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Lieutenant Kate Clifford, Clarence City (Tas) Corps Officer, and Major Dianne Jarvey, Faith Communities Development Secretary (WA), were part of the Micah Australia Women’s Leaders Delegation for 2023 in Canberra last week. The 45 women leaders making up the delegation represented 12 different denominations, as well as Micah’s coalition of Aid and Development members. The delegation met with 40 politicians and is focused on how Australia, as a generous global neighbour, can do its part in what’s required to address global poverty, fight climate change and create a safer world for all. “It was an absolute honour and a privilege to be a part of such an amazing team of women, and to have the opportunity to advocate for the world's poorest and most vulnerable people,” said Kate. “Of the 43 Politicians who we held discussions with, the majority were supportive and gave valuable insight to help shape Micah’s most ambitious campaign to date. The hope for this campaign, due to be launched in January 2024, is for Australia to step up its role in addressing global poverty and ultimately creating ‘A Safer World for All’.” The discussions with parliamentarians included a focus on the current global ‘polycrisis’ – a simultaneous occurrence of several catastrophic events. “We shared how these multiple events and conditions, including COVID-19, rising conflict and climate change, are impacting people who are already vulnerable, and we’re just challenging them to see what we can do as a nation to rebuild the aid budget,” said Charlene Luzuk, ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) Australia’s National Programs Director. Micah Australia empowers Australian Christians to advocate for the most urgent global justice issues facing our world today – extreme poverty, rising conflict and climate change.

Luke Terracini is the Next Gen Ministries Coordinator at Carindale Corps (Qld), supporting young people of all ages from the start of the pandemic. Salvos Online writer ANTHONY CASTLE asked Luke about his role. What is the role of Next Gen Ministries Coordinator, and what does it entail? I started as the Next Gen Ministries Coordinator in the middle of 2019. The whole idea of the role is to coordinate the different teams. I work with young people of all ages, from pre-high school to high school. We run a range of programs like Mainly Music and Playgroup. We have kids’ church, and I run Just Brass with the local school. We do dance classes and run a Kids in the Kitchen program. There’s youth group as well. It sounds like you started in the role just before the pandemic hit. How has that shaped the work your teams do? I was on staff for about six months, getting to know the role. I had just started to look at the children’s ministries, just started Just Brass, and then the whole thing shut down. We needed to reprioritise what we were using our time and resources for. Some programs were good, but the amount of energy that went into them wasn’t practical. We redirected that into something that had better connection and reach with young people. Coming out of COVID, the youth group is far more relationship based. Rather than putting on a product for them or something we thought was best for them or youth in the past. We just focus on spending time with them and getting to know them. We couldn’t meet in person, so we met on Zoom, growing that relationship with them. Rather than run a two-hour program and crash through a bunch of games, we sit and talk with young people, talk about their weeks and the stuff they’re facing in their life. What’s at stake for the young people you work with? What type of challenges are they facing? Carindale Salvos is located in a funny spot. Within the few streets around us are some massive and really expensive houses, but we also have a lot of housing commission houses around us as well. This is reflected in the young people and families we work with. They can come from vastly different family situations, so obviously, the challenges that they each face are also vastly different. There are some that have immediate material needs, which we are able to provide practical solutions for. There are some with different emotional or spiritual needs as well. We also have plenty who just love to come and hang out and be part of the community here. It’s a bit cliché, but our young people also face plenty of pressure through social media or school about who they are or who they think they should be. Identity is such a huge thing for young people. What difference do you see your work make? At the small local school we work with, they don’t have many resources. We do Just Brass with them, and that has led to other opportunities, including being part of the Breakfast Club run by the chaplain once a week. The Kids in the Kitchen program has connected with quite a few disadvantaged families too, teaching them how to cook a meal, how to do the shopping and budget for it. There are lots of practical ways we can make a difference in the lives of young people and their families. One of the real positives is that we’ve had young people leave our programs when they go into high school but remain in contact with our ministries. It’s easy to think you come and do your program, talk to the kids and then they go. You can ask, ‘What’s the impact?’. But they’ve seen enough value to keep coming back, which is the reason we’re here; to build relationships with young people.

