Students at Len Millar High School, Liberia. There are 5289 students enrolled in Salvation Army schools in the African nation. Almost half of The Salvation Army’s 1.2 million church members are based in 27 countries across Africa. Kenya East and Kenya West territories have almost a quarter of a million senior soldiers between them, with Zimbabwe/Botswana Territory boasting 140,000 senior soldiers. Recent expansion has occurred in Madagascar, Gabon, Togo, Burundi, Namibia, Sierra Leone, eSwatini (Swaziland) and Guinea, and further missionary expansions are being explored in Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Ivory Coast. Administratively, the work in Africa is divided into 17 territories. Apart from reaching out through spreading the Word of God and working towards unity with other religious groups and Christian denominations, The Salvation Army also reaches out to the vulnerable and less privileged through social programs such as: • Schools • Hospitals and health centres • Women and youth empowerment programs • Conservation agriculture • Adult and children’s homes • Disaster response • Anti-human trafficking response • Rehabilitation for street children, sex workers and people with drug addictions. These social outreach ministries are supported by partnerships with other Salvation Army locations, government funding or locally generated funds. MODERN SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESPONSE Modern slavery and human trafficking affect 49.6 million people globally. Nearly a quarter of these cases are in Africa. Forced labour is a reality for 37 per cent of trafficked persons in Africa followed by forced marriage and sexual exploitation. Raising awareness of human trafficking on the streets of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Salvation Army has an international modern slavery and human trafficking response strategy to work towards a world without slavery. The eight focus areas – prayer, prosecution, proof, policy, partnership, protection, participation and prevention – demonstrate how The Salvation Army participates with God in holistically responding to modern slavery and human trafficking around the world. Each territory in Africa has an anti-trafficking coordinator, and they collaborate through a national community of practice. This forum brings together anti-trafficking and modern slavery personnel and practitioners to interact, engage, share information, resources and best practices, and build strong partnerships and networks. At least 20 survivors have been repatriated to their home countries annually since 2021 through partnership and protection responses, and locally The Salvation Army is working towards fully implementing the prosecution, participation, policy and research (proof) responses. Trafficking and modern slavery practices rapidly change, requiring interventions to be continually relevant amidst limited resources. SCHOOL MINISTRY IN LIBERIA The Salvation Army started working in Liberia in May 1988, about 18 months before the country was plunged into a deadly civil war that lasted for 14 years. The Salvation Army started its first school in Monrovia, the capital city, in 1992. This initiative has grown into a school system consisting of 13 learning institutions – mostly built during the civil conflict. There are 5289 students enrolled in Salvation Army schools in Liberia with 386 administrative, instructional and support staff. The Salvation Army schools in Liberia have consistently been among the best-performing schools in public examinations with the schools mostly obtaining 95-100 per cent pass rates annually with many national awards in academic and extracurricular activities. With a successful record of providing primary and secondary education in the country, The Salvation Army started offering tertiary education in 2018 through its polytechnic facility which offers associate degree programs. In 2022, the polytechnic received accreditation to offer baccalaureate degree programs in 10 disciplines. At the end of 2022, The Salvation Army received three prestigious educational awards. In January 2023, the school system won the championship in the 2022-23 annual debate and quiz competition organised by an anticorruption organisation, the Faith and Justice Network, Liberia. The Salvation Army in Liberia has a vision of reaching many communities in need with quality and affordable education and extending its services to Sierra Leone and Guinea, regions that are ranked with the lowest literacy and numeracy rates in the world. FOOD SECURITY The Salvation Army in East Kenya implements a number of community development projects on resilience, anti-human trafficking, community health, economic empowerment and education. Rose tending to her kitchen garden in Kenya. Food security intervention is delivered through the Mseto resilience project improving and equipping families with farming knowledge and skills relevant to the context of climate change. Around 1404 families inclusive of people living with disability have benefitted throughout the project’s life and have replicated the technologies that have impacted communities positively enabling their food security, nutrition and household income. Future developments will focus on the use of technology especially in production, marketing and research. NAIROBI INVESTORS All parents want to feel that they are providing for their families. This is not easy in the slums where crime, violence and unemployment are rampant. Women work together to handcraft beaded animals to sell. Profits are shared among the group. Nairobi Investors economic empowerment program is helping families across Nairobi slums to improve their economic situations through savings and soft loans. Men and women living in Nairobi slums worked together on saving small amounts of money and borrowing the accumulated savings as loans to start small businesses to independently attend to their basic needs such as food, education, health and shelter. The intervention has offered the households capacity to become self-reliant by providing beneficiaries with basic business, budgeting and financial skills. Since this programme started, it has formed and enhanced 50 savings and loans groups in 37 Salvation Army churches and in 26 slum communities where 1840 members participate as direct beneficiaries. The project has empowered women to achieve financial independence, families are able to live more fulfilling lives and are lifted out of poverty, and people are able to free themselves from other social challenges, such as gender-based violence. A sustainable livelihood offers people an equitable and dignified life. This program hopes to double the number of beneficiaries in the future. For the full story, click here . A recent exhibition at Salvation Army International Headquarters in London highlighed the modern slavery and human trafficking response within Africa, school ministry in Liberia and food security and economic empowerment programs in Kenya.

General Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle with Captain Arija Bergmane, who shared about the Army's beginnings in the country in 1940 and its re-establishment in 1990. General Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle (World President of Women’s Ministries) recently visited the Baltic country of Latvia to join The Salvation Army’s 100-year anniversary celebrations. “Our visit to Latvia leaves us with a deep appreciation for God’s faithfulness and great praise for our people, especially our officers, soldiers and adherents,” General Peddle wrote on his Facebook page. “Over the past few days, we have heard stories that span 100 years. We have listened to people who have been a part of historical events which impacted the Salvation Army in a profound way.” General Brian Peddle engages with some of the youth in Latvia. The General wrote about meeting Captain Arija Bergmane, now in her 90s, who recounted events from 1940 when the work of the Army was stopped and property was seized. Salvationists were dispersed, left to meet in secret, joining only for ‘birthday parties’, which became prayer and praise meetings. (The Red Army invaded Latvia in June 1940 and the country was incorporated into the Soviet Union.) “In 1990, through miraculous events and the faith-filled hearts of the Bergmane family, along with the support of the Sweden Territory, the Army re-opened and reclaimed its buildings,” shared General Peddle. “Today a thriving expression of the Army engages with Latvian society. It is a story worthy of the praise of all Salvationists.” During the celebration weekend, the world leaders ordained and commissioned four officers and worshipped and prayed with Salvationists and friends. The Salvation Army in Latvia shares the gospel through many corps and centres. The work also includes supporting those who are homeless, especially women and children; and supporting Ukrainian refugees. “We are thanking God for our Salvation Army in Latvia,” said General Peddle. “Please pray for them and for the nation.”

Students from across the world gather twice a week at the Geelong Salvation Army Corps to engage in games and themed activities to foster better connections and relationships. By KIRRALEE NICOLLE With the stresses of COVID-19, the isolation of living apart from family and friends, and the strain of handling escalating expenses on a student budget, international students face unique challenges. When a former student support worker at Deakin University found herself increasingly encountering international students with severe mental health struggles, she knew something had to change. Helen Nicholls-Stary had observed the success of The Couch program, run as an initiative of the City of Melbourne and The Salvation Army’s Project 614. She wondered if something similar might work in Geelong. “I thought I need to be more proactive [at] putting in strategies where students are connecting, where they’ve got a safe place that they can come [and] they can talk about concerns with people they trust [who can] link them in with relevant services,” she said. Helen said because of COVID-19, many students came to Australia to study only for all their courses to be held online. She said language barriers and other struggles could also mean the students weren’t even connecting with their own housemates. “They might not even be sharing a meal,” Helen said. Some of the international students who attend the student lounge at Geelong Corps. She then partnered with The Salvation Army, Study Geelong, The City of Greater Geelong, The Gordon, Deakin University and Deakin College to launch The Lounge program, based on the same model as The Couch. Geelong Food Relief and the Geelong Sikh community also agreed to provide meals. The first gathering was held on Monday 29 May, and Helen said the team was now seeing 25 to 30 international students at the twice-weekly gatherings held at the Geelong Corps in Malop Street. Helen said the great thing about The Salvation Army’s involvement was that it brought a community of people willing to help. “We’re open two nights a week, Monday and Thursday, and the format of the evening is that we have activities or a presentation, and we also serve a fresh hot meal,” she said. “That’s really important for international students. Some don’t have that knowledge about cooking local produce, [and] some are experiencing financial insecurity and maybe just living on two-minute noodles or not much at all. “We’ve got people that come along in the evening that just like to socialise with the international students, and it’s great because this is their chance to meet an Aussie.” Helen said the team might even develop a friendship program where local families could take students on an outing or for a meal to build connections. She said Deakin University’s health and wellbeing ambassadors also attended gatherings at The Lounge and were trained to notice mental health concerns and link the students with services to assist them. Salvation Army social mission program adviser Major David Elderidge said The Salvation Army was an ideal lead partner for the program due to its commitment to inclusive practice that recognised and valued diversity alongside shared values of compassion, integrity, respect and collaboration. “International students will be able to link in with other Salvation Army services as additional supports for international students, including counselling and support for students experiencing financial stress,” David said. The program currently relies on a Study Melbourne Inclusion Program grant, which is only allocated for 12 months. Helen is currently seeking sponsors to help fund the program. To find out more about The Lounge and how to be involved, you can contact Helen directly at helen.nicholls.stary@gmail.com.

