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 Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand Territory. Prayer requests: ·       For good people in the government of each of our four countries who will make the welfare of people the priority in every government policy. ·       For sustainability in all our services, as well as outreach, that God will continue to provide the resources we need and show us more opportunities to meet the ever-changing needs of people. ·       That our officers, soldiers, staff and volunteers will be united and stand firm to uphold the functional role of the corps and be constantly reminded that, together, we are to be evangelical and united with churches around the world so that, as one Church in Jesus Christ, we participate in saving souls and making disciples for the glory of God. ·       For all our outreach programs and initiatives to have a positive and lasting impact on the communities we serve. We ask for God’s blessing on all our efforts to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those we serve. ·       For the successful registration of Yangon Girls Home and Phyu Boys Home. ·       For the approval of the application for The Salvation Army in Myanmar to carry out social work in the country. ·       For Cadets Tharadon (Don) and Sriwilai (Nid) from Thailand as they go through their training to be officers. They will be the first national couple to be ready for commissioning during the General’s visit to Chiangmai, Thailand, in April 2024. ·       For God’s provision of sufficient resources, including financial support, volunteers, and partnerships, to enable the expansion of our services and reach more people in need. To find out more about the Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand Territory click here. For more information on the International Prayer Focus 2024, and to download the calendar, click here.

At great risk of sounding like an old Salvo – which, well, I am – I was recently reminded of a Sunday school song I learnt many years ago and which, it seems, is still taking up space in my brain: probably the bit that should be telling me what my wife said to pick up at the supermarket on my way home. It was this song (and this might scare readers under 40): ‘J-O-Y, J-O-Y, this must surely be, / Jesus first, yourself last and others in between’. You simply repeated that all again and it was sung – amazingly – to the tune of the chorus of ‘Jingle Bells’. Or perhaps the chorus of ‘Jingle Bells’ was sung to the tune of ‘J-O-Y'; I don’t know which came first. It was a simple spelling lesson – yes, J-O-Y spells ‘joy’ – and also a useful mnemonic for remembering who gets priority in living out our faith. However, then I recalled another old song, and I started to sense a conspiracy. We used to sing ‘I’m happy today’ but on the second time through, we’d spell out some words. ‘I’m happy today, yes, happy today,/ In Jesus’ love I’m happy today,/ He’s taken all my sins away/ And that’s why I’m happy today./ ‘I’m H-A-P-P-Y, I’m H-A-P-P-Y,/ In J-E-S-U-S I’m H-A-P-P-Y,/ He’s T-A-K-E-N my S-I-Ns away/ And that’s why I’m H-A-P-P-Y.’ Sunday school wasn’t just teaching us about Jesus, it was teaching us how to spell! Why, those sneaky Sunday school teachers; they were making us do school lessons on a non-school-except-for Sunday-school day! I was reflecting on this deceptive form of teaching when I realised something: 50 years later, I still remember those songs! Hmm, sneaks they might have been, but they were clever sneaks. And now I’m thinking, if that’s what makes song lyrics memorable, perhaps we should try it more in worship today. ‘I love you, Lord/ For your mercy never fails me/ All my days, I’ve been held in your hands,/ From the moment that I wake up/ Until I lay my head,/ Oh, I will sing of the G-O-O-D-N-E-S-S of G-O-D.’ Hmm, not sure that that’s really working. Let’s try another one. Maybe we’ll go more Army this time. It might work if we use some creative spelling. ‘I want to be a soldier of the cross,/ Bravehearted and T-R-U,/ I want to be a soldier of the cross,/ I do, I do, I do, I D-O-O,/ I want to be a soldier of the cross,/ Telling out the stor-E-E-E,/ Walking with Jesus/ All the way to glor-E-E.’ Well, it’s singable, but only just. Hang on, I know what to do: when in doubt, turn to the Founder’s song. ‘O B-O-U-N-D-L-E-S-S S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N...’ Oh, no. Imagine doing seven verses of that! It would take hours. The only saving grace would be the last phrase: ‘4 U and 4 me’. Perhaps we’ll leave the spelling of song words to Sunday school children. No need to persist with the method when we’ve grown up and learnt how to spel. – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