Ten adherents were enrolled at Wollongong on 13 August. Corps Officer Lieut-Colonel Lyn Edge led the ceremony of the diverse group during the Sunday morning meeting. The group included those who had previous connections with The Salvation Army and had come “home” along with those who came to The Salvation Army for the first time looking for – and finding – a spiritual and friendly church that served the community. Several people said they came looking for friendship and a family and found it at Wollongong Corps. One young man said he had grown up in the church, and since this was his church, it was time to make it “official”. Everyone expressed that they loved Jesus, felt a sense of belonging at Wollongong Salvos and experienced this as a place to serve. The new adherents enrolled were David Hughes, Dianne Whittaker, Gary Baker, Irene Ringer, Steve Ringer, Keegan Priest, Kellie Phillips, Kristy Ford, Noeleen Burke and Zac McIver. Each adherent made their choice after an information evening organised by Lieut-Col Edge. Others who attended the information evening have expressed an interest in soldiership classes, which are now underway.

REVIEWED BY ANTHONY CASTLE I played with Barbie as a child. As a boy, I spent the day at the house of a family with three daughters, whose toy boxes were filled with the pink plastic of fashion dolls. I didn’t have a Barbie at home. I was a boy, and boys weren’t meant to play with Barbies, but suddenly I was with children who only owned ‘girls toys’, so I played along and put the dolls in their clothes and cars and Dreamhouses. I remember looking at the toys with their bright pink colours and sparkled fabrics and feeling something about that perfect plastic, feeling something like wonder. Barbie was beautiful. Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie is a fantasy comedy film based on the popular Mattel fashion doll. Written with Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, the film tells the story of the stereotypical blonde-haired and blue-eyed Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, who lives in a magical place called Barbieland. Barbieland is populated with a diverse range of successful and independent Barbies, a matriarchal society where female fashion dolls fulfil the roles of judges and lawyers (and the various Kens more or less stand around and look pretty). Stereotypical Barbie finds herself having an existential crisis one night, however, and starts to develop the vulnerabilities of an actual human. Barbie decides to leave Barbieland and travel to reality, to find the child she belongs to and restore her perfect beauty. The history of Barbie is a fraught one. Created by businesswoman Ruth Handler in 1959, the fashion doll came to be celebrated as a role model for girls. Toys allow children to explore imaginary scenarios, often as rehearsals for the larger situations faced in life. As a fashion doll that could be dressed as a ballerina, an astronaut, or even President, the toy modelled female independence for children and ways to rehearse their own potential and purpose. Barbie showed girls they could be anything. Over the years, however, Barbie has also come to represent consumer capitalism, gender stereotypes, and harmful body standards. While the fashion doll range has become more diverse in its representations of women over the years, the toy is often treated as a problematic presence in childhood. Gerwig’s film is aware of these tensions, with Barbie entering the real world and encountering all the praise and condemnation society has felt for her. Margot Robbie’s performance captures Barbie’s reaction to this reality, with the psychology of a toy coming to life and a moving emotional depth. Ryan Gosling is a hilarious supporting presence as Ken, Barbie’s friend and foil. The film features chase sequences, musical numbers, comedic fight scenes, and a number of cameos. Gerwig and Baumbach’s script is fantastically witty, with humour that appeals to all ages and some gags conveniently sailing over younger children’s heads. Barbie’s journey to the real world challenges her assumptions about herself and why she was created. Shortly after Barbie’s arrival in reality, there is a moment when she takes a seat at a bus stop and pauses to look at an older woman alongside. Barbie with a sense of wonder before uttering, “You’re beautiful”. The older woman smiles at Barbie and responds, “I know.” Barbie’s journey to the real world challenges her assumptions about herself and why she was created. At one point, Barbie even meets her maker and must choose her identity, about who she will be. It’s an encounter with the divine, and one that leaves her with an understanding of what it means to be human, to have purpose and potential, but to be vulnerable. Whether you played with dolls as a child or not, thought the toy was perfect or problematic, Barbie is a fun feminist fantasy and a parable about identity. Barbie taught girls they could be anything, and this two-hour toy commercial also has something to say about the wonder of being human and the vulnerability that brings. Only plastic is perfect. It’s our humanity that’s beautiful.

