Each week throughout 2025 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 ( 10-16 February ) we are praying for the Sri Lanka Territory.   The territory is made up of 4667 senior soldiers, 1040 adherents and 1218 junior soldiers. There are 44 corps, 21 societies and outposts, 131 officers (78 active and 53 retired), 1 cadet and 97 employees.   The Territorial Leaders are Colonels Nihal and Rohini Hettiarachchi.   Praise points and prayer requests: ·       New applicants for college – please pray for the 11 applicants who are preparing for the 2026 training session. ·       Children and youth activities – pray for all children and youth activities in the territory, especially Sunday School programs and this year’s Vacation Bible School in all corps. ·       Extension ministry work – out of the eight extension mission points established last year, two have been upgraded to corps status. Let us thank God for this victory and pray for a bold spirit to continue sharing the love of Christ in these areas. ·       Officers’ wellbeing – pray for the spiritual, mental and physical health of all officers. ·       Economic and social wellbeing – pray for the country’s economic and social stability, and for the new government, that they may lead the nation toward a better life for its citizens. ·       South Asia College for Officers (February) – pray for the South Asia College for Officers hosted by our territory in February. May the delegates return to their respective missions with a renewed spirit and boldness to bring more people to Christ. To find out more about the Sri Lanka Territory, click here . To download the 2025 International Prayer Focus schedule, click here .

Lincoln Proellocks (far right) with fellow Salvos as part of the Red Frogs support teams at Schoolies Week in Bali Young Salvos joined Red Frogs teams in Bali late last year as part of Equip Leadership Cohorts, a Salvation Army Youth and Young Adults Ministry Team development program.   The Equip Leadership Cohorts program is designed for leaders aged over 18 who are involved in local youth or young adult ministry. Last November, a group from the Equip Leadership Cohorts travelled to Bali to participate in the Red Frogs’ presence at Schoolies Week.   “The Bali team had a great but busy week,” says Lincoln Proellocks, Leadership Coordinator with the Salvos’ Youth and Young Adults Ministry Team. “Over 500 schoolies travelled to Bali for Schoolies Week. As Red Frogs, we were able to build great relationships with the schoolies and be there for them when things didn’t go to plan.”   Lincoln Proellocks, Leadership Coordinator with the Salvos’ Youth and Young Adults Ministry Team. Red Frogs is an organisation dedicated to the vision of ‘reducing suffering and safeguarding a generation of young people.’   During Schoolies Week, Red Frogs teams assist school leavers in various ways, offering pancake cook-ups, room visits, room cleans, emotional support, walk-homes, advice, and, of course, Red Frogs confectionary.   “We assisted young people with everything from sickness, helping intoxicated people get home safely and navigate their way around, giving advice, and being there when they'd gotten themselves in trouble,” says Lincoln. “In 2025, we have 27 leaders involved, all who have been identified and nominated by local or divisional leaders.”   “It was a really healthy week in Bali and the Red Frogs teams played a key role in supporting young people in their time of celebration. Red Frogs is an opportunity for young leaders to be stretched and, for those in the Equip Leadership Cohort, to put into practice some of the skills they have been learning about during the year.”   The Equip Leadership Cohort is an initiative of the Youth and Young Adults Ministry Team aimed at strengthening individual leadership, developing strong character, acquiring skills, and igniting vision.   Participants in the Equip Leadership Cohort have the chance to develop their leadership skills through workshops, professional coaching and mentoring, attending leadership conferences, and engaging in mission opportunities.   “We piloted the Cohort in 2024 with 22 young leaders from across Australia meeting monthly for online leadership workshops and discussions,” Lincoln says. “These were led by leadership author and experienced youth leader Tim Hawkins. In 2025, we have 27 leaders involved, all who have been identified and nominated by local or divisional leaders.”   Each month, participants have the opportunity to join online workshops, engage in sessions with an accredited Christian Coach, and connect with other leaders serving in youth ministries across Australia. Being part of the 2025 Equip Leadership Cohort will also offer opportunities for mission work, including leadership roles at local events, State Youth Camps, and Red Frogs.   “It’s a chance to see, and be involved in, the impact that the wider church can make to a generation of young Australians when we minister and serve together,” Lincoln says.   “We also had young Salvo leaders serving at Red Frogs in other locations around Australia, including the Gold Coast, Victoria and Western Australia. It’s an opportunity to spend a year growing in leadership.”   Those interested in learning more about Equip Leadership Cohorts can enquire at Lincoln.Proellocks@salvationarmy.org.au

