BY LAUREN MARTIN Restarting the Just Brass program at Orange Corps (NSW) has opened doors to new family connections. Brass music is in Corps Officer Major Colin Young’s blood. “I’ve been teaching young people to play brass instruments since I was 15 years old,” he says. Without wanting to give away his age, that’s more than 40 years! Orange Corps had to close its popular Just Brass program due to COVID-19 restrictions. Majors Colin and Kate Young were prayerful and considerate about when and how to restart it. “The families that had been involved had moved on,” Colin said. “We wanted to open it up but to keep numbers small so that we could be intentional and care for whole families.” Just Brass programs in The Salvation Army usually get involved directly with schools. At Orange, while all schools have been approached, Just Brass is an invitational program. Each student receives individual lessons, leading up to proficiency enough to join a band. “Everything will lead to the students joining the corps band,” says Colin. “Advancement comes when they home-practice and where they are involved with an ensemble that is better than them.” Orange Corps has a strong band and used to be heavily involved in a community Brass Celebration weekend, but recently, the event has stopped. Instead of being disappointed about the loss of an outreach opportunity, Colin and Kate decided to step into the gap and organised for a Sydney band to visit the corps on the weekend that used to be set aside in the community for the Brass Celebration. “We have taken up the challenge to use that weekend and continue to provide a band weekend,” Colin said. “We put the word out and invited people to a band concert at the corps. We were very fortunate that we got some television coverage of the Just Brass program, and they mentioned the concert as well.” Blacktown Corps Band visit On 9-10 March, the Blacktown Corps Band visited Orange Corps, and their concerts filled the hall. More than 3000 people also watched the Facebook Live event. The Youngs are planning more band events, which will be an outreach to the community and an encouragement to Just Brass participants to see talented musicians they can aspire to. “Currently, we have about seven young people involved in Just Brass,” says Colin. “We are hoping it will grow but we also want to keep numbers small so that we can be really intentional in supporting our families.” One of the families involved has two children learning instruments and also one parent – what a joyous noise when they are all practising at home! For Colin, Brass is not an outdated tradition in The Salvation Army but a vibrant means of connection. “I have repeatedly tried to not get involved with brass ministry, but I just can’t escape it! Everywhere I go, I’ve ended up getting involved in brass ministry. It’s in my blood!” Click on the slideshow below for more photos of the Blacktown Corps Band visit to Orange:

Join Commissioner Miriam Gluyas and Lieut-Colonel Stuart Reid as they discuss the importance of a Jesus-centred Salvation Army. Hear from both as they reflect on the life-changing impact that Jesus has had on them, and his significance as a king and saviour. Miriam reminds us that we have a big God who is also intimate. It is this relationship that Stuart says, “gives him purpose, focus, and stability in a chaotic world”.

Each week throughout this year, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for a particular territory or region of The Salvation Army. Prayer requests are shared by the focus territory/region to help us pray with precision and power for one another. This week we are praying for the Sweden and Latvia Territory. ·       We pray for the salvation of people! Multitudes of men and women need to have their lives transformed by meeting with Jesus Christ. ·       We pray for an increasing growth in Christlikeness among our Salvationists. ·       In our desperate need for candidates, we pray that women and men would heed God's calling for officership. ·       Pray that the planned transfer of officers would lead officers and members into a greater expectation of God. Officers moving into new appointments has rarely taken place in Latvia. ·       Pray for the strategy and planning for a corps planting in 2025 in Latvia. To find out more about the Sweden and Latvia Territory, click here. For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar, click here.

