The Salvation Army Museum Manager Lindsay Cox with posters advertising the premiere of Limelight.  BY ANTHONY CASTLE   Limelight is a new feature documentary that tells the story of The Salvation Army’s Limelight Department, an innovative production studio founded in Australia in 1891.   Directed by Eddie Beyrouthy, an Australian cinematographer and filmmaker, the documentary shines a light on one of the world’s first film studios, once operated in The Salvation Army’s attic on 69 Bourke Street in Melbourne.   “People come up to see The Salvation Army Museum here,” explains Lindsay Cox, museum manager. “Eddie was brought here by a friend, and I gave him the tour of the museum in the attic studio. Eddie was gobsmacked. He saw The Salvation Army’s impact on Australian cinema and said, ‘I want to make a movie about this’.”   “It’s important for people to understand that there was a film industry here [at The Salvation Army in Australia] before Hollywood.” The Salvation Army’s Limelight Department was one of Australia’s first film production companies. From 1891, the Limelight Department produced and toured magic lantern exhibitions throughout Australasia.   In 1896, the Army got its first movie camera and started producing motion-picture films. The film Soldiers of the Cross , produced in 1900, contains 15 90-second sections and 200 lantern slides. While some Lumiere footage was used in the opening passion sequence of the film, the majority of the footage was filmed at various locations around Melbourne. One of the lantern slides from the film ‘Soldiers of the Cross’, which dates back to 1900. “Over the years, we’ve been accumulating a lot of information, and we have all the publications from back then,” explains Lindsay. “The Salvation Army documented everything it did. The story is all there; it just all needs to be gotten out.”   The award-winning documentary Beyond the Wasteland was Eddie’s feature as a director. It covered the history of the Mad Max franchise. Eddie is drawn to the untold stories of Australian cinema and found a surprising subject in a part of The Salvation Army’s history.   “A good friend of mine from The Salvation Army gave me a call and said, ‘Come down to The Salvation Army, I want to show you this’,” Eddie recalls. “I basically stepped into this museum; it was a time capsule. I learned about The Salvation Army and the Limelight Department. They were pioneers of the industry.”   The original magic lantern glass slides created by the Limelight Department have recently been submitted to UNESCO to be internationally registered for their historical significance (the original magic lantern slides are still kept in the attic studio space).  Eddie Beyrouthy (centre) and his team on a shoot. Shot over nine months, Eddie interviewed historians and searched The Salvation Army’s extensive archives. The 100-minute documentary details how the Limelight Department used light and imagery to share The Salvation Army’s message, touring its productions and even introducing electricity to some towns to make the screenings possible.   “The main focus was to tell the story of the Limelight Department over those 20 years, from the 1890s to when it closed down,” Eddie says. “You can imagine there’s a mountain of information with all the old publications. The documentary is a drop in the ocean of how the Limelight Department influenced the film industry around the world. It’s important for people to understand that there was a film industry here before Hollywood.”   The picture has finished post-production and will be available to stream later this year. The film’s world premiere, sponsored by the Crown Resorts Foundation, is at The Palms, Crown Melbourne, on 21 August with a red carpet. There will be a live 1890s-inspired magic lantern show and a silent auction with proceeds donated to The Salvation Army Australia Museum.   “What we are today is the sum total of everything that’s happened in the past,” Lindsay says. “The creativity of The Salvation Army was innovative, using the popular music and songs of the time. The Limelight department was one form of its creativity. The whole place has so much history about it. If we do forget our history, we tend to forget who we are.”    The Palms at Crown Melbourne on 21 August for the World Premiere of Limelight Documentary. Tickets are available exclusively at Ticketmaster: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/limelight.../artist/3155505 Click on the video below for a preview:

Kenya’s Wiseman Were (left) and Zimbabwee’s Tapiwa Makarawu have parents who are Salvation Army officers. Two African athletes with Salvation Army links have competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics – Kenya’s Mukhobe Wiseman Were (400m hurdles) and Zimbabwe’s Tapiwa Makarawu (200m). Mukhobe came fifth in the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles with a time of 49.22. His brother Derick, and father Major Barak Were, are Salvation Army officers.   Tapiwa qualified for the final of the 200m after finishing third in his heat with a time of 20.16 seconds. He came sixth in the final with a time of 20.10 seconds.   Tapiwa’s parents are Salvation Army officers, Majors Richard and Listener Makarawu, who serve in Harare, Zimbabwe. Congratulations to both athletes for their hard work, dedication and achievements. The Salvation Army world were cheering them on.

