Oliver Grigg is saving his pocket money again this year to donate to The Salvation Army. BY LAUREN MARTIN Most seven-year-olds save their pocket money to go to the toy store. Oliver Griggs, from the Sutherland Shire of Sydney, saved his to give to the Salvos. When Oliver walked into the Engadine Salvos Store in December last year carrying his jar full of coins, Store Manager Niasha Love assumed he was there to make a purchase. But instead of heading to the toy section, Oliver walked straight to the counter and asked how he could donate the money so that it could be used to give needy kids in the Shire a better Christmas. “I was blown away,” said Niasha. For Oliver, though, it was a joy. He had worked hard in the months leading up to that day, doing extra chores around the house, like picking up toys in the family toy room, taking out the garbage and helping his mum with his baby brother. “I want everyone to get Christmas presents for Christmas,” he said. “When we went into the shop and gave my money, it felt good.” Shire Salvos assists more than 100 families and individuals at Christmas time and provides festive food and toys to other local charities that support locals in need. Donations like Oliver’s go towards this massive Christmas Cheer operation. Oliver’s mum, Emma, says she couldn’t be more proud of her boy. “We talk about how lucky he and [his brother] Lucas are that they can get presents and gifts and things like that [for Christmas],” she said. Hearing that other families aren’t as lucky prompted Oliver into action. This year he is excited to do it all again. “I think last year Oliver gave just over $100,” said Emma. “I think this year our jar is going to be even bigger!” And that puts a big smile on Oliver’s face: “I just want to make kids happy.”

Maureen and Brian found love, forgiveness and acceptance at The Salvation Army after walking into a Recovery Church service out of desperation after years of addiction. BY NAOMI SINGLEHURST Over the past few Christmases working on behalf of the Salvos, Maureen has lavishly shared the gift of hope. She has organised and helped pack hundreds of Christmas hampers, including gifts for children in need. It is hard work but a joy, she says, and only possible because she first received her own gift of hope through the care of The Salvation Army. As an administration assistant at Craigieburn Corps in Victoria and a member of the Salvos’ Moonee Valley Recovery Church, Maureen smiles as she remembers the night she and her husband Brian first came into contact with The Salvation Army. At that stage, things were desperate in their life. Struggling with almost 30 years of addiction to cannabis and alcohol, Maureen – as well as Brian – had exhausted every avenue to get sober and recover. Maureen’s addiction began when she left school at 16 and secured a well-paying job with a government agency. “I earned lots of money even though I was only 16,” she says. “Lunchtime on Fridays was a two-hour event at the pub with the work team. That’s kind of how it started. “I ended up meeting my husband Brian about 18 years ago. We were both in addiction and eventually buying huge amounts of marijuana.” A life-changing experience Maureen and Brian renewed their wedding vows at Recovery Church. One night, when they attended a 12-step meeting, they saw a sign advertising an informal gathering, including a meal and conversation at the Salvos’ Moonee Valley Recovery Church. Maureen says sheer desperation drove them to attend – they had no interest in anything religious. The couple skipped dinner and arrived in time for the service, which was packed. Maureen explains with a laugh: “The service started, and they said, ‘Right, can everyone stand up – we’re going to sing.’ Brian snapped his neck around and said, ‘They sing?’ I was thinking, ‘He’s going to end up walking out as soon as it starts’, but we stayed for the whole service. “Brian told me later that as soon as the singing started, he was captivated. ‘I’ve never been spiritual,’ he said, ‘but I feel more like that here than anywhere I have ever been.’” Since attending that first night, the couple stopped using drugs and alcohol. A new beginning Not long after Maureen started attending Recovery Church, the local Salvos offered her an admin role, and she is now also a member of the ministry leadership team. After Brian became a Salvation Army member, he gained his Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs and supports those with drug and alcohol dependency. “At Salvation Army Recovery Church, there is love and forgiveness,” Maureen says. “Whatever you have done, you are still part of God’s family – a child of God.” Maureen and some of the hundreds of Christmas hampers she has packed. While Maureen always tried to stay in touch with her family over Christmas, she says relations are now better and deeper. And even though she is exhausted at the end of organising Christmas support through the Salvos, she hopes it gives extra joy and hope to others. “It is often said how much people rely on credit to be able to buy gifts, and that’s putting them in debt. Others are on their own and lonely at Christmas. “They’re the sort of people I think about now. If we can give them a gift that can be passed to a child and save them from debt and give them a meal and make it feel like Christmas, then we have made a difference. That makes me feel happier at Christmas time too.” To get involved with The Salvation Army this year, to locate local events, or to find help, go to salvationarmy.org.au/christmas