AMES staff and participants gathered in the Adelaide City Salvos basement for an event that raised funds for Cancer Council. By ANTHONY CASTLE Adelaide City Salvos has partnered with AMES Australia to host orientation courses for those being resettled in Australia, in a unique collaboration that makes the corps a place of welcome for those in need of a new home. “AMES [Adult Multicultural Education Services] contacted us in March,” explains Major Mal Davies, Corps Officer of Adelaide City Salvos. “The program they run is an orientation course for new arrivals, as part of their settlement, and teaches the basics of how to live in Australia. Michael Shultz (AMES Australia) contacted me and asked if it’s possible they’d be able to use some of our space as a classroom.” The AMES orientation course runs two days a week using the City Salvos corps facilities in the heart of the city. The classes involve 15-20 new arrivals each Thursday and Friday, having started in April. Classes are hosted in the City Salvos’ basement space, with access off the street. Major Mal Davis, Corps Officer at Adelaide City Salvos. “The course deals with basic things,” Mal explains. “Questions like, ‘How do I sign up with Centrelink?’, ‘If I need emergency services what’s the phone number?’, ‘How do I get a driver’s license?’, ‘How do I get my kids into a school?’, ‘How do I use a hospital?’. The classes are running well, and we’re really happy with it.” AMES Australia originated in Victoria, where it has helped new and recently arrived refugees and migrants settle in Australia for 70 years. AMES Australia provides a range of settlement services for refugees and migrants. “AMES respects and aligns with the mutual values and integrity of the Salvation Army as an organisation,” explains Michael Schultz, AMES Senior Manager for South Australia. “I previously connected with The Salvation Army’s national team last year as part of a group coordinating support to Ukrainian arrivals in Adelaide. Mal Davies was extremely flexible and keen to support our work in settling refugees when I approached him.” AMES provides on-arrival settlement support, English language and literacy training, vocational education and training, and employment services. The vision of AMES is ‘full participation for all in a cohesive and diverse society’. “In Adelaide, we deliver information on 10 topic areas for humanitarian refugee arrivals to help them understand Australian culture,” Michaels says. “Housing, government, health, the legal and Centrelink system. It is quite overwhelming for them at first, but this information gives them knowledge and empowerment to become independent as soon as possible.” The collaboration includes the City Salvos also being informed of the new arrivals arriving in Adelaide and where they’re from. Adelaide City Salvos allowed AMES staff to utilise their facilities for an Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea Cancer research fundraising event. In September, City Salvos will host a Ukrainian food and culture festival for hundreds of attendees and promote AMES services at the event. AMES Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea at Adelaide City Salvos. “It makes a strong statement of welcome from the local Adelaide community when the new arrivals visit the Salvation Army premises for their orientation,” Michael says. “It provides them with practical awareness and knowledge of The Salvation Army, services and options to connect with other people. A friendly smile or shared food can easily overcome language barriers to create a sense of dignity and welcome.” City Salvos runs playgroups, Doorways, emergency relief, and activities for youth and children. Refugee arrivals from Ukraine have already come for services and also accessed the corps playgroup. The City Salvos services are also available to those in the orientation course, such as recent arrivals from Afghanistan, France, Burma, Syria and Ukraine. “The collaboration is growing in different ways,” Mal says. “We have a volunteer who is studying and looking to work with migrants, so we reached out to AMES. We cross-promote the supports that are here. I’ve been invited to share a video message before each class, a welcome to City Salvos and a chance for me to share about services.” Adelaide City Salvos recently met with representatives from AMES, the manager of Doorways, and Towards Home, to discuss how to work together and mutually support their clients. If a migrant or a refugee comes to Doorways, they can be referred to any number of complimentary supports. “This collaboration builds into our values, our vision, our mission,” Mal says. “It builds on Scripture, the words of Jesus, ‘you were a stranger, and you welcomed me’. That’s what we’re attempting to live out. We don’t hide that we’re a church. I make a point of saying that whether people are of Christian faith or not, whether they have faith at all, they are welcome in this place.”