When I was a child, the ability to pay your weekly offering electronically didn’t exist, and even offering bags were not widely used in The Salvation Army. We placed our offering in a collection bowl that was passed along the rows of seats. The bowls were made of wood and often contained a thin layer of felt on the inside base (so the sound of coins dropping in wasn’t too loud) and a thin layer of felt on the bottom so they could be placed on the holiness table quietly. As a young boy, I recall an older boy teaching me the skill of pretending to put a coin in the collection bowl when, in fact, you weren’t. As the person next to you passed the bowl to you, you would place your closed hand in the top of the bowl, and as you opened it (theoretically releasing the coin that wasn’t there), you would flick the thumb of your other hand hard against the bottom of the bowl. With practice and good timing, this sounded like you were dropping a 50-cent piece in the bowl. You then took the bowl and passed it to the next person. I recall one Sunday when there were seven or eight of us boys sitting across the front row of our church. Generally, the same two people would take up the offering each week. This Sunday, one of them presented the bowl to the first boy and it was passed along the row with every boy seemingly dropping a coin in. When it got to the other end of the row, the other offering helper looked in the bowl, and her eyes went as big as dinner plates – there wasn’t a cent in there! Every single boy had flicked his thumb on the bottom of the bowl. Perhaps worse was one boy – let’s call him Graham because ... well, just because – who was even more skilled, or deceitful, depending on your take on things. I watched him once clearly raise his 20-cent piece and place it in the bowl, and, when the bowl had passed by, he looked at me, smiled slyly, opened his hand and he had a 50-cent piece! He’d done swapsies and made a 30-cent profit! Back in the day, 50 cents could buy you a big bag of mixed lollies! Graham was on to something – or so I thought. It seems his older brother had seen what he did and told their mum, and she gave Graham a lesson about honesty after the meeting; a lesson that meant he couldn’t comfortably sit down for a few hours. I’ve been thinking recently, as the cost of living has climbed, maybe it’s easier to contribute something rather than cash. Imagine if your offering bags came back this week and there was lots of cash in them ... and a bag of homecooked biscuits. Or some bottles of homemade jam. Or some macrame potholders. Or a goat. Now, I know we need cash in the bank to pay the corps bills, but perhaps we could start an economic revolution here. “Yes, Telstra accounts person, I know we owe you $180, but how about I give you $60, three fruitcakes, a free pass for babysitting one night and a wooden pen made by Bob?” Sure, we’d need substantially bigger offering bags or maybe people could just place their ‘offering’ in a big box in the foyer each Sunday. You’d just have to watch that the goat didn’t eat the biscuits before the meeting was finished. Try it next Sunday – see what your officer says when you put your famous baked cheesecake in the offering bag. – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

Today is Earth Hour – a worldwide movement organised by the World Wildlife Fund. The event is held annually (usually on the last Saturday of March), encouraging individuals, communities and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour from 8.30pm to 9.30 pm as a symbol of commitment to the planet. BY CADET AMY BAYLISS-FOX* Growing up, I always heard that we should recycle, reduce our water usage, and be mindful of the rubbish we produce. I always heard that this was up to us as individuals. But I had no idea of the environmental impact made by big corporations and governments. It wasn’t until I was at university and took part in a green award audit for the student union that I became aware of the importance of sustainability – not just at a personal level but on a wider scale. While attending the 2022 Churches Together in England Forum, I listened to a talk by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, who spoke about reconciliation being a deliberate choice. He said that true reconciliation cannot come from the outside – it had to come from within. There was also a talk by environmentalist and theologian Dr Ruth Valerio, who raised the point that the opposite of love is not hate, it’s apathy. The whole forum was a ‘road to Emmaus’ experience for me and how I think about caring for creation. It reconciled my thoughts about sustainability with my faith and lit a fire in my heart to speak up for reconciliation between humanity and the creation we were tasked to care for. That’s why, alongside fellow Salvationists, Christians, and activists, I joined the No Faith in Fossil Fuel Vigil for Climate Justice between 14 and 24 February. It began on Ash Wednesday with a service, during which we dedicated the vigil to God and focused our thoughts and intentions. We then made our way to Parliament Square to prayerfully protest the use of fossil fuels and advocate for a deeper focus on caring for creation. I participated in this vigil because I believe we are mandated by God to care for the world he lovingly placed us in. We do not own this land; the earth is not ours to destroy as we see fit. As it says in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” We live on a beautiful planet, so let’s stand up for it, let’s protect it for future generations and glorify God through the way that we care for the creation he has made. Pause and reflect: Read these lyrics from ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’ (SASB 14). For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies, Father, unto thee we raise This our sacrifice of praise. For each perfect gift of thine To our race so freely given, Graces human and divine, Flowers of Earth and buds of Heaven, Father, unto thee we raise This our sacrifice of praise. How do you respond to the wonder of God’s creation? *Cadet Amy Bayliss-Fox is training to be a Salvation Army officer in the United Kingdom

Some days it can be hard to find anything to smile about. Life feels shaky and full of storms and challenges at home, work and the world around us. But even in those storms, the good news is that Jesus offers us his perfect peace. Jesus doesn’t promise to take away all the hard times we face, but he does promise us his light, love, hope and peace in those tough times, and that is something we can smile about.