A group of parishioners from St Aloysius Cronulla, in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, has partnered with local food relief services to assist individuals and families who are struggling to make ends meet. On hearing about the work of ‘One Meal – Sutherland Shire’, an organisation that serves free hot dinners at various locations in the area, the St Aloysius Support Group decided to lend their support. On Tuesday, 25 July, St Aloysius volunteers Barbara Jones and Pat Hickey dropped off 150 food packs to Shire Salvos Miranda – of which approximately 60 packs were handed out that night. Pat had previously visited One Meal during its weekly Tuesday evening food relief service at Shire Salvos Miranda. One Meal coordinator Kaye Palmano suggested they could raise money for and put together breakfast packs (consisting of Weetbix, UHT milk and muesli bar), which are provided to all community members at the Tuesday night meal. The St Aloysius Support Group encouraged Shire community members to donate any amount from $20 to help fund the breakfast packs. A trial run was held, and packs were created costing approximately $1.50 each. “We are so thankful for the support of all involved,” said Shire Salvos Miranda Community Coordinator Moira Guthrie. “We love working with passionate people who help us and our partner organisations to help others.”

In a letter to all Salvos, Miriam Gluyas encourages everyone to get behind the 2023-24 Making It Happen fundraising project. Hi Friends, Three of my most treasured years in officership were spent in the Papua New Guinea Territory (PNG). The people taught me so much. They had so little but gave generously. They had so little, but they had so much. They love God wholeheartedly and they rely on him to provide. I was delighted to hear an update on The Salvation Army’s work in the Solomon Islands (part of the PNG Territory). Twenty-two years after the Salvos launched there, there are 11 Salvation Army village churches and four couples are preparing to go to training college in PNG. Wonderful! Australian officers, Majors Robert and Vanessa Evans, are the district officers in the Solomon Islands. They are excited to see Indigenous officers, familiar with the language and culture of the people, appointed to the village churches. It’s a great vision, isn’t it? To do this, they need houses for the officers, and we can help! Many of you will be familiar with the ‘Making It Happen’ project. Traditionally a Women’s Ministry project, it is now a whole territory project. Each year our territory raises funds and for 2023-24, the project will raise funds to build and furnish a home for corps officers in one of these villages. The house would also be a missional hub for Salvos and a space for service to the wider community. This will cost $120,000. It might not seem like much money to us in Australia, but it will make a huge difference in the Solomon Islands. Romans 12:4-13 says, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” Let’s get ready to help our friends in the Solomon Islands. In turn, this house will be used to help those in need, show beautiful hospitality in the village and share Jesus. Please pray about how you can support! You might organise a fundraiser, hold a special offering or make a personal donation. Fundraising ideas, promotional materials, and resources for a Making It Happen Sunday are available at www.my.salvos.org.au/making-it-happen. Bless you, friends, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas Territorial Leader The Salvation Army Australia Territory

The job description for corps officers (that’s ‘church ministers’ for those still learning the lingo) is literally long enough to be a book: it’s called Orders and Regulations for Corps Officers. And every corps officer knows that even at book length, it’s not complete. There are several key sections not included. For instance, a few weeks ago, I was cleaning someone else’s vomit out of the men’s urinal in the toilet at the hall, and I got to thinking, “I don’t recall seeing this in the job description.” In the weeks before, I had: unblocked a toilet; climbed into a dumpster to retrieve someone’s clothes; climbed on the roof of our church while it was raining to unblock a downpipe; had someone shake their fist in my face and threaten my life and, worst of all by far, I’d attended to hours and hours of admin reports and emails. While corps officership also has many highlights, opportunities and privileges – which I’m extremely grateful for – it definitely contains a lot of fine print clauses that appear from time to time. I recall serving at a corps where the Sunday meeting was at 10am, and at 9.58am there was a knock on my office door just as I was heading in to start the meeting. An elderly corps member said I must attend to a matter urgently. I said, “Can it wait? We’re about to commence church.” She responded, “No. It’s an emergency. Come with me,” and she walked off. Muttering something holy and grace-filled under my breath, as I recall, I followed her as she led me into the ladies bathroom. She invited me into a cubicle. I may have raised an eyebrow but dutifully followed her in. She pointed at the lock on the inside of the door and said: “It’s loose. Someone might come in here during the service, and if the lock comes off, they might be locked in here until someone comes looking for them.” I gave the lock a wiggle and pointed out that two of the screws holding it in place were loose. It was now 10am. I asked her to follow me. We went back to my office where I found a screwdriver for her, and as I passed it to her, I said: “I’m going to start church. I empower you to go and tighten the screws,” and I walked away. At two minutes to 10, apparently, no one else in the corps could be trusted to wield a screwdriver, only the corps officer. Luckily for her, I’d been present for the class at training college when we’d covered using a screwdriver. In fact, I got a B+ for it. So be kind to your corps officer. Sure, they get some privileges and have some status, but they also have to fulfil a vast range of duties that don’t even appear in their job description. I’d say more on that, but I have to go ... someone just told me we have a pigeon with a broken wing on our front step, and apparently I’m also the vet. – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

