There are physical and emotional benefits to be gained from regularly chasing a little black ball. BY DEAN CLARKE I spent my childhood with a ball at my feet and a racquet in my hands. After school, I would play soccer with my mates at the park or in the backyard against the dog with our house as the goals. Most days, my mum would tell me not to kick the ball against the house. I never listened. In my teens, I discovered squash and learnt to play against a mate’s dad who would give eight points start in a first to nine points game. Through my 20s, it was nothing to play two soccer games every Saturday afternoon. Then life changed with marriage and career and relocation, so the soccer ball went flat from non-use. I joined a squash club, and, by this time, I was giving points starts to others. New priorities   With my children, my priorities shifted and while no longer a carefree 20-something, in my 30s, my wife Vicki taught me the benefits of playing the game. I had an active role running the local Salvo activities, and, like most jobs, that came with pressures and stresses. Most weeks, I got away for an hour and smashed a little black ball around the court. I would come off feeling tired but satisfied and would then enjoy conversation with my competition. Although my problems hadn’t changed, I felt able to face them after playing. When I didn’t play, Vicki would say, “You need to go and have a game of squash!” She experienced my coping better with life and being a nicer person to live with when I exercised. Something happened in me when I got myself moving.   Hitting my 40s saw more changes as kids grew and time became more precious. My game changed from squash to touch footy, and as the teenagers sprinted past me to score, I began to seriously confront the reality that I couldn’t play like I used to. By this time, I had learned the benefits of activity and adjusted my competitive expectations. The next generation   As I fast approach the end of my 50s, I am back on the court. Squash has become racquetball, which means longer rallies and more running. I love the game, and the game is treating me well. With age comes some maturing awareness, and I know that I am not only fitter but healthier all round because I play. Getting older means I don’t play as quick as I have. I take longer to recover and must be intentional with warm-ups. Some nights I limp in, and Vicki laughs and asks, “What did you injure this time?” But I can still beat a few young guys. And I am inspired by guys well into their 60s who can beat me.   As I move into my 60s, I hope to be still playing the game – being active for the benefit of my health, my relationships, and my influence. Forty years ago, an older man cared enough to teach me the game and talk to me. Over the decades, I have played many people and taught a number the game as well. We play, and we talk on the court and off. I have had lots of conversations about work, marriage, family and faith. Our conversations are often like Proverbs chapter 27, verse 17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”    As a young boy swinging a stick to hit a ball, I never imagined myself being old and playing racquetball. But now, I imagine myself older and still in the game because it is good for my physical, mental and relational health. And maybe I can also find a kid like me to teach him the game and talk about life. MAJOR DEAN CLARKE IS A SALVATION ARMY OFFICER IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Women like Gemma*, who fear for their safety and their children’s safety, often resort to sleeping in their car. BY GEMMA* When our daughter, Lily*, was born, my partner and I were a happy couple. We were young parents in our early 20s, and we had a little house by the water where we brought our baby home to. Fast forward two months and my partner became someone I was very afraid of, especially after taking ice. He would lock us in rooms, accuse me of cheating or stealing his money, physically and verbally abuse me, and threaten to run off with the baby. I knew I had no choice but to escape, so one morning after my partner left for work, I packed up all I could fit into my small car and left with Lily. Sleepless nights I tried to reach out to family as much as possible, but they were not able to offer us housing or financial support, so for many months, we couch-surfed at friends’ homes. Some nights were harder than others, and I didn’t want to overstay my welcome with friends, so there was mostly nowhere to go. At our most desperate, I pulled over in a beach car park and took out a little foam mattress for us to sleep on. I often set up my car somewhere near a public toilet, the windows blocked out as best I could, but there were many sleepless nights. I was also suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after the violence I was subjected to at the hands of my partner, and I couldn’t walk down the street or into a store without breaking down in panic. I was in a really dark place and wasn’t sure I’d make it through. A door opens The turning point came when I let down my guard and talked to my GP about my situation. He referred me to Orange Door, a support service for people experiencing family violence, and alerted Family Violence Services. I was terrified Lily would be taken from me but discovered that everyone was there to protect me and my daughter. I was placed in the care of Salvation Army support worker Sandy at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, and my meetings with her were by phone at first. I felt really grounded and validated by Sandy’s involvement and remember counting down the days between phone appointments. Sandy supported me emotionally and practically and linked me with Katie from Salvation Army Housing. After being homeless for almost five months, we were approved