General Lyndon Buckingham presents Bill Hunter with the Cutmore Award at the Brisbane Rally on Thursday night. Photo: Jaiden Ivers BY LAUREN MARTIN   Fourteen years ago, Bill Hunter had the vision to start a church that would be a safe place where those who felt they didn’t fit with the traditional church would be welcomed and accepted despite their background and history.   Having been the Brisbane Broncos NRL chaplain for 20 years, Bill designed the service with a sports theme and called it ‘God’s Sports Arena’.   Today, the church is still going strong, with a second expression being planted on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in February 2021.   With the mantra of God’s Sports Arena being a place where people are loved, encouraged, and not judged, it has been a safe place where thousands of people, many of whom are on a recovery journey, discover and experience God in a way they can relate to.    On Thursday evening, at the General’s rally in Brisbane to mark the visit of The Salvation Army’s world leaders, Australia Territory Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas surprised Bill with a Cutmore Award for his pioneering spirit.   As he approached the stage, he was given a standing ovation.   As she described Bill’s work with God’s Sports Arena, Commissioner Gluyas reminded those gathered that Bill is a volunteer – he leads the corps in his spare time. “It is a beautiful church. It’s about loving, encouraging and – don’t judge! It’s just wonderful, he is a pioneer, and we want to acknowledge that tonight. We need our pioneers; you’re one of them, and we are so grateful for you.”   Afterwards, Bill said he was “humbled, blessed and blown away.”   The Cutmore Award is named after Commissioners Ian and Nancy Cutmore, Australian officers who pioneered The Salvation Army’s work in Papua New Guinea more than 60 years ago.   Bill said he met the Cutmores many years ago, and “Ian Cutmore is one of the most beautiful Christian gentlemen you’d ever like to meet. So, to have his name on his [Bill’s award certificate] is just blows my mind. God just moves in miraculous ways.”   Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas presents Commissioners Ian and Nancy Cutmore with the first of the pioneering awards that are named after them.

Cairns Corps African Choir practices in the weeks leading up to singing at the Brisbane Rally for the visit of General and Commissioner Buckingham, world leaders of The Salvation Army.   BY LAUREN MARTIN Members of the Cairns Corps African Choir say they are thrilled to have been asked to perform for the visit of the world leaders of The Salvation Army, General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham.   Corps Officer Major Ben Johnson said the African Choir is mainly made up of refugees who have become Salvationists through the Cairns Corps’ partnership with the local settlement agency, which results in the corps offering assistance and building relationships with new arrivals to the city. They lead worship in the corps’ Swahili and Kinyarwanda-speaking congregation every week. Cairns Corps pianist Tresor Bikorimana Ngendakuriyo leads choir practice. “They sing in [their own] language and they have a really vibrant and joyful expression of worship,” said Ben. “It’s beautiful.”   The organising committee for the visit of General and Commissioner Buckingham approached Cairns Corps earlier this year and asked if the choir would perform a song at Queensland’s Brisbane rally.   With Brisbane located 1688km south of Cairns, the trip to perform will be expensive. Ben said the corps is investing heavily to allow the choir to take up the opportunity and bless those present with their unique style of worship. “They bring something of value to The Salvation Army and we can learn a lot,” he said.   “It’s their deep spirituality and the very real experience of being part of a literal Salvation Army. Their reliance on Jesus for their lives being saved – this is not just a spiritual concept – it’s a very physical, literal salvation where most of the choir members have come from war-torn countries and living in refugee camps to now living in Cairns, Australia – the land of plenty. Their lives have been saved.” Cairns Corps African Choir practices in the weeks leading up to singing at the Brisbane Rally on 29 August. Choir pianist Tresor Bikorimana Ngendakuriyo taught himself to play and thanks God for his passion for music. “Any song that I can think of, I can play,” he says. “It’s not by ear, it’s through the Holy Spirit we can do everything.”   