Brigadier Stella Bywaters was revered – and feared by a dictator – for her work in Uganda and Kenya, where she was appointed as a Salvation Army officer for 29 years. She received an Order of the Founder for her service in 1978, and even upon retiring in the 1980s stayed in Uganda to act as matron at a children’s home. Pictures est. 1975. Newspaper article from The Age, 22 June 1978. BY JESSICA MORRIS When Brigadier Stella Bywaters (OF) was promoted to glory on 19 June 2009, the 89-year-old Australian Salvation Army officer was already recognised as a global symbol of compassion and perseverance. Labelled a ‘Salvo Lioness’ in a feature-length obituary by Torrance Mendez in the West Australian newspaper, in the public’s mind, she stood toe-to-toe with brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin when he expelled 27 Christian expressions from Uganda in 1977. He famously said, “I would rather face a lion than Brigadier Stella Bywaters.” But long before she was at the forefront of this persecution, she was already committed to the Lord’s work. Stella (inset) was part of the Crusader session of cadets. Born in Nhill, Victoria, in 1919 to Herbert and Emily Bywaters, Stella was one of six children, all of whom became Salvation Army officers. She was commissioned in 1942 as a member of the Crusader session of cadets alongside her brother Ronald and his wife, Amy. After appointments in Balaclava (Vic.), Scottsdale (Tas.) and Box Hill (Vic.), she was then appointed to Seaforth Boys Home in Gosnells (WA) and praised for her enthusiasm and interest in the young people. Appointed to Friendship House, Uganda, in 1953 and making a permanent move in 1962, she said goodbye to Australian shores in what would become a life-long commitment to love and live between two countries. Sharing her farewell service from Gosnells with Salvationists Senior Captain and Mrs Bryant, they spoke about their new appointments, and an article in The Coastal District Star stated, “[they] assured the congregation that they go in God’s strength and to do His work, where it may”. International leadership would visit Brigadier Stella Bywaters and the team at Home of Joy Orphanage in Kampala before 1977. She is pictured here (centre, holding children) next to General Clarence Wiseman. Life in Uganda Upon moving to Uganda, Stella’s rapport with the community was so great that in 1964 she opened the Home of Joy Orphanage in Kampala. She also spent time in Kenya during the Mau Mau uprisings and massacres of the early 1970s. In Uganda, she would serve and eventually preside over two sites supporting abandoned children and people of all ages who were crippled. Once, when interviewed by the Australian Women’s Weekly at the Army’s Australian centenary celebrations in 1980, she defined her work as running “from sunrise in life to sunset”. A statement that she lived both literally and metaphorically until she was laid to rest in Armadale (WA) some 29 years later. Her work in Uganda, which lasted nearly 30 years, earned Stella an Order of the Founder in 1978. But it wasn’t her actions that initially made the world take notice. She was in the right place at the right time – that is, the last representative of The Salvation Army in Uganda during the reign of military leader and President Idi Amin, who banned 27 mainly Protestant organisations in September 1977. As the most senior Salvation Army officer on site, she was the last representative of The Salvation Army to remain in Kampala to care for abandoned children before being ordered to leave in early June 1978 once the government found someone to take over the work. In a conversation with the New York Times , she shed light on how The Salvation Army was affected immediately after the announcement was made on the radio. She even contacted the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, who was in the dark as much as the Army. “We are not wearing our uniforms, and we have closed our citadels. We hope we shall be allowed to continue with our social work here,” she said. “Nobody has come near us so far. I’ve been here since 1962. This is my home. Our work has even had the support of the President, who has visited us and been appreciative of what we are doing.” She even insinuated that “Amin is kind.” Toe-to-toe with Amin As history tells us, President Amin was a dictator who seized control of the country with the help of colonial powers and ruled from 1971 to 1979. His choice to ban 27 religious organisations in 1977 was just one of many actions that persecuted people of different ethnicities, faiths and abilities. An image of Idi Amin on a five-shilling note in the 1970s. In his obituary, The Guardian called him “one of the most brutal military dictators to wield power in post-independence Africa”. And with no elections