for a transitional property within three weeks. Sandy was always calling, asking if I needed high chairs, cots, if my baby was good for clothes, and things like that. A safe space to grow Though safe in my home, the darkness of my anxiety and fear kept surfacing, and Sandy referred me to a trauma counsellor. I have also been linked with my local Salvos church. When things have been hard financially, I’ve been referred to the Salvos Foodbank, and I love all the girls there. I’ve felt so blessed by their generosity and understanding. When my car broke down, and I was charged $1000 for repairs, I was devastated, but Katie referred me to another Salvos worker who immediately arranged for the bill to be paid. There was no situation I presented that wasn’t met with opportunities for support and outreach. The next chapter I truly believe that I wouldn’t be alive if the Salvos hadn’t picked up our case. My child is a happy, confident and emotionally secure toddler. We are so content where we are and have a wonderful support network in place. I am now a completely different person, and I credit so much of that to my environment. Being in a safe and secure place has really fostered my growth and recovery. I’m currently studying an online course and have been receiving help for my mental health for over a year now, including regular check-ins with Sandy and Katie. In the Bible, Romans chapter 8 verse 18 says, “The pain that you’ve been feeling can’t compare to the joy that is coming” and that is exactly how I feel. We’ve been given a fresh start and a real chance at a better life. *Name has been changed The 2022 Red Shield Appeal is now underway. The campaign focuses on family and domestic violence to tell the stories of people who have experienced a personal crisis and connected with the Salvos. Through this connection, they have then accessed a wide range of support that has helped them address the immediate issue of violence in their lives and the flow-on effects. This includes financial hardship, homelessness and addiction. Last year alone, Red Shield Appeal donations provided support and care to people in need on almost 1.9 million separate occasions. This year, the Salvos aim to raise $36 million in the campaign period from 1 April to 30 June to continue to provide support to support those in hardship across our nation.

For refugees and asylum seekers, moving countries is life-threatening and fraught with dangerous roads, and they need help to make the journey. Photo: Viktor Talashuk on Unsplash BY ROSY KEANE One of many things I found unusual since moving to Australia this year (apart from the fact that you don’t have pre-cooked snags like in New Zealand) are the road signs. This seems trivial, but when trying your best to avoid breaking local laws or braking for local wildlife, interpreting signs is crucial to navigating a new country. One sign I’d never seen before was a yellow triangle with two linked figures and the words, ‘Refuge Island’, to show where you could stand between dangerous roads and not get hurt. Seeing others: Where from and where to? In Genesis 16, we read of a slave named Hagar, suffering, heavily pregnant and alone. She has just escaped cruelty and persecution, fleeing on a dangerous road into the desert. On the edge of despair, God meets her there and asks, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” God already knows! But God shows us how we, too, should listen and act when we encounter those dispossessed and displaced. God gives room to Hagar’s story, reassures her and gives her hope for the future. Hagar – a refugee and slave – becomes the first to give a name to God: El Roi, ‘You are the God who sees me’. Refugee Week 2022: Healing Refugee Week is marked from 19-25 June, and this year’s theme is ‘Healing’. Right now, the population of Australia equals the number of refugees scattered around the world (roughly 26 million). Half are under the age of 18. Many have stories just like Hagar’s. The Refugee Council of Australia says Refugee Week is ‘the opportunity to hit the reset button on how we behave towards one another ... [We can] draw upon shared hardship to heal wounds, to learn from each other and to move forward.’ Cynthia Gunawan, The Salvation Army Australia’s Asylum Seeker and Refugee lead, says, “providing a welcome to refugees and those people seeking asylum is a way in which everyday Salvos can engage in personal mission, to see lives transformed by the love of Jesus.” While my moving countries was easy – and the hardest part to navigate has been signs and sausages – for millions of refugees and asylum seekers around the world, moving countries is life-threatening, fraught with dangerous roads, and they’re unable to journey alone. We invite you into the process of listening, making space and responding to the stories of refugees this week with the resources below. my.salvos.org.au/toolkit/resource/refugee-week-2022 refugeeweek.org.au For those seeking a ‘refuge island’ in Australia, those who love Jesus can be the sign pointing to peace, safety and security for our refugee sisters and brothers today. AUX-LIEUTENANT ROSY KEANE IS THE AUSTRALIA TERRITORY SECRETARY FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE DEVELOPMENT