The Salvation Army’s Major Brad McIver (top left), Captain Brad Watson, Jennifer Kirkaldy (bottom left) and Kristen Hartnett. This research showed that the top two issues Australians wanted the government to act on as a priority were the rising cost of living and concerns around housing affordability . BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE Two in three Australians agree the rising cost of living is impacting their mental health, recent data from Quantum Market Research shows. While Australians face increasing personal debt, experiences of addiction and a decline in mental wellbeing, leaders at The Salvation Army say the organisation is offering compassionate, respectful, practical responses to those finding themselves at a crisis point. AustraliaNOW statistics released by Quantum Market Research in July assessed a range of areas, including confidence in the Federal Government, economic optimism, life satisfaction and perceptions of mental and physical wellbeing among Australians. This research showed that the top two issues Australians wanted the government to act on as a priority were the rising cost of living and concerns around housing affordability. As high as four in five among those under 40 years agreed their mental health was being impacted by the rising cost of living, compared with 56 per cent of those aged 40 and older. Additionally, two-thirds of participants believed they would struggle to pay at least one bill in the following three months. General Manager for Policy and Advocacy Jennifer Kirkaldy. Salvation Army General Manager for Policy and Advocacy Jennifer Kirkaldy said mental ill-health was a cause, result and amplifier of every disadvantage and hardship The Salvation Army encountered. “When we talk about housing stress or food insecurity, the words ‘stress’ and ‘insecurity’ are chosen very deliberately – the hardship we are talking about is not just the immediate disadvantage of living in unsuitable housing or not having enough food, it is also the constant time and energy taken up by problem-solving, fixating and worrying about not having basic needs met,” Jennifer said. She said the two interventions that would have the most immediate impact were the reform of income support payments and housing. Jennifer said the Commonwealth Government needed to set clear and enforceable targets around the national housing and homelessness plan to address the supply of available, suitable and affordable housing options. She said even though this would require more coordination, it was entirely workable, and a key target would be that 10 per cent of the total housing stock was social housing. “We saw during the [COVID-19] pandemic that a radical increase to income support payments had a positive impact on people’s wellbeing, including their mental health,” she said. “An immediate and significant increase in income support payments is needed. “Obviously, there are steps that need to be taken to ensure that mental health supports are accessible, affordable and culturally appropriate for everyone who needs them. Ultimately, though, the best clinical mental health care in the world will not be effective if patients are leaving their sessions to sleep in their car, on the street, or in a home where they are not safe.” Head of Community Engagement Major Brad Watson. Head of Community Engagement Major Brad Watson said his department simply could not keep up with the demands of families facing increased financial stress. He said Doorways services were helping about 10 per cent more people than two years ago, with unmet demand also increasing to about 24 per cent. He said statistics from Moneycare, which used a Kessler Psychological Distress Scale to measure outcomes, showed the impact that good support from financial counsellors could have but also demonstrated an undoubted link between mental health and wellbeing and financial stress. He also echoed Jennifer’s sentiments that increasing social security payments, particularly Jobseeker and Youth Allowance, would create significant positive change. “There is sufficient evidence to show that the higher rate through COVID actually meant that people could live with dignity and afford to look for work,” Brad said. He said he had a message of thanks and encouragement to TSA frontline workers. “Our teams do an incredible job every day,” he said. “We know they are transforming Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus. We know whether it’s an emergency and our teams meet them at the house fire or evacuation centre, a financial pressure and our PAL team, case workers or financial counsellors are involved, or an ongoing issue that needs specialised support or care through a social mission service or chaplaincy – our teams show the compassion, respect, integrity, understanding of diversity and collaboration needed to change people’s lives.” National Moneycare Manager Kristen Hartnett. National Moneycare Manager Kristen Hartnett said Moneycare teams were currently unable to meet the demand for services, with team members finding it hard to turn community members away because of a lack of capacity. She said Moneycare staff referred many community members to local emergency relief services for immediate food relief. Kristen said many community members were underemployed, with those in some regional areas who couldn’t access fly-in and fly-out jobs finding it difficult to obtain enough work. She said getting to work was hard for many in regional areas, with petrol, registration, insurance and maintenance costs taking a toll. She noted that financial counsellors often worked on cases where there was insufficient income or community members faced mortgage and rental arrears. She said some homeowners, even those with small mortgages, sometimes had no option but to sell because of rising interest rates and were often caught in a tension between increased rental costs and keeping their mortgages. Kristen said some community members living overseas had returned home because of the cost-of-living crisis, only to find it more challenging in Australia. She said