held and facilitating his rule with secret police, at least 80,000 people were killed during his reign. (The International Commission of Jurists in Geneva allege the figure is closer to 300,000. Amnesty International states the figure is 500,000.) This was the Uganda that Brigadier Stella Bywaters lived in – although she asserted that she felt safe in her beloved country. But how did Amin encounter the ‘Salvo Lioness’ before the ban? The year before, Amin had met Stella to discuss the work of The Salvation Army. “He was just a quietly spoken man who seemed very interested in our work,” she told The Age on 22 June 1978, two weeks after she left the country. “He seemed to appreciate the work we were doing for the people. I was very surprised when our organisation was banned. I am not so bitter about what happened, but I am sorry to leave the Ugandan families I was looking after.” Interestingly, an interview with the ABC in 2005 suggests that another failed attempt at communication with Amin must have occurred before this. Stella shared that the dictator had invited members of religious organisations to Parliament House for tea but stood them up. “We just sat there and sat there and sat there, but there was no Idi Amin coming.” This is the instance that formed Stella’s reputation as a ‘Salvo Lioness’. She shared, “Afterward, the expression was that Idi Amin would rather face a lion than face me. He must have been a bit afraid of me because I wasn’t afraid of him, and many, many people were very fearful of him because he was so cruel.” Indeed, the benefit of hindsight and a fallen dictator who could no longer harm the community or the work of The Salvation Army added to the candour of this statement, made only a few years before her death. Brigadier Stella Bywaters returned to Uganda even after retiring, serving as Matron at The Salvation Army Tororo Children’s Home. Amin was overthrown on 11 April 1979 after Tanzanian troops neared Kampala, allowing Stella and The Salvation Army to return to their work in Uganda the following year. While she visited Australia for the Army’s centenary celebrations in 1980, Uganda remained her home. Even after retiring, she returned to serve at the Tororo Children’s Home in Uganda. A legacy In 1988, the Australia Southern Territory published Stella’s biography, Star in a Dark Sky: A Biography of Brigadier Stella Bywaters, written by Jessie Jenks. In 2005, she received the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for “service to the international community, during an unsafe and dangerous period in Uganda, through the provision of humanitarian aid and nursing care to improve the lives of the sick, poor and dispossessed and to The Salvation Army”. Stella was one of six children who all became Salvation Army officers. Pictured here in the 1990s, Stella (far right) with her sisters Gwendolyn, Coral and Marjorie. The then 85-year-old was one of 157 women recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours list and was one of four awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia Medal. In her lifetime, she was also awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal and the Uganda Independence Medal. Brigadier Stella May Bywaters was promoted to glory on 19 June 2009 while living at Seaforth Gardens, The Salvation Army aged care facility in Gosnells, Western Australia, where her sister and fellow officer Marjorie also lived until her promotion to glory in 2011.  Many thanks to The Salvation Army Museum for its assistance with this article.

Many of you will have seen photos online of shops with clever, funny or unique trading names. They’re a credit to business owners who thought along the lines of, “Why just say call it a bakery when I can call it Bread Pitt?”   Some of my favourite ones are the laundromat called ‘Lord of the Rinse’, the greengrocers called ‘Melon Cauli’, the Chinese restaurant called ‘Wok This Way’, and the clothing alterations service called ‘Sew It Seams’.   I’m also a big fan of bookshops, and there are some fantastic store names around: ‘A Likely Story’, ‘Bound to Please’, ‘Writer’s Block’, ‘Just One More Page’ and ‘Shelf Indulgence’. I like that last one especially – there’s nothing like getting lost amongst the shelves of a large bookstore and finding some treasures.   So, if Salvationist business owners decided to go with a Christian or Salvo-themed name, what sort of creative titles might we see?   Hairdresser – Shaved to Serve   Café – CSM (coffee, sandwiches, muffins)   Mechanic – Under the Bonnet   A mirror shop – Major Look   Costume shop – Charlie Chaplain’s   Kitchenware – Storm the Forks   Angling shop – Praise Cod!   Cheese shop – Stand Up For Cheeses!   Grocers – Apple Corps   Bookshop – The Good Book   Welding business – Onward Christian Solderers   Post office – Epistles and Parcels   Milliners – Captain Cap   Maths tutors – Long Divisional Headquarters   Finally, and just for fun, a brass instrument-playing bikie club in Victoria’s capital city – Melbourne’s Tough Band.   Major Mal Davies is the Assistant Divisional Commander for the Victoria Division