Salvation Army co-founder Catherine Booth was a woman ahead of her time, and her partnership with fiery evangelist William was a true union of heart, mind and spirit. BY JOHN CLEARY Over recent years, Salvationists have begun to ask questions about the place of The Salvation Army in the modern world. There is a renewed interest in looking at the early days of the Army to find what many early Salvationists knew and understood about their movement and just what we may have lost along the way; most significantly, the place of Catherine Booth, not just as “the mother of The Salvation Army” but as a notable figure in Victorian England, both for the church and in the history of modern feminism. In 1864, the year before William and Catherine Booth set up the Christian Mission, the British Government passed what was called the Contagious Diseases Act. It became a significant marker on Catherine’s journey into some of the dark places where The Salvation Army was destined to shed light. The Contagious Diseases Act was set up to try and deal with the huge rise in sexually transmitted diseases following the return of thousands of soldiers from the Crimean War. The law criminalised prostitution by criminalising the prostitutes, not the procurers. Catherine was approached by Josephine Butler, a leading Anglican crusader on women’s issues, to fight to repeal the act. They argued that guilt in that situation, if it’s going to go anywhere, should be with the procurer, not with the women who, by the dreadful circumstances that they found themselves in, were reduced to selling their bodies for sex: radical thoughts at a time when women were treated by law as largely the property of their husbands. Catherine, in joining this fight for social reform, was not only standing up for principles she had been thinking through for some years regarding the place of women in society but also with the tradition of evangelical social action going back to the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, and the fight to end slavery. Over the past century, we have come to associate evangelical Christianity as principally concerned with getting souls saved and putting them securely in the lifeboat to heaven. But this was not the tradition of Catherine Booth and the early Army. Catherine’s understanding was that God created men and women who are all radically equal before God and that we are responsible for building the Kingdom of God here on earth, to make earth as it is in heaven. Social reform was the responsibility of all Christians. William shared Catherine’s strong sense of social justice. However, as a successful evangelist, his focus was on getting people saved so that they, in turn, could save others, and eventually, as they became better people, society was changed for the better. But Catherine was doing something different. She argued that our social structures carry sin with them – that the structures help create the situation where sin thrives – so we have a duty just as we do to reform people, to actually reform the structures. William had to wrestle with this and did so for some years. He had a strong sense of social justice, just as Catherine did, but he wrestled with the means. Maiden tribute campaign The ‘maiden tribute’ campaign was probably the most sensational British tabloid story of the late 19th century. It was centred on the scandal of widespread child prostitution. The age of consent in England had remained fixed for more than 500 years, at 12. For poverty-stricken families in the desperately overcrowded slums of industrial England, the sale of children into the sex trade could be a last desperate bid to survive. Eventually, in 1875, the age was raised by one year, to just 13. To reformers, Catherine Booth among them, this seemed only to confirm the reality and evil of the trade. The issue was also close to the heart of Anglican feminist and reformer Josephine Butler, who had drawn Catherine into the campaign to change the Contagious Diseases Act. In this new campaign, their efforts were facilitated by leading journalist and editor of London’s Pall Mall Gazette , W.T. Stead. In 1885, Stead came up with what could be described as perhaps the first newspaper ‘sting’ operation. He intended to expose this whole trade by setting up a front for a brothel and arranging to purchase a young girl. To oversee the scheme, a small committee of leading citizens, including the Roman Catholic Cardinal Henry Manning, was established. Stead and Catherine’s son, Bramwell Booth, undertook much of the' sting' organisation. To execute the operation, they enlisted the service of a reformed brothel-keeper, Rebecca Jarrett. Jarrett was set up as a procuress and arranged to purchase 13-year-old Eliza Armstrong for five pounds from her alcoholic mother, with the mother’s full consent that the girl would be put in a brothel. Stead was there, in hiding, recording the entire transaction. The young girl was then taken to another room where a Salvation Army matron spirited her away to a place of safety. Stead then published the entire account in the Pall Mall Gazette under the headline, ‘Maiden Tribute in Modern Babylon’. Such was the sensation that it is said the young George Bernard Shaw raced down to Stead’s office, grabbed as many copies of the newspaper as he could and went out to distribute them. Society was in an uproar. Up to this point, Catherine and Bramwell Booth were the key Salvationist participants in the project. As soon as the story broke in the Pall Mall Gazette , William Booth swung the public efforts of The Salvation Army behind the collection and presentation of a massive petition to Parliament of 393,000 signatures calling for a change in the law. They succeeded, and the age of consent was raised to 16. Young girls were protected. Fiery campaigner Through the 1880s, Catherine continued to develop her views about The Salvation Army and its purpose. The following quote gives a terrific insight into her thinking at the time: “A barracks is meant to be a place where real soldiers would be fed and equipped for war, not a place to settle down in or a comfortable snuggery to enjoy ourselves,” she stated. “I hope that if ever they, our soldiers, do settle down, God will burn their barracks over their heads!” This is a woman who wasn’t prepared to stop. In 1888, Catherine again joined forces with W.T. Stead and others, including Annie Besant, one