Tresor came to Australia as a young adult after spending many years living in a refugee camp in Burundi, after fleeing his home country of Congo. He has made his home in Cairns and his spiritual home at The Salvation Army where he now works as a street chaplain and emergency relief officer.   “I thank God for every plan over my life,” he says, adding that being involved in choirs and playing the piano has been a highlight of his life for many years: “I sing with my own hands!”   The choir will perform at the Brisbane rally in language, which will give those present an opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich sound of the song and hear through it whatever message God has for them.   Tresor says his hope is that “every tongue [will] confess Jesus is the King”, just like in the song he loves to sing, Oh Ancient of Days. Information on the General’s visit can be found here

In Episode 3 of Conversations with the General, Major Britius Munkombwe (Under Secretary for East and Southern Africa) joins General Lyndon Buckingham for coffee at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London. Their conversation turns to how the Army can best value its people, whether they are congregation members, volunteers, employees or officers, and better support them in fulfilling their callings. They also discuss the nature of integrated mission – caring for others while giving our testimony about the power of Jesus to change lives. Information on the General’s visit to Australia can be found here

This year’s History Symposium will be held in Ipswich, Queensland. BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE  This year’s Salvation Army History Symposium is set to feature speakers from across the world. With papers to examine the theme, ‘You can’t have a future if you don’t have a past’.  The symposium, co-hosted by The Salvation Army Corps in Ipswich, Queensland, The Salvation Army Historical Society-Brisbane Chapter and The Australasian Journal of Salvation Army History, will run from Friday 6 September to Sunday 8 September. It will feature 17 presenters from Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea and the United States.  This year's event will be held in Ipswich, Queensland. Photo from 2022 Symposium courtesy of Garth Hentzschel. Salvation Army Historical Society of Brisbane President and historian Garth Hentzschel said taking the chance to look at the past was an important step towards a more informed future. He said that, too often, decisions in the world were made based on ideologies or future prospects rather than education on past realities.  “History is all about [an] evidence base,” he said. “[So] if we can actually pick up from things in the past, then we will better understand how we go into the future. You can’t have a future if you don’t have a past. I think too often we run to the future and then wonder why things haven’t worked out.”  Garth said this year’s discussions would include looking at how to decide which kinds of heroes should be upheld, the construction of Salvation Army buildings and houses of worship throughout the decades and a history of trends and decline in The Salvation Army.    “There’s a gamut of topics and [of] research that’s been done,” Garth said.  Major Jason Swain, from the United States, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s event. Major Jason Swain, a corps officer from Northeast Kentucky, United States, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s event. He will present a keynote address with the same title as his 2021 book, Under Two Flags: The Rise, Rebellion and Rebuilding of The Salvation Army in America 1870-1913 . Jason was also a monthly history columnist with The War Cry  (US version) from 2018 to 2021.   Before 6 September, there are also several pre-symposium events. These include a Zoom presentation on Publishing History with special guests Dr David Bennett, Major Jason Swain and Helen Brown, meetings with Major Jason Swain at Salvation Army centres in Carina and Riverview, Queensland on Sunday 1 September, a Zoom presentation on history’s impact on an individual’s life and spiritual development on Wednesday 4 September and heritage walks on Friday 6 September.    For more information on the event, see here .