the crisis was also putting elderly community members caring for family at risk. “More adult children are returning home to live with their parents,” Kristen said. “The parents are coming to us as their adult children are not contributing financially, and whilst they were able to manage previously, they cannot absorb the extra living expenses that the adult children are bringing.” Kristen said her team had also noticed an increase in addictive behaviours. In the period between January and May 2024, Moneycare workers assisted more than 6050 people in financial need and provided more than 22,000 sessions of care to those in financial need. Head of Social Mission Captain Brad McIver. Head of Social Mission Captain Brad McIver said while mental health impacts were often unseen, the cost was obvious in increased presentations to all TSA services. He said additionally that the increase in family and domestic violence often resulted from financial pressures and the ensuing strain on individual mental health and key relationships. He said the recent tax reforms legislated by the Albanese Government offered something, but perhaps a radical approach involving big business was needed. “Homelessness, [an] increase in addictive behaviours, acting up and out by young people, the need for financial assistance and the lack of food security – all these are visible signs of the state of the economy,” Brad said. “The obvious answer is to treat the current economic crisis in the same way as we did the health crisis of COVID-19. Increase Centrelink to a level where people can afford food and accommodation, [and] access health and mental health services. All options should be considered, but this would require the shareholders in large companies being willing to forgo something of self to benefit others.” Brad said the government and the NGO sector could not respond alone and needed the help of the private sector and the broader Australian community. He said sadly the world often had a message of self-focus at the expense of others.   “We need to be prepared to consider our neighbour not as our competitor or a threat but as a friend, a fellow human being … created in the image of God with inherent value and worth,” he said. “Jesus shares in the Scriptures that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for God himself.   “In other words, we need to be more focused on the collective good than on what is good for me.”   He said TSA offered a place of connection, community, and safety where people could share their circumstances with people who genuinely cared. He said TSA’s commitment to journeying alongside others was more important now than ever.   “The encouragement for those at the frontline grassroots level of Australian society is this,” he said. “You are not alone; we are working hard to free up resources and advocate for broad-scale responses.   “You are the difference, even when you can’t offer anything but a listening ear and the offer of unconditional positive regard.”

Senior soldiers were enrolled as part of the Moldova Division's 30th anniversary celebrations in May 2024. 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 (12-18 August) we are praying for the Eastern Europe Territory . Five nations make up this diverse territory – Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine. Australian officer Major Elizabeth Garland is Development Officer in the Eastern Europe Territory. Australian officer Major Elizabeth Garland serves in the Eastern Europe Territory as the Development Officer and is based at Territorial Headquarters in Chisinau, Moldova. Elizabeth, who has a Bachelor of Nursing degree, post-graduate qualifications in primary healthcare, health and international development, and a doctorate in Public Health, also has social program experience with The Salvation Army in Africa and Australia. She has experience   in clinical and public health administration, community development and engagement, social policy, homelessness, alcohol and other drugs, and impact measurement. Elizabeth has also spent three years at International Headquarters in London as Impact Measurement Coordinator and international statistician.   To read more about Elizabeth and her role in the EET, click here . Pray for Eastern Europe Territory Praise: ·       Praise God for the recent Leadership School facilitated for the second year by the Training Principal and Candidates Secretary. We praise God that he is stirring people to explore spiritual leadership within their own corps and within the territory. ·       We thank God for the eight cadets who are preparing to enter the Keepers of the Covenant Session in September ·       We praise God for the many commitments made at the recent 30th anniversary celebrations in Moldova. God is continuing to bless our ministry in Moldova. ·       We thank God for his continued protection and sustaining grace over our officers in Ukraine. They continue to serve enthusiastically in difficult circumstances. Prayer Requests: ·       Pray for Training Principal Major Adrian Roman, the tutors at the Institute for Officer Training, the cadets and the cadets’ training officers as they prepare for the commencing of the Keepers of the Covenant Session in September. ·       Pray for the summer camps that will be happening throughout the territory, that the young people and children will come into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. ·       Pray for the Romania Division as they continue to celebrate 25 years of service. We thank God for their faithfulness. Pray especially for the celebrations planned at the end of August. May this time be uplifting and a turning point for the ministry in Romania. ·       Pray for the war in Ukraine to cease. Too many lives have been lost on both sides! Pray that we will make wise choices when peace comes so that The Salvation Army will be well placed to help support families build their lives back together once again. To find out more about the Eastern Europe Territory, click here . For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar, click here .