General Brian Peddle prepares his Christmas message to inspire and encourage the worldwide Salvation Army. When I consider the star that was a significant part of the Christmas story, I’m reminded that scientists view the stars in the sky very differently. They use light years to measure the distance of the stars from us on Earth. A light year is the distance light travels in one Earth year, so about 9.46 trillion kilometres. The sun is our closest star and is some 93 million miles away. So, the sun’s light takes about eight minutes and 20 seconds to reach us, meaning we see the sun as it was more than eight minutes ago. The next closest star to us – Alpha Centauri – is some 4.3 light years away, so when we view this star today, we see it as it was 4.3 years ago. It’s as if we are looking back in time. This means that the Magi written about in Matthew 2:1-2 would have seen a star whose light was beaming before they could even see it. And yet, God used that star to lead them to Jesus: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2 New Living Translation ).  Jesus came to be the Light of the World. He came to shine his light in darkness – our darkness, the darkness of this world. We read in Isaiah 9:2 ( New International Version ): “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” This was prophesied long before Jesus was born. Are we talking about light years when it comes to Jesus? I don’t think so because the Bible tells us he is the alpha and omega – the beginning and the end. He is as bright a light today as he was at the beginning of time, or when he came to the earth to take up residence and ‘move into the neighbourhood’ (John 1:14 The Message ). Jesus is not constrained by time. He is the “light of the world” (John 8:12) and shines light into the darkest places of our troubled world, bringing change. The Light has come! There are no light years that can separate us from this Light. He is here, he knows us, and we can walk and talk with him now. His purpose in coming was to be with us, but he has been, and always will be, with us. If you do not know him already, you too can know this Light of the World. His name is Jesus, and he came to the world to bring about transformation. If you are seeking change, seek Jesus. If you are living in a dark place in life, seek him who is the Light of the World. For those who already know Jesus, he reminds us that we are light in the world. In Matthew 5:14 ( The Message ), we read, “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.” May you be a source of light in your corner of the world this Christmas as you bring the Light of the World to others! May God richly bless you throughout this Christmas season!

The France and Belgium Territory preaches the gospel in French and Flemish. 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 we are praying for the  France and Belgium Territory. Praise and thanksgiving: ·       Five new cadets in the Keepers of the Covenant session and responses to the call to vocation at their welcome meeting. Prayer requests: ·       Implementing the territory's new spiritual strategy in corps. ·       A successful seminar bringing together social centres, managers and corps managers (the first time in France). France Praise and thanksgiving: ·       The social sector will finally reach a financial balance in 2023, which is very good news, almost unhoped-for, even if there is still work to be done to reduce losses at the operational level. ·       Welcoming five new corps managers (short-term ministry and auxiliary-captain). Prayer requests: ·       Successful integration of the new social centres and corps managers with enthusiasm for them to serve through The Salvation Army. Belgium Praise and thanksgiving: ·       The festive day on 21 September brought together the Belgian Salvation Army's corps and social centres at our Ukrainian refugees centre in Spa, in the presence of the territorial leadership team and the five cadets from the territory. The atmosphere was very good, with a strengthening of brotherly ties and collaboration between Salvationists, officers, employees, managers and residents. Prayer requests: ·       The finances for our spiritual and social activities, as well as the finances for our buildings, with major works to come. Let us pray for new legacies for The Salvation Army. To find out more about the France and Belgium Territory, click here . For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar, click here .

