Commissioner Miriam Gluyas (second from right) dropped into Tweed Heads Corps on one of her visits to corps and centres around the Australia Territory. By COMMISSIONER MIRIAM GLUYAS Friends, Over the past few weeks, I have done a lot of ‘listening’ around the Australia Territory and have loved hearing from so many people. I will continue to listen. Discerning what the Spirit is saying in all that I hear is key. We want to hear from the Spirit of God. We are writing a new story together, and I think we all welcome that. I am hearing clearly that: • We want to see Australia transformed, one life at a time, with the love of Jesus. • We want to follow Jesus. • We want to move people onto God’s agenda. • We want to live ... Jesus-centred. Spirit-led. Hope revealed (we have lost some hope but want hope back). • And we admit that we don’t always know how to get there. We feel a little like the writer in 2 Chronicles 20:12 “... and we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You”. And so, I invite you to ‘COME WITH US’ on this journey. 1. Come with us ... as a people of prayer This seems like a ‘no-brainer’, but that is not necessarily so. • Are we all on our knees, really seeking God? • If we really “don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you”, are we desperately seeking God? • Are we praying big prayers, believing that our God will answer? • Are we praying for salvation, family, friends, and our friends across the world? • Are we praying for a world that often seems so messy? • Are we praying for the Church, which seems to be more and more persecuted across the face of the earth? • Are we praying for God to raise up leaders? • Are we praying for creativity, for the new thing, for how God wants us to be the Church? • Are we praying for healing – body, mind and soul? • Not ‘God bless us’ prayers, but prayers of real faith. • And are we sharing the answers? That builds hope and faith. May faith rise in each of us! 2. Come with us ... on a one-one-one journey We need every Salvationist/Salvo on mission to be involved in at least: • One worship service a week • One discipleship group a week • One ministry a week Imagine what God can do if we are all on God’s mission. • How has God wired you? What does this look like for you? • Let God speak to you about what this might be like in your life. • What is the Spirit of God saying to you? Will you step out in faith and, as Mary said to the disciples, “Whatever He says to you, do it”? There’s a world out there that desperately needs Jesus. The world needs us all to play our part, to live close to Jesus. 3. Come with us ... in making disciples who make disciples who make disciples ... Who is discipling you, and who are you discipling? • Seek God on how you continue or begin the journey. We all need discipling and to disciple. • I love discipleship huddles. It’s all about ‘discern and do’ – discerning what God is saying and doing something about it. • Read a chapter of the Gospels together. • Talk about what each of you thinks God is saying. • Decide what you will do because of what God is saying to you. • What will you do together on mission? • Come back next week and talk about what you discovered. • Repeat. Or use something that works for you. There are so many great resources available. This has not been a strong point with us, but can I invite you on this journey? It is so key. Living like Jesus and for Jesus in these days is so very important. We are a holiness movement. We are a mission movement. We need to get the balance. On our knees, then rising, then going forward into a world that desperately needs Jesus. Living like Him and for Him. Can I invite you to ‘COME WITH US’? Many of you are already, and how I thank God for you. Let me remind you again of the verses that I shared last time: “Do you see what this means – all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running – and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God – he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honour, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he ploughed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! ” (Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG)    Bless you, friends. Grateful to you and for you. Miriam

