Each week throughout this year, Salvationists around the world unite 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 (8-14 April), we are praying for the Australia Territory. Pray for the Australia Territory: ·       For our rallying cry to become our reality: ‘Jesus-centred, Spirit led, Hope revealed’. ·       That God would give us wisdom and the most effective ways to live the rallying cry out, from all our mission expressions and sites. ·       For the right leaders to rise up and to be raised up and tapped on the shoulder. ·       That we live out who we are and what we believe in. ·       For new ways of being and doing church to rise up across the nation. ·       For the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the impact this is having in our Australian communities. ·       For ongoing guidance as The Salvation Army Australia responds to a country that refers to itself as ‘post-Christian’. ·       For a greater witness of who Jesus Christ is – to one another and our community. ·       For salvation to be our greatest hope and prayer, from people to the planet. ·       For deeper commitment to and seeking of discernment, so we can know God’s will, offer God thanksgiving and follow God’s plan. ·       For our A Year of Prayer national prayer initiative: that all Salvationists may embrace this, praying together, for each other, for our movement and for our nation. ·       For greater unity: that we may be known for the love we have for one another. ·       For integrated mission. ·       That we would value the learnings of our young people and incorporate these into our movement’s future and present direction: willing to be uncomfortable, willing to try and fail, and making faith integral to all our plans and actions. To find out more about the Australia Territory, click here. For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar (above), click here. Do you like to pray? Then please join The Salvation Army’s Year of Prayer campaign #salvosprayingtogether. To find out all you need to know about our Year of Prayer, just click on the following links or copy and paste them into your browser: My Salvos - https://my.salvos.org.au/a-year-of-prayer/ Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/tsayearofprayer?mibextid=LQQJ4d Or contact Aux-Lieutenant Rosy Keane at rosy.keane@salvationarmy.org.au

Adelaide City Salvos are ‘creating faith pathways’ through a thriving Wednesday evening church service that is connected to their DUOs (Do Unto Others) program. BY ANTHONY CASTLE Ali Halls is the DUOs Coordinator at Adelaide City Salvos, facilitating The 5:17 mid-week worship service each Wednesday. Operating in partnership with the DUOs program, the new service has been providing community for those most in need at a point when times have been toughest. “The 5:17 is born out of The Salvation Army’s vision to create faith pathways connected to the DUOs program,” explains Ali Halls. “DUOs is based around a Wednesday meal, but more importantly it’s a space where we can build community, where people are accepted and loved. We cater for a vulnerable and diverse community, some with complex mental health needs.” DUOs (Do Unto Others) is a variety of programs and activities aimed at meeting the needs of the inner-city community, including men’s and women’s activity-based support groups, meals, and Bible studies. The 5:17 chapel service averages about 50 attendees each week, mostly attending from the DUOs events. “The 5:17 is still church, even if it’s not a Sunday service,” explains Ali. “People ask for prayer; community members share their stories. We have a community member who runs worship, singing and playing guitar. We have had one person who is deep in alcoholism. He may not be doing great, but he’s willing enough to share a poem he wrote. The service is called The 5:17 after 2 Corinthians 5:17: ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here’. It also starts at 5:17 pm.” A domino effect Launching The 5:17 service last year was personal for Ali, who had come through rehabilitation herself in 2018. Ali’s own journey saw her come to the Salvos in need, volunteer at the DUOs program as a result, and become an employee in 2021. “It’s about reducing stigma,” Ali says. “I come from a paramedic and nursing background. Some things happened for me, and I turned to drugs. We’re all one step away from something quite chaotic. We’re dealing with the complex nature of mental health, increased crime, incarceration, homelessness; it’s a domino effect. If nothing changes for people, the worst thing that can happen is they die alone.” Crises in the cost of living and housing have seen an increase in need, with more and more turning to services for support. While these crises have impacted the country, Adelaide has experienced the sharpest inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages over the past three years. Impact of crisis “There’s been a lot of talk over the past year about the