Wollongong Corps members take part in a Local Mission Plan workshop. BY LAUREN MARTIN By now, most territorial, divisional and all mission expression leadership would be familiar with the term LMP – the ‘Local Mission Plan’ – that all mission expressions need to create and commit to following for effective mission and ministry. But for the large part, corps members, volunteers and even some staff are unaware of the plan and its purpose. Not so, at Wollongong Corps (NSW), where, for the past two years, every corps member, volunteer and staff have been invited to contribute. Corps Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Lyn Edge came into her appointment at Wollongong Corps with a keen understanding of the Local Mission Delivery model, having served for five years as Territorial Secretary for Mission. “The corps, like many others across the country, had created its LMP [Local Mission Plan] with its leadership team,” she said. “But it was time for the whole corps to get involved.” Wollongong Corps Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Lyn Edge. Lyn had learned a collaboration tool at university that she thought might be suitable for workshopping Local Mission Delivery ideas with a large group. She began reminding people of The Salvation Army’s mission statement and introduced the concept of a Local Mission Plan in Sunday worship and other corps meetings. Then, she invited the whole corps to a two-hour mission planning workshop to have their say about how they wanted to transform their own community, one life at a time, with the love of Jesus. “At our first mission planning night, people were curious about the process and where it might lead us. It was so encouraging for people when we saw a wall full of sticky notes naming all the things we were already doing to achieve our mission,” she said. “That gave us confidence to look ahead at new opportunities.” The workshop process was simple and effective. For each mission pillar (Caring for People, Creating Faith Pathways, Building Healthy Communities, and Working for Justice), tables of participants were asked to discuss what good things were already happening and what new initiatives could make more impact. Answers and ideas were then written on sticky notes and put up around the room, grouped into different categories. At the end of the session, each participant was encouraged to look at all the ideas on the wall and ask themselves, “If we could only do a few of these, which would have the most impact for the Kingdom of God.” Each person then had four dots they could place next to the ideas they chose. A few ideas received the highest support, and they were included in the Local Mission Plan. “It was very clear which ideas the corps felt most strongly about, so the LMP almost wrote itself from those ideas,” said Lyn. The result of that year’s Local Mission Plan workshop was that the corps put on its own Red Shield holiday program at the corps, which was attended by children from families that the corps had made contact with through its Christmas Cheer initiative. “The corps knew about our missional goals, and we had strong support in prayer, money and people to make those things happen,” said Lyn. The next year, corps members were excited to engage in further mission planning. To broaden the Local Mission Plan’s inclusiveness, the corps decided to hold a similar workshop with the youth group one evening, which brought forth new ideas and passion for mission. Lyn has developed a one-pager for corps interested in creating a Local Mission Plan with their whole expression, involving corps members, volunteers, staff members and even other expressions within the Area Leadership Team. The key, she says, is not just to do the planning but afterwards to implement the LMP plans and to “use every opportunity to reflect and review the local mission plan outcomes and actions.” “This could include agenda items for leadership team meetings, stories about the actions taken, focused prayer time, and inclusion in newsletters and other communication channels,” Lyn said. If you would like to find out more, ask your Area Officer for the one-pager called: ‘Creating a local mission plan with the whole mission expression’. This one-pager is also available on the Local Mission Delivery toolkit on MySalvos: https://my.salvos.org.au/toolkit/resource/local-mission-delivery/2263/ To view a video on the Local Mission Delivery click here