Emma Kealy, Nationals Member for Lowan (centre), says the Victorian SAES team had been amazing in helping out the local community, and when it pulled up at midnight at the Horsham Evacuation Centre, there was a visible and obvious sigh of relief from the organisers. She was given a tour of the Salvos’ set-up by SAES General Manager Daryl Crowden (right). BY LERISSE SMITH Amidst multiple large-scale fires and intense heatwave conditions in Victoria during the past few weeks, Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) teams have provided vital support to both emergency responders and residents impacted by the blazes. SAES team members have served hundreds of meals to emergency services personnel fighting bush and grassland fires stretching across regional and western Victoria amidst hot and windy conditions, plus provided material aid and meals to affected community members. The SAES team prepares bedding for evacuees at an evacuation centre in Horsham after residents were told to leave Dimboola due to a fire at the Little Desert National Park. “It has been a hectic time for our team,” said Carolyn Spratling, Response Coordinator of the Victorian SAES. “In one day, we covered many kilometres, starting at the Altona fire, then straight to the Rokewood fire, and finally finding ourselves assisting at the Horsham relief centre. I’m blessed to have such amazing team members who give up so much of their time to help the community.” Material aid such as bedding, blankets and emergency supplies has formed an integral part of the Victorian SAES support to residents impacted by the fires, while at the time of going to press, the emergency services team remains on high alert as uncontrolled bushfires at the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park and Little Desert National Park continue to burn. The Salvation Army has also provided financial support to residents directly impacted by the Grampians fire in December, including replacing food and issuing recovery payments after local councils reached out to the Salvos for help. CFA firefighters tackling a fire at Rokewood were given much-needed nourishment thanks to the SAES team. Hot and windy conditions resulted in several new significant fires in the state’s west last Monday week, including the Grampians. About 10,000 dry-lightning strikes caused around 70 ignitions in private land and approximately 80 in public land and national parks across the state, with the most notable occurring in the Little Desert and Grampians (Gariwerd) National Parks. The lightning strikes ignited multiple fires within the Grampians National Park, including three major ones, plus another significant blaze in the Little Desert National Park located in the Wimmera Mallee region of Victoria. The fire grew at a rapid rate and quickly expanded to 69,000 hectares as a contingent of 68 deployed aircraft responded directly to the crisis. The SAES team prepare another tasty culinary feast for 120 firefighters working at a grass fire in Wollert. The SAES team was called to provide bedding to an evacuation centre in Horsham after residents from Dimboola, a western township of Melbourne near Little Desert, were asked to leave their homes due to the fire. It was also instrumental in providing immediate relief to evacuees. They supplied bedding, blankets, and emergency supplies. Additionally, they provided meals to community members affected by the evacuations. Tracy Sutton, Corps Officer at Horsham, along with the Horsham SAES team, assisted as they set up in the early hours of the morning and provided bedding, clothes, food and psychosocial support. “When we saw the Salvos pull up at midnight, there was a visible and obvious sigh of relief from the organisers,” remarked Emma Kealy, Nationals Member for Lowan, whose office is located in Horsham. “You guys have been amazing!” Another significant grass fire broke out at Laverton Wetlands in Altona, with the SAES feeding 250 firefighters who brought the fire under control quickly.  The team then provided dinner to firefighters at Rokewood with help from Ballarat and state volunteers before finishing at Horsham. More than 200 firefighters fighting a significant fire at Laverton Wetlands in Altona were greatly assisted through meals provided to them from the Victorian SAES team. A late-night dinner was also provided to 120 firefighters who were working at a grass fire in Wollert on 20 January. “To our teams, this is more than just handing out food; it is so much bigger than that,” Carolyn said. “This fire happened in a district where we have walked alongside these brigades during emergencies for 40-plus years. Our team has gotten to know many of the long-term CFA members who are always up for a chat. “You can’t describe the feeling when you turn out to a job, and a firefighter you have fed on jobs for 30 years looks everywhere for you just so they can give you a hug and say thank you for always being there. These men and women become part of our bigger emergency services family.”

