1. What is your current appointment and what do you find most satisfying about it? I’m the Corps Officer at Morley Salvos in WA. I love seeing people flourish in God, like a lady preaching for the first time after coming to youth group some years previous. Or the 90-year-old who realises their prayers make a difference. Or the new volunteer who helps at Salvos Stores, Doorways and Playgroup and now brings her husband to church. 2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind? I enjoy sipping a soy latte at a café and reading ‘The Economist’. There’s so much going on in the world, so much need for lives to be transformed, and for some reason I find that relaxing! Also, I’m currently reading books on post-World War Two history in Europe and also Africa. Decolonisation is the key word. 3. What’s a favourite Christian song, and why do you like it? At the moment it’s I Speak Jesus from Charity Gayle. In the name of Jesus, there’s power and there’s healing. Hallelujah! 4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be and what would you talk about? I’d probably talk Peter to Peter. What did it feel like walking on water? How did you get through those low moments? Tell us about the day of Pentecost when you mustered the courage to preach up a storm. 5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say? I would say the world needs people set apart for the work of Jesus, but be prepared to be frustrated, satisfied, energised and disappointed on any given day. Keep Jesus at the focus and stay committed to the mission of souls and justice. There are many great roles followers of Jesus can fulfil in life and if you’re called to officership, step up, sign up, get involved and lay your life down for the cause of Christ.

World Day of Prayer promotes the motto ‘Informed Prayer & Prayerful Action’, and is celebrated annually in over 170 countries on the first Friday in March. The movement brings together people of various races, cultures and traditions in a yearly common Day of Prayer, as well as in closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year. Dear friends throughout The Salvation Army Australia, I am writing to you about today’s World Day of Prayer. The theme for this year is: “I urge you … be completely humble and gentle, bearing with one another in love.” ‌This year’s Scripture is: ‌Ephesians 4:1b-2. The full scripture of Ephesians 4:1-4 says this: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” The World Day of Prayer service for this year has been lovingly prepared by the women of Palestine, who were selected in 2017 for this date. I believe it is a move of God, to turn the eyes, hearts and prayers of nations towards Palestine at this present moment. Lord, hear our prayer! The heading of Ephesians 4, which is used to summarise the verses that are to follow, says, ‘Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ’. Let us, as we endeavour to beseech God with much discernment, seek God with much humility and hear from God, which our duty, do so with a shared commission of unity and maturity. Thank you for your dedication and deep commitment to prayer. Thank you for your service to others and our Palestine women. God, bless the women who prepared this, and may all of this be a holy offering that prepares the way for the Prince of Peace, who rules all. I wanted to provide you the following: The link provided on mySalvos of The Salvation Army International Headquarters’ amended worship service using The Salvation Army 2015 Songbook Statements below from The Salvation Army Australia’s Moral and Social Issues Council (MASIC) in relation to the Israel-Palestine Conflict The World Day of Prayer International Committee Statement on WDOP Palestine A tie-in between The Salvation Army Year of Prayer scripture and the World Day of Prayer service Check out the World Day of Prayer songs arranged by an international choir on the WDOP YouTube Channel. ‌Please also pray for those facing the impending Rafah invasion. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Prime Ministers of Canada and New Zealand have called for a ceasefire in a joint statement in response. As you seek God and seek the good of the Palestinian people, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10). ‌ Be assured of my prayers over and with you. ‌ Yours in Christ, ‌Auxiliary-Lieutenant Rosy Keane ‌Secretary for Spiritual Life The Mission Resources team has created various resources for you and your faith communities to help bring awareness to this day. Click here for the MySalvos link. The Salvation Army Year of Prayer scripture for Week Eighteen ‌ The Salvation Army Australia has been invited into a rhythm of prayer together through A Year of Prayer. For seventeen weeks we have been seeking God daily and weekly. We will be in week eighteen when the World Day of Prayer service is being hosted, with the scripture Psalm 29:1-2. This attitude of ascribing to the Lord glory, strength, worship, and splendour as we acknowledge God’s holiness is the correct way to position ourselves whenever we seek God in prayer and pray on behalf of others.