In recognition of Homelessness Week and to help support those in need, the Student Representative Council (SRC) from The Australian International Academy Junior School in Melbourne joined with the Merri-bek Salvos Community Connect program to assist in stocking their pantry. Each day for a week, the SRC members would visit the classes and collect donations. Their teacher, Loreena Kifayat, was a huge support. The students delivered a large trolley of food, smiles and hugs, as well as promises of their next project in the months to come. “This gave them such a sense of purpose, and they felt pleased that they were helping people that were struggling,” said Captain Melanie Cop, Merri-Bek Salvos Recovery Church@Merri-bek Corps Officer.

By LAUREN MARTIN After months of praying for God to provide an opportunity to meaningfully engage with people experiencing homelessness, Coffs Harbour Salvos were delighted with a donation of a food truck. The donation of a large retro-style food van, fully equipped with fridges and cookware, was made by the PAYCE Foundation, a national philanthropic organisation that works closely with The Salvation Army in Coffs Harbour. “It was a surprise when I heard that they wanted to donate a food van to us,” said Coffs Harbour Corps Officer Major Andrew van Gaalen. “As a result of the prayers, we believe that God moved the PAYCE Foundation to supply us with this incredible gift.” The van, donated last month, is already being put to good use. Once a week, Andrew and a team of volunteers park it at the Farmer’s Market, where they connect with the local community and are able to share the good news about how the Salvos are connecting and serving people in need. Also, at the markets, many people experiencing hardship and homelessness are starting to connect with the team. “We love to give them a good cappuccino,” said Andrew. “We often ask them, ‘When was the last time you had a drink like that?’ And for some of them, it has been years and years and years, and we want to make them feel like they are a valuable part of the community. “We carry frozen meals that we can heat up so we can give them a nice hot meal right there and then. We also carry non-perishable food items they can take away.” But for Andrew and the team, the most powerful parts of the mission are the conversations and prayers that result from the initial cup of coffee or hot meal. “The guys who are doing it have a heart for God and a heart for people,” he said. “We are getting to know them, they’re getting to know us, and hearing their stories and letting them know that someone does actually care about them.” On Friday nights, Andrew and the team take the food truck to an encampment in local bushland where many people experiencing homelessness live. They park the truck, and the smell of chef-cooked meals like beef stew and butter chicken wafts out from the brightly lit serving area. Volunteers walk through the bushland inviting people to the van for a free hot meal. “Two nights ago, when we arrived down there, there was a bit of turmoil,” Andrew explained, saying that a resident had passed away. “There was trauma going on, so we were able to minister into that space. We took some food up to the family, and we are keeping in contact. They are very appreciative.” After the community meal, the team packages up leftover meals and walks into places across Coffs Harbour city and surrounding areas the food truck doesn’t have access to. “One guy, he is sleeping under the stars, and he has lots of health issues – we take him down a feed. He wanted a radio, so one of the guys who helps us out went and bought him a radio last week, so we were able to take that to him. It’s a privilege to be able to do it.” The vision for the food truck is to have it operational seven days a week, not just in and around Coffs Harbour but in the neighbouring townships of Woolgoolga, Emerald Beach and Toormina. “In the centre of the city there are plenty of services for homeless people to access – they can get meals pretty much six days a week,” said Andrew. “What’s important to us is finding the ones that are out there on the fringes, who are not getting support.” Visit the MySalvos Homelessness Week toolkit at: https://my.salvos.org.au/homelessness-week-toolkit-2023/