Matthew and Fiona Kean and their family have been serving in Chilliwack, British Columbia since 2018.   The Australia Territory has 32 Aussie officers serving overseas, one at International Headquarters in London but based in Australia, and 10 overseas officers serving in different appointments here. Over the coming months, Global Focus will feature many of these officers – who they are, where they’re serving, the joys and challenges they face and what life looks like for them in their unique corners of The Salvation Army world. Majors Matthew and Fiona Kean have been corps officers in British Columbia, Canada, since 2018. Matthew, originally from the island of Newfoundland, Canada, and Fiona, from Melbourne, both grew up as children of Salvation Army officers. They have been serving in Australia and Canada since 2010 along with their three children, now aged 14, 12 and 10. They coordinate the Chilliwack Corps, which alongside church services, runs a 68-bed homeless shelter and a food pantry that feeds 150-200 people per day. KIRRALEE NICOLLE recently caught up with them to find out how life and work is going as Australian officers serving overseas. Tell me a little bit about each of you – what makes you tick and how did you end up as officers in The Salvation Army? Fiona: Being born to officer parents, I grew up living this kind of life. When I was around the age my kids are now, we even did an overseas exchange to Scotland, where my mum comes from. Then, when I finished school in Melbourne, I studied teaching and worked in that field for a couple of years, then ended up in Toronto where I met Matt. I’d always said to the Lord, “If you want me to go into full-time ministry, then you’d better bring me a husband who’s going to do that” because that was the way I’d seen it modelled. Then I met Matt, we quickly began dating, and then he said, “By the way, I’m going to be an officer, so if you’re not, this should probably stop now.” But it didn’t! We got married, then we became officers. That’s the short version! Matthew and Fiona serving at Chilliwack Corps. Matthew: I was also raised in a good Salvation Army home, but I like to march to the beat of my own drum. I went off the rails for a number of years in which I developed a drug addiction. Then a pretty dramatic change took place when I had a spiritual experience with Jesus and the gospel. From there, my whole life was tipped upside down for the better. I met Fiona while doing ministry work in Toronto, and we began ministering together. Then after we got married, we trained to be Salvation Army officers in Melbourne. We started at Box Hill Corps as youth and young adult pastors while training at Eva Burrows College. After that, we had our first appointment as corps officers at Hobsons Bay Corps in Altona, where we were for seven and a half years. How was your time in Altona? Matthew: It was really fulfilling and so positive. We saw many Muslim attendees convert to Christ, built a new building and saw the community there morph into one, which really reflected the demographic of the local area. When we came to Canada, it was a lot to leave even though it felt so right. Everything in Altona was in a good place, and we didn’t need to leave, but Chilliwack has been so much the perfect place for us to be. Fiona: I loved Altona. I couldn’t believe that I’d spent so much of my life growing up in Melbourne, yet I didn’t even know Altona existed. When we moved there, I said I never wanted to move ever again! We loved the church, the community and our children’s school, and I loved the beach. The ocean is what makes me tick. I love summer, I love the beach, so I felt like, “How could we ever leave?” But then, by the time we were approached to take up an appointment in Canada, God had lined things up for us so that when it happened, it was just the right time. Matthew and Fiona at Chilliwack Corps, British Columbia. Tell me about your move to Chilliwack. How did it feel to make that shift? Fiona: I was a bit nervous because I’m a big-city person, and Chilliwack only has about 100,000 people. To me, that seemed small. For Matt, coming from Newfoundland it was more familiar to be in a small place. There’s lots of farming here, and agriculture is huge. It means that for the first time in my life, I have farmer friends, who have dairy and chicken farms. A large proportion of the population are Dutch immigrants who moved here after World War Two. Matthew: There’s a huge Christian community here, too. When we first googled Chilliwack, we saw a quote that said, “If you want Jesus and drugs, Chilliwack’s the town for you.” There are churches all over the place, yet there is so much work for the gospel to do. It was kind of shocking to us when we first arrived how many of the churches in the area didn’t have much of an