1. What is your current appointment and what do you find most satisfying about it? I’m the Corps Officer at Kingborough-Huon Corps in Tasmania. It’s a delight and what’s satisfying about this appointment is the location and its people. Kingborough is by the coast of southern Tasmania with ocean views from the beautiful windows of our building. Huonville is just a half-hour drive west, inland to the hills and valleys of picturesque rural Tasmania with all the country hospitality to go with it. 2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind? I love the opportunity to go for drives with my husband, Bruce, to beautiful locations for walks and coffee. You don’t have to travel too far to find ocean views, open spaces and great hospitality. 3. What’s a favourite Christian song, and why do you like it? At the moment it’s I Speak Jesus. This song covers everything for me. In a world of so many rules, regulations, guidelines, conflict and anxiety, the name of Jesus speaks power, healing and life, breaks every stronghold and shines through the shadows – ‘Declaring there is hope and there is freedom,/ I speak Jesus.’ 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? Mary, the mother of Jesus. What an incredible life! God chose this remarkably strong, resilient young woman to bear a child who would change the world forever. She lived through utter dependency on him. 5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say? Officership – wow! What a privilege and life-changing, challenging opportunity for growth. God calls all of us to love and serve people with the love of Jesus. You just have to say ‘yes’ and the places God will take you, you could never imagine. God opens doors when we say ‘yes’. I know this full well. There is nothing like frontline mission at the grassroots, with opportunities aplenty.

This series features members of The Salvation Army Pastoral Committee, as they share key God moments that shaped the people and leaders they are today. In this video, Colonel Rodney Walters talks about the importance of letting God lead, as his plans are always perfect, much more perfect than ours.

By LERISSE SMITH Special celebration services to rejoice in lives positively transformed through a commitment to Christ have taken part at The Salvation Army’s Wyndham City Corps (Vic.). Evoking both emotions and inspiration, the services held recently at the corps’ premises in Werribee celebrated 14 new church members and the enrolment of seven junior soldiers. Wyndham City Corps Officer Major Phill Abram said the services, officiated by Assistant Divisional Commander Major Brenda Young, were both emotional and special for the church community. “It was a massive celebration of Jesus transforming lives,” he said. “Some are more exuberant in their life transformation, and others are very private about their life transformation, and that's okay. When they say, ‘This is what I was like before my encounter with Jesus, and this is where I'm going now,’ that is what it’s all about for us.” Growing attendance Newcomer lunches held at the church have been a key element in helping to introduce people to the church community, with 14 new members being a significant number for Phill and his wife, Major Catherine Abram, who have been corps officers for 18 years. “It was a sign of last year,” Phill said. “Most churches that I've spoken to are seeing a decrease (in numbers) since COVID, but for some reason, by the grace of God, we're seeing a buck in the trend. We had around 70 new people come in last year and be regularly attending, so that was the kind of the catalyst to do the membership and soldiership days.” And the reason behind bucking the trend? “It’s prayer,” Catherine said. “It says everything. It has to be prayer, prayer, prayer. It’s not by our skill as leaders; we’ve got an amazing team of people, staff and volunteers. We're very blessed.” Legends of the Army Phill further added it was not left to Catherine or himself as corps officers to invite people to church. “I was joking with one of the retired officers and said we've got evangelists in every age group in the church,” he said. “We’ve got evangelists in the 70-plus age group that are inviting their friends, evangelists in the 50-age group, in the 30-age group, and it goes down the line. The kids are inviting their friends to come too. “It has not stopped at Catherine and I being the officers. We are actually seeing the gifts of God working throughout the congregation. And so those who are gifted in evangelism, they are doing their part for the kingdom rather than expecting Catherine and I to do everything in that space. It is gifts and fruits that are in action to make it work.” For the seven junior soldiers who were enrolled, the junior soldier preparation classes spanned several weeks. Community outreach Catherine said it was special to have the new members and junior soldiers be part of their “very Pentecostal” church congregation which spanned many cultures including the Middle East and the Pacific, with a large population of the church being Africans. “We have people who jump up and down African style, sometimes doing the African shrill,” she said. “It's rowdy . . . there's lots of shouting, dancing and carry on, so we are historical rather than traditional Salvation Army. Our church meetings won’t all be spoken in English as congregants are encouraged to pray in their own native tongue, and to bring their own Bible and read it in the language of their own tongue.” Community members have also connected with Wyndham City through its large red bus – affectionately named ‘Hunger Busters’ – that visits the local train station every Friday night to give away food and drinks and cook a barbecue, plus community lunches held during the week. “We figured out that from those two outreach things, we've got a dozen people that have transitioned from just a food handout or a meal, to actually coming to church and being engaged in the congregation,” Phill said. “I don't think that's happened before, so that's kind of really cool to have the right people in the right seats that are doing the work.” Being on the frontline is a top priority for both Catherine and Phill who are passionate about their corps work and ministering to others. They have also greatly benefitted from previous leaders who have invested into their lives, stating it has been an incredible blessing to both of them, and they were “standing on the shoulders” of some incredible corps officers that had been before them. And it was leaders who prayed over the church’s newest members as their role was to disciple. “I was looking at Retired Officer Major Rintje Taekema, and he was praying over a guy, James. It was a huge step for him to become a soldier. He was giving up a lot of family traditions, a lot of things . . . and I just went, you know, how beautiful is that, that he is praying and speaking into his life,” Catherine said. For Phill, he calls them “legends of The Salvation Army”, like bringing a grandma and grandpa figure to reality. “They hold the spiritual temperature high, and they keep the accountability high,” he said. “They bring the eldership position in the congregation and it holds everyone to a standard.”