World Interfaith Harmony Week comes at a time when harmony feels far from possible, writes Kirralee Nicolle. Image: Getty BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE  World Interfaith Harmony Week has just ended, and if we’re being honest when looking around the world, harmony between faith groups feels far from possible.   With politics and religion engaging in an unholy dance marked by power, oppression and control, faith groups feel in many ways more divided than ever.   But, of course, it isn’t the first time religious groups asserted power over one another. The Crusades of the 11th to 13th Centuries were a dark time in Christianity’s history. These horrifying attacks followed the Arab Conquest, which began in the 7th Century under the rule of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. More recently, religion of all kinds has fuelled more terror attacks, colonial takeovers and occasions of tribal warfare across the globe than we can stand to count.   In my own life, treating those of other faiths with not just dignity and respect, but as fellow sojourners through life who carry their own wisdom has been something I’ve had to learn as an adult. My upbringing in a rigid, fringe and legalistic version of Christianity for many years blinded me to the wonder and grace within those from other faith backgrounds and points of view. It took me until I was well into my twenties to realise that while I had been taught to evangelise, I had never been taught to stop and listen.   Sometimes, I hear a point of view, and in thinking over it, I come to believe it is harmful or wrong. Other times, I am unsure. About a decade ago, a friend from the Latter-Day Saints (still a close friend, I’m pleased to say) and I set about trying to convert one another. We had both been raised in families where our faith was paramount, so it slowly dawned on us that our efforts were futile. But we both learned something: we could put our assumption about the other’s needs first, or we could simply pay attention to who the other person was and why they saw the world through the lens they did.    When we stopped our conversion efforts and instead just connected as fellow sojourners in life, a beautiful friendship based on mutual appreciation developed. Our faith perspectives shared similarities and differences, and that was ok. I’ve learned a lot from her about faith and life as we’ve both faced ups and downs, and even though she now lives in a different country, we talk every week. It's now a bit amusing to reflect back on the people we were at that time.  I found it deeply embarrassing to be confronted with my own assumptions about others’ points of view. Why did I so firmly believe that everyone who wasn’t the same kind of Christian as me hated God? Why had it never occurred to me that the same devotion I applied in my own faith, someone else might be applying in theirs with full integrity?   Black-and-white thinking is a trait shared by several mental health disorders and is also consistent with legalistic thinking in any religious context. Black-and-white thinking starts from an assumption that there is a correct way to think about everything, and by definition, all other perspectives must be wrong. While I believe truth exists and is there to be discovered, I’ve found a more helpful practice for myself: withhold judgment. Sometimes, I hear a point of view, and in thinking over it, I come to believe it is harmful or wrong. Other times, I am unsure. For me, it’s about counting the cost and always starting from a place of love and compassion. Who might be harmed through this belief? If there is possible harm, am I sure it is a harm Jesus would approve? Why might he not? How can I draw from Scripture and from my relationship with Jesus to understand what a Kingdom view might be? Is it what I always assumed, or could it be radically different?  I’m a lot more comfortable with feeling unsure these days. I’ve stayed on the fence for years about some things and remained quiet until I knew what I might say. But whenever I can follow the way of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – all the fruits of the Spirit – that’s when I know I’m on the right track, even if I’m bumbling along it. And I know others – maybe those I might not have formerly expected to be – are right there, too.

Many generations come together at Boronia Corps each Monday for another great evening of Japanese Kyokushin Karate. As the clock strikes 6.30pm on a typical Monday, people of all ages gather at Melbourne’s Boronia Corps for an evening that stands apart from the rest. They are here to train their hearts and bodies for a firm, unshaken spirit through the disciplined practice of Japanese Kyokushin Karate. The energy in the room is palpable, as Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH discovered when she witnessed its transformative nature in action. Clad in crisp white uniforms with belts tightly secured, people spanning many generations converge on Boronia Corps for yet another evening where the essence of community and martial arts intertwine harmoniously. It’s Kyokushin Karate night, and a sea of red and black interlocking foam mats dominates the landscape as martial artists join forces to practice the unique art form that is transforming people’s lives, hearts and approaches to life. Young lives have been changed in remarkable ways, while older generations have been motivated to become role models for their children. And since the karate program launched last year, it has been a hit for the local community. “It has just snowballed,” said Tracey Brown, The Salvation Army Financial Counsellor based at Boronia Corps. “In a short time, it has been a real hit. It has just taken off.” Tracey still recalls the moment she was struck by a thought while watching her brother-in-law and others practise karate, which led to the exciting initiative being established at the corps. Participants begin each session with a stretching routine on the red and black foam mats spread out