outreach focus, but that is changing rapidly. We now have a great relationship with all the local pastors, and the tables have turned. We’ve been very blessed to be a part of turning those tables. You’ve already touched on this a little, but what are some of the challenges you have faced in Chilliwack? Matthew: Since COVID-19, we have seen a new kind of client using our services. We call them the ‘working poor’, as they are people with jobs but are finding themselves unable to pay rent or put food on the table. To be quite frank, we’re seeing poverty being created by poor government policy. Fiona: The other category we are seeing more of in the shelter are seniors who are unable to afford to live anywhere else. Those are the two categories of people whose circumstances have really changed since we arrived. Matthew and Fiona and the Chilliwack Corps team have received enormous support from the local community. What are you finding encouraging in your lives and work? Fiona: One thing that has been a huge blessing is the Christian school our children attend. It has been really great for us to have actual Christian friends outside of our church. We have a great church and a great team, but it has also been really helpful having that Christian support outside of ministry, too. In our ministries, we also have a lot of growth: new converts in the community, our youth programs are well-attended even by teenagers from outside the church, and recently our Vacation Bible School program had 37 children attending with only about five or six coming from our corps. Also, our chaplain is doing a fantastic job bringing people together with Bible studies and creative ways of learning about Jesus. Matthew: We have been very blessed here with a ton of community support. We have deliberately been very overt with our message about Jesus. At one point, we were guilty of ‘hiding behind the Red Shield’ a bit, but we realised we didn’t like that and wanted to be more Jesus-centred, so we began to put the cross in front and the message of the gospel forward in every meeting that we went to and every boardroom we sat around. We prayed and exalted Jesus, and we began to get the respect of people who were not believers and believers alike. We rely on private funding, and people have been giving generously. Churches are also jumping on board because they see that we’re true to our convictions for Christ. It’s incredible what is happening at our corps – God is opening so many doors. We’re really seeing the fruit of our hard work for the last six years, but also answered prayer. On 25 August, we are hosting a celebration of The Salvation Army’s presence here for 100 years at the request of the local council and businesses. We are putting on a church service in the public park with food trucks and free New Testaments, and we are expecting 3000 Christians to come along! Matthew and Fiona don't like taking themselves too seriously - Matthew wanted to make sure some silly photos made it in! What encouragement do you have for your fellow officers back in Australia? Matthew: If there was anything we could encourage you with, it’s that we have seen the most fruit from removing the veil from the gospel message and being more blatant, more bold and more unapologetic with why we do what we do and who we do it for. For instance, we have a bank that donates huge cheques to us. When we received their first donation, we prayed for the team in the name of Jesus. The manager told us that no one had ever done that before. It had such a profound impact that we are now not just receiving monetary support from them, but we’re friends. And that’s just one small example of what can happen when you lift up Jesus without apology. I hope our story can encourage other officers to keep Jesus at the centre, too!

My father, Greg Castle, and two precious memories I found in his study after his death. BY ANTHONY CASTLE   I want to tell a story about my father, but I am unsure which story to choose.   It is my first Father’s Day since my father, Greg Castle, passed away. In the seven weeks since we lost my father, I have found myself sharing stories about him. We often share stories about those we’ve lost. You might share the dates and details of their lives, the biography, but often, you need something more. Sometimes, you need a story to reflect on who they were, to honour their memory.   My father was a man with many stories. There are stories he told, and stories that have been told about him, but I have been thinking about two stories in particular since he passed. In thinking about how to honour his memory, I have been unsure of which to choose.   