George Ellis received his award from General Lyndon Buckingham at Project 614 on Sunday. Colonel Frank Daniels (ret.) is the flag bearer. Photo: Lauren Martin BY LAUREN MARTIN   Long-serving Salvationist George Ellis from Melbourne’s Project 614 Corps has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 70 years of service to the Lord and The Salvation Army.   General Lyndon Buckingham awarded George, 91, with the honour during the Sunday morning service at Project 614 on 1 September.   The General said he was reminded of the story of Caleb in the Old Testament, who, at 85 years of age, testified, “I’m as zealous for the Lord now as I was when it all began.”   “And I think that sums you up, as zealous for the Lord now as you were when you began,” the General told George. “Keep going – don’t give up!”   George has given his life in service through volunteering and collecting. He was also the founder of The Salvation Army’s territorial archives and heritage centre, the forerunner to The Salvation Army Australia Museum.   He continues to catch the train every Sunday to attend worship at Project 614 and never misses an opportunity to share his faith. Many people across the city regard him as 614’s very own ‘saint’.   George Ellis waves The Salvation Army flag during the Project 614 service. The General and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham spent Sunday morning worshipping at Project 614 Corps in the heart of Melbourne in a relaxed, interactive service led by Corps Officers Majors Brendan and Sandra Nottle.   The historic corps in Bourke Street has seen every single General of The Salvation Army, bar two, preach from its platform. In his message, General Lyndon shared his own history with the corps – a visit in 1980 when he was travelling with the New Zealand Salvation Army National Youth Band.    General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham with Project 614 leaders Majors Sandra and Brendan Nottle. The General gave a Father’s Day message, telling those gathered that God knows each of them intimately and wants to bless each person who comes into his presence.   “He is the Father of the good gifts. He will supply you wisdom, he will supply you grace, he will supply you strength, he will supply you courage, he will bring people alongside you. He will bring people around you, and he will use them to reveal to you the nature and the character and the quantity of his love and his grace and his care for you.”   During the meeting, Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham prayed over the Project 614 volunteers and staff, and people stood and gave testimony during the ‘Share and Care’ time. One woman who attends the Tuesday Chinese Congregation said she was a Buddhist until she met Jesus.   “After I believe in Jesus and put my trust in Jesus, I experienced God’s power, faithfulness and peace through reading the Bible, praying and worshipping. I would like to tell everyone here that Jesus is the true and living God.”   General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham with members of the Project 614 Chinese Congregation who will soon be enrolled as senior soldiers. Later in the meeting, she and nine other members of the Project 614 Chinese Congregation stood as it was announced that they would soon be sworn in as senior soldiers of The Salvation Army.     The meeting concluded with a rousing rendition of  Storm the Forts of Darkness  , and the world leaders shared in a roast lunch at the Project 614 Magpie Nest Café. Read more stories on the General's Melbourne Rally on Salvos Online on Monday   Click through the slideshow below to view more photos of the Project 614 Sunday morning service .

Narelle Gurney spent more than 10 years working for The Salvation Army’s Community Development Department in Malawi, which she says was a life-changing experience. By NARELLE GURNEY* I grew up in southern Sydney (Sans Souci) and had a very stable childhood with lots of freedom. My father was a butcher, and my mother had various part-time jobs, but she was always there when we came home from school. My mother was a churchgoer and the church organist. My father didn’t go to church – he worked six days a week, and Sunday was his day off. We went to Sunday school, but it wasn’t a religious household. I went to Sans Souci Public School and then to Endeavour High School. I was outgoing and talkative and always out at friends’ places. I could have done better at school, but it didn’t seem important at the time. I joined Sunbeams and Guards at Rockdale Corps, and I