across the Boronia Corps hall. After observing men and women practise their martial art for more than a year, including her now-husband, she suddenly realised the similarities between the values of the non-profit Kyokushin Karate and those of The Salvation Army. “It was something quite interesting to watch,” she recalled, adding that it was a privilege to watch amazing people practice and embrace martial arts. “But what really drew me was that their Dojo Kun (a sacred training space with rules) is equivalent to what the Salvos would call our mission and values. They recite it after every class. And there are some amazing similarities between what we believe and what they were talking about. It is very much about centring themselves on their faith and being better people in the community and trying to do good in this community. That is when I started to think, oh, okay, we are trying to change the world, both groups separately. And it was something that was sort of ticking around in mind.” Three martial artists strike a distinctive pose.  The ‘something ticking around’ in her mind prompted Tracey to have a conversation with Kyokushin Karate Sempai Aharon Claridge, who mentioned how he would love to open his own Dojo in Knox to positively impact young people, adults, and families who want to learn discipline, self-worth and ‘amazing life lessons’ – especially for those who can’t afford traditional, costly karate classes. The conversation was to leave a lasting impression – and brought about a quick revelation. “I quickly said, “Why don’t we join forces? Why don’t we do it here at the corps?’” Tracey recalled. “So, I wrote up a bit of a spiel of what it could look like and took it to the corps leadership team. They were like, “Let’s give it a go. It sounds a bit strange” and I had a few people say, “I don’t know what you are on about Tracey, but you know, why not?” The idea was to run a Dojo in the worship building, where, alongside learning valuable life lessons through karate, there would also be a Salvos team present for emotional and practical support. Read Lerisse Smith’s personal reflection after visiting a Monday night karate session A key motivator was a 30 per cent increase in youth crime in the local area since 2020, along with widespread problems such as family violence, depression and anxiety, plus Sempai Aharon’s experience working with both young offenders. He has also trained in a number of dojos, assisting them with training. And since the program launched a few months ago, it has been a resounding success. People of all ages gather three times a week to practise Kyokushin Karate, which is a full-contact martial art where violence is not taught, in the church’s main auditorium where courtesy, respect, discipline and inclusivity are a core focus. Corps volunteers attend each practice session, offering coffee, snacks, a friendly conversation and practical and emotional support. Sempai Aharon Claridge (right) spars with one of the participants. The Salvos’ main goal is to help make a difference in the lives of others while providing their premises for a program such as karate at their church – especially young people who have been bought in by the Salvos team, encouraging them to give it a go. Tracey recalls a young boy who initially believed he could not do martial arts. “He pulled away from all sports,” she said. “He was sitting at home. He was starting to have a lot of problems in his life. He came for the very first class – and hasn’t left. He is there early. To see the physical changes in him, just the way he stands, he stands tall, and a ‘I can do this’ mentality coming in, is just amazing. To see them stand tall in their uniforms is absolutely amazing.” The community has fully embraced the initiative, with support from local businesses and other Salvo programs that provide equipment, uniforms, and water. The classes are mixed age, with participants aged seven to over 80. The purpose is for young people to learn from older generations and vice versa. The program also includes young people from the corps’ youth group and a father from the kids’ programs. Teaching and passing on important life principles to the local community members is important for Sempai Aharon, who began karate at just four years old. He emphasises the importance of discipline, self-control, respect, and character – values that have shaped his life, especially during past struggles with anxiety and depression. Teaching and passing on important life principles to the local community members is all-important for Sempai Aharon Claridge, who began karate at just four years of age. He emphasises the importance of discipline, self-control, respect, and character - key values that have shaped his life. “Karate has shaped me into the person I am today,” he reflected. “It can be for people who want to exercise and get away from everything or for those wanting to become a world-class fighter.” Tracey highlighted several ways the Dojo had impacted the local community. One is introducing the community to the many other facets of the Army’s missional work, including the fact that churches do not have to compete with sports. “We are both wanting to make a difference in the world and in our communities,” she said. “By pooling resources and collaborating, we can make a much bigger impact.” The Boronia Corps team has witnessed a transformation in young people with low self-esteem, who have gained confidence, respect and discipline through karate. This growth, along with seeing them overcome issues such as anger and become calmer, fuels the team’s passion for the program. As chaplains to the Dojo, the Salvos teams are committed to building community connections. One of the karate teachers also serves as a youth leader at the corps. Sempai Aharon also ensures that affirming messages – such as You are not weak. You are a warrior. You stand tall – form part of the martial arts training. “To see them instantly go, “Huh, I’m not weak, you are right” and the self-esteem and confidence grow in them is