Ali and Fatemeh told their story over Persian rice, chicken, Shirazi salad and doogh (yoghurt drink). When Ali* decided to flee Iran with his wife Fatemeh* and their two-year-old son, he hoped for a safer life in Australia. What he didn’t know was that the journey would involve far more than just a boat ride. Over a delicious traditional Iranian lunch, they told Salvos Online writer KIRRALEE NICOLLE about their long road to permanent residency. As a political activist who spoke against the Ayatollah Khamenei regime, Ali feared being reported, perhaps even by close family, and imprisoned. This would leave him unable to protect his wife and child from repercussions and the strain of living under the regime. A confrontation with a concerned family member in a grocery store in 2013 left him terrified, and he quickly researched and discovered that it was possible to reach Australia by boat. He said he knew it would be difficult, but that didn’t matter compared to the risks they were facing in Iran. “[Iran] is not good for [women],” he said. “And not good for the kids. I think [to myself it] doesn’t matter if I lost my life [trying to reach Australia].” Within 10 days, without telling his wife the danger they were in to protect her safety, Ali packed his young family and fled with few possessions to catch a boat to Indonesia. He says the journey was both harrowing and beautiful. At one point, Fatemeh spent three days in a listless, semi-conscious state, and he wasn’t sure if she would survive. When she began to revive, they still had to make it through a 10-hour cramped bus ride in Indonesia, then a night-time voyage to Christmas Island, where they began four months in immigration detention. However, Ali smiled when he remembered seeing his wife remove her hijab on the boat for the first time in public. Fatemeh laughed at the memory. “She walked out [with a bare head] in front of all these men,” he said. “I thought, wow!” They were later transferred to the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation facility in Melbourne and then released as asylum seekers on bridging visas. They settled in Melbourne, and Ali, a truck driver in Iran, eventually began working in trucking again. Fatemeh found work as a cleaner, then as a carer in an aged care facility. Soon after they arrived, she also became pregnant with their second son. However, their visa status remained uncertain for 10 years. It was not until this past May that they finally received Resolution of Status visas under the Albanese government’s plan to offer permanency to Temporary Protection visa and Safe Haven Enterprise visa holders. They had spent 10 years not knowing whether they would need to return to the country where imprisonment, death and betrayal felt like a constant and genuine possibility. Ten years of missing their families and having no hope of seeing them. Ten years with limited access to government subsidies and little hope of affordable further education for their sons. A whole decade of relying on charity to boost the small incomes they could make with such an unstable visa status. When the new visa status was approved, they told their sons. What they didn’t expect was for the boys, aged 12 and 9, to be relieved. They had purposely never discussed visas with their children. “They said, ‘Now we can go to university! We can buy a house! We can see Grandma and Grandpa!’” Ali said. “We didn’t know they [had so much] stress.” For Fatemeh, life in Australia meant freedom to dress how she wanted, find work, safely give birth to her second child and, in 2019, she was enrolled as a soldier at The Salvation Army Farsi Faith Fellowship at Brunswick. She now proudly wears her uniform each Sunday. “I love The Salvation Army,” she said. “I love being a soldier.” But for both Fatemeh and Ali, PTSD from their experiences has been a long-term companion. They have woken many nights with frightening dreams, and their days have often been filled with stress about visas, financial strain or the wellbeing of their families in Iran. But with the reality of their good news still sinking in, Ali said it still wasn’t time to rejoice. Instead, they would wait for all their friends whose status remained uncertain to receive permanency first. “We [will] wait until everyone gets their visa, then we will celebrate,” he said. *Names have been changed.