BY BARRY GITTINS Firebrand Tom Benson’s quirky conversion On 15 November 1880, Tom Benson became a Christian and a Salvo. The spot where he came to faith was a tad unusual – kneeling beside “a water trough in Morphett Street, Light’s Square” in Adelaide. Back then, the troughs were commonplace and necessary conveniences, allowing your thirsty mount a drink. The circumstances of Tom’s conversion were quirky because, on that particular Saturday night, he’d rocked up to the aforementioned spot – where Salvationists publicly gathered to sing, witness and pray – to indulge in a bit of horseplay with the Salvos.“[With 14] others, I left the Hotel Galateer, a very low place at the time, to give the Army a ‘rough time’... intending to upset its Open Air Meeting,’ he told the War Cry many years later (in pieces published in 1947 and 1948). “Although I was a bit merry with drink, so soon as I arrived at the meeting, I was convicted of my sin and of my need for salvation. The power of God took hold of me, and I straightaway knelt down, seeking God’s mercy, which I found that night. Tom didn’t receive the same mercy from his 14 mates; his “old companions flung him into the trough after the gathering” – a baptism of sorts to test the strength of his new faith. Tom states that it “is with pride that I claim the honour of being the colour sergeant who first carried the original Salvation Army flag in Australia in those lively marches of early day fighting”. (The story goes that the first act of Australia’s first Salvo officer, Captain Tom Sutherland, in February 1881, was to appoint a flag sergeant to carry and protect his flag.) ‘Early-day fighting’ is an exotic phrase. For Brother Benson, fighting as a Salvationist meant telling people about Jesus, helping them practically and fighting against the evils of cruelty, abuse, greed, fear and hatred. It was a different kind of combat than he was used to; Tom, a self-declared “thief, gambler and a drunkard at the age of 14”, had grown up with violence. He told of how he’d put his “drunken father out of the home” after he had “crippled my godly mother for life”. It was not long after Tom’s release from gaol (he was sentenced “for knocking a policeman unconscious”) that he first heard Salvo pioneer (later Adjutant) John Gore talking about God in Adelaide’s Botanic Park. On his way to becoming sober, a saint and a Salvo, Tom recalls attending a famous church meeting in South Australia’s capital, where it was “asked if anyone would like a word. John Gore, a milkman from England, stood up and spoke, and Mr Edward Saunders [afterwards a lieut-colonel], a builder [who was] also from the old country, shouted ‘Hallelujah! I’ll meet you outside’.” Post that fateful meeting came the Army’s first unofficial meetings and Tom’s prayers and post-conversion dunking in the water trough. Tom thanked God he became “a soldier of The Salvation Army in June 1881 and later, as a plumber, worked on the Melbourne Training Garrison, having a workshop at the rear of the headquarters”. Tom was still to be found serving under the Salvos’ flag as an 86-year-old ‘soldier’ in Queensland – collecting more than £60 for the 1947 Self Denial appeal.God knows you can’t keep an old battler down. Girls on one side and boys on the other At one time, Salvation Army officers could only marry Salvation Army officers, officer cadets had to ensure they had permission from training college staff to seek out a possible romantic relationship with another cadet or an officer, and people applying to be candidates for officership were sometimes grilled on their dating history and likely dating decisions. Those scenarios may seem weird or even cult-like to young people and contemporary Salvos, and intrusively controlling in the light of now-existing understandings of privacy and inter-personal notions of dignity and respect, but in earlier times, the Army was big on avoiding the appearance of evil – perception, and PR – as well as trying to help people avoid any actual real wrongdoings or hurt feelings. This even extended to Salvation Army architecture, with the ‘old Training College’ in the Melbourne CBD (pre-Royal Parade in Carlton) having a men’s staircase and a women’s staircase. In the photo above, male cadets of the Hold Fast session are photographed in the ‘Women’s Side Quadrangle’. The men, we are told, were not ‘wife hunting’, and Commissioner Sumsion (seated) “agreed to be photographed with the group”, according to a report. Settling matters in the Top End They did things differently in Australia’s Northern Territory in the 1940s. In the 1970s, the late Brigadier Vic Pedersen OF MBE recalled a boat trip out to a leprosarium that had been established on Channel Island near Darwin when a spear fight broke out between two of the lepers. The Salvation Army officer, who was the Salvos’ first flying padre, told the War Cry:  “... the trouble began with one native breaking the tenth commandment and coveting his neighbour's wife. The eighth and seventh commandments then became casualties as he stole and possessed her. This was an insult that could not be ignored, and “Captain’, the wronged man, tried his best to break the sixth commandment and kill the offender. Others took sides, and in the battle, “Captain’ was hit in the back with a spear. We took him back with us that night to be admitted to Darwin Hospital. The other man was injured also, but his wounds could be treated on the island. In the launch, Captain was quite cheerful. Blood had been shed on both sides, and it seemed everyone was satisfied.” Not sure how satisfied the unnamed wife was with all the palaver, as she was reduced to a disputed possession. It was certainly a case of different times and far different attitudes and responses.