BY ANTHONY CASTLE The narrative of Australia is often woven from different threads, taking different stories of how we belong. The typical approach is to reference three ways that people belong here: the initial presence of First Peoples, the arrival of Europeans following colonisation, and the advent of immigration following World War Two and the beginning of the modern, multicultural country. This is a common narrative of Australia: that different people belong here in different ways, that we’re lucky to be here, that this is a lucky country. While this narrative can be meaningful to many and their own experiences of belonging on these lands, it can also be problematic, dismissing the sovereignty of First Peoples or the difficulty many immigrant families faced upon arrival. It ultimately ignores those who don’t find a home on these lands, those asylum seekers who are turned away, for whom Australia is not a lucky country. The Lucky Ones by Melinda Ham is a collection of refugee experiences that weave together the stories of six different families who found their way to Australia, the lucky ones, so to speak. These asylum seekers come from places like Tibet, Iraq, and Vietnam, spanning the period from World War Two to the present day. As such, the book covers refugee experiences as diverse as those leaving 1940s Poland to those fleeing the Middle East to make a home in modern-day Australia. Award-winning journalist and foreign correspondent Melinda Ham is an immigrant herself, originating from Canada and working in South Africa, India and Singapore and now living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Having worked for decades with the Associated Press, Daily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald, she brings a journalist’s eye for research and detail. This handling of the refugee’s stories has the ability to portray the plight of those seeking asylum, including experiences of poverty, terrorism, incarceration and assault. The book’s tone is a balancing act of empathy and objectivity as a result. Australian policies continue to utilise detention and deterrence against many asylum seekers. The Salvation Army has long recognised that the ability to seek asylum is a basic human right. The debate about asylum seekers, and specifically those arriving by boat, has had a polarising impact on the Australian community. Some find a place to belong here, but many aren’t so lucky. While there are no easy answers, The Lucky Ones takes threads of refugee experience across generations to make a better story of Australia, one that serves as an example for the future.

BY LAUREN MARTIN and contributing writers They say the red dust of the Outback gets in your blood. That was certainly the case for Auxiliary-Lieutenants Natalie and Simon Steele, who responded to a call from God in 2008 to become flying padres with The Salvation Army Outback Flying Service based in Mount Isa, Queensland. They planned to ‘give it a go’ for three years, but God’s call and the alluring beauty of the landscape and its people led to them staying for 15 years. Now, the couple have said goodbye to an area that God has used to shape and transform them, knowing that the time was right to step out in faith into the next adventure of following Jesus. This time, swapping a helicopter for a 4WD and an appointment as Rural Chaplains – South-West NSW, based in Griffith. Memories of the Outback – Simon Simon Steele is no more at home than in the cockpit of a helicopter. He loves flying, and when God acted to combine this passion with his faith and a call to ministry, he and his wife Natalie jumped at the chance. Almost at the start of their appointment, significant floods swept through Normanton and outlying outback communities and The Salvation Army was asked by the State Emergency Service to assist. “It really ignited my passion for that kind of work,” Simon remembers. “There was also Cyclone Yasi ... [and] there’s been a lot of other disasters. I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of that and utilising the tools that I have like my helicopter experience, to those things. Landing at properties [to bring in food and supplies] that you couldn’t get into by plane and were difficult to get into.” Simon’s expertise earned him a reputation among emergency services personnel, and when a serious boating accident occurred on Christmas Eve in 2018, Simon didn’t hesitate to respond to a call for assistance. “That was a big highlight for me of our time in Mount Isa,” says Simon. Simon and his friend, Jim Lillecrapp, were first on the scene of the accident at Lake Julius, 70km north-east of Mount Isa. They encountered a family of three whose boat had collided with an underwater log, resulting in serious and life-threatening injuries to three of them. Simon, Jim and Lake Julius couple Belinda and Robert Worlein acted quickly, enabling the injured people to get treatment and be airlifted to hospital. The four were honoured with a 2019 Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Queensland Local Hero Award for their quick thinking and level-headed response. They had already received the RFDS Local Hero award in Mount Isa. “It was a real honour to receive this award,” he said at the time