also attended the corps youth group and Sunday services in my teenage years. After Year 12, I got work at The Salvation Army’s Mancare centre, which helped men with alcohol, homelessness or other problems. I then worked in a divisional office of The Salvation Army. Those two years gave me a very strong grounding, learning about the wider influence of the Salvos. After a few years, I decided to attend university and complete a Bachelor of Social Welfare at Macarthur Institute of Higher Education (now Western Sydney University). During this time, I worked one day a week at Samaritan House, accommodating women who were homeless or needed to leave home for safety reasons. I worked mainly in the office and also got to lead some chapel services. Narelle is now a Community Services Specialist for The Salvation Army, based at Redfern in Sydney. After I finished my degree, I became a Salvos family support worker, as I’ve always liked working on the frontline and rubbing shoulders with those in the real world. I then worked at Stretch-A-Family, a foster care agency for teenagers, including residential care and preparation for independent living. I worked with really damaged teenagers – kids who’d been abused and abandoned, violent kids, and those suffering mental illness, grief and loss. Stretch-A-Family is not a Christian organisation, so I couldn’t overtly talk about my faith to the young people, but at times I was able to share a little of what I believed and what gave direction to my life. My faith grew, and I was then part of Glebe Corps, which was very focused on community involvement in various ways. My faith grew even more when I went overseas to Malawi. Overseas service I’d been thinking for a few years about working in a developing country, mainly because I was available and didn’t have any ties. In my late 40s, I applied to The Salvation Army to work overseas. I applied in November, and by January I received a letter asking me to go to Malawi. My first thought was, “Oh my goodness – where is that?” I discovered it was a very poor African country. I arrived there in August 2010. I describe the experience as wonderful, although many things weren’t wonderful, like the poverty and things that went on in the government and society. After I arrived, when I was being driven from the airport, poverty was in my face. I saw people selling food by the side of the road and thought, “I’m going to be living here! Can I cope?” I headed up a department for community development, and it was a huge learning curve – not just the work but living in another culture and doing things the way they do. However, there were so many enriching times in Malawi. I became friends with a Malawian Salvation Army officer and befriended her extended family and a network of people. Another enriching thing was the ex-pats I met and getting to know people from many different parts of the world. There was a lot of satisfaction in the work I did. One was a program for orphan-headed households, looked after by the eldest child because both parents had died. There might be four, five or six kids, with the eldest, who could be 13 or 14, heading that household. Joseph was 18 when I met him, and the program had trained him in a particular type of farming, given him seeds, a bicycle and some tools. He used the bike like a taxi, giving people lifts to earn income so his four young siblings could attend school. Seeing that family get on their feet, still entrenched in poverty, but being able to step up because of what Joseph could achieve was wonderful. Narelle with close friend Major Doricah Tulombolombo after she graduated from Eva Burrows College with her Diploma of Ministry in 2018. There was an ugly incident in Malawi where a group of men attacked me. It was dark and raining, and the car was ambushed. It was quite a violent attack – I had cuts on my arm and my back, and I questioned God that night but quickly realised that he protected me because I was alive! I stayed in Malawi for 11 years and returned on 23 March 2021. Sometimes I have to think about how much I trust God and thank him for what he’s brought into my life. There have been spiritual truths that I’ve had to grapple with – especially in Malawi. Taking God’s word to heart and applying it to my life no matter the circumstances has been challenging, but it’s helped my faith and belief grow. As told to Major Bryce Davies. To listen to Narelle’s podcast and more, go to brycedavies.libsyn.com * Narelle is a Community Services Specialist for The Salvation Army, based at Redfern in Sydney.