The 140th-anniversary cake made especially for Sydney Congress Hall’s big weekend earlier this month. Sydney Congress Hall Corps, located in the heart of Australia’s largest city, was filled with thanksgiving over the weekend of 3-4 December 2022. The occasion was the 140th anniversary of the corps reaching out to Sydneysiders with God’s love and transforming power. On the first weekend of December 1882, Salvationists who had arrived in Sydney brought their faith and gospel music to the city streets for the first time, down in the Paddy’s Market precinct. The following morning, they held their first indoor meeting in the Protestant Hall up on Castlereagh Street. The anniversary event celebrated the many thousands of people whose lives and circumstances have been transformed since then. The focus was on Jesus Christ and the corps’ development over the years as a dynamic community of faith – ‘In the heart of the City with the City at Heart’ as their current catchcry says. In his introduction to the weekend, Corps Officer Major Peter McGuigan stated, “Today, we celebrate a remarkable record. We particularly celebrate our great God who is behind it all and the opportunity over all these years that has been ours to serve both God and humanity.” Guest Leaders for the weekend were Majors David and Michele Terracini. The Terracinis left Sydney Congress Hall in 1988 to train as Salvation Army officers and have since given faithful service through appointments in NSW, ACT and Queensland. Majors David and Michele Terracini were the special guest leaders at the Sydney Congress Hall 140th-anniversary celebrations. The Saturday afternoon Thanksgiving Celebration comprised three sections – ‘Giving thanks for the Past’, ‘Giving thanks for the Present’ and ‘Giving thanks for the Future’. Punctuating all three was inspiring music from Sydney Congress Hall Band and Friends – a ministry of the corps involving regular corps players and musician friends from around Greater Sydney. Led by former Sydney Congress Hall bandmaster Ron Prussing, the group opened the event with a stellar rendition of the fanfare ‘Ein’ Fest Burg’ and later presented the powerful selections ‘Symphony of Thanksgiving’ and ‘My Comfort and Strength’. An ‘alumni’ songster brigade led by former corps songster leader Ian Percy brought the upbeat ‘I Dare to be Different’ and the moving devotional song ‘By His Hand’. In addition, Sydney Congress Hall timbrel brigade brought much applause as they presented an energetic display titled ‘The Pioneers’, played by the band. Highlights of the celebration event included the Sydney Congress Hall young adults’ retelling of the corps’ beginnings, a recognition of past corps officers, vibrant worship led by the corps ensemble, an ‘Ask Alan’ segment exploring the history of the corps with Order of the Founder recipient Envoy Alan Staines (now 90), and an interview with Danny Salsbury, the corps’ Community Outreach Coordinator. Alan Staines (OF) answers questions during an ‘Ask Alan’ history segment. Responding to a variety of questions posed by Corps Council member Martín Machado, Danny explained what happens through the Corps Outreach Ministry and the passion behind it. “I love what I do,” he said, “and I love my team of volunteers. We’ve got such a great team who live out what it really means to bring hope to the city. We go out into the streets on Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights, and we open our doors on Wednesday nights for Hope Dinner, when at least 60 people will enjoy a hot meal and dessert, fellowship around the tables and a devotional message that speaks into their spiritual lives.” Addressing the future, Major David Terracini reminded the gathering of the question in Micah 6:8: “And what does the Lord require of you?” He then pointed to the answers: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” “To walk humbly with God ... now that’s counter-cultural,” he challenged. “To be just and kind is one thing, but to walk humbly with God? We naturally want to please ourselves ... to seek after what’s comfortable or convenient ... “When Jesus Christ touches your life by his Holy Spirit, you become clean! The light of Jesus dispels the darkness from your life. You become a new creation! The old has gone. You join God’s family with new values and identity. And what does the Lord require of you then? What does the Lord require of us as a community of faith? What does the Lord require of The Salvation Army today? To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Following prayer, the ensemble and band combined to lead the congregation in the singing of ‘Soldier’s Hymn’ in an inspired finale before all enjoyed a grand afternoon tea. Throughout the weekend, a memorabilia display added great interest, showcasing the faithfulness of God through his people from 1882 to today. New senior