Alice Springs Indigenous artists came together to launch Studio Off the Street, a Salvation Army program that first began in Darwin. BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE A new Salvation Army program in Alice Springs is offering Indigenous Australians a chance to earn income from their paintings. Alice Springs Salvation Army Doorways launched Studio Off the Street on Wednesday 24 July, with five attendees from the local area producing beautiful traditional artworks in an outdoor setting. The program is targeted at reaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who paint in a cultural style. Doorways Coordinator Emmanuel Migi said the initiative allowed local community members to socialise and showcase their cultural communication skills and talents through artistic expression and painting. Staff at the weekly program offer free paint, brushes and paper to attendees. The completed artworks can then be sold, with each artist keeping the profits. Artworks from the first Studio Off the Street event in Alice Springs on Wednesday 24 July. “Because of the social and economic challenges here, there are a lot of people who have the skills but don’t have the resources [needed] to be able to make use of their skills,” he said. Emmanuel first got the idea through assisting with Studio Off the Street in Darwin, where the program first began in 2018 as a way to engage local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members. When he transferred to Alice Springs, he realised the model could work in that environment, too. Emmanuel Migi with Waterhole Team Leader Ann Dunn at the launch of Studio Off the Street. Emmanuel said he hoped for three key benefits for community members attending the program and that profits from paintings could make a significant financial difference for participants. “The first thing is they will come together and socialise,” he said. “[Then], to be able to display their ability, talents and skills. “And at the end of that, they will take the paintings and sell [them] for some financial gain.” Studio Off the Street is being held on Thursdays after The Waterhole breakfast program at Alice Springs Salvation Army Corps.   The view a Salvos Studios video of the Darwin Studio Off the Street program, click here .

Marty Robinson pours his heart and soul into his role as a prison chaplain at Silverwater Jail in Sydney. Nearly a year ago, Marty Robinson accepted a job as a prison chaplain with The Salvation Army. Although the offer was from the Salvos, Marty knew that this was the position God had been calling him to for months and preparing him for life. He spoke to Salvos Online journalist LAUREN MARTIN about this experience.   Thinking back to when he was considering taking on his prison chaplaincy role, Marty Robinson laughs and says, “If someone had told me in the job description, ‘Marty, you are going to get emotional in front of some of Australia’s worst criminals, and you are going to be singing to them as well’, I would have said to them, ‘Yeah, no thanks, you can keep your job!’   “But I love this job, and I am  so  willing to be humiliated for Christ.”   The tattooed, bearded former punk-rocker could easily be mistaken for an inmate, and he readily admits that his life was heading that way until God intervened.   “I basically came to the end of my tether in 2006, and my first ever prayer was, ‘God, if you are not there, I am stuffed; I need to know you’re real’.” The next thing he remembers is waking up in hospital after an alcohol-induced seizure, with the nurse telling him that he needed to go to rehab. The problem was that there was a two-month wait.   But God had other plans, and within the week, he had started the Bridge Program at The Salvation Army Miracle Haven Recovery Services Centre on the NSW Central Coast (which has now been re-located and is called the Dooralong Transformation Centre.)   Marty spent 14 months doing the 10-month program, and during that time, he said he had a “rude awakening, an emotional awakening and a spiritual awakening!” God was doing a good work, but Marty hadn’t fully surrendered. He says that despite being connected with Bonnells Bay Corps for a decade, he was still powering his Christianity “under my own steam”.   Following the call When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it left Marty jobless, with a workplace back injury that doctors told him he would never recover from.   Facing three surgeries and the very real possibility he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, Marty found himself sitting in an emptying church after a Sunday service, praying: “God, what am I going to do? I can’t provide for my family.”   At that point, one of the corps elders sat beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. She said, “Marty, I believe I am hearing from God; I believe I have a word from God – a strong word – I’m hearing that you will be a chaplain.” It was the third time Marty had been told by someone that he would be a chaplain.   So, he had the surgery, miraculously avoided the wheelchair, and studied chaplaincy.   His first job was right up his alley – at a sober house, running The Salvation Army’s Bridge Program and journeying with residents through the Positive Lifestyle Program.   “But then, you know how God’s got a sense of humour?” Marty laughs. “Well, I was asked to take over the running of the Long Jetty Corps Family Store. From working with alcoholics, addicts and men on parole to managing a volunteer base of little old ladies hanging up clothes, can you believe it?”   