By ANTHONY CASTLE Australia is in the midst of a housing crisis, with secure accommodation often in short supply. For decades, Burlendi Youth Shelter in Adelaide has been an important place for young people with nowhere to go, offering somewhere to stay and a way forward. Paul Mundy, Team Leader at Burlendi, says addressing youth homelessness is an increasing challenge. “The young people come in, we work with them, stabilise their mental health,” Paul explains. “We get them ready for a property, but there’s been a couple of residents over the last year that have turned 18, and we haven’t had places for them to go.” Burlendi offers accommodation for young people aged 15-17. The program provides 24/7 support to help the residents develop the life skills needed to transition to adulthood. The Burlendi program, which started in 1984, was opened to address youth homelessness in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, but South Australia is currently undergoing a housing crisis. About 30 per cent of renters are experiencing rental stress, and the number of affordable vacant properties is plummeting. “Two years ago, they would have been able to find a place,” Paul explains. “The rental market is a struggle right now, and I see a lot of people come into the homelessness sector who just can’t find a rental.” Young people have fewer available resources and benefits compared to other demographics. Affordable accommodation services often adapt rent based on residents’ incomes, resulting in young people having lower earning potential and facing potential stigma. Several young people who have transitioned from the Burlendi program have found support through share houses formerly operated in a Lead Tenant program. The Lead Tenant program was developed by Megan Elms, manager of Youth Homelessness. “When I came in eight years ago, we had these properties that were meant to be affordable housing,” says Megan. “We had young people transitioning out of Burlendi, and we often found that time living on their own resulted in an increase in isolation, which impacted their mental health. We needed a better option, so we made use of the houses.” Following the Lead Tenant model used interstate, the initiative grew from one house to four. The Lead Tenant model places young people in shared accommodation with live-in mentors, also known as ‘lead tenants’, who model life skills. The local church community supported the shared accommodation with dinners, transport to events, and Life Groups. “The Lead Tennant part changed over time,” Megan says. “The adult volunteers outgrew the community or got married. We adjusted the model and filled the rooms, so these houses are more of a shared living environment with case management attached.” The young people are offered a place in the shared living accommodation with the understanding that they are pursuing employment, education, or a willingness to volunteer. “It makes all the difference,” Megan explains. “We have seen how it impacts young people to have stability and accommodation to meet their goals.” Young people involved in the share living houses might stay for a number of years, but almost all of the outcomes have been positive, with residents choosing to move out when they feel able. “They move on organically,” Megan says. “One of the original young people is still there, but they’re working and studying. One reconnected with family. Another’s employed interstate, one moved into a house with their partner. One of them worked with a sibling to run a pizza place. What we know about young people is that you can’t make your way in life until you feel safe.” With no end to the housing crisis in sight, young people in urgent need are not often the priority. The need for safe housing and a stable community has never been more evident, even if it’s in short supply. “I want young people to have stable education, improved mental health, more engagement with community, but they need secure housing,” Paul explains. “Without the Lead Tenant set-up, some of the young people wouldn’t have had a chance. A lot of the time, what they need is that community to help sustain it.” Visit the MySalvos Homelessness Week toolkit at: https://my.salvos.org.au/homelessness-week-toolkit-2023/

This Homelessness Week, we visit The Salvation Army’s Foley House in Melbourne. Foley House is a facility for men over 40 years of age that offers long-term accommodation to residents. It is a safe place with a strong bond to the community that partners with a number of Salvation Army services. If you, or someone you know, is at risk of losing your home or is already experiencing homelessness, please contact us. We have support services for youth, adults and families: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/home

Australian officers, Commissioners Wayne and Robyn Maxwell (International Secretary for the South Pacific and East Asia Zone and Secretary for Women’s Ministries respectively) arrived in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, earlier this week. The commissioners are conducting a review of the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory. The territorial leadership team welcomed the Maxwells at the airport. Lieut-Colonels Chris and Tilitah Goa presented them with necklaces as a sign of welcome, Colonel Pattie Niemand shared a few words of welcome. The Maxwells will be in the territory for one week.