of the founders of Theosophy, and Emmaline Pankhurst, the great campaigner for women’s suffrage, in a crusade against ‘White Slavery in London’. It led to 1400 women taking strike action against the poor wages and appalling conditions under which the ‘match girls’ of London were forced to work. Most horrifically, the matches were made with poisonous yellow phosphorous, leading to an illness known as ‘phossy jaw’ involving facial disfigurement and often death. Midway through the campaign, Catherine herself became ill and was diagnosed with breast cancer. William’s ideas on social reform had also been developing through this period. His thinking was made public in 1889 in an article he called ‘Salvation for Both Worlds’. He wrote: “As Christ came to call not saints but sinners to repentance, so the New Message of Temporal Salvation, of salvation from pinching poverty, from rags and misery, must be offered to all.” As Catherine’s illness confined her to home, William began to work on a coherent vision of ‘Temporal Salvation’. Stead, who had become close to Catherine and William, came alongside to assist. According to one account, William set up a study outside Catherine’s bedroom where he and Stead would work on the manuscript, and William would take their notes to Catherine for discussion and correction. The safe matches produced by The Salvation Army. Booth’s book, In Darkest England and the Way Out , was published in October 1890, the same month Catherine was promoted to glory. The book was a comprehensive plan for social reform of British society and the transformation of the wider world. It rapidly became the subject of controversy, some even suggesting the real author was not Booth, but Stead. But even here, Catherine’s voice can be heard. In one of the first and most successful ventures of the ‘In Darkest England’ campaign, the Army purchased a match factory, changed the method of manufacture, and raised the worker’s wages. By 1901, the match industry was transformed. The Match Girls had won. Visionary thinker Today, the ‘Lights in Darkest England’ campaign, as it became known, also raises the question as to what extent the whole of ‘In Darkest England’ is underpinned by Catherine’s social and theological worldview. In his study of Catherine Booth, John Read says not only was Catherine “a powerful advocate for social reform”, but she was also “the visionary thinker whose ideas inspired the movement’s radical departures from churchly norms and the principal architect of the Army’s theology”. Catherine Booth’s role in shaping The Salvation Army as an evangelical and social mission-focused movement cannot be downplayed. She was a woman ahead of her time, and her partnership with fiery evangelist William was a true union of heart, mind and spirit. The question for us may be, how much of the Army’s future depends on recovering that spirit? JOHN CLEARY IS A PROMINENT AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTER AND SALVATION ARMY HISTORIAN. (To find out more, read Catherine Booth, by John Read). This article first appeared as a two-part series in the Others Magazine (December 2017/January 2018)

Lieutenant Keven Williams and Eastern Beaches Corps soldier and volunteer Rod bless the local community through a free fortnightly sausage sizzle.  BY LAUREN MARTIN   There are a lot of things Lieutenant Keven Williams loves. First and foremost, he loves God, and his wife, fellow Sydney Eastern Beaches Corps Officer Joanne. But also high up is his Salvation Army barbeque and coffee trailer.   “It’s awesome,” he says of the 3mx2m trailer, which houses a barbeque, a slushie machine (yes – a slushie machine!) and a coffee machine – as well as trestle tables, a big-screen TV and the ability to power lights and other devices.   The trailer, purchased by a previous corps officer a few years ago, makes an appearance at youth, men’s and women’s camps – but the place Keven most likes to take it is into the heart of Maroubra’s most disadvantaged streets – the Hub at Lexington [a public housing estate in the suburb of South Maroubra].   “In 2020, I was praying about an open door to places where we could take the trailer,” he remembers. “And I did some prayer driving in the housing estate areas. I would pray to God – give us an answer as to where you want us to set up the trailer. One of the spaces was Lexington.   “It was probably mid-2021 that the door opened, and Randwick City Council contacted us and said, ‘We want to work with you,’ and I thought, ‘That’s an answer to prayer!’”   Every second Tuesday, after Eastern Beaches Corps finishes its breakfast and chapel service, Keven and a small team of volunteers pack up the trailer and head to ‘Lexo’, as the locals call it.   Million-dollar Eastern Beaches residences line the streets leading into Lexington Place, a small group of shops that marks the start of a sprawling public housing estate in South Maroubra. The Hub at Lexington is a place-based community service hub, a collaboration between government and non-government agencies designed to “address inequity in service access for vulnerable and marginalised community members”.   Keven says the first year or so was all about building trust. “Like any place that has people with addiction and lack of finances and disadvantage, it takes a while to build trust because people don’t trust the system, so why would they trust somebody who is trying to give them free stuff? They’re like, ‘What do you want from me?’ And we don’t want anything; all we want is to bless people and love upon them.   “It has taken a while to build trust and to break down barriers in people’s lives. People are now opening up to us and coming in to see us from those spaces. They are actually coming to the corps [at Maroubra], sitting in on chapel services, and accessing our services and other activities.”   