soldiers Chloe Spence and Jazmin O’Brien (centre) with new adherents Julie Harrison and Nicholas Mansbridge. New Soldiers and Adherents On Sunday morning, more than 200 gathered for worship, led by the Terracinis. From the opening welcome, call to worship and lighting of the advent candle to the final song, the presence of God was palpable, and people were deeply moved by what transpired in the meeting. Following a message of encouragement from the Territorial Leaders, Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson, the Sydney Congress Hall ensemble led the songs ‘Stand Up’ and ‘Goodness of God’. Scripture readings were brought by corps members Linda Wells and Sherrie Cocking. Special music contributions by an alumni songster group with ‘Lord, You Know That We Love You’ and an alumni band with ‘Lord Make Calvary Real To Me’ added meaningful moments. A highlight of the meeting was the enrolment of two new senior soldiers – Jazmin O’Brien and Chloe Spence, and the acceptance of two new adherents – Julie Harrison and Nicholas Mansbridge. All had completed a course on exploring soldiership and adherency. The four marched in behind The Salvation Army flag to the band’s rousing rendition of ‘Soldiers of Christ’. Major Peter McGuigan challenged them to put on the armour of God as read in Ephesians 6:10-18 and to make it a daily priority. “These are the weapons of your warfare. We are fighting a spiritual battle,” he said. In moving scenes, family and friends gathered around them as they knelt at the Mercy Seat to pray and sign their soldier’s covenants and adherent’s certificates. Upon returning to the stage, their commitment was met with prolonged applause. Following a dedicatory prayer, each of them brought powerful testimony about their journey to this point in their lives and the difference Jesus Christ has made. “As a soldier dedicates their entire life to their army – living, breathing, and dying for it – I want everyone to know that I am willing to give everything that I am to the work of The Salvation Army – to save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity,” said Jazmin. “I will wear this uniform proudly, and each time I put it on, not only will it be a physical symbol and reminder of the promises and commitments I have made with God today, but also a reminder of all he has done for me throughout my life.” “I grew up with spiritual and religious values,” said Julie. “But later on, addiction took hold of my life and almost destroyed me. It was only while in recovery at William Booth House that I came back to loving God. I love The Salvation Army. I love Sydney Congress Hall, and I love standing behind the Red Shield. God is in the shield.” The Sydney Congress Hall band onstage over the weekend. “I come to this church each week now,” said Nicholas, “not just to see my friends and play in the band, but because I appreciate what God has done for us and want to praise God for it. I come to this church because I feel that it is essential for me to grow and learn more about our Saviour so that I can become an example to other people in my life and be able to spread his Gospel. Today, I am proud to say I am a part of this group of people – the people of Sydney Congress Hall.” Chloe said, “About two months ago, I went to a camp called Equip. In that week, God broke me down only to build me back up again so that I was able to go out and do his mission. Last week, I went to a thing called Red Frogs, where I looked after Schoolies for a week on the Gold Coast, making them pancakes, cleaning their rooms and helping them when they weren’t well. “It was a great God-filled week surrounded by Christians from all different denominations. However, I felt God saying to me that I needed to become a soldier before I did any more of his work, to stay accountable and make a public commitment that I will always follow God.” Hope to the hopeless In an inspired Bible message, Major Michele Terracini drew attention to the fact that Jesus came to bring hope into the world’s dark places, hope to the hopeless. “Advent 2022 reminds us that hope is all we have between spiritual death and eternal life, between defeat and deliverance, between just coping/despairing with the challenges of life and living with joy and freedom,” she said. “The hope is found in our Messiah, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. “I can see this is what you stand for at Sydney Congress Hall,” she continued, “when you wear the Hope t-shirts and go on street outreach and invite people in for the Hope Dinner.” Meaningful decisions to follow Jesus more intently followed her message, and the meeting concluded with the crowd singing the great Charles Wesley song ‘And Can It Be’ in full voice, accompanied by the band and ensemble. It was a powerful weekend bringing spiritual renewal, renewed hope for the future, and renewed and new friendships. * Report compiled by Major Peter McGuigan