The first story is of a boy, standing at a front door in the dark, all alone, far from home. The boy is six years old, left at the door of a city pub at night, waiting for his parents who are inside. Someone sees the boy and asks are you lost? The stranger gives the boy a gift. It is a picture, an image of Christ, knocking at the door. The boy keeps that gift and tells the story for the rest of his life.   The second story is of another a boy, who opens his front door, leaves his home, and walks into the dark. The boy is six years old, running away from home in the suburbs, after sunset. Someone sees the boy and asks where are you going? It is his father, who follows the boy, picking him up and carrying him home. The boy remembers that story for the rest of his life. The gospel tract given to my father when he was six. The first story is about my father, six years old, in 1948, waiting at the front step of a pub in the city of Adelaide. The stranger who sees him is a woman from The Salvation Army, the gift a gospel tract. My father pinned the picture of Christ above his bed as a child and told that story over and over for years.   The second story is about me, six years old in 1988, running away from home at dusk, running into the dark. I haven’t been able to choose between these stories since I’ve lost my father. These stories seem so different, but in thinking about who he was to me, I haven’t been able to separate them.   My father had known loss and difficulty in his early years, in his post-war home. There was tragedy and addiction in his own father’s life, and it was The Salvation Army that reached out to that lost household, inviting that family on a journey out of that difficulty.   In the wake of that, my father chose to live a different story to the one he had been given, through his faith, through his service to others, through the home he built. My father’s story was one of coming out of the dark, as it was for his father, too, over time.   Across his life, my father became known for reaching out to others and inviting them in. He befriended neighbours, helped strangers, opened his home. He was a volunteer leader at The Salvation Army for decades. “Every Sunday of my childhood, my father would go to the church in the city, open the front doors, turn on the lights, and welcome people home. Every Sunday. No matter what.”   I have been thinking about these two particular stories in the weeks since he died, unable to separate them. I think I have been unable to separate these stories because they are the same story. They are the same story, over time; the boy in the dark, far from home, became the father who would carry you home, back to the light. No matter what.   The story my father lived was that of coming home. For me, it was his life story.   My father was many things. He was a worker and a leader. He was a musician and a writer. He was a teacher, a builder, and an historian. He was a husband. A grandfather. A boy. For many, for me, he is someone who knew the journey of redemption and told this story with his life.   And that isn’t an easy story to live. It’s difficult. And each of us make our own way too, finding our own way home, taking a different path. Everyone in my family plays a different part in this story. My father played his part. He played his part very well.   The day before my father’s funeral I looked through his study, searching the things he kept. There I found a picture of Christ, knocking at the door, first given to him in 1948. It was a gift he kept all his life, a gift he never lost, and now passes on.   I’ve lost my father, but he wasn’t lost. He was someone who knew what it was to be found. He wouldn’t want his passing to be seen as a time of darkness, but of light. Not an end for him, but an open door.   My father’s gone, but he’s home.

The recent Self Denial Appeal in Uganda was a vibrant celebration across the country. 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 (2-8 September) we are praying for the Pray for the Uganda Territory. This territory is made up of 15,277 senior soldiers, 687 adherents and 8376 junior soldiers. There are 98 corps, 37 outposts, 164 officers (134 active and 30 retired), 24 cadets and 58 employees. As well as the corps and outposts, the Territory runs an Officer Training College, a home for children with physical disabilities, vocational workshops in carpentry and tailoring, an anti-human trafficking ministry, and training in food security and economic empowerment. Please pray for: ·       Financial stability and prosperity in the territory. ·       New ministry opportunities in Adjumani, Ibanda and Kampala. ·       Our territorial programs – that they will be successful and impactful. ·       The ordination and commissioning of the Defenders of Justice Session, which will take place on 8 December 2024. For more information about the Uganda Territory, click here . For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar, click here .