The Salvation Army’s International Literature Program (ILP) is delighted to announce that the Song Book of The Salvation Army has been translated into Telugu, “opening up the beautiful hymns and songs of our faith to even more people”. Telugu is a Dravidian language spoken mainly in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and other parts of southern India. The ILP is based at International Headquarters and provides quality and affordable Christian resources for Salvation Army territories worldwide.

The Salvation Army in Zimbabwe is using funds provided by International Headquarters to launch a solar panel project that aims to provide sustainable and cost-effective power sources. Territorial Headquarters in Harare and Divisional Headquarters in Kadoma (Mashonaland West Province) have been working closely on the project. Territorial Headquarters, which has a history of power outages, has welcomed the new solar panels to produce consistent power and reduce disruptions to work for employees and officers. Kadoma’s Divisional Headquarters has been facing two main problems: finding a cost-effective power source and gaining access to clean running water. Previously, the headquarters relied on diesel generators to fuel essential services, which kept services running. However, the generators were costly and unsustainable. The solar panels were recently installed and now provide enough electricity to power Salvation Army buildings and the electric pump for the bore. Listen to the full story in the video above, or click here .

The Salvation Army has issued a heartfelt thank-you to those who supported the Kmart Australia Wishing Tree Appeal last Christmas. With the support of everyday Australians, the Salvos were able to make Christmas brighter for many families struggling to make ends meet. “Thousands of families were assisted, and stories abound of how gratefully the toys and other gifts were received,” said Major Warren Elliot, The Salvation Army Public Relations Secretary for Victoria. “Many spoke of the relief and joy they were able to experience knowing that their children were able to receive such lovely gifts at this special time of year. “We know times have been tough lately, as our services have been facing increasing demand. Since the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal began 36 years ago, we have been able to distribute an incredible 10 million gifts to Australian families in need. “Thank you again for allowing us to deliver goodness and joy to so many. We look forward to doing it all over again this year.” #TheSalvationArmy #Salvos #BelieveInGood #ChristmasAppeal #KmartAus

In this 'God Defining Moment', Major Wendy Hateley reflects on God's wonderful provision over the years and how she and Paul have seen his hand at work many times. Wendy says that they have relied on this fact for their entire officership, that "Even when you can't see how it's going to happen, God is always going to provide."

BY ANTHONY CASTLE The Salvation Army WA Emergency Services fed large numbers of emergency services personnel at the Gingin complex fires, north-west of Perth, in mid-January. Perth experienced scorching summer temperatures across the week, with 6000 hectares burned just 85kms north of the city. Emergency services crews worked to consolidate containment lines and keep the local community safe. “This season, we have experienced more larger fires than we have seen in previous seasons,” said Benjamin Day, Emergency Services State Coordinator WA. “These bushfires are growing fast, resulting in significant resources being deployed to control these fires. Our services have been stretched on a number of occasions, and we have at times experienced shortages of volunteers.” The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) were dispatched to multiple sites in early January, supporting incidents in Oldbury, Champion Lakes, Chittering, Bindoon and Gingin (also aiding in the search for a missing person in the Perth suburb of Mundaring). After supporting responders, SAES crews stand down, and volunteers clean and restock for future call-outs. “We have been provided with support from our eastern states’ teams also, which has been a tremendous support,” Benjamin explains. “We still have a long way to go this season, so we will continue to call for volunteers as the need arises. We would encourage anyone thinking of volunteering to please get in touch.” To volunteer email volunteeringwa@salvationarmy.org.au, or go to https://my.salvos.org.au/salvatio.../volunteer-with-seanddm/