Young people in Zimbabwe celebrating International Day of Children and Youth. The Salvation Army around the world celebrated the International Day of Children and Youth on Sunday 30 April. The day is not just an opportunity to pray for children and young people, but also to create space for them to participate in every aspect of The Salvation Army’s mission. It is about giving them a voice and a stage. It is about celebrating their presence, power and potential. The Salvation Army believes that, “Although children are developing, they are, at the same time, whole and complete human beings. God calls each individual human being into a real relationship and to a real vocation, not a potential vocation somewhere in the future. “This means we see children and young people as full, active members of the Body of Christ, equally important as anyone else.” For more information, click here Below is a selection of photos from around The Salvation Army world showing various corps and centres celebrating International Day of Children and Youth.

General Lyndon Buckingham enrols Lucy Snead as a senior soldier, with her parents Majors Nicole and Johnmark Snead (holding flag) and brother Joshua looking on. Photos: Neha Bogati  BY LAUREN MARTIN   There are thousands of Salvation Army soldiers all around the world, but not many of them can say that they were enrolled by the General – the movement’s world leader.   Lucy Snead, 19, had the rare privilege of being enrolled by General Lyndon Buckingham at the Tasmania Division Rally at Hobart Corps on Friday evening.   The daughter of Hobart Corps Officers Majors Johnmark and Nicole Snead, Lucy grew up in The Salvation Army.   She completed soldiership classes at Hobart Corps some time ago but didn’t take the step to enrol. It wasn’t until this year that God started calling her deeper on her journey with him, and she felt led to be a Salvation Army soldier. General Buckingham conducts the enrolment ceremony of Lucy. And what a better time and place to be enrolled than during the visit of the Army’s world leaders – General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham!   During the enrolment, the General said soldiership enrolment was a beautiful moment of worship, “and I’m so privileged and honoured and grateful for the opportunity to lead you in this worship.”   “She [Lucy] declares, in your presence this evening, her determination, by God’s help, to be a true soldier of The Salvation Army.”   General says ‘get involved’ The world leaders have been travelling across Australia, sharing God’s word and their message for Australia – that God needs his Salvation Army to rise up and be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world.    In his message to Tasmania’s Salvationists, the General said: “I need men and women within The Salvation Army who can go about the place saying, ‘I have seen the Lord! I have encountered the living Christ! You want to know what’s different about me? I have encountered the living Lord!’”  Alan Wagin and Kara Cowley bring an Acknowledgement of Country. He shared that he has seen evidence of the Holy Spirit hovering over The Salvation Army all over the world at this current time.   “I’m asking you – my Tasmanian brothers and sisters, this powerful bunch of people – please, don’t be missing. Don’t be absent, don’t be left out. Get involved.    “There’s stuff happening. God is going to use this movement ... he’s not finished with us yet. He’s got people he wants to bless. He’s got people he wants to rescue. He’s got people he wants to heal. He’s got people he wants to feed. He’s got people he wants to clothe. He’s got people he wants to welcome into the Kingdom. And his greatest resource for doing that is spirit-filled men and women just like me and you.”  Abby Roddam and Dominic Watson interview the world leaders. Lucy said the General’s passion was contagious.   “It was like, yeah, let’s  do something!  Let’s not just sit and wait for someone else to do it; let’s do it! And I need to be the person to step up and do something.    “I’m ready to sit and listen. I’m ready to go out and find what he wants me to do.”   Cutmore Award recipients  A highlight of the Hobart Rally was the presentation of the newest Salvation Army Australia Territory award – the Cutmore Award – to celebrate pioneers and church planters in the movement.   Majors Linda and Stephen Miller and Captains Craig Boyd and Jessica Ffrost-Boyd were called to the stage to a standing ovation.   “We just want to honour you tonight because you are people who have said ‘yes’ to Jesus again and again and again,” said Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas.    Linda and Stephen Miller Linda and Steve are the East Coast Tasmania Mobile Mission Initiative Leaders, having ‘planted’ The Salvation Army in an area where there has never been an Army presence.   They have initiated new expressions and built relationships through community lunches, suicide support, work in schools, hope groups and serving community through challenging events.  General Buckingham with Majors Linda and Stephen Miller. Following the meeting, Linda said she felt honoured that God's work in her and Steve’s ministry had been celebrated.   “The Lord continues to challenge us to just meet human need wherever there are people. They need the Lord. And we just share our story and go into the community and create spaces of belonging and safe spaces where people can just come and explore faith and explore what life is about and hopefully meet Jesus.   “We have been corps officers all our life and never, ever thought that we would be ones to pioneer a new work.    “We have just loved it, and we have seen God at work in the little communities that we are at. These people don’t go to church – we go to them.”   Craig Boyd and Jessica Ffrost-Boyd Craig and Jessica work as the South East Tasmania Corps Officers in Sorell, north-east of Hobart. They invest in all aspects of their community, pioneering new expressions of faith.   A particular focus has been their work with foster families in the region, where they have established support groups and communities of hope. Through their coffee van business, they are also able to help youth complete barista training and find employment.  Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham with Captains Craig Boyd and Jessica Ffrost-Boyd. “We spent a year listening to the community and praying about what we heard,” said Craig after the meeting “From this, God has guided our steps, and this is still an ongoing process in our corps planting.”   “It’s really humbling,” said Jessica. “We don’t do these things for recognition.”   “God gives us the ministry; he gives us the people,” added Craig. “We came up with our own plans and then we found that none of that was happening. God, at every step, said, ‘No’, redirect, ‘This is where I want you to go.’   And God is still speaking and guiding the couple, calling on them to unlock people’s passions. “We see our role in the next 12 months to empower people to pursue their passions,” said Craig. Click through the slideshow below to view more photos of the Hobart Rally:

(From left) Jun Li (captain of the GRA table tennis team), David Yin (president of GRA), Ben Wang (Georges River Councillor), Wendy Sou (GRA volunteer). By LAUREN MARTIN A partnership between Hurstville Corps and a local table tennis association in Sydney’s south has created new connections and opportunities for ministry. When the association needed a location to hold its games several years ago, Hurstville’s then corps officer Captain Sean Li jumped on the opportunity to create connections in the community and offered the use of the corps cost-free. Since then, the group has grown, and deeper relationships formed. The Georges River Association (GRA) runs the table tennis group, which meets at Hurstville Corps every Tuesday. Corps Officer Lieutenant Beth Shao says the corps is passionate about incorporating the four mission pillars in everything it does, so a corps member is always present “to chat with people and build relationships with them.” “We want to work on The Salvation Army’s mission of creating faith pathways and building healthy communities,” she said. “I approach people regularly and explain who we are and how we serve community people and help those in need.” Members of Hurstville’s Chinese community are connecting with the local corps through a weekly table tennis group. Councillor Ben Wang, from Georges River Council, is a Salvation Army Ambassador. He was instrumental in setting up the agreement between Hurstville Corps and the Georges River Association. “As a leader in the multicultural community, I always understand the community is in desperate need of venues to meet, to socialise, and seek support from each other. It’s especially important in the culturally and linguistically diverse community as they don’t normally play in the mainstream sports,” he said. The Tuesday Table Tennis group is a place for the people involved – mainly from the local Chinese community – to socialise and exercise. Those who attend are also invited to participate in other corps-based ministries like English-speaking classes, the Wednesday community centre coffee and conversation group and fellowship gatherings. Some members of the table tennis group have now become corps volunteers. Councillor Wang believes that there could be an opportunity for more table tennis ministries to be started in other south-west Sydney locations connected to neighbouring corps. “I’m passionate about The Salvation Army because I have witnessed the devotion of so many Salvo officers and the positive impact they have brought to the individual and community,” he said. “Equally importantly, for the past two years or so, as part of The Salvation Army movement, I have experienced how the love of Jesus has made a better community through my own faith and action.”

There are many reasons for supporting the Salvos this Red Shield Appeal. In this video, we hear from young people who are thinking about the issues that impact their community and are fundraising to make a difference.

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The week is launched by the observation of National Sorry Day on Thursday, 26 May. National Sorry Day is a time for Australia to pause and acknowledge the grief, trauma and loss suffered by the Stolen Generations. This year’s theme is ‘Be a Voice for Generations’, encouraging all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live , work and socialise . Resources now available on mySalvos>>

Bonny Wang, EW Property Group (in red) and Jenny Zhou, CEO EW Property Group (in yellow) with The Salvation Army’s Major David Collinson, Andrew Robinson, Captain Kim Haworth and Major Tara McGuigan. By LAUREN MARTIN About 50 people from the Chinese business community in Sydney recently attended a Red Shield Appeal thank-you event. The breakfast was organised by The Salvation Army’s public relations and fundraising teams and was designed to update the community on the work of The Salvation Army, thank supporters and ask for continued contributions to the mission. Strathfield MP Jason Li and former Sydney Councillor Craig Chung spoke at the event, sharing why they chose to support The Salvation Army. Craig mentioned that his father volunteered for many years at The Salvation Army’s Streetlevel Mission in inner Sydney. One of The Salvation Army attendees, Hornsby Corps Officer Captain Sean Li, was a corps officer at Hurstville in Sydney’s south for seven years, which is the biggest Chinese community in Australia. He said during that time he developed relationships within the community. “We want to build a healthy community together – not just to give support and receive support – but to do it together,” Sean said. “We started to host this ‘thank you’ breakfast last year. We need to continue to build relationships with this business community and tell good stories and share testimonies. “Over the years, they have been very supportive, and we want to let them know where the money goes and how it supports people in our communities.” Sean said the event started a number of good conversations.

Doorways representatives (from left) Liz Milkovic, Janet Aszkielowicz and Danielle Black accepted the award alongside Karratha Corps Officer Captain Jodie Jones. The Salvation Army Karratha Doorways team in Western Australia has received the People’s Choice Organisation Award at the 2024 Pilbara Community Service Excellence Awards.   An evening of celebration and entertainment announced the finalists and winners and acknowledged the hard-working organisations and individuals who make a difference in the Pilbara.   “This year, Doorways Karratha was in the finals for the Pilbara for Purpose awards – people's choice organisation category – and we won!” said Doorways Coordinator Danielle Black. “We all love what we do and are grateful for the recognition by our amazing community.  Doorways provides emergency relief and holistic case management with referral to internal and external support services. Doorways aims to support people as they seek to make changes in their lives, and caseworkers work alongside people as they develop plans to achieve their goals.   The Pilbara communities face the struggles of inequality and an escalation in the housing crisis. Karratha Salvation Army offers a range of supports and services to the area.   “It is hard working with people who are often at the lowest points in their life and in survival mode, but it is so significant and important to continue this work,” Danielle said. “I am so proud of our amazing team, what we accomplish together and the high standard in which we hold ourselves.”   Caseworker Liz Milkovic, emergency relief assessor Janet Aszkielowicz, and Danielle Black accepted the award with Karratha Corps Officer Captain Jodie Jones present. – Anthony Castle