Marty preaching his heart out at a conference run by The Upper Room, a global ministry dedicated to the spiritual formation of Christians. But, as always, God had a plan. Marty began every day in the store with communion and prayer. Soon, a Jesus culture spread amongst the staff and volunteers and the store was humming. Sales went through the roof, which provided funding for local mission, and the Good News of the gospel was echoing off the walls of the store and into the streets through word and deed.   It was a foundational experience where Marty realised that answering ‘yes’ to the call to follow Jesus – even into the unlikeliest places – will always bear fruit. “I would never have thought I was suited to work in retail,” said Marty. “But I knew when I was asked to take on that job that God wanted me there. So, I went.   “God was showing me how he changes atmospheres.”   The call to go deeper   An email from Impact Nations inviting Marty to participate in a mission trip to the Philippines was the next big calling in Marty’s life. “I had a really strong urge to go, so I paid for it, and I went,” he says. We visited a prison there, and I saw a blind man get healed.   “And I just burst into a preach and shared my testimony. Every single hand in the place went up to receive Jesus, even the guards … that was the highlight of the trip.”   Marty interacting with children during his mission trip to the Philippines. When he returned, Marty received several missed calls and emails from The Salvation Army’s prison chaplaincy team. There was a job opening at Silverwater Jail in Sydney, and Marty’s name had come up in discussions about who would be a good ‘fit’. The job was his if he wanted it.   At the same time, Marty had two other job offers. Both were in ministry, offering more money, and both were closer to home. “For some reason, at that time, I kept seeing the numbers 333 everywhere,” Marty says. It was strange. It happened when I looked at the clock. It would be 3:33. I saw it on number plates. It happened so many times it was noticeable.”   Despite seeking God for direction on which job to take, Marty didn’t receive a definitive answer, but he chose the job with the “least pay, the longest travel and the hardest conditions”. On his first day as chaplain to the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater Prison Complex, he was given a key to his locker – number 333. It was confirmation that he was exactly where God wanted him to be.   Full surrender   The Silverwater Remand and Reception Centre is the first port of call for serious offenders after arrest. Marty works in the isolation cell area. “These are some of the guys who have done the worst of crimes,” he says. “Or they may need to be isolated for mental health reasons, or because they are at risk of violence to themselves or others.”   Marty might have 10 minutes with someone, a few hours, or a few days. It can be a highly volatile environment – every single man that comes into remand is having the worst day of their life. Many of them ask him: “Am I going to burn in hell for what I’ve done?”   “ ... he just lay on the ground, and I lay on the ground [outside the cell] with him, speaking under the door to him.” “I will sit in front of bikies, and some of the hardest guys, and sometimes grace and mercy will overcome me, and I’ll start weeping,” he says. “One of the hardest guys I ever met said to me one day, ‘What the ‘F’ are you crying for?’ I replied, ‘Because I love ya, mate,’ then he started to cry, and then he started confessing. I watched the Holy Spirit soften his hard heart, and he gave his life to Christ then and there. Jesus is still transforming his life.”   One afternoon, as Marty was in his office, he heard yelling and banging from the prison cell floor. He went down and saw a man in distress, screaming and throwing his body against the cell door. “I couldn’t calm him down, so I sat in front of his cell and started praying. Then, out of nowhere, I just began to sing, ‘Jesus, lover of my soul’ [by Hillsong Worship], and he just stopped and went silent. Then he began to sing the next line, Jesus, ‘I will never let you go’, and then the inmate in the next cell yelled out [the next line] ‘took me – from the miry clay’ ... I had an orchestra! They all knew the words!   “We went through the song twice, and then he just lay on the ground, and I lay on the ground [outside the cell] with him, speaking under the door to him.”   The next morning, when Marty walked in, the inmate was still calm. “I saw a demon cast out that day,” Marty says, recalling the miracle Jesus performed at Gerasenes in Mark 5.   It’s a long way from sorting second-hand clothes at the Family Store, but Marty continues a spiritual practice he began there – to have communion every morning at his desk and surrender his day to Jesus. “I say [to Jesus], ‘Use me however you want.’”   He says this – the full surrender – was missing during his first spiritual encounter with Jesus. Through it all, God has patiently led him deeper, showing him the fruit that comes from submission, showing him that no experience is wasted, and revealing to him the way that the Holy Spirit weaves a beautiful tapestry of love from broken lives. Marty says despite his chaplaincy role being 'behind bars', many doors open to share the love of Jesus with inmates.