Please keep in your thoughts and prayers the following officers who will reach the retirement milestone: Effective 31 December 2022 Major Isobel Thomas Major Gordon Jones Major Lyn Jones Effective 31 July 2022 Territorial Envoy Howard Koutnik Territorial Envoy Sandra Koutnik Effective 31 May 2022 Major Graeme Craig Effective 30 June 2022 Major John Freind Major Leanne Ruthven Effective 30 April 2022 Major Margaret O’Neill Major Steven O’Neill Major Alan Jenner Major Marilyn Jenner Effective 31 March 2022 Captain Carol O’Leary Effective 31 January 2022 Captain Erica Cossington Effective 31 January 2022 Major Donna Bryan Major Jenny Fan Major Won-Ja An Major Jean Ridley Effective 31 March 2022 Major Beverley McMurray Major Annette Coleman Major Michael Coleman Major Beverley McMurray Major Lyn Prince

Congratulations to the following Officers who have completed Awards in 2023 with the University of Divinity. We acknowledge the hard work they have put in to successfully complete their qualifications.   Lieutenant Bethany Baillie (Bachelor of Ministry) Captain Manuela Castaldo (Graduate Certificate in Divinity) Major Lyn Cook (Graduate Certificate in Research Methodology) Captain Megan Dale (Graduate Certificate in Divinity) Aux. Lieutenant Renata Davies (Diploma in Theology) Aux. Lieutenant Belinda Dobbie (Diploma in Theology) Aux. Lieutenant David Dobbie (Diploma in Theology)     Captain Paul Farthing (Master of Divinity)   Aux. Lieutenant David Hopewell (Diploma in Theology) Aux. Lieutenant Valerie Hopewell (Diploma in Theology) Captain Marie Kovacs (Bachelor of Theology) Aux. Lieutenant Amanda Pethybridge (Graduate Diploma in Theology) Aux. Lieutenant Matthew Pethybridge (Graduate Diploma in Theology) Aux. Lieutenant Catherine Philpot (Master of Theological Studies) Lieutenant Beth Shao (Advanced Diploma in Theology and Ministry) Captain Mark Townsend (Graduate Certificate in Research Methodology) Lieutenant Paul Trotter (Bachelor of Ministry)   Major Peter Jones (Graduate Certificate in Divinity) Congratulations to the following Officers who have graduated from the University of Divinity in 2023 and acknowledge the hard work they have put in to successfully complete their qualifications. May 2023 Aux–Lieutenant Anthony Barford (Graduate Diploma in Divinity) Aux–Lieutenant Deborah Strapp (Graduate Certificate in Divinity) Aux–Lieutenant Sandra Mortimer (Graduate Diploma in Divinity) December 2023 Lieutenant Alice Edge (Bachelor of Ministry) Aux–Lieutenant Renata Davies (Diploma of Theology) We are very pleased to congratulate our latest doctorial graduate Major Dr Catherine Spiller on her excellent achievement, Doctor of Ministry. Catherine, a faculty member of Eva Burrows College, has graduated from Abilene Christian University, USA in partnership with Stirling College, a former college of the University of Divinity. The title of Catherine’s thesis is Liturgical Practices for Full Participation: creating opportunities for engagement in corporate worship for people living with intellectual disabilities at the Mooroolbark Salvation Army. You can access Catherine’s thesis through the Eva Burrows Library at https://evaburrowscollege.softlinkhosting.com.au:443/... Well done, Catherine, on a great achievement! Friday 31 March 2023: Congratulations to the following Officers who have graduated from Eva Burrows College and acknowledge the hard work they have put in to successfully complete their qualifications. Captain Annita Allman (Graduate Certificate in Research Methodology) Captain Jaimee Anderson (Bachelor of Ministry – also named the Vice-Chancellor's Scholar ) Lieutenant Rita Biermann (Advanced Diploma in Theology and Ministry) Auxiliary Lieutenant Karen Clark (Graduate Diploma in Theology) Lieutenant Wayne Collyer (Master of Theological Studies) Lieutenant Star Conliffe (Master of Divinity) Cadet David Delaney (Diploma in Theology) Captain Jodie Jones (Bachelor of Ministry) Captain Carolyn O’Brien (Bachelor of Theology) Cadet Sameeha Paramaraj (Graduate Diploma in Theology) Lieutenant Henry Roehrig (Bachelor of Ministry) Cadet Vikki Song (Graduate Certificate in Divinity) Captain Heather Stamp (Bachelor of Ministry) Captain Sally Stevens (Bachelor of Ministry) Captain Narelle Unicomb (Graduate Certificate in Divinity) Captain Daniel Wayman (Advanced Diploma in Theology and Ministry) Lieutenant Kirsten Wood (Graduate Certificate in Divinity) Major Christine Faragher (Doctor of Philosophy) Thesis: Challenging history and telling her story: an interdisciplinary exploration of the intersection of claims for equality and women’s lived experience of officership in The Salvation Army in Australia. Abstract: The Salvation Army’s claim to equality for women and men in ministry is contradicted by women’s lived experience of officership. This thesis