Each corps in the Ukraine Division of the Eastern Europe Territory (EET) prayed for peace in their nation last Sunday to mark the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. This war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions of people who are now trying to start a new life in different areas of Ukraine, and created tens of thousands of refugees who had no choice but to flee the country. The EET is asking for people around the world to join them in prayer for peace. In a powerful video below, complete with English subtitles, the officers and corps leaders of Ukrainian corps share their prayer needs as they continue to serve people who have faced two years of bombing, shelling, displacement, fear and grief. And who are exhausted and losing hope.  “Please join us in prayer. Let there be peace in Ukraine. Amen.” Alternatively, you can view the video on The Salvation Army in Ukraine  Facebook page (or click here  to go directly to the video ) ,

The wheels are in motion for Moree Salvos to buy a new trailer, thanks to a $3000 community grant. The trailer will be used for community projects, including transporting jumping castles and other large items to youth and children’s camps, Salvation Army program manager Jason Poutawa said. It will also be used to transport food hampers, heavy goods, taking away rubbish from cleanups and helping families and children in the community when the need arises. “Our current trailer is a little small for the number of things we get it to do,” Jason said “The new trailer will be used in a measured way to ensure the resource will be looked after.” Jason applied for a public donation from Moree Plains Shire Council. His application for $3000 was successful and the Salvos committed to matching Council dollar for dollar, buying a $7000 trailer. “We’re in the process of ordering the new trailer, which should be delivered to us by June,” Jason said. “We’ve requested a few modifications, such as putting a case over the trailer and we’re hoping a local business will do that for us.” Jason has been the program manager at Moree Salvos for the past seven years and works with four part-time staff who operate the Salvos store and second-hand shop in Heber Street. Story courtesy of the Moree Champion news website. Author: Lydia Roberts

Bam came to Australia to study. She fell in love with a man but found herself fleeing domestic violence. Being a trans woman, it was hard for her to find a place to go. She finally called The Salvation Army’s Samaritan House, who accepted her wholeheartedly. This is her story of survival.