Keven says the barbeque is also a great missional training ground for the Eastern Beaches Salvos volunteers, many of whom come from the very area they serve.   “It’s disciples teaching disciples teaching disciples,” Keven says. “For them to be able to learn how to minister and to love upon community.”   Volunteer Kelly-Ann loves making coffees at the fortnightly barbeque at The Hub at Lexington. Kel’s life transformation On the coffee machine, volunteer Kelly-Ann loves to make hot chocolates for any kids who attend and chats joyfully with the adults waiting for their hot drink. Just six months ago, she was at the receiving end of assistance like that offered at the Hub at Lexington until God turned her life completely around.   “I was living on the streets for 14 months,” she says. “My alcohol and my drug intake was over the top. I was drinking up to five litres of alcohol a day just to subside all the pain and the emotional turmoil that I was going through with family and stuff like that.”   When she turned 50 and had a health scare, she began to reconsider her lifestyle. “It was time for me to stop drinking; it was time for me to help myself before I could help my family.   “Now, six months on, I’m working and volunteering for The Salvation Army. I’m sober. My life is full of God. I love my life!” Volunteer Rod cooks sausages at the free fortnightly sausage sizzle at the Hub at Lexington. Rod’s new lease of life Her sentiments are echoed by fellow volunteer Rod, who says calling into Eastern Beaches Salvos to access the free lunch service halted his plan to head to a clifftop in Coogee and take his own life. At the lunch, he met Keven and chatted with him for a long time, then returned that evening to watch the State of Origin football game with the corps men’s group.   “It was one of the best nights I’ve ever had,” he says. “It was the first time I’ve sat there, eating lollies, drinking soft drink, watching State of Origin. And just sitting there with other people that weren’t drinking either – and we were all just having a good time! I was like, ‘Oh wow!’”   Rod began to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and spend his free time at The Salvation Army. Now, he’s a Senior Soldier and is full of joy and energy as he banters with Keven and cooks the sausages for the free lunch at the Hub at Lexington.   “I’m loving life now!”   And that’s the kind of transformation that Keven and the team are praying others will experience as they serve sausages and coffee with a smile and a listening ear at the Hub at Lexington.

Captains Thelma Leech (left) and Olive Devlin, who endured numerous hardships to establish the work of The Salvation Army at Mt Isa. BY LAUREN MARTIN There are always mixed feelings at change-of-appointment time for Salvation Army officers. Some are excited at the prospect of a new appointment that matches their calling, while others are left a little uncertain about taking up a role that would appear removed from their God-given passions. However, we can learn from our history that God can use us anywhere, even if the soil seems hard and rocky. Consider Captain Thelma Leech and her assistant, Captain Olive Devlin, who were appointed to begin the work of The Salvation Army at Mt Isa in 1936. In their case, the ground really was rocky – shale, in fact. So sharp that it regularly ripped their shoes to pieces. Despite facing resistance not just from the secular townsfolk but within their own ranks (“Div. H.Q thought mere women could not do it alone,” Captain Devlin later wrote of the male officer sent to “help them”), the two captains tore through who knows how many pairs of shoes doorknocking every home in the town before the official opening. Living in ‘The Shack’, as they called it (a one-room, earthen floor, square box made from flattened-out water tanks with galvanised iron walls), they got used to the resident tree snakes and cooking on a fuel stove. Meetings were held in the Country Women’s Hall after the regular Saturday night dance. “On Sunday mornings, we would sweep out the hall,” remembered Olive Devlin in 2000, “[but]we could not eradicate the beer smell!” After Sunday school, open-air meetings and the like, they would trudge back along the narrow track to ‘The Shack’ on Tipperary Flats without so much as a candle to light their way. “The Captain would go first single file, and the Assistant would follow – if she struck the stump in the dark, the one behind would know to dodge it!” “Groundwork was done – Sunday School and meetings and open-airs held, house and hospital visitation, Gospel preached, seeds sown – a few faithful soldiers. If no great results were shown, at least seeds were sown,” Captain Devlin wrote many years later. Indeed, those ‘results’ seemed non-existent. Salvation Army officer, author and historian Lily K. Sampson, in a book that mentioned the opening of Mt Isa Corps, noted that no souls were recorded in the first year. Yet years later, Captain Leech wrote that she had received a letter from a woman who was a soldier at Mt Isa in 1936. The woman described attending a meeting at Hermit Park in Townsville where two bandsmen testified that they had been converted at an open-air meeting in Mt Isa in that first year yet were too shy to go into the [open-air] ring so knelt beside their truck. What a thrill to receive such a letter! After such toil and hardship, Captains Leech and Devlin received validation that their labours, conducted in such challenging circumstances, were not in vain. The story of The Salvation Army’s early days at Mt Isa is a reminder that no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, we can trust that “... in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). As Captain Devlin wrote: “If no great results shown, at least seeds were sown.”