absolutely amazing,” Tracey said. “They come back into our programs saying, “I’m ready to listen. I’m ready to actually get help because I am a warrior, because I do matter.” So it is that amazing connection.” The profound effect of Kyokushin Karate on some young participants has also been witnessed by their parents, who have reached out to the Salvos, noting their children have been changed for the better. One parent mentioned how their child, just after one class, unexpectedly started doing the dishes without being asked. Another parent remarked that their child came home and just started helping out, adding in the comment, “I need to help more.” Tracey believes the changes have come from learning respect and being available. Young people also help set up and clean up the Dojo Kun space, maintaining a tidy space and learning responsibility along the way – and they thrive on this. The future of the Knox Kyokushin Karate looks bright. The Salvos hope the exciting initiative will continue growing and eventually outgrow its current space to a larger one. Tracey added they would also love to see the connection between Kyokushin Karate and the Salvos expand: “Even if it’s just one person walking through the door and saying, ‘Oh, I really needed that,’” she said. “Then that is all it takes.” Insights from participants: “I just really enjoy the positive energy because people doing this tend to be more positive and have a ‘can do’ attitude to life. You learn to persevere in hard times too. I had some serious health issues a few years ago, and what I do here gave me that mental drive to get through it. The best thing, apart from being fitter and a little bit healthier, is that you can get around and enjoy your life a little bit more. This is something that you can do for life. It’s like an open book you never finish. There’s always something to achieve.” – Frank     “Karate is everything. The people, the vibe of it. The values also speak to me too. The best part is being disciplined in my everyday life and being respectful to others. It’s all about the Dojo Kun - being strong in the mind and strong in the heart.” – Kobe   “I like the camaraderie, training and fitness aspect. Also being a role model for my boys. I have two sons. I would like them to build a career and maybe one day to have their own Dojos as well I could train at. Karate has really taught me humility and being humble. Sometimes you have your ups and downs. But this place is a real leveller and you pick yourself up and keep going.” – Lyndsay   “I love the mates that you make here and everything we do. I’ve got people that I know all over the state just because I’ve come into karate. It’s the type of place where you can get the absolute snot knocked out you, and then go and shake hands at the end. I just love that. Karate has taught me perseverance. To just keep going. There are days I think ah, I think it’s too hard. Then I think about some of the stuff I’ve done at karate, and I’m like, nah, that was harder. I can do this.” – Angus

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

Midsumma Pride marchers representing The Salvation Army stand behind a banner that demonstrates the Salvos’ commitment to being a safe and welcoming space for all people, especially those most vulnerable. The Salvation Army’s Social Mission and Community Engagement teams led a group of Salvos in the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne on Sunday 2 February.     The Salvation Army’s Major Stuart Glover explains: “ Our involvement in events such as these centres around our commitment to inclusion and effective inclusive practice, enabling The Salvation Army to be recognised as a safe and welcoming space for all people, especially those most vulnerable.”   The Salvation Army representatives are always warmly welcomed as they march.    “Thousands of community members lined the streets, showing us such grace, love and thanks for being there,” said Nicole Telfer, LGBTIQA+ Specialist-Social Mission and Community Engagement. “Now more than ever, it’s vital we show that we are a movement committed to acceptance and unconditional love for all people. All are welcome here.”    A key part of the Salvation Army's international mission statement is that “Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination.” Relevant links on The Salvation Army’s commitment to inclusion: Our commitment to inclusion Reaffirming our commitment to inclusion

WA SAES teams like this dedicated crew have been serving meals in Port Kennedy, Davenport and Carnarvon. Images: Supplied BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE Over the past week, Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) teams in Western Australia have supported firefighters with freshly prepared meals and snacks as they brought three separate blazes under control. With hot weather contributing to fires across the country, SAES teams in multiple states have been meeting the needs of fire response crews. All significant fires in Western Australia are currently back under control, with SAES Response Coordinator for WA Benjamin Day saying crews are now focusing on preparing for whatever might come next. Read more: SAES crews feed fire response teams across Western Australia In the early hours of 4 February, SAES teams deployed to Port Kennedy, near Rockingham, to provide dinners and light meals for 55 firefighters working to contain a blaze that took two days to fully control. On the same day, SAES teams were also deployed to a fire in Davenport, a suburb of Bunbury, a city two hours south of Perth. On 31 January, SAES staff and volunteer couple Sonya and Dave Cooper also flew to a cattle station in Carnarvon, a nine-hour drive north of Perth, to support fire crews battling a bushfire. The couple spent five days cooking in extreme conditions, where each day temperatures exceeded 45 degrees Celsius, with little air conditioning. Read more: SAES responds to ‘once-in-a-century’ flood crisis in North Queensland Benjamin said his teams were able to adapt when needed, with smaller crews of capable volunteers and staff members deploying to remote areas when the need arose. “We’re proud of our volunteers that they can step up when that happens,” he said. Click through the slideshow below for more photos: The WA SAES teams have been assisting the community and serving meals in Port Kennedy, Davenport and Carnarvon. Images: Supplied