to Salvation Army writer Simone Worthing. “It really impacted me on the night that more than 750 people had gathered for the occasion, and we were part of such a big event. “The greatest reward for me, though, is to know that three people who easily could’ve died are now alive. At the time, I didn’t realise just how critical the situation was. As I found out later, one of the patients probably would’ve only lived another hour had we not got him to hospital.” Memories of the Outback – Natalie “I think back on some of the events that we’ve been involved in,” says Natalie. “Places that we’ve been able to go, I think of Urandangie and the relationships that we had there and the different kinds of ministry that we had there, and we were able to invite other people to come and experience this unique iconic outback Australian community.” One of the legacies the Steeles will leave in the red dirt is their ministry to the small outback community of Urandangie, 180km south-west of Mount Isa. The couple began travelling there in Christmas 2008, delivering Christmas hampers and toys for children and running a church service. They also began to lead Anzac Day services each year and attended the annual cricket day, run by the local publican, Pam Forster, which raised money for the Outback Flying Service. The ministry then expanded with an annual ‘Dangie Pamper Day’, organised by Mount Isa Corps in partnership with the Longreach Rural Chaplains and volunteer teams from Townsville’s Riverway Recovery Mission. “The pamper days started because we really wanted to do something for the ladies, both in the town and on outlying properties, and their children,” said Natalie in 2019 to Salvation Army writer Simone Worthing. “Pam suggested a pamper day and activities for the children while their mums were busy, which is what we did.” “In the Outback, there is this resilience – we always talk about the resilience of people in the Outback,” says Natalie. “Part of that is because of leaning on other people in community, and when you see that happening well, you realise you don’t have to be all things to all people. Living in the outback has taught me that I need to do my part well and ask for help and lean on others and recognise other people’s strengths and encourage them in that – just as God does for us.” God’s provision Natalie and Simon knew that God was closing doors and opening others when they were first called into Salvation Army ministry at Mount Isa. Stepping into the unknown tested their faith and drew them into a deeper relationship with Jesus. When their appointment changed in 2017 to include the additional role of corps officers at Mount Isa Corps, it was another time of trusting in God’s provision as they lost members of their team and were the only Salvation Army officers left in a small, extremely remote community. “There was an added layer of isolation,” remembers Natalie of that time. “God often calls us into the unknown, and he does call us to step out in faith, we want the assurances, but we can feel that call of God. To step out and to see his faithfulness and the way that he provides for us and that he is also so caring and personal.” Both say they learned first-hand about the beauty of God’s ‘body of Christ’ design during their time as the Corps Officers in Mount Isa, following Jesus in their giftings and recognising the giftings of those in the community around them. During this time, the corps thrived, and fruitful connections were made with Christians of other denominations in the town. Simon also started a men’s group in the Helicopter Hangar, which was a fruitful ministry. “Spiritually, God showed me that I only need to be the person that God has created me to be ... sometimes we are led to believe that you have to be in worship or preaching a message or something like that to really impact people, but if you minister from the heart of who you are, it’s amazing how much of an impact God can have through that.” New beginnings Both Natalie and Simon, whilst sad to leave Mount Isa (where their youngest son – now 18 – has stayed), know that God is calling them to a change in appointment. The Salvation Army ceased its Outback Flying Service, based at Mount Isa, two years ago, and it was one of the signs that God was, once again, closing doors. Natalie will miss the sunsets and the beauty of the landscape but says, “it’s kind of nice to know there’s a bit of red dirt just down the road” from their south-west NSW appointment, that stretches to the dusty edges of the state. “There is in the harshness there [in Outback Queensland] something that is also very beautiful. It’s often the way, that the things that are difficult are also where the blessing lies,” she says. Please keep Natalie and Simon Steele in your prayers as they commence their new roles as Rural Chaplains – South-west NSW.