Youth interns Marie (left) and Odette are thriving in their roles at Cairns Corps.  BY LAUREN MARTIN   Young school leavers are being given the opportunity to serve their local community and gain employment through a new youth intern program at Cairns Corps in Far North Queensland.   Cairns Corps Youth Ministry Coordinator Tahlia Johnson said The Salvation Army began the pilot program after learning about government-funded traineeship opportunities in various TAFE courses, including office-admin work skills.   “We have a real need in our community for meaningful employment for young adults,” Tahlia said. “Our youth congregation is mostly made up of young people from refugee or Indigenous backgrounds, and because of that, they face significant disadvantage to employment.”   The corps became accredited to offer traineeships in Office Administration and Work Skills and employed two school leavers, Marie and Odette, in March. It’s hoped that another two youth interns will begin in August.   “Because of the training that they have received, they have used what they have learned to give back to the community through our Salvation Army community services and ministries,” said Tahlia. “They help out with our Just Brass program, our Youth Church service on Friday nights, our KidZone midweek kids club ... all sorts of stuff!   “We were also able to put them through a barista course, so they sell coffees outside the family store on a weekly basis and are able to engage with the community there.”   Cairns Corps’ Youth Ministry Coordinator Tahlia Johnson (at front), with youth interns Marie and Odette, Lieutenant Edward Conteh, and other Red Shield Appeal collectors. The interns have also been given the opportunity to learn from and work with the Cairns Salvation Army Community Services worker, Tresor Bikorimana, and Major Emma Johnson from The Salvation Army’s Cairns Supported Accommodation to learn more about the Army’s work in a broader context than just corps programs.   “They have gained invaluable knowledge and experience in these fields through hands-on training and mentoring so that they will have professional expertise once their internships have concluded,” said Tahlia.   Odette Nyiramirimo has just finished her traineeship and has applied for it to be extended so that she can study a Certificate IV in Christian Ministry at The Salvation Army’s Eva Burrows College. She said the experience has been life-changing.   “I really enjoy working with The Salvation Army, and it gives me a lot of opportunities,” she said. “I believe God is calling me to share the gospel.” Marie undertook a barista course as part of her internship. Fellow youth intern Toupou Marie Johnson said when she was at school, her vision was always to do something to help others. She joined The Salvation Army youth group and became aware of the youth intern program earlier this year, so she applied.   “The Salvation Army is a welcoming hand to everyone. It doesn’t matter what your background is. That’s why I joined The Salvation Army and come to youth group on Friday. It has helped me a lot.”   She would like to go on to study a Certificate IV in community services at Eva Burrows College and says she would love to one day secure a community services role with The Salvation Army. “I enjoy all of it, what Tahlia is teaching me. The community services, too. I enjoy helping people a lot, that’s why I chose community services.”   Cairns Corps plans to expand the program into traineeships for retail services at several of its family stores. The program has allowed the corps to give ‘jobs with a purpose’ to young people seeking employment – connecting them with community and ministry. “We’re already starting to see the ripple effects within the community through the work that Marie and Odette have been able to do. It’s really exciting!” said Tahlia.