rise in the cost of living and the impact it’s having on families and individuals,” explains Major Mal Davies, Corps Officer at City Salvos. “We see clear evidence of this in the number of people presenting to us for the first time, meaning we also have to manage them carefully in terms of allowing for embarrassment and the fact life has humbled them perhaps unlike ever before.” City Salvos is based in the heart of Adelaide, offering the urban community a café space, Sunday meetings, small groups, and a range of support services. Doorways services offer emergency relief, financial counselling and general counselling. “There’s been little talk about the impact this crisis has had on people spiritually,” Mal says. “I’m amazed at the number of people who have said that they’ve ‘even turned to prayer’ and they’ve ‘even asked God for help’. The 5:17 is a relaxed, welcoming and casual worship service that doesn’t intimidate non-believers and welcomes people with no faith.” The 5:17 has been running for eight months, with stable numbers in attendance. Now, Ali and Mal are looking at creating more pathways for those who are part of the chapel service, inviting them to connect with City Salvos more and to go deeper into faith. “We’re designed for human connection,” Ali says. “Many at The 5:17 have lost families and friends and all of their connections. To a lot of people, we are their friends and families. We all desire love and want to be accepted. It’s really important to offer that, no matter what you’re going through. You’re loved here.” Ali tells her story: https://www.salvosonline.org.au/post/from-chaos-to-calm-ali-labels-herself-a-miracle

The 2508 Salvos weekly ‘Walk n Talk’ group has re-started for 2024, but with a difference … there’s no talking! Well, for the first five minutes, anyway! The popular weekly walking group in Helensburgh (NSW) starts every walk with five minutes of timed silence. Something that was hard for some walkers to get used to when it was first introduced earlier this year! “We ask that people spend the first five minutes of the walk quiet with their own thoughts,” said 2508 Salvos Mission Leader Lauren Martin. The suggestion is that they use the time to shake off any worries of the world they are carrying into this space and ask God – or their higher power – to show them what they need to talk about that day. Lauren took the idea from a Salvation Army walking church in Brisbane run by Major Bryce Davies. “When I heard about the use of silence, it really appealed to me,” she said. So many of us (me included!) spend each day rushing from one thing to the next. To be able to start a new activity with some deliberate quiet time, in prayer or contemplation, is a beautiful gift to self and a way to connect with the divine.” Walkers have reported back that the five minutes of silence is helpful. The Walk n Talk group was started a few years ago by 2508 Salvos volunteer and fitness instructor Alison Hawley, who operates a personal and group training company, Fluro Fun N Fitness. Alison is passionate about seeing people thrive and introducing exercise into their lives for its benefits for body, mind, and soul. The group walks for 45 minutes, and she likes to show people around the bush trails hidden just beyond the residential streets of Helensburgh. “One walker last week said she has lived in Helensburgh for more than 10 years, and she never knew these trails were here!” said Alison. “I love to connect with people and bring joy into people’s lives. Walk n Talk is a big part of that.”

At a corps leadership meeting I chaired once, as corps officer, one of the members decided to put me in my place. He said that while my commitment to local community members and the time I spent with them was admirable, it was detracting from my ministry to members of the corps. I reasoned with him that corps members were important to me, but my priority was seeing souls saved and seeing new people come into God’s Kingdom. Current members could be well-supported by each other, by small groups and by the pastoral care system in place, whereas we had people in our community who needed to be introduced to Jesus. The corps member wasn’t happy and shot back at me: “You seem to care more for people outside of this church than those inside it!” This threw me for a moment because my brain had to process it: he meant it as an insult, but I was hearing it as a compliment. I said to him: “That’s possibly the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” His face distorted in confusion and anger because he was trying to attack me, yet I was delighted at his insightful observation! A former Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple, once made a comment pertinent to this issue when he said: “The Church is the only organisation that exists for the benefit of its non-members.” As with all ministers, I love it when non-churched people come to church. It can be a real privilege to have the view from the