Born into the chaos of the civil war in Liberia, Lisa’s early years were marked by pain and loss. Her father, mother, grandfather and other family members were lost in the conflict. The remaining family fled for their lives to overcrowded refugee camps in the Ivory Coast, and then for a second time, after war broke out there, to Guinea. “Life in a refugee camp was very, very challenging,” Lisa says. “There were 18 of us. We had to live in a tent.” The scarcity of food and the prevalence of diseases like malaria and diarrhea added layers of hardship. During desperate violence, lawlessness, overcrowding, hunger, uncertainty and fear, Lisa’s grandmother, Ruth, faced the overwhelming task of caring for her grandchildren in terrible conditions. However, she was unwavering in prayer and believed God would care for them. “It was so hard to know hope existed,” Lisa says. “What we knew was suffering, what we got used to was suffering, what we lived, every part of our life, was suffering. But she told us, ‘God can change this.’ Grandma had that hope year after year and taught us that.” Australia an answer to prayer Over 15 years ago, Lisa, her cousins, and Ruth had their prayers answered. They came to Australia after Lisa’s aunt, who had come to Australia earlier, tracked the family down in the refugee camp. That aunt was connected with the Salvos at Auburn, NSW, and they supported her in reuniting her family. Despite many struggles, Lisa learned English, finished high school and university, and works as a registered nurse today. “I know that God does miracles ...” Working a second casual job until the birth of her first child a year ago, Lisa has also managed, with what she says is “the grace of God”, to construct a building for a future health facility in Liberia. Lisa is now praying and raising funds for the necessary human resources and equipment to fill the building and bring desperately needed healthcare to a remote Liberian community. “I know that God does miracles, and I’m buying some equipment little by little to see if we can open it … by faith, really.” She has always loved to help others, and even as a child helped the local midwives in Africa. “There were some people we couldn’t help because of a lack of resources, [and] it just broke my heart,” Lisa says. “We also lost one of my sisters in childbirth, and I saw that. God put this dream for a clinic in my heart. I’ve always wanted to help people because you [shouldn’t] have to die because you don’t have money.” Easter peace and hope Despite having nothing materially in the refugee camps in Africa, Lisa says Easter was still a very special time of hope, worship and celebration. Every year, there were three days of re-enactments of Jesus’s betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. “I was reminded that someone really did this for me to set me free. It was just amazing for us kids to see,” she says. For Lisa, Easter still represents “beautiful new life”. “I think Easter is the centre of that freedom. I know that when I pray to him, he hears me, because I don’t have to do anything to earn or get his love.” “There is a [Bible] verse I love,” she says. Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11, “’For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to bless you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’.”

BY FAY FOSTER AND SIMONE WORTHING “Over the past week, I have been privileged to be part of the Senior Leaders’ Development Conference at Sunbury Court in London,” said Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, Territorial Commander.   “Developing leaders is a high priority for our General. “One of the most important parts of the conference, and always a highlight for me, is engaging with leaders from many nations – to share stories, to hear what is happening where they are, to bring ideas to the table, to hear about family, to laugh, to eat, to enjoy.”   The residential component of the conference takes place twice a year at Sunbury Court and is for Salvation Army officers around the world who have been in senior leadership roles for up to 12 months, or who have just been appointed to positions including chief secretaries, territorial commanders, territorial presidents and secretaries of women’s ministries and roles at International Headquarters.   Australian officer Colonel Cheralynne Pethybridge, Secretary for Leadership Development, is instrumental in developing content and organising the conferences. She is supported by Lieut-Colonel Anne-Florence Tursi, Major David Allen and Colonel Kelvin Pethybridge.   “The focus of the conferences is leadership development and skill building, and includes navigating the roles, working with other leaders and Salvation Army governance,” Cheralynne explained, before highlighting the three components of the conference: Pre-orientation:  When someone goes into their new role, a zonal leader will brief them and answer any questions within the first two weeks of their appointment. Online orientation: This five-day training takes place within the first three months of the appointment. It includes spiritual, business, legal and financial responsibilities. Residential: Skill building is key during this week. Leaders focus on their spiritual roles, how to lead and balance leadership, administration and accountability.   Engaging with senior leaders “The General, Chief of the Staff and World Secretary of Women’s Ministries visit the conference,” Miriam said. “They share the Word and there are opportunities to engage. There is teaching and vision casting and being open and honest with questions and responses. Themes such as ‘Who is the real me?’, governance, leadership, balance, resilience, administrative matters and others are all taught and discussed.   “There’s also a visit to International Headquarters, meetings with other leaders in our zones, and an opportunity to learn more about the workings of the Army across the world.”   Guest lecturer for the conference was Professor Peter Shaw, a lay minister in the Church of England, a lay canon, and executive coach who runs interactive workshops focusing on those at high levels of leadership. “‘Mirroring Jesus as leader’ is the basis of his sessions,” Cheralynne shared. “We chose a relevant topic for our group based on making good decisions, leadership in demanding times and balancing ministry and leadership.”   Group work followed the lectures. “This allowed us once again to get to know each other better, and to hear people’s hearts,” said Miriam. “The highlight is always the people, and what a wonderful group they were.   “It was a great time and there is some exciting visioning coming to our mission movement for the worldwide Army. ‘Jesus-centred, Spirit-led, Hope revealed’. We’re on track, but there is so much more to come.”