The Salvation Army Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Team have partnered with Gravity Films to invite personnel and Salvationists to a Virtual Screening (online) of The Last Daughter and to watch the film with their teams and congregations from 6 July. By ANTHONY CASTLE “The truth has set me free, and I can just walk in that freedom now.” Brenda’s first memories were of growing up in a loving, white foster family before she was suddenly taken away and returned to her Aboriginal family. Decades later, she feels disconnected from both halves of her life, but her past traumas do not lie quietly buried. Brenda goes searching for the foster family with whom she had lost all contact. Along the way, she uncovers long-buried secrets, government lies and the possibility of deeper connections to family and culture. The Last Daughter is a documentary about Brenda’s journey to unearth the truth about her past and to reconcile the two sides of her family. Brenda Matthews is a proud Wiradjuri woman, a storyteller, a speaker and co-director of the feature film, The Last Daughter , a documentary of her life. The Last Daughter is in cinemas for a limited time only – from 15 June 2023 ( find a location near you ) – or gather people in your church, school, or workplace and experience the healing journey in community. Brenda’s father was a pastor, and it was his faith that gave her the strength to go on this journey. NCLS Research found 70 per cent of church leaders think that to contribute to reconciliation, the Church needs to build intentional relationships with local Indigenous people, but 76 per cent of churches have no direct relationship with Indigenous people. Sharing this story with your church is a way to contribute to reconciliation. Brenda’s story will create empathy, awareness and understanding for First Nations People and inspire your congregation to #WalkWithBrenda and discuss our shared history. Audiences can also unpack the themes of The Last Daughter with a series of discussion guides that offer questions and reflections and encourage personal reflection ( download reflection resources ). For more information, visit thelastdaughter.com

Captain Stuart Glover is the Secretary for Mission, responsible for The Salvation Army’s social services in Australia and a proud member of the Bundjalung Nation. By CAPTAIN STUART GLOVER The Salvation Army is one of Australia’s biggest providers of social services. We are on the ground providing hope in more communities than McDonald’s is serving burgers. We are a pragmatic movement, not into empty gestures or performative virtue signalling. So it might come as a surprise, given some of the commentary around it, that The Salvation Army is a steadfast supporter of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. That is because, simply put, we don’t think a Voice will be hollow symbolism. It will be powerfully symbolic, of course, but it will also be deeply practical in a way that can lead to better outcomes and enrich the experience of both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians together. Let me explain why. For around 140 years, Salvos have rolled up their sleeves and helped where they can. We started social services with a modest program assisting discharged prisoners at the prison gates in Melbourne, and now we provide over 2000 services across every state and territory in Australia. We support people experiencing homelessness, family and domestic violence, financial hardship, unemployment, social isolation and loneliness and help them recover from natural disasters. Throughout our history, we have learnt the hard way about delivering services without listening, thinking we knew best. This approach did not work then and does not work now. This has been our most important lesson over the past 140 years ... you can’t help people if you’re not listening to them. You can’t deliver a great service without actively listening to the people using it. You can’t draft a great policy if you’re not listening to the people who have to follow it. You can’t make great law if you’re not listening to the people who will be impacted by it. When we engage with people impacted by disadvantage, we find areas of strength that provide a platform for change. When we make space for people to feel empowered and equipped, the level of innovation is astounding. When we acknowledge our country’s vastness and diversity, we can find local solutions that work in ways that couldn’t be imagined from an air-conditioned conference room in a capital city. The Salvos live, love and fight for justice wherever they can. We have met with many MPs and Senators in the new Parliament and, without exception and wherever they sit in the chambers, we have heard their desire to make good laws. I believe they want to listen. I think all governments try to consult, but there are some very practical constraints. This is a huge country, and with over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations, consulting with people from three or four nations is not going to get the best results. We have 151 seats in the House of Representatives for a reason. We all know that someone speaking for inner-city Sydney can’t speak for people in rural Western Australia or remote areas of the Northern Territory (nor vice versa). A constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament creates an opportunity to start to make real progress on addressing the terrible disadvantage our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience. It will allow our lawmakers – not just the government but those in parliament we rely on to keep the government accountable – to hear directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They will get access to the diversity of views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders about matters that will affect them differently depending on their circumstances. They will get information not filtered by multiple levels of government, not varnished and polished by service providers, nor sanitised into talking points by public servants. Of course, we all want more detail about what the Voice will look like. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people absolutely need to do due diligence on something this important. I believe that once we have the Voice in the Constitution, Parliament can work together to ensure it delivers on its promise. That is how it has worked for every other public institution in Australia’s history, and no other reform has been perfect from day one. But I understand why other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people don’t have that kind of faith. Our history is littered with ‘consultation’ with mob that has been ignored. That diversity of thought needs to be respected. Diversity will make a Voice to Parliament that much more powerful if, and when, it does become part of the Constitution. This is what The Salvation Army is praying will happen – because of the other thing we have learnt over 140 years of helping Australians ... It is hard to listen to people if you don’t let them have a voice. Captain Stuart Glover is the Secretary for Mission, responsible for The Salvation Army’s social services in Australia and a proud member of the Bundjalung Nation. Need some answers? To go to Voice FAQs, click here

Eleven Liars is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery. By PETER MAZANEC Eleven Liars is the second book in the Ben Harper series by Robert Gold. The Sunday Times bestselling author returns with a new thriller following one of 2022’s biggest crime debuts (Twelve Secrets). Eleven Liars is a suspenseful thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows Ben, an investigative journalist on his commute home one evening, who happens to witness a fire in a local community centre. Author Robert Gold. Ben rescues an unidentified person from the flames, who inexplicably runs off into the darkness. The mysterious circumstances of the fire put Ben on the trail of people in the community who are connected to a tragic event that occurred in the past. As the story unfolds, the character’s secrets and lies begin to unravel, and the truth is revealed. The story is mainly told from Ben and PC Dani Cash’s perspective and is divided into 11 parts. Each part begins on a different day, and each day is broken into chapters. I enjoyed following Ben and Danni, as they are both interesting, complex characters, and their stories added depth to the narrative. Overall, Eleven Liars is a gripping read that will appeal to fans of suspenseful thrillers. Gold's skilful storytelling and complex characters make this book a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Eleven Liars is now available from Hachette

Growing Downward: The Path to Christ-Exalting Humility is a book that applies to all Christians. By TANWIN TONOTO “Pride is the number one enemy of the pastor at every stage of the game.” Pride? Really? I know pride is dangerous, but to be the number one enemy of pastors? More than sexual temptation and greed? At every stage of the game? Not only for the young pastors? Is this an exaggeration? Well, that is the strong opening statement of this book. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Pride, by nature, is subversive. It is dangerous because it doesn’t appear to be dangerous. It is also dangerous that we all have it, and we are so good at denying it, covering it, and rationalising it. Truly, we live in a world where pride is a virtue and humility is a vice. Sadly, Christians are not immune to this danger. I would argue that Christians and church leaders are more susceptible to the danger of pride than many other people. So what’s the solution? How do we identify the danger of pride and how to replace it with the virtue of humility? In this book, Thompson proposes a downward growth - “a downward disposition of a Godward, Christ-centered self-perception” . To be a Christian is to grow downward. “Spiritual growth is not an ascent; it is a descent. To grow in humility is to grow downward.” Thompson divides this book into five theological yet practical categories: 1. Existential humility. Where our creatureliness defines our humility. The fact that we are created, and temporal beings who are dependent on our Creator should disposition us in humility. 2. Ethical humility. The reality that we are fallen, delusional, and helpless sinners should show the unmeasurable worth of God and the work of Jesus on the cross. This realisation helps drive that downward growth. 3. Evangelical humility. Moving into a more practical space, this section encourages us to love others through our humility and how humility is one of the things that people are drawn to. 4. Ecclesiastical humility. How do we live our imperfections among imperfect people? How do we live as followers of Jesus in our humility? How can our imperfection fuel our mission? 5. Eschatalogical humility. Back into the theological space, this section shows how humility helps us see ourselves as grave-bound, judgement-bound and eternity-bound mortals. I appreciate Thompson writing this book because I know this book wouldn’t sell well. Nobody wants to read about humility, yet this book is what we need to show us the Godward growth that we all need to have. I recommend this book to all Christians, but mainly to pastors, church leaders and other seasoned believers. Due to the theological framework, I think the book’s arguments would stimulate pastors. But the overall concept and idea apply to all in our Christian walk. “[Pride] is the complete anti-God state of mind.” - CS Lewis. Therefore, let’s grow downward instead.