By LERISSE SMITH Excitement is building for a special group of young people who will soon celebrate a major milestone in life, giving them the opportunity to create a trajectory of success for their future. The Salvation Army’s North/West Metro Youth Services, Melbourne, has invited 18 of its young people to Sunshine’s Youth Hub on 6 February to receive their formal scholarship certificate from the Hugh D.T. Williamson Foundation. The foundation has gifted funding to support their educational and employment pursuits. It has been a dream come true for the recipients who were unable to fund their future aspirations. “It’s life changing for the young people,” said Ralph Salera, Regional Manager of North/West Metro Youth Services. “The Hugh D.T. Williamson scholarships provide an amazing opportunity for our young people, empowering them to pursue education without financial barriers. By alleviating the burden of education costs, it enables them to participate in their education so they can make lasting contributions to their communities and beyond. “Beyond the financial support, it’s also all about the opportunity to participate without barriers, boosting confidence, unlocking potential and creating a trajectory of success for these individuals. It's not just about education; it's about offering opportunities to young people to celebrate education and allow young people to thrive.” Special relationship The scholarships embody what Hugh D.T. Williamson wanted for young people – to empower young minds, nurture their potential, and inspire them to achieve their goals. The special and long-standing partnership between The Salvation Army Westcare/Youth Services and the Hugh D.T. Williamson Foundation was forged back in 2002, with the organisation engaging in financial support for youths and the community. Predating Australia One in 2018 (when The Salvation Army became one territory in Australia), it was involved with Westcare. The Foundation has built a special and close relationship with the Youth Services in the West and Sunshine with more than 80 young people benefitting from scholarships totalling $80,000 in the past four years. The upcoming occasion to celebrate the formal presentation of the most recent scholarships will not only be a highlight for the scholarship recipients, but also for the Trustees of the Foundation who are passionate about supporting them. “The current Trustees of the Hugh D.T. Williamson Foundation are very pleased to continue the support of the Foundation for the work of The Salvation Army,” said Stephen Newton, The Chair of the Trustees of the Foundation. “Support that began as the result of the keen involvement of Hugh Williamson himself – an honorary colonel, a recipient of the Army’s highest award, a past Red Shield Appeal chairman, and a significant donor and benefactor for the Army’s programs – including making it possible for Army personnel to attend programs at the Mt Eliza Business School. “We now follow his lead, in making it possible for those wishing to pursue further study to do so through the Hugh D.T. Williamson scholarships.” A key part of the event will be the opportunity for the scholarship recipients to speak about their future plans. “It creates a memory for the young person and acknowledges what they're doing is actually important and valuable,” Ralph said. All workers across the North/West Metro Youth Services team nominated people for the scholarships. They considered five key areas such as their needs and future aspirations. The Chair of the Trustees of the Foundation, Stephen Newton, who works closely with Youth Services, then collaborated with Ralph and Chloe Lynch, program manager of North/West Metro, to allocate the funds. Dreams achieved Many success stories have arisen from previous scholarship funding. Past recipients have achieved their dreams – from becoming nurses, completing youth work and architecture courses, through to pursuing the business sector and in one case, becoming a doctor. One young person traversed a journey from being a massage therapist to a travel agent, and then qualified as a veterinarian. Material and practical support aid have been provided through the Foundation funding too, which offers flexibility depending on the person’s needs. The aid can range from computer equipment, childcare, driving lessons, travel tickets, work boots and study desks to pre-course fee payments. Some youths have also received their third cycle of scholarship funds to complete their courses. One of the great benefits of the scholarships has been young people being able to make a decision on their career path. “It is certainly something that we drive,” Ralph said. “We have seen young people take all different journeys, and we're seeing people just know what they want and get it. It has been great.” Inclusion There has been no judgment or discrimination around any young person that comes into the Youth Services no matter their background, history or life challenges. The team want them to feel that they can tackle any course or just sustain basic employment if other circumstances were impacting them such as homelessness, family violence or mental health issues – and to always feel supported by staff who advocate for them. “If a young person has a desire to be in education, we will move mountains to ensure they have access to it,” Ralph said. “The last thing we want is for them to feel they are different than any other student . . . They are as equal as any other student going into that space. There’s no barrier such as ‘you can't do that’ because you can't afford it. There's no judgment. “If a young person wants to study to be an astronaut, then let’s get you into a course to be an astronaut. It’s that attitude that develops young minds and develops the opportunity for young people to study, that is a key passion of the Foundation. The focus is on opportunity for education and the attitude that, if we invest in young people and their education, then we're all going to be better off for it.” In recognition and appreciation of the Foundation’s ongoing support of The Salvation Army and Youth Services program, a special plaque has been erected outside the original training room at Sunshine Hub which is now known as the ‘Hugh Williamson Education Centre’. A table donated by the Founding Chair of the Trustees of the Foundation, Denis Tricks, also acknowledges its four founding members so both staff and the public know of the Foundation’s highly valued commitment and support. “They are a strong key partner in the relationship with The Salvation Army –and we want to keep it forever,” he said. “They have always been a strong advocate of what we do. We’ve been able to support a normal journey of a young person who's trying to explore their world and what they want from their life – and that's been the beautiful part of Hugh Williamson.”