examines the many facets of this false narrative. It challenges dominant historical perspectives, amplifies the testimony of contemporary Australian women officers, and offers a constructive theological response. Congratulations to Auxiliary-Lieutenant Marenda Freind who graduated from Eva Burrows College on Friday 2 December 2022 with a Graduate Certificate in Divinity. We acknowledge her hard work to successfully complete this qualification. Congratulations to the following Officers who have recently completed the Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision (Pastoral) and acknowledge the hard work they have put in to successfully complete their qualifications (Announced on 5 August): Captain Louise Beamish Major Glenda Brown Major Dean Clarke Major Heather Craig Major Vannessa Garven Lieut. Colonel Sandra Godkin Captain Steven Haworth Major Heather Jenkins Major Kevin Lumb Major Louanne Mitchell Captain Adam Peterson Lieut. Colonel Chris Reid Major Belinda Spicer Major Peter Sutcliffe Major Daniel Templeman Twells Lieut. Colonel Lisa Venables Major Virginia Wilson Major Karina Wood Congratulations to the following officers who have graduated from Eva Burrows College and acknowledge the hard work they have put in to successfully complete their qualifications. Announced on 1 April 2022: Aux-Lieutenant Timothy Clark – Master of Theological Studies ( Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar ). Lieutenant Steph Glover – Advanced Diploma in Theology and Ministry. Lieutenant Jacqueline Gluyas – Bachelor of Theology. Major Melanie-Anne Holland – Graduate Diploma in Theology. Lieutenant Cameron Lovering – Bachelor of Theology. Lieutenant Maryanne Lovering – Master of Divinity. Major Leanne Ruthven – Graduate Certificate in Divinity. Captain Sally Stanimirovic – Bachelor of Theology. Lieutenant Danielle Starr – Advanced Diploma in Theology and Ministry. Lieutenant Andrew Webb – Master of Theological Studies. Congratulations to the following officers who have completed vocational courses with Eva Burrows College and acknowledge the hard work they have put in to successfully complete their qualifications. Announced on 10 December 2021: Captain CraigHarlum – Diploma of Chaplaincy. Major Rick Hoffman – Diploma of Chaplaincy. Lieutenant Gemma Keogh – Diploma of Chaplaincy. Major Cheryl Kinder – Diploma of Chaplaincy. Major Grant Kingston-Kerr – Diploma of Chaplaincy. Major Sue McGuigan – Diploma of Chaplaincy. Major Brenda Stace – Diploma of Chaplaincy. Major Kelvin Stace – Diploma of Chaplaincy. Major Christine Waller – Diploma of Community Services. Major Joyleen Stewart – Diploma of Financial Counselling. Major Wendy Hateley – Diploma of Leadership and Management. Captain Robyn Lorimer – Diploma of Leadership and Management. Captain Nathan Hodges – Certificate IV in Leadership and Management. Congratulations to the following Salvation Army officers who have recently completed higher education studies: Lieutenant Zak Churchill – Master of Theology (Coursework). Lieutenant Matthew Gluyas – Advanced Diploma in Theology and Ministry. Lieutenant Katrina Hindle – Advanced Diploma in Theology and Ministry. Cadet Gwang Tae Jang (Daniel) – Diploma in Theology. Captain Erica Jones – Graduate Diploma in Theology. Lieutenant Graham Kennedy – Bachelor of Ministry. Major Sandra MacDonald – Graduate Certificate in Research Methodology. Captain Tarika McGuigan (Tara) – Graduate Certificate in Research Methodology. Cadet Cynthia Roehrig (Cindy) – Advanced Diploma in Theology and Ministry. Captain Belinda Saunders – Bachelor of Ministry. Lieutenant Mitchell Stevens – Master of Theological Studies. Lieutenant Alison Templar – Graduate Diploma in Theology (Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar). Lieutenant Andrea Wayman – Graduate Diploma in Divinity Major Gail White – Graduate Certificate in Research Methodology Aux-Lieutenant Karen Clark – Graduate Certificate in Theology Aux-Lieutenant Sarah Newman – Diploma in Theology Major David Collinson – Master of Business Administration (MBA) Congratulations to the following officers who graduated from St Mark’s National Theological Centre on 20 May 2021, with the qualification Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision (Pastoral). Major Jean Cassidy. Major Melissa Humphreys. Major Beth Roberts. Major Graham Roberts. Major Andrew Schofield. Major Howard Smartt. Major Christine Wright.

Every year on 5 December, we get the opportunity to pause and recognise the efforts of volunteers across the globe by celebrating International Volunteer Day. We are incredibly thankful to our own Salvation Army volunteers who support our many services to the communities in which we live and work. In this video, General Brian Peddle, International Leader of The Salvation Army, shares his reflections and gratitude for these wonderful volunteers.