BY LERISSE SMITH A pioneering community justice program in Darwin and Alice Springs has achieved significant success in its debut year. In March last year, The Salvation Army partnered with the Northern Territory Correctional Services to begin delivering the program known as ‘Open House’. More than 150 referrals have now passed through the program. Northern Territory AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) and Homelessness Manager Fred Docking said The Salvation Army’s social services recently celebrated 140 years in Australia with the Prison Gate program being one of the first. “Our history in helping people to regain hope, rekindle joy and to fully participate in life was incremental when designing this program,” he said. “The Salvation Army Positive Lifestyle Program (PLP), one of the programs provided by Open House, gives clients an opportunity to feel good about themselves, make better decisions and feel like they are a part of the community. It’s fundamental that clients feel they belong, regain their health, and live longer, happier lives. “People who experience generational poverty and homelessness often don’t have a voice and cannot advocate for change to systematic barriers and disadvantage. Programs like Open House provide interventions that prevent people going to prison and is evidence for law reforms that encourage social equality.” Unique project The Australian Bureau of Statistics Prisoners in Australia 2020 reported more than 83 per cent of adult prisoners in the Northern Territory are Aboriginal, and a call for an increase in diversionary justice alternatives was reflected in the Northern Territory Aboriginal Justice Agreement 2021-2027. Darwin has experienced a high number of referrals into the program, which picked up momentum since the justice community became aware of its mission. “The idea of the Open House program is to enable a community response to people experiencing homelessness while being on remand,” said Ben Campion, Manager of Open House Darwin. “Often young men and women are taken into custody, and this program offers an alternative solution. Many times, it’s for quite minor offending and they can be in there without being sentenced. So, people can participate in the program while they are waiting for their court appearance. We have a little capturing net of support and some other programming we have going on that tries to help them.” Ben said Open House was a unique project due to its residential setting and support program. About 80 per cent of referrals come from the court. Legal Aid and the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) Indigenous law firm support the clients. Gaining life skills Open House partners with the community and local providers to give clients the best opportunities to gain life skills. In Darwin, the STEPS numeracy and literacy program delivers a service on-site and assists the clients with job and life skills ranging from how to use Microsoft Word, create a resume, and open emails to how to make someone a birthday cake, gardening skills, and how to feed a turtle. “Once they finish with our service and go out to independent living, they have the skills to do better for themselves and not get back again in the same situation they were before.” Other services include rehabilitation programs like the Darwin Indigenous Men’s Service (DIMS), which features cultural ‘yarning’ (an informal conversation that is culturally friendly and safe), such as talks about domestic violence and connecting the clients back to their culture and traditions. The Salvation Army Moneycare program runs in both group and one-on-one sessions every fortnight. Group sessions also teach people how to stop ‘humbugging’ (making unreasonable demands from a family member) – such as asking for money from an aunt – and how to say no. Team Leader at Open House Darwin, Drishtant (known as ‘Dee’) Banskota, said the varying programs at Open House encouraged clients to gain important life skills. “Once they finish with our service and go out to independent living, they have the skills to do better for themselves and not get back again in the same situation they were before,” he said. “The greatest benefit for clients has been getting them back to their families, which has been good and having that change (in their lives). When they come here, they are a different person to when they go back ... it’s like a different person.” Peer mentoring The Salvation Army Positive Lifestyle Program encourages clients to reflect on individual circumstances and to understand alternative life choices. Another beneficial component for the clients was living with other people at Open House and the organic positive peer mentoring that occurs. When reflecting on the success of the past 12 months, both Ben and Dee commented on how the entire Open House team had undertaken great work with clients. More than 50 planned outcomes have been achieved with clients in the Darwin program. Some have occurred after rebuilding connections locally with family members and the provision of a protective and supportive environment, while other outcomes have included clients starting work, finding private rental accommodation, or applying for public housing. Some are also supported into alcohol and other drug rehabilitation programs. Another key component of the planned outcomes has been returning to remote communities after court approval.