BY SIMONE WORTHING Daryl Crowden, General Manager - Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES), spent four days last week in the disaster-ravaged Queensland communities of Cairns and Port Douglas in Far North Queensland, and the Gold Coast, Scenic Rim and Logan regions in the south-east. He began his visits in Cairns and Port Douglas, meeting with the SAES teams serving in recovery hubs, assisting those impacted by Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the subsequent floods and widespread destruction. Daryl also participated in the teams’ nightly online catchups. “This gave me an opportunity to meet a whole lot of volunteers that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to,” he said. As General Manager of SAES, a role he took up in July 2023 after many years of experience overseas with World Vision, Medical Teams International and The Salvation Army International Emergency Services, it was also Daryl’s first opportunity to see the SAES recovery teams actively responding in a significant emergency and The Salvation Army’s model at work. “While I think there are some processes and systems which can probably be updated and improved over time, the attitude of our people – officers, staff and volunteers – is just amazing,” he said. “In most cases (like Jasper) our people were there before and during the crisis, and as members of the impacted communities, will be there for the long haul of recovery. Thanks team – your compassion is a true reflection of the Christmas season. “Also thanks to partners like Queensland’s Department of Communities, Woolworths, and the public who have donated, enabling us to see our new friends through a tough time for the long haul.” In South East Queensland, Daryl visited most of the recovery hubs in the area, including Mt Tamborine, Upper Coomera, Jimboomba, Labrador and Coombabah. Unfortunately, volunteer numbers are not keeping up with the increased need in these impacted communities. When Daryl visited Mt Tamborine there weren’t enough volunteers, so he spent two hours interviewing, hearing people’s stories and pre-screening. “I love being hands-on,” he said. “Having the chance to do this just gives me great emotional energy to deal with the other aspects of the role, such as strategic and external engagement.” As part of this aspect of the role, Daryl met with local councils and the Mayor of Mt Tamborine – higher level connections which are often easier to make in a crisis. In their regional SAES roles, Adam Cole (South Queensland) and Major Lincoln Stevens (North Queensland) and Major Leanne Stevens, Recovery Team Leader (national), have been working hard over the long term to establish deeper relationships with the government. “This has really paid off and we have been deployed into areas that probably even a few months ago we didn’t think we’d get into,” explained Daryl. “And that’s in part because our workers have just turned up and done well. As a result, people from the Department of Communities and others are really positive about wanting us here. “People are very keen to work together, so being able to connect with some of those people and understand what they're looking for then helps us shape what we do. We make sure we're delivering what they want, but we also make sure that we can develop design processes and protocols that are compliant with whatever the standards or the expectations of government are.” Jesus with skin on People both inside and outside The Salvation Army often ask why, as a church, is The Salvation Army so involved with emergency services? “I think it’s for the same reason as I do it,” Daryl explained. “During my 24 years as a Salvation Army officer, I had numerous opportunities to run a corps, to preach and to run what I guess most people would consider the normal model of Christianity and mission. But when I started doing this kind of stuff, when I got to sit with people at their worst and not necessarily pray with them, not necessarily talk about Jesus, but just be, it was like, as someone said, a framework of ‘being Jesus with skin on’. I believe I have had more opportunities just to be that, more opportunities of genuine relationship and connection with people in this world than I did as an officer. My style of ministry is reflected in this work and it’s also why The Salvation Army does it. “Our roots are about sitting down with people in crisis – the messy people, the chaos - and bringing, even if it's momentary, sense out of that for people. And I think that's why The Salvation Army does it. “I can't give statistics of people who go to the Mercy Seat, but I can tell you stories of people who walked away lighter, not necessarily because they got a voucher, but because they got half an hour of someone's undivided attention. And I think that's Jesus in the crisis centres. “And for me personally, although I'm not sure everyone in The Salvation Army would agree, we have volunteers that are both committed Salvationist Christians and not Christians, but whether they profess Christianity or not, the same effect happens. People walk out of that place knowing that someone cared for their life. And it gives me that opportunity to sit with people who don't profess religion or like church but want to be part of what Jesus did.”