Auxiliary-Lieutenant Daniel Smith has been a chaplain to the Youth Services in Western Australia for four years, working with young people in the metro services. He spoke with Others Online writer Anthony Castle about his role. As a youth chaplain, Daniel says he thrives on seeing turning points in young people’s journeys that result in transformational experiences on the road to adulthood. What does an average day look like for you? Our Youth Services offer a suite of services. There’s OASIS House and Landsdale House, which are residential care facilities for young people 15-18 that are still in the care of the department. Our Independent Living Program is for young people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. Our Transition Support Services offer case management for those leaving care, helping them transition to adult independence. As a chaplain, I engage each of those services and offer support to staff and clients. The role is essentially the same: I offer pastoral support, build relationships or help clients with appointments. Sometimes it’s spending time together, sometimes it’s helping with the bigger things. What types of young people do you work with? In the Independent Living Program, it can be flexible with young people. We can have a single parent with a child or two young people as roommates. We can work with young couples with children too. In Transition Support Services, we work with young people leaving care. The challenge there is identifying the gaps in their learning. Depending on their care experience, they might be getting all their meals cooked for them, and now they’re out of care and in different programs. Young people are good at covering up for themselves and not show those gaps. We have young people who may not know how to read, but they are good at skirting around it. Unless you ask about it, you wouldn’t know. What methods and mechanisms do you use to help with those gaps? The way we work is to use a collaborative approach, looking at what the young people need and seeing what services there are to meet their needs. If a local church has a good emergency relief program, we might take them along there for food assistance. That way, they know where to go once we’re out of the picture. We introduce young people to a wider network and to other people with similar experiences, it builds their own support network. We had a number of young people who were having babies, so we started a young parent’s group and gave them a place to meet and grow support. Out of that, good relationships were formed, people looking after each other’s children and supporting each other. In a sense, your job is really to help them over the final leg of adolescence. It’s modelling adulthood so they can become one themselves and move on. In good youth work, you’re trying to help young people become independent citizens. It’s strength-based, building up their efficacy, their self-confidence. We’ll walk them through something. Someone may not feel comfortable on the phone, so you make the doctor’s appointments for them. Then the next time, you remind them of how it was done, sit beside them, and help them think of the prompts for it all. The next time they need a doctor’s appointment, you can say remember the last time we did this. You use that experience to transition to other domains; it applies to budgeting, whatever skills they need. Every problem is an opportunity for learning. What difference does it make? You can have really good days when kids are kicking along, and then you can have young people who are in continual crisis. In that moment, you ask, does it ever get better for this young person? But then you see a young person get their driver’s licence for the first time or get their keys for the first time. You see these turning points in young people’s journeys. When there is a supportive and consistent adult in a young person’s life, it makes all the difference. We refer to the idea of unconditional positive regard, which is you can shout and yell and kick-off, and we’ll put boundaries around that, but you can come back the next day. You can know that the support will still be there. We understand that those things still happen and plan around it, but with good support you see those things reduce over time. That alone is transformational for the young person.

Chaplains Majors Michelle and Niall Gibson are frequently in the air, travelling to remote Top End communities in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Rural and Remote Chaplains can spend up to 300 hours in the air every year. As Rural and Remote Chaplains for The Salvation Army, Majors Michelle and Niall Gibson share the gospel in the Top End of Australia – on foot, by car or by plane! A year into their appointment, Others Online writer Jessica Morris interviewed the Gibsons about their ministry. Can you give us an overview of your job? We are Rural and Remote Chaplains, previously called Flying Padres. We fly or drive to visit remote communities and isolated people who Based in Katherine and covering approximately 1.2 million square kilometres of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, The Salvation Army’s outback flying service in the Top End encompasses over 120 remote cattle stations, communities and small towns. The area stretches west to Broome, south to Tennant Creek and east to the Queensland border. live on stations across the Top End of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, taking the Christian message and being a listening ear. We can be someone to talk to in times of crisis and times of celebration. We are available to conduct funerals, weddings and child dedications. Another area of our work is taking Christian Education classes in isolated community schools. You could say that we take the church to the people. We also attend camp drafts, rodeos and other events that station people take part in. What does a normal day look like for you? Our job is quite varied. When we fly, Niall firstly studies where we are going – the flight path, details of the airstrip etc. the day before. On the day, we are up early as Niall has pre-flight checks to do on the plane. Then, once we arrive, it depends on where we are visiting as to what it looks like. When we go to a station, we have a cuppa with the manager and whoever else is available. When we go to a school, as well as having fun with the children, teaching them a Bible story, singing and doing crafts and activities with them, we visit with the staff and listen to their joys and worries. Then we fly home, refill the plane and put it in the hangar ready for next time. Most days are not as exciting but are spent preparing the Christian Education classes, contacting stations to ask if we can visit, and, of course, keeping up with the administrative tasks that we all have to do What is the most challenging aspect of your work? This would be working out where to visit and contacting them. Some places, especially the remote schools and communities, don’t have the best internet and phone reception. Station people are very busy, so catching them on the phone can be a challenge. There can be challenges with flying and driving. With flying, it is getting to know the various airstrips, avoiding the RAAF jets (recently we had to take a detour around where they were flying), and watching the weather. Driving, we have had flat tyres, and you always have to keep an eye out for stray cattle and wildlife. Working as a chaplain in rural and remote areas (and often flying to see people) means you are always on the go. How do you take care of yourself and stay motivated to show the love of Christ every day? We spend time with God, both individually and together each day, praying and reading the Bible and devotional books. Having been corps officers for the past 22 years, we are enjoying attending Katherine Corps, both for Sunday meetings and Discovery Church (Bible study). We also have a weekly time of fellowship with the other ministers in town and attend the monthly Combined Churches Men’s and Ladies’ Breakfasts. How did your time appointed in rural Western Australia prepare you for working with communities in the Northern Territory? We were corps officers in five different corps in WA, three of which were in rural communities and one which you could call remote. I laugh a little bit, as most of the places we have lived in the past 20 years have been in the wheatbelt and sheep country. Up here is cattle country, and I often say it’s a whole different language! We had never heard of a camp draft and hadn’t been to a rodeo before. It’s a learning curve but a fun one. Having lived away from family most of our married life, both in Australia and PNG, we appreciate some of the difficulties people here experience with distance from loved ones. To connect with Majors Michelle and Niall about their ministry as Rural and Remote Chaplains, click here .