General Lyndon Buckingham gave deeply personal insight into his spiritual preparation leading up to his Australian tour, which culminated in Sunday’s final rally in Melbourne. Photos: Gary Hart BY LAUREN MARTIN   At the final rally to mark the visit of The Salvation Army’s world leaders to Australia, General Lyndon Buckingham shared his ‘Present, Prominent, Pre-eminent’ message – and how it impacted him personally.   The Golden Theatre at the Melbourne Convention Centre was packed on Sunday (1 September) as Salvationists travelled from across Victoria to worship Jesus together and hear from General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham.   There was an atmosphere of joy as the worship team, Melbourne Staff Band and Melbourne Staff Songsters led praise, and there was an exciting children’s and young people’s dance group performance to the song,  Praise .    Ken Waterworth conducts the Melbourne Staff Band at the General’s Rally in Melbourne. Another highlight was a spoken word presentation by Secretary for Spiritual Life Development, Auxiliary-Lieuteant Rosy Keane, based on Psalm 150, titled  Praise the Lord 13 Times .    Earlier, Commissioner Bronwyn said that across Australia during the tour, the Holy Spirit had moved amongst Salvationists who had gathered.   “We are believing because we have been praying for it that it would happen again in Melbourne,” she told those gathered. “So, I pray that you’ve come expecting; I pray that you’ve come with open hearts and open minds to hear what the Spirit of God might have for you here in this place today.”  The Buckinghams on stage during the rally in Melbourne. So, in a spirit of expectation, the General began his final rally message for the Australia tour after preaching in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart.   He spoke about a pivotal prayer meeting that he attended at International Headquarters when he was Chief of the Staff. In it, Commissioner Ted Horwood, International Secretary for Program Resources, asked the question, “So far as we are concerned, is Jesus present, prominent or pre-eminent?”   “It just slammed into my brain,” said the General of the question, adding that he “got lost” inside the concept and began thinking about The Salvation Army across the world and where Jesus sat within different aspects of it.   “All of this was going on in my head, and I can’t remember what else we prayed,” he shared. “In fact, the prayer meeting ended, and I was still there, thinking, ‘Where is the Lord Jesus Christ in the context of our movement?’”   But at that moment, the Holy Spirit broke through, and the Lord challenged him with these words: “Forget The Salvation Army. Where am I, so far as  you  are concerned?”   It was a question that brought him to his knees.    “I had to kneel in the chapel,” he revealed. “I had to do a little bit of work. Maybe, not necessarily by intention – maybe by accident, maybe by lack of attention, maybe by distraction … maybe the demands of the work, the appointments, the decisions that have to be made …    “Maybe, without my even realising it, he [God] has been relegated to a place of prominence, … or maybe he’s kind of, sort of, maybe, nearly present.”   He said that he discovered that the Holy Spirit’s power is not found with having Jesus present, or even prominent, but is poured out when Jesus is pre-eminent in our lives.   People moved to the front for prayer after the General’s message at the Melbourne Rally. “When I moved to that place of surrender and obedience and faith and trust in the reality of the risen master, it’s in that place that something is unleashed within me.   “There’s something about when you are in a relationship with the Lord when he is pre-eminent in your life, you find yourself wanting to do the business of the Kingdom!”   After the message, the prayers that were offered earlier in the meeting for the Holy Spirit to move were answered as the mercy seat filled and people stood at their seats or in the aisles leading up to the stage for prayer.   The four award recipients on the night (from left) Lieut Paul Trotter, Majors Brendan and Sandra Nottle and Major Narelle Jacobsen. Earlier in the meeting, Major Narelle Jacobsen from St Kilda’s ‘The Well’ Community of Hope and Majors Brendan and Sandra Nottle from Project 614 were awarded the ‘Cutmore Award’ for their work as pioneers. Lieutenant Paul Trotter from Colac Corps was awarded a ‘Mission Regeneration Award’ for a re-imagining of The Salvation Army’s work in his community. To read the full story on the award recipients, click here   On Monday morning (2 September) the world leaders conducted Officers Councils at Box Hill Corps, their last engagement on the Australian tour.   Click through the slideshow below to view more photos of the General’s Rally in Melbourne.