platform, especially when preaching, and seeing non-believers engaged with what you’re saying – laughing at the right moments, giving wide-eyed attention, looking thoughtful at the right moments, even wiping a tear away at the right moment. I also love the honesty of non-churched people who don’t know church customs, protocols and behaviour. This becomes most obvious when the preacher uses rhetorical questions, which I often do. Once I was preaching on Jesus’ parable about the great banquet (Luke 14) where invited guests make up excuses not to attend, so the master of the house invites in “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame” from the streets and lanes of the town. I said, “What would you have done if you were invited to a banquet, knowing you were second choice as a guest and invited by a man you don’t even know?” As I paused for breath, a hand shot up and Dennis, a member of our local homeless community, said: “I would have gone and absolutely stuffed myself.” Well … it can be hard to recover after a comment like that. After general laughter, including from me, I said, “Yes, Dennis, I’m guessing that’s what many of us would do.” I went on to talk about how God invites us all to rejoice and feast with him. The “non-members”, as William Temple referred to them, keep us honest and on our toes and embedded in the real world. They’re the people Jesus sought out and spent time with. Let’s keep serving them and praying them into the Kingdom. – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

BY LAUREN MARTIN More than 20 members of the Soldiers of the Cross session of cadets, which graduated in 1976, recently gathered in Sydney for a reunion, some not having seen each other for decades. With some session mates travelling from as far as Rockhampton and Brisbane and others from closer locations like Newcastle, the Soldiers of the Cross session mates (from the former Australia Eastern Territory) spent three days together in warm fellowship at Macarthur Corps, south-west Sydney. One of the organisers, Heather Rose, said there was no time lost in getting to know each other again. “We enjoyed reminiscing and thinking about all the crazy things we had to do [at college] that they don’t do now! “I think it’s both the good and the bad that binds us – and our love for Jesus, of course.” Participant David Rees said it was “a joy” to be reunited with his session mates. “Despite all having different colour hair now, we recognised each other as soon as we saw each other!” Another organiser, Reta Brown, agreed, saying, “The years just melted away, and all of a sudden, we were all back at 55 Livingstone Road again!” [The former Salvation Army Eastern Territory Training College.] “It’s been lovely to see some of these folk in our session that we have not really seen since we left college – a long time ago now!” said David. “It’s just such a joy to be together and share lovely, warm fellowship again. A lot of fun and laughter, and still moments when we had deep thoughts of sadness because we all have different stories to tell. There’s just a lovely comradeship.” Hazel Alley and her husband John said that the minute they found out about the reunion, they started planning their trip down to Sydney from Rockhampton. “We knew this would be a really life-changing experience and very special,” she said. “You realise that even though 50 years has gone past, it’s just like you were back there. “The bond that we have is around the fact that we are all in Christ,” she said. “Hearing all the different experiences and hearing what people have done and where they are now – it’s really good.” The reunion brought together decades of experience – including overseas service, alcohol and other drugs work, corps work and other programs. “Countless lives have been touched through God’s work in us,” said Heather. In Colossians 2 (The Message translation), Paul talks about God weaving a beautiful tapestry with our lives: “I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God.” David Rees said this was evident in the recollections of decades of faithful service to the Lord that were shared during the 50-year reunion: “Together, it’s just a beautiful picture of ministry opportunities and things accomplished for the Lord. A lovely picture with many colours.” Click through the slideshow for more photos of the 50-year reunion:

Alan was living two different lives – working as a financial advisor in the city while struggling with gambling, addiction and mental health problems. He started living in his car and then the office and things soon became very dark, very quickly. When Alan came to Foster House in Surry Hill, Sydney, there was lots of empathy, compassion and understanding, and very little judgement, which Alan says was important because he “was judging myself so hard (he) didn’t need anyone else to jump on board”. Today, Alan works at Foster House, advocating and bringing his lived experience to help the men navigate their own paths.