BY CAPTAIN KYLIE HERRING* The four cadets of the 2023-24 Champions of the Mission session are preparing themselves for a sacred event – the making of a covenant that will mark the conclusion of their officer formation journey and their entry into the vocation of Salvation Army officership.   The cadets are Sameeha Deepesh, Colette Albino, Michellie Higginbottom and Samuel Higginbottom (pictured below). The signing of this covenant marks entry into a deeply spiritual relationship with God for sacred service.   To be ordained and commissioned as a Salvation Army officer, the following covenant is made. Called by God to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as an officer of The Salvation Army, I bind myself to him in this solemn Covenant: • To love, trust and serve him supremely all my days, • To live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life, • To care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unloved, and befriend those who have no friends, • To maintain the doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army and, by God’s grace, to prove myself a worthy officer.   It is our hope and prayer that the journey of formation each of our cadets has taken over the period of their training has prepared them to step with confidence into these significant and sacred moments.   The cadets have engaged with the three spheres of formation –   personal and spiritual, mission and ministry, education and theological – and have demonstrated their commitment to integrating their learning into their ministry and leadership practice. Covenant Day is the first of our official Commissioning events and will take place in person at Eva Burrows College, Melbourne Campus, on Thursday 21 November. We ask you to cover our cadets with your prayers over the coming weeks.  *Captain Kylie Herring is Leader - Officer Formation/Senior Training Officer - Eva Burrows College Watch the Commissioning service at Camberwell live here

Major Paul Hateley’s appointment ensures he has a very full schedule. From left: Senator David Pocock and Major Paul Hateley; Major Paul Hateley, Governor General David Hurley, Linda Hurley, Major Wendy Hateley; Top: Shadow Minister Karen Andrews and Major Paul Hateley; Major Paul Hateley and Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson with former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Meet Major Paul Hateley, the Head of Government Relations for The Salvation Army in Australia. Based in Canberra, he is frequently seen in the halls of Parliament House and provides pastoral care to MPs and staff, while also advocating for change in social justice policy. Can you give us an overview of your job? The Head of Government Relations exists to ensure that The Salvation Army has ‘one voice’ to Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments. I manage the relationship between MPs and The Salvation Army and attend meetings with Federal MPs to reinforce that relationship, as well as strengthen the trust and respect built over many decades. The Salvation Army’s Public Relations Secretaries fulfil this responsibility at a State and Territory level. What does a normal day look like for you? A typical day includes responding to emails (approximately 150 per day!) and letters that range from transcripts and media releases from politicians to meeting requests and clarifications around policy positions. Most days include either formal meetings or conversations with MPs or their staff. We also spend time facilitating policy statements between The Salvation Army and Government. What is the most challenging aspect of your work? There is an expectation that no Salvation Army personnel approach an MP for a meeting without first liaising with our Government Relations Department. If this does not happen, The Salvation Army representative’s message may be inconsistent with our otherwise stated position, which may erode trust with MPs and diminish our ‘one voice’ to Government. What would surprise people the most about your work? The volume of connection that The Salvation Army has with MPs, primarily with the purpose of discussing policy and advocating for social justice. Over the past 12 months, we have recorded over 2100 interactions with Federal, State and Territory Governments, including conversations, emails, letters and formal meetings. How have your many years commissioned as a Salvation Army officer prepared you for this role? I have been a Salvation Army officer for close to 29 years. Whilst the Head of Government Relations is a unique role, most ministry positions within The Salvation Army require the ability to manage and grow complex relationships. This role is no different. My appointments that served communities in multiple states across Australia have given me experiences that are transferable in sharing with MPs. I am blessed to have talented and experienced officers and staff within The Salvation Army that add value to my appointment. What does it mean to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Parliament House? I always attend Parliament House wearing my Salvation Army uniform. The uniform speaks of availability, credibility, and trust, and it also speaks of our faith ministry. Opportunities arise to be an encourager to MPs and staff, and there are times when it is appropriate to share a prayer or a pastoral word with the MP.