Are you forging forward with something, expecting to be able to keep going without the appropriate fuel loading, only to find yourself at risk of burning out? BY BELINDA DAVIS I am one of those annoying drivers who does not sense a state of urgency as my car’s petrol indicator starts ticking down towards the ‘E’ side of the gauge. There have been times when I may have pushed my vehicle to the limits of sensible behaviour by putting off filling up, despite lights and ‘dings’ alerting me to imminent fuel reserves being completely depleted. I have never run out of petrol, but I have come incredibly close on a couple of occasions. I know that this practice is not the best for the longevity of my engine, and it’s not necessarily a deliberate action (or lack of it) on my part. It is more that I forget to do it, or I find the whole petrol station experience tiresome and inconvenient, so I put it off. I recently discovered what it might be like to try to power on when your fuel tank is empty. I headed off to my usual Saturday morning local parkrun – a free and timed 5km run, jog or walk activity held in communities across the world. Lately, I have been able to jog every step of the course without too much difficulty, but a recent run was another story. The night before had been a perfect storm of circumstances that meant the only food I consumed for ‘dinner’ was a doughnut at the airport at 8pm. Not a deliberate action, but one impacted by the happenings of the world around me and my complacency in trying to find a better option. At parkrun, I discovered that this doughnut only managed to fuel my exertion for the first 2km before I literally felt like my fuel tank had been drained of anything useful to keep me moving. I spent the rest of the activity making my body work harder than it should to reach the destination. Calling on reserves How often in life do we forge forward with something, expecting to be able to keep going without the appropriate fuel loading? It could be a lack of preparation for work, study or physical activity. It will have consequences, sometimes immediately and other times a bit later, when you are part way through and really need to call upon the resources you don’t have. Even more dangerous is trying to navigate your spiritual life journey with only the barest of sustenance levels to help you survive. Plenty of times, if your spiritual gauge is bordering on ‘E’, you will face situations without access to the divine strength and sustenance to get you through well. While you might get through, you’ll reach your destination in a diminished capacity. How much better to arrive knowing you have more resources at your disposal should you face an unexpected detour that requires a little, or a lot, of extra effort. Filling the tanks Can I encourage you to make sure you are not running through any area of life on empty? The short-term gain is not worth the longer-term consequences. Consider seeking out opportunities to fill up your tank. This could include spending more time with friends and family, getting more rest or exercise, or reflecting on the God who loves you and is always there and ready to ‘fill your tank’ in any way, regardless of your circumstances. God tells us in John chapter 10, verse 10, that, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This doesn’t mean that everything will be easy, but it does mean that God will give us hope, joy, meaning and purpose as we go through life, and that he will strengthen and walk with us every step of the way.

The Salvation Army delegation at the National Prayer Breakfast (from left) Majors Carolyn and Bruce Harmer, Major Brett Gallagher, Colonels Rodney and Wendy Walters and Major Vicki Clarke.  A delegation of Salvationists led by Colonels Rodney and Wendy Walters attended the Australian National Prayer Breakfast in The Great Hall at Parliament House on Monday.   “It was wonderful to meet with more than 500 delegates fellowshipping and praying together,” said Major Bruce Harmer, Head of External Communications.   “The keynote address from Max Jeganathan was outstanding. Drawing from his own life experience, Max impressed on us the need for us to apply more grace to all we do.” Mr David Smith MP and Senator Matt O’Sullivan, co-chairs of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, extended an invitation to The Salvation Army delegation to attend the 35th Australian National Prayer Breakfast.   “Leaders from across the political spectrum, of different faiths or none, came together over breakfast as we prayed for God’s blessing on all who serve our great country,” said David.   Guest speaker Priyan (Max) Jeganathan related the story of his family’s “miraculous” escape from Sri Lanka’s civil war and arrival in Australia as refugees in the 1980s.   “Going on to work as a lawyer, policy adviser, speaker and writer, Max’s journey reflects the transformative beauty of enduring faith, amazing grace and an Australian ‘fair go’,” said David.   Attendees were also treated to a performance by the band Sons of Korah, who gave a unique musical interpretation of the Psalms.   The prayer breakfast was livestreamed, enabling households, schools, churches, and workplaces to join in as prayer was offered for Australia and its leaders.   To view the recording, click here The Great Hall at Paliament House was packed for the National Prayer Breakfast.