Partnering in the gospel is the topic of General Lyndon Buckingham’s August devotional that he presents with Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham. “We partner with the Lord, who has promised to help us,” says the General. “But then we partner with each other in the proclamation and sharing the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ. “We want to thank you today for the contribution that you’re making and for your faithfulness to looking for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. And we want to pray for you that God’s blessing will be on you as you partner with us in the gospel for his sake.” To listen to the August devotional, click on the video below. Information on the General’s visit to Australia can be found here

Claire says God has led her into her new role. Claire Castley recently spoke to Salvos Online journalist ANTHONY CASTLE about her new role, where she sees God at work and why she has chosen to come alongside young people How long have you been in the role? What's your background with youth ministry and The Salvation Army?    As an officer’s kid, I’ve been a part of The Salvation Army my whole life. I love our movement. I love how we care for people one life at a time with the love of Jesus. I love how we live, love, and fight for justice and how we aim to build healthy communities. I love that we are respected by Australians, and they see us as people who are ready to serve and love our community.     Fourteen years ago, my parents were appointed as youth and children’s secretaries in South Australia. So, as you do when your parents are involved in ministry, I grew up going to camps, events and programs and saw young lives transformed by the love of Jesus. I believe this is where I fell in love with youth ministry. So, when the opportunity came to be the Youth and Young Adults Secretary based in WA, I knew this was where God was leading me.     What exciting things are happening in youth ministry in WA right now? Where do you see God at work?    Western Australia is a state full of opportunity! Under the leadership of Aux-Lieutenant Steven Freind, corps have been encouraged to seek first God’s kingdom and be a part of what God is doing in the lives of young people in WA. As I now step into this role, I want to continue to build momentum for youth ministry in WA. I want to partner with corps to develop leaders, provide resources and plan and organise events, like WA Youth Camp, where young people can have an encounter with God.     Although I have only been in WA for a short period of time, I already see God so evidently at work in our state. I see God motivating our leaders to fight for young people. I see leaders who are committed to meeting young people where they’re at. I see God at work in youth groups that are full of young people who know that they belong in the Kingdom of God. I see God at work in leaders who are committed to developing and growing as followers of Jesus. I see God at work through our national vision of seeing more leaders, more youth ministries, and more young people.     Why do you feel that youth ministry is important? Why have you chosen to come alongside young people?    I believe that youth ministry is the vessel by which God can change the hearts and minds of generations. When we pray for young people, encourage them and disciple them in their relationship with Jesus, God changes their lives. Parents notice a change in their teenagers and become curious about what happens at church. Schools benefit from young people who seek to love and care for others, and communities are transformed by people who are committed to following Jesus and seeking his will for their lives.     I have chosen to come alongside young people because of the many mentors, supporters and encouragers who have come alongside me for many years. I thank God for the people in my life who have led me to Jesus, and I am committed to doing the same for others.

The India South Eastern Territory includes the states of Tamil Nadu (pictured above) and Puduchery (Pondicherry). Photo by Prakasam Mathaiyan on Unsplash Each week throughout this year, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for a particular territory or region of The Salvation Army. A recent orientation for prospective candidates and young people dedicated to God's service in the territory. An orientation for prospective candidates and young people dedicated to God's Service took place in India South Eastern Territory earlier this month.   Prayer requests are shared by the focus territory/region to help us pray with precision and power for one another.    This week (19-15 August) we are praying for the India South Eastern Territory. This territory is made up of 57,510 senior soldiers, 13,689 adherents and 4330 junior soldiers. There are 323 corps, 164 outposts, 640 officers (389 active and 251 retired), 30 cadets and 590 employees.    Pray for India South Eastern Territory Please pray for our people: ·       Pray for improved relationships and understanding among soldiers for their corps development. Please pray that people will stand together and take responsibility for local mission. Please pray for our officers: ·       For new candidates. The gap between the number of officers retiring and being commissioned is currently increasing and causing concern. We also have an increasing need for corps officers. ·       For the Centre for Officer Training and those who lead the training. ·       For for our active officers. We have recently seen a number of active officers Promoted to Glory. Please pray for good health among those actively serving. We would also like to pray particularly for those corps officers working in extension areas (remote places), for their personal and mission needs. ·       For leadership opportunities in the territory, that people will be identified and developed within leadership programs, and for women in leadership roles. Please pray for young people in the territory: ·       That our meetings and programmes will make a spiritual impact upon our children and young people. ·       For school going students, including those who attend Salvation Army schools in the territory. ·       That our Youth Mission Team will reach people with their mission and music. Please pray for our resources: ·       That prayer halls will emerge in places where there is currently a need to meet together. ·       That the building work taking place on the new THQ building in Nagercoil will be completed well. Please pray for our mission: ·       For the identification of new mission fields and opportunities for saving souls. ·       For the Catherine Booth College of Nursing. For the approval to begin post-graduate course of nursing studies in the hospital campus. For more information about the India South Eastern Territory, click here . For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar, click here .