Inner City chaplains (from left) Captain Bronwyn Moon, Major Bill Geracia and Major Irene Pleffer at Sydney Congress Hall.. By LAUREN MARTIN When a Salvation Army officer is appointed as chaplain to a social service, their job description is to care for and support the staff and clients of that particular service. But when you have a group of Salvation Army services in close proximity, like inner-city services, is there a more holistic way of ministering? That’s the question Sydney City Salvos asked when it brought together the corps and mission expressions of The Salvation Army in inner-Sydney several years ago. “We had a heart to be on mission together,” says Mitch Evans, Sydney City Salvos Mission Team Leader. In fact, Mitch was so serious about working together that he and the team at The Salvation Army’s Streetlevel Mission stopped running their Friday night faith expression and instead encouraged participants to meet at Sydney Congress Hall for its Wednesday night Hope Dinner instead. “The exciting thing about the inner city is that we are seeing the walls coming down, and people are working together and wanting to support each other,” says Sydney-wide Area Officer Major Vannessa Garven. Captain Bronwyn Moon leads the ‘Faith Space’ at Sydney City Salvos - Waterloo. The role of chaplaincy across the area was also turned on its head, with chaplains employed to minister across all inner-city services, not just assigned to one service. “They work across all the centres, and the impact that’s having is huge,” says Vannessa. “They are committed they coming to Hope Dinner each Wednesday, and they are connecting people to that.” Meet the inner-city Chaplaincy Team Major Bill Geracia is The Salvation Army’s chaplain to inner-city Sydney. So, on Mondays and Thursdays he is at Oasis Youth Services, on Tuesdays he’s at Foster House men’s homelessness service and on Thursday mornings he joins a worker there who does an early-morning outreach for rough sleepers. On Wednesdays, he works the barbeque at the Waterloo Corps community lunch, and that night he joins the other chaplains at Sydney Congress Hall’s Hope Dinner. On Fridays, he hangs out at William Booth House Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) service and runs a Bible study there. During the week, he touches base and crosses paths with his chaplaincy co-workers, Captain Bronwyn Moon and Major Irene Pleffer. “Everyone connects to people differently,” says Bill. “So, the ability to have different people and personalities in each of the centres is invaluable.” When you get the three in a room together, the organic way that they work together is tangible: “Oh! I ran into this fellow the other day,” says Irene excitedly. “Yes, he’s meeting with me every Tuesday,” says Bill. “You should see the change in him, he doesn’t want to do drugs anymore.” “That’s so great,” says Bronwyn. “He’s into rap music and art, so because I was at Oasis and they have the Street Media program there, I told them about him, and they said he can use their recording studio, so I introduced him, and he’s just done really well …” And that’s just one conversation about one community member. Get in a room with these three chaplains and you will hear them talk about multiple people, multiple interactions. The way they connect the threads between their interactions with community members builds a story around the kind of transformative wrap-around support a large organisation like The Salvation Army can provide to a person when its people work together . Hundreds of people use the support services of The Salvation Army in inner Sydney. In many cases, one person will use several different services. When they do, they’re coming into contact at some point with the inner-city chaplains, who work at each of the centres, and all have the same heart: to see people thrive. It often all comes together at the Wednesday night Hope Dinner at Sydney Congress Hall. People that Bill, Bronwen and Irene have met at all the Salvation Army centres and faith expressions they work across are invited to a community meal. There is a time of devotion, lots of laughs, and opportunities to go deeper. Inner City chaplains Captain Bronwyn Moon and Major Bill Geracia get things cooking! “At Hope Dinner, I get around, say, four or five guys and we talk footy, and then Irene is talking to some of the single ladies,” explains Bill. “I think it’s a better way [to have this shared chaplaincy mission]. It’s more advantageous for us because we can be open to every opportunity in every service. Instead of just having one person at one service.” Bronwyn agrees. She says working across the centres and faith expressions allows the chaplains to continue journeying with people after they leave one particular Salvation Army service. “We can continue faith pathways when they leave. These are such transient places that they are in. We can connect them to other Salvation Army places. We cover more ground this way than putting single chaplains in these places that might not know what’s happening anywhere else. “I think there’s something to be said for this model. Of course, we are lucky because everything is within walking distance ... although, I wouldn’t mind if they gave me a little scooter with a Salvo shield on it,” she laughs!

Is it possible to give thanks during dark times ... during the most painful moments of loss and desperation? Chief Secretary Colonel Winsome Merrett suggests that this is the time when we most need to give thanks to God. When we give thanks in all circumstances and practise a heart of gratitude, it changes our perspective and makes us look beyond ourselves towards a faithful and loving God.

Salvos Stores aren’t just an op shop. They are a vibrant community that raises funds to support the mission of The Salvation Army and provide hope to those in need.