Refugees from Ukraine continue to cross into neighbouring countries in increasing numbers. The Salvation Army across Europe continues its support for Ukrainians fleeing the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In Rotterdam , the Netherlands, Salvation Army teams will provide social assistance and some medical care to refugees staying on a chartered cruise ship – the Volendam, owned by the Holland America Line. The ship recently opened its doors as a temporary shelter for up to 1500 Ukrainian refugees. The Salvation Army will provide support to refugees on board the Volendam. “Our crew sees it as a true honour to make Volendam a comfortable and caring environment for families who have been through so much,” said the ship's captain, Ryan Whitaker. As well as a bed, the liner is providing three meals a day, housekeeping services and access to the ship’s Wi-Fi and gyms. Refugees can disembark at any time, including children attending school. City officials are working hard to provide education for all Ukrainian children who arrive in Rotterdam. The Dutch government has pledged to house up to 50,000 displaced Ukrainians. In Poland , a small Salvation Army team continues to assist hundreds of refugees every day. On just one day, they received 657 phone calls and more than 400 text messages asking for assistance. This is in addition to the people they helped face-to-face. The team is tired but motivated, despite the physical workload and the emotional and spiritual challenge of continually hearing heartbreaking stories from the warzone and wanting to help everyone. The Salvation Army and partners in Bulgaria also continue to support Ukrainian refugees during this difficult period. Together with volunteers from the Full Gospel Church, teams provide vouchers for mothers and children to buy essential items. Despite their weariness, Salvation Army teams in Poland continue to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. In Moldova , the nation’s president, Maia Sandu, wrote to Salvation Army workers to personally thank them for their work helping others, their effort, and their progress. The teams “love doing what we are doing, helping others and spreading love and good deeds.” In Scotland , Ukrainians are being given vital support, including access to a new Salvation Army voucher scheme. The Army is working with its trading company and local authorities around the country to offer refugees 30 pounds Sterling (AUD$52) to spend on clothes and other essentials at its network of shops (family stores). Vouchers have now been sent to councils across the country to support people arriving from Ukraine and other parts of the world. “We’re delighted to be able to work with a number of agencies and groups to provide extra support to refugees coming into the country,” said Major James Elliot, who leads The Salvation Army’s emergency response team in the east of Scotland. “All councils in Scotland can apply for the vouchers, which can then go directly to people arriving in Scotland. Hopefully, the scheme will reach as many as possible.”

Salvation Army workers walk through a street devastated by floods. Salvation Army teams in Spain have mobilised in Valencia to provide vital support to those impacted by the recent devastating floods. The focus is on the districts of Alfafar and Paiporta.   The teams are distributing food, medicine, clothing, tools, cleaning kits, drinkable water and compassionate support to help individuals and families in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.   Torrential rainfall causing deadly flash floods hit southern and eastern Spain in regions including the Costa del Sol in the south and Valencia in the east. Hundreds have lost their lives, many more are missing, and the widespread destruction in those areas is being assessed.   “We are incredibly grateful to every volunteer and Salvationist for their compassionate dedication and unwavering solidarity,” the team leaders expressed.  “Your efforts make a meaningful difference in the lives of those impacted.   “To everyone affected, we want to tell you that you are not alone. We’ll be here, helping and accompanying you every step of the way, so you can slowly regain normality. “Thank you to those who believe in solidarity and join us in making a difference. Together, we can overcome any adversity.” Click through the slideshow below to see more photos of the Spanish floods and The Salvation Army’s response.