BY LERISSE SMITH A medical lifeline for people suffering hardship in the heart of Tasmania’s Glenorchy community is giving dignity to those who need it the most. The Salvation Army’s Doorways program in Glenorchy has joined forces with the Moreton Medical Group to facilitate providing free healthcare to people who are unable to access a general practitioner (GP). It has also proven to be life-changing for those who are unable to afford medical care. “Nurse Practitioner Kristina (Kris) Mullins and her team are nothing short of amazing,” said Shelley Hyland, Coordinator of Doorways Glenorchy. “They treat a range of medical issues, provide scripts and refer to specialist health services to community members who are unable to access a GP. Kris and her team are extremely professional and passionate about their work and have a great ability to connect with financially disadvantaged and vulnerable community members. They take time to really listen and have developed a clear understanding of environmental issues impacting patient’s health concerns, including primary homelessness. Every Wednesday afternoon, The Moreton Medical Group’s mobile outreach service operates out of the Glenorchy City Council’s lawns at the rear entrance of The Salvation Army’s Glenorchy City Corps. Moreton Medical Group is partially funded by the Tasmanian Department of Health and Primary Health Tasmania, with the service operating in Hobart and surrounding precincts at several locations for more than eight years. “It has gained a great deal of respect and a fantastic reputation,” Shelley commented. “Many of their patients may not seek medical treatment if it were not for this service or may wait until an emergency situation arises before calling on an ambulance or presenting at Emergency Response (ER) at the local hospital. The Salvation Army’s involvement with the Moreton Medical Group is extremely positive.” The Doorways program has workers who take bookings on behalf of the service and provide soft referrals. The workers also attend appointments with those engaging in case work where appropriate. Glenorchy City Corps hosts several internal social programs including Doorways, Financial Capability Program, The Couch (Engaging with International Community Members), Street to Home (Primary Homeless Service), and The Bridge Program (Day support for Community Members experiencing issues with Alcohol and Other Drugs). The Moreton Medical Group complements The Salvation Army programs and greatly assists in providing a holistic approach to people engaging with the Army’s services. “We are truly blessed to have them serving alongside us in our community,” Shelley said. For Kris, health is not only being free from disease but a whole state of wellbeing. “Working with The Salvation Army has meant a collaborative approach to client management that addresses not only the immediate health needs of the community but the underlying causes,” she said. “Having collaboration and open referrals to organisations such as the Glenorchy City Corps provides a wrap-around service for those most in need. Through this, we are able to work together to ensure better outcomes for clients while also supporting the community.” While Moreton Medical Group works with many organisations and community groups, Kris said working with the Glenorchy Salvos was a joy and a privilege to work with such amazing and dedicated people. “It truly feels like a family,” she said. “I am forever grateful for their support, knowledge and expertise to help the community.”

Spring in Ukraine Despite the constant barrage of rockets, drones and shells, The Salvation Army in Ukraine is trying to take advantage of the warmer (northern) spring weather and take some of its various activities outside. After a long and cold winter, most of it spent in apartments, corps and bomb shelters, the sunshine and warmth are good for the body, mind and spirit of children and adults alike. In Dnipro, corps leaders, volunteers and parents helped the enthusiastic scouts safely prepare traditional Ukrainian borscht (beetroot soup) and build a fire to cook it on. The scouts then had plenty of energy for a couple of games of football (soccer). “Our scouts and their parents are the best,” said Dmytro Rak, corps leader. “We just mentioned the idea of making borscht and immediately they offered their support … We thank God for the opportunity to be here during this difficult time.” The leaders also ‘experimented’ holding Bible study outside. It was so popular that it looks like becoming a regular event, when safe to do so. Caring for the vulnerable The Brazil Territory runs four centres that care for vulnerable children and their families living in extremely challenging community. The Community Development Lead from IHQ International Development Services has just returned from visiting the centres. She explained that the programs run there invest in families over the long term. The hope and goal is to break the cycles of poverty and violence for the next generation by strengthening family and community bonds and giving children and young people the opportunity to be the protagonists of their own lives. For more information on International Salvation Army Development programs, check out The Salvation Army International on Facebook. Housing4All The Salvation Army in Bermuda recently participated in the “Housing4All” campaign. This movement brought different organisations in Bermuda together to take part in events to raise awareness about homelessness in the country. To honour the campaign, The Salvation Army’s emergency housing shelter in Pembroke, Bermuda, hosted a volunteer event, which brought in people to build a new community garden outside the shelter. Marjorie Armstrong, a caseworker at the emergency shelter who came up with the idea, said that building a garden would not only be a great volunteer opportunity but would also help the shelter’s residents in the long run. “It will help to feed them, and it will allow us to feed other people as well,” she said. “It is going to be self-sufficient. It will also help our people by keeping them busy.” The community garden event gathered 15 volunteers from a charitable community group called Bermuda Is Love, as well as staff members from The Salvation Army including Lieutenant Lester Ward, executive director, Bermuda Community Services. For Lester, the experience was rewarding in every aspect. Not only were they able to turn a piece of land into a garden in such a short time, but they also enjoyed their time and made new connections. “The biggest takeaway from this is not just the garden and the goods, but rather the relationships that have been built,” he said. Thanks to the creation of the garden, the residents will now have something to care for that will provide food for them and others in the community. In addition, new doors have been opened future volunteer collaborations.

BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE Perth Salvation Army staff members got an immersive taste of multicultural engagement when they were invited to attend an annual Holi Festival. The community event is known worldwide as the ‘festival of colours’, with attendees marking the arrival of spring in India and the triumph of good over evil by throwing coloured powder on one another. Members of Perth Punjab community organisation Kingz Multicultural Club this year invited The Salvation Army to be involved in their Festival, which was held on 17 March in Bennett Springs, Western Australia. Community Fundraising Relationship Manager Nigel Pitkin said the event was the friendliest, happiest and most inclusive he had ever attended. “It was awesome to see a few thousand people there just dancing and enjoying life,” he said. “They were just so welcoming and so friendly.” The festival featured a Salvation Army marquee and donation bins, and Nigel said the Kingz Multicultural Club was keen to continue collaborating with the Salvos in future.

Good. What is good? The Salvation Army’s General Manager for Community Fundraising, Andrew Hill, was recently interviewed by radio presenter Ben McEachen on Hope 103.2 about why it was time to reframe ‘good’. Andrew, here’s an easy question for you. What is good? Well, we know God is good absolutely right up front, and we know that he calls us to do good in the world and to do good things in his name. So, in essence, that’s what good is. Everything that is good in the world comes from God. That’s what we believe. And with so much turmoil and confusion and distress that’s going on in the world, I think we want to point people back to what is good and being able to do good for others and to look out for their fellow man and look out for each other. So yeah, that’s what good is. And Andrew, what you just said there, does that explain to some degree why Salvos came up with the Believe in Good campaign? I think we wanted to start a new conversation. Certainly, there’s many older Australians that know who The Salvation Army are, and that goes right back to their experience of The Salvation Army standing alongside them in the trenches during the wars. But we are finding more and more that younger people or different cultures really don’t know who we are as much as that older generation. So, we wanted just to start a new conversation and be able to reach those people that maybe don’t know us as well as some others do. And how do you think the Believe in Good campaign will do that? Because it grabbed my attention, but I already knew about The Salvation Army. So why do you think it would start a new conversation about the Salvos? I think people are looking to see how can I actually reach out in my community? How can I look for what the opportunities to do something beyond just maybe sitting behind my device or just sitting in my own home? The ad and the whole campaign is saying, actually, let’s look out for opportunities to do good for each other. And you can do that through The Salvation Army. And we want to tell that story. And did you hope to redefine ‘good’ along the way? Yeah, absolutely. We saw that the word good as a lot of words like that, or similar to that have been watered down when you say, oh, how are you doing today? Yeah, I’m good. What does that actually mean? Let’s talk about that. What is good? Are you really good? And if you’re not good, let’s have a chat and maybe we can go a bit deeper. We want to reframe that word. Good. And right at the start of this conversation, Andrew, you touched on how The Salvation Army is anchored in the things of God, the things of following Jesus. As you reach out to the broader community of Australia, and you’re talking about believing in good, how does The Salvation Army’s belief in a good God integrate with the rest of society who may not necessarily hold that position? Well, I think it right comes back to how we were founded. Our founder, William Booth, he looked out onto darkest England. He looked out into London in the streets of London back there in the 19th century. And he saw that things weren’t good. There were people in desperate situations, but William Booth knew that he couldn’t go straight to them with here’s the gospel of Jesus. If they didn’t have food in their belly, if they didn’t have a roof over their head, if they were enslaved by prostitution or drugs and alcohol. So, the physical need and the discussion around the physical need needed to happen. And so, we need to, and we still do in today’s society, we want to see Australians and interact with Australians that are desperate for hope. They’re desperate for something good in their life. So, let’s address the physical need that they may have. That might be a mental health situation. It might be homelessness, it might be someone escaping violence. We want to talk about that physical need, that physical distress you’re in, and we want to help you with that. And along that journey. And as we do that and we come alongside you, then we can touch on what the real hope is, and that’s the hope of Jesus. But we’re not going to go straight to the hope of Jesus without actually going, well, actually something physical going on that we want to help you with. Andrew, you’ve mentioned also wanting to change a conversation, spark a new one, also encourage people to get involved. What would a ‘believe in good’ movement look like in Australia? It could look amazing. It would be a movement where everyone wanted to partner with us. Everyone wanted to come together to do good. So, I see our community, and it doesn’t just have to be a church. It can be anywhere where Christians meet, wherever believers meet, or people that just want to have a great community meet and share and converse and go deeper and just go beyond the surface of maybe where we are these days, which is maybe a text message or just an interaction that's very, very shallow, but where a community comes together and they celebrate what is good about that community. And that is maybe breaking bread and having a meal together. It might be just having a conversation over coffee and going a bit deeper and say, ‘Hey, what’s really going on?’ And how can we maybe go a little bit deeper by conversing and being friends? For more information on the Believe in Good campaign, go to https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/believe-in-good/

The Church. Two words and one big meaning. For many Christians in society, walking into the hallowed doorways of churches across our nation on a Sunday is common practice. But for those who wouldn’t dare dream of walking into the four walls of a church in Melbourne’s Latrobe Valley district, there is hope – thanks to the Messy Church. And as Salvos Online writer LERISSE SMITH found out, there’s a whole lot of beauty to be found in the messiness of this alternative to the traditional church. It’s a late Sunday afternoon in the heart of Regional Victoria, and the excitement is rising. Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a group of passionate people from Latrobe Valley Salvos, who love their community and love God, unite to embark upon another wonderful and crazy adventure held each month in Morwell – Messy Church. Yes, that’s right, Messy Church. But let not the name conjure up any preconceived ideas. There is much splendour to be found within its four walls. “The beauty of Messy Church is being able to provide God’s message to people who would not otherwise hear it,” said Kate Charalambous, who helps lead Messy Church. “We will have people come in and say, “Oh my ... it’s a church!” And I will say yeah, it is, and the walls haven’t fallen down, we haven’t been struck by lightning. It’s okay. Come in. And then they will say, “No one told me it was in a church,” and I will say to them it’s okay; I’m not quite sure what you’re expecting but welcome. And by the end of it, once that anxiety has come down, they will remark it wasn’t so bad after all, this is good – and that’s why we do what we do. “We have got a team of people who are passionate about young people and growing the church from that perspective, and also looking at church from a different perspective, not just the traditional Sunday morning meeting.” This alternative to a regular service draws in local families who would usually never dare to enter the hallways of a church with its non-threatening and creative approaches to helping people connect with each other – and to God. Based on an American model, Messy Church encompasses three key elements: hands-on, creative arts experiences, a church celebration, and a meal. The craft activities run for about 45 minutes, church for about 15 minutes, including some Bible verses and singing, and dinner for an hour with grace sung by all. Since its inception about 10 years ago, the church has provided a much-needed informal place of fun, friendship and fellowship for the local community after many families left in the late 1990s when the main source of employment for the township, the SEC, shut down. It was a significant transition for the Latrobe Valley community. The COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in many people no longer attending church, especially young people. The significantly low socio-economic status of the township has also been impactful. Kate said the statistics for the area include the highest rate of domestic violence, and substantiated claims for child abuse were phenomenal. However, seeing families that generally would come to The Salvation Army for support, attend Messy Church, and interact with their children was hugely rewarding for the team. “It’s probably family time that they would not otherwise have every other day of the week,” Kate said. “And here they are in this supportive environment where everybody else is having family time too, supporting their children to do an activity that is reflective of God.” About 10 church members from Latrobe Valley Salvos form the Messy Church core team, and they also multi-task. Kate is also the Songsters leader at the church, while the other Messy Church leader, Donna Bosdorf, is the Young People’s leader. Peter Roberts, who takes photos on the night so everyone can view what has happened, is the bandmaster, and Sue Pilgrim works in the kitchen. While the corps officers participate whenever possible, they fully support the team and their mission. The Latrobe Valley Salvation Army encompasses the Moe, Traralgon and Morwell regions, and Myla Bennett, who undertakes community work for the church, has been key in making connections with the local community, inviting them to Messy Church plus those who have accessed the Doorways program services. Connection is key to growing healthy relationships within the families that attend once a month or more with the Salvos team. “It’s seeing families and bringing them together,” Kate said. “We have one family who never went to church and have pretty