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it?   Along with my husband Scott, I am currently the Corps Officer of the Bayside Corps, which is on the beautiful Redlands coast furthest east of Brisbane. We think it’s the best appointment in the country!   One of the satisfying aspects of the role, which has resulted from a uniquely long appointment of 13 years at Bayside Corps, is the depth of relationship and mission partnership that we get to enjoy with many community partners in our city, including other Salvation Army expressions, other local church congregations and leaders, Indigenous elders and leaders, other care agencies, schools and chaplains. This reality sees us being able to provide holistic care to so many in our community, encompassing the material, emotional, financial, social/relational, and spiritual aspects of care to individuals and families.   We are finding that the temperature is hot, and the level of trust is maturing across our city for churches and organisations to partner well and be revealers of hope in our community in unity, and this excites us greatly.    2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?   I unwind best when I’m running a park run, soaking in a hot bath, or sitting in a café by the ocean with a good coffee and my journal. I also just enjoy hanging out with my husband and three amazing teenage children, watching movies, playing board games and eating, or spending time with our wider families, including siblings, parents and nieces and nephews.   3. What’s a favourite Christian song, and why do you like it?  Look, there are many, and I am not great at choosing favourites. But one that has come to the front of my mind again recently, which plays on our local Christian radio quite a lot, is called ‘If I Don’t Have You’ by Love & The Outcome. It’s helping me to stay Jesus-centred at the moment, reminding me that if I don’t have Jesus at the centre of it all, then I don’t have anything of true worth! In terms of a worship song, for similar reasons, it would have to be, ‘Yet Not I but through Christ in Me’ – To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus. All the glory evermore to Him. When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat: Yet not I, but through Christ in me! “I would recommend above all else is giving everything (plans, dreams, motives, future, resources, gifts, talents) to God, and allowing him to lead the way.”   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?  Initially, my answer was going to be “any one of Jesus’ disciples”, as I just want to soak up the stories of what it would have been like to journey so closely with Jesus when he was on earth and how they grew in their trust of who he was to the point of continuing to give all for Him. But I have also been discussing with a friend recently what it would have been like for Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac. As a result, I have found myself wanting to understand the mind and heart and journey of surrender and trust of Abraham. I guess the two are linked in the sense that what draws me to both the disciples and Abraham (and many other biblical characters, of course) is the attraction of a life of surrender and trust, no matter the consequence and outcome. In a way, we are all on the same journey, and I suppose we feel connected to these characters as we live out our own journeys of surrender and sacrifice and trust in him. My heart and Spirit never get weary of hearing the stories of those who give their all to him and go on the adventure of full surrender.   5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say?   My short and decisive answer is yes, I would recommend officership to those who God may be calling to officership – there is nothing I would rather be doing in life than what I get to do now. But I want to qualify my answer by saying that what I would recommend above all else is giving everything (plans, dreams, motives, future, resources, gifts, talents) to God, and allowing him to lead the way. We are all called by God to be missionaries in this world in every space we live, work and play, so if God is given full reign in one’s life of how that missionary service plays out, I recommend that.   *Interview by Lerisse Smith

Perhaps it’s time to add Salvation Army international events to your calendar? Photo by  Eric Rothermel  on  Unsplash Did you know that The Salvation Army International promotes a range of events on its websites? Many of these can be attended virtually, some publish a range of online resources allowing readers to experience the event online, and others can be attended in person.   With Easter approaching, perhaps you’d be interested in the Lent event , 5 March-19 April 2025? A series of reflections are available here, as well as printable cards and resources in different languages.   Perhaps you’d like to sign up for a global workshop covering the topic ‘Modern slavery and human trafficking as a form of violence against women’ on 12 March.   Other events currently being promoted are the International Day of Children and Young People on 27 April, and The Eye European youth event on 7-10 August.   New events are frequently added to the site.   Videos of major events held around the world in previous years are also available to view. For example, past events currently being promoted online include International Day of Children and Young People 2024, the official launch of the Bulgaria region, and the International Creative Arts Festival. Videos of a selection of past Salvation Army events around the world are also available. Take a moment and check out this site by clicking here .