The Recovery Church community gathered at Merri-Bek Corps in Melbourne to celebrate its 10th anniversary. BY LERISSE SMITH A special celebration honouring the 10-year anniversary of Melbourne’s Recovery Church was held last month. Based at Merri-Bek Corps, the church celebrated with an evening of fun, food and fellowship, with Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas as the special guest. “Almost eight years ago, my life changed when I gave up drugs and became clean,” a church participant remarked. “I walked into Recovery Church in the January and never left. The stories of hope from both Salvation Army personnel and other attendees kept me returning. The possibility of a relationship with God, regardless of my past, was also very much needed, as attending 12-step programs to find spirituality had not been working for me.” Someone involved with the church since its inception in 2014 is Tracey English, who is a vocational trainer at Eva Burrows College. Commissioner Miriam Gluyas (far left ) enjoys the special birthday dinner with church attendees. Her connection with Recovery Church started when she was a chaplain with the Salvation Army’s Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Community Reintegration program. Liz Edminson, who was the team leader of that program, along with Kathryn Wright, now General Manager of AOD, were the driving forces behind the establishment of the church. Tracey, along with a group of others, became a member of the planning team. Initially, the church was housed at the Mooney Valley Corps before moving to Merri-Bek in July 2023. “The hope has always been that Recovery Church would be a community where people could come along and feel like they belonged, no matter who they are or where they’ve come from,” Tracey reflected. “We just take people as they are and love them, no matter where they are in their recovery journey. Really, if you look at the top 10 addictions, which includes things like coffee, shopping, work, as well as alcohol and drugs, we’re all sort of in recovery.” A dinner is an important aspect of community gathering, with people gathering around the table to enjoy fellowship with one another before the service begins. For the past decade, volunteers Brett Stobie and Peter Stark have lovingly prepared wonderful meals for the attendees. A church service for everyone then starts after dinner. “The church services have always been a place of hilarity,” Tracey said. “I’ve laughed more in our church services than I probably ever have anywhere else, and there have been some really memorable moments. “From the perspective of someone who leads worship and preaches there, it’s a great place. You get used to the hecklers who chip in their bit during a sermon, and we take on board all of the comments.” Recovery Church is supported by the chaplains who work at Bridgehaven, a residential rehabilitation centre; Flagstaff, The Open Door; and Foley House, which provides accommodation for men experiencing homelessness and transports participants to the church. “Ours is a moveable congregation with people coming and going,” Tracey remarked. “We hope that something of the gospel has been sown in their lives while they’ve been with us and that they’ll be able to reconnect. We do have prodigals as well. People who have belonged to our church [sometimes] go away, but then they come back. And I like to think that we welcome them with open arms. Recovery Church is a place of second, third and fourth chances. “During our 10 years, we have seen lives transformed. There are people who have come to faith. We’ve had three people accepted as adherents. I think it’s a wonderful place to belong.” Precious memories of people seeking after God have also formed part of the history, such as the time a group of Bridgehaven ladies went forward to the mercy seat, and with arms around each other and prayed. Special photo memory boards formed part of the birthday celebrations for the church participants. While some in the public often believe overcoming addiction relies solely on self-will and self-control, the reality is this is not the case. There are often complexities and depth to individual experiences. Tracey emphasised that people in recovery each have their own unique stories, and there was no single stereotype for those struggling with addiction. Everyone faced different challenges on their path to healing. “I think people who go into rehab are extraordinarily brave,” she explained. “Because they have the courage to imagine that life can be better, and in getting to a better life, it’s not going to be easy, because recovery isn't easy, but they step into that space. “My hope for the future is that Recovery Church continues to make a difference in the lives of the people who come and that those who come find a welcoming community where they are loved and accepted.”

Major Bill Geracia (back left) and Aux-Lieutenant Lauren Luiker (front right) with other leaders enjoying a messy activity at the camp. “It’s given an eye-opening experience where I don’t need to be perfect, and I don't have to be a certain way to follow God.” This was the response from one young adult who attended the recent NSW/ACT Division Youth and Young Adults camp at the Collaroy Centre on Sydney’s northern beaches. Around 310 young people from across the NSW/ACT division attended the camp, with 60 leaders. More than 370 young people and leaders gathered for the camp from 30 September to 4 October to “encounter God”, said Aux-Lieutenant Lauren Luiker, Youth and Young Adults Secretary for the NSW/ACT Division. Lauren shared some additional comments from the campers. “I’ve learnt to show my faith through leadership, but it has also connected me closer with God and finding his word in the Bible.” “Camp impacted me by hearing life experiences of others going on the same journey as I am.”   “As a team, we are thankful to all the local expressions who trust us with the discipleship of their young people,” said Lauren. “It is a tremendous privilege to partner together to see lives transformed. We celebrate the local investment into the lives of the 310 campers who gathered. Major Bill Geracia cops a bucket of slime over his head during the camp. “We are grateful that young people are a priority in our division and that many local expressions are reaching, engaging and journeying with young people.   “We now ask you to pray that the Holy Spirit sparks that were ignited at camp would grow into wildfires. That the same fire would catch around these young people, and we see our world radically different because of Jesus alive in them!”