BY LERISSE SMITH Joyous screams of delight echoed through the air at Melbourne’s Box Hill Corps recently as thousands gazed upon a vibrant display of colourful fireworks shooting from its rooftop as part of this year’s Chinese Lunar New Year Festival. More than 120,000 people flocked to the Asian Business Association of Whitehorse’s X Golden Age Box Hill Chinese Lunar New Year Festival on 17 February to pay homage to centuries of tradition with the inaugural fireworks piercing the sky with colour and finesse. For Box Hill Salvos, the all-day festival provided a fantastic opportunity to erect a marquee and connect with the local community through their outreach community stall. “When our churches get committed to moving outside our buildings back into the marketplace, that genuine connection with people sees people wanting to connect with the inside of our church because we’ve intentionally engaged their heart and mind,” said Captain Karyn Wishart, Box Hill Corps Officer. “We had a marquee where corps people were able to connect with people from the community. We had kids’ games and made lanterns with the children, which allowed us to communicate God’s big story.” Further attracting the crowds was the corps’ café, open to connect with passers-by, plus two performances featured at its carpark by the Cloud Concert Youth Orchestra and Bloom Dance School. Karyn said it was wonderful to have a young lady come to their worship the day after the festival as she wanted to know more about The Salvation Army and hoped they would see her again at church. The free festival was an immersive journey into the heart of Chinese culture. The dynamic artistry of lion dances and dragon dances were among the festival’s numerous attractions throughout the day, filled with enchanting performances, a vast array of culinary delights and joyous celebrations that paid homage to centuries of tradition. The Asian Business Association of Whitehorse Inc. President, Bihong Wang, and Vice President, Richard Shi, managed the huge festival together with its committee members and supported by the title sponsor Golden Age Group. Richard said this year was the first time for the fireworks with sponsorship from Lexus of Blackburn. “The Salvation Army’s Box Hill Corps was so supportive and generous in allowing us to shoot fireworks from the building,” he said. “It was a testament to their generosity.” The festival has run for the past 21 years, and it took six months to prepare for this year’s event due to a relocation because of construction works by Southern Rail Loop. Mr Shi said the Chinese New Year celebration of the Chinese culture was for everyone. “We wanted to showcase our culture and a festive vibe to the local community and free entertainment, something for families to do,” he said. “The main aim of the Chinese New Year is to represent family, good health and prosperity. For us, it’s a chance to help cultures connect. We find that when culture connects and people from different backgrounds have an understanding of each other, peace and prosperity are possible. “We showcased our cultural hospitality and gave a chance for people of Asian and Chinese backgrounds to connect with Australia’s diverse culture of nations. It was testament to the real inclusiveness and diversity the festival represented and the people who were involved. After COVID and cost of living issues and many other issues in the community, it was a great chance for people to enjoy themselves.” The event welcomed attendees of all ages to partake in the festivities, offering a great opportunity for families to create cherished memories. Its many attractions displayed vibrant dragon dances and a mesmerising array of cultural performances that highlighted the richness and diversity of the Chinese heritage and the intricate beauty of traditional Chinese costumes that came to life on stage. There were six separate lion dance performances. Each lion dance had firecrackers attached to it, plus two dragon dance performances throughout the day. The main stage had 10 hours of programming, with an opening ceremony featuring dignitaries from the local council and State Government. Various cultural performances by many dance schools and orchestras were also featured. Richard said this year’s event moved from Whitehorse Rd to Bank St and presented a blank canvas for the association to connect with major stakeholders such as The Salvation Army, Box Hill Institute, Box Hill Town Hall and Library. It was also the first year, so many stakeholders were heavily involved in the event. He also added being inclusive was a top priority for the Asian Business Association of Whitehorse – there was no rule to be a member of the association. “As long as they are a positive addition, we fully welcome people with open arms,” Richard said. Being inclusive is also a top priority for Box Hill Corps. The corps runs intercultural ministries and has many Mandarin and Korean-speaking congregation members, making up one-third of the growing church. The church also has an intercultural worker to assist with English and conversational classes on Thursdays. Bible studies for Korean and Mandarin-speaking church members are also held, and during worship, the church has translations of the service in Mandarin and Korean. When it comes to Scripture, the corps also aims to have three translations – Korean, Mandarin and English. Click through the slideshow below (arrow on right of image) to view more photos of the festival.

Australian officer Colonel Kelvin Pethybridge, who served as the Territorial Commander of the Eastern Europe Territory (EET) from April 2018 until December 2023, speaks in a radio interview from London on how the abnormality of war in Ukraine, part of the EET, has become normal. The interview coincided with the past weekend’s sober two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

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 Sri Lanka Territory. Two Australian officers, Majors Peter and Tara McGiugan, are currently serving in this territory. Pray for Sri Lanka Territory New territorial theme - a new strategic plan for the territory is in place and the theme is FOCUS - on Transformation. Please pray for its successful implementation throughout the territory. Extension ministry - under the new strategic plan, our territory is continuing to extend the ministry to the administrative districts where there is no Army presence at present. Pray for the workers and new openings. Officers and soldiers – we want to mobilise our officers and soldiers for the betterment of the territory. Pray for the spiritual renewal of all the officers and soldiers. National elections – the presidential and parliament elections are about to take place this year. Pray for a fair and peaceful election and for the people to vote for right candidates. Economic crisis – our country is in a bad situation as we were labelled a bankrupted country last year. Pray for economic stability through the efforts taken by the state. To find out more about the Sri Lanka Territory, click here. For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar, click here.