General Lyndon Buckingham presents Lieutenant Paul Trotter with his Mission Regeneration Award in Melbourne on Sunday. Photos: Gary Hart BY LAUREN MARTIN   Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas has added the ‘Mission Regeneration Award’ to a swathe of new honours handed out across the country over the past week to recognise Salvation Army leaders engaged in pioneering new expressions of faith.   Lieutenant Paul Trotter, Corps Officer at Colac (Vic.), is the inaugural recipient of this award, presented to him by Miriam at the General’s Victoria Division Rally at Melbourne Convention Centre on Sunday.   Miriam said that reinvigorating existing expressions is often harder than planting a new expression and commended Paul: “You have done a remarkable ministry at Colac … God has been using you and your team, and we want to celebrate you today as someone who’s seen God turn the place around.”   Paul was commissioned in 2019, and his first appointment was to Brunswick as a corps officer/team member in January 2020, and then as the Team Leader in October 2022. Paul was then appointed to Colac in January 2022.   He has transformed the mission and ministry of the corps, particularly post-COVID 19, which has included moving into newly renovated buildings. This has seen the development of a number of community table expressions and of Colac becoming a Community of Hope for the wider community. Innovative ministry takes place, including drop-in zones for youth, and collaborating with other local services such as the local council, police and skills providers.   Paul said it was a privilege and surprise to receive the award.   “It’s a reminder that within the organisation we have the freedom to allow the Holy Spirit to direct and guide to make Kingdom impact, building relationships within our communities,” he said.   Cutmore Awards Other Victorian Division officers to be recognised during the rally were Major Narelle Jacobsen for her pioneering work at ‘The Well’ in St Kilda, and Majors Brendan and Sandra Nottle of Project 614 Corps in inner-city Melbourne.   Narelle and the Nottles were recipients of the ‘Commissioners Ian and Nancy Cutmore Award’.   The General presents Major Narelle Jacobsen with her Cutmore Award. Narelle Jacobsen Narelle said she was surprised to receive the award but was reminded by her team afterwards that a few years ago, the Lord had told her that she was a pioneer and that her name would be known.   “That was confirmation today,” she said after the rally. “Words that have been spoken have just come about, so that’s been a huge encouragement today.”   Narelle has served at ‘The Well’ in St Kilda since January 2019. During this time, she has developed a Community of Hope, which has embraced her local community, attracting a wide range of volunteers who see ‘The Well’ as a place where they can contribute meaningfully to the community and also embrace the values of The Salvation Army.   Narelle’s strength is linking with the community, providing a range of activities and accommodating an individual’s holistic lifestyle through spiritual and physical wellbeing. ‘The Well’ has become a place where people find community and hope, and many lives have been transformed by the love of Jesus. Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham presents the Nottles with their Cutmore Award. Brendan and Sandra Nottle The Nottles have been at Project 614 since 2003. When Miriam called them to the stage to receive their award, they playfully told her they didn’t want to be moved!   Throughout the 21 years of their appointment, they have been the heartbeat of The Salvation Army in the city, delivering holistic mission to the least advantaged of the inner city. Initiatives through which Project 614 has reached out to the community have included Street Teams, Night Café, The Pink Car (transport service for women in distress), and The Couch (for international students).   During this time, they have also established Order 614 which sees young Christians from throughout Victoria coming to share in leadership and ministry at Project 614.   “We know it’s not always easy, but God’s hand is on you, and you continue to serve the city, and God continues to give you favour. You’re planters, you’re pioneers, and we celebrate you today. Well done,” Miriam said.   After the rally, Brendan said he found the acknowledgment really moving because it’s an award that he and Sandra will share with their entire team of staff and volunteers.   “It honours the amazing team that we have… it says to the whole team – you’re valued. Your work is really appreciated by The Salvation Army.”   He said it was important to honour the work of pioneers and innovators because it was that spirit that started the movement that we know today as The Salvation Army.

Hear General Lyndon Buckingham as he preaches at the Sydney Rally, the first stop on his Australian tour. In this inspiring message, he speaks about the difference between having Jesus as ‘present’, ‘prominent’ or ‘pre-eminent’ in our lives and our Salvation Army movement. To listen to a presentation from Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham at Officers Councils in Sydney, and an interview with the General and Commissioner at the Sydney Rally, click the links below: Commissioner Buckingham - Stories from Around the World  Youth Interview with General and Commissioner Buckingham   These videos above from the General’s Australian tour, plus other Australia Territory Leadership videos can be found at: https://my.salvos.org.au/toolkit/contributors/salvos-studios/collections/messages-from-leadership/