The food truck that forms part of the ‘Gather and Go’ Sunday activations at Wagga Wagga Corps. BY LAUREN MARTIN   A Facebook post has been doing the rounds – you may have seen it – challenging Christians to ‘leave their church building’ for four Sundays and use the time to bless people in the community.   One Salvation Army corps in south-west NSW has taken up the call. The post, from @honestlyashleyalford on 18 July, was titled ‘What if for 4 Sundays straight …’ and was shared on Facebook by many Aussie Salvos, including Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas.   When Wagga Wagga Corps Officer Auxiliary-Lieutenant Val Hopewell posted it on the corps’ Facebook page, she was pleasantly surprised at the response. Rather than just being a motivational quote about how the church should be Jesus’ hands and feet in the world, many corps members expressed interest in doing just what it suggested.   So, the corps planned that for every Sunday in the month of August, they would “gather and go” – meeting for just half an hour in the corps building at the regular worship service time to worship, read the word and pray, and then disperse, with different mission groups heading to different areas of the city to bless the community and spread the love of Jesus.   “We have been working on building discipleship skills into our congregation,” she said. “We are being very intentional about saying, ‘ we are the church [not a building], so, off we go – let’s walk out the door!”  Aux-Lieut Val Hopewell has been pleasantly surprised at her corps’ enthusiasm for the ‘Gather and Go’ Sundays. The corps recently purchased a new food truck branded ‘Salvo eats bringing comfort to the streets’. It forms a big part of the ‘Gather and Go’ Sunday activations. A team of corps members is taking the food truck to different locations throughout the city, starting with a local caravan park where people experiencing homelessness are being given crisis accommodation.   “The need there has exponentially increased,” said Val, explaining the plan for the food truck team to offer a free meal, with opportunities for corps members to chat with people and offer unconditional friendship and love.   “We can’t always expect people to come to us [at church] on Sundays,” she said. “So, we’re going to them.”   For those who aren’t comfortable heading out or who have mobility issues, the corps has also implemented a ‘stay and pray’ option so that the mission teams are covered in prayer during their time in the community. “Or, we have suggested to people, ‘Why don’t you visit someone who you keep meaning to visit but don’t?’” said Val. “Or, ‘Why don’t you walk the length of your street and pray? Or sit in the foyer of the hospital and pray for the people there? Sit in the shopping centre and pray for retailers or start conversations with lonely people?’”   The opportunities for being church outside the building are endless, and Wagga Wagga Corps is taking up the challenge of engaging with its community in meaningful ways on Sundays.

The Good Salvos Eats truck serves lunch in the carpark of Wagga Wagga Corps. BY LAUREN MARTIN   The Salvation Army in Wagga Wagga, south-west NSW, has acquired a new food truck to expand its ministry to people experiencing hardship and homelessness.   Called ‘Good Salvo eats bringing comfort to the streets,’ the food truck has been a dream of corps members for many years.   After starting as an evening street outreach where food was served from the back of a corps van, the food truck now allows hot food to be cooked on-site, and it gives the corps the opportunity to engage in different forms of outreach, such as events. The slogan on the side of the truck (left) and Aux-Lieut David Hopewell serving in the truck. “We have already taken it to the homelessness expo,” said Wagga Wagga Corps Officer Auxiliary-Lieutenant Val Hopewell. “And we are training up team leaders from our local Salvos Store, the Rural Schools Ministry, and our Street Mission Team so that they can have their own teams, and the truck can be used for a range of purposes.”  Looks like bacon and egg rolls on the menu today. The corps has developed a very ‘Salvo’ menu for the truck, which includes a burger called the ‘Bill Booth Burger’ and ‘Cath’s Bethnal Green Tavern Hot Dog’ that comes with the subheading, ‘This one will definitely disturb the future!’, a light-hearted play on Catherine Booth’s well-known quote, ‘If we are to better the future, we must disturb the present.’   Soon after the corps took possession of the van, it held a special ‘thank-you’ ceremony at its Sunday worship service for the local organisations that had contributed to fundraising efforts for the truck.   Members of South Wagga Rotary, Wollundry Rotary and Carevan Wagga Inc. attended the service and enjoyed lunch from the Food Truck afterwards. Wagga Wagga Corps ‘abandons the building’ and hits the streets. Click here   The fun menu at the Wagga Wagga Good Salvos Eats truck.