Over the past few weeks, International Headquarters has been asking different people from around the world to pray for the upcoming High Council. In the video below, Australian officer Major Meaghan Gallagher, Assistant Under Secretary for the South Pacific and East Asia Zone, prays for the High Council. Guide to a High Council, click here

Two members of Sing and Strum with their ukeleles. BY LERISSE SMITH It may be small in stature, but the humble ukulele is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. This is obvious at Mornington Salvos in Victoria, where a dedicated group of ukulele enthusiasts gather each week. In the warm and inviting ambiance of a majestic old church hall, a group of women assemble on a crisp Melbourne day. Ukeleles and song sheets in hand, they are ready to merge their music and voices.   It’s going to be a great day.   The dedicated music lovers have a quick chat and catch-up before readying themselves for yet another glorious afternoon of singing and playing to their heart’s content ably led by Dave Parker, Community Music Activities Coordinator at Mornington Salvos.   “It’s a good meeting of minds and hearts singing songs,” Dave says. He says the ukulele has grown in popularity over the past couple of decades, with COVID-19 also helping the instrument’s appeal as people took it up as a way to keep busy while stuck inside.   “For me, the most important thing about this particular group is the fellowship that we have with people from all walks of life. They are just ordinary people from the community who want to get out and about and play a little bit of music.” Scan the group’s song books, known as ‘Sing and Strum Ukulele’, and classic hits range from the old to the new. Moon River, Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Kumbaya, Johnny B Goode, Lean On Me and  We Are Australian are among the favourites . Dave leads Kumbaya at Sing and Strum, which meets at Mornington Salvos. Chat to Dave about his beloved group of 'musos', and it is immediately apparent he is passionate about what he does and why he does it. Tuesdays are always a great day out for him, with the ukulele music group running in the afternoon following his VAMP (Varied Abilities Music Program) Music Disco in the morning.   The humble beginnings of Sing and Strum started three years ago. As a talented and experienced musician, singer and teacher who played regular gigs with his band, Dave found himself without regular music work when COVID-19 forced the creative arts industry to shut down.   However, it did not stop Dave from his lifelong love of playing music to entertain and touch people’s lives, his 40 years of music teaching and his unwavering desire to encourage and support others in experiencing the joy of learning an instrument.   “After 9/11 happened, there was a significant increase in New York community music activities because people needed to rediscover connection and belonging,” he says.   “Music has the power to draw people from different backgrounds together into worthwhile and purposeful shared friendships.” The Sing and Strum ukulele players with leader Dave Parker. Image: Lerisse Smith The Sing and Strum players meet each week in the church hall for a music session followed by a cuppa, bikkie and friendly chat. Regular community concert performances are also part of the fun.   Some of the members have had no musical background, while others have played guitar or piano. But it doesn’t matter. Regardless of the skill level, everyone loves the special bond they have created.   “It’s great fun; I love it,” says Conny, one of the group members.   “I have been here since it’s started. You can laugh when you make mistakes and no one wants to miss out on the fellowship. Dave is such a great teacher. The spirit is here. I walk out flowing with joy.” Dave says friendship and fellowship were a key component to the group’s success. About five or six attend the Mornington Salvos church, while another 10 to 12 attend other churches. But all are from the local community.   Additionally, Dave provides advice and assistance on purchasing or renting a ukulele whenever needed. He was also a guest speaker at the recent Salvation Army Community Arts Engagement Conference in Melbourne.   Dave reflects on the success of the group. “It's just a little bit like The Salvation Army’s Home League used to be I guess, providing a place for people to meet in fellowship and have a fun time in a creative activity.”   “I believe the ukulele group will continue to build a bridge between the community and our faith community at Mornington Salvos.”