Youth in the ACT will soon be able to access more holistic, proactive accommodation services thanks to The Salvation Army and two partner organisations. BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE The Salvation Army has won a major tender to provide homelessness services for young people in the Australian Capital Territory. This new funding will support the delivery of 127 youth housing beds across crisis, transitional and longer-term accommodation options in the ACT. These beds are an expansion of the 24-bed existing crisis and transitional beds offered by The Salvation Army in the ACT. The rollout began on 1 July and includes renovating an existing apartment complex in Narrabundah and other locations across the territory, including Chisholm, Florey and Duffy. NSW/ACT State Manager for Youth Tom Austin said the purpose of the proposed service was to prevent young people from re-entering the homelessness system through long-term housing and care. He said young people were typically referred to multiple crisis services with little continuity. Tom said he hoped to eventually see young people permanently exit the system and find their own solutions. “You tend to get young people flipping from one crisis service to another, to another, to another,” he said. “What we are really hoping is that by being able to provide [a] much longer-term kind of care, young people will be able to engage in education, finish education, get a job, and basically avoid cycling through the homelessness system again.” The funding, secured by Salvation Army Youth Services in partnership with Salvos Housing, also includes partnership arrangements with specialist family mediation agency Conflict Resolution Service and specialist mental health service Grand Pacific Health, the lead agent for Headspace in the ACT. This initiative provides responsive housing solutions alongside holistic care to support young people along the journey to independence. Tom said relationship breakdown, generally family breakdown caused more than 60 per cent of homelessness in this age group, according to Salvation Army research, in which many were forced to couch-surfed or sleep in cars. Tom said besides relationship breakdown, drug and alcohol dependence and mental ill health were often factors contributing to homelessness. He said the vast majority of young people The Salvation Army encountered in the ACT had also experienced out-of-home care in their foundational years. “Young people who’ve experienced adverse childhood events, young people with trauma histories, they tend to be majorly overrepresented in the youth homelessness statistics,” Tom said. “By providing that kind of long-term kind of therapeutic care, we're hoping to shift or stop that trajectory of young people growing up and ending up in adult services.” Tom said local corps, Doorways, Moneycare and Salvos Stores had all been proactive in assisting with the new initiatives and ongoing care for young people experiencing homelessness. He said, in particular, Gungahlin Corps had been really supportive of the new project. “They’ve been incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the induction process and establishment phase,” Tom said.

Captains Jodie and Gavin Jones, Premier Roger Cook, Dawn Mills (State Manager Family Violence) and Danielle Black (Doorways Coordinator) in Karratha. BY ANTHONY CASTLE   Salvos in the remote Western Australia town of Karratha were honoured to attend lunch with the WA Premier recently.   Captains Gavin and Jodie Jones, Karratha Corps Officers, and representatives from their Doorways and FDV (Family and Domestic Violence) teams were invited to lunch with Premier Roger Cook . The Premier and the cabinet members were present for a tour of the region.   “I was really honoured to be invited to lunch with the premier and all of the cabinet members, along with our corps officers and Family Domestic Violence state manager,” said Danielle Black, Doorways Coordinator. “The Premier was very warm in his reception of us when he saw us wearing The Salvation Army shield and made comment on the good work that we do.”   The lunch was an opportunity to express gratitude for the Western Australia State Government’s ongoing support of The Salvation Army’s programs and community services in Karratha. The Salvos representatives also spoke about the needs of the Karratha community and the ongoing support required in the area.   “During the lunch I also had the opportunity to talk with Minister Carey,” says Danielle. “We were able to express our gratitude for the support of the government’s increase in FDV support and discuss the new women’s refuge build that is nearing completion and how desperately needed this is in the community.”   The housing crisis in the region has escalated in the Pilbarra as workers move to the region for the mining sector. The increase in demand has caused a rental emergency that has priced out low-and-middle-income earners from the region. In the last five years, rents have more than doubled in the Pilbara’s two biggest towns, and the median rental price in Karratha is $1100.   “We are in the midst of a nationwide housing shortage, particularly so in Karratha’s unique housing situation,” Danielle says. “Minister Carey was gracious and open to listening to my concerns for our community members, and what I believe are some really strong needs not currently being met. This was particularly around emergency housing options for males and young people wanting to leave home.”   Karratha Salvation Army offers a range of supports and services to the area, including youth accommodation, a women’s refuge, the Positive Lifestyle Program, the Jabaja Cooking and Homemaker program, and Doorways emergency relief and holistic case management.