much been with Messy Church since its conception. They also come to café church too. They would not have come had we not established that relationship at Messy Church. We try to make it so that if we are going to sit down and have a conversation with people about the stuff that we’ve talked about, we do it at dinner time and process what’s happened throughout the night. “There is a bit of a toing and froing process of trying to get to the right amount of time spent doing craft and messy stuff versus church versus dinner.” The team can have anywhere between five and 50 people attend church – they just never know the exact number who will turn up from one month to the next. So, the idea is to try to instil God’s message through small snippets of information that they can learn. “It’s about saving one soul at a time because people have not experienced church before,” Kate said. “It has been a really balancing act – how much is too much for people who aren’t familiar with God?” Catering for the community meal has changed dramatically during the past few years and has proven to be a balancing act. Prior to COVID, the local pizza and fish and chips shops provided free food but closed after the pandemic. So, now the catering rests on the team’s shoulders, and it has been a challenge, especially as they never know the exact number of people who will attend each month. The local Doorways program has contributed with food donations, such as bread, which has then been made into pizzas. “It’s about saving one soul at a time because people have not experienced church before” “There are days when you think, oh my goodness, we’ve got food for 30 people because that’s what it’s been for the last three months, then all of a sudden, you’ve got 10 families rock up, and we just can’t just drive down the supermarket to get extra food,” Kate reflected. “So yes, that it’s been fun. It does take some creativity!” While a donation is welcomed each month, it’s not compulsory, and often, Messy Church team members dig into their own pockets and purchase whatever needs to be bought. Church members are generous, too, including providing the much-loved ice cream every month. The older generation may be unable to provide financial support but will get on their knees and start praying for the team. The local Jumble Shed has come to the rescue, too, with arts and crafts supplies and containers of paint. The children get excited with regular themes featured at Messy Church. For example, tucking into hot dogs and footy Frankfurts at grand final time. Craft activities have a theme, too. For example, John 3:16: ‘For God so loved the world.’ The team always tries to do something for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, too, because the children might not have access to funds to buy a present for their parents/caregivers/significant other. The children are also encouraged to remember the Bible verses and are rewarded with a prize at the following church meeting if they can recite their Bible verse learned a month before to help reinforce the message. A rewarding component for the Messy Church team is seeing families go from being quite timid and unsure about themselves to developing relationships with church members and a relationship with God they get to watch grow over time. The children also grow through the message about God. Kate is passionate about her leadership role and says seeing the joy of children’s faces continually motivates her to keep serving the community. “It’s not until you stop and look at it or do something like this and you kind of go, yeah, we have really made an impact on these kids,” Kate said. ‘Bible bashing’ is always strictly off the agenda. On the table is a listening and attentive ear with a non-judgemental attitude. “It’s about just accepting people and welcoming them,” Kate said. “And showing God’s love through our actions more so than necessarily what we say.”

Kidzone – the weekly publication for children aged 5-14 produced by the Australia Territory – is celebrating its 25th year in print. The first edition of Kidzone went out on 10 April 1999, produced by the former Southern Territory editorial department. It replaced The Young Soldier, an iconic newspaper-style magazine published to support The Salvation Army’s Young People’s sections. It had been in operation for over 100 years. “We were looking at doing another magazine, something that was a bit more relevant to children of today,” said Publications Manager Cheryl Tinker. “And along with Colonel Pam Trigg, we decided we would start a kids’ magazine that was called Kidzone. “Its real primary purpose is to introduce kids to Jesus in a way that is fun and relevant.” Using pop culture in a relevant, positive and educational way, each week, the magazine features competitions, video game news, Bible stories, cartoons, puzzles and activities. It is enjoyed by 27,000 readers each week. Kidzone is distributed throughout the Australia Territory to corps, centres and Salvos Stores. It is also used as a ministry tool wherever The Salvation Army connects with the community or collects donations in shopping centres, at special events or included in hampers for families. “It’s really important to us that the magazine is not just a magazine, that it actually has a purpose. And the primary purpose is that it fulfils the mission and vision of The Salvation Army.” Watch the anniversary video (below) to explore more about the magazine’s journey over the last 25 years.