seeking food or financial support can be daunting, with feelings of shame and fear of judgment. Many expressed a desire to get involved in programs and activities that teach life skills and promote independence.   The process also highlighted that connecting with others enhances a sense of belonging and wellbeing, while also offering opportunities to share information about additional resources. “Moving forward, the Doorways evaluation will evolve, with a focus on monitoring, evaluation and learning, so that we can continue to deliver support in the most effective way possible.”   “This part of the evaluation is concluding, but the process of assessing feedback and incorporating it into continuous improvement to enhance service delivery continues.” says Belinda.   “One thing we’ve learnt through the lived experience consultations is that some people feel shame when asking for assistance. There can be internalised stigma around it. We saw this across all states and genders. That really gave me insight into how much courage it takes to seek help. This is an opportunity for us here. We can share this information with workers and corps, using it as a tool to consider how we can keep this understanding at the forefront of our messaging and how we serve people each day.   “Moving forward, the Doorways evaluation will evolve, with a focus on monitoring, evaluation and learning, so that we can continue to deliver support in the most effective way possible.”