BY LAUREN MARTIN Cairns Corps has been invited to be part of a new disaster hub in Far North Queensland to assist people in the aftermath of Cyclone Jasper. Cairns Corps Officer Major Ben Johnson said the Department of Communities invited the local salvos to be part of a joint Disaster Recovery and Resilience Hub to serve locals impacted by the cyclone, which hit in December 2023 and resulted in widespread flooding. The Category 4 cyclone has been classed as the ‘wettest’ in Australian history, with 2252mm of rain falling in one area just north of Cairns. “We have a good relationship with other agencies here in Cairns,” Ben said. “Centrecare, which has been appointed as the lead agency, could see all we were doing in the aftermath of the cyclone and the professionalism with which we operate. Our corps people have been mucking out houses for people, coming alongside people and doing the gritty jobs. Doing whatever is needed.” Centrecare assesses people who come in for assistance and refers people to different agencies as needed. “We are providing material assistance, supporting people to get set up in their accommodation,” Ben said of the Salvos role. “Initially, we offered very practical things like mattresses, clothing and food. As people entered more permanent living situations, we extended into furniture, white goods, toys for kids, and kitchen and bedding packs.” The Salvation Army has also donated the use of a large air-conditioned warehouse and loading dock to store and sort donations of new goods and bulk items. “We have three pallets of brand-new clothing, mattresses, fridges, washing machines, toys and bottled water,” said Ben. Cairns Corps has been heavily involved since Cyclone Jasper hit just before Christmas. Corps members were part of The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) response at the evacuation centre, providing catering. Then, during the early recovery response, Ben said while National Recovery Services team members were on hand to assess and provide financial assistance, local Salvos were helping people whose homes had been inundated move into their emergency accommodation. “We were doing a lot of transporting community members to their accommodation because a lot of them lost cars as well and all sorts of essential things,” Ben said. “We helped them with a food hamper to get established in their temporary accommodation so they wouldn’t have to go out shopping that night, and we would give them some vouchers to give them a boost while they were waiting on recovery payments to come through.” Now, through the partnership with Centrecare and the other agencies involved in the Disaster Recovery and Resilience Hub, the local Salvation Army in Cairns will continue to play its part in journeying alongside those affected for the long haul.

I was chatting with a member of our homeless community recently about someone he’d met at our weekly meal program. He said he was a nice guy, and he might sit with him at future meals as he’d enjoyed the conversation. I was curious about who it was, and our chat proceeded like this: Me: Do you know what his name was? Him: I think it was David. Me: Okay, we’ve got a few of them. Young or old? Him: Middle-aged. Me: Skin colour? Him: White. Me: Skinny or solid or round? Him: Solid. Me: Beard or clean-shaven? Him: Beard. Me: Glasses or not? Him: Glasses. Me: Height? Him: Average Me: (Pause) Well, so far it sounds like me. Him: No, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t you. Was it? Me: No. I sat with someone else. Him: Who did you sit with? Me: David. Nice guy. Middle-aged, white skin, solid build, beard, wore glasses, average height. Both of us: (Look at each other.) Me: I only sat with him for dessert. Him: I only sat with him for the main course. (Pause.) Both of us: Same guy! Turned out we both knew David and had eaten with him; we just didn’t know it until we knew it. Now – assuming David was happy to do so – the three of us could sit together next week and enjoy the conversation. As a Salvation Army officer, you meet so many people that it’s nearly impossible to remember everyone’s name. I recall a very specific problem at one corps I was appointed to. It was after our welcome meeting that a short-statured woman in her 70s with white hair came up to speak to me (notice how I carefully avoided saying ‘little old lady’) and she welcomed me to the corps and gave me her name. Then another short-statured woman in her 70s with white hair did the same. Then another. Then another. I thought, “Good Lord, they’re everywhere!” I knew I wouldn’t have a chance at remembering all their names and one of my first acts in office was to ask our admin person to produce and promote name tags for members to wear each Sunday. When I was a younger man, in my first workplace, there was a trend for a time to just call everyone, male or female, Jack: “Can you give me a hand with this, Jack?”; “Lunch break, Jack”; “What are you up to, Jack?” Maybe we need to re-introduce the habit. It would certainly make it easier to order name badges for your corps: “Can I have 80 name badges, please? All saying Jack.” – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

In the third week of the Self Denial Appeal, Riatun shares her story of how The Salvation Army helped her receive an education and cultivate a strong spiritual faith. Today, Riatun assists other young girls to grow and find their faith in Jesus through the Indonesia Safe Pathways Programme. This Self Denial Appeal, you’re encouraged to take the time to reflect on how you can make a sacrificial commitment to display your love for God and others in action